“A lot of people are feeling the same way. They’re like, ‘I’m covered with Superstrats and Strats, but I don’t have an offset…’”: Misha Mansoor on the emergence of offsets in metal music – and why he should have seen it coming

(Image credit: Katja Ogrin/Redferns / GetGood Drums/YouTube / Venla Shalin/Redferns via Getty)

Of all the electric guitar trends to have emerged over the past few years – from the proliferation of digital amp modelers to the rise of the rubber bridge guitar – one of the most notable is the soaring popularity of offset guitars in the progressive and heavy metal realms.

After Jim Root recalibrated the Fender Jazzmaster for a game-changing signature guitar a few years ago, many of his peers have since followed suit. Mike Stringer, for example, recently worked with Jackson to transform the Charvel Surfcaster into an extended range metal machine.

Misha Mansoor is another big-name player who has put his own distinct, heavy-minded spin on Charvel’s long-lost offset template, having worked with the Jackson Custom Shop to produce a pair of heavy relic’d models earlier this year.

Senior Staff Writer, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.