Maton guitars

[jersey]

Tommy's Matons are custom builds. The standard factory guitars are generally more heavily built. Not ideal for pure acoustic sound, but many regard them as excellent plugged in.

[CyberFerret]

Originally Posted by jersey

Tommy's Matons are custom builds. The standard factory guitars are generally more heavily built. Not ideal for pure acoustic sound, but many regard them as excellent plugged in.

This. Yes, Tommy's guitars are not 'off the rack' and have been modded by Maton's custom shop, and himself.

But I stand by my earlier post that Maton's which have been played a lot tend to sound a lot more open and warmer than the ones you pick up in a shop. My son's music school had an old 'house guitar' Maton that was REALLY well worn and had been beaten to death my thousands of students over 20 years. It was a great sounding guitar, and comfortable too.

[Sixfir]

Even Tommy's Matons when you hear them unplugged in his hotel room or backstage on some youtube videos, sound pretty thin in my opinion

[fongie]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Sorry, I disagree.
All those artists listed by ukejon have one thing in common.
They play live.
Plugged in.
Amplified.
That's where Matons work best.
Tough, strong workhorses with excellent electronics.
Acoustically? ..... different story, but I do believe they're working on it.

I agree......

I find Maton to be overbuilt and overpriced. As Bruce mentioned, not bad amplified, but acousticly, terrible.

[AusSi]

Thats a really good point Sixfir, I never considered that... Would explain why the majority of people who use them are professionals and play them amplified almost exclusively.

I just went and had a wack on my brothers Maton and when I hit the body of the guitar the sound it puts out is much more solid than our Martins and Taylors. Would definitely make for an awesome guitar if your doing anything percussive.

[bohemian]

"Wow, I don't know who Tommy Emmanuel is but the rest of those artists mentioned are my favorites! "

And they all play Matons "plugged in"

Does that give you a clue.

[Sixfir]

Wow, I don't know who Tommy Emmanuel is but the rest of those artists mentioned are my favorites!

If you don't know who Tommy Emmanuel is you should really check of his videos, he's probably one of the greatest guitar player of the last decades, no matter if you like his style or not

[Sixfir]

she grabbed his Maton and swung ot overhead and hit him with it. Knocked him out and broke his collarbone, but the guitar didn't suffer any damage at all.

Same girlfriend a few weeks prior had thrown the same guitar (in it's case) out the 3rd floor window during an argument and it landed on the concrete below just missing some people dining in a cafe at ground level.

When the guy went to retrieve the guitar, it was undamaged in the case and only needed one string retuned. THAT is what is meant by 'overbuilt'...

Thanks for the story Cyberferret, didn't know that one

[ukejon]

"Wow, I don't know who Tommy Emmanuel is but the rest of those artists mentioned are my favorites! "

And they all play Matons "plugged in"

Does that give you a clue.

Ultimately, the real-life evidence suggests that they and many tens (perhaps hundreds) of thousands of other players like these supposedly overbuilt, lousy sounding guitars. And as for the "thin" sound of Tommy's guitar when played into a mic, well beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkKcd51QCiE

Wish I sounded that bad....

[Sixfir]

Ultimately, the evidence suggests that they and many tens (perhaps hundreds) of thousands of other players like these supposedly overbuilt, lousy sounding guitars. And as for the "thin" sound of Tommy's guitar when played into a mic, well beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

I love this tune, but I noticed Tommy often put the mics in front of the soundhole, thing you'll never do usually, isn't it a way of getting the bass lacking so often in the Maton's acoustic sound?

Nice playing Ukejon, you may wanna laugh but I prefer your sound rather than Tommy's. He plays great but nothing special about his sound in my opinion.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by ukejon

Ultimately, the real-life evidence suggests that they and many tens (perhaps hundreds) of thousands of other players like these supposedly overbuilt, lousy sounding guitars. And as for the "thin" sound of Tommy's guitar when played into a mic, well beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkKcd51QCiE

Wish I sounded that bad....

The trouble with great clips like this is that Tommy is such a brilliant player he could make a piece of string nailed to a fence post sound good.
The player is better than the guitar.
Here at home in the real world it's the other way round, all my guitars are way better than the player.
I'd love to hear Tommy play that tune on something like a Martin HD-28 just so you could hear the difference.

[wizard_23]

The comment about percussive sounding is a good one. Matons and Cole Clarks sound great IMO for guitarists who incorporate thumps and taps and what not into their playing. Xavier Rudd, Diesel, John Butler.

At the end of the day they're just a different flavor of tone. They certainly have their place but I can see how if you grew up listening to Martin, you might criticise Maton as sounding a bit muddy.

[ukejon]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

The trouble with great clips like this is that Tommy is such a brilliant player he could make a piece of string nailed to a fence post sound good.
The player is better than the guitar.
Here at home in the real world it's the other way round, all my guitars are way better than the player.
I'd love to hear Tommy play that tune on something like a Martin HD-28 just so you could hear the difference.

Here he is on a custom David Taylor guitar. Lovely tune that is worth learning:



And here he is on a guitar given to him by Jean Larivee:



On a guitar by Andrei Kibin from Belarus:



On a Takamine that belongs to a fan:



On a Guild that belongs to a fan:



Finally, his beloved 1934 Gibson Kalamazoo:

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by ukejon

Here he is on a custom David Taylor guitar. Lovely tune that is worth learning:



And here he is on a guitar given to him by Jean Larivee:



On a Takamine that belongs to a fan:



Finally, the 1934 Gibson Kalamazoo:

Great clips but 'No Fair'!
Like I said, the player is better than the guitar. He makes anything sound good.
The AGF should ban the use of Tommy in any argument/discussion/comparison.
He'a a freak.
Whatever Maton pay him ... it isn't enough.

[ukejon]

He Brucebubs....I added two more "unfair" videos!