52 Guitars, week 52—Maton Guitars MS500 HC

I’ve enjoyed putting the 52 Guitars series together. Each week I’ve written about a different guitar from a different guitar manufacturer. As this is week 52, I wanted to make sure I ended on a very high note. Something that would mean a lot to me while representing a little bit of me and where I come from. I could only do that with an Australian luthier. An Australian luthier with a global following. It had to be a Maton.

The Maton MS500 HC is a semi-hollow version of the classic MS500 (the original MS500 was released in 1958). The unique f-holes look amazing as do the very subtle double cutaways. Aesthetically the guitar hasn’t changed much it seems in over 50 years. I can see why. This guitar will probably still look cool in another 50 years’ time. So, what’s in the MS500 HC exactly?

• Queensland maple body (with blackwood or rock maple tone cap)
• Queensland maple neck (with rosewood fretboard)
• White binding
• Grover machine heads
• MVB1 (coil tapped) bridge pickup
• MVS1 neck pickup
• Master volume and master tone controls
• Coil tap switch (for the bridge pickup)
• Three way rotary selector switch.

I am a big fan of the three way rotary selector switch. It’s classy looking. According to the official website, it allows you to switch between Cool, Mid-way and Hi-Fi. All three of those settings sound impressive to me.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this short article, I wanted to end this series on a high. I feel I’ve done that. I also wanted to end with a guitar that represented a bit of me. As the bulk of this guitar is made from Queensland maple, I’ve definitely done that. For those that don’t know, Queensland is a state in Australia. I’ve enjoyed living here for 40+ years. Not quite as long as the MS500 has been around. I’m not quite as good looking either. Still …

Disclaimer: I’ve not played this guitar. I have not experienced the sound or feel of this guitar. That doesn’t matter. It looks awesome, it’s obviously played by winners and I want one.