"I just want to give you another feedback about the Croatoan. After a few days playing it, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much versatile and adaptable it is, I played with great results from crust-punk to Neil Young (that bigsby…) to slow space rock and it's awesome. Super well-built, perfect fretboard, fast but strong neck. I'm totally satisfied with this guitar."
-Gio on his Croatoan guitar
"Brent, this guitar is absolutely unreal!!! It arrived yesterday just in time for band practice so I got to play the living hell out of it for a few hours at full volume and it is devastating!!!!!!!!!! It feels incredible! Solid and heavy like you could beat someone to death with it and not worry about tuning stability.......but still maneuverable and amazingly comfortable to play. Even though the headstock is huge in relation to the body the balance is perfect, it hangs exactly where it should......as far as how it sounds...... besides being a masterful and talented guitar builder, you must be schooled in the dark arts because this thing has a demon inside it!!! How you trapped it there I don't know, but the natural unplugged volume and tone of this instrument is shocking! I was not expecting it to have such a beautiful voice, hearing it gave me goose flesh instantly and shook my soul when I plugged it in. I knew deep down that I made the best possible decision I could have made in terms of getting a handmade axe because the HERETIC totally kills it man!!!!!! A snarling maelstrom of bottomless, crystal-clear tone from the low deathmetal chugs to the articulate lead riffs and everything in between. I have NEVER played a guitar that sounded this good, EVER!!! Without dropping brand names or dollar values I can tell you that I have spent equal or greater amounts on guitars from several companies over the years and none of them compare to the one you built me! Truly brilliant!...the foam behind the humbucker? copper foil shielding in the electronics compartment?! no one thinks to do that stuff anymore. From those little things that not everyone sees to the way the wood grain dances in the right light and the custom-fit case, it is perfect! Captivating beauty and ruthless functionality in a seamless union. All in all the whole process has been awesome from the first e-mail, all the way to feverishly removing the layers of packaging and having it in my hands for the first time, I couldn't be happier. You are a brilliant man Brent, with inhuman insight into how a guitar should feel and sound and once I went to your internet site and read the testimonials from your previous clients, and saw your work, parting with with my money was a no-brainer. I am tremendously grateful and fiercely proud of my Monson guitar, I will never forget what you have done for me man. Many will see me play this guitar live and hear it in our recordings and many will ask about it. When they do I will tell them: "Brent Monson doesn't fuck around, and neither do his guitars!!!!!!!!!".......... "I seriously meant every word, In 2 days you've changed the way I think about the guitar. You aren't just some shmuck who slaps guitars together, what you do is really unique and I hope you don't stop anytime soon because I need more! And so do others!" -Adam on his Heretic guitar
"Just dropped off my Monson to get a new jack put in at Guitar Center. I was surprised how emotional I felt leaving it behind in someone else's care. All the years I've had it I've never let it leave my side. It felt as if I had left a very sick animal at the vet. It feels very weird not having my main guitar."
"I felt so much better when I got my Monson back after getting a new jack put in. It felt like a very important piece of me was finally restored. It's pretty crazy how attached you can get to an instrument. I know just how attached I am now."
-John Taylor - Dr. Hot Licks and Guinness World Record holder
"I have been able to dig into my new Monson Nomad #2. It is so amazing. You have to get one man. You will not regret it. That model is THE HEAVY incarnate, so heavy it births riffs with the density of a dwarf star. But also incredibly dynamic with the sensitivity to handle the most delicate vibes. I am blown away by Brent and his work." -Mike of Yob on his 2nd Nomad
"Yes it's finally here!! It's so beautiful I love it! It looks great, sounds amazing! I cant believe i'm holding this work of art. You're the best Brent, I can't thank you enough. I'd go on but I can't keep my hands off the guitar, so thanks again for everything Mr. Monson." -Toby on the V.I.O.D.
"Man... no offense to you or your camera, but the photos I've been seeing all this time cannot even bring a hint of how beautifully crafted this guitar really is. And sound is just... WOW!! After playing on this badass for a few hours, I can honestly say that it has earned the name Savage. Can't wait to put this baby on record someday soon!" -Busac of Smouldering in Forgotten on the Savage
"I just wanted to say that the Malice plays flawless! It sounds Psychedelic Wicked Crazy Gnarly Rockin' Kick Ass Hella Bitchin' Killer Sick Radically Tight Groovy Freakin' Sweetness to the Max of Totally Awesome Gloriously Righteous Epic Bad Ass Beastness!, and I am pulling off things I would not normally even dream of doing (effortlessly). I was matching note for note with the guitarists, and I am not even fully adapted to it yet!!! After getting it home and plugging it into my amp it sounded amazing. I love how the pickup blender allows me to play deep, bright, or deep AND bright, which is the Holy Grail of bass tone!!! The craftmanship on it is flawless! I had high expectations for it, but it far exceeds any I had. It plays far better than any bass I have ever layed hands on. The action is perfect, there is no way it could be better at all.......once I got it home and plugged it into my 300 watt Trace Elliot bass amp, I cranked it and started finger shredding wildly, and it was glorious. It has a really heavy earth shaking deep tone, but can also be played crazy fast and sounds crystal clear, which I thought previously impossible. I am most defiantely a low end junkie, but I always hated that playing fast sounded like a huge blur, this beast fixes all of that, it can go from doom metal to thrash with no tweaking at all (how many other basses can do that? None!). To top it all off it looks godly! I would go on, but I don't want to waste your time from making more kickass instruments." -Stefan of Metalgrid on the Malice
"It looks, feels, and sounds almost beyond expectation. I say almost, because my expectations were quite high. The quality of the craftsmanship is astonishing. This guitar puts my expensive high-end guitars from ESP and Ibanez to shame, and it's unlikely I will ever use another axe on stage. The paint job, the fret fitting, the form and balance - everything is perfect. It plays like a demon, and it is exactly what I wanted. Can't wait to take it to the rehearsal space and plug it into my ENGL Savage. LET HELL BE SUMMONED!" -Hizon of Withershin on the Rapture
"I like the Rapture guitar more and more every day. It is very satisfying to play, and the little half-moon cutaway is kind of like a handle that I can use as leverage and do a kind of vibrato string bend thing I have never conceived of before. I really like the neck, kind of mix between a Fender and a Jackson. It is thick enough for good tone and flat all the way down and everything frets out perfectly. I actually prefer the bolt neck on this guitar because the joint is so perfect and solid (the steel plate is recessed in the body), and I can't imagine that a thru-neck would sound any better. Its removable neck also would make the guitar easier to repair if it ever gets damaged by those douchebags at the airport that throw guitar cases. There is nothing unecessary on this guitar, one volume knob, one coil tap switch, one pickup. That's all. The simple string-through-body Gotoh bridge feels nice and cold and smooth and adds greatly to the resonance. The action is low and easy, but I have no problem with dead spots when using a heavy steel slide. The black finish is light and breathes easy. I have aways wanted a guitar that is this simple. The Rapture is a very solid instrument, but feels very compact - not overlarge and awkward. It balances perfectly and doesn't stick out from my body much, so I can play it rough and sling it around and not worry about it banging into something. It stays in tune, doesn't fight back at all, and can go from a hot clean tone to full-on roar just by rolling up the single knob. It is the perfect guitar for what I do. Brent Monson is a great guitar builder and his instruments are top-notch." -Nate - USX on the Rapture
"As a suggestion to Brent, I would suggest giving new customers not only a free t-shirt, but also a change of underwear. You'll need it when you plug this thing in for the first time." -Rich on the 7-string Wizard
"I just wanted to tell you how thrilled I am with this new guitar. I feel as if I'm being spoiled! The action is perfect. It makes playing fast a breeze. It's also extremely nice not have any fucking fret buzz on the first few frets anymore. I've always had that problem with other guitars. I'm extremely impressed with everything." -John of Envinity on the Witch
"I just wanted again to let you know how much I appreciate the guitar you built for me. I´ve been using it very often these last months as Paganizer is preparing for some summer festivals, and I must say that this guitar is by far the best thing I´ve played in the rehearsal room.......When we began rehearsals for the festivals, I used my old Jackson, and then switched to the Heretic......the difference was just sick. It"s a joy to churn out death metal riffs on, and the feeling of playing it is just immense." -Rogga of Paganizer on the Heretic
"Still can't get over the fact that I'm ripping on the greatest 6 string ever produced!" -Dave of End-Time Illusion on the Conjurer
"The body is way more beautiful in reality than on the picture.... So glad, that i am holding this precious in my hands right now.... After some experience with this guitar I have to admit that the Dominion is one high end masterpiece of an instrument. Still the perfect guitar for me and my music." -Njord of Bluteszorn on the Dominion
"I am so damn happy to own this baby!!!! All I can say is THANK YOU master Brent, you did it again!" -Jackal (Crimson Ghosts) on the new Jackal guitar
"First of all, I think you should start a new tradition that would entail you sending a package containing a pair of new undergarments and message saying "Something wicked this way comes." to prepare all of your new customers. For do not doubt that something wicked indeed arrived. When I opened the case it was as if I was opening Pandora's Box and all the evils of the Universe were consolidated into one sinister artifact, The Invictus. This thing is ALIVE! It's power transcends it's mere organic components. This is a writhing black beast that was summoned from the Cuthulu Mythos. You are not just a Master Craftsman but a Grand Magus! For I do not doubt that you have a legion of demons under your employ that you have siphoning blocks of obsidian and granite from the bowels of the Earth which you transmogrify with other nefarious ingredients and incantations over smoldering cauldrons giving birth to these monstrous incarnations. This thing terrifies even the likes of me for it does possess it's own soul. It plucks at the strings that bind me to this mortal coil and with every note I am entertaining death. You are truly an Evil Genius! In closing I will use these borrowed words from the Great actor, Bruce Campbell, to spell out plainly the power of the Invictus....."This is my boom stick!"'- Murder (Teratism) on the Invictus
“First off, I designed this bass myself, from scratch. I spent more than a year just working out the shape of the body and headstock. When I sent the design to Brent at Monson Guitars, he was so cool about building the bass for me, just the way I wanted it. The entire process was very fast and he was great to deal with, easy to contact, and very responsive to any questions and concerns that I had. It was a great experience from start to finish. I could not have hoped for better customer service. Now, down to business….the bass is just perfect. This thing is absolutely flawless. The construction is top-notch, and the attention to detail is dead on. It is beyond professional…from the perfectly smooth body lines and the shape of the hand carved contours, all the way down to the final fit and finish, this thing just kills. The set-up was just right….perfectly straight neck with zero relief. Very low action with impeccable fretwork and not a single buzz anywhere. There’s not a dead spot anywhere on the fingerboard, with a very even response across the entire neck. The overall tone is wonderful. Huge output from the Seymour Duncan Quarter-Pounder, which is wired straight to the jack, with no controls whatsoever. This eliminates any signal loss due to pot loading, and results in a super hot signal, with a powerful, pure tone. I had Brent flip the position of the coils and put the treble side closer to the neck and the bass side closer to the bridge. The results seem to fatten up the highs and tighten up the lows, for a very even and balanced sound from string to string. The bass has a very clear and defined tone with an extremely focused low-end. Not too bassy, just really tight and punchy. There is also an incredible cutting bite from the highest note to the very lowest one. Even chords played in the lowest register are amazingly clear and never get muddy and undefined. The playability is second to none, this bass is incredibly responsive. Variations in your attack and playing style transfer perfectly and make it a blast to play. The pure clean tone can go from piano-like sweetness all the way to crunchy growl if you just dig-in with a little more aggression. Overall, the whole experience has been awesome. I just wish I had done this years ago. I highly recommend giving Brent a shot to make your dream bass. You definitely won't be disappointed.” -Brandon on the HellRazor
"The PULVERISER exceeds all my expectations and my dream specifications are exactly right there in this monster; this axe is an absolute riffing beast!!" – Calvin (Obliterhate / Pulverised Records) on the Pulveriser!
"The best fucking shredding axe I ever put my hands on! Damn it blew me into pieces. It's so wonderful to look at, awesome to play and the sustain is so fucking killer I can't believe it. I honestly loved my ESP and Jackson, but this have so much more feeling, the strings are exactly where they should be, the trem is so killer and I can't stop saying how much I love this piece of fucking art! It blew me and I can't stop loving it!!!!!!!!!! I don't say it because it's our "deal" but I fucking love it. It's the best wood I have held in my hands ever. I didn't even have to get used to playing on it. I just sat down, played what I used to do and it's like cutting into butter .... You're a fucking genious bro!" - Tomas of Freevil on the Asylum!
"It is truly an evil work of diabolical machinery, and I assure you it will be used to spread chaos and unrest." - Gilles de Rais of Teratism on the Baphomet Bass!
"I am really overwhelmed. It even looks more beautiful than on the photos. I already plugged it into my amp and the sound is also as beautiful as the guitar itself." - Njord of Bluteszorn on the Dominion
"The guitar arrived today! And its just fucken killer my friend! Lightweight, the neck is easy to play and the sound is fat and brutal. Really awesome guitar." "The guitar is so killer. And it´ll be put to severe use....." "It plays like a fucking dream! And the light weight is awesome, and it hangs just perfectly too which many more non-regular shapes never do. The sound is fat and brutal, and the neck is easily played for both faster and slower riffing. I guess I´ll be needing me one more of these babies....." - Rogga of Paganizer on the Heretic
"ITS FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't beleive how light it is. It feels exactly how I want a guitar to feel..............it plays and sounds awesome...............It has a low bottom but it doesn't go in the mud as bad as my other 7 string guitars." - Kris of Catholicon on the Heretic
"Wow! This is just proof that good things happen to those who wait. The action is great. The intonation is perfect! The tone is just so loud, articulate, and powerful. And what's even better is that tone is great all the way around the fretboard! The highs are crisp, without that 'scratchy' sound, and the lows are very tight. Since I've gotten this guitar, I've become a guitar-hermit once agian! The greatness of this axe doesn't stop with the tone. It looks sinister as hell too! At rehearsal, I just put it up on a stand and we just looked at it for about 5 minutes in awe. I just have one question, Brent: How could something so beautiful be so wicked at the same time?" - Ryan on the Invictus
"HOLY SH*T!!! This is the best guitar I've ever seen in the world! Can't take my eyes of it!!! That is really an awesome masterpiece! Can't wait to have it in my hands and raise the roof! Wow."......."This 'evil master' doesn't just look beautiful, the sound is a heavy and harsh one also. So you can burn down solos and dark chords at the same time, love it. The design is devil-like, the weight is godlike. It's a very well balanced guitar, all matches perfectly. Too bad it's 'just' a piece of wood.....cannot marry it....;-) Thumbs up to the instrument you created, Brent!" – Arne on the Invictus
“I plugged it directly into the Line 6 and it sounds beautiful Brent...and the only thing that can compliment the sound are the looks. This thing is gorgeous...you have the best combination of what a guitar/bass should be and the other guys need to watch out.....and it is balanced perfectly. You truly are a great craftsman.” - Jason on the Invictus Bass "Monson Guitars are the future of fine-crafted custom instruments, for the extreme-minded individuals of today." - Derek of And Hell Followed on the Nightstalker
"Oh man...I am so blown away right now, that I am truly at a loss of words. That guitar is drop dead gorgeous (i think i already said that)...your work is truly astounding, and I can't thank you enough for hooking it up. Rest assured that people will be seeing this guitar!"........."Duuuuude! I just spent the past two hours giving the Outlaw the intial work-out, and man, you have created something so f'n badass I can't even begin to tell you! It growls, howls, screams, and twangs like nothing I have ever played before...great, great work.....it really smokes!" - Jimmy of Psycho Charger on the Outlaw
"Holy sh*t mate! This is a sex beast of a guitar, it is absolutely stunning down to the very last detail, perfectly weighted with great sustain and the looks on this baby is the kind of thing that starts wars! I have played a lot of guitars in my time and this rinses them all hands down. I can't wait to hit the road with my new best friend.......Thanks so much mate, this has by far surpassed my expectations (which were bloody high). I feel honoured to possess such a majestic piece of craftsmanship." - Rick of Chaos Blood on the Piranha
"I got the guitar! This guitar is really amazing. Perfect body and perfect balance. Perfect action and perfect paint. There's no words for how cool it is. I will enjoy taking it on tour, each and every day of the tour. You're really a guitar master! Thanks Brent!........it will kick ass live too. Feels really reliable. The SH-5 is killer, gives quite a boost in both distortion and clean. And the neck is just right for me. Thanks again for this awesome guitar!" - Tobias of Godphobia on the Piranha "Oh MY Fucking God!!! Dude!!! you are a fucking genius....these guitars play so amazing...I'm completely sold...so are all of my friends. The Varikill...[****] in pants....dude this fucking thing blows my RR3 out of the fucking water.....awesome choice in woods again!!! The pickups really stand out in this guitar....sleek fast.....a BIG thank you." - Jack on the Varikill "Seriously, the Varikill is such an awesome guitar! I can't put the thing down. I cannot wait until we all hit the stage... and watch the crowds reaction. Everytime I show the Varikill to someone they freak out and we spend a good while drooling over this thing. Honestly, after playing my Varilkill, I refuse to play any other guitar. These are hands down the coolest guitars I've ever played. Monson guitars all the way!" - Kevin on the Varikill "Man, this is seriously one hell of a guitar! I can't believe I actually play on something as good as this. The neck is amazingly easy to play, it holds the tuning.......and those pickups handle those low end notes as if they were in normal tuning! The electronics worked perfectly! This guitar is flawless!!! ........AND I LOVE IT! -Busac of Narjahanam on the V-Kill2
"Well, all I can say is amazing. The coolest thing ever. seriously. You have definitely made a dream come true with this thing :) And you can use THAT on your site man." - Chris Karlov of Sinister Fate on the V-Kill2
"....to be honest you have the fucking sickest looking "V" i've ever seen...[that other guys] design comes close... but yours just has a note of class that his "V" model lacks.....it's just not worth the $4000 he's asking for re-hashed bc rich designs. That's why i love the Virus... I've never seen ANYTHING like it." -A Virus fan "Take that, bastards!" - Brent
"Oh MY Fucking God!!! Dude!!! you are a fucking genius....these guitars play so amazing...I'm completely sold...so are all of my friends....I plugged her into my Randall and got the tone I've been looking for....nice deep sound, awesome sustain as well as the voicing of the wood..mmmmm" - Jack on the Witch
"Do you use magic on your guitars? I don't understand why The Witch sounds so good. Sure, EMG-81 pickups are awesome, but lots of guitars have those. Is it the black walnut body? I've played other guitars with a walnut body, and they don't even come close! A bolt-on maple neck is pretty standard....Dude, I just don't understand...it MUST be magic. Maybe it's the magic of being handmade. The fretwork is the best i've ever seen, MUCH better than PRS or G&L. The ebony fretboard is amazing. I understand that most guitar manufacturers charge waaaaay more for ebony because it's so hard to work with, but it comes standard on your guitars......I mean, a handmade guitar with premium tonewoods and your choice of pickups for just over a $1000. Fuck! you could charge three times that." – Wes on the Witch
"Very good guitar. Obviously Good Quality. Appears to be a guitar made by a guitar player for a guitar player.... I have played a lot of guitars in the past and really, I've only played two that sounded better than this....and those were much more expensive and specialized for a certain sound." - Rich on the Wizard
"Your design, handiwork and purpleburst finish are gorgeous. Finally I have a more heavy and dark sound. This combination of EMG active electronics and mahogany body rules! I adore a long sustain, cool for 'slow, deep and hard' parts and a selective sound when playing riffs or solos. It's cool weighted and less heavy than my previous guitar....I will recommend your guitars to all, especially to those who like original and individualized combination of eccentric shape and sinister sound... This Wizard is unique - I will surely abuse it!!! ;-)" - Xaria of Luminaria on the Wizard "It is f**king awesome!! It plays waaaayyyyyy better than [my old guitar] and the neck is so damn identical....The weight and feel is what really gets me. It is so light and feels so natural and comfortable that playing it is effortless. First week I had it I wrote probably 30 riffs/progressions...... whatever you wanna call em - effortlessly. You know it's badass when the inspiration flows like that. F**king impressive work man, worth every cent! I can't write down how f**king wicked the guitar is and how blown away I am by it." - Eric on the Wizard
“All I have to say is WOW!!! I thought it looked amazing, but plugged in this thing kills. Amazing all around. I absolutely love it. Monson basses are a must have for me now on stage. I own a few other high end basses and the Pariah just replaced them for me on stage. Absolutely amazing!!!" "Hey Brent, just wanted to tell you again how much I love the Pariah. I just recently put a set of GHS flatwounds on it and the thing cant be stopped. I have got so many compliments on how beautiful the bass is. Then when I plug it in jaws just drop. Everyone that sees or hears can't believe how amazing this bass is." – Chris on the Pariah Bass "Holy shit this bass sounds and plays fucking sick!!! Plugged it into the rig and started out with some weird two hand tapping shit. Then some slapping and tapping. Then I started getting metal! BLS and down style southern metal...Doom/black Metal. Even some technical Swedish style stuff, and some warp speed scale running and shit. Then I was kicking it old school playing some Carcass. I haven't done that in years. Sounded great in what ever direction I went......I was amazed at how well balanced it was. I was waiting for one end to go flying down when I let go like I was playing a Gibson. It didn't move at all when I let go. It stayed perfectly straight. But seriously the bass kicks fucking ass......So far there is a lot of drooling over the bass. Everybody is like "HOLY SHIT!!!" Then they are even more shocked when they play it and realize it plays great. They all expect it to play like a big clunky B.C. Rich." - Tony on the Piranha Bass
"Well to make it short - our new sound wakes the dead! The bass kicked our guts so hard when we rehearsed!!! This is definately a reason why the Crimson Ghosts will get a step further. I felt absolutely comfortable with [The Baphomet]....many people were pointing at our guitars and like "damn look at that!!!"....besides that the guitars played SO good!" JACKAL: "Brent Monson created the most evil looking sexy guitars for us and they sound even more evil than they look!! You can not even imagine!! MONSTRO: That axe will follow me into my grave when my time finally has come! " - Jackal and Monstro of the Crimson Ghosts on the Baphomet and Ripper
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