Riff Tone

Hysteria

Muse

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Standard (red, used by Matt Bellamy on Absolution recording)

AmpUnknown exact model (no direct source for amp used on 'Hysteria' studio recording; likely Marshall or similar British high-gain amp typical for Muse in this era, but not confirmed in sources)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock on SG Standard, likely 490R/498T or similar for 2003 era)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

fuzzfOXX fOXX Fuzz Wah Volume

Notes

Studio recording, 2003 (Absolution album). Guitar and fuzz pedal confirmed for riff section; amp model not specified in available sources. No evidence of time-based or modulation effects on the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and aggressive fuzzsaturated and compressedpercussive attackfocused midrangecutting high endfull-bodied low endarticulate note separationminimal ambiencedry, in-your-face soundsustain-rich

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, consistent alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise timing to lock in with the rhythm section, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Muse – Absolution - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Hysteria guitar tone : r/Muse - Reddit Hysteria-Muse : r/Bass - Reddit

This tone has been researched 13 times by the community

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