
Manson x Cort MBM-2H review – as sparkly as it is playable
£569, mansonguitarworks.com
Christmas comes earlier every year, doesn’t it? Particularly in this year, when it arrived in June with the launch of the Manson x Cort MBM-2H. It’s the latest entry to the affordable side of Matt Bellamy’s signature line, and the most striking addition is a finish option that looks like Saint Nick himself carved the body out of peppermint and magical reindeer noses. That’s no coincidence, of course – the finish echoes Bellamy’s own more high-end custom guitar, one nicknamed ‘Santa’ for its sparkly red-and-white colour scheme.
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Image: Adam Gasson
What is the MBM-2H?
So yes, in my hands is the new – sort of – Meta Series MBM-2H. It’s worth noting that, other than a new set of finishes and the addition of a neck humbucker rather than a P90, not much has changed from the previous Meta Series MBM-2. The rest of the spec-sheet all remains the same, with a basswood body, soft-V maple neck, compound 12-16” laurel fretboard and locking tuners
This particular model is also the most barebones version of the instrument, as there is also a slightly pricier option if you want to go with a Sustaniac in the neck position. You can even add a built-in ZVEX Fuzz Factory for a little extra again, if you want to get really close to Bellamy’s own loadout. And if you do happen to be a little less ‘LED shutter sunglasses’ in your aesthetic sensibilities, the MBM-2H does come in two other finishes that are a little less festive – olive green and black.
Image: Adam Gasson
Construction and QC
The construction and attention to detail here is generally pretty great for the price, but my eye is drawn to a few reminders that this is a sub-£600 guitar. The 12th-fret dot markers have been drilled noticeably askew, and a non-zero amount of glitter from the body has made its way under the otherwise plain neck finish. It’s worth highlighting that lopsided fret-dots were also present on previous iterations of this instrument, so it’s a little bit of a shame that this issue hasn’t been addressed. There’s also one pretty egregious tool mark along the fretboard edge, and the transition from the painted headstock to the laurel fretboard is rough at best.
Some of the hardware choices are similarly indicative of a more budget instrument, too – the line of strings is almost entirely flat to the body, but angled humbucker rings are still used, meaning that the pickups have one coil just slightly closer to the strings. Luckily, this issue is nowhere near as bad as it was on the similarly-priced Vintage REVO Integra, and the result isn’t audible here – especially as there’s no coil-splitting going on.
But in terms of any QC quibbles that impact playability, it’s thankfully a lot harder to find fault. There may be some rough spots to look at right up close, but under the hand, everything along the neck is smooth as can be, and the frets are polished and level. Intonation is also set perfectly out of the box, and the action has been dialled in for speedy riffing. So let’s do some of that.
Image: Adam Gasson
In use
In the hands and on the body the guitar is a very comfy experience – it’s light but well-balanced, and the soft-V neck and the generous comfort carves mean the guitar stays out of the way as you play. The factory action gives me a clue as to what this guitar has been dialled in to do – it’s low and slinky, which combined with a compound radius and a killswitch, makes this a guitar that invites big, silly riffs and shreddy solos. Not that I can shred very well, mind, but I’m not going to let that stop me.
Something that’s immediately striking when I plug in is just how damn good the bridge pickup is. It’s pretty much the opposite of a touch-responsive PAF, with bucketloads of output, quickly driving my amp into heavy saturation. This makes sense, of course. Subtlety is not a word neither Matt Bellamy or his LED sunglasses know: this is a guitar designed for big riffs and killswitch-stuttered solos.
With that said, though, the main addition here over the previous MBM-2 guitar is that the neck P90 has been replaced by a humbucker. This is, in my view, a bit of a strange change to make, as it does remove some of the versatility and identity from the guitar. There’s not even any coil-splitting to be had to compensate – the sheer power of these Manson-designed humbuckers makes the bridge position great for huge riffs, but can mean that the neck position becomes a little muddy and overwhelming.
So without the electronic curveball of a P90, a Sustaniac or a Fuzz Factory, this version of the MBM-2H approaches being generic. And generic does a disservice to a design rooted in kick-to-the-teeth impact and electronic whackiness, not to mention that finish.
There is still the killswitch, of course, which is a quality bit of kit. It has a nice smooth action and there’s zero crackle while using it. It is also well-placed on that upper-bout, being pretty easy to integrate it into your playing. This isn’t one of those killswitches that asks you to paw at hitherto unexplored areas of a guitar to activate the stuttering effect – it remains accessible in most imaginable playing positions. Equally, if you find yourself not wanting to use it for whatever reason, it is still a low-profile push-button – and so will stay out of the way.
Image: Adam Gasson
Should I buy an MBM-2H?
The MBM-2H has all of the hallmarks of a high-quality Indonesian-made instrument – and therefore will absolutely perform for you without breaking the bank. The playability-to-price ratio here is undeniable, and by most measures it’s an excellent guitar. Manson and Cort continue to prove themselves a worthy pairing when it comes to making excellent guitars at this price point.
However, there is something about it that doesn’t quite spark as much joy as, on paper, it should. It’s hard to put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the pretty generic satin-finished maple neck. Maybe it’s my aversion to the flashiness of the red sparkle. Maybe it’s the fact I’m looking at the slightly more anonymous version without a Sustainiac or a Fuzz Factory. Or maybe it’s the fact that the main change over the Meta Series MBM-2 makes the guitar, in my view, a little more generic.
But with that said, these are the kinds of criticisms that you may well easily dismiss. Maybe you personally would never have used a neck P-90, and are overjoyed about this change to a humbucker! And for the fans of Bellamy’s Santa guitars, it is cool to see such an out-there finish arrive at the more affordable end of things.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net