Maton guitar sounds good?

[LiveMusic]

I posted elsewhere but this forum is more active... a poster said to my inquiry that he read that supposedly Maton guitars sounds good plugged in but not so much unplugged. Is that your opinion? Here is Tommy Emmanuel...

https://youtu.be/Xm2ODiNUhac?t=727

His guitar sounds good unplugged. I guess it's only unplugged, I see mic's.

Of course, I am sure TE could have pick of the litter of anything they have!

What is their reputation, anyone know? Are they stellar or is just His Majesty's magic, that guy is purty good, lol.

[Misifus]

I did a workshop with Tommy twenty years ago. At that time, his Mason sounded great plugged in, but was nearly unplayable unplugged. The action was so low that the strings rattled on the frets at any attempt to play it.

[gr81dorn]

Seems to me that most people who weigh in on Matons haven't really played them much or at all. That's changing, now. There are finally dealers all over the USA, not just the 3-4 that they used to have, so they are actually accessible now and people can actually play them instead of just regurgitate or post speculation.

Matons are GREAT guitars. They are different guitars than most people are used to in some respects, but they are fabulous quality for the price and they are absolutely tailored for those plugging in BUT they can sound spectacular unplugged in the right combination.

I have had 6 matons, all were different and my takeaways are as follows:

Their 808 shape (deep body OM essentially) is an extremely versatile guitar, but the wood combo makes all the difference. Blackwood tends to be less resonant and clear, almost dead to my ear but is insanely good plugged in. Contrarily, the Bunya & sitka tops and queensland maple back and sides offerings tend to be far better unplugged and still great plugged in, but not as big a gap.

Their Maton Mini is the craziest guitar in the world - sounds ok unplugged - it's super small so shouldn't sound that great unplugged ('ive had Bunya/QLDMaple and Spruce/Blackwood versions and I will say the volume is lower, but the Bunya/QLD one sounded amazing unplugged, too). But plug those things in and holy crap, you can't believe that little thing can sound that good or that big or that overall rich.

I've had 2 minis, 2 808s and 2 dreads. For my money, I'd avoid blackwood...does nothing for my ears. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the combo of bunya/Queensland Maple and would put its unplugged sound up against any wood combination I have or have had, especially in the dreadnought.

For what it's worth, Tommy plays percussive stuff, tap and plays harmonic craziness, he's a flipping magician with his playing style and we really shouldn't compare anything he does to us mortals ;-) He's got a big collection from many makers, but I think he's appreciated the reciprocal loyalty with Maton. Maton's pickup system is probably the main reason he uses them live because they are really dialed in to pickup all the things he's doing better than a lot of other pickups - that thing has 3 different types of pickups. If he's doing a jam or certain types of playing, he'd likely grab another axe.

[Christian Reno]

I'm guessing this will go the way most Maton discussions do - some love em, some hate em. Try as many Matons as you can before deciding for yourself. There is no rational way to judge an entire guitar brand without a very wide experience with that brand.

TE makes any guitar sound good. I've seen him play many brands in many settings, unplugged and plugged in. The only time I have ever seen him make a negative comment on a guitar was when he borrowed a guitar from a fan at a table set up outside of Music City Sheridan one year at CAAS so he could do an impromptu thing with Bresh. TE is rarely without a guitar at this gathering, but this time he was. He did complain a bit about the guitar and it was a favortite brand of many here, so I will not mention the brand. Could have had a bad set up and/or nasty strings. Who knows?

[CycleBob]

I’ve played a bunch here in Oz and owned a Maton performer for a time.
To my ear matons have a distinctive signature tone that certainly isn’t bad, but ultimately wasn’t what I was looking for. The Maton I owned had a bunya top so it really did sound different to most other acoustics.
Plugged straight into an amp they’re still the best and truest sound I’ve heard — I assume largely thanks to their AP5 pick ups. With things like tonedexters increasing in popularity, which work very well, the Maton plugged in advantage may be less crucial(?) YMMV

[Goodallboy]

I've played several Maton's, certainly not enough to be claiming to be an authority on all models, but none checked the boxes for me. Being steeped in traditional sounds and enjoying other more complex tonal signatures, the Maton's just didn't come through with what I thought a fine guitar should offer.


The usual disclaimers apply.

[Johan Madsen]

Honestly, I really wanted a Maton a few years ago, but after having read many posts about structural issues, complains and negative comments about its unplugged sound, and having tried 4 EBG808 (2 TE and 2 standard), I went for a Furch (which is a brand that have a many praises on guitar forums). Honestly, the Matons that I've played had a very weak and poor unplugged sound compared to most of the other guitars in the same price range. The TE models were slightly better sounding, but the standart EBG808 were really poor sounding (unplugged). That being said I'm pretty sure they do sound great plugged in, and I think those are guitars that are really meant to be played plugged. The main criticism I would address to Maton is their very irregular quality control, I remember one of those EBG808 in a shop having fretwire that looked like cutted with an axe, even the cheapests 100 dollars guitars made in China or Korea don't have those kind of extreme issues.
Concerning Tommy Emmanuel, you have to be aware that his guitars are built at the Maton custom shop, and you can be pretty sure that those are one step above the standart models in terms of building quality.

[ripdotcom]

The 808 is an extraordinary model and is actually more of a long scale (25.5") 00 size in lieu of an OM. I have compared it to both a 00 15 custom and 00-18V that I own. The problem with Maton guitars acoustically is that they typically have a 1/4 pound of plastic mounted to the side and have to include battery weight and the rest of the pickup system, while mildly intrusive, will still affect tone tremendously . I have no electronics on mine and it sounds very dry with a quick response and wonderful compression throughout. Harmonic overtones ring out with incredible sustain that cannot be held with a weighed down guitar. I have zero experience with the Maton electronics system but I would suspect that anyone who fails to hear the excellence in these instruments is purchasing it for the wrong reasons. They are built with similar a philosophy as taylor in the respect of longevity and maintenance and certainly pay tribute to the martin 00 as as one of the most comfortable guitars made, while adding the electronics that everyone seems pleased with. I could see how it is the ultimate guitar for many.

[Brucebubs]

Had them make me a Country jumbo 12-string.
Nice fit and finish, looked great.
Disappointing acoustically.
Thin and weak - like a solid body electric guitar unplugged.
I bought a used Taylor 355 from the USA while this guitar was being built - it simply blew the Maton out of the water.
Sold it.
Spoke to a local luthier - he felt Maton guitars were too heavily braced at the time.
They have done work on their bracing since then.
Haven't tried one of their newer 'improved' guitars.

[BluesKing777]

I was on the other thread too, but for the benefit of other readers/players....like any guitar, it depends what you want and what you want to spend!

I have the low mid range Maton 808 because I loved the Cedar top/Australian Blackwood back and sides for fingerpicking. I didn't believe all the stuff about 'only good plugged in' - maybe the Cedar top, but WOW! When I did plug in direct to my mixer, turned all the controls on full ala the TE interview I just saw...lookout! Then in to the amp. Best 'plug and play' pickup system on the planet! All mine.


But if you want to spend more, the Maton Custom Shop has all kinds of things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TV4Z7uvqnE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieNsecIlNm4

And I played this for a second at a shop - Wenge over Euro Spruce Custom Shop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NzMOyypvCc



BluesKing777.

[ridethewind]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

Blackwood tends to be less resonant and clear, almost dead to my ear but is insanely good plugged in. For my money, I'd avoid blackwood...does nothing for my ears.

Here's a different view on Tasmanian blackwood. I have a Cole Clark Angel2 (similar size to Maton's deep-bodied OM) that's solid blackwood top, sides and back with Queensland Maple neck. Unplugged, the guitar is two different instruments depending on whether I'm picking with the flesh of my fingertips or if I'm using a flat-pick. The fingertip sound is soft, warm, perhaps a bit recessive. With a pick the guitar springs into a different life, brighter and more bold, richly detailed, and the (to me) deeper warmth and resonance/sustain are amazing.

I offer this because I'd heard that Cole Clark is to Maton what Breedlove is to Taylor (an offspring).

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by ridethewind

I offer this because I'd heard that Cole Clark is to Maton what Breedlove is to Taylor (an offspring).

Adam Cole and Bradley Clark both worked at Maton Guitars.
Brad was there 11 years as Factory Manager.

They left and formed Cole Clark Guitars in 2001.
Neither of them are still at Cole Clark.
Adam left in 2004 and Bradley left in 2010 and now works at Ashton Guitars in China.

[pandaroo]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

I've had 2 minis, 2 808s and 2 dreads. For my money, I'd avoid blackwood...does nothing for my ears. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the combo of bunya/Queensland Maple and would put its unplugged sound up against any wood combination I have or have had, especially in the dreadnought.

I agree, their Bunya/Maple dreadnought is the best combo and body size as far as unplugged sound is concerned and also value for money.

[Russ C]

I was just in my local store and I thought I'd check out a new Messiah dread (Maton that is - with AP5) and 2 Martins - a new D18 and a new Hd28 (the reimagined versions).
Well the 3 were pretty equal imo. Based on tone and volume I'd have taken the 28 first, the Maton next and then the 18.

I'll admit I'm quick to give Maton support because I like the company, and I do think the 808's do not always impress Martin enthusiasts (I am one), but Maton's better models - particularly more recent Messiahs - deserve an open mind.

My 2 cents.

[tdq]

As another Aussie I'd like to like them, but....they don't do it for me. However, I stayed with a friend who had one from the 1980's, a dred, and it was great!
Also, I was hankering for a 12 string a while ago and ended up purchasing a great Maton 12 string, a 1989 model. It was by far the best of the sub-$1K, and most of the sub-$2K models I tried, both new and used. Perhaps they age really well. Neither had pickups.