Maton SilverTone Electric Lap Steel 1964

This is a 1964 Electric 6 string Lap Steel Guitar made by Maton in Melbourne Australia. Red gloss. Black plastic fret marker board with 32 frets. Single Bar pick-up (height of magnetic bar can be adjusted by wiggling up or down). Volume & Tone Control. Chromed L-shaped brigde & nut - perfect for solid body lap steel guitar. I have had it since new (a birthday present in 1964). Black plastic pick guard. White plastic hand/palm rest over pick-up (which I removed for playing - it got in the way of high end/bridge picking and bridge muting.) Came with custom L-shape jack & lead.
Optionally - packaged with a New Zealand Jensen 15W tube practice amplifier - brown vinyl covering.
Tripod base steel guitar stand sourced elsewear.
Factory strings - smooth wound heavier guage suitable for steel guitar.
Tuners - good - always stayed in tune even with heavy playing.
Came with purpose made wood case - green velvet lining - brown crocodile vinyl covering & lockeable latches.

Great sound for both hawaiian, electric steel & surf music (in the era) Picking lower past the pick up gives a mellower hawaiian sound, picking over pick up good for brighter electric steel sound, and palm muting at the bridge great for surf music sound.
No noise ever experienced from the pick-up or pots.
Late 1960-early 1970 - used with the first fuzz box from construction plans published in Electronics Australia magazine (note - there were NO commercially available efects pedals back then - you had to make your own.) Great for more aggressive surf music and later pop/blues/rock playing.

Solid body electric steel guitars always have a high action - only played with a bar.
Factory set-up was ready for immediate playing. Pickup magnetic bar adjusted to averaging playing requirements.
No flaws when new - just my user blemishes after 40 years of hard rough playing - it still plays well (which you would expect from a quality Australian made Maton Guitar - just ask any Maton owner)

It still plays well after 40 years - and a lot of hard use in the first two decades. Always stayed in tune - for a few weeks usually. No need for a back-up - it has worked all night without a problem - no problems for 40 years.
Finish has lasted - no cracking - just some user scratches form handling while still wearing steel finger picks.

Maton always had warranty - but I never needed it - I don't know anyone who owns a Maton Guitar who has ever needed to use the warranty (that includes accoustic & standard electric guitars. Always sold setup ready for immediate playing - quality materials & fittings.

I have had this guitar since new in 1964 - alway reliable - always playable. I would never part with it - plan to will it to my kids. If it was lost (no chance) but it would need to be replaced with the same (but hard to find - people who own one of these never part with them.
I wish Maton would make them again - also an 8 string version of this solid body lap steel.
I also have a pre-war Rickenbacker Electro backelite 6 string electric steel guitar (needs some more restoration work to metal cover/stratch plates, an old Liberty Accoustic Steel with metal nut raiser (an old cheap student hawaiian guitar), a double neck 8 string guitar (no maker markings but the same as the fender Stringmaster - may have been resprayed & badges left off??), a Fender Bullet (mainly for the kids to play but do a little bottle neck but action to low), a Resonator electric/accoustic guitar (just to play around with).

This is a great example of Maton quality - a guitar that lasts forever.