Start with an established Munson design, then make it your own.
Munson Custom Shop guitars begin with one of our core models and are shaped around your playing style, sound, feel and finish preferences. You get the character and balance of a proven Munson design, with the important details chosen around the way you play.
Every Custom Shop guitar is built to order in Britain, one at a time.
Custom Guitar Experience®
A Custom Shop Munson is not bought off the shelf. It starts with a conversation.
We talk through the guitars you already own, the necks you like, the sounds you are chasing, the way you play, and the details that matter to you. From there, we help shape the specification around one of our established Munson models.
You’ll be involved throughout the build, with clear decision points, regular workshop updates and a final setup around your preferred tuning and strings.
Custom Shop Guitars – Models
Avenger
The Munson take on the classic S-style: familiar where it should be, refined where it matters. Choose the neck feel, pickup layout, hardware, woods and finish around the way you play.
Tempest
A Munson interpretation of the T-style: direct, versatile and comfortable, with enough flexibility to move from traditional single-coil character to more modern electronics and switching.
Marauder
An offset-inspired Munson with flowing lines, strong visual character and plenty of room for individual specification. A good starting point if you want something familiar, but less conventional.
Mosquito
Compact, nimble and adaptable. The Mosquito suits players who want a lighter, highly usable instrument with a specification shaped around comfort, balance and versatility.
Every Custom Shop guitar is built for you by one of our luthiers here in Britain. Typical build time is 16-20 weeks, depending on the specification and finish. We’ll keep you updated throughout the build with regular workshop progress.
Custom Shop or Bespoke?
Custom Shop is the right route if you want to begin with one of our established Munson models and shape the specification around your playing style.
Bespoke is for players who want to start from a blank page, with a body shape, construction or concept developed from the ground up.
Not sure which route fits your idea? That is exactly what the first design conversation is for.
Shaped around feel, sound and response
The specification is built around how you want the guitar to feel and respond. That might mean a traditional single-coil setup, a more modern pickup system, custom switching, a particular neck feel, or a finish that lets the character of the wood come through.
We’ll guide you through the options and explain where each choice affects the sound, weight, balance, maintenance and feel of the instrument.
- Fully screened electronics and practical workshop details built in
- Pickups and switching chosen around your sound
- Neck profile, fretboard and setup shaped around your playing style
- Body woods and finishes chosen for feel, weight and appearance
It’s all about the finish
We favour finishes that let the grain and character of the wood remain visible. Colour is developed around the timber chosen for your build, with test pieces used where needed so the final finish is judged on the actual wood, not a generic sample. We start by adding highlights to the grain before we apply a colour tint. By blending natural stains we can create an amazing number of colour variations. As part of the custom guitar experience, we create colour swatches using the left over wood from the build, as different woods take stain differently. That way you can fine tune the colour until it is just the way you want it.
If you have a particular colour or tint in mind, we can develop a custom finish for the build using test pieces from the same timber. That way the final colour is judged on the actual wood, not a generic sample.
There are two finishing options for the guitar body. Oil finishes give a smooth satin feel that will wear naturally over time. Nitrocellulose gloss is available where a more traditional high-sheen finish is the better fit.
Pricing and build stages
Most Munson Custom Shop builds typically sit in the £3,500–£4,500 range, depending on specification.
Payment is split into four clear stages: deposit, design sign-off, pre-assembly and completion. This keeps the process clear, structured and connected to the progress of the build.
Start with a design conversation
You do not need to have the full specification worked out before we speak. The first conversation is there to understand the kind of guitar you want, the way you play, and whether Custom Shop is the right route.
From there, we can guide the specification and give you a clear quotation.
Also from the Munson workshop
If you are not ready to commission a guitar yet, or you are looking for something handmade from the Munson workshop, take a look at the HANGAR® guitar and bass stand: a hardwood display stand for instruments worth keeping within reach.