❌SOLD❌ Maton MS500 Solidbody Electric Guitar Dark Green, 2001

In North America, guitars like the Australian-built Maton MS500 Mastersound are fairly rare, though they are common in their home countries. This is often due to three factors, none of which reflect quality – distance (shipping costs), import duties and distribution chains.

Here we’re treated to a Maton MS500 solidbody electric, built during 2001 at the Maton shop in Box Hill, Victoria, Australia – near Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. Like other Maton products we’ve seen, it is well thought out, very well built and finished, and incorporates indigenous wood species wherever possible.

On the Maton site, the body is listed as Silver Silkwood and the neck Queensland Maple with an Indian Rosewood fingerboard.  Silver Silkwood is the common name for Flindersia acuminata, but it’s also sometimes called either ‘Silver Maple’ or ‘Putt’s Pine’. The tree is native to Australia, and like Queensland Maple is not a threatened species.

However, on inspection, neither the body or neck appear to be Maple, but may be Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), another native tree which Maton does use on various models.  

Normally, the Maton MS500 has a scale length of 25.5 inches (647.7mm). This example has a shorter scale, 24.88 inches or 622mm; slightly longer than a typical Gibson and slightly shorter than a PRS. The Queensland Maple neck carries an Indian Roseood fingerboard with Mother of Pearl dot position markers. Interestingly, the headstock uses a graft joint, as early Martin guitars did – the volute, or Dart on a Martin, was originally part of that joint. Martin still uses the dart on ‘Vintage’ style models, but without the grafted joint.

For hardware, the Maton MS500 uses a set of Kluson Deluxe style tuners at the head, and a stop tailpiece – ABR style bridge combination. Here, the original bridge has been replaced with one sourced through Godin. For electronics, a pair of Maton pickups are used; a MVHB (Maton Vintage Humbucker) at the bridge and a MVSC (Maton Vintage Single Coil.   The controls include Master Volume and Tone, a sliding coil tap switch for the bridge pickup,  and a rotary pickup selector switch. 

This unusual guitar is in good working order, though its dark green finish has a few dents and dings, not surprising for a 20 year old instrument.   There is a small amount of lacquer checking along the back of the neck. The guitar plays well and has minimal fret wear.

This Maton MS500 is sold without case.

More From The Builder On The Maton MS500:

“In 1958 Bill May (Maton founder) introduced the Maton MS500 Mastersound series to the world. Played by some of the biggest names in the business including George Harrison, the guitar has been prized by many for its revolutionary design and extreme playability. The tradition continues today with the re-issue of the MS500 series, which has been extended to include the world class MS2000 carve top solid body that even Bill would be proud of today.

Classic shape, vintage tone. An incredibly versatile guitar suited to almost any sound or player. If it’s Classic vintage tone, or the big bite cut through required for the loudest stages on today’s Rock’N’ Roll circuit, the MS500 delivers.

The construction of the MS500 starts with the Silver Silkwood body and a bolt on Queensland Maple neck.Rosewood fingerboard with Dot inlays, 25.5 inch scale and 22 frets, a Maton MVHB humbucker (coil tap) Bridge pickup and the Maton MVSC single coil for the neck, controlled by single volume and tone knobs, Coil Tap Switch, and a vintage styled 3 way chrome Rotary Selector Switch with settings of Cool, Mid-Way and Hi-Fi. Chrome stop tailpiece and bridge anchor the strings to the body that finished in Maton’s custom gloss.

The MS500 is a solid, beautifully crafted guitar that is built to last.”