Muse is one of today’s most successful rock bands. The English group made up of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard have been at it for over two decades now, with no signs of slowing down. With eight albums under their belt (and a ninth in the works), as well as sell out tours that are now shown in cinemas, one can’t ignore how diverse and eclectic Muse’s sound is. This is due to the many influences that make up the band’s music that has helped shape the sound that fans from all over the globe love to this day.
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One particular influence would be the American musician Jeff Buckley. However, Buckley’s influence now seems to be going beyond just inspiration as Bellamy has since purchased the 1983 blonde USA Fender Telecaster that Buckley used to record the album Grace and the iconic cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
A Touch of Grace
Bellamy recently revealed in an interview that he’s not just going to have the iconic guitar framed, and left to collect dust in some room. He bought in hopes of incorporating the guitar’s unique sound, intending to use it on the next Muse record. Considering what Buckley’s sound could bring to the table, it will be interesting to see how Bellamy will pull this off on the next album.
Known mostly for his voice and songwriting, Buckley limited his use of guitar effects. As fuzz pedals can help musicians achieve that warm mid-gain guitar sound, Buckley used them to perfectly complemented his silky vocals. This is on full display in Buckley’s sole album Grace that is still regarded as one of the best American rock albums ever made. Indeed, the world was robbed off one of its best musical talents when Buckley suddenly passed due to a freak accident in Wolf River Harbor that lead to Buckley’s accidental drowning.
Iconic Sound
But speaking of the guitar itself, Bellamy reveals that it doesn’t sound like any Telecaster that he’s played before. Even after having the guitar inspected by different experts, the only thing that they could find was different neck pickups (which were most likely a manufacturing mistake) and some slightly odd wiring. This has resulted in a bright sound that Bellamy claims is unique and isn’t found in any of the guitars he’s ever used.
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While having the guitar verified to be the one used on Grace, Bellamy also found out that the guitar wasn’t originally Buckley’s. It originally belonged to Buckley’s best friend Janine Nichols. She had lent Buckley the guitar after his apartment was robbed right before he was about to go on tour. Nichols even included a letter with the guitar when Bellamy bought it stating that she really wanted someone to play it, instead of just hanging it up on a wall. Now, if Bellamy is a man of his word then we may just be hearing Buckley’s guitar be played after almost two decades of silence.
If you’re interested in reading more stories about rare guitars and musicians, check out more of our posts.
