The Manson Guitar Works Matt Bellamy MB-1 signature model continues to evolve – and its latest iteration is a stunning 'swathe-style' sparkle finish. Muse guitar fans may already know it as the 'Blanta' from Bellamy's onstage appearances with the guitar this year.
The guitarist's love of sparkle finishes dates back to his original 2007 MB-1 'Red Santa' that came in a Glitterati finish.
The new 2023 UK-made alder body Blanta model features an ebony fretboard and combines gloss black with sparkling glitter stripes to make a bold visual statement. It comes in two iterations, dubbed V1 and V2. The former features a MB soft V-shape birdseye maple neck, whole V2 is offered in roasted 5A flame maple.
Both versions feature Gotoh GTC-102 bridge but while the V1 features standard Gotoh 510 tuners, V2's are the locking versions. Both feature the Manson X/Y MIDI Controller. For this Blanta model its screen diffuser is blacked out for an added stealth effect to balance out the visual punch of the sparkle somewhat.
The pickup combination is the PF-1 Matthew Bellamy Signature Bridge Humbucker with the Sustainiac Stealth PRO in the neck. The humbucker also features a coil tap, activated by the push/pull tone control.
The limited release MB-1 Blanta guitars are supplied with a Manson Hiscox Hard Case and Signed Certificate of Authenticity.
More info at Manson Guitar Works
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Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
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