Oz blues great, Fiona Boyes, Jesse Hooper from Killing Heidi, another Jesse – Jesse Hughes from Eagles of Death Metal, (a custom baritone version), John Butler, and… the Wiggles! All devotes of Maton’s awe-inspiring MS T-Byrd. And with currently less than half a dozen Maton electric guitars for sale worldwide(!!!), and prices going through the roof, do not let this chance to own a T-Byrd pass you by.
Far beyond
Much like Lanie Lane’s Framus ‘Atlantis’ archtop, which we’ve just listed, the T-Byrd is far beyond what its makers had in mind when it was on the drawing board. Lanie’s Atlantis was designed for the big German jazz market of the time, but can just as easily rock, pop and cowboy. Maton built the T-Byrd as Australia’s country/country-rock answer to the Telecaster, but a quick re-read of those names above clearly puts paid to that idea!
Resonance
While the (very cool) soundholes may have you thinking the T-Byrd is a hollow or semi-hollowbody, it’s actually only chambered in the immediate vicinity of the soundholes, so retains most of a Tele’s solidbody heft and resonance, readily allowing it to knock out pretty much anything your fingers care to take a pass at.
Charlie Christian
Introduced in 2012, the T-Byrd was the final variation in Maton’s long-running Mastersound series, thus the MS in the model name on the brass plaque above the neck pickup. And in a departure from the company’s regular in-house units, T=Byrds came fitted with a pair of Lollar pickups – a Charlie Christian style unit at the neck, featuring 38-gauge enamelled wire like the originals, plus Alnico bar magnets and a nickel plated blade piece, while the bridge features a Lollar ‘Special T’.
Serious grunt
These pickups pack some serious grunt. The Charlie Christian at the neck really sings, with acres of golden overtone. Clean, the Special T at the bridge has a lovely sparkle to it, which is almost magically retained, even when you chuck a slab of overdrive at it, making the most of the neck and body’s 14 seconds of natural sustain.
Silver Silkwood
The body is Quandong, (aka Silver Silkwood), with a nicely flamed Rock Maple top. Neck and the 25½” scale, 12” radius fingerboard are also Rock Maple. Bone nut; Grover mini-rotomatic tuners; Wilkinson Tele-style bridge, with compensated brass saddles; standard Tele 3-way controls; all rounded out with the original Hiscox hard case. (The case still has the Maton factory tape on it, marked with T for T-Byrd)
Free courier delivery
Although pre-owned, the guitar is in virtually brand new, unplayed Mint condition – the plastic film is still on the neck pickup and case badge. Complete with all its original case candy, (pic # 7), our famous FREE COURIER DELIVERY is included to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, and $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries)
Weight: 7lb 8½ oz / 3.4kg