Maton Custom Shop W.A. May - Australia 2015

Here is a Maton WA May Custom Shop “Traditional” model, a signature Australian-made instrument conceived as a tribute to Maton founder Bill May, developed under the direction of David Steedman. This model reflects the core design philosophies and aesthetic principles that shaped Maton’s heritage, brought together in a refined custom shop build.

This example features a solid spruce top paired with highly figured fiddleback blackwood back and sides, delivering a rich, resonant tonal character with strong low-end depth, clear midrange articulation, and a balanced, expressive top end. The traditional 000-style body shape, with deeper 808-style body depth, enhances overall projection and gives the guitar a fuller, more powerful voice.

This example features Bill May’s signature three-layer deco-style headstock design, paired with satin box binding that highlights the natural union of tonewoods and reinforces the instrument’s strong connection to Maton’s Australian identity and early craftsmanship heritage.

Playability is excellent, with a comfortable neck profile and responsive feel that makes the instrument highly versatile across both fingerstyle and strumming applications. The guitar delivers a warm, articulate response with strong dynamic range and an inspiring, musical character.

Condition is good with visible player wear, including pick wear around the bridge on both treble and bass sides. The gold Grover tuners show cosmetic tarnishing but remain fully functional, and the original frets show wear in the lower positions, with a refret likely to be required in the future.

Specifications: 

Year: 2015
Country: Australia
Model: Maton Custom Shop W.A. May
Finish: UV gloss top and back/sides
Body: Sitka spruce top with AAA fiddleback Blackwood back and sides
Neck: Blackwood neck
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale: 25.5"
Pickups: Maton AP5 PRO system
Bridge: Ebony
Tuners: Gold Grover with pearloid buttons
Case: Hiscox flight case