Looking for a Luthier or guitar maker who can build a Manson replica?

iceage

Hi guys, I need some advice. My son is on the hunt for a guitar maker who can make a Manson copy of a Mattocaster (Matt Bellamys custom) We've managed to find someone in France willing to take on the project but I was hoping to find someone closer to home maybe, preferably in Ireland to keep a kind of hands on input and also to keep it local if you know what I mean. I believe in buying Irish If I can at all.

Bellamy uses a couple of these Mansons, My son is interested in his "mirrored" or broken glass topped type of affair with sustainer and fernandes pickup built into it. We have considered purchasing just a routed body for the same and he takes on the build himself(He's really up for this and is currenty trying to sell one of his own guitars, a BC rich Mockingbird ST to fund the project or purchase of said dream guitar)

A routed body might also be an option, so I was looking for advice or maybe any contacts for an Irish guitar maker who could supply us a body, routed for the job, or who might be interested in this as a project. Any advice gratefully accepted guys and thanks in advance.

moonboy

if i could just put something to you..

i think we all go through a super fan guitar crazy few years as teens..(id presume your son is in his teens).

whilst at the time it can seem like a really great idea you might find that a few years later he might move on from the matt bellamy thing. im only speaking about this as a friend of mine did the same thing a few years ago..spent a lot on getting basically a signature bellamy model. then not even a year later he had moved on from that and was making different music and was actually embarrassed to have the guitar as straight away people were saying, 'oh you must love bellamy then'.

its just a thought.

psychopaul

iceage wrote: »

Hi guys, I need some advice. My son is on the hunt for a guitar maker who can make a Manson copy of a Mattocaster (Matt Bellamys custom) We've managed to find someone in France willing to take on the project but I was hoping to find someone closer to home maybe, preferably in Ireland to keep a kind of hands on input and also to keep it local if you know what I mean. I believe in buying Irish If I can at all.

Bellamy uses a couple of these Mansons, My son is interested in his "mirrored" or broken glass topped type of affair with sustainer and fernandes pickup built into it. We have considered purchasing just a routed body for the same and he takes on the build himself(He's really up for this and is currenty trying to sell one of his own guitars, a BC rich Mockingbird ST to fund the project or purchase of said dream guitar)

A routed body might also be an option, so I was looking for advice or maybe any contacts for an Irish guitar maker who could supply us a body, routed for the job, or who might be interested in this as a project. Any advice gratefully accepted guys and thanks in advance.

http://www.mansonguitars.co.uk/

I'm sure he'd make you one?

Dord

Manson just released a Matt Bellamy signature guitar in the last few weeks. It's pretty expensive but is packed with lots of things including a Kaoss pad and Fernandes sustainer. It doesn't have a mirror top though.

I'm not sure if you could get someone to create a copy. Manson guitars isn't a big operation and I think smaller luthiers would be wary of copying each other. Also you have to take into account that you could be getting into the same price range with a copy. No point going that route then.

Banjo

Having said that, isn't there a waiting list for the MB-1?

Dord

Banjo wrote: »

Having said that, isn't there a waiting list for the MB-1?

yeah, also the cost is about £2,500 or £3,000.

iceage

moonboy wrote: »

if i could just put something to you..

i think we all go through a super fan guitar crazy few years as teens..(id presume your son is in his teens).

whilst at the time it can seem like a really great idea you might find that a few years later he might move on from the matt bellamy thing. im only speaking about this as a friend of mine did the same thing a few years ago..spent a lot on getting basically a signature bellamy model. then not even a year later he had moved on from that and was making different music and was actually embarrassed to have the guitar as straight away people were saying, 'oh you must love bellamy then'.

its just a thought.

Simplest solution for me is to buy your friends one...Still has it does he?

Quick replies, thanks guys. The expense is the issue as well of course, 2500/3500 yoyo is just completely out of his budget. If he manages to shift his own guitar we might be in the 800-900 yoyo budget.

Patricide

iceage wrote: »

Simplest solution for me is to buy your friends one...Still has it does he?

Quick replies, thanks guys. The expense is the issue as well of course, 2500/3500 yoyo is just completely out of his budget. If he manages to shift his own guitar we might be in the 800-900 yoyo budget.

You wont get a good guitar made for that price. Not trying to be a ass but its just a fact. If your son wants to get a matt bellamy guitar hes going to have to have to double hes budget, at least. Especially if your going down the custom made route.

I mean im sure the guy in france is within the budget but i cant imagine a custom built guitar being much good for 900 euros. As for local luthiers you can try asking chris larkin, hes a great luthier down in castlegregory in kerry. Its going to cost around the same as if manson made one though so i dunno if itl be worth your while.

You could also try ran guitars. There a polish company that will make any guitar you want and there also up to a really good standard. They also will give you a free quotation. Id say it should be in the 1800-2000 euro mark though. Also theres also www.allparts.com, you could get a custom body/neck and do the mirrored finish yourselves. Itl end up a lot cheaper but id say itl still be around 1500.

The thing is though if your son REALLY wants his dream guitar hes better off to wait a while untill he can afford his DREAM guitar, rather than somthing that looks the part but plays to merely an ok standard.

iceage

Thanks Patricide sound advice to be sure, tryed explaining that to said impatient young man and received the usual and to be honest...expected response.:rolleyes: You all get my drift of course.. to say this guitar has become a slight obsession is putting it mildly but I can't knock him as he gets that from his Dad!!

All great advice so far guys, thank you very much.

Quattroste

iceage wrote: »

to say this guitar has become a slight obsession is putting it mildly but I can't knock him as he gets that from his Dad!!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Don't fuel the fire.

I'll never forget the day my son told me that he hated my guts because I gave him everything he desired and didn't make him work for anything. He said he finds it difficult to get by now and is basically a social retard.

Warning: The above story may not necessarily be true

rcaz

moonboy wrote: »

if i could just put something to you..

i think we all go through a super fan guitar crazy few years as teens..(id presume your son is in his teens).

whilst at the time it can seem like a really great idea you might find that a few years later he might move on from the matt bellamy thing. im only speaking about this as a friend of mine did the same thing a few years ago..spent a lot on getting basically a signature bellamy model. then not even a year later he had moved on from that and was making different music and was actually embarrassed to have the guitar as straight away people were saying, 'oh you must love bellamy then'.

its just a thought.

I think this is the best advice in this thread...

iceage

Quattroste wrote: »

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Don't fuel the fire.

I'll never forget the day my son told me that he hated my guts because I gave him everything he desired and didn't make him work for anything. He said he finds it difficult to get by now and is basically a social retard.

Warning: The above story may not necessarily be true

Thank god you got to me before it was too late.... I've kicked him out of the house, told him to get a job and cowboy the f88k up!

Quattroste

iceage wrote: »

Thank god you got to me before it was too late.... I've kicked him out of the house, told him to get a job and cowboy the f88k up!

We're here to help brother! :cool:

punchdrunk

Honestly just Buy this

http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categories/popular-modded-guitars/squier/fuzz-factory-tele-electric-guitar/



it's got the inbuilt fuzz factory

just realised you can get the bellamy pickups upgrade for 240 quid

so that'd be 800 sterling!!

if he's dead set on a sustainer

then get the fernandes kit

http://www.aampselectricguitarstore.com/fernandes_guitars/fernandes_sustainer.html

pain in the hole to install though (i had one fitted into my strat)

Demeyes

Instead of going the custom route, which is probably out of the question at that price, why don't you get a beat up guitar and mod it out to be speced out like the Matt Bellamy one. You could get the Kaoss pad (people always selling them on adverts), the sustainer and some other interesting gadgets and install them yourself. Even getting someone to put the more complicated stuff in will be cheaper than having someone make a body and in the process he'll have a truly unique guitar but maintain the muse functionality, and he'll have learned loads about how to fix/mod/setup a guitar.

brendansmith

Quattroste wrote: »

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Don't fuel the fire.

I'll never forget the day my son told me that he hated my guts because I gave him everything he desired and didn't make him work for anything. He said he finds it difficult to get by now and is basically a social retard.

Warning: The above story may not necessarily be true

HAHAHA, funniest thing ive ever read in instruments forum.

iceage

punchdrunk wrote: »

Honestly just Buy this

http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categories/popular-modded-guitars/squier/fuzz-factory-tele-electric-guitar/



it's got the inbuilt fuzz factory

just realised you can get the bellamy pickups upgrade for 240 quid

so that'd be 800 sterling!!

if he's dead set on a sustainer

then get the fernandes kit

http://www.aampselectricguitarstore.com/fernandes_guitars/fernandes_sustainer.html

pain in the hole to install though (i had one fitted into my strat)

Thanks Punchdrunk, might be onto something there, will show him that later.:)

Demeyes wrote: »

Instead of going the custom route, which is probably out of the question at that price, why don't you get a beat up guitar and mod it out to be speced out like the Matt Bellamy one. You could get the Kaoss pad (people always selling them on adverts), the sustainer and some other interesting gadgets and install them yourself. Even getting someone to put the more complicated stuff in will be cheaper than having someone make a body and in the process he'll have a truly unique guitar but maintain the muse functionality, and he'll have learned loads about how to fix/mod/setup a guitar.

I would love to have a go at an old guitar like so, and as you say it would give both of us a real insight into the real nuts n bolts of electric guitar.....just need to bring myself to butcher a perfectly good guitar..also he's trying to flog a really nice peice to finance this project, if I was honest I'd prefer he kept it, its a cracker of a guitar.

Cheers guys for all the advice, you've been a great help thank you.

ham_n_mustard

iceage wrote: »

Hi guys, I need some advice. My son is on the hunt for a guitar maker who can make a Manson copy of a Mattocaster (Matt Bellamys custom)

Yeah buddy, sure....your "son". It's ok to admit you want it.:D:D

To be honest, i'd try and point him in the direction of punchdrunks idea