Maton guitars

colder · #1 05-23-2018, 02:24 PM

How many folks do we have here who are playing Maton guitars? What's the consensus on these?

There are no dealers near me, but I am intrigued by them and some of the clips I've seen of Matons being played online, and there is a dealer within a half day's drive or so. I see a lot of comments about how well they record, but not much else. (Maybe there aren't so many of them here in the US?)

I love unique and offbeat stuff, so I'm hoping for some opinions on the Messiah, the TE, or any other Maton.

Have you played them? Own them? What do you think, AGers?

pgilmor · #2 05-23-2018, 02:53 PM

I don't remember the model number, but I once owned their very bottom end (at least at the time) dreadnaught. Absolutely a stinking fabulous guitar by any measure. Problem is, evidently they're not all like that, at least by general consensus. I sold mine because I couldn't get on with the very narrow neck. The buyer was an electric player specifically looking for a narrow neck, and after his first strum I couldn't have pried that guitar out of his hands.

So, they make some really good ones on occasion, just like anyone else. Play it before you buy it.

Daveyo · #3 05-23-2018, 03:12 PM

Played a couple,not impressed
I wonder of Tommy E didn't play one
If they would even be noticed
Dave

gr81dorn · #4 05-23-2018, 03:45 PM

I've had 6 of them, every size they make and most of the tone wood options - the are amazing guitars, but you gotta know what you're getting into. A couple main points in my opinion.

1) they are made as well as anything else out there, exceptionally consistent manufacturing and really top quality components with a modern lean. They use mostly indigenous woods from Australia, so you gotta do a little research to see what will fit your style. THey've been around forever in AUstralia and they;ve been played by AU's biggest stars for decades.

2) Their claim to fame is their pickup system which is a blessing and a curse. Due to its incredible quiality - their top shelf version having 3 separate systems picking up sounds - can do everything really well. Tommy plays them because he always had being an Aussie, but they take percussive players to another level and he's one of the legends of using his guitar as a drumset. The curse is that they LOVE certain wood combos that play best with their pickups, so they sell a guitar that is best played when plugged in and that is not everyone's thing, so that hurts them. Their models with Queensland maple back and sides (Tommy models, Performer and some others) sound exceptional. I LOVE that wood.

Their Mini model is an insane guitar - it's tiny, but still completely legit an instrument. It's obviouslly little sounding when played unplugged (but doesn't sound like a toy or a ukulele), but plug it in and it's laughable how amazing it sounds. I sold my mini to a local country artist and he retired his dreadnought that day for live gigs because it was so fun, easy, light, etc and sounded so much better.

Where do you live? THere are finally dealers popping up everywhere. FOr awhile there was only 4 in the USA. THere are probably 15 now...thankfully.

Brucebubs · #5 05-23-2018, 04:07 PM

I had them make me a jumbo 12-string 'special order'.
Fit and finish was excellent but despite having Queensland maple back and sides as mentioned above it was a huge disappointment acoustically.
Weak and thin.
I landed a used Taylor 355 from the USA whilst this Maton was being built - the difference between them was staggering.
Luckily it looked superb and sold quickly.
I believe Maton have done work in the last few years to improve their unplugged sound - they needed to.

BluesKing777 · #6 05-23-2018, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colder

How many folks do we have here who are playing Maton guitars? What's the consensus on these?

There are no dealers near me, but I am intrigued by them and some of the clips I've seen of Matons being played online, and there is a dealer within a half day's drive or so. I see a lot of comments about how well they record, but not much else. (Maybe there aren't so many of them here in the US?)

I love unique and offbeat stuff, so I'm hoping for some opinions on the Messiah, the TE, or any other Maton.

Have you played them? Own them? What do you think, AGers?

New to it myself, but it is a little like asking what Martins are like....

Maton make and have made a whole range of guitars (in Australia) for 70 odd years! Here are some new ones at a shop:

https://www.acousticcentre.com.au/collections/maton-1

Maton website:

https://maton.com.au/

With the used ones, anything is possible including laminated back and sides and lam sides only, archtops, electrics. All have their fans and detractors and some old ones are in awful condition and setup..like any old guitar.

I bought the small 00 deep body Maton SRS808 low range model last year for my bare finger picking on their cedar top over Australian blackwood and the Maton AP5-Pro pickup with condenser mic. I have a Lowden in similar wood and wanted this Maton after trying it acoustically.

Now if I was buying one today, my advice would be to narrow a 'brand new with the latest tech' one down to your taste and go try it. Rosewood dread? Mahogany small body? Custom shop? Performer? Acoustic only? Queensland maple is more like a mahogany than US maple. Australian blackwood is a koa relative (accacia).....

My SRS808:

BluesKing777.

Misifus · #7 05-23-2018, 05:09 PM

Btw, TE relies heavily on the electronics. I did a workshop with him, and demonstrated that his stage guitar was nearly unplayable unplugged.

Steel and wood · #8 05-23-2018, 05:53 PM

They're basically staple in every music/guitar shop here in Australia and I've played a few.

They make great, sweet sounding guitars for the most part.

jojobean39 · #9 05-23-2018, 06:10 PM

I played one a while back in a guitar shop in Nashville. It was bland. And not particularly a cheap guitar either. It was just kind of blah.

A guy like Tommy just easily sells stuff. Guys like him can make nearly anything sound amazing.

Looburst · #10 05-23-2018, 06:26 PM

Despite having the endorsement of TE, they don't sound that great to me. There's a store here in Nashville that carries some but I wasn't impressed with the overall sound of the ones I played.

Russ C · #11 05-23-2018, 06:32 PM

I've set up possibly hundreds over the years and I've found them to be well built guitars with a reliably good neck set. I knew each of them would make me look good.
Their acoustic tone is not that of a good Martin - they don't have as much bass or volume usually, but their dreads (particularly the Messiah) are pleasing to my ears. Like the first Gibson J45 TV I played .. it wasn't as loud or bassy as my Maton even, but I knew I'd enjoy playing it if I owned it - it had a quality sound that wasn't just a cheap box.
Aussies play them because they're reliable, brilliant on stage and yeh, they're ours - a family company here in Melbourne that has insisted on manufacturing at home. Like you I think, we respect that.

v32 finish · #12 05-23-2018, 06:38 PM

I have never played one myself, but I've heard alot, ALOT of people say they weren't impressed. That being said, I think some of their nicer, newer models are probably really good. ..that being said, for close to $5k, I probably wouldn't buy one of those, unless I played it first and it really 'wowed' me. I have to admit that I've been looking at a few of the Messiah models after seeing a couple people with nice sounding versions, but.. ehh. again. Guitar-for-the-price is what really knocks alot of guitars out of contention for me. I'm not going to pay $2k for something easily because I know what I can get for comparable money. Same reason that I want that new 135 anniversary Washburn, but for 2 grand I'd much rather have a sure thing like a used Gibson, Martin, etc etc.

It's all up to the buyer. Definitely I'd try to play some! I also agree that Tommy E has a natural knack for selling things due to his skill level, and I'm pretty sure he could sell a cardboard box as an expensive guitar. But hey, I'm not an authority on the brand, so will defer to others!

SC

krisls · #13 05-23-2018, 06:42 PM

As ever.. it depends. I was never really a Maton fan, tried and dismissed many times. But...

After playing Taks live for years I recently went Maton. A few niggles and I thought... anyway... my main 'stage' guitar is now a Maton Nashville 808c.
A decent 'mid range tops heavy' acoustic sound, but yeah there are better sounding guitars for the money. But plugged in... oooh yes....

Horses for courses. I recently went up to the Tamworth Country Festival here, a sort of Nashville for Aussies. Maton (a lot of variations) was far and away the guitar of choice, with probably Cole Clarkes, Gibsons next up then Taks,Taylors and a smattering of others. We may be a little patriotic, but people don't buy and play them just because they're made here. They aint cheap.

Oh and I recall seeing Tommy back in the early 80's and he then played the crap outa a Tak dread. Not sure exactly when Maton took the reins so to speak. For him I suspect the patriot thing is a big part of it, but he still would not play them if they didn't do it.

Kris

BluesKing777 · #14 05-23-2018, 11:46 PM

I don't know what I am reading here sometimes....

Everyone has an opinion, but if you talking about a make of guitar that you didn't like, it would be helpful to others here if you said what style you normally played and which guitars you normally like eg..flatpick a dread, fingerpick a custom 00.....

I say this because I just came back from fingerpicking (bare fingers) my recent model Maton SRS808 cedar top acoustically firstly, then through my Genz Benz amp and then headphones through that amp! It sounds great, is put together very well with a nice slightly wider nut and neck. It is the first guitar of mine I would reach for if plug and playing!

(I have Gibsons, Martins, Nationals, Lowdens and a Waterloo!)
No affiliation at all here......If you fingerpick, like cedar tops and play live, I think you owe it to yourself to try these. It is the lower mid range. Artisan Guitars has one for $US2050:

https://artisanguitars.com/maton-srs...kwood-id-12222

BluesKing777.

colins · #15 05-24-2018, 02:10 AM

My experience from listening and playing (but not owning):

To me their strength is their amplified sound - great pickups like another poster said. Eric Johnston just started playing a Maton for his acoustic work and it sounds great.

Acoustically?- last two that I have heard just acoustically were a friend's guitar and one I heard during a visit to my local luthier. To my ears they were both thin sounding. Good for strumming and rhythm, but not much warmth or sustain for fingerstyle.

So, like many brands - whether they suit you depends on what you are looking for.