Riff Tone

The Handler

Muse

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarManson MB-1

AmpDiezel VH4

PickupsSeymour Duncan Hot Rails (bridge), Sustainiac (neck)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid6

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionUnknown Distortion/Fuzz pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 2015. Gear inferred from Drones-era interviews and typical Matt Bellamy setup for 'The Handler' riff. No explicit studio photo evidence for this exact session, but consistent with era and live rig.

Tone Character(10)

heavy, saturated distortiontight, percussive attackarticulate note separationslightly scooped midsfuzzy, compressed textureclear low endpunchy, defined rhythmminimal ambiencefocused, cutting high endmodern, aggressive riffing

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced rhythmic precision, palm muting, and alternate picking, with complex time signature changes that demand strong technical control.

Sources

Bass pedal set up to recreate tone of the Handler? : r/Muse - Reddit Help with some live guitar effects/tones : r/Muse - Reddit Guitarists,how do you get the Drones era distortion ? : r/Muse - Reddit

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