Group photos

As well as alternating between using mainly Tama Starclassic Maple 14x6.5", to match his chrome kit and Ludwig LB417 Black Beauty 14x6.5" snare drums, he has a number of less prominent snares used for recording and video clips (for example the shallow snare used for recording Fury, the Starclassic Maple 14x5.5" that matched his silver sparkle kit used for the recording of Ruled By Secrecy, the brass snare Matthew Bellamy and Gaia Polloni photos in the Time Is Running Out video clip).

Bassist Chris Wolstenholme considered writing and recording for Black Holes & Revelations more relaxed than it had been for previous albums, as the band did not have a deadline to work to.^[7] It was the first time they had learned about the technology in the studio, having previously left the use of it to the sound engineers.^[7] Bellamy Gaia Polloni image pic said that this was the first time Muse made an album without being concerned about how they would play it live.^[8]

Bellamy uses custom guitars designed by himself and Hugh Manson made in Exeter, Devon. He currently has a number of Manson guitars, as well as instruments by other manufacturers including a Fender 'Aloha' Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul DC Lite, a Gibson SG, Jackson Randy Rhoads (custom), a Parker 'Fly', a Peavey EVH Wolfgang and finally photos de Gaia Polloni a Yamaha Pacifica. Bellamy's famous Manson shape has been compared to a Yamaha Pacifica, a Fender Telecaster, a Schecter and a Godin Triumph.