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Matt Heafy’s guitar collection is changing. In Guitar World’s interview published on 28 October, the Trivium frontman confirmed his move from Gibson and Epiphone towards Jackson, discussing the Kelly shape and a renewed appetite for Floyd Rose bridges. Any guide presenting the Origins Les Paul as his settled current guitar would already need an update.
There is still plenty to learn from the equipment he has explained on camera. Premier Guitar’s December 2022 Rig Rundown catches a specific Trivium setup: signature Epiphones, a return to valve heads and a few carefully placed pedals. Start with the part of that rig that actually touches the strings.
The Jazz III starts at the picking hand
On Dunlop’s artist page, Heafy says the Jazz III has been a constant since he was about 16. His explanation is about the demands it places on the player.
“You can’t hide behind anything due to its thickness and shape and size—it’s all about accuracy.”
Matt Heafy, quoted on Dunlop’s official Trivium artist page
His signature Max-Grip version is a 1.38mm nylon pick with a pointed Jazz III tip. Dunlop describes a custom nylon formulation and a textured gripping surface. Those are useful details when comparing picks: thickness, shape and how securely you hold one all deserve a trial before you change the rest of the rig. A signature on the packet cannot do the downpicking for you.
Check the gauges, not just the band name
Dunlop’s TVMN1052 Trivium set runs .010, .014, .018, .030, .040 and .052. The manufacturer identifies these as gauges chosen with Heafy and Corey Beaulieu for lowered tunings. They are nickel-wound strings, and the third string is plain.
That is the six-string set. The band also has a seven-string set, so check the pack before ordering. For your own guitar, choose the tuning first and consider the scale length and feel you want; copying a gauge does not automatically copy another player’s tension or setup.
What the 2022 amp chain actually shows
In the 2022 rundown, Heafy’s front-end chain went through an MXR M109S Six Band EQ, a KHDK Ascendancy overdrive and an ISP Decimator before the amp. Trivium had returned to EVH 5150III 100S heads after years of digital touring rigs. The EQ was one part of a working signal path, not a replacement for the amp.
The M109S gives you six frequency sliders from 100Hz to 3.2kHz, each offering up to 18dB of boost or cut. Its manual recommends starting with every slider at zero. If you are trying one before a driven amp, make small changes and listen to the attack and low end. Those are starting instructions, not claimed Heafy settings.
The guitar needs a date attached
Epiphone’s published Origins specification describes a maple-capped mahogany Les Paul with an ebony fingerboard, custom Fishman Fluence pickups and push/pull controls for voices and coil splitting. Its production bridge is a LockTone Tune-O-Matic. Premier Guitar noted that Heafy’s own stage instruments used EverTune bridges; the shop model and his touring guitar were not identical.
Keep those Origins details with the 2022 rig. His new Jackson discussion belongs to October 2026, and it does not establish a final retail specification for a future signature guitar. There is no reason to steer readers towards an unrelated Kelly and pretend it is the same instrument.
For a player working on Trivium riffs at home, the sensible first comparison is the pick in your hand and the strings on your guitar. Try the part, record it and listen back. Add an EQ if there is a particular frequency problem you can hear. You can learn from Heafy’s choices without buying a replica touring rig.
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