Guitar Journal: Matt Bellamy £30k Black Edition & More
This Week, High End, High Priced Guitars & FX!
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This week, we look at the Manson Matt Bellamy £30k Black Edition and the new Dophix Magnifico Dual Boost pedal made in collaboration with Artur Menezes. Finally, we check out the Gibson ’58 Addiction Explorer Collection.
Guitar Journal
Matt Bellamy £30k Black Edition
Manson Guitar Works announced the Matt Bellamy £30k Black Edition, as a reproduction of the Muse frontman’s favourite guitar.
Whether you know it as the “Black Edition,” “007,” or simply “The Gadget Guitar,” this model is widely considered the most important instrument of Bellamy’s career. Since its debut in 2001, it has defined the Muse sound and aesthetic.
It appears in the Time Is Running Out video, and so many Muse fans know it well.
Sold Out!
They have already sold out of the high-end reproduction version, which replicated every nick and scratch. It’s fully loaded with Matt Bellamy’s signature tech, from built-in effects to advanced MIDI functionality.
New Era – 2 Versions
Alongside the flagship Black Edition, Manson has released two “New Era” reboots that offer a modern take on the original. While one version features a distressed “relic” finish similar to Matt Bellamy’s own guitar, both models have been updated with a streamlined layout for better playability.
Even with modern tweaks, these guitars stay true to the classic setup, featuring the built-in Z-Vex Fuzz Factory and Sustainiac systems. You also get a MIDI strip controller, a Killswitch, and Manson’s own P-90-style pickups.
Priced at £11,999 (non-relic) and £12,999 (relic), these can still be ordered directly from Manson Guitar Works. If your budget doesn’t quite stretch that far, then the Cort/Manson Matt Bellamy collaborations could be your solution.
Magnifico Dual Boost
Dophix is an Italian pedal maker that recently collaborated with Artur Menezes (Brazilian blues rock guitarist) on the new Magnifico Dual Boost pedal. In fact, the first ten will be personally signed by Menezes as well. However, you can get an unsigned version with identical dual-boost signal paths.
Independent Boosts
This fully analog, hand-wired masterpiece features two entirely independent circuits, each equipped with its own Level control and dedicated I/O jacks for genuine signal isolation. Whether you need to drive your amplifier into a rich, natural breakup or provide a transparent volume lift for soaring solos, they have designed this pedal to be as flexible as possible.
Italian Boutique
The Magnifico is all about premium Italian craftsmanship and tonal purity. Built with high-quality discrete components and vintage-grade resistors, it delivers the signature warmth and harmonic richness for which Dophix is known.
To keep your signal pristine, it features true bypass switching, ensuring your original tone remains untouched when the pedal is off. It’s also highly efficient, drawing a mere 19 mA from a standard 9V DC power supply.
This one could be great for anyone who needs two isolated, dedicated boosts in one compact pedal, as those dedicated IN A / OUT A and IN B / OUT B Jacks will give you perfect signal separation.
MSRP – €300
’58 Addiction Explorer
The Gibson Master Artisan Collection is back with a bold new release from famous Los Angeles guitar builder Leo Scala. This time, Scala has reimagined the 1958 Explorer, one of the most famous and distinctive guitar designs ever made.
They created a 35-minute video to accompany the announcement, and it is well worth watching.
Relic to the Max!
This special series, called the ’58 Addiction Explorers, features only 10 handcrafted instruments. Each guitar is completely one-of-a-kind, featuring premium Korina wood and vintage electronics. Scala finished these guitars with his signature “post-apocalyptic” aging process, giving them a rugged, weathered look that has made his work legendary among collectors.
10 Relic’d Explorers
There are 10 guitars in total in various states of relicing, all available direct from Gibson. They aren’t cheap and are aimed at collectors. Starting at $25k and going up to $40k each, you’ll need deep pockets if you want more than one (or just one).
I love Korina Explorers, and if you do as well, Thomann has more affordable Gibson Custom Shop offerings you can buy instead, which are currently discounted. You could get one of these and save some money by relicing it yourself by gigging it hard all year!
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