GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Reapers Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Muse
Muse · 2010s+ · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Manson DL-1 Signature Electric Guitar
Pickups
Custom Manson bridge humbucker (likely Bare Knuckle Nailbomb or similar, as per era)
Amp
Marshall 1959HW Handwired Plexi Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2015 (Drones album). Gear confirmed by Muse tech and Equipboard for this era and song. Egnater M4 Modular Preamp also present in studio rig, but main amp is Marshall Plexi. No evidence of live-only gear or alternate guitars for the solo section.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5.5
Gain8.5
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- DigiTech Whammy Pitch-Shifting Pedal · modulation
- Korg Kaoss Pad (model unknown, likely KP3 or Mini-KP) · modulation
- Fuzz Factory (Zvex Fuzz Factory or Manson Fuzz Factory circuit) · fuzz
- Delay pedal (model unknown, likely Line 6 DL4 or Boss DD series) · delay
Manson DL-1 Guitar → Fuzz Factory → DigiTech Whammy → Korg Kaoss Pad → Delay pedal → Marshall 1959HW Plexi (with light spring reverb)
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight, saturated distortion
- singing sustain
- aggressive, compressed lead sound
- octave-shifted solo lines
- harmonic-rich, modern rock lead
- articulate attack
- cutting upper mids
- controlled feedback
- percussive, fast note response
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for 'Reapers' solo found; settings estimated based on Marshall Plexi usage for modern Muse heavy tones and typical studio practices.
- Pedal order and settings inferred from known rig and audible effects; no explicit studio pedalboard photo for this exact session.
- Pickup model inferred from typical Manson DL-1 configuration for this era; exact pickup not confirmed for this specific recording.
- No evidence of amp-based effects (delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, vibrato) used; all effects appear to be pedal-based.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Reapers' solo features a saturated, modern high-gain tone with tight low end, pronounced upper mids and treble for cut, and minimal ambience. Matt Bellamy typically uses Diezel or Mesa/Boogie amps with high gain, moderate bass, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, and boosted presence for clarity, matching modern alt/prog rock conventions.