Maton roundup 2.

It’s that time again… here’s some cool Maton’s that’ve popped up recently.

Lately I’ve really been enjoying playing my old Maton Apollo (aka ‘The Red Rocket’). I’m still amazed at how easy it is to play, how incredibly light it is (I think the strings are the heaviest things on it) and the sound of those fantastic pickups. So, even though I’m on a guitar buying sabbatical this year (legal note: buying… not swapping) I still scout eBay for some sweet Maton action. Here’s some of the picks.

First up is an absolutely stunning 1958 Maton Starline.

As explained by the seller, there were a few different Starline variations through the years. Some with batwing pickguards, some with chrome plated pickups (as in Maton Premiers of the early sixties), some with late style logos and some with Bigsby’s (a late option). This one has the celluloid covered single coils, rounded pickguard, old logo, frequensator type tail piece and knobs that looked like they came of a fifties Astor TV.

The headstock is an absolute work of art. The tuners have been replaced with Waverly’s, which suit the general top shelf jazzbox vibe.

The original Starlines were all Maple tops backs and sides. The body is fully hollow with longitudinal tone bars like all hollow archtops. The neck is a five piece laminated type with a bone heel cap. All the inlays are Mother of Pearl except the bindings which are celluloid nitrate.

The guitar was listed for a Buy It Now price of $4,000. While this is a lot of money, a new Maton Starline list for around 8 grand. This one has 50+ years of mojo included in the price. It didn’t sell, so it may pop up again.

Next up is a nice Supreme 777 that needs work. In other words it’s old, cracked and looks great.

This one has led a rough life. The body has a crack along the side and a lot of the binding is missing. She’s a player, not a collector’s piece. But all the good bits are there… nothing seems to be missing. The knobs alone would be a nightmare the chase down. The only thing missing is the Maton-type selector, which you can get new.

I was actually considering getting this as a partner to my Apollo, but I have the feeling they’re very different beasts. The pickups alone look totally different, and I think they’re a big part of the Apollo’s sound. I really wish my Apollo had this tailpiece though…

This 777 sold for $812, which is more than I paid for my Apollo. I still think it’s worth it… I’ve played a mint one of these and it was a fantastic guitar. I hope whoever bought her treats her right.

Here is another strange Maton guitar amp that I’ve never seen before. Which isn’t saying much as I haven’t seen a lot of Maton’s amps. This one has some definite Goldentone vibes.

Look at that faceplate. Then look at this faceplate…

That is definitely too much of a coincidence. The only thing Maton about this amp is the badge.

Here are the specs:
Model no. 3-20, Serial no. 5410
Features:
• 2 instrument input jacks
• knobs for bass, treble, volume and echo
• tremolo switch with knobs for depth and speed and also a jack for an optional footswitch (not included)

It ended up selling for $435. You’d have to be a real Maton completest to want this amp, as it’s basically a rebadged Goldentone. This next amp on the other hand is pure gorgeousness….

This is what appears to be a Maton “Hi-Mark 15″, with 2 8” speakers and a 15 watt amp. The style and graphics on this amp are beautiful and I really think capture the 60’s Maton vibe. The faceplate even says it’s part of the “Mastersound series”… I’d love to play my Fyrbyrd through this little beast.

This little 15 watt beauty sold for a whopping $1324. Honestly, if I had the disposable cash I would’ve probably paid that much for it. To me this is what a Maton amp is supposed to look like. With all the boutique amp makers out there now, it’s surprising Maton don’t reissue this model as a limited run. It’d be so cool and so easy…

But how many times have I said that now…

Anyway, that’s it for now. If anyone has bought an interesting guitar lately, send me some photos and info and I’ll post her up.