Maton Messiah EM100-808 deep body 00 size

[BluesKing777]

I bought a new Maton Messiah EM100-808 before Christmas, and it is a beautiful fingerpicker!

When looking on AGF for information, well, let us say it is scarce and what is here is very negative.

This doesn't correlate with the wonderful guitar I am playing, so here are a few videos I found. The main problem with shop vids is the guitars are so 'new'! Der! It is a gloss model and needs a bit of playing in.

Anyway, rosewood b/s, AAA sitka top, wood and herringbone binding, chunky neck with 44.1mm nut (1.736") and the best pickup around - Maton AP5-Pro. Faultless build and setup from factory is perfect (for me). Loving it! Fingerpickers only apply!


Here is mine:











Here are some shop vids I found.....

Robinson at Midwood:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjLZFou_Wg0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fpv_qwLE-c


Josh at Acoustic Centre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMnzuB0QR3M


And Josh with a cutaway!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWNRND9To8w



BluesKing777.

[darylcrisp]

Man, that sounds and looks great!
I had a BG 808 Artist i picked up around 2006, if memory serves, it was satin finish sitka top and aussie blackwood back/sides, AP5 pickup. It was a sweet guitar, sounded phenom plugged in of course. That model didn't have a lot of bass when played acoustic, but i loved its size, and it was built as good as any Taylor/Martin, etc.
A friend who introduced me to Matons, at that time, had a Messiah dread. He loved it and it sounded pretty awesome in his hands. He played a lot of Chet style music.

I've read Maton has reworked some bracing and such to help the guitars work better in an acoustic mode-i know a couple models i've heard soundclips on from Artisans sound really nice. They had an 808 size all blackwood(top also) that i just about purchased a year ago.
I'm a huge fan of Martin Tallstrom and i think he has one or two Matons. They have a particular tone associated with the make, just like the name brands here in the USA.

Where did you purchase this one from?

thanks for sharing, it looks killer, and the videos sound really good.

[SoCalSurf]

I don't know what it is, but the colors on that thing are super vibrant. Looks awesome! Congrats!

[BluesKing777]

It is awesome in real life too...very pleased is an understatement....first class job, people!

I was considering a Maton Custom Shop like Eric Johnson plays, but 1. the shop didn't have any, 2. I didn't like the plastic binding on the website as much as the rosewood/maple binding on mine. Call me fickle!

The Custom Shop Facebook page shows a few stunners being prepared for Namm...probably explains why the shop shelves are empty? Probably announce new models with necks that don't fall off or something that I am so far unaware of...


BluesKing777.

[larren]

Originally Posted by BluesKing777

I bought a new Maton Messiah EM100-808 before Christmas, and it is a beautiful fingerpicker!

When looking on AGF for information, well, let us say it is scarce and what is here is very negative.

This doesn't correlate with the wonderful guitar I am playing, so here are a few videos I found. The main problem with shop vids is the guitars are so 'new'! Der! It is a gloss model and needs a bit of playing in.

Anyway, rosewood b/s, AAA sitka top, wood and herringbone binding, chunky neck with 44.1mm nut (1.736") and the best pickup around - Maton AP5-Pro. Faultless build and setup from factory is perfect (for me). Loving it! Fingerpickers only apply!

BluesKing777.

Glad you love yours. Either one of these or a Custom Shop 808 is coming my way soon (I just have a house to sell!).
Don't know about "fingerpickers only" though.....As well as doing my own solo gigs, I often play percussion in an acoustic duo, and the guitarist plays one these. He certainly "digs in", and his Messiah sounds stellar.

[BluesKing777]

I say ‘fingerpickers only apply’ as it is perfect for that....chunky neck, deep small body, just right for TE style, Eric Johnson and dread pick players play it and generally say it stinks. I play bare fingered. Great tone for that.

I was going to save some more gold rocks and get the other Messiah they had...a beautiful Jumbo! Somebody bought it 3 seconds after I left it in the rack and paid for my 808 Messiah. I don’t think they make many.

BluesKing777.

[BluesKing777]

Edit: got called away as I was about to tell a story...I’m back! I was sitting out on my verandah the other afternoon and generally the only noises are mowing machinery, heating and air machinery, screaming kids and general banging on things. There is a drummer that practices about once every 3 months and gets worse. There is a guitarist in the next house, about the same as the drummer. BUT...next thing I hear....Bling, bling..(acoustic guitar plugged in to a PA) next door or one house further and then 2 acoustics and then vocals! What is this in the land of the bonehead? In the house with only machine noises and screaming? A duo rehearsing very loudly in a PA. Couldn’t see anything, weird eh? But they kept stopping.

Then after dinner, all these cars turned up for ...a party! With duo! So the boss and I sat on our verandah with a couple of drinks and listened to most of the gig, without seeing anything! Strange, but enjoyed it. The vocals sounded really good but the acoustics quacked away all night, piezos direct to a PA ala 1985. Can’t complain for free though, can I? I could have taken one of my Maton acoustics, not the new one, in and said: “Try this!”...but then there are other issues with the dude that lives there......

BluesKing777.

[darylcrisp]

if you don't mind, and when time permits, what is the scale length, and the string spacing at the saddle?

and while you are measuring, what is the width of the fretboard-outside to outside, at the 12th fret(not the string spacing here, but the actual fretboard).

your guitar looks awesome, and the video's sound excellent as well.

thanks in advance,
d

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

if you don't mind, and when time permits, what is the scale length, and the string spacing at the saddle?

and while you are measuring, what is the width of the fretboard-outside to outside, at the 12th fret(not the string spacing here, but the actual fretboard).

your guitar looks awesome, and the video's sound excellent as well.

thanks in advance,
d

Thanks.

The scale length is 25.5” (fretboard radius 12”); bridge spacing is right on 2 1/4” and the width of the fretboard at the 12th looks close to 2 3/16”.

I play a range of guitar specs and when I had a Cargill custom made, got him to copy the specs of my Martin OM18V, but he hand carves the neck and it came out more rounded..... At one point I thought I would get Maton Custom Shop to do the same specs but they are fully rigid with ‘everyone gets the same neck’, production or Custom. For those with spades for hands, they will give you a 12 string neck with 6 strings....

Tommy E plays the same neck, probably designed it, and the pickup! And I am happily trundling along with it, while on paper it is narrower than I prefer - in reality the shape of the neck is really nice.


BluesKing777.

[BluesKing777]

Some more photos...

The all important (to me) Maton branded Hiscox flight case that comes with the guitar:





Close ups of the back:











And with some friends (blue mat thanks to the doggie):









BluesKing777.

[larren]

Originally Posted by BluesKing777

I say ‘fingerpickers only apply’ as it is perfect for that....chunky neck, deep small body, just right for TE style, Eric Johnson and dread pick players play it and generally say it stinks. I play bare fingered. Great tone for that.

I was going to save some more gold rocks and get the other Messiah they had...a beautiful Jumbo! Somebody bought it 3 seconds after I left it in the rack and paid for my 808 Messiah. I don’t think they make many.

BluesKing777.

I can imagine, as most of the 808 Matons are, the Messiah is lacking when played hard acoustically with a pick. I have only heard my duo partner's plugged in with a soundhole plug, and played pretty hard with high stage volume. In that situation, it sounds fantastic.........the AP5 Pro system is mighty good!!

[BluesKing777]

Soundhole plug lives in the case!

The pickup system mic can be wound right up with the plug in the soundhole. The louder you go, the more ‘handling’ noises you get and dial down the mic to taste. The trouble I see with the Anthem type systems is the controls are on the edge of the soundhole, so no plug can be used.....well, you can if you perform surgery on it.


BluesKing777.

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by BluesKing777

Thanks.

The scale length is 25.5” (fretboard radius 12”); bridge spacing is right on 2 1/4” and the width of the fretboard at the 12th looks close to 2 3/16”.

I play a range of guitar specs and when I had a Cargill custom made, got him to copy the specs of my Martin OM18V, but he hand carves the neck and it came out more rounded..... At one point I thought I would get Maton Custom Shop to do the same specs but they are fully rigid with ‘everyone gets the same neck’, production or Custom. For those with spades for hands, they will give you a 12 string neck with 6 strings....

Tommy E plays the same neck, probably designed it, and the pickup! And I am happily trundling along with it, while on paper it is narrower than I prefer - in reality the shape of the neck is really nice.


BluesKing777.

thanks
I like those specs, especially at the 12th fret. I'm definitely interested in one of these.
How is it just acoustic? bass?
I've heard they redid some bracing in the recent past and they are sounding much better just acoustic.
d

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

thanks
I like those specs, especially at the 12th fret. I'm definitely interested in one of these.
How is it just acoustic? bass?
I've heard they redid some bracing in the recent past and they are sounding much better just acoustic.
d

I saw your message, thanks...

It is funny you ask about the acoustic sound - I usually play the guitar in my music room unplugged and the vol is fine but it is a quiet guitar acoustically in a larger room (my living room).

It is too new and will need some work to open it up...(out come the fingerpicks for a belting) - the photo below shows my 3 Matons...left is a custom matt finish black EBG808 supposedly like TE but with names and decals standard. (Queensland Maple with AA Sitka). It was 'open' when it arrived at the shop when I bought it and surely only a few days old...thin, matt finish. On the right of the photo is my SRS808 (matt finish Australian Blackwood with Cedar) and that seemed 'open' the day I bought it. The Messiah in the middle of the photo is full gloss finish, tight and quiet still (quieter than the other 2) but beautiful tone and sustain.

The black on e, I just love it for acoustic blues fingerpicking, the SRS808 is in open G for slide and the Messiah is great for sustain and beautiful tunes!

Each came from a different shop in Melbourne, Australia and they are made an hour or so from my house! Who knew - it took me all these years to go back around! The Messiah 808 is fairly scarce, I have never seen another matt black 808 but the SRS808 is in every shop here! And I have never played an older model 808.






BluesKing777.

[darylcrisp]

thank you for those thoughts.
Man, that trio is beautiful. I love the black top.
Here in the US, there is a shop near Nashville, Artisans(Franklin, Tn), that has taken up sales of Matons. They really like them, and they have sold top tier instruments for years(Santa Cruz, Collings, Huss&Dalton, etc).
They had a Messiah 808 a while back, its sold now.
I'm interested in Maton again, seeing them in the hands of some people I enjoy watching play and learning from.

thanks again, enjoy your tribe
d