About Seth Baccus.
Making Tea & Sweeping The Floor
I was always completely obsessed with music and my step father is Andy Manson, who is somewhat of a legend in the acoustic guitar building world. I grew up as a kid surrounded by saw dust, guitars and musicians. This progressed to helping out one day a week in Andy’s workshop while I was at college. Making tea and sweeping the floor etc and generally just soaking up the atmosphere.
While I loved the acoustic guitars, and seeing how they were built, I became enamoured with the sound of electric guitars. I started playing a bit myself, jamming along to Nirvana and such like, trying to just make as much noise as possible, and fell in love with guitars.
My Mission
I started working full time at Andy’s brother and electric guitar maker Hugh Manson‘s retail shop, the now world famous Manson’s guitar shop when I was 18 years old back in 1997. I worked there for 12 years, 8 of which as the manager.
While at the shop I made it my mission to learn everything I possibly could about guitars. About the history, the models, the players and of course the builders. Working at Manson’s has been so valuable to me as a guitar maker. I worked with some fantastic people, and got to meet so many guitar players over the years. I really felt like I was understanding what people are searching for in their guitars and I built some great relationships with many of my customers.
Rock History
I was able to see and regularly play an incredible array of instruments. Genuine first hand experience of legendary guitars such as 57/58/59 Lp’s, 50’s and 60’s Strats and Teles, not to mention a few pieces of rock history including Jimmy Pages LP’s and the stairway double neck, John Paul Jones’ collection of multi string monsters, the futuristic Manson Muse/Matt Bellamy guitars, and a whole host of other classic guitars. I always felt really lucky to have access to these instruments, it played a huge part in formulating in my mind what makes a great guitar.
I built my first guitar in 2004, me and my friend and fellow guitar maker Tim Stark (Now head luthier at Manson’s guitar works) started building guitars together on our days off from the shop. The first one, it was a good guitar, a tele copy, but I knew I could do better so it was followed up very quickly by another, then another and before I knew it I was hooked.
Led Zeppelin
I worked with both Andy and Hugh through this time, learning as much as I could. I started building custom spec guitars for customers under my own name and gradually developing my skills.
Back from 2000 onwards I also periodically worked as a touring technician, I’ve been on several tours with John Paul Jones (Led Zep, Them Crooked Vultures), he is an incredible musician, great guy and a true professional.
The opportunity to work so intimately with John, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Jason Bonham at the Led Zeppelin re union rehearsals and the 02 show was honestly one of the highlights of my life. It was an amazing experience to work with these legends, and the gig was a magical night.
Working with Muse
Another major chapter I immensely enjoyed, was working with Muse. We at Manson’s were lucky enough to be heavily involved with the band from the start of their career, Matt lived literally a stones throw from my house in Exeter, Devon. We got to know each other through mutual friends, local gigs and me working in guitars.
The band are cool guys and were great to watch live even in the really early days. We always did what we could to help them out with gear and repairs etc when they needed it. This developed into a very close relationship with Hugh building many custom guitars for Matt Bellamy and us working together on lots of projects.
Launching the Manson MB-1
To watch some of your friends grow to become one of the biggest bands in the world was a really cool journey. The creativity that is captured in the guitars was very inspiring.
From Hugh and I delivering the first Delorean to real world studios during the recording of Origin of Symmetry, right up until the launch of the MB1, I was proud to be part of Hugh and Adrian’s team.
Going solo
In 2009 I left Manson’s to concentrate full time on my own guitars. I had been sharing a workshop with my step father Andy Manson, until I moved to Cornwall in 2018 and set up my new workshop.
I feel so grateful to have been able to work with Andy so closely, to watch him work is so inspiring.
I have learned the appreciation of the finest details, the subtlety of a flowing line , the balance of simplicity and elegance. His work is so graceful, I hope I have incorporated some of that grace in my guitars.
Unquantifiable Magic
I believe my education through these life experiences has given me a deep understanding of what makes a really special guitar. Whatever the unquantifiable magic is, I hear it and feel it.
I relish this opportunity to share my guitars with you and hopefully inspire some magic in you as a player.
The Nautilus
In 2012 I launched my first set neck single cutaway model now known as the Nautilus. It’s a guitar I truly believe in. It’s been kicking around in my brain, being refined and refined since about 2005 and I am very proud for it to be the core of Seth Baccus Guitars.
The customer reactions have been so overwhelmingly positive I have developed a line of Nautilus models to suit different players needs. It was always my goal to design timeless instruments.
The distinct Nautilus outline can be effortlessly morphed into a wide variety of guitar styles both visually and tonally. To my eyes, the Nautilus is balanced, elegant and both appealing to the modern and the classic.