The world of the acoustic guitar is similar to that of photography or gastronomy: it is difficult to grasp all the nuances, the merits or even the defects of a particular product at the first shot.
It is even more difficult to talk about it and to be able to transmit what could be defined as a sensorial “experience” in the form of a number - albeit not very discreet - of lines.
When approaching the sector of production and evaluating the quality of a product, unless you want to be childish, it is essential to arm yourself with not a little patience, much more ear than normal and a much longer time to be able to formulate actually a meaningful judgment.
In this article we are faced with a nice quirk, since at the center of the discussion is the guard, undisputed teacher of the acoustic guitar, who together with Martin remains one of the cornerstones of this type of instrument. Specifically, it is a Maton model associated with one of the most eclectic and incredible artists of the acoustic guitar Contemporary: Tommy Emmanuel.
So begins this fascinating and at the same time complicated journey.
Aesthetic Considerations
There is little to say about aesthetics, the instrument has a very simple look, all the wood is exposed to enhance the grain and no part has been painted, except obviously with transparent nitro paint.
I am very much in favor of this stylistic choice, but more for personal taste; for example, I find exaggerated some “doses” of Abalone (Martin) or shapes of the bridges that seem Baroque works of the '600 (Gibson).
The look is decidedly simple, no frills, not flashy, and on acoustic guitars I think the best aesthetic compromise is that of almost absolute simplicity.
Technical Considerations
For this section we cannot ignore the analysis of the characteristics, as illustrated directly by the Maton website:
- Model: EBG808TE
- Body Shape: 808
- Top: AAA grade sitka
- Back and Sides: Queensland Maple
- Handle: Selected Queensland Maple
- Keyboard and Bridge: Ironwood
- Rosette type: Herringbone
- Hole diameter: 95 mm
- Braces: Maton Scalloped
- Internal Binding: Triple Pin Stripe
- External Binding: Ivory
- Neck Scale Length: 64.77cm (25.5 ″)
- Headstock grain: Queensland Walnut
- Keys: Dunlop 6260
- Number of Keys: 21
- Keyboard radius: 304.8mm (12 ″)
- Nut Depth: 44.1mm (1.736 ″ - 1 47/64 ″)
- 14th Fret: Depth 55mm (2.165 ″ - 2 11/64 ″)
- Fretboard Inlays: 6mm “CGP” Pearly Dot Pearly Block on 12th Fret
- Back and Sides Painting: Vintage Amber Stain Satin
- Top finish: Honey Stain Satin ato
- Bridge Pins: Ivory colored ABS
- Mechanics: Grover Rotomatic chrome
- Pickguard: Turtle
- Shoulder strap supports: chromed
- Nut & Saddle: Osso
- Homes: Standard Maton Hardcase
- Pickup: AP5-Pro
- Strings supplied: Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze 12-53.
There are some elements that have aroused my interest while others I don't think are adequate, but let's go in order.
The plus point is the neck: for someone like me who comes from the electric guitar, the neck is extremely comfortable and not too abundant; although in this period I am mainly using the ultra wizard handle of the mold Ibanez, I have not found any particular problems in using this handle.
The downside, at least for me, is the fact that the keys are small, although I repeat that it is a personal consideration. In fact, this instrument was created for the "acoustic tightrope walker", who uses a mix of mostly melodic techniques that is not indifferent, so most likely a bigger key could be more annoying than anything else, and we must not forget that it is a Tommy Emmanuel signature, therefore calibrated on specific needs.
Currently this model does not feature rosewood bridge and fingerboard but in Ironwood, to remedy the issues CITES occurred at the beginning of the year.
The rest of the construction remains in the canons of a high-level guitar, the absence of plastic pieces and beautiful details to look at and top workmanship: just what one should expect from Maton.
Sound Considerations
The sound test of such instruments must be carried out in two very different situations: when switched off and when amplified, in order to return a wider spectrum of considerations. Obviously in this case it was not possible for me to carry out tests with microphones, as it was a test in the shop, otherwise I would have opted for the use of a pair of small diaphragm condenser microphones.
The fact is that, regardless of the cases of amplification or not, the neck is very manageable, the sustain is very beautiful and perfectly maintains the tuning, as is expected of a valuable instrument of course.
Considerations to be turned off
When switched off, the sound is perhaps slightly lacking in the low frequency spectrum, but the whole instrument vibrates well and you can hear an excellent feeling; the medium - high spectrum is instead much more pronounced and is very bright, overall sound of great thickness and well defined that reflects the positioning range of the instrument, but the amplification system definitely provides an extra gear.
Considerations to be amplified
By amplified, then using his system, which allows the use of a piezoelectric combined with a small microphone, it really gives a lot of satisfactions in terms of sound performance and achievable sound palettes.
First of all I tested the microphone at zero and the only one pickup piezoelectric: the sound you get is particularly warm, very well defined, but perhaps it makes the highs slightly sharp, which can be solved with the microphone and we will also see why.
The section that uses the microphone is very soft and bright, the highs become much more manageable and with the right dosage, together with the piezoelectric, it is possible to obtain quite present lows, which when turned off are not, and very creamy, clear highs. and soft.
The equalizer it does its duty in an excellent way, nothing bad to report, you can manage all the frequencies of the instrument quite well, which is remarkable since it is an "On-Board" control.
Really satisfied with its amp sound, I recommend choosing the amplifier well to get the best result possible.
Economic Considerations
The selling price is around 2500 euros, like all high-level guitars.
Among its main competitors we can include:
- breedlove
- Martin
- chatelier
- Takamine
- Taylor
- Gibson
The differences lie in the construction type: each of these brands has a very different idea of guitar and therefore each one expects a deeply and markedly peculiar response, so it is incorrect to make comparisons.
The price is not very high for what the instrument itself offers, both for the Maton offer and for the type of instrument - it is not the entry level guitar, and when you decide to buy a high-end instrument, especially a acoustic guitar, this is one of the options that arise.
Final considerations
Pro
- Very comfortable handle
- High performance amplification system
- Brilliant sound
Cons
- Low not very present when turned off
- Small keys
Author's Note
I am, and I think I will remain for a long time, of the idea that this product is not a backup instrument for an electric guitarist, it is not the type of guitar to buy just for the sake of adding some acoustic pieces to the repertoire.
This was born as an acoustic guitar for those who normally use this instrument, it is an improvement for those who have decided to undertake this sound path with seriousness and when the musician decides to have a more structured approach with the acoustic guitar at the base of their technique. This excludes that those who occasionally and sporadically play acoustic genres can use it with satisfaction, as it is a concert instrument and should be treated as such.
Useful news
Model: EBG808TE
Recommended retail price: 2.400 euros
Official website: http://maton.com.au
