Maton EBW808

[pwh29]

Hi all,

I'm looking to upgrade my current electric acoustic (Dreadnought) and one of the strong contenders is a Maton EBW808.

I'm aware that it's a smaller guitar (and therefore a bit brighter than my current gat) and that it tends to suit finger picking well, but does anyone have experience with how it stands up to vigorous strumming with a pick? I've heard that with smaller bodied guitars the tone tends to compress when strummed hard, but can anyone who owns one comment?

I've had a trawl round youtube and uncovered one or two strumming videos, but most of the reviews/demos tend to favour finger picking.

I did play one briefly last week, but didn't have access to a pick or my amp so that'll be the next step, as most of my playing will be strumming with a pick (plugged in).

Thanks in advance!

[jklotz]

I've never played a Maton, but the one thing they are known for is the plugged in tone. From my uneducated perspective, that may be a good option for you since you play plugged in so much. If I played plugged in a lot, I'd certianly be considering a Maton. Best of luck to you and welcome to the AGF.

[BluesKing777]

I think the 808 (00 deep body) is a better fingerpicker....

They make a jumbo and a dread in the same wood combo (EBW70J and EBW70C).

Australian Blackwood all over - more like an all Koa guitar/all mahogany.

Another better option could be the Maton SRS70c dread with Blackwood back and sides and Sitka top :
https://www.acousticcentre.com.au/co...roducts/srs70c


BluesKing777.

[pwh29]

Thanks for your welcome and replies.

My research would also indicate that the 808 is more suited to finger style.
It would seem that I really like the sound of blackwood as I've also played a blackwood Cole Clark Fat Lady 2 which I also really liked.
The downside of Cole Clark is that (in New Zealand at least) they are a bit more expensive than Maton, but they do offer a grand performance body shape which I'm not sure that Maton do.

One other offering in the music shop at the moment is the Maton ECW80 which is an altogether different beast being a dreadnought with Sitka top and Mahogany back and sides.

I'll have to see if the shop can get in a Maton EBW70C for me to try. Availability of the Maton range is quite limited where I live, but I guess that's a downside of living in a small isolated country at the bottom of the world! :-)

[CGU]

I tried the EBW808 a year and a half ago in London, and I loved it at the time but couldn't afford it. I moved city and got a promotion recently and chanced upon another in a nearby music shop, and this time I had cash in my pocket for a new guitar. They had another EBW808 in stock, an after having sat down with it for 5 minutes, I bought it straight away - I just knew. It's an instant favourite for me - my other guitars are a Taylor 614ce and a Washburn D10N, but the Maton to me is more comfortable to play.

The maton has a warm, very balanced tone, it seems very consistent across its range and has a lovely resonance. It is warm, but it also rings out. It's quite responsive and frets well, you can tap and run up and down the neck with no buzzing. It feels effortless to play to me. It is great for fingerstyle and open tunings, but I've also found that it strums great. Unlike my taylor, when I strum the maton it doesnt start buzzing and just gets louder while mantaining quite a clear and warm sound - so I think if you wanted something that can do both then it would be good for you. I am looking forward to the day I can try an EBW70C as this may have an even warmer sound. When I bought my Taylor I saw it as a an inbetween guitar that I would likely resell after a couple of years, something I needed as I had recently moved continents and it was the best thing I could find locally at the time(and had been sold at half price due to a local retail holiday). By contrast, I have a feeling I will never get rid of the Maton, it's truly a spectacular guitar.

I've read a lot of comments saying that Matons are quiet or that they are meant to be plugged in only. I would say that the Maton is a tad quieter, but I prefer it to my Taylor and my Wasburn dreadnought which feel super loud by comparison. I played with a couple of musicians recently and the Maton felt a little quiet, but the other players were playing extremely loud at the time, so if you were in a gentle acoustic setting it would be fine unplugged. While the AP5pro pickup is reported to be amazing, I would have bought the EBW808 for its unplugged tone alone as it suits my preferred sound perfectly. I am yet to try the guitar plugged in, truth be told.

Good luck with finding something that suits you!

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by CGU

I tried the EBW808 a year and a half ago in London, and I loved it at the time but couldn't afford it. I moved city and got a promotion recently and chanced upon another in a nearby music shop, and this time I had cash in my pocket for a new guitar. They had another EBW808 in stock, an after having sat down with it for 5 minutes, I bought it straight away - I just knew. It's an instant favourite for me - my other guitars are a Taylor 614ce and a Washburn D10N, but the Maton to me is more comfortable to play.

The maton has a warm, very balanced tone, it seems very consistent across its range and has a lovely resonance. It is warm, but it also rings out. It's quite responsive and frets well, you can tap and run up and down the neck with no buzzing. It feels effortless to play to me. It is great for fingerstyle and open tunings, but I've also found that it strums great. Unlike my taylor, when I strum the maton it doesnt start buzzing and just gets louder while mantaining quite a clear and warm sound - so I think if you wanted something that can do both then it would be good for you. I am looking forward to the day I can try an EBW70C as this may have an even warmer sound. When I bought my Taylor I saw it as a an inbetween guitar that I would likely resell after a couple of years, something I needed as I had recently moved continents and it was the best thing I could find locally at the time(and had been sold at half price due to a local retail holiday). By contrast, I have a feeling I will never get rid of the Maton, it's truly a spectacular guitar.

I've read a lot of comments saying that Matons are quiet or that they are meant to be plugged in only. I would say that the Maton is a tad quieter, but I prefer it to my Taylor and my Wasburn dreadnought which feel super loud by comparison. I played with a couple of musicians recently and the Maton felt a little quiet, but the other players were playing extremely loud at the time, so if you were in a gentle acoustic setting it would be fine unplugged. While the AP5pro pickup is reported to be amazing, I would have bought the EBW808 for its unplugged tone alone as it suits my preferred sound perfectly. I am yet to try the guitar plugged in, truth be told.

Good luck with finding something that suits you!

Welcome To Acoustic Guitar Forum, CGU & Thanks for your insight on Matons.

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by CGU

I tried the EBW808 a year and a half ago in London, and I loved it at the time but couldn't afford it. I moved city and got a promotion recently and chanced upon another in a nearby music shop, and this time I had cash in my pocket for a new guitar. They had another EBW808 in stock, an after having sat down with it for 5 minutes, I bought it straight away - I just knew. It's an instant favourite for me - my other guitars are a Taylor 614ce and a Washburn D10N, but the Maton to me is more comfortable to play.

The maton has a warm, very balanced tone, it seems very consistent across its range and has a lovely resonance. It is warm, but it also rings out. It's quite responsive and frets well, you can tap and run up and down the neck with no buzzing. It feels effortless to play to me. It is great for fingerstyle and open tunings, but I've also found that it strums great. Unlike my taylor, when I strum the maton it doesnt start buzzing and just gets louder while mantaining quite a clear and warm sound - so I think if you wanted something that can do both then it would be good for you. I am looking forward to the day I can try an EBW70C as this may have an even warmer sound. When I bought my Taylor I saw it as a an inbetween guitar that I would likely resell after a couple of years, something I needed as I had recently moved continents and it was the best thing I could find locally at the time(and had been sold at half price due to a local retail holiday). By contrast, I have a feeling I will never get rid of the Maton, it's truly a spectacular guitar.

I've read a lot of comments saying that Matons are quiet or that they are meant to be plugged in only. I would say that the Maton is a tad quieter, but I prefer it to my Taylor and my Wasburn dreadnought which feel super loud by comparison. I played with a couple of musicians recently and the Maton felt a little quiet, but the other players were playing extremely loud at the time, so if you were in a gentle acoustic setting it would be fine unplugged. While the AP5pro pickup is reported to be amazing, I would have bought the EBW808 for its unplugged tone alone as it suits my preferred sound perfectly. I am yet to try the guitar plugged in, truth be told.

Good luck with finding something that suits you!

Really, not plugged it in yet?

Probably the best 'included' pickup system there is - you better find something nice to plug in to! Immediately! Careful, you have a twin turbo V8 in there!

Needs an AER 60 or a nice PA to do it justice....


BluesKing777.

[CGU]

Haha, yeah, I rarely check the pickups of acoustics as I usually buy them to record them with a mic - I am going to try running the pickup into a DI later today so will let you know my thoughts on the pickup soon!

[pwh29]

So, an update if anyone's interested.

I went back to the shop and got them to order in the EBW70C for me to try in conjunction with the 808.
It took a week or so for it to turn up and when I went back in the 808 had been sold. Blast!
In any case I sat down with the EBW70C and had a play. The strings were fairly dead, which was a pity, however I was still impressed enough to buy it.

Some 7 months on and my observations/opinions are as follows:

• With the new strings the guitar came alive! (No major surprise there!)

• I did have to have the neck straightened out as there was some fret buzz on B string at about the 3rd fret. (Since it was straightened, I've had no further issues.)

• The neck is really comfortable and makes the guitar a breeze to play.

• It resonates extremely well even unplugged, and has gotten more full in tone and more resonant since purchase.

• It's not the loudest unplugged, but it does have a nice defined tone even when unplugged. Given I'm playing plugged in 95% of the time it's not an issue for me.

• The blackwood top has become shiny where it has contacted with my arm/clothing. According to the Maton website this is normal for their guitars with a satin finish and is, "Entirely normal and contributes to some of the patina that characterises a well-played instrument."

• The guitar sounds amazing plugged in to the extent that I've had people compliment me on 'my' tone (despite some reasonably ropey playing on my part!:-))

• Last and probably least is the aroma of the timber. The guitar smells amazing. It was more notable just after purchase and made the living area smell rather pleasant for a time.

All in all I'm very pleased with my purchase and given it was about half the price of the Marton I was considering, I think it made financial sense. One day I might add a 808 but, I wouldn't willingly part with my EBW.

[madhat]

Excellent!!
Yeah I have become a huge Maton fan recently for sure

madhat.

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by pwh29

So, an update if anyone's interested.

I went back to the shop and got them to order in the EBW70C for me to try in conjunction with the 808.
It took a week or so for it to turn up and when I went back in the 808 had been sold. Blast!
In any case I sat down with the EBW70C and had a play. The strings were fairly dead, which was a pity, however I was still impressed enough to buy it.

Some 7 months on and my observations/opinions are as follows:

• With the new strings the guitar came alive! (No major surprise there!)

• I did have to have the neck straightened out as there was some fret buzz on B string at about the 3rd fret. (Since it was straightened, I've had no further issues.)

• The neck is really comfortable and makes the guitar a breeze to play.

• It resonates extremely well even unplugged, and has gotten more full in tone and more resonant since purchase.

• It's not the loudest unplugged, but it does have a nice defined tone even when unplugged. Given I'm playing plugged in 95% of the time it's not an issue for me.

• The blackwood top has become shiny where it has contacted with my arm/clothing. According to the Maton website this is normal for their guitars with a satin finish and is, "Entirely normal and contributes to some of the patina that characterises a well-played instrument."

• The guitar sounds amazing plugged in to the extent that I've had people compliment me on 'my' tone (despite some reasonably ropey playing on my part!:-))

• Last and probably least is the aroma of the timber. The guitar smells amazing. It was more notable just after purchase and made the living area smell rather pleasant for a time.

All in all I'm very pleased with my purchase and given it was about half the price of the Marton I was considering, I think it made financial sense. One day I might add a 808 but, I wouldn't willingly part with my EBW.

Good news, then!

What would you compare the neck to? I have my 808s but never played the hardwood top models, but assume the necks are similar. So mine, even though a hair thinner than 1 3/4” nuts, have a very chunky neck that I would only be able to compare to 50s Gibson LG2/3....

With the hardwood top getting arm marks.......a few people use to polish and buff their Martin 15 series all over if the marks annoyed them...... I think the blackwood could look stunning polished.

And I have experimented with the pickup through headphones/in ears in a mixer. Stunning!

BluesKing777.

[Tannin]

Good one Pwh.

BluesKing, so far as I know, all current-production Maton necks are the same. Depending on the model, they make them in any of Queensland Maple, Blackwood, or mahogany, and they are all 44mm wide at the nut. (Except 12-strings, of course, which are 50mm wide.) If there is some other difference between Maton necks, I have never noticed it, and I've played most of the current models. (Except the Minis. I played one for 30 seconds once and it was just as awful as every other mini guitar I have ever tried. Went no further.)

Oddly enough though, I have never played an all-Blackwood Maton. I have played two or three all-Blackwood Cole Clarks and didn't care for them at all. Acoustically, they have a lot of mid-range thump which I find unpleasant. Apparently they work brilliantly amplified, and I'm sure they they would improve a lot with a year or two's use, but they are not something I'd ever be interested in. Oh, and I understand that they respond well to being played hard. I believe that they are very popular but I don't think that they are the right guitar for an acoustic fingerstyle player.

Just the same, I'd like to try an all-Blackwood Maton one day. My guess is that it would have a more open, balanced sound than the Cole Clarks. I doubt that I'd like one enough to buy it, but you never know until you try.

I did have my eye on a Lutz Spruce and Blackwood 808, the Vera May. There was one selling new for a pretty good price and I've been trying not to go and look at it. Luckily, it sold sometime today and I don't have to fight off the temptation any longer.

Pwh, all guitars with a thin satin nitro finish develop shiny wear spots. The only good way to avoid it is to have a gloss finish in the first place. Matter of taste. On the whole, I prefer the traditional satin, but my Messiah is high gloss and that's fine too.

Glad you are getting good value out of your EBW!

[blinddog]

Just watch Tommy Emmanuel play his Maton 808 on YouTube, that should tell you everything you need to know...

[BluesKing777]

On lesser but important forum matters - I was playing my Maton Messiah 808 last night and I was looking at the pickguard closely after purchasing another guitar make with a famous un-pop pickguard recently...and I really like the Messiah pickguard...

So I looked up the Maton specs for the type of guard, hoping to find some detail to get some more! And it says....'Tortoiseshell'. Well, it isn't - it is plastic something but anyway :

(old photo from when I bought the guitar):





BluesKing777.

[Tannin]

On a related matter, I called in to Tasmania's *other* Maton dealer today. The Hobart one I know well, but the Launceston dealer, for some inexplicable reason, doesn't have a website. Obviously, I'm not interested in driving five hours round trip if I don't know what they have got. (Sure, I could ring, but I like to look on-line and then try things out in the flesh.) Anyway, I was passing not too far from Launceston today with some spare time so I dropped in. Nice people, very helpful. Most of their stock is cheap stuff geared to the local education market, but by no means all.

They suggested that I try out an Artist 808. Now for some reason I'd got myself mixed up and thought that one was the slim body, same as the Performer, which doesn't interest me. No, it's a full-body 808 in AAA spruce and blackwood, very similar to the Michael Fix Signature model but without the cutaway. I liked it a lot. I took my 808 Messiah in and played them side by side. The artist was clearly different, but by no means outclassed. That blackwood body has a special ring to it, what you might call a thrummmm. No surprise that it reminds me of my 12-string (which is also blackwood-backed). I'm not sure that it is different enough to my rosewood 808 and Huon Pine Angel to justify buying one for myself, but a very nice guitar, beautifully made, and I reckon pretty fair value at around $3400 AUD.