Manson Guitar Works

Manson Guitar Works is a British maker based in Ashburton, Devon. Its roots lie with the Manson brothers: Andy Manson built his first acoustic at 17 and studied at the London College of Furniture around 1968, while his younger brother Hugh took up electric guitars and basses. The brothers later moved to Devon and set up separate workshops.

The business became a retailer in the early 1990s, with Mansons Guitar Shop opening in Exeter in November 1992 after a partnership between Hugh Manson, Jay Henson and Adrian Ashton, a lawyer and bass enthusiast. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin was an early customer. Matt Bellamy of Muse bought his first custom Manson guitar after receiving his first advance when Muse signed, and the two later developed the aluminium-finished De Lorean guitar, a one-off with multiple electronic circuits.

Manson Guitar Works Ltd was set up in the late 1990s to separate manufacturing from the shop, and launched the MA and E-Series. Bellamy became a majority shareholder in 2019 after Hugh Manson's retirement and now works hands-on in product development; the Cort-built Manson MBC-1 and MBM-1 signature models continue that link. Guitar Radar follows new Manson guitars and Bellamy signatures.