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lead guitar from “supermassive black hole” by muse | ToneDB

supermassive black hole

muse

lead guitar

75% ai confidence

Tone Profile

A searing, aggressive guitar tone with a touch of fuzz and a focused, almost vocal-like quality. It's high-gain but articulate, cutting through the mix with clarity and power.

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The Story

Matt Bellamy's lead guitar tone on "Supermassive Black Hole" was built around his signature Hugh Manson custom guitar paired with a Diezel VH4 amplifier. The Z.Vex Fuzz Factory pedal added harmonic complexity and sustain while maintaining the underlying clarity of the high-gain amp tone. The track was produced by Rich Costey, known for his work with aggressive rock acts, and the guitar was captured using a Shure SM57 microphone positioned close to the speaker cabinet.

Production Credits

Producer: Rich Costey

Engineer: Unknown

Recorded at: Unknown

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a guitar equipped with humbucker pickups and an aggressive-sounding amplifier.
  • Dial in a high-gain amp tone with a focus on clarity and articulation.
  • Experiment with a fuzz pedal like the Fuzz Factory to add harmonic richness and sustain, but be careful not to overdo it.
  • Use a dynamic microphone like an SM57 positioned close to the speaker cone for a bright, direct sound.
  • Consider blending a direct input signal with the mic'd cabinet signal for added clarity and punch.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Schecter Hellraiser C-1Shop on Reverb$700-$900

Alternative to: Hugh Manson Custom Guitar

Features active EMG pickups similar to Bellamy's Manson guitars, providing the hot humbucker output needed for this aggressive tone

Neural DSP Archetype PliniPlugin Boutique$100-$130

Alternative to: Diezel VH4

Includes high-gain German amp models that can replicate the VH4's tight, articulate distortion character

REVV Generator 120Shop on Reverb$2200-$2500

Alternative to: Diezel VH4

Modern high-gain head with similar tight, focused distortion and clarity to the VH4

Z.Vex Fuzz FactoryShop on Reverb$200-$230

Alternative to: Z.Vex Fuzz Factory

The exact same pedal used on the recording, still in current production

Boss HM-2W Waza CraftShop on Reverb$180-$200

Alternative to: Diezel VH4

Budget option that can push a clean amp into aggressive, cutting territory when combined with the right fuzz pedal

Sources

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