Cort unveils the new MBC-1 Matthew Bellamy Signature, the result of collaborative work with the Muse frontman.
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Mason Guitar Works, Matthew’s trusted guitar builder also helped in developing this new signature model, and even came up with a newly designed pickup up set along with a discrete kill switch button.
Matthew is not the lead guitarist of Muse, he is also the lead vocalist, pianist, and the main songwriter of the band. As such, this multi-instrumentalist knows how he wants his musical tools to be built. Cort was able to get him sign on the MBC-1, which will be the first official Matthew Bellamy signature guitar to be distributed to a global audience. The company is set to showcase the Signature Model at the upcoming 2015 NAMM Show.
To ensure that the guitar meets the demands of Bellamy, Cort commissioned Manson Guitar Works to oversee all the design and development work of this guitar. The press release says, “Manson Guitar Works has been making custom guitars with over 30 years of experience and is known for its reputation for innovation and quality. They have worked closely with Matthew Bellamy for two decades and build his custom instruments for both studio and stage work.“
The guitar has a single cutaway body carved from basswood, and it comes in matt black finish. The bolt-on neck is made from hard maple and contrasts the body with its gloss finish.
The MBC-1’s 22-fret fingerboard is made of rosewood and closely follows the specs of Bellamy’s personal guitars. The nut is 43mm wide, scale length is set to a familiar 25.5″ and the neck features modern compound radius.
Manson Guitar Works developed two pickups specifically for this guitar. The bridge position features a Manson designed humbucker, while the neck position features a single-coil that they also developed. This combination reflects the layout of several of Bellamy’s own stage and studio custom guitars.
The pickups are then wired to a straightforward set of controls that include a 3-way pickup selector, a master volume and a master tone knob. This allows for HS configuration pickup combinations and simple tone shaping. A distinct feature that is introduced in the MBC-1 is the Kill button, which takes the place of the noisy kill switch. This allows for discrete toggling, and makes it easier to access and operate/p>
Traditional set of hardware is included including a fully adjustable bridge, a stop tailpiece, and staggered height locking machine heads. The frontside of the headstock carries Matthew Bellamy’s signature alongside the Cort logo. The backside carries the Manson Guitar Works logo.
Since this signature guitar will be coming from Cort, it is expected to carry an affordable price tag. The company hints that the MBC-1 is an “Incredible price point for a signature model which incorporates bespoke design and components“.
The Cort MBC-1 Matthew Bellamy Signature is expected to retail for just under $615, you can visit Cort Guitars for more information.
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