🎸 Alternative Rock · 2000s

Time Is Running Out by Muse (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Muse · riff

The Time Is Running Out by Muse guitar tone is built on a Marshall / Mesa, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 6, mid 5, treble 6, presence 5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

6
GAIN
6
BASS
5
MID
6
TREBLE
5
PRESENCE
2
REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 6 sits above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 5 are below average (6.2).

Original gear

Guitar: Manson (Matt Bellamy) · Amp: Marshall / Mesa

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

bridge humbucker

Signal chain

Manson (Matt Bellamy) → fuzz → Marshall / Mesa

Tone character

Driving, fuzzy, tight alt-rock riff building to a soaring, saturated chorus.

Worth knowing

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →
🎧 Can you guess the tone?
Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →
🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →

Time Is Running Out guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Time Is Running Out guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 6, bass 6, mid 5, treble 6, presence 5, reverb 2. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Time Is Running Out tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Manson (Matt Bellamy) · Amp: Marshall / Mesa.

Can I get the Time Is Running Out tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Muse on Time Is Running Out — what gear and pedals?

Start with bridge humbucker, the amp EQ above (gain 6, bass 6, mid 5, treble 6, presence 5, reverb 2). Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

𝕏 PostRedditFacebook

Free practice tools

🎤 Online guitar tuner →  ·  🎶 Guitar chords →  ·  🎸 Guitar tunings →  ·  🎚️ Tuning chart →  ·  🎼 Guitar scales →  ·  🎚️ Chord transposer & capo →  ·  🥁 Metronome →  ·  🎶 Song chords →  ·  🎧 Guess the Tone game →  ·  🎸 Tone Legend quiz →  ·  📊 Tone data report →

🔥 The most famous guitar tones of all time →  ·  🗂️ Browse tone collections (by genre & language) →

Songs by level: 🎯 Easy  ·  🎸 Intermediate  ·  🔥 Hardest — each with the amp settings.

More like this

🎸 How to get Muse’s guitar tone →  ·  🎸 more Alternative Rock guitar tones →  ·  🎛️ best rock amp settings →  ·  🎸 more iconic guitar riffs →  ·  🎯 more high gain tones →  ·  📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Related tones

Plug In Baby — MuseHysteria — MuseKnights of Cydonia — MuseHysteria — MuseBoys Don't Cry — The CureWay Down We Go — KALEO
Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com