Matteo Mancuso is a name that no longer needs any introduction. By now, you probably already know that Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, Al Di Meola and Tosin Abasi were all singing his praises before he’d even released a song.
You are also probably familiar with his otherworldly part-shredder, part-classical technique, which has been behind some of the most technically advanced guitar compositions of the past few years.
Yes, it’s been quite a journey so far for Mancuso, who released his debut album in 2023, spent 2024 ticking off six-string side quests on his bucket list, wrote a song dedicated to Paul Gilbert, jammed with Joe Bonamassa and Steve Vai, and, thanks to some killer guitar work, brought the oft-underrated Yamaha Revstar into the mainstream.
Naturally, the obvious question on everybody’s lips is, what next for this generation’s brightest fusion talent? Well, Mancuso’s 2025 started off with a trip to NAMM, so we caught up with the virtuoso to found out.
And, not only was there confirmation of a new album and chatter about a potential signature Revstar inspired by his trusty custom model, Mancuso spilled the beans on his next dream collaborator, and the emerging guitar stars who are shaping the scene…
Matteo, you’ve just done a set on the Yamaha Stage at NAMM 2025. Can you tell us about the guitar you were playing? Was it a custom Revstar?
“It’s a custom Revstar that Yamaha built for me around 2019. It’s not really that diverse from the factory ones, but it has some little custom things in it. I really like the Sunburst color, and I really like the gold (hardware) and the pickups, so that was my kind of customization.
“It’s mostly aesthetic rather than gear (tweaks), but I used DiMarzio (pickups) on that one. I think they are the PAF 36th anniversary ones. I really like it.”
You’ve been playing a Yamaha Revstar for years now. Why did you gravitate towards that model in the first place, and why do you like it so much?
“I chose the Revstar because, first of all, it is a really versatile guitar. I was – and still am – playing a lot of jazz tunes and jazz rock, and everything in between. I was searching for a solidbody that also had jazz sounds in it, and the Revstar is the perfect balance. The pickups don’t have too much output, and I prefer the pickups with (less) output, especially for clean sounds.
“Plus, it’s a very small guitar, and I’m a small person. I prefer things like the SG, for example, you know… very small guitars. I’m not a tall guy!”
Is there talk of a signature model? Would that be something you’d be interested in doing?
“If Yamaha agrees, that would be a dream come true. I’ve never had a signature model, and (my current custom Revstar) can be the first prototype of a signature model, let’s say, because we can start from the model I have now.”
It’s been a crazy few years for you. You’ve had plaudits from Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, Tosin Abasi… you’ve jammed with Bonamassa and Vai as well. How were those experiences for you?
“I was a little bit nervous at first, I have to say, especially when I was playing with Joe and Steve – they are my favorite guitar heroes. But it was one of my favorite musical experiences I’ve had so far.
“Plus, they are really nice guys, you know… there’s the guitar legend behind them, but in reality, they are just regular people and I really appreciate that they are just really nice, both on stage and outside the stage.”
Are there any other guest guitarists that you want to work with in the future?
“I would love to play with Eric Johnson one time – he’s one of my favorite players. I know that he knows about me, and I’m just incredibly happy because of that. It would be a dream come true to work with him on a tune, or just play together.”
Are you working on new material now for an album next year or this year?
“I’m working on the next solo album, and if everything goes well, it will be ready by the end of this year. (After NAMM) I will go back to Italy and I will go straight to work on the album.”
Who are the up and coming players emerging onto the scene you’ve got your eye on?
“There are quite a few young people that I really admire. One of the ones that comes to my mind is Max Ostro. He’s an amazing player – he’s like a killer mix of Bumblefoot, Guthrie Govan, and Tom Quayle in one complete package.
“Another guy I like is Josh Meader. This one is Australian. He’s more on the jazz (side), but I think, technically speaking, he is one of the best I’ve ever seen. He’s playing (saxophonist) Michael Brecker and (jazz pianist) Oscar Peterson lines – things that are not ‘guitaristic’. I’ve seen him play everything from Cory Henry keyboard solos to Allan Holdsworth (songs) – he’s a very versatile player.
“And there’s a French one that I really like: Antoine Boyer is more like a gypsy jazz guy, but he also plays classical really well. He always has a nice sound and he’s a killer improviser.”
In terms of your rig, are you still running through the Line 6 Helix?
“Yeah, right now I use the Line 6 Helix, and I always use IRs. I made this preset one week ago for the NAMM show and I’m really happy with it. I always go stereo, and it’s very easy to do it with the Helix. And I use IRs from Jensen, they are really, really good.”
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