Re: Maton Starline - what a guitar! Also '60s DC1500, '85 Maton

: : I have been playing and collecting guitars for some 30 years now, but only just recently bought a mint '56 Starline. This guitar is amazing! I prefer it to my '81 Gibson 335 dot reissue, and it challenges anything I've played.

: Yeah - I was labouring under misconception that maton produced great basses and acoustics but their e-guitars weren't so hot. Dont know why - think my impressions were formed by guitarists I have known (!!) I have had for 15 years a fretless JB4 which I will never get rid of. Bought a DC1500 4 months ago and my 74 strat has not come out of its case since. Now everytime I pick up one of these old matons I notice that the necks and tuning are rock solid after all these years. The DC 1500 is a little "difficult" to play - it has more in common with acoustic necks than those glassy-necked 70s strats, but when you "get" it you "get" it for real. Think loud valve amp blistering on verge of feedback...man this guitar has character and guts. Dont expect it to do the washy indie unfocussed noise-scape stuff that you can do with solidbodies - its got a very individual voice with harmonics coming out all over the place - far more direct and in your face - think rockabilly, rock and roll, "round" jazz ala montgomery, hard edge jazz like miles era mclaughlin, jangle folk ala byrds, throw in a bit of Cream...it's all there. Could write bucketloads more but wont bore you further. Summary -never write off a maton......and best of all it's got history and it's australian made.........cheers Mark H

: everywhereit you really do one of 25 ever built), a '60s DC1500 (what tone, and what funky looks!), and a beautiful totally mint '58 Supreme acoustic archtop - these vintage guitars are equal to anything from the US!

I've had my 1965 DC-1500 for about 5 years now, and it's easily my favorite guitar, if the house was on fire, it's the one thing I'd go back inside to rescue.

It has an amzing range of tones, from liltingly sweet clean jazz tone, to ear bleedingly raw distortion (fender valve amp or ac30 recommended) that would put any Gretch or Gibson on notice. Beautifully finished with pearl inlays on the fretboard, and a georgeous sunburst paintjob, it always elicits admiration from those who see it. Mine is now busy providing lashings of tone on my bands (Random Monkey Society) debut album, and has been used on numerous other projects over the years, with many more to come. I LOVE IT!!