NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!! Maton FG100 Steel String Guitar, 1986

Here is another rarity for North America – a Maton FG100 /6, built in Victoria, Australia during July of 1986. It is one of the last, if not the last, built when this model was discontinued in 1986. It also has a secondary label from its original seller – Ivor Mairants Musicentre in the London’s West End!

Maton guitars are not commonly distributed in North America. One of the best known Maton artists is the great Tommy Emmanuel, and we’re very happy to link to a video of him using a Maton – though not this model.

The Maton FG100 is based on a traditional square-shoulder dreadnought design, and as typical with Maton, features woods native to Australia. The top is Spruce, the neck Mahogany, the fingerboard and bridge are Indian Rosewood but the sides and back are Victorian Blackwood. This interesting wood is an Acacia, but looks rather like Hawaiian Koa. The top is trimmed with Herringbone purfling.

This particular Maton FG100 has a serial number of 2627, followed by 786, and those three trailing numbers are the month and year of construction. While researching this model, it seems that this particular serial number is the last one issued for this model. It is in overall decent condition, with lots of natural lacquer checking and a number of dings and dents from play. A Barcus Berry Pickup has been added and connected to an endpin jack. A hard shell case is included.

Interestingly, the Maton site offers a page listing and describing the woods they use.

Here is the section on Victorian Blackwood:

“Victorian Blackwood (acacia melanoxylon): One of the most visually stunning furniture timbers available, Blackwood has also become an important tonewood. Most of our Blackwood comes from the Otway Ranges in Victoria, Australia. It often displays “fiddleback” character and “AAA” grade Blackwood can be intensely figured. It has a warm, full tone with a particularly pleasing mid frequency response and has become one of our most sought after timbers. It may be of interest to learn, that whenever a Maton employee gets to make their own guitar, they almost always choose Blackwood.”