MATON JB4 BASS GUITAR IN CASE SATIN BLACK LACQUER
The Maton JB4 Bass was the engine room many of the great Australian rock bands of the late 70s and early 80s. Bands such as Goanna, Little River Band, Adelaide’s Electronic Pop Band Minimum Chips as well as international acts like Violent Femmes and Cliff Richard employed the solid driving tones produced by the JB4 as an integral part of their sound.
The JB4 gradually faded from view as trends moved toward flashier, brighter sounding basses and Maton eventually discontinued production. However, bass players continued to use their trusty old JB4 in the studio and on those occasions when they wanted the earthy, solid tone that only this bass could provide.
Over the years the requests to re-release this classic bass became stronger and stronger and finally in 2010, Maton responded with a re-issue that was as close to the original as possible. Several original basses were borrowed from collectors and measured and analysed from strap pin to headstock.
Meanwhile the search was on for a supply of Sassafras, the tonewood identified by Bill May as the very best wood for electric basses all those years ago. This is not the striped, heavy Sassafras from Tasmania but a much lighter, plain looking timber that grows in the sub tropical regions of Queensland. It is hard to find and even harder to manage (it tends to misbehave during drying) but once tamed is a beautifully stable, great sounding tonewood, rich in harmonic overtones with a very strong lower mid range response.
The original design brief was to build an authentic reproduction but after close consultation with key artists in addressing the needs of modern bassists the decision was made to improve certain aspects of the original. The Baddass bridge was replaced with a high quality Hipshot model resulting in improved intonation and a slightly reduced neck angle. The original brass nut (all the rage in the 70s but now regarded as a tone sink ) was replaced with a black Corian nut which facilitates string movement through the nut and improves treble response on the open strings.
The original Grover tuning heads were no longer available in the size that would fit the small headstock of the JB4 so high quality Schaller machine heads were chosen instead. Finally the pickup positions were moved forward slightly so as to allow the bridge pickup to produce a fuller bass sound when selected individually. The result is a bass with a classic vibe and modern tone and playability.
The stain black finish is Maton’s own satin formula designed to enhance the acoustic properties of an instrument and will actually improve the more it is played. Player feedback confirms that Maton has hit a touchdown in terms of reproducing their classic bass.
Comments like “This neck feels exactly the same as my old one” and “It’s just like meeting an old friend” are testament to a job well done. For many former JB4 owners, this is your chance to rekindle that relationship with a long lost flame.
On the flip side, the JB4 is again featuring as the bass of choice for a whole new generation of musicians.
MATON JB4 BASS GUITAR SPECIFICATIONS
o Model: JB4
o Body: Sassafras
o Neck: Rock Maple
o Bridge: Hipshot
o Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
o Fret Size: Jumbo Jim Dunlop 6120
o Number of Frets: 22
o Scale Length: 863.6mm (34”)
o Pickguard: None
o End Pin/Strap: Chrome
o Fingerboard Radius: 304.8mm (12″)
o Nut Width: 40mm
o String Pitch: 57mm (at Bridge)
o Fingerboard Inlays: 7mm Pearl Dots/None (Fretless)
o Finish Body: Satin Nitrocelulose Lacquer
o Finish Neck: Satin/Natural
o Colour: Satin Black
o Machine Heads: Schaller
o Bridge Pickup: DiMarzio Model J DP123S
o Neck Pickup: DiMarzio Model P DP122
o Controls: Vol 1 (Neck), Vol 2 (Bridge), Master Tone
o Case: Maton JB4 Hardcase
