Maton has been Australias premier guitar brand since its inception in 1946. Luthier Bill May first opened a guitar repair shop in Melbourne in the early '40s after leaving his job as a woodwork teacher, and began building some of his own designs. As popularity for these models grew, Maton officially established as a guitar company in 1946, and has gone on to make a huge range of models over the last 70 years, always with a focus on exceptional craftsmanship and unique guitar designs.
This 1952 Maton Mayfair is a fantastic example of an early Maton guitar, and would have been constructed by Bill May and his brother in their original workshop. Many of these early instruments were variations on the popular arch top designs of the time, although this Mayfair features a rounder body shape that sets it apart from other guitars of the time. The body is constructed from a carved Canadian Spruce top with Maple back and sides, along with a Maple neck with a comfortably playable profile. As one of the top of the line arch tops offered by Maton at the time, the neck is inlaid with mother of pearl block inlays and multi ply neck and fingerboard binding. The headstock features the Art Deco style Maton logo with the Mayfair model name also inlaid in mother of pearl, while the stair step tailpiece also adds a luxurious look to this model.
This guitar is in very good condition with only minimal signs of play wear, and is fully original. This guitar has been given a full service and appraisal by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.
