The Maton Custom Shop

IN
DE
MA

AUSTRALIA

Contents
3

History of Maton
The Maton Custom
Shop Experience
Guitar Construction
Body Shape
Tone Woods
Neck
Fingerboard
Inlays
Binding Options
Paint
Fitting and Setup

7
11
13
15
17
17
17
19
19
19

TE 50
Number 48
Sequoia Rose
Birregurra Creek
The Amazonian
Tribal Tattoo
The Bronzed Aussie
Waiata Ataahua

21
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36

Case Studies
IN
DE
MA

AUSTRALIA

Maton Guitars
6 Clarice Road, Box Hill
Victoria 3128 Australia
P: +61 3 9896 9500
F: +61 3 9896 9501
W: www.maton.com.au
E: sales@maton.com.au

The History of Maton

The History of Maton

history in the making

Bill May, 1946

Hand building magnicent

instruments one-on-one.
The History of Maton
Precision in work is very
important. Individuals
are important I must
have them. I feel it is the
right way of life for a man
to come and work and
to give his ability to a job
which means something
to him and something to
the end user.

Now in its 60th year, Maton Guitars has

gone back to the companys origins
with its newly established Custom
Shop. From its inception, Maton
under founder Bill May built guitars to
customers requirements. Today, one
of Matons senior luthiers is following
in Bill Mays footsteps hand building
magnicent instruments one on one
with the customer.

In the early 1940s, Bill established a

custom guitar manufacturing and repair
business known then as Maton Musical
Instruments and Repairs. It was such a
success that in March 1946 the Maton
Musical Instruments Company was
born. It followed Bills original theme
or tone the May-Tone or Maton the
name that has became attached to some
of the worlds nest guitars.

From a small backyard workshop,

Maton Guitars has grown into a
truly great Australian success story.
Currently Maton employs 60 people
and remains 100 per cent family
owned and operated.

That was 10 years after teenager Bill May,

in 1936, built his own guitar and entered
a radio station talent quest that he won.
That winning guitar remains, and can be
seen in Matons guitar collection at its
Box Hill headquarters in Melbournes
east and it still plays beautifully.

Firmly established now as Australias

favourite and most successful guitar,
Maton is gaining acceptance on the
world stage as an instrument of the
highest quality. It is following Bill Mays
vision of making hand crafted guitars
at an affordable price that are as good
as any in the world. His philosophy still
rings true today: If you make a good
guitar, the right guitar, people will
want it.

Bill was training as a woodwork teacher

when he met and proposed to Vera,
who later supported the man she loved
when he left a secure job as a teacher.
He needed to follow his dream of
building the best musical instruments.
Working from a small shed behind
his Thornbury house in Melbournes
northern suburbs, Bill began building
instruments that were carefully crafted.
These instruments began to appeal to
serious musicians who were impressed
by the quality and unique tone.

In 1949, to satisfy the growing

backlog of orders, the Mays bought a
small factory on Canterbury Road in
Melbournes leafy eastern suburbs,
which became the rst of its kind in
Australia. With Vera looking after the
accounting and nance side of the
business, Bill and his brother Reg began
seeking staff for serious production
targets. But his philosophy meant that
precision in work is very important.
Individuals are important I must have
them. I feel it is the right way of life for
a man to come and work and to give his
ability to a job which means something
to him and something to the end user.
Bills enthusiasm proved infectious and
lives on today in current staff members,
who embrace the high standards of
quality on which Maton was founded.
Bill was particularly interested in
experimenting with Australian timbers
and these principles continue today
with impressive results.

I have spent my whole life playing

music to people in Australia and I love
playing an Australian-made guitar the
Maton, said Tommy Emmanuel.
An astonishingly versatile player whose
career became woven into the Maton
fabric, Emmanuel bought his rst
Maton, an MS500 model in 1959. His
reputation as a high prole performer
helped lift Matons reputation and
international prole. He recently
challenged show me another guitar
which is better and Ill play it. Right
now there is nothing better.
Beloved and respected entertainers
in Australia such as Emmanuel, John
Williamson, The Finn Brothers, Paul
Kelly, The Seekers, George Golla and
Colin Hay have been seen on stage and
television playing a Maton. This support
has helped expand the companys
turnover.
International performers such as John
Fogerty from Creedence Clearwater and
Led Zeppelins Jimmy Page and even
the late Beatle George Harrison have
also played a part in spreading the word
about Maton guitars.
Canterbury Road was Matons home
for 40 years from 1949 to 1989. Bills
health began to fade in the early 1990s
and he passed away 6 May 1993. Right
to the end Bill took a keen interest in
the family companys newly emerging
directions, as did his widow Vera.

Bill had already prepared to hand over

his and Veras company to his daughter
Linda and son-in-law Neville Kitchen
who have proudly kept faith with
Bills vision. Maton moved to bigger
premises at Bayswater in 1989 but
within just a dozen years, it proved too
small to cope with escalating orders,
particularly from overseas.
The 2003 move to the current premises
in Clarice Road, Box Hill, required
an investment of millions of dollars
to make the new factory state-ofthe-art. It was a tough assignment
to retain quality whilst boosting
guitar production. Linda and Neville
Kitchen say that their workforce
has lifted the bar when it comes to
production standards. This has been
helped by the introduction of locally
designed computer programs and high
technology that has allowed workers
more time to do what they do best
make guitars by hand, in a safe, climatecontrolled environment.
Every worker on the factory oor plays
guitar, their passion for their craft clear
in their devotion to making instruments
that they would want to play.
The spirit of Bill May lives on and he
would be proud of the results being
achieved today.

The Maton Custom Shop

e
Experienc

The Maton Custom Shop Experience

the ultimate guitar experience

The Maton Custom Shop Experience

begins with an initial one-on-one
meeting with our senior luthier.
The Maton Custom Shop Experience
Matons Custom Shop provides you
with the ultimate personal guitar
experience. As the customer, you are
invited to specify body shape, colour,
decorative inlays and be involved in the
selection of premium tone woods.

The Maton Custom Shop experience

provides you with the opportunity
to have a say in the dynamics of the
desired sound speaking face-to-face
with the craftsman who will build the
guitar for you.

Andy Allen [Matons Custom Shop

luthier] selected some beautifully gured
Queensland Maple for the back and
sides. Also, a beautiful Sitka Spruce top.
Im elated to tell you that the nished
product is a breathtaking treasure! Every
time I play it, it sounds better and better.
The guitar has a great voice, tone and
sustain. It is a masterpiece... Thank you
all very much for more than exceeding
my expectations and building this quality
instrument for me. Phillip Crockett,
owner of Number 48, California USA.

Proudly Australian and from Melbourne,

I had always wanted a Maton acoustic
guitar as they are the best Australian
made guitars and are hand crafted in
my home town. After speaking with Andy,
I explained how I wanted him to build my
dream acoustic guitar made by a Victorian
in Victoria and from Victorian timbers.
A few months later Andy had designed
and built my dream acoustic guitar.
Hand crafted from the nest tone woods
available with a special focus on AAA
Select Grade Fiddleback Blackwood from
Victorias Otway Ranges. My #66 Maton
Custom Shop acoustic guitar now travels
with me on all my adventures throughout
the world. Captain Rod Smith, Boeing
777 Emirates International Airlines.

You can be guaranteed that Maton will

build a guitar that you can truthfully say
is unique, a one-off.
It has been my dream to own a custom
12 string Maton. It has the best action of
any 12 string and is a complete joy and
pleasure to play. When I had my rst real
play it bought tears to my eyes because
I was overwhelmed by the gorgeous tone.
I can not praise Andy enough for his ne
work. Suz Dolci, Queensland Australia.

the making of a legend

Guitar Construction

Every Maton Custom Shop

guitar is meticulously crafted
by the experienced hands of
Matons senior luthier.

Matons Custom Shop luthier has the

ability to build a guitar that will produce
the sound that the customer has ordered
and wants to hear.

All timbers selected for Custom Shop

guitars are hand picked from Matons
vast stocks and then thoroughly checked
for structural integrity. This ensures that
only top quality materials nd their way
into a Custom Shop guitar. The timbers
visual appeal and tonal quality also
form an important part of the selection
process.

The construction of a Custom Shop

guitar is performed by a single, skilled
luthier and this ensures every detail
mirrors precisely the customers
requirements. It also ensures the look
as well as the sound matches the
buyers dream.

All the chosen components are then

individually voiced to ensure they
can produce maximum acoustic
performance. This is done by tap
testing and exing each piece to
determine maximum strength and
minimum weight, the recipe for great
tone. It is a process that requires deep
experience and construction knowledge
and can only be done by an extremely
skilled craftsman.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE BACK AND SIDES

1 Bending sides
2 Sides assembled in body jig
3 Trimming sides for face and back fitting
4 Clamping braces using go bar deck
5 Shaving braces for maximum tonal response
6 Face and back ready to fit to sides
7 Face fitted to sides
8 Removing completed body from body jig

Each operation is done by hand, the way

Maton Guitars have been built since
1946, with no deadline. The process
will take however long is required to
meet the customers expectations.
A masterpiece cannot be rushed.

11

shaping your tone

Body Shape

A Maton Custom Shop guitar is

an expression of your individuality.
Through its unique form the tone
of your new Maton comes to life.

Dreadnought

Blue Grass 808

Jumbo

BODY LENGTH

BODY LENGTH

BODY LENGTH

510mm

479mm

522mm

BODY WIDTH

BODY WIDTH

BODY WIDTH

404mm

366mm

409mm

BODY DEPTH

BODY DEPTH

BODY DEPTH

125mm

125mm

125mm

TOTAL LENGTH

TOTAL LENGTH

TOTAL LENGTH

1040mm

1009mm

1052mm

NO OF FRETS

NO OF FRETS

NO OF FRETS

21

21

21

There are three different body shapes

each with their own distinctive qualities.
Dreadnought: This is the traditional
body shape which produces a full base
response without sacricing treble or
midrange frequencies
Bluegrass 808: This is a smaller
bodied guitar which produces a
tighter, more articulated tone than its
larger counterparts. Its highly focused
projection makes the 808 a superb
recording instrument.
Jumbo: Greater surface area to resonate
enables the jumbo body to ll a room
with sound. It has an even frequency
response, with the large bottom end
one would expect from the increased
body size.

13

Australian made
Acacia melanoxylon (Victorian Blackwood)

Selecting the materials

for your Maton Custom
Shop guitar.

Tone Woods

Back and Sides

The Maton Custom Shop provides

access to an extensive range of
premium tone woods ranging from
traditional materials to modern
alternatives that offer a truly unique
guitar combination. Maton is at the
forefront of the use of Australian tone
woods and the Custom Shop is where
it starts. Timber options outlined below
are always being increased.

Flamed Queensland Maple (Flindersia

brayleyana) is found in a rainforest
from North Queensland. This timber
is visually striking and is extremely well
balanced with an even response across
all frequencies.

Soundboard

TONEWOODS
1 Sitka Spruce
2 Western Red Cedar
3 Bunya
4 Flamed Queensland Maple
5 Satinbox
6 Brazilian Rosewood
7 Victorian Blackwood

AAA Select Grade Sitka Spruce (Picea

sitchensis) is the traditional choice of
soundboard timber for many guitar
makers. Sitka Spruce has become the
benchmark against which all other
timbers are measured. It is found on
the west coast of North America from
California to Alaska.
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata),
also found on the west coast of North
America, is lighter, softer and a little
more stable than Spruce. Due to the
lighter mid presence, it has a slightly
sweeter tone than Spruce making it
a favourite with nger stylists and
classical players.
A Grade Solid Bunya (Araucaria
bidwillii) is a Southern Queensland
wood derived from the Bunya tree.
It is an outstanding material for
soundboards. Maton pioneered its use
as a tone wood during the mid 1990s.
Bunya has an earthy, wild, evocative
tone which is a change from the
conventional but with the volume, tone
and beauty to stand up in its own right.

Satinbox (Phebalium squameum) is

found in the Otway Ranges of south
western Victoria Australia and grows
as a companion plant to Blackwood.
It is a stunning tone wood with great
projection and a clear glassy top end.
It is aesthetically unique and in our
opinion one of the most important tone
wood discoveries in the past 50 years.
Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)
is a highly sought after timber with its
rich dark chocolate appearance. It is
an extremely rare timber that is rapidly
becoming scarce.
Victorian Blackwood (Acacia
melanoxylon) is one of the most
visually stunning furniture timbers
available. Blackwood has also become
an important tone wood. This timber
is also from the Otway Ranges in
south west Victoria. It often displays
ddleback character and AAA grade
Blackwood can be intensely gured. It
has a warm, full tone with a particularly
pleasing mid frequency response and
has become one of our most sought
after timbers.

15

express yourself

Your Maton Custom

Shop guitar is a unique
opportunity to let your
imagination run wild.

Neck

Inlays

Available timbers:
Indian Rosewood, Brazilian Rosewood,
Honduras Mahogany, Queensland
Maple and Victorian Blackwood.

The Maton Custom Shop provides the

buyer with endless possibilities for
intricate and decorative inlays. This can
be explored through the ngerboard,
rosette and bindings.

Fingerboard

Fingerboard Inlay Options:

Mother of Pearl or Abalone Block
Inlays, Snowakes, Name Engraved in
Block Inlay, Mother of Pearl Dots and
Southern Cross.

Available timbers:
Ebony, Indian Rosewood, Brazilian
Rosewood, Mulga, Rock Maple
and Jarrah.

Rosette Options:
Mother of Pearl, Rosewood, Abalone,
Rock Maple, Blackwood, Satinbox,
Ebony, Jarrah.

Note: All timbers are subject to availability.

NECK CONSTRUCTION
1 Spoke shaving truss rod filler strip flush to neck
2 Preparing fingerboard to be glued to neck
3 CNC cutting dovetail
4 Hand-fitting machined dovetail for absolute perfection
of neck angle
5 Dovetail ready to glue in position
6 Dovetail tapped into position for tight fit
7 Scraping blend between neck and fingerboard
8 Final hand sanding ready for finishing

10

11

ROSETTE
9 Fitting Abalone pieces into Rosette channel
FITTING FINGERBOARD INLAYS
10 Hand-fitting block inlays into Ebony fingerboard
11 Mother of Pearl block inlays in place

17

a beautiful guitar to take you

on an endless journey

Flawless attention
to detail guaranteed.

Binding Options

Fitting and Setup

Inner Binding: Triple Pin Stripe,

Abalone or Mother of Pearl

The nishing touches to the buyers

very own Maton Custom Shop guitar
is overseen by our nest technicians.
They ensure that the guitar is set up to
the customers personal standards and
requirements.

Outer Binding: Ivory, Black or

White Plastic or an exotic timber
of your choice.

Paint

Pickup System options are either the

Maton AP5 or Maton APMic.

Once the guitars construction is

complete, it is time for the guitar to
be painted. The customer can have
the option of either High Gloss or
Satin nish.

Machine Head options: Chrome or

Gold Grover Rotomatic with either
Pearl or Ebony Buttons.
With awless attention to detail
guaranteed, your Maton Custom Shop
guitar will be everything you wished for
and more.
Before ordering your Maton Custom
Shop guitar you can visit our website
for inspiration: www.maton.com.au/
products/custom-shop.html

BINDING PROCESS
1 Preparing sides for binding process
2 Body ready for binding
3 Bound body with binding tape still in place
4 Scraping binding flush to body
1

Captain Rod Smith

picking up his Custom
Shop Guitar from the
Maton Factory.
2

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Case Studies

Case Studies

TE 50
For more than 40 years Tommy Emmanuel has
played Maton guitars, nding his guitar of choice
straight from the factory oor. In recognition of
his long association with the company, Maton
invited Tommy on his 50th birthday to design his
very own Maton guitar in our new Custom Shop.
It was to be a guitar made individually like all the
Custom Shop guitars, but this one was crafted to
Tommy Emmanuels own personal specications.
Using the Custom Shop facilities, Tommy handselected the Indian Rosewood for the back and
sides and the guitars neck and chose Sitka
Spruce for the soundboard. This blend of timbers
from around the world was selected to create the
unique tone that Tommy sought.
The Ebony ngerboard features his personally
chosen Mother of Pearl Southern Cross and
a block inlay of his appointed title of C.G.P.
(Certied Guitar Player), which was bestowed on
him by the late Chet Atkins.

22

SOUNDBOARD

AAA Select Grade Solid Sitka Spruce

BACK AND SIDES

Solid Indian Rosewood

NECK

Indian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD

Ebony Bound in White

FINGERBOARD INLAY

CGP and Southern Cross

BRIDGE

Ebony
HEADSTOCK

Indian Rosewood with Kangaroo Inlay Bound in White

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

White
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Mother of Pearl
FINISH

High Gloss Honey

MACHINE HEADS

Chrome Grover Rotomatic with Pearl Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
CUTAWAY

Soft
PICKUP SYSTEM

APMic

23

Number 48
A true reection of the quality and craftsmanship
that the Maton Custom Shop has to offer. The
Number 48 has a striking appearance and is built
to an 808 body shape to provide special presence
and clarity. Flamed Queensland Maple back
and sides are a distinct feature of this model
complemented with a Sitka Spruce soundboard.
A full bass response comes from careful tuning
of the top and back plates.
Queensland Maple may be readily available but
the amed appearance of the timber used in the
Number 48 is truly rare. This scarce timber was
set aside by the Custom Shop luthier in order to
create this exceptional guitar.
The appearance is further enhanced by the
mother of pearl Southern Cross inlay in the
ngerboard and the pinstripe neck stringer. Its
unique timber blend combined with the passion
of its maker, leads to a guitar of exceptional tonal
quality and unusual good looks.

24

SOUNDBOARD

AAA Select Grade Solid Sitka Spruce

BACK AND SIDES

Solid Flamed Queensland Maple

NECK

Queensland Maple with Indian Rosewood Pinstripe

FINGERBOARD AND BRIDGE

Indian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD INLAY

Southern Cross
HEADSTOCK

Indian Rosewood Veneer

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Indian Rosewood
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Indian Rosewood and Redgum

FINISH

High Gloss
MACHINE HEADS

Gold Grover Rotomatic with Ebony Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
PICKUP SYSTEM

AP5

25

Sequoia
Rose
Named after a Californian Redwood, which is
among the worlds most beautiful and oldest
trees, this priceless guitar is truly one-of-akind. Brazilian Rosewood is used for the back
and sides, with the extremely unusual looking
Redwood Sequoia used for the guitars face.
Hand-selected Paua snowakes are used
on the ngerboard to add elegance to this
guitars aesthetics.
It is the combination of the Sequoias unusual
colour and resonant timber that renders
this guitar one for the collectors of rare and
special instruments.

26

SOUNDBOARD

Sequoia (Californian Redwood)

BACK AND SIDES

Solid Brazilian Rosewood

NECK

Indian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD AND BRIDGE

Ebony
FINGERBOARD INLAY

Paua Snowakes
HEADSTOCK

Sequoia Veneer
INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Fiddleback Blackwood
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Indian Rosewood
FINISH

High Gloss
MACHINE HEADS

Gold Grover Rotomatic with Ebony Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
PICKUP SYSTEM

APMic

27

Birregurra
Creek
Birregurra Creek is an unusual guitar that the
Maton Custom Shop built exclusively from
native Australian timbers. The face is made from
Bunya, found in Southern Queensland, expertly
combined with Fiddleback Blackwood timber
back and sides, from dense forests in the Otway
Ranges in south western Victoria. Mulga, a tight
grained acacia that was once common but is
becoming rarer in the Australia outback, is used
for the Birregurra Creeks ngerboard and bridge.
Australiana continues in the Soundhole Rosette,
which has intricate inlay work that uses hand
selected pieces of Satinbox also found in the
Otways along side Victorian Blackwood.
Birregurra is a small town in the foothills of the
Otway Ranges, near the source of the Satinbox
and Blackwood timbers used in this guitar.

28

SOUNDBOARD

A Grade Solid Bunya

BACK AND SIDES

AAA Select Grade Fiddleback Blackwood

NECK

Blackwood with Satinbox Stringer

BACK ZIPPER

Satinbox with Pinstripe

FINGERBOARD AND BRIDGE

Mulga
FINGERBOARD INLAY

Southern Cross
HEADSTOCK

AAA Select Fiddleback Satinbox

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Satinbox
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Blackwood / Satinbox
FINISH

High Gloss
MACHINE HEADS

Gold Grover Rotomatic with Ebony Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
CUTAWAY

Soft
PICKUP SYSTEM

AP5

29

The
Amazonian
Timber that comes mostly from Central and
South America goes into Maton Custom
Shops carefully honed construction of The
Amazonian guitar giving it a rare and exotic
look. Brazilian Rosewood is selected for its back
and sides, while the neck is made from the
dense hardwood, Honduras Mahogany. German
Spruce is renown for its tone and is used for
The Amazonians soundboard where it creates a
clear, strong sound.
All of these timbers (whilst being the traditional
tone woods of choice) are now in short supply,
making this guitar a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to hear these classic tone woods in combination.
This is one of the most responsive guitars ever
produced by Maton and would suit an expressive
ngerpicking stylist down to the ground.
Attention to detail is reected in the smooth
nish and presentation of this guitar.

30

SOUNDBOARD

German Spruce
BACK AND SIDES

Brazilian Rosewood
NECK

Honduras Mahogany
FINGERBOARD AND BRIDGE

Brazilian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD INLAY

Pearl Dots
HEADSTOCK

Brazilian Rosewood Veneer

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Brazilian Rosewood
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Brazilian Rosewood
FINISH

High Gloss
MACHINE HEADS

Gold Grover Rotomatic with Ebony Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone

31

Tribal Tattoo
This guitar encompasses nely detailed and
intricate inlay work on the ngerboard using Rock
Maple inlaid into Indian Rosewood. The design
is a combination of Celtic shapes and a Yin Yang
symbol that set apart its mark of distinction.
The headstock is Mastersound style that was
originally used for Maton electric guitars.
Its back and sides are constructed from Indian
Rosewood and the face is done in the pale
elegance of Sitka Spruce. This combination
provides a big, punchy dreadnought tone while
the Honduras Mahogany neck adds warmth
and playability.

32

SOUNDBOARD

AAA Select Grade Solid Sitka Spruce

BACK AND SIDES

Indian Rosewood
NECK

Honduras Mahogany
FINGERBOARD AND BRIDGE

Indian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD INLAY

Rockmaple Tribal Tattoo

HEADSTOCK

Mastersound with Indian Rosewood Veneer

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Rockmaple with Indian Rosewood Pinstripe

SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Indian Rosewood and Mother of Pearl

FINISH

High Gloss
MACHINE HEADS

Chrome Grover Rotomatic with Pearl Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
CUTAWAY

Soft
PICKUP SYSTEM

AP5

33

The Bronzed
Aussie
This beautifully rich guitar with a Redgum map
of Australia inlaid on the Ebony ngerboard has
turned the Bronzed Aussie into a collectors
item. Victorias Cape Otway region contributes
the Fiddleback Blackwood for the back and sides
while Sitka Spruce has been used for the face.
The Bronzed Aussie is a supercharged version of
our popular Australian series.
A high gloss nish with several coats of lacquer
give a burst nish that contributes to the crisp
sparkle of this classics look, feel and sound that
is worthy of the iconic Bronzed Aussie of
another era.

34

SOUNDBOARD

A Grade Solid Sitka Spruce

BACK AND SIDES

AAA Select Grade Fiddleback Blackwood

NECK

Blackwood
FINGERBOARD

Ebony Bound in Redgum

BRIDGE

Ebony
FINGERBOARD INLAY

Redgum Map of Australia

HEADSTOCK

Blackwood Veneer Keyhole

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Redgum
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Redgum
FINISH

High Gloss Burst

MACHINE HEADS

Gold Grover Rotomatic

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
CUTAWAY

Soft
PICKUP SYSTEM

AP5

35

Waiata
Ataahua
Only a trip to New Zealand by Matons Custom
Shop luthier could have inspired the Waiata
Ataahua guitar. He was touched by the artistic
tradition of New Zealands Maori people and he
pays tribute to them with the inclusion of striking
inlaid images on the ngerboard.
The oral emblem of New Zealand, the elegant
fern, appears on the bridge and streaky Ebony
is used for the back and sides and Sitka Spruce
for the face. This combination provides a
full, punchy sound with glassy upper partial
harmonics.
The neck is made from decorative and dense
Honduras Mahogany and a unique Mastersound
headstock with ebony veneer make for a
distinctive neck that adds tonal warmth and
terric playability. A tting tribute to the land of
the long white cloud.

36

SOUNDBOARD

AAA Select Grade Solid Sitka Spruce

BACK AND SIDES

Streaky Ebony
NECK

Honduras Mahogany
FINGERBOARD

Maori Art Rockmaple / Ebony / Jarrah

BRIDGE

Ebony Fern Leaf

FINGERBOARD INLAY

Maori Art Bound in Black

HEADSTOCK

Mastersound with Ebony Veneer

INNER BINDING

Triple Black Pinstripe

OUTER BINDING

Black
SOUNDHOLE ROSETTE

Rockmaple / Ebony / Jarrah

FINISH

Super Satin
MACHINE HEADS

Chrome Grover Rotomatic with Ebony Buttons

NUT AND SADDLE

Bone
CUTAWAY

Soft
PICKUP SYSTEM

AP5

37

IN
DE
MA

AUSTRALIA

Maton Guitars
6 Clarice Road, Box Hill
Victoria 3128 Australia
P: +61 3 9896 9500
F: +61 3 9896 9501
W: www.maton.com.au
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