Manson has unveiled not one, but two new electric guitars, which have been formally introduced as the Geo Mask V1 and Geo Mask V2 – a pair of wildly styled instruments that faithfully reproduce the astonishing mirror mask guitar wielded by Muse’s Matt Bellamy.
The original build first stole headlines last year after it became one of Bellamy’s most notable onstage instruments, having first been introduced during the Will of the People tour in early June 2023.
Used during tracks such as Will of the People and Hysteria, the instrument transformed Bellamy’s mirror angled mask that featured in Muse’s music videos and live shows into a fully fledged guitar – and soon developed a cult following.
Naturally, fans clamored for a chance to acquire a mirror mask guitar of their own, and now Manson Guitar Works – the brains behind all of Bellamy’s custom builds – has happily obliged.
This isn’t just a loose aesthetic copy, though. Rather, these two Geo beasts represent “an identical replica of Bellamy’s WOTP stage guitar”, with only one minor deviation from the original, which had backplates engraved with the employee names of the brand.
Here, serial markings and a Will of the People logo are used instead. So, yeah, pretty darn close to the original.
As mentioned, two versions of the guitar have been introduced, both of which faithfully follow the ergonomic and aesthetic angular design of the original build. Both also feature an alder body, ebony fingerboard and a Mask Metal Paint finish with a matching headstock.
Elsewhere, chrome Gotoh hardware is used across the board – a 510 bridge and tailpiece, and 510 H.A.P. tuners can be found – as are Schaller strap locks. Tone-wise, Bellamy’s favored pickup combo of a Manson PF-1 MB bridge humbucker and Sustainiac Stealth Pro Sustainer (with the relevant controls) are recruited.
So what sets these two instruments apart? Well, the V2 instead opts for a 5A flamed roasted maple neck, as opposed to the V1 variant’s figured flame maple alternative, and comes as part of a wider collectors package that extends beyond the guitar itself.
That means the V2 model is accompanied by an actual mirror face mask. Yep, that’s right, a mask – built with the help of the same designer, creator and materials as Bellamy’s own – is included in the V2 collection.
Then there’s just the small detail of the additional custom-cut Protechnic flight case, the Manson Heistercamp Premium special edition Geo logo guitar strap, and a selection of Geo plectrums.
There’s also a laser etched certificate of authenticity – as opposed to the boring regular one – and limited-edition color print hand-signed by Bellamy himself.
As Stark told Guitar World last year during an in-depth discussion of the instrument’s conception, the Geo Mask model was inspired by the original mirror mask that Bellamy had donned.
“The main challenge was getting from the idea to a working image to see if it could actually work,” said Stark, who was able to make his vision a reality with the help of computer-aided design (CAD) mastermind James Yarde.
“James noted that the cavities were defined by the angles on the front,” Stark went on. “Some careful consideration had to go into the siting of the controls within the cavities.”
Then, it was up to woodworking luthier Emily Gardner to finish off the top’s mesmerizing finish: “She spent hours working it, getting each plane flat and crisping up each line where the planes met. That was the biggest challenge, really. Her skill and eye for detail really gave me the best platform to get the paint on and show off the final result.”
Owing to sheer detail that has gone into reproducing these models – and the understandable fact they will be highly limited – they each come at a cost.
Only 10 of each package has been created: £7,999 for V1 and £13,999 for V2 (approx $10,000 and $17,500 respectively).
To find out more, head over to Manson Guitar Works.
