Manson Guitar Works has announced a refresh of its M-Series of electric guitars, tooling up these mid-priced high-performance T-styles with some serious specs that would help you nail majority shareholder Matt Bellamy’s Muse tone.
They say “mid-priced” but note: the M-Series is no electric guitar for beginners. It is not an entry-level model. It is, however, slap bang in the middle of the Manson Guitar Works, a more affordable alternative for jobbing players that for just under two grand offers a pro-quality shred platform and some options on how you would like that configured.
Some of said options are cosmetic. Yes, like the Ford Model T and the Batmobile, the Manson M-Series electric comes in black (Dry Satin Black or Gloss), and in Gloss Red Alert Gloss Bluebell Metallic.But fresh for 2025, it also is available in Night Sky Holosparkle gloss – a finish for those who, like Bellamy, keep a robot synth glove in their accessories drawer for those Instagrammable festival moments.
All of these new models come equipped with an upgraded Sustainiac Stealth Pro system that sustain a note for as long as you can fret it and hold it, with three modes (Fundamental, Harmonic or Mix) to tailor how you won’t it to ring out. This is complemented by an MB PF-1 bridge humbucker that’s based around an Alnico V magnet and wound to be medium-hot, i.e. it will eat up the gain but will clean up nicely.
You can also get the M-Series with an onboard fuzz circuit courtesy of Z.Vex. That’s right, it’s like having a Z. Vex Fuzz Factory in your guitar. And you can upgrade the control pots to Manson Custom UK knobs with coil tap or series/parallel switching (that’s an extra £60).
The hardware is impressive too. You won’t find us complaining about Gotoh 381 tuners. They have a 16:1 ratio, height adjustable posts. These are paired with a Gotoh TOM-style bridge and tailpiece.
As for the fundamentals, these stick close to the formula that has made this such a successful model for the brand. You have a solid older body, a bolt-on maple neck that’s carved into a soft V shape as per Bellamy’s preference. It is super comfortable. The fingerboard is rosewood and has a 12” radius, seating 22 frets. Scale length is a standard Tele-esque 25.5”.
The Manson M-Series models are made in the EU, with UK-made pickups and electronics installation, with the Sustainiac system made in the USA. The guitars are setup and checked over at Manson's UK HQ before shipping.
These new M-Series models are priced from £1,949 to £2,549 depending on your finish and spec options – and that price includes a gig bag. Head over to Manson Guitar Works for more details.
Fender launches a slew of patriotic deals this Presidents' Day with hundreds off a wide range of USA-made guitars - including $200 off select American Professional II models and more
“We were forcing some of these ideas into the wrong context”: Andy Powers on how the difficulties of designing a new Taylor electric led to the launch of Powers Electric
