A brief conversation with Norton Electric’s David Mason
Your last name is Mason, who is Norton? Norton was my mother’s maiden name (*remember to change bank passcode). There is such a rich history of last names used by guitar builders that it seemed like a perfect fit, plus selfishly, I get reminded of her every time I see the logo.
Who is David Mason and are you the Dave Mason from the Dave Mason band? Not the first time I’ve gotten that question, spoiler: I’m not him. I’m a father of five living near San Diego, a long-time guitar player that started making guitars years ago as a hobby. It turned out that the feel and finish I personally enjoy resonated with folks and soon found myself building for other players as well. Now several years down the road, Norton is the progression of that passion that got me started building in the first place. To build a guitar that is comfortable and natural feeling first and foremost. An instant old friend so to speak.
Tell me about Norton Guitar builds and finishes? For finishes I like nitrocellulose done light & thin, with a little bit of checking to add to the vibe. The back of the neck needs to feel worn in, thick/sticky neck finishes drive me nuts. Round things out with a set of good quality pickups like Fralin’s or Lollar’s and you’ve got a tone monster in the making.
Everything made right here the in USA.
“For me, comfort is the driving factor. I want my guitars to feel like a well-loved pair of jeans or an old ball glove.”
“This is what got me into guitar building in the first place; I was not a fan of thick poly finished guitars and couldn’t justify exorbitant custom shop prices for one finished in nitro and aged.”
Do you have a preference when it comes to wood choices? The main goals are weight and resonance. A good guitar should be loud and vibrant unplugged. I used to use a lot of pine and really like the resonance of the wood; they are loud and defined. More recently, I’ve been favoring Catalpa (similar to ash) for its beautiful grain, tone and weight. Alder is a classic and always works, but it’s generally the heavier of the three.