Maton CW80

All solid timber no-cutaway dreadnought. It's still a current model (it has been in production for *ages*), so you can check all the detail on the maton website.
Basic guitar, not much by ways of flash (which I like).
Note the interesting truss-rod placement - it is inside the guitar, but low down the heel - maton make a special tool to do the adjustment - $30.
Soundboard - Sitka spruce - nice example on mine.
Back/Sides - Australian timber - Queensland Maple
Neck - Queensland Maple

There is no neck strap-button. Note my comment about the truss-rod. If you want to drill a hole for an offset strap button on the heel, I'd be careful for fear of contacting the truss rod. I added a strap button on the base of the heel.

No pickup, as this is the standard dreadnought - the cutaway gets one. There is bracing on the inside of the body where the pickup controls would go. I understand that Maton can do a retrofit for about $600AU. I'll probably get a soundhole pickup with an endpin jack.

5 on features - it's a standard dreadnought. I did not want MOP, flashing lights etc. all over the thing.

Overall a bright, loud guitar. I tend to play hard, so I've had to dial back the playing. Strumming can be a bit overpowering for an un-amplified voice.

I have found that more mellow strings work best on this, otherwise the upper strings predominate.

I suppose the maple back and sides contribute to the overall brightness.

String balance is very good and it is responsive to attack - It seems be be able to gain volume without getting messy.
I play mostly fingerstyle and this works very well. String spacing and neck size are good.

Sounds up the neck retain their integrity very nicely. Put a capo on the 7th fret and play away - sounds still have resonance and body.

It is a fairly 'unique' sound - don't buy this if you are after a standard Martin sound.

Very well put together.
It's a very light guitar, but feels quite solid.
I have noticed some fine file/sanding lines on the heel, where it sweeps up to the neck. For the price, this should not be.

I am nowhere near good enough to gig, so I can't comment on that sort of durability.
This guitar seems to me, to be built to last.
Stability through temperature changes has been fine.

I've only interacted with Maton to get the special tool to do the truss-rod adjustment. They were pleasant and prompt.
Maton have been around for ever, so they must be doing it right or right -enough.

I've been playing for more than 10 years. This is the third steel-string acoustic I've owned (the others being a Cort Earth 200 and a Seagull 20th Anniversary).
My electric collection is an Eric Johnson Strat (maple fingerboard version) and a Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway (the reissue, not the original!).
I play through a POD X3, into a set of mackie studio monitors, through a small Yamaha mixer.
My setup is for home use only. I record using Reaper and use Transcribe!, Guitar-Pro and Band-in-a-Box for backing tracks/practising.

I bought this guitar over the Taylor 110, the Maton EGB808 and the cheaper Martin. I am completely comfortable with that decision. I do regard the CW80 as better and better value than those guitars.

This is a rewarding guitar, although you do have to work at the sounds.

Pricing in Australia is quite competitive against Taylor/Martin etc. I have heard that overseas, they are quite expensive.

This is the rare version the CW80/6 One super heavy solid vintage guitar. The value of this model in particular is flying up so if you possess a cw80/6 don't let it go.

This CW80/6 seems to have a richer sound than my CW80, I'm sure sure of the reason for this. It has a nice ripe bass and an amazing high end sparkle that professional players desire. It is always good to have it set up properly however, they do a pretty good job standard. There is nothing I don't like about this guitar, nothin in the world can beat it, not even my D28 martin.

Considering this model is well over 35 years old, the action is still perfect after many gigs and playing on a regular basis over all this time. It seems that the action just gets better with age along with it's sound. This thing is really built to last a lifetime and then to handed down to the next gerations.

Simply put, this axe is invincible, could never let you down, not in a million years. The machine ehads will always stay tight after many years to come and plugged in they are just so amazing there is just no way to describe it.

I made contact with the Maton company and got a reply within about 7 hours, not bad!

I've been playing 25 years now and this baby will always be my favorate. As a profesional musician I would recommend this guitar to anyone, especially those who are focussed more into acoustic-singer/songwriter styles

My guitar is a 2006, 14 fret all-solid wood guitar with a 'AA' cedar top and Queensland maple back and sides. Satin finish throughout, with an attractive 'vintage amber' stain on the back and sides. The rosewood bridge and fingerboard complement the light colour scheme, with a tortoiseshell pickguard (emblazoned with the Maton 'M'; naturally) the cherry on top of an already handsome body. However, it's the blackwood headstock which wins the day when it comes to pretty wood - it's just a joy to look at; albeit a veneer. A dreadnought body, but it never feels cumbersome owing to it's almost extreme lightweight! A gorgeous neck which plays itself, it has a 1??" nut with medium frets, I really do find this impossible to put down! Living in close proximity to a Martin Heritage dealer that stocks literally all of the top brands (Santa Cruz, Fylde, Patrick James Eggle, Collings etc...), I've played literally hundreds of first rate guitars. Whilst I might sound like a fanboy here, I believe that; although this is their entry-level, solid wood acoustic; Maton makes guitars at LEAST on a par with the World's top luthiers. Like Tommy Emmanuel says: "If someone makes me a better guitar, I'll play it!" Comes with Hiscox moulded hardcase which fits like a glove whilst looking rather fantastic. Ticks all the boxes for me, so a big fat 10 for me here!

Being a big fan of fingerstyle, in particular the 'boom-chick' techniques brought to popularity by Merle Travis (could have just said 'Travis Picking'!) and Chet Atkins, I find this guitar to be fantastic for the application. Anyone who knows me will be aware that I'm borderline stalking Tommy Emmanuel (haha!), and if it's good enough for the man, then I'll humbly accept it! The sound is sublime to me, clear and resonant across the register and allowing the harmonics to jump from the soundhole like an enthusiastic frog! The only thing I would ask for is a slightly 'rounder' bass, more in line with the Martin sound - but this has enough bass response to give some meat to the 'boom-chick' lines I play - I'm happy to sacrifice a little (and I mean LITTLE) bass in return for a sparkling brilliance across the whole register. Those familiar with Mr Emmanuel's work will know that his employment of cascading harmonics is superb, and the Maton brand seem to know exactly how to provide the clarity required for 'harp-like' chiming sounds. When strumming full chords, this guitar has the richest sound you could ask for - very professional sounding with good projection and the all-important clarity. So, to summarise - perfect save for a minimal absence in the bass register, likely owing to the all-maple construction emphasising brightness.

The construction of this guitar is superb. It's impossible for me to comment on how it was out of the box (it was purchased second-hand from a very reputable shop which has a pride over the setup of all their stock, from ??100 - ??10,000 guitars!), but the action is utterly fantastic and as it is, perfect for my requirements. The finish is a lovely satin, which brings out the idiosyncracies in the grain and I believe allows further resonance over those which have a gloss finish. However, the downside to this is that it's a little more susceptible to dings - though I protect her more than I do my testicles (I can be a bit anal about my guitars, as many of you will appreciate)! As I said, it's not something I can comment on regarding the factory set-up, but the frets and all the hardware are impeccably applied and this would seemingly fall in line with all the other feedback I've heard regarding this brand. For the action alone, this warrants a 10 from me - I can't put it down!

The hardware on this guitar (Grover Rotomatics) are not top of the line, but hard to fault and it wouldn't be ridiculous to propose that Grover are the industry standard! If you string correctly, you shouldn't have any tuning issues with these whatsoever. My previous acoustic (Matthew Carter - another gorgeous guitar!) had Schallers and I personally prefer the Grovers perfomance-wise - I've every confidence that they will outlast me and this is evidenced by Grover's lifetime guarantee! The strap button is almost cemented into place and is affixed with an Allen key fitting rather then the typical screw - I've no reservations about the rigidity of this! I'm sure that this will withstand the rigours of the road, but it isn't fair for me to comment on a hypothetical situation as I've yet to play live with it. I'd depend on it, sure, but I've not had to yet. I'd never gig without a backup; A/ for I use lots of tunings and find it easier to switch guitars than tune up between songs and B/ because something could happen beyond your/the guitar's control which could leave you in a bit of a quandry! However, were this my only guitar and I had a gig, I'd feel very confident that it wouldn't let me (or anyone!) down. However, I'm declining to comment as I have no experience with her...yet!

I've never had to deal with Maton and it's doubtful that I ever would - the guitar was purchased second-hand and the fact that they are based literally the other side of the world, should I require any rectifications, they would be owing to something that I (touch-wood will never) have caused. No rating for the same reason as above.

As I mentioned previously, I'm confident that I have played some of the World's finest acoustics and there certainly isn't a gulf between them and this. I've been playing for nigh-on 10 years now and have found that it is very difficult to find a guitar that combines playability, the perfect sound and great looks. Whilst this guitar isn't the Mona Lisa of acoustics, I find it handsome enough to wring a smile when looking at it and it would be impossible for anybody to say it was ugly with any conviction! The first time I saw this guitar, I knew there was something special about it - and the first time I played it, it extended my lunch by 50% (needless to say my boss wasn't ecstatic upoon my belated return)! It truly is one of those guitars that ticks all the boxes - sounds perfect for me, plays like a dream and looks great. Sure, it might not have all the bells and whistles of 'AAAAA' wood finish, gold hardware and elaborate abalone/pearl inlays, but this does absolutely nothing for the sound - such nuances are more of a showcase for luthiery and if anything, makes me want to play the guitar less! As it stands, I'm happier that it's plain in appearance, as this has not been detrimental to the sound, which is staggering - but it's the sheer playability which sold the guitar to me. I can't recall playing ANY guitar which makes you play longer and better like this one does. I find myself practicing a lot more these days, as repetition is fine with me when it sounds this good! I wouldn't think twice about at least buying the Maton brand again, likely this model - but if I was flush with cash, possibly look into getting the Messiah...if the entry-level all-wood model is this astounding, the flagship model must be incomprehendably good! There is only ONE thing that I wish this had...and that is my ownership since it was built! If you're looking to buy a decent acoustic, look no further - I can honestly say it compares (or even outdoes) Martin's / Taylor's twice the cost of this! It's subjective, sure, but in a word: perfect.

This Maton is actually the ECW80 with the AP5 pickup installed. Features include all the usual you'd expect from one of these guitars with no added "fluff". This guitar was made in July 2007, is solid Queensland Maple back sides and one piece head and neck. Solid AA grade Sitka Spruce top, rosewood bridge and fretboard etc etc. This one is a stock standard ECW80.

I play mainly in a church worship setting, so most of what I play is contempary Christian music well suited to this guitar. I have to say that the sound of this guitar is absolutely fantastic. I have played and listened too many very expensive Martins and Taylors but never heard anything quite like my Maton. It has a very warm sound to it, great full sound with bright highs and no over emphesis on the bass. The soundboard seems to capture every little harmonic and note for each chord, giving a very complex but lovely sound. I really couldn't come up with any dislikes about the sound of this guitar, though I'm sure there are more experienced ears out there who could find fault.
Plugged in this guitar sounds great, the AP5 pickup reproduces the sound very acurately and clean. The volume, bass, treble and mid range controls are simple to use but not at the expence of control over the sound you want. Play one if you get the chance, I'm betting you won't be disappointed!

The guitar was set up great from the factory, a big plus for me because I prefer to let the experts set it up. The guitar is quite simple and plain looking, but still elegant. The finish is a satin stain which is great for sound, but is easily dented. The only blemish on mine was just under where the head meets the neck, though it looks like that happened in the shop where it sat for a year before I bought it.

I have only had this guitar a month so only time will tell how durable it is. Though, it certainly seems very sturdy despite its light weight.

Not sure on customer service, though the guys in the shop assured me that Maton is excellent to deal with - and I haven't heard any different from anyone else.

I am very pleased with this guitar, if it were stolen I would definately replace it with the same model. I know the preferred sound of a guitar is a personal thing, but I can't see how anyone would be disappointed with this guitar! Totally recommended to anyone who wants a guitar to treasure for life =)

Hey bought this baby a week ago and I picked it up from the music store KOSMIC SOUND (perth WA) yesterday. I didnt really buy it for the features, just wanted a good simple solid guitar... and ended up buying a piece of art! 21 frets, solid back and sides with AA spruce top... you all know the rest. I bought the no pickup no cutaway version.

Specs can be found at http://www.maton.com.au/acoustics/cw80.asp

Didnt come with the case initially, but i asked for one and I got given the maton case made by warwick... not sure about its specs or anything but its solid.

Let me clear something up. On this site the Maton 225 has very similar ratings to the cw80. Im not sure if this is because the reviewers took price into account when rating, or just didn't try the cw80. Anyway my point is, although it is a nice guitar, i wouldnt give the 225 a ten to save my life. I tried out the 225, then the 335 and then this, the cw80. Thought the 225 was a bit tinny and bright, and this was partially fixed with the improved 325 which had a far mellower sound. However I picked this guitar up and with one strum the smallish store shimmered. After more playing I knew that this is what I wanted and out the budget went through the window! Sensational guitar, for whatever style you play, it really sounds like there is more than one guitar playing in the room whilst you play. Huge on volume, bottom end projection is massive and sustain is incredible. Nothing more to say but THIS GUITAR IS WELL WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY THAN THE LOWER END MATONS. Im in love...

Good set up, action medium which I guess is a good thing... hammer and pulls ring out nicely and playability is good until getting past 12th fret but i dont play that high anyway. Gave the guitar a brief study and everything looks awesome! Stunning.

I didnt buy it for live playing but im sure it would pretty much rock the house. It IS after all made of thinnish wood so you have to expect some wear and tear, but the sound should remain at its full brilliance. Dependable I would say, Ill repost if i DO try it live. Id probably get a backup anyway because anything cood happen! but it wouldnt sound as good as this. Not sure if i can really rate this section yet.

Didnt deal with maton themselves, had the store salesman do that. The Kosmic salesman was definitely VERY helpful and replied quickly to all my nagging emails! :) I think its got a one year maton warranty but the music store will probably do small fix jobs on it for free for much after that time.

Been playing only a few years, this is my first REAL acoustic guitar. I have an epiphone custom les paul and a shitty fender 212 amp that plain sucks. If it were stolen or lost... hmm i'd have to find another one and a half grand! But once Id got my mum off my back about losing such a work of art then Id probably order another one or the maton A80 just for a bit of change. The sound is HUGE in every sense of the word, nothing to hate about it. I love the orange-ish finish on the maple back and sides and the whole binding/honey stain top looks incredible. Glorious to play AND look at. After trying other matons I found out that this was the one for me and despite the extra cash just had to have it! Might need to get an AP5 pickup installed if my music career takes off but chances of that are as little as me ever wanting or needing another acoustic guitar. I feel like an idiot giving it less than a perfect score, but at least unlike the 225 reviewers im being realistic. But i love her. She puts a smile on the face and warmth in the heart.

I have the ECW80C which is the electric cutaway version. The back and sides and neck are Queensland Maple with an AA grade sitka spruce top specified - although mine looks a bit better than AA. The peghead has a laminate of blackwood ( I think) and a keyhole shaped cutout in the top. The Maton brand name is a transfer on the nut. Grover enclosed machines. Maton AP5 active pickup with bass treble & volume controls and a sweepable midrange boost/cut. The timbers are quite light - the guys I play with commented it was very "blonde" and thus it has been christened "the blonde". It is stamped as built May 2004 and so is just on 12 months out of the factory. Overall it is not a flashy guitar but is still quite pretty.

I play anything I happen to like which could involve a hard pick attack in rock/blues styles to folky/country tinged stuff with pick and fingers - chords and single line stuff. It responds to whatever I ask of it. I use it through a smallish PA at church, and found the pickup easy and quick to get a great sound. If you cannot get a beautiful amplified acoustic sound, it would be your fault. It probably does not need it, but I run it through an Aphex Acoustic guitar exciter which is basically a DI box with Aphex. Acoustically it has a very nice balance and cuts through without being harsh. I especially love to find an excuse to slip a capo anywhere up from the third fret - beautiful chimey harmonics in the notes. It comes with Elixir strings, and I have stuck with these in case I lose the sound. At 12 months out of the factory the best is yet to come.

The action was OK and quite playable out of the box and I have not adjusted it yet. I am thinking I would like it a tad lower, but wanted to let it settle down before doing anything drastic. The neck may have bowed a little over 12 months so truss rod adjustment is due. The satin finish is flawless. I have not been able to fault the build - and I have spent a lot of time staring at this guitar - even to the extent of using an inspection mirror inside.

All acoustic guitars are a compromise bettween good sound and rugged build. I believe the best instruments are right on that fine edge of falling apart. This guitar is the same day in day out. I consider it a reliable option if it is to be your one acoustic instrument in whatever context. I suspect the satin finish will not last forever, but the basic guitar will still be doing the job in 20-30 years at which time I may get buried with it.

No reason to contact them.

I have been playing for 30 or so years - mainly electric - a Fender Strat for the last 20. My previous acoustic was/is an Ovation - Nothing in the price range (Ovations, Takimine)compared. If it was stolen and I was feeling rich I would replace it with one of the smaller bodied Matons - the good ones are $3000 AUD plus. This would only be for the smaller body though - the sound difference is marginal. If you want a guitar that sounds like $3000 - $4000 the CW80 series is the way to go. Want it to look prettier? Stick some gold tuners on it. I'm giving it an overall 10 for the bang for bucks aspect.

This was my uncles guitar and he left it to me when he saidly passed away, he bought it in 1983.
Has 21 frets with nice dot inlays
Beautiful Action
Grover tuners

The sound is amazing, the most beautiful sound to come from a guitar.
On high notes it sings and on low notes its warm and wonderfully bassy.
It could play any style of music suitible for an acoustic, and do so wonderfully.

This guitar is expertly made, no flaws what so ever.
It is a delight to hold, very comfortable.

Despite dents its still in a pefect structual condition.
This guitar will out last my life, would be nice to hand down to my kids.

Hand no need to deal with them.

I have only been playing for a bit under a year, but i know a great guitar when i hear one and this one is amazing. If it was stolen i would cry, partly fromthe sentimental value and partly beacause its a bloody beautiful guitar.
I love it to bits and plan to use it on an acoustic number im about to record.

Mine is actually the ECW80, which is the dreadnought without cutaway, but with the AP5 piezo preamp/pickup included.
Got a good deal on it.
This is Australian-made, March 2002 model and purchased in May of that year.
Primarily made out of all-Australian woods, solid Queensland maple back and sides, Queensland neck and Blackwood headstock (with charming keyhole on the top!), with rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and AA-grade solid Sitka Sruce top.
AP5 has volume, bass & treble sliders, plus two sweepable-mid knobs.
Grove-tuners (chrome), satin finish, herringbone rosette, ivory & black/white/black/white/black binding.
The Queensland maple has a beautiful silky/honey colour & hue.
For an entry-level all solid-timber acoustic at a competetive price, it's well featured.

Just as everyone else says, the sound is definitely the strength of this instrument. The tone is warm, very woody, very strong and projecting, and resonant and sustaining beyond belief, it just chimes beautifully! To some it may appear brittle as it's not necessarily smooth like say, a Takamine, but the clarity and strength of tone makes it one of the most convincing sounding acoustics I've ever tried. It doesn't have the shady moods and complex harmonics of the upper gloss model Matons yet the sound is nonetheless very "convincing", it's almost a very 'masculine' acoustic sound, mellowish yet strong & woody. Maton claim Queensland Maple (no relation to American maples etc) to be similar to mahogany but superior. It does sound better than mahogany which can tend to sound thin at times. Excellent for all styles of playing in my opinion. Plugged in it sounds wonderfully buttery yet strong, and lacks the brittleness of it's laminate little brother, the EM225 when that guitar is put through a PA.
This is one of those instruments where everything just comes together wonderfully.
Pick it up and strum some chords on this beast, you'll be blown away.

Had a truss-rod adjustment done recently, the guy told me there's a fault in the neck with a slight lift around the twelfth neck on one side of the neck, can see that but let that go. The intonation has seemed to have skewered a touch recently but that could be due to the current heat and humidity we've been hit with recently.
I don't think Maton's actions are the best, no matter how the action is adjusted, other acoustics are a lot easier to get your fingers around various barre chords etc. This has a fairly wide-ish neck, with wide nut, but I like that. Other than that, everything else is very good. ...am concerned about the intonation though.

I think this guitar is a workhorse and is meant to be knocked around a bit, moreso that the 'road warrior' M325 which has nowhere near the same amount of mojo this model has.
You don't have to be too precious about the CW80, it's meant to be used and abused and not held as a museum piece, you really don't need a back-up for this acoustic.

Maton are diffident and arrogant, they won't tell you a bunch of their AP5's from 96'97 had faults in them which rendered them useless after a few years, unfortunately that happened to my old 325 acoustic so I had to spent $400 to replace that thing prior to selling it. I was met with silence of course, when I questioned them about it.
Their products are not as perfect as they tend to make them out to be.

Been playing for 19 years now, since I was 15, own another Maton which I prefer and bought at the same time as this, the EST65C, totally different sound, thought with the money used to buy a decent overseas acoustic I could get two different Matons and have some change left.
If it were stolen and lost I'd buy either a Maton or Cole Clark, perhaps the same model as it's a wonderful guitar. Difficult to compare to other guitars because Australia is Maton-city...anyway Maton's sound true and distinctive compared to similarly priced imports, and better I think than Seagull and Garrison.
Generally, I love this guitar, I think it has to be counted as one of best acoustics in the world, it's a case of all the components coming together wonderfully to produce an instrument that is just tremendously convincing. It's Maton's mid-range dreadnought, and their most popular over the years. Aesthetically, it exudes clarity, warmth, givingness (doesn't 'hide' tonewise), masculinity, and strength. I can see why Maton call this their 'classic'.
I don't wish it had anything else, for a different sound, I go to the thinline EST65C which I prefer for solo live performance, (that's got a 'Rickenbacker-y' tone).
The neck fault doesn't bother me, but the less-than-perfect intonation I've just noticed does!
I think this is a better option than the model before it, the laminate M325 which although has some interesting tones to it, still sounds a bit sappy or cardboard-like. The model above the CW80, is awesome but yet in some ways it's more delicate, I don't think quite as versatile as the CW80. The CW80 more than handles the beautiful quiet stuff, but if feels good to thrash it a bit too. Yeah, it's a winner.

My maton is the CW80C or dreadnought Cutaway model. Maton guitars are Australian made, mine was made in 2003. It has 21 fret rosewood fingerboard, with dot inlays. It has a solid 'AA' Sikta Spruce top and Queensland Maple back and sides and neck. The CW80 is one of the 'lower' models in the Maton range and thus has a satin nitro-cellulose finish and also lacks any fancy mother of pearl inlay. However, it does has timber binding, a herringbone Rosette which looks nice and a 'keyhole' headstock which look nice and differentiate the guitar froms its lower syblings and other makes. I had previously played some older CW80s which had the maton label on the tuners, but all newer CW80s are gover rotomatic.

Although it doesn't have a lot of extra features, the real plus of this guitar is its sound. The Maton website (www.maton.com.au) says its the classic Australian sound; it is bright, but extremely versatile. I play all kins of music, classical to bluegrass to alternative and this guitar handles it all. Although the guitar has a beautiful 'chime' almost harpsichordish higher-note sound, I find that beause the guitar is bright, it can really handle open-D,C and droped D tunings. If you wanna sound like Ben Harper, John Frusciante or John Butler, this guitar will give you that - but the real strength of the sound is its versatility, basically anything sounds great on this guitar. I haven't stumbled onto any dull spots on the neck and that is with a cutaway. Can't really say enough about the sound.

I have had the guitar for a little over a week and having been over many times with a fine-tooth comb, I have not been able to find any poor work on the body (exterior or interior). The action out of the box was magick for the price of the guitar, compares well to $4000 Martins and Taylors. Maton recommends as truss rod adjustment after 6-months, though many people do not get it done, my dealer included the work for free, so I will. Lastly, what a neck - sure Martins have a nice neck, but start at $3500 - this baby rips, I have a Strat and I dont find my hands are slowed down at all when switching to the maton.

I have only had this guitar for a short while, however, from what I hear and have read they last - though you do have to careful of the nitro finish as it dents easily. I have seen Ben Harper and few other Australian artists on stage with the CW80 and thumping it around a bi and it holds together well and sounds great! The model below, the EM325 is called the 'road-warrior' and I assume that because of the better quality of the CW80 it is also a 'road-warrior'. That aside the guitar just really feels secure and reliable.

Maton were great when I was looking into buying a guitar - and I assume they will be if I ever need to get anything else done.

I have been playing since I was 12, I am now 21. Actually the guitar was my 21st B'day present. I am glad I got the cutaway model, though I didnt get the electronic because I don't need it (though it can be added later). The Maton CW80 is really a great guitar, though it is simply looking the sounds is as good as the A80 (Australian Series) which is nearly $350 more. I paid $1540 for mine, but in 2003 Maton prices rose considerably, so I was lucky to get it at that price (considering the $1899 price tag). The guitar has a really nice mixture of beautiful natural harmonics, sustain (that borders on phenomenal) and playability. Ok, ok, it isn't the Messiah, but it is nearly half the price and still sounds so professional. I really cannot recommend this guitar enough, I stretched the budget for it and I am not sorry I did.

I bought mine in 1976 it has roughly the same features as the present guitar.
You would not believe the abuse this guitar has taken over the last 26 years and yet it is still a truly wonderful and much loved instrument. The neck is still true and the solid timbers still have a lovely tone.

The sound has always been warm and large because of the solid, high quality timbers used.
This guitar has been in all sorts of damaging situations and it is still wonderfully straight and true - with almost no maintenace from me.

It has always been a beautiful guitar in every respect from the day I bought it. The spruce top has aged to a wonderful honey colour.

This guitar might even outlive the cockroaches in a nuclear war.

I have never needed any support from Maton - the guitar has been great.

I have been playing guitars for 35 years now.
The Maton CW 80 has been my favourite guitar in all that time.
I'm writing this (my first and only review) out of respect for what has been a wonderful companion. My CW 80 will retire now - I think it deserves it (btw - it's not for sale)
I have just purchased another Maton guitar. I hope it will serve me as well as my CW 80 has.

All solid wood dreadnaught guitar. AA Sitka spruce solid top and solid Queeensland maple back and sides. Grover tuners, blackwood featured "keyhole" headstock. Light finish to allow wood to breathe. Purchased non-pickup model to achieve the best possible acoustic sound.

For strumming and/or fingerpicking, this guitar is an absolute gem! Quite a bright sound but each string is evenly balanced . The bottom end is superb: it can get a real thump but no muddiness. The top end gives a beautiful musical chime. Clarity is fantastic. A guitar that inspires you to keep playing. Easily the equal of a good Martin , Gibson or Taylor but with its own character. It sounds like a professional guitar.

Action and build quality are excellent. Fretboard well finished, woods well matched and tuners work very smoothly. Top notch quality for this very simple guitar.

Put together well so no reason to suspect any durability problems even when gigging. Many Aussie pro guitarists use the model below this (EM325)for touring and it lasts well. No reason the CW80 should be any different.

Dealt with Maton in the past and they are quite helpful.

As guitarists, you get inspired by things you hear on recordings: you want to play and sound like them. The CW80 is a professional sounding guitar that that provides a beautiful acoustic sound: like the best you hear the pros sound in recordings. A great guitar at a fraction the cost of a solid US made Gibson or Taylor and sounds as good.

Made in Australia in yer 2000.With 21 frets , Solid AA Spruce top and solid silkwood At side and behind.

I play jazz , Blues and rock music and it suit me perfectly.it produce a bright and soild sound in plucking and strumming.

The guitar has a good natural looking with the AA grade spruce top and sie and back silkwood.

The gitar sounds really good for live playing or recording.The strap buttons are solid and i can use on concert without worrying.

i haven't deal with the company but it has lifetime warranty.

Overall, the guitar has a good looking and good sound.if it were stolen , i would buy it again . I really Love this guitar very much .

Made in Australia 2000, has 21 frets. It has a AA Spruce top and Solid Queensland Maple (Silkwood) back and sides. The neck is also Queensland Maple with a Rosewood fingerboard/dot inlays. It has a satin nitro-cellulose finish. It's the one of the basic models of the solid-body range so it doesn't have any gloss, mother of pearl inlay type decorations(not that you really need it to make it sound better). Overall the CW80 has enough features that make it look really nice and sound good.

The sound is one of the strong points of this instrument. It has a loud clear sound that can hold tone. To be honest I reckon it contains both a full rich sound and a bright sound providing you use the right gauge of strings. I recommend Martin SP lights.

This guitar has quarter-sawn silkwood(Queensland Maple). It has a nice figure to it that changes form if you loook at it from different angles. The back and sides have Blackwood binding istead of Ivory\plastic binding. The headstock has a different figure to it than the back and sides whcih provide a nice contrast in textures. It has a rosewood bridge and herringbone rosette also.

The finish is starting to wear in as I play more on it which is cool because its starting to get this weared gloss like finish. I see this as a good live guitar although I don't have it fitted with a pickup. Ben Harper uses this guitar live so it must be pretty good. The only finish problem that I encountered with this guitar is that the wood is very easily dinted so I have to be that little bit too careful.

I haven't dealt with Maton yet but they are very reliable (in Australia that is).

I have been playing for 2 and a half years now and i'm looking into another Maton, but an electric. A new MS2000D SD. Check it out at www.maton.com.au . I love the sound of this guitar. I tried other guitars like Takamines and Martins but they just didn't match up to the Solid wood sound. I would say this guitar matches the higher priced A80 (Australian Series) in sound. It just lacks the gloss finish. This guitar is incredible value for money. I wouldn't go past the CW80 for value. Big sound for a small price.