The detail; without doubt in the really classic guitarists we like the detail. That's why we can melt, discuss, repeat over and over again and speak for hours about one or two notes by Albert King while sometimes overlook the incredible things that a guy like Matt Bellamy does in each song he plays. It should also be mentioned that he does this while singing that same song at an even higher level than his abilities with the six strings ... not to mention how he also masters the keyboards and leaving aside that he is the main composer of Muse, one of the largest and most successful bands of the 21st century. So let's put the focus today on a truly gifted man who is not talked about as much as he should be in the specialized guitar media, but to remedy this here is Guitars Exchange! We are in luck today with Matt Bellamy because he has used, and uses, an authentic arsenal of equipment, which we are going to try to summarize in a few lines.    

The first thing we will do is talk about his guitars. He has used hundreds of them both in the studio and live, beginning at the end of the last century with a Gibson SG Standard along with a number of classic guitars like the Fender Telecaster or the Stratocaster. However, according to his band, he was also enlarging his collection as he was touring, which included, for example, most of the Manson brand behind which is the British luthier Hugh Manson, who has supplied him with some of those he has already turned mythical like the DL1, the Metal bomber and even his Double neck model (here we have already talked about the Cort MBC1 Matt Bellamy Signature Guitar which is an official 'low cost' replica of these more exclusive models).    

As for his amplifiers there are live photographs from a few years ago in which we see how he based his sound on quite mythical amps like the 60s Vox AC30 and the Marshall 1959 Superlead together with a more 'brutalized' amp such as the Diezel VH4. His admiration for the Dickinson boutique amplifiers is also known. However, it is true that in recent years his evolution has been more aimed at using emulator systems such as the Fractal Audio System Ax-FX and the Kemper Profiling Amp. It seems logical that the bands that look for new sounds find them in vanguard equipment before turning to the valve amplifiers of the 60s. Not everything is classic rock in this life...    

And now it's time to talk about his effects but the truth is that we can not rely too much on old photos of his pedalboards on stage since things have changed a lot, especially since most of his guitars are controlled via a MIDI controller or with the effects themselves built into his guitar of the moment. Of course, we can tell you some of those he has used, and he almost certainly continues to use, such as the Digitech Whammy, the Keeley Fuzz Head or the ZVEX Fuzz Factory, the Line 6 DL4 or the DOD Equalizer; among many other pedals that can be heard from one of the bands that adds a whole arrray of colors and textures through effects on their songs.    

We knew that these lines were going to flow quite easily when talking about Mr. Matt Bellamy, but the important thing as we said at the beginning is to talk about him and give him a corner in this space of great guitarists because he deserves it. While the most classic continue talking about those small details that seem (and are) so great in this whole guitar-playing circus, sometimes it is also healthy to be overwhelmed by the incredible skill and powerful way of playing, singing and composing of a new genius of the 21st century.