Product: Maton MS501 Mastersound
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
09/19/2006
at
12:10am
by
Elastic
Features
:
6
21 fret 24 1/2" scale.
single 9k Maton Mk11 Humbucker
Single Volume
Coil Tap
Grover tuners.
Big strap buttons
Queensland Maple
Rosewood fretboard with dot inlays
les Paul style bridge.
Sound
:
8
I wanted a rock guitar that could go from the heaviest riff and loudest lead right through to tender chords and sweet finger picking. This does it all. even with just one Humbucker. The 9K stock pickup really rocks but sounds quite sweet when rolled off. Very responsive to violin tones on the volume and pick attack. Obviously there is no bass boost to be had from a front pickup but if I roll of just right it gives a lovely mellow tone for rythm and lead. The coil tap is a waste of time as the humbucker is not really high output. On single coil it sounds quite rude really. Like a cheapo strat through a nasty amp.
I run dod deathmetal - crowther hotcake - marshall vs65 and a zoom G2 in the loop. This guitar has been played through a Russian Big Muff - boogie mk1 half stack and Boss sd1-crybaby- marshall 100 watt half stack. sounded fantastic through both and drove the boogie really well.
This is not the fanciest through neck / ebony fret guitar in the world but it is very solid and sounds great. It is very usable it sounds fine playing plain chords and if stroked right sounds fantastic.
coil tap takes a couple of points off.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
My 501 was won as a prize and sat in a box for a year before I bought it. By the time I got it it had some oxidisation on the pickup where the owner seems to have tried to clean it with something very toxic. Tthe strings amazingly still had life in them. The action is great and intonation was fine.I could not see any manufacturing flaws. The only thing I did not like was the hight of the volume knob but that is not really a problem.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
It has grover tuners, big strap buttons and minimal electronics. I do not own another electric guitar so it will have to do with no back up.
Most other maton reviews only list loose strap locks as an issue.
We will see.
Customer Support
:
5
I emailed them and had to email them again to get a reply. They might have thought I was an industrial spy because it took 4 emails to get my questions answered. The sales dept never wrote back. I have a Maton approved luthier in my town so thats good.
Overall Rating
:
8
I have been playing and performing for 23 years. I had a steinberger and decided I needed a guitar with better tone. It took me a year to find a guitar that I wanted to own and this is it. If stolen I would seek out another one. The coil tap sucks but hopefully this will be cured by the high ouput pickup I plan to install. Matons are reqally good value. They list at NZ$1295.00 and play as good as a guitar twice the price.
This guitar sounds great, is comfortable to play and looks cool.
