What do you get when you cross a Fyrbyrd with a Flamingo? A Flamingbyrd!

Everyone knows about my love for the Maton Fyrbyrd. You DO know about my love for the Fyrbyrd , don’t you? I love them so much, I’m currently trying to get Maton to reissue them. (Join the ‘Hey Maton, reissue the Fyrbyrd’ facebook group here!)

My love doesn’t really extend as much to the Fyrbyrd’s little sister, the Flamingo. Don’t get me wrong, if I found one hanging up in a pawn shop I’d be all over it like Nigella on a chocolate cake. It’s just the shape is a little too weird for me… it’s basically not as sexy as a Fyrbyrd.

Yesterday I got an email from Ian that changed all that. Ian said he’d found the Flamingo already heavily modified (it was set up to look like a green burst Rickenbacker) so he decided to modify to stand up to the wear and tear of modern playing. The results blew me away…

Ian has added the Fyrbyrd’s sharkbite to the shape and I must say it has totally transformed the guitar. Along with the single P-90 and Maton supplied red scratchplate, it looks like a Les Paul Jr version of a Fyrbyrd.

The body modification is absolutely flawless. It looks like this is how the guitar was SUPPOSED look like. That top carve is a work of art. Ian has also added locking tuners to help with tuning, as the original’s are pretty basic. Everything on this guitar is top grade. He also tried to apply a NOS Maton headstock decal but it disintegrated when it was applied.

Amazing work, Ian. This is honestly one of the most coolest, well thought out custom guitars I’ve seen in ages. I bet it plays and sounds fantastic.

Some new birds have arrived…

Hi nerds. Apologies for not posting in the last few weeks. I’ve had a lot going on and needed to take a break from guitar-related activities for a while. Yet again, I’m posting about my (current) favourite guitar maker, Maton. Also, apologies to those of you looking to read about guitars other than Maton’s. It’s just that after 15 years of guitar-nerdom, I’m a bit tired of Strat’s, Teles, Les Pauls, Jazzmasters etc. I can flip through the entire ‘electric guitars’ section on eBay and not see one thing I want to buy. The only thing the remotely excites me at the moment are old Matons. Their rarity and the cool designs (plus the fact they were made in Australia) really appeal to me. So for the near future, i guess that’s what you’re gonna see here. Hope that’s ok.

Through this website, I’ve been lucky to meet some fellow Maton collectors who share my enthusiasm for the old designs. One of them, Ken, contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in a spare Maton Flamingo he had lying around. While not my favourite Maton design, since the Flamingbyrd story a little while back my interest in the Flamingo had been growing and I came to appreciate them for what they were… a cool 60′s garage guitar, along the lines of a Silvertone or Harmony. I was certainly keen to own one, plus it was such a great deal I couldn’t say no.

Here’s what I got… a second series Flamingo body with the paint stripped and finished in clear (with the headstock paint & decal intact, thankfully)…

…along with all it’s parts… plus a brand new laser cut scratchplate in white.

From what I’ve heard, the second series Flamingo is much rare than the first, with the Strat horn added to boost sales I guess. Here’s what it looks like when complete. (This example is also owned by Ken.) This is the only photo of a second series Flamingo I’ve seen… all the others are of the more common shorter horn version.

The body is one piece and really light. I was thinking of painting it back to it’s original colour, matching the paint with the original paint left in the cavities, but I really like the look of the grain so for now I’m leaving it. I can always paint it later on.

Another reason I’m leaving it as is, is that the neck has some beautiful figuring in it. Even though this is probably just Queensland Pine, it looks great and it’d be a shame to cover it. Also, like most 60′s Maton necks… it feels fantastic.

As mentioned, the original headstock decal is still intact. This saves a lot of hassle trying to replicate this later on. The headstock design reminds me of one of my other favourite guitars, the 60′s Harmony BobKats which are also a favourite of the Hot Snakes.

The back of the headstock is quite interesting. The amount of wood and joinery involved is amazing. I’ve seen this on a few old Maton’s now… I’m not sure of the reasoning behind all these pieces of wood being used then cut into shape…. scraps being used up perhaps? Oh well, it’s lasted 50 years… must be ok.

The plan originally was to bolt all the pieces back onto this body and have a nice original Flamingo, albeit in a stripped finish. Then in the last few days I’ve gotten the chance to get a first series Flamingo which needs a lot of work (and parts) to get into shape.

So I’ve decided to use all the parts to get the first series Flamingo complete, as it still has it’s original finish. With the stripped second series, I’m going to hot-rod it slightly but in a way that won’t affect it so when I want to bring it back to original, I can. I’m going to get a black scratchplate cut, as black looks great on natural wood. Then, instead of using the original pickups & tremolo (which are going to the series 1 Flamingo) I’m going to install mini Firebirds & a Bigsby. Basically, I’m turning this guitar into a Maton version of a Crestwood Custom…

Anyway… that’s the plan. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The latest Maton in my small (but awesome) collection. A beautiful Series 2 Flamingo.

About a year ago, I posted a story on a beautiful Maton Flamingo that I was lucky enough to buy from Maton collector extrordinaire, Ken P. It needed a bit of work, but it had the makings of a great little guitar…

Tim from Tym Guitars had mentioned that he had an old Maton Flamingo buried somewhere in a pile of guitars in his workshop, and said that I could have it as thanks for the design work I’ve done for him over the years. Well, he finally tracked it down…

I was surprised to see it was another Series 2. I was expecting the more common Series 1 with the shorter horn… so I was pretty stoked. This is a way different beast to my other Flamingo. Ken’s Flamingo is featherweight with a slim neck. Tim’s is solid as a rock, with a slim neck but jumbo frets so it feels almost like a Gibson SG. Look at that fretboard… I love old Maton fretboards… I’m not exactly sure what wood they used (Jarrah?) but it looks like an Egyptian Mummy’s skin.

The guitar has been resprayed a satin black, which I really like. Apart from the paint and the pickup selector, she’s mostly original.

The pickguard has seen better days, though. Luckily Ken P gave me a new white reproduction plate, so when I get my other Flamingo back, I’ll fit it to this one and get a black one cut for the other one (as it’s being hot rodded with mini Firebird humbuckers and a Bigsby.)

I’d love to be able to keep the original knob surround stickers though… I’m not sure how I’m going to get these off. Tim suggested maybe soaking them in lighter fluid to loosen the glue and they’ll slip off. Oh, and I’m also missing a metal Maton knob, so if anyone has a spare they want to sell, let me know.

The bridge looks fantastic. It’s a delicate piece of metal which I haven’t seen on other Flamingo’s. This is the fourth or fifth type of bridge I’ve seen… others have had a wooden bridge, a Fybyrd type moustache bridge, various Japanese Tiesco bridges or a retro-fitted tune-o-matic.

So yeah… I’m pretty damn happy. The plan is to get as many pieces together from my two Flamingo’s and make this one as original as possible. And then she can join her big sister.

Thanks again Tim from Tym Guitars for this beauty.

A beautiful unique Australian classic joins the guitarnerd family.

In previous Maton stories, I’ve stated that while I respect the Flamingo… I’ve always been more of a Fyrbyrd fan. And who could blame me. The Fyrbyrd is pure 60′s style… beautiful lines and heaps of chrome all tied up with classic Bigsby hardware.

The Flamingo on the other hand at first appearance looked a little strange. That tiny little horn, along with the sparse electronics and non-curved headstock made for a very ‘unique’ guitar design. I kept thinking… ‘cool, but the Fyrbyrd is where it’s at.’ But recently, things have changed… thanks to fellow Maton expert Ken P and other Maton fans, I’ve seen the light.

The Maton Flamingo is just damned cool. It’s a fantastic piece of design that is totally unique. I mean… whoever was designing guitars at Maton in 1962 was a goddamn genius. I don’t know if it was Bill May himself or someone else in the factory. Whoever it was deserves a LOT of credit and applause.

This particular example of Flamingo was owned by guitarnerd reader Gareth who emailed me and asked if I’d be interested in buying it. By then, I owned two Series 2 Flamingo’s and I was hooked. I knew I needed a ‘short horn’ Series 1, and this one looked fantastic. It was pretty much all original and in fantastic condition.Even the original straight bar bridge was still there. Plus the tremolo still had it’s arm… unlike my other two Flamingo’s.

Now, I gotta say. The straight bar bridge is a pretty crap piece of design. The intonation on these guitars is very hit and miss. It’s ‘sort’ of in tune… nearly there but not quite. I know I could easily swap it for a cast Bigsby moustache bridge and that would fix it a lot, but this guitar is so original that it would be a shame to do that. It plays fine as is so it says as is.

Plus the tremolo is surprisingly good. I’d heard stories about how crap and cheap these things are, but this one is partcular is responsive and stays in tune. I was going to swap the original tremolo on my black Series 2 to a Bigsby, but if these are what they original Flamingo tremolos feel like… it’s staying.

One thing I need to track down is a set of knobs…

Between my 3 Flamingo’s, I have one knob. I did have two from my original stripped Series 2, but those were donated to my Fyrbyrd as it only had one white knob. So yeah, my Flamingo’s are knobless… and switchless. Maton said they’re going to look in their infamous parts cupbaord to see what they can scrounge up, so here’s hoping. If anyone out there has any Maton parts to sell or trade, let me know.

The original pickups are just great. They’re the same single coils that were fitted in the more expensive Fyrbyrds… just one less. The neck pickup in this Flamingo is a monster…  a big round sound with a lot of output. Lots of bass and bite. The bridge pickup is a lot lower output… nice and bitey and great for that garage sound. The in between setting sounds great as a middle ground between the two.

The Maton pickup switcher is missing, so I fitted a chicken head knob I had lying around… it’ll do the job for now.

The headstock is showing some wear and tear, but still looks fantastic. It’s a great design. Sort of Maton Fyrbyrd meets Harmony BobKat.

The original ‘M’ is still there… a bit cracked and faded but it looks great. The original strip machine heads have been switched for Klusons, which isn’t actually a bad thing. They’re a lot more sturdy and responsive than the original pegs. If I track down an original set, I’ll fit them… but until then these will do the job nicely.

The neck joint is nice and solid… no cracks or repairs. The original finish is turning a little yellow in spots, but nowhere near my junkshop Fyrbyrd…

Now here’s the thing. I’ve played few Flamingo’s now and a few Fyrbyrd’s and I gotta say… for playability, the Flamingo’s KILL the Fyrbyrd’s. The necks on Flamingo’s are beautifully slim. I don’t know if it was because they were student guitars and made for smaller hands, but they’re like the best 60′s Strat neck you’ve played. This particular one has a beautful neck, and with the refret done by Gareth, plays superbly.

Fyrbyrd’s on the other hand are a bit of a handfull. Well, mine is anyway. Don’t get me wrong… my Fyrbyrd is a fantastic guitar… probably one of the best Fyrbyrd’s out there… playing wise (as confirmed by Tim from Tym Guitars). But where the Fyrbyrd is the Cadillac of 60′s Australian guitars… all chrome, curves and power, the Flamingo is the Ford Mustang. Small, svelte and all business.

If you’re thinking of getting into vintage Matons, try a Flamingo. They’re easier to find than a Fyrbyrd (they made around 1500 of them) a fair bit cheaper plus they sound, play and look fantastic. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks so much to Gareth. You rule!

•••update: I’ve just managed to score this set of Flamingo parts (for a bit too much money)… but at least my Flamingo is now complete from top to bottom! I have an original set of Flamingo tuners as well, but I think I’ll keep the Klusons on there for now…

It’s finished. My hot rodded 1960′s Maton Flamingo Series 2.

Nearly a year ago, I did a story on a Maton Flamingo that was kindly given to me by Tim from Tym Guitars. (read it here.) Tim had received the guitar over 10 years ago when he bought an amp… the owner threw in the guitar for nothing. Tim packed the guitar away in his workshop and promptly forgot about it as it slowly got buried in various other guitars over the years. After guitarnerd got up and running, he remembered that he had an old Maton somewhere and said I could have it as thanks for the design work I’d done for him over the years, which was VERY nice of him and just another reason why I love that shop!

I was originally going to restore this one to original and hotrod my OTHER Series 2 Flamingo (yes I have two). But this one played so good and felt so solid that I decided to try and update it and make it my player. Don’t get me wrong, I love original vintage Maton Flamingos… but they’re not really built for the music I play. The pickups are notoriously microphonic, the bridges don’t intonate that well and the tremolos aren’t that reliable, tuning wise. So this one was going to get an upgrade.

First things to decide on were pickups. I decided early on on a Firebird mini humbucker, as they look similar to the original Maton single coils and I love the sound of them as a bridge pickup. For the neck, I used my main guitar (my pinstripe SG) as my guide and decided on a Danelectro style lipstick single coil. I love the sound of these pickups in the neck and if this guitar was going to be used… I needed it to sound like how I wanted it to.

Tim had a fair bit of trouble fitting these into the guitar, as I didn’t want any routing done as I wanted to be able to bring this guitar to factory original in the future if I ever wanted to. But the pickups were so high that some drastic surgery would be needed, so Tim cut the mounting legs off the pickups and mounted them directly to the body. The pickups are from GFS so they’re inexpensive and sound great.

Next up was the bridge and tremolo. The original straight bar bridge are pretty bad for intonation, so it had to go. So I decided to borrow from the Flamingo’s bigger sister, the Fyrbyrd, and get the full Bigsby set up. It looks great, sounds great, stays in tune and any new holes would be covered if I ever fit the original Flamingo tremolo again. Plus the added mass really does add a lot to the sound.

Next was the scratchplate. I’d ordered a new Maton Mastersound selector knob and surround sticker, so Tim went the extra mile and somehow removed the original volume and tone sticker from the old broken Flamingo scratchplate and fitted it to the new custom scratchplate he cut. This touch really makes the whole guitar. It almost looks factory original.

So how does it play? Fan-frikken-tastic! The neck on Flamingos are slim and narrow, so really comfortable for my little hands. Plus this guitar had been refretted with jumbos so there’s a lot of meat there to dig into. The slim body is lightweight, but with a bit of weight to it so that it feels solid… sort of like an SG.

I love how this guitar has turned out and look forward to playing it for years and years. There’s still some little tweaks I’m going to get done (tuners etc) but I’m really stoked with how it’s turned out. Plus it’s pretty much guaranteed I’m the only guy playing one of these rare birds as a live guitar which is pretty cool to a nerd like me.

And how sweet is it with it’s matching Maton guitar amp…. but that’s another story.