Mayones Guitars: The Guide WiredGuitarist March 22, 2016 Articles The Full Guide to Mayones, Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Mayones Mayones have been rapidly gaining in popularity, especially among progressive metal players looking for boutique instruments thanks to endorsers like Periphery and Monuments. As dealers for Mayones, we’ve had the chance to play far more than we probably should have… Their quality today is very comparable to other high end custom shop instruments you can think of like Kenneth Lawrence, PRS PS, and Huber. If you haven’t had a chance to keep us with Mayones, and want to learn more about them, then this guide will help you do exactly that. The first thing you need to know is that there isn’t a huge difference between any Mayones model in terms of overall build quality. A Regius, although more expensive than a Setius, will not vary in build quality. You can expect consistent quality no matter which model you chose. You should know that older Mayones are not quite on the same level as the newer guitars that they have put out, they have steadily improved the quality on their instruments over time – which is in sharp contrast to what some companies (like Gibson!) do. Each of the four or five Mayones I’ve owned have been better than the last. The overall quality change in each build from 2012 till now isn’t overly noticeable, but it’s there. If you have the option, always buy new or if you are buying used, try to make sure the guitar is as new as possible because the quality will likely be better. As Mayones is a maker of custom guitars, you can get just about any option you can think of one. Some of these options are quite pricey, but if you have your mind set on a specification, it’s likely the folks at Mayones can make it happen. Want an Evertune? They can do that. Want fanned frets? They can do that. Want an exotic redwood top? They can do that. Want a pale moon ebony fretboard? They can do that. I’m sure you get the idea now. Before we dive into the various models that Mayones makes, let’s go over some common questions people have about Mayones: What top woods can I get? Mayones currently offers just about any top wood you can think of. Here’s the full list: Ash Bocote Buckeye burl Burl maple Cocobolo Ebony (yes, they will build you a guitar with a solid ebony top) Pale moon ebony Eye elm Eye poplar Flamed maple Quilted maple Koa Redwood Curly redwood Spalted maple Walnut burl Walnut crotch Claro walnut Wenge Zebrano Ziricote Amboyna Bubinga Camphor Monkey pod Myrtlewood Pistachio Figured rosewood Walnut franquette Whew, that took a while to type out! Thanks, for typing that list out, but what about fretboard woods? Since you asked so nicely… Birdseye maple Ebony Pale moon ebony Hard maple Padouk Rosewood Snakewood What finishes do they come in? They will build you a guitar with a custom finish if you ask nicely. If you don’t want to go custom, there are many options Mayones offers that are fantastic. I want my name inlaid in capital letters, can they do that? YES! They can. Should they though? I would hope not! What is TEW? Tonally enhanced wood. This process adds to the resonance and stability of an instrument because the wood is processed differently. How is it processed? I’m not really sure, and the Mayones site isn’t too specific either, but I have noticed my Mayones with TEW sound a bit better than the others. I don’t think it’s a must have option but if money isn’t a big deal, then I would opt for tonally enhanced wood. What is the MBC? This stands for Master Builder Collection. These guitars are built by senior luthiers working at Mayones, and are usually very unique. You can order MBC guitars from previous years. Djentlemen Series, what? These guitars are built with the same specifications as guitars that were made for Misha Mansoor of Periphery. 4Ever? This means that the guitar has been equipped with the Evertune bridge. The Evertune is a bridge that almost never goes out of tune. It’s a fairly pricey upgrade, and in my opinion a little overkill as none of the Mayones I’ve owned have had tuning stability problems with regular bridges. VF?! Fanned frets. Mayones charges quite a bit for fanned frets. Are they worth it? Depends on the person asking. If you want to learn more about fanned frets though, you should read our guide here. Alrighty, now let’s dive into the models Mayones produces… Regius: This is the most popular Mayones model. These are usually flat top, but Mayones has started offering a carve top version now as well. These guitars are always neck-thru. To the best of my knowledge, there are no bolt-on Regius models floating around. The Regius offers the most customization options out of any Mayones available. If you want to read our review of the Regius, you can check it out here. If you just want to see some pretty pictures, then here you go: Duvell: The Duvell is a more aggressive take on the classic superstrat shape. These come in two variations, both with bolt-on necks. One is the “Standard”, which has fixed specs, and can only be ordered in set colors. The Standard comes with a flame maple top usually finished in a transparent color, a rosewood fretboard, and a multipiece neck. The other option is the “Elite”. The Elite, unlike the Standard, can be customized. Fretboard changes, different top woods, body woods, etc.. are all doable on the Elite. The guitar comes stock with a beautiful eye poplar top, and an ebony fretboard. In my opinion, it looks absolutely fantastic with this combination and the Duvell Elites I’ve played sounded great to boot! Here’s a gorgeous Duvell Elite with a Flamed Maple Top: Setius: The Setius is the cheapest guitar Mayones offers, although the build quality is the same as all other models. Like the Regius, it can be customized a fair bit. In my opinion, this model is underrated. It doesn’t get as much love as the Duvell or Regius, even though it sounds absolutely fantastic and can be purchased at a great price new or used. Vidius: This is a V shaped guitar. I haven’t seen many floating around. Not much to say here! Legend: This is Mayones retro-inspired guitar. They can be customized quite a bit, and are priced well. They aren’t as popular as the Regius, Duvell or Setius, but they do seem to pop up once in a while. Hydra: The Hydra is Mayones’ newest addition to the lineup. It’s basically a headless Duvell. This model is very customizable as well and offers the same massive tone of the Duvell, in a more ergonomic, lightweight design. Be sure to check out our recent review on the Hydra Prototype! …and that concludes our guide to Mayones! Don’t forget to check out the Mayones we have in-stock by clicking here.
