The 1975 Gear Guide - How To Sound Like Matty Healy

The 1975 have become quite the sensation with their arena primed indie pop. If you’re wondering what gear Matt Healy uses or want to capture their cutting edge sound then read on for a full and detailed 1975 Gear Guide.

If you’re reading this 1975 Gear Guide then the likelihood is you’re going to want to know what equipment their frontman Matty Healy uses. We’ve got you covered across guitars, amps and mics. 

Like most musicians Healy uses a variety of guitars but he’s probably best known for using the iconic Fender Mustang. This versatile guitar has been used across a multitude of genres - perhaps most famously in the grunge world thanks to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain.

Healy has said that finding the right Mustang changed his life and he's gone on to acquire many more since picking up his first one in LA.

Specifically Healy plays a 1965 Fender Mustang in white which has been a staple of performances live and in the studio - with single coil pickups to perfectly capture that distinct plucky eighties style. Below we’ve highlighted three options from beginner through to professional.

Superfans of The 1975 will be well aware that Matty Healy plays the iconic Mustang. You might want to dig a little deeper though and look at some other models that Matty Healy uses. Perhaps one that won’t come as a surprise - he’s also been rocking the offset 1966 Jaguar.

The good news for fans of The 1975 is that this model is available and accessible to all budgets and pricepoints - whether you’re a beginner picking up the electric guitar for the first time or a professional who is ready to headline a festival yourself. Take a look at a few options:

Nowadays Matty Healy is regularly using an 80s Strat Elite which came into his setup on the ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it’ album tour. This is a great tool to capture those vibrant eighties pop tones. These are still available to buy today in what is called the Ultra range - take a look at those just here.

Healy has also been seen playing a Les Paul Junior which is great when they want to add those punkier, rockier tones which do come out every now and then. Take a look at an example of this classic model:

Matty also employs the use of an acoustic from time to time - this is handy for stripped back live performances or even writing and recording. But what Acoustic Guitar does Matty Healy use for The 1975? He recently posted that he acquired  a Gibson Hummingbird Vintage. This iconic cool classic is an absolute joy to behold and it’s been trusted by the greats of many genres.

Matty has a very simple and straight forward pedal setup which is massively effective. We'll start by looking at this immensely affordable and amazing compressor.

Matty uses a specially made Klon pedal but there are loads of Klon copies out there that get that sought after sound. For the same sounding pedal we'd recommend the Electro Harmonix Soul Food.

Matty uses the Electro Harmonix Holy Grail for that bit of reverb. He uses two of these - one for a long delay and one for a short delay. For the 1975 sound it's crucial that this is set to the spring setting. This replicates a spring reverb which used to be found in old Fender amps.

In the studio The 1975 have been known to DI right into the recording desk with a bit of compression which is quite experimental without even using an amp.

Roland JC40 Jazz Chorus - retro aesthetics - best sounding eighties clean amps on the planet - amazing clean sound. Nails the 1975 sound completely with those bright tones. Chorus is a very big part of The 1975 sound and the built in Chorus in the JC-40 is one of the best sounding choruses you'll hear.

The way Adam Hann's guitar parts interlock with Matty Healy's is a huge part of The 1975 sound. But what guitar does Adam Hann use to get his sound?

Hann rocks a John Petrucci JP6 which you'd normally see in more metal and prog themed territories of music. These stunning professional level instruments lend themselves perfectly to technical players. Below we've highlighted one of the more professional Petrucci models.

If you like the look of these extremely cool guitars but can't reach that kind of price tag (even Hann had to use inheritance money to afford one) - we'd recommend taking a look at the Music Man Sterling line which make these guitars much more accessible - still with all those professional and reliable hallmarks.

Hann also uses a custom built Fano Guitars JM6 as well as a Fender Jaguar, a Fender Stratocaster, Les Paul Juniors and others. We've just highlighted the Music Man as they probably are his biggest go to.

Hann has a much larger pedal board then Healy to he can extract just about any tone he wants out of his stunning guitars. As we've already mentioned a few of the Boss pedals in covering Healy's board - take a look at the Ibanez Tube Screamer below.

We've also picked out the MXR Stereo Chorus - an extremely versatile pedal that offers up a huge swirling anthem like tone - ideal for The 1975 when it comes to slaying those bigger venues. Check out the MXR Stereo Chorus just below:

Adam Hann is a Hiwatt artist so he uses Hiwatt amps as his main go-to - these are very AC30ish but don't be surprised if you see a little silver faced Fender behind him onstage. Hann has been seen using a Fender Hot Rod Deville similar to the one below - take a look!

The bass is a huge part of The 1975 sound so we simply had to mention Ross Macdonald. While the guitars are bright and crisp in their overall sound - the bass adds another colour and often walks around those bright and fun guitar parts. But what bass does Ross Macdonald play?

Ross Macdonald rocks an iconic vintage Fender Precision Bass - a go to for professional bassists across the world since it was invented in the 1950s. Offering up a warm and well rounded sound - this instrument is incredibly versatile - and luckily variants are available to suit all budgets.

Lastly we'll take a quick look at what kits George Daniel uses in The 1975. George Daniel plays a Yamaha Rock Tour Custom. We love these special kits here at PMT as they sound incredible and will stand up to the rigorous demands of touring - even if you play as many shows as The 1975!

To sum up this 1975 gear guide - it's clear that each part of the band has their preferences - whether that's Matty Healy's deep love of the Mustang or Adam Hann with his Music Man Petrucci model.

It's also refreshing to see that their headline sound isn't rocket science - it's very simplistic and easy to capture without busting your bank balance. If you have any further questions about the gear we've mentioned in this article then be sure to give us a call or visit your nearest PMT Store.