| Private | |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946; 73 years ago |
| Founder | Bill and Reg May |
| Headquarters | Box Hill, Melbourne, Australia |
| Global | |
| Products | Electric & acoustic guitars basses guitars Ukuleles |
| Website | www.maton.com.au |
When was my Maton guitar built? It used to be printed on the label in the soundhole (e.g. 09/11 for Sep 2011) until 2015. We are currently working on an online application to track the serial numbers and background of guitars. Where can I find information about my Maton guitar? The serial numbers are a mystery and as much as can be nutted out the A series were in the 50's, the B series were early 60's (roughly) and I guess then your serial number is post that if there is no letter. Pity Maton didn't keep clearer records. Re: Maton serial numbers « Reply #3 on: September 30, 2010, 12:09:59 PM » I rang them a year or so ago and got all the details of my acoustic as far as timber used in construction. Sep 30, 2010 Maton serial numbers. I emailed Maton for a year of build for the JB4 bass I scored this week. I gave them the serial, and they emailed me back and said it's April 1959. I think the tea lady answered the email for them and used the 459 serial to deduce the date she gave me. What are they smoking - I clearly said that it's a JB4 bass.
Maton is an Australian manufacturer of guitars and other frettedmusical instruments.
Maton was founded in 1946 as the Maton Musical Instruments Company by Bill May and his brother Reg. Reg was a wood machinist, and Bill a jazz musician, woodwork teacher and luthier who had for some years operated a custom guitar building and repair business under the name Maton Stringed Instruments and Repairs. The name 'Maton' came from the words 'May Tone' and is pronounced May Tonne.
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History[edit]
At first the company produced high-quality acoustic instruments for students and working professionals, aiming at providing good value for money and experimenting with the use of Australian woods. In the 1960s they expanded into electric instruments and instrument amplifiers, at first under the name Magnetone. The early catalogues noted that the warranties on amplifiers and loudspeakers were void if used in situations of 'overload or distortion', reflecting May's jazz background but incredible to modern electric guitarists of any style.
Maton established itself early on the Australian rock scene in the late 1950s, assisted by Australia's tariff regime, which made imported guitars far more expensive than the local equivalents. Maton guitars were used by many well-known Australian pop and rock groups including Col Joye & The Joy Boys. The company also made one of the first sponsorship deals in Australian rock, supplying Melbourne band The Strangers with a full set of the distinctive 'El Toro' model guitars and basses (notable for their outlandish 'horned' body shape) while the group was working as the house band on the TV pop show The Go!! Show in the mid-Sixties.
Software Serial Numbers
Maton earned international renown for their superb acoustic and electric guitars and basses, which have been played by scores of famous performers from The Easybeats to The Wiggles.[1]George Harrison owned one of their MS500 models, which were introduced in 1957 and famed British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan owned and used a Maton 'Cello' guitar for many years during the peak of his career, playing it on recordings with Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Johnny Keating and his Big Band and Neil Finn from Crowded House.
Australian singer Frank Ifield also owned and used a Maton guitar, which he later had fitted with a custom-made scratch plate, made in the shape of a map of Australia. Frank gave this instrument to his guitarist Ray Brett when he returned to Australia, and it has been featured on an episode of the BBC programme Antiques Roadshow. Although these guitars are now normally worth around UK£2,000, expert Bunny Campione valued Ifield's guitar at between UK£10,000 and UK£15,000, because Ifield had used it in songs featured in a compilation album alongside The Beatles' first two singles.[2]
Easybeats lead guitarist Harry Vanda is probably the best-known Maton player of the Sixties, and his famous red Maton Sapphire semi-acoustic 12-string (which he donated to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney in 1999) was an integral part of the Easybeats' sound throughout their career, and features prominently on hit singles like 'I'll Make You Happy'.
Guitarist Phil Manning of Chain is another well-known user and endorser. Also in the Sixties, Keith Potger's Maton FG150/12 twelve string guitar was a prominent part of the sound of The Seekers.
Australian guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel, owns many Matons and almost exclusively uses the BG808 acoustic model on his latest albums. Maton has even constructed a Tommy Emmanuel 'TE series' according to Tommy's specifications. His understudy Kieran Murphy also uses Matons. Joe Robinson plays Maton guitars and was the company's featured performer at the Frankfurt Musikmesse in 2009.[3]
R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills used a fretless Maton MGB4 on the song 'Fretless', which was the b-side of 'Losing My Religion' in Britain and Australia. The bass, painted with an Australian flag, was presented to him during the 1989 'Green World Tour' by then Maton employee Cameron Miller who had originally purchased it in 1986.
In 2002 Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Josh Homme released the film clip to hit single 'No One Knows' in which he played a Maton MS520 and since has become a regular user of Maton guitars. He now also endorses the company —the only such endorsement he has accepted, despite offers from the world's biggest luthiers. His Signature model is the BB1200JH. The BB abbreviation standing for Betty Blue, the colour of one of the original prototypes that Maton created.
Brody Dalle former Distillers frontwoman and current Spinnerette member has been using Maton guitars for many years and she is also the wife to fellow Maton user Josh Homme
Australian musician John Butler from The John Butler Trio performs and records with Maton guitars.
Former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay uses a selection of Maton Custom Shop Guitars as part of his solo live show and recounts an anecdote of a concert-goer's mispronunciation of the name.
Murray Cook, lead guitarist of world-famous Australian children's band The Wiggles is known for using a Maton Mastersounds 500 guitar for some of his onstage work.
John Fogerty was given a Maton by The Wiggles. After this Fogerty had Maton make him a hollow body guitar while in Australia.
Musician Jeff Martin (formerly of Canadian band The Tea Party) also regularly uses Maton guitars.
Lead singer/rhythm guitarist of British indie pop band The Kooks, Luke Pritchard also regularly uses Maton acoustic guitars.
The company has had several moves to newer and bigger premises over the years as their production has grown, but always in Melbourne. They have exported since the 1970s, principally to the US. They remain a family-owned company, producing a range of acoustic and electric instruments in the upper price brackets.
Ben Harper and Jack Johnson use Matons. Renowned guitar instructor Justin Sandercoe uses Maton acoustic guitars.[4] Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy regularly uses the Maton guitar The Maton Heritage ECW80[5]
Keith Urban has used Maton guitars.
Products[edit]
Most of their models both present and past can be seen on their website (link below), but in the late 1960s and early 1970s many unique solid-bodied guitars were built of which there is now no record.[citation needed]
Maton JB6[edit]
Maton JB6 is a 1970s guitar manufactured by Maton. It features a thin solid body, short scale 24 fret design, two humbucking pick-ups, two tone controls, one volume, in/out phase toggle for bridge pick-up and standard three way pick-up selector toggle switch. The body has double cutaways, set neck and heavy metal base plate supporting a stop piece and bridge for increased sustain.
Mini Maton
The Mini Maton is their small body acoustic guitar. It uses Maton's AP5 pickup system.
References[edit]
- ^Michel Bourgeau. 'Play your guitar with Murray'. Guitar Player Magazine]. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
- ^'Frank Ifield Photo Album'. Frank Ifeild.com. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
- ^'Maton website Musikmesse 2009'. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ^http://justinguitar.com/en/GG-001-JustinsGuitars.php
- ^http://maton.com.au/artists/vance-joy
Singer Sewing Machine Serial Numbers
External links[edit]
- Andy Allen Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2017)
- Vera May Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2017)