Manson and Matt Bellamy have faithfully recreated the crazy guitar from Muse’s Time Is Running Out video
[Editor’s Note: Meng Ru Kuok, Founder & CEO of Caldecott Music Group is a part owner of Manson Guitar Works. Guitar.com is part of Caldecott Music Group]
To perform intergalactic riffs, you’ll need an out-of-this-world guitar. And Matt Bellamy has you covered. The Muse frontman’s new Manson Signature Black Edition is his magnum opus, packed with every gadget you’d ever need for the perfect sci-fi axe.
Eagle-eyed fans might find the Manson Black Edition series familiar. And that’s because it’s a faithful recreation of one of Bellamy’s most eccentric guitars; back in 2003, the guitar made its debut in Muse’s Time Is Running Out video, boasting a body rammed with unique effects knobs and switches. Now, fans can get the guitar for themselves.
READ MORE: Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac review: “a superbly set-up and put together instrument that’s ready for anything thrown at it”
First up, the Black Edition OR (Origin Reissue) Relic comes as a totally accurate replication of Bellamy’s original matt black mahogany axe. Brainstormed over three years, the guitar has the same ‘worn-in’ look, complete with glued joint ‘repairs’, scrapes and scratches. It even has all the same components of the original guitar, which Manson says proved quite a challenge considering it’s been 23 years since the birth of Bellamy’s original creation.
As a result, the Black Edition series offers the same MIDI-controlled killswitch effects and slew of futuristic sounds in the form of the Z-Vex Fuzz Factory and theramin-style Wah Probe. There’s also Sustainer Intensity controls as well as a Sustainer three-way Mode Toggle, a pickup selector, and Comp and Stab controls.
On the back, there’s more – you can flick your LEDs on or off, as well as trim pots RF and LED Wah Probe trim pots, Ron Joyce Sub Board trim pot system, and volume controls for your Wah Probe and Fuzz Factory drive.
As a result, the OR Relic is the most exclusive release of the series. It’s limited to just nine guitars, and it’s set to cost £29,999. To make sure it gets to you with no extra dings, it also comes in a specially designed Protechnic flightcase.
Every OR guitar has also been personally road-tested and approved by Bellamy, with the Muse frontman having a go on each unique guitar before signing the back of its headstock. The strings Bellamy used will also come in a sealed bag with your guitar, together with a copper laser-etched certificate and some limited edition picks.
For those who can’t nab one of the ultra-scarce OR Relic models, there are also two New Era Black Edition models. The axes come as more modern interpretations of the original guitar, utilising newer, less rare components, as well as coming in both marked and squeaky-clean versions.
In terms of the components, the guitars still offer a slew of unique features. In terms of its integrated systems, there’s a Sustainiac Sustainer, Z-Vex Fuzz Factory, Manson/Ron Joyce FL Wah, and a MIDI Strip controller. Alongside volume and tonal controls, there’s a MIDI Rotary Program Potentiometer, Sustainiac Drive and a three-way Sustainic Mode Toggle, as well as a pickup selector. There’s also Fuzz Factory controls, as well as Comp and Stab controls.
However, the New Era editions are still pretty limited – after all, this is an all-in-one performance multi-tool, offering the “ultimate self-contained” instrument for the stage. For that reason, the New Era guitars are limited to just 25 pieces between them, costing £11,999 for an unmarked edition and £12,999 for a relic edition.
The New Era guitars ship in a Manson/Hiscox II case, as well as coming with a limited-edition strap and a hand-signed certificate by Bellamy and Manson’s Head of Production Tim Stark.
Whether you’re carving out rich art-rock words or fine-tuning your proggy licks, the Black Edition series is up to the task. Nicknamed the “Gadget Guitar”, Bellamy has explained that the Black Edition series is his definitive creation with Manson.
“If I could only have one guitar in the world, the Black Edition would be it,” he explains.
To date, Bellamy’s live rig and personal axe collection is rammed with Manson guitars. His first signature collaboration came back in 2001, where he conjured up his signature Mattocaster/MB shape to capture the feel of a Fender Telecaster with the sound of a Gibson Les Paul.
“Fundamentally, the way a guitar feels is so important,” he told us back in 2020. “When I was younger and I picked up a Strat or a Gibson or something like that, it would always send me down a certain way of playing, which I felt was less original than when playing my own design.”
“[When designing a guitar], I want to come up with a guitar that leads me down a path of 21st-century music rather than going backwards with a retro feel,” he added. “That’s always been the challenge with the guitar in the modern era of music.”
Learn more at Manson Guitar Works.
The post Manson and Matt Bellamy have faithfully recreated the crazy guitar from Muse’s Time Is Running Out video appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
