| This is a remarkably well-preserved semi-acoustic bass, made by Maton in 1967. According to Maton records, there were
only 60 of the original model made (these were made between 1967 and 1968).
This bass has had just one owner, and has sat in its case for most of its life. It has a little playing wear to the body (see the detail pics - link below), but the neck and frets are like new. The owner was adamant that the black coated strings were on it from new, and I wasn't sure whether these were around in 1967. However, a long-term customer (in fact he was Grouse Guitars' first-ever customer!) just wrote to inform that; My friend played in The Victims around 67 - 69 in Geelong, and I think he had one of those Maton basses, or it looked just like it. He also had the BA40 amp. At that time I used a Barclay Beatle Bass. It came with the Black Nylon strings just like the ones on the Maton so they were around then. They had a nice smooth sound. I later switched to round wound like John Entwhistle used. Sounded great also but not smooth and thumpy like the nylons. So there you have it! And a bonus is the fact that the frets are perfect thanks to their use! The sunburst is as vivid as the day it was sprayed on 40 years ago - no fading at all, thanks to its pampered life. It really is quite stunning, more than the photos can display. Short scale (30.5") makes for easy playing, and the action is typical buttery, low Maton action. Have they ever made a bad neck? Perfectly straight and playable. Semi-acoustic sound is great. The bass is hollow, with a solid centre block to minimise feedback. Two pickups with a 3-way selector switch and volume and tone control mean you can get the sound you want. A super-cool bass, and in amazing under-the-bed condition. Comes in its original Maton hard case, and even the original faux croc-skin strap! Weight of just 3.1kg means you can gig this for a week solid and not get sore! Sold to Richard in The Netherlands |
