New bass day - Aussie made content (Maton)

[Aussie Mark]

I grew up seeing great Australian bassists in pub bands playing Maton JB4's, and never got around to finding a nice one myself, until last week.  So, after 30 years of looking, I've finally the owner of an early 1980s Maton JB4 (I've emailed Maton to date the serial number, but I won't hold my breath).  It arrived yesterday, and I must say the neck is one of the nicest to play of any of the 60+ basses I've owned over the years.

[Hornisse]

I love those basses!  That one is in great shape too.  I had a strange one several years back.  It was an MBS4 synthbass version of the JB4.  Had a bolt on neck and segmented frets.  A strange one for sure.  Congrats on the new bass.

[Denis]

That is classy looking! Congrats!

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Congrats Mark~ She's a real beaut!

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Nice! It bears more than a passing resemblance to the Ibanez Musicians from the same time period, but less "showy" and more functional. Is it set-neck or neck-through?

[Aussie Mark]

It's a set neck, and was produced a few years before the Ibby Musicians hit the stores.

I think the premise was along the lines of "Let's build a good quality bass out of Australian timbers, and we'll make it look something like a Fender.  But the Gibson headstock is cooler.  And we'll make it a P/J so we can just make one model instead of two."

[Dave W]

Congrats. I've always heard good things about Matons, never have seen one in person though.

[Freuds_Cat]

I've just posted these in another thread but hey they are such a nice bass that its worth the exposure  



About 20 years old here. Me not the bass  



Congrats Mark. As usual its a bass I wish I never sold :/

I think mine was either 284 or 286.

I know that they kinda look a bit like the Ibby Musicians in the pics but in person they are really very different

I have a Maton Coolibah Acoustic gu1t4r as well which has a beautiful sound is loud and has a fantastic neck on it too.

[Highlander]

Very nice...

[clankenstein]

wasnt there a jb4 with a big pickup in the neck position?i think the bass player in the pretenders had one when i saw them in 1982.or maybe brian ritchie in the violent femmes.i forgets.nice sounding basses anyway.dont see too many over here unfortunately.

[Freuds_Cat]

Yep I'm sure there was too. Had one of those Black (dark greyish) Dimarzio Mudbuckers in the neck position.

[Hornisse]

wasnt there a jb4 with a big pickup in the neck position?i think the bass player in the pretenders had one when i saw them in 1982.or maybe brian ritchie in the violent femmes.i forgets.nice sounding basses anyway.dont see too many over here unfortunately.

Ritchie did play a Maton, although when I saw them at Liberty Lunch back in the mid 1980's he was using a Martin B-40.

Here is a photo of that old Maton Synth bass I had a while back.

[Garrett]

Sweet looking Bass....Congrats!