The Kit and Tab FAQ (please read first if you are new)

[james90]

:::-- Please note no discussion of homemade Zvex pedals of any kind, such as the Fuzz Factory, on the board please --:::

the kit and tab faq

Before making a post
We have a real problem with duplicate threads! Please first check here to see if your question is answered (it probably is) if not please use search to check if it's been made before (title only gets good results). also check musewiki.

This thread should have the answers to many queries. it is divided into 5 sections

• muse songs
• muse gear
• muse gear (continued)
• muse effects
• non-muse related

if you are wanting to post about a particular song always search to see if a thread on the song is already there. if you're in any doubt about anything please pm me

here are some links to the most common threads

• General discussion on anything kit and tab related
• post pictures of your gear
• Manson guitars and equipment (also see MB-1 thread, DL-1 thread, MB-2 SE thread, CE-7 thread, and Cort MBC-1 thread)
• Fuzz Factory/fuzz probe thread
• the selling thread
• pics of you rocking out gigging
• General luthiery thread
• recommend gear thread
• G.A.S. thread
• thread for quick questions on anything kit and tab related
• (un)worthy mods (DIY thread)
• Effects Settings resouce
• plug your band and mp3s
• what order should my effects pedals go in
• kaoss pad thread
• Dom's drums
• tab request thread

Also, if you would like to post your covers of muse or non-muse songs, please see the cover thread here

Additions, suggestions or corrections are welcomed and appreciated. PM me, Tom!, or Matthijs if you have any ideas

[james90]

Muse Songs

How did matt play (insert song) at (insert gig)?
please with this type of question where ever possible provide a link so other users can hear it, failing this please provide information on where you heard it, otherwise its unlikely to get results.

Where can I get muse tabs?
You can get them via buying the Muse tab books (links provided) or by looking at some tabs created by users from various sites.

• Showbiz
• Origin of symmetry
• Hullabaloo
• Absolution
• Black holes and revelations
• The Resistance

Good sites for tablature:

• http://www.musewiki.org - text tabs

Something isn't quite right with the microcuts tab in the tab book yeah?
there's a mistake, to play microcuts you should tune your guitar to drop d.


Piano thing - what is it and is there a tab?
piano thing is an improvised solo piano piece by matt bellamy it appears on the b-side to the new born.

A transcription of this can be found at: http://www.microcuts.net/uk/tabs

There seems to be something fishy about the in your world tuning?
the hullabaloo tab book is not a mistake or a misprint. for playing in your world correctly you tune your d string up a tone to e.


Which muse songs are played with a capo?

• Thoughts of a Dying Atheist - 10th fret
• Sing For Absolution (Live) - 2nd fret

Whats the best muse songs for a beginner?
the vast majority of people on this forum would recommend either hyper condriac music or unintended. the majority is wrong. host is the perfect beginner piece nice easy chords and some nice easy power chords. hyper condriac music and unintended are both nice easy pieces (by muse standards) so both would also be good for beginners. plug-in baby is also quite often recommended but it isn't advisable if you are very new to guitar as you need a strong fourth finger to play well so the tendancy is for beginners to try play it with three fingers this can lead to pretty poor technique so if you're trying plug in baby try to use all four fingers on the main riff.

[james90]

Muse gear

How can i find out about muse gear?

http://www.musewiki.org/gear is a great resource for information and probably has more than has been posted here

What guitars does Matt play?

Matt famously uses a number of custom guitars made by Hugh Manson and Tim Stark. This is the 2013 list of them. (2016 update: most of the guitars below are no longer in use)

Silver/Delorean - Retired

• Body: Poplar (aluminum clad)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hot P90
• Bridge Pickup: Kent Armstrong Motherbucker
• Effects/special circuits: Fuzz factory, Phase 90
• Graptech Ghost Acoustic saddles
• Roland GK3 Midi pick up
• Toggle Kill switch

7 String E guitar (live backup)

• Body: Unknown (chambered)
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Pickups: Custom 7-string Kent Armstrong

Blackie/Black Ed/007 - retired (still used in studio)

• Body: Mahogany (matt black finish)
• Neck: Maple (matt black finish)
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Hot P90
• Bridge pickup: Custom BKP Mississippi Queen (previously had a Kent Armstrong Motherbucker)
• Fernandes Sustainer
• Effects/special circuits: Fuzz factory, Wah Probe
• Midi strip (taken from a keyboard)
• Toggle Kill switch
• Blue LEDs on side of neck

Laser - Retired

• Body: Poplar (cracked mirror finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck Pickup: Rio Grande Bastard
• Bridge Pickup: Bare Knuckle Nailbomb (used to be Rio Grande Crunchbox)
• Effects/Special circuits : Fuzz factory, Phase 90
• Lasers
• Toggle Kill switch

Bomber - Retired

• Body: ??? (chrome finish with blue/purple paint)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck Pickup: Rio Grande Jazzbar
• Bridge Pickup: BKP Nailbomb (used to be Rio Grande Crunchbox)
• Ibanez Lo pro floyd
• Special circuit : Midi strip
• Toggle Kill switch

Mirror/Earls Court - retired

• Body: Ash with mirror covering (original body was mahogany)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck Pickup: Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen P90 (previously rio grande covered bastard)
• Bridge Pickup: Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen P90 (previously rio grande crunchbox)
• Special circuit: Fuzz factory, Phase 90
• Toggle kill switch

Chrome Bomber

• Body: ??? (chrome finish)
• Neck: birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: rosewood
• ibanez lo pro floyd
• Neck pickup: BKP P90
• Bridge pickup: BKP Nailbomb
• Special circuit: Zvex fuzz factory

Kaoss/Invincible/M1D1 black - retired

• Body: ??? (matt black finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck pickup: Fernandes Sustainer
• Bridge Pickup(s): Pair of Bare Knuckle P90s
• Special circuits: X&Y pad

M1D1 - Retired/Deceased

• Body: Mahogany (cracked mirror top)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck pickup: Fernandes Humbucker Sustainer
• Bridge pickup: Bare Knuckle Nailbomb
• Special circuits: X&Y pad
• Toggle Kill switch

Ali Top - retired

• Body: ??? (aluminum top with painted back)
• Neck: birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck pickup: Bare Knuckle custom Mississippi Queen P90
• Bridge pickup: Bare Knuckle custom Mississippi Queen P90
• Ibanez Lo Pro Floyd

Glitterati/Santa/Red Glitter - Retired/deceased

• Body: Ash (red glitter finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck Pickup: Fernandes Single Coil Sustainer
• Bridge Pickup: Manson Custom Wound Bare Knuckle Nailbomb
• Special circuits: X&Y pad

Seattle/Auto/Black MIDI - retired

• Body: ??? (Matt black finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood (or ebony?)
• Neck Pickup: Fernandes Single Coil Sustainer
• Bridge Pickup: Bare Knuckle Nailbomb
• Special circuits/mods: X&Y pad
• Also features an automatic tuning system.

Mirror X-Y - retired

• Body: Ash (mirror finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck Pickup: Fernandes single coil sustainer
• Bridge Pickup(s): Pair of Bare Knuckle P90s
• Special circuits/mods: X&Y pad
• Push button kill switch

Double Neck/Casinocaster - retired

• Body: poplar (mirror top with painted back)
• Necks: birds-eye maple
• Fretboards: top neck is fretless ebony, bottom is standard fretted rosewood
• Bridge pickups: Bare Knuckle custom P90s
• Neck pickups: Fernandes sustainers

MB-1 Red Glitter

• Body: Alder (red glitter finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck Pickup: Fernandes sustainer
• Bridge pickup: Manson/Bare Knuckle MBK-2
• Special circuits/mods: X&Y pad

[james90]

Santa 2.0/New Red Glitter - retired

• Body: swamp ash (red glitter finish)
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck Pickup: Fernandes sustainer
• Bridge pickup: Manson/Bare Knuckle MBK-2
• Special circuits/mods: X&Y pad

Carbon - retired

• Body: unknown (carbon fibre clad)
• Neck: birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck Pickup: stratocaster single coil (originally was fernandes sustainer FSK-401)
• Bridge pickup: bare knuckle mississippi queen (originally was manson/bare knuckle MBK-2)

Matt Black

• Body: unknown (matt black finish)
• Neck: birds-eye maple (originally baked maple)
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck Pickup: fernandes sustainer
• Bridge pickup: Manson/Bare Knuckle MBK-2

M1D1 gloss black

• Body: unknown (gloss black finish)
• Neck: birds-eye maple
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck Pickup: fernandes sustainer
• Bridge pickup: manson/bare knuckle MBK-2
• Special circuits/mods: X&Y pad

Glitter 7-string

• Body: unknown (gloss black finish with holographic glitter)
• Neck: unknown (gloss black finish with holographic glitter)
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck Pickup: sustainiac
• Bridge pickup: unknown

Red Carbon

• Body: Unknown
• Neck: Birds-eye maple
• fretboard: rosewood
• neck pickup: fernandes sustainer
• Bridge pickup: manson/bare knuckle MBK-2
• Special circuits/mods: X&Y pad

Muse gear (continued)

Was the Black Manson/007 stolen?
No, no, no, no, no, no. While on the b&h single dvd it is seen that Matt throws the guitar in a bin during the American tour and someone takes it, the Manson did find its way back to Matt and was seen in use on stage 2 days after that event and is indeed still used.

Whats the seventh Manson/Rust Relic?
The Rust Relic is a guitar Mansons built for Matt alongside the Mirror Manson in December 2004 for the Earls Court shows. He did not use the Rust Relic live, and returned it to Mansons around a month later when it then went up for sale.

There are 2 non-mansons used in hullabaloo what guitars are they?

• Ibanez DTX-120 destroyer in red/yellow sunburst (usually used for smashing or throwing away to the crowd)
• Fender aloha stratocaster - Custom guitar made for Freddie Tavares (Hawaiian guitarist who played an important role in designing the stratocaster) made in 1995 by the fender custom shop one of only 153. has an aluminium body. They go for about £5000 but Matt bought his one for a few hundreds

What guitars has Matt regularly used in the past?

• Parker Fly Most likely a deluxe.
  
• Peavey Wolfgang. possibly two of these - one partially covered in grey tape (destroyed in 2000, now repaired and owned by a collector), and one completely covered in black tape.
  
• Gibson Les Paul Standard DC Lite. trans amber finish with internal roland GK-2. GK-2 was eventually removed and the neck pickup was replaced with a humbucker sized P90 of some sort. headstock broke off sometime in mid-late 2000 (at the Dublin Olympia according to Matt), but was repaired and used a few times about a year later (notably bliss at heineken music hall 2001).
  
• Gibson Les Paul Standard DC Plus trans black finish with strips of black tape added. Most likely this guitar was the replacement for the yellow Les Paul when the headstock broke off.
  
• Emex Londaxe. modified with internal roland GK-2 kit and seymour duncan hot rails neck pickup. used during the showbiz tour. This was destroyed at the astoria gig on 31st January 2000. It made an appearance on the mimed TOTP performance a few months later, and looked to have been split down the middle and held together with tape.
  
• Gibson SG x2. One SG-X with a mirror front, and one custom shop '61 reissue. Matt still has the '61 reissue, although it doesn't seem to get used much.
  
• Yamaha Pacifica 120SD. modified with roland GK-2 and dimarzio pickups. Neck was replaced with an aftermarket stratocaster neck at some point. apparently was traded to Mansons guitar shop a while back, however this has not been confirmed.
  
• Various Ibanez Destroyers (model DTX 120) and Icemans (model ICX 120). These guitars were usually destroyed or thrown into the crowd.
  
• Gretsch Synchromatic G1627. used 2 or 3 times in early 2000, then destroyed.
  
• White Japanese travel guitar with built in amplifier/speakers. Not much is known about this guitar at all. this was given to him by a fan.
  
• Red Ibanez SC420 S-classic. Used very early on (pre-showbiz era).
  
  

What guitar was matt using in the video for....

• New born? a black telecaster. (unknown make)
• Plug-in baby? a Jay Turser resonator
• Uno? an Emex Londaxe


note: neither the black telecaster or the resonator have been known to have been used live, it is likely these were just borrowed as props for the video.


Whats the guitar chris uses for unintended on hullabaloo?
Chris uses a Danelectro 59-DC (its unclear whether this is an original or a re-issue) and a Roland PK-5 Dynamic Midi Pedal.


What amps does matt use?

As of 2012:

• Fractal audio Axe FX
• Kemper profiling amp (x2)

In the past Matt has also used the following:

• Diezel VH4 head (x2)
• VOX AC30 reissue head
• Marshall 1959HW reissue head (modified)
• Fender Hotrod Deville 4x10 combo (possibly a dedicated amp for the roland VG-8)
• Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 head and 4x12 cab (orange crunch edition). He apparently has two sets of these.
• Soldano Decatone head and 4x12 cab
• Orange AD30 head (single channel, has front modified to say "Deranged?")
• Matchless DC30 combo

He supposedly used an Egnater M4 at one point, but it is unknown whether this was used live.

He also used two Marshall mode 4 cabinets with metal grilles on the absolution tour. These were also used on the black holes and revelations tour, but had the grilles removed and painted white

What is the shiny amp on stage behind Matt?

On the resistance tour, it was a Dickinson MK II 2x12 combo amp (loaded with monitor speakers and used for feedback - basically used as a speaker cabinet)

During the 2nd law tour, he had two custom monitors built by Dickinson which only have speakers and no amp.

Whats the white light pad on some of Matts guitar, is it a Kaoss pad?
The white pad is an X-Y pad thats used to control the Kaoss Pad KP2. The pad itself is not an effects device it requires the KP2 to generate the sounds.


What plectrum does matt use?
He uses a dunlop tortex .73mm with the Muse logo printed on them


What strings does matt use?

• Ernie Ball string gauges: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .060
• (7-string: .010-.080)

[james90]

Muse effects

What is Matt's pedalboard/rack setup?

Showbiz era was:

• Roland VG-8
• Roland Expression pedal
• Soldano channel switcher
• Custom amp switching box made by Orchid Electronics

but more pedals were added in 2000 it seems:

• Digitech Whammy IV
• Roland VG-8
• DOD FX-40 7-band equalizer (used for mid boost)
• Line 6 DL-4 delay
• Custom amp switching box made by Orchid Electronics
• switch for changing patches on VG-8
• Roland and Boss expression pedals

Origin of Symmetry era pedalboard was very similar

• Digitech Whammy IV
• Line 6 DL-4 delay
• footswitch for Marshall DSL 100
• roland expression pedal
• switch for mic distortion
• Rackmount Korg tuner
• second footswitch (possibly for switching amp reverb on/off?)

Information on later setups (including rack gear) coming soon.



How do i get a sound like the one used in <insert song>
a guide to user posted settings which should get the sounds similar to what muse used can be found in this thread
a very interesting article on how muse recorded absolution can be found here

What effect did matt use for the solo of ...

• sunburn? digitech whammy reissue 2 octaves up
• muscle museum? voice (see below)
• sober? digitech whammy reissue 1 octave up(solo1) meatball envelope filter (solo2)
• escape? wah pedal
• hate this and i'll love you? slide guitar
• new born? digitech whammy reissue 1 octave up
• citizen erased? Zvex fuzz factory
• Darkshines? trumpet effect from roland midi synth
• Dead Star? digitech whammy reissue 1 octave up (switching it on and off repeatedly) and Zvex fuzz factory
• Sing For Absolution? compressed wah sound from a Foxx Time Machine (60s fuzz wah pedal) going into a stereo delay sending to two different amps.
• Invincible? whammy up 2 octaves for the taps
• Supermassive Black Hole (HAARP)? fuzz factory DI'd

What effect did matt use for the verse of dead star?
Matt played this through Chris' big muff and bass amp. he also used his dl4 probably set to 1 repeat.

Whats those strange noises at the start of in your world on hullabaloo?
this effect is matt using his midi strip on his black manson to control a digitech whammy pedal. he's basically just pissing about pitchshifting.

Whats the sounds of the solo for musclemuseum
this solo is done by matt singing into his marshall amp that has the gain set high. live this sound is achieved by matt singing into a line 6 pod most likely set to emulate the sounds of the marshall used in the studio.

What effect did chris use for plug-in baby?
this was done with a boss octave pedal an envelope filter and a fuzz pedal.

What effect did chris use for hysteria?
Chris's sound is achieved by playing through 2 big muffs.

How effect did chris use for TIRO?
From bass guitar magazine issue 18 interview with chris (kindly provided by amj)


How did you get the bass sound on that track(TIRO)?
It's a bit of a cheat really!

Your secret is safe with me..
We tried for ages to get the right bass sound. Some of the things we tried were quite ridiculous. We tried flangers, acoustic basses, dubbing with phasers, you name it, but it still wasn't happening. One day Matt was fooling around with a JP 8000 synth and started getting this portamento vibe going (mimes track intro). So we recorded that and I put down a horrendously subby bassline using the pedulla and when we put them together it made a weird, buzzy,disgusting kinda noise and that's what we used.

What do you do about that live?
I play the line over the top of a synth backing track.

What settings does matt have for his fuzz factory??
For songs like New Born and Bliss its best to set the Stab all the way, Drive no higher than 12:00, hardly any Comp and if you really can't stand a bit of hiss use the Gate.
For CE its best to have lots of Fuzz, this is a setting I like to use for CE and Muscle Museum Stab - 5:00 Drive - 5:00 Comp - 7:00 Gate - Far enough to get rid of the hissing.

thanks to haze015 for these settings.

What settings does matt have for his line6 dl4??
a common setting of matts is known to be: (o' clock scale)
model: multihead model
delay time 1 o'clock
repeats 2 o'clock
tweak 2 o'clock
tweez about 3 o'clock
mix 1 o'clock

thanks to daniel for these.

[james90]

Non muse related

Does anyone have tabs for (insert song) by (insert band)?
please try not to post this type of question if you dont have a link where users can hear the piece of music. please also keep conversations about tab if you wish to discuss the band you can do this in the other music section of the forum

When i post tabs they come out looking crap, help?
if you're tab looks fine in notepad you will want to change the font here to be the same as notepad (the default for notepad is Lucida Console) also adding code tags is known to work (for help on this see the message board faq)

What guitars are good for a beginner who wants to play muse?
Ideally you want a guitar with a humbucker, these guitars are worth a look at Yamaha Pacifica, the cheaper ibanez models, or some of the humbucker equipped squiers.

What are good websites for buying gear?

• http://www.gak.co.uk
• http://www.mansons.co.uk
• http://www.andertons.co.uk/