Sounds Like Muse

Few bands can claim to have had such an impact as Muse. The alternative rock band began their journey in the rather unassuming town of Teignmouth, Devon. Although to call them ‘alternative rock’ is perhaps an insult to their wide sonic range. Their sound has elements from metal to classical and every kind of rock subgenre imaginable. Now, to the question, how can you, dear reader, sound like Muse? Well, we have some gear that will help you get going.

The Guitars

Now, if you think of Matt Bellamy and his guitars, your first thought is to go with a Manson. Manson guitars and Matt Bellamy go hand-in-hand. You only have to look to his ‘Blackie’ or his DL-2 to see that. While his guitars may all be custom-made, that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to sound like him. We’ve gone with the budget-friendly: Cort Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Matt Bellamy Sustainiac and the Cort Manson Meta Series MBM-2P Matt Bellamy, Satin Black to give you that same look and feel, keeping things as authentic as possible. 

The Pedals

Let us turn to the effects. With a sonic smorgasbord of styles Muse have played, it might be hard to unpack all of what's going on. Fuzz, overdrive, delay, and reverb all play a big part in shaping Muse’s sound; the trick is perhaps the placement, which is covered more in the video.

We used pedals from Digitech, Boss and MXR. A lot of these pedals are bog standard, which many of you may already own at home, enabling you to access these sounds. Matt Bellamy used a lot of different pedals, and to some, it can be daunting when trying to recreate this sound for yourself. Do not despair, as with even relatively normal pedals, you can still achieve a great sound.

The Amp

The rig we used was the Blackstar St James EL34 head and cab, as it was the most suitable amp we had in the shop. Matt Bellamy has used loads of different amps and racks. He has used a Blackstar St James in the past. When trying to sound like Muse, you want to push the mid-range, and the Blackstar can handle that. It being a Cab rig and that can be used with a DI, is very user-friendly.  

If you want a more in-depth explanation of the gear used or how to sound more like Muse, check out our video on YouTube where our resident Muse expert Harry, breaks down all you need to know and more here: