Mason

OVERVIEW

What to know quickly

This is not Mason Bernard. Mason Bernard was Bernie Rico’s short-lived early-1990s brand and is a different identification path. For a plain “Mason” instrument, provenance has to carry the claim.

IDENTIFY YOUR GUITAR

Which Mason do you have?

There is no broad factory model chart to decode. Mason Guitars was documented as a small custom operation, so identify the individual instrument from builder marks, order history, construction details and any surviving correspondence rather than expecting a mass-market serial decoder.

1. Photograph every builder mark. Headstock, neck pocket, control cavity, backplates and handwritten notes may matter.
2. Preserve provenance. Original invoices, emails, build sheets and owner history can establish what the guitar actually is.
3. Document custom specifications. Woods, scale, pickups, bridge, neck construction and finish are the useful comparison language.
4. Rule out Mason Bernard. “M Bernard” headstock branding belongs to Bernie Rico’s separate 1990–92 project.

USED VALUE GUIDE

Start with the exact model

A small custom builder without a deep resale history cannot be valued safely from the name alone. Hardware, woods, workmanship, condition and documented provenance are likely to matter more than generic brand recognition.

1. Confirm that the instrument is actually from Michael Scott Mason’s shop.
2. List the complete component package and construction method.
3. Evaluate fretwork, neck geometry, finish quality and repair history as an individual custom build.
4. Use comparable boutique/custom instruments cautiously; weak brand liquidity can reduce resale even when workmanship is strong.
5. Do not borrow Mason Bernard prices simply because the names overlap.

CURRENT USED MARKET

See what the market is doing now

Searches for “Mason guitar” are noisy. Add the builder’s full name and compare the specific instrument rather than expecting a dependable brand-wide sold-price curve.

COMPARE

What else lives in this neighborhood?

The useful neighborhood is other small custom builders with limited secondary liquidity, not mass-production brands.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Before you buy—or price—one

• Name collision. Mason, Mason Bernard and musician names can contaminate search results.
• Thin provenance. Without documentation, value should not assume a specific builder attribution.
• Custom does not guarantee resale. Bespoke specifications can narrow the buyer pool.
• Modified builds. A custom guitar may have been reworked after leaving the builder.
• Historical pricing. A 2015 starting price is context, not a 2026 retail quote.

HISTORY & COMMENTARY

A small custom shop documented through the Utah music scene

A 2015 SLUG Magazine profile described Mike Mason as a Syracuse, Utah craftsman who moved from modifying guitars into complete custom builds, custom woodworking, repairs and setups.

The profile emphasized individualized electric-guitar builds rather than a standardized production line and quoted custom builds starting around $1,800 at that time. Because a current catalog and current standardized pricing were not verified, this directory keeps the claim narrow: Mason is a documented small custom-builder identity whose individual instruments require provenance-based research.

WHAT PLAYERS LIKE

Why a Mason can be worth picking up

• True customization. The documented shop approach centered on building around the player rather than a fixed catalog.
• Hands-on construction. Woodworking, setup and mechanical problem-solving were central to the builder profile.
• Individuality. One-off specs can produce instruments unlike conventional production models.
• Local-builder story. Provenance can be unusually meaningful when documentation survives.
• Research discipline. This is a good example of why GuitarSearch separates what is documented from what sellers infer.

CURRENT RETAIL & REFERENCE