Maton EBG808 Tommy Emmanuel

Just like most others in the BG-808 series, but with a different combination of woods and the AP-Mic pickup system. The wood is of select quality (figuring in the spruce top, and on neck).
Lightweight. The AP Mic is really a nice feature. I own a Maton Messiah, which is pretty much the top of the line as far as production line models, and while it's a super nice guitar, it doesn't have the AP Mic, and I'm convinced it would be that much better if it did.

This guitar has it's own signature sound. It's not really like anything else I own, and I have 23 instruments. The midrange and treble are great. The mids come through with such authority that it makes this instrument outstanding for fingerstyle players that need to emphasize the melody. The treble is quite crisp, and the harmonics are - well, go listen to TE play Michelle, and you will get the idea. I find that using the Mic ever so sparingly along with the saddle pickup can really enhance the detail on the top end. You have to be careful, thouogh, because of the potential for feedback at larger venues. You can still use it to enhance the tone, even in those instances. If you play with it a bit, you will find that by blending, you can actually enhance the overall tonal balance. When played unamplified, the bass may seem a bit thin at first, but that is really not the case. If you listen to bass on axis with the front of the instrument, as one would if one were listening to someone else play, it is actually quite sufficient and defined without any 'muddy' sound. When you hear it from above, while you are playing, it is noticably less pronounced, and can sound thin. It is important to note that this aspect is completly eliminated when the instrument is amplified.

One thing I did was replace the composite saddle with a bone saddle. The result was greater sustain, and maybe a little more crispness.
I think TE did the same thing with his. I have not as yet replaced the composit nut, as I don't see any compelling need to do so.

The action was a bit higher than I like it when I got it. A little work on the saddle took care of that. Frets a even and smooth. The one thing that I noticed about both of my Matons is that the low e string seems to ride very close to the upper edge of the fingerboard, which makes it difficult to fret bass notes on some chords without pushing the string over the tapered end of the fret. The high e string has plenty of room, though. I am taking a point off for this.

The fit and finish were spot on.

The finish is very thin. I am certain that this contributes to the instrument's characteristic sound, so I wouldn't want it any other way, but I think that over time the finish is more likely to show signs of wear. I knew about this in advance. It's of little consequence to me.

If you are someone that is more concerned about appearance, I would look at one of the other 808 models, perhaps the signature series, that offer a conventional gloss finish. I have played both, and I prefer the tonal quality of the ones with the thinner satin finish.

I want a guitar that I can play everywhere, anytime, and this one fits the bill. Unlike my Maton Messiah, it's lightweight. It's much smaller than my Messiah as well, which makes it far better for travel and just gigging in general.

In a word, Maton's customer service is fantastic. I have dealt with them on two or three occasions. They were very friendly, and even sent me some spare parts (saddle and bridge) at no cost. Also, I had a minor problem with the pickup in my messiah, and they sent me a replacement, and that was on an instrument that was purchased second hand.

Sometimes it takes them a while to respond, as they are very busy, but they are top notch. They seem to take a lot of personal pride in the instruments they make.

Bottom line is, if you like the way Tommy's guitar sounds, you will probably love this one. It's pretty close to the one he plays when it's fresh off the line, and if you replace the saddle and nut with bone equivalents, it's probably exactly like it. I have heard his up close at a workshop. I am going to compare it side-by-side when I go again this year.

If it were stolen, you bet I would replace it. It's my main sqeeze at this point.

La chitarra e costruita bene, abbastanza precisa in ogni dettaglio, ma non si sono certo sprecati in decorazioni. Le meccaniche Grover Silver fanno il loro dovere, e la tastiera gode di un impeccabile intonazione. Top in abete sitka AAA, fasce e fondo in Acero del Queensland, tastiera in palissandro indiano. La forma della cassa e inconfondibile, e tenerla in braccio e una vera comodita.
Peccato per la finitura....il legno suona molto ma si segna solo a guardarlo....

Io suono fingerstyle e ADORO la timbrica della mia Maton, certo non aspettatevi un suono da dreadnough!!! La cassa e piccola ma molto potente, il suono brillante e bilanciato. Io la trovo perfetta perche non essendo troppo generosa sui bassi lascia venire fuori le note al canto venendo incontro ai fingerstyler piu' esigenti in fatto di balance.
Ottima dinamica specialmente sui cantini, quando suoni piano e morbida, se si mette forza si fa sentire.
Elettrificata non ha bisogno di commenti, in assoluto la miglior chitarra in circolazione.

L'action alla consegna dello strumento era un po' alta, scelte della casa produttrice. Una volta settata (molto bassa) le dimensioni del manico e la suonabilita riscultano perfette.
Direi che con quello che costa avrebbero potuto optare per un ponticello e un nut in TUSQ invece che in micarta.

Moolto delicata.....bisogna starci attenti!!!
Viene fornita con custodia HISCOX rigida (bellissima) che praticamente la rende indistruttibile, ma una volta estratta e molto facile strisciarla.

Credo che la garanzia sia di 2 anni, ma spero di non doverla usare....non ho ancora contattato il servizio di assistenza quindi non posso esprimermi a riguardo....so che avevo chiesto un ponticello di ricambio e il centro assistenza italiano aveva ogni genere di ricambio tranne quello che e invece di frequente utilizzo.

Io la trovo una chitarra eccezionale, devo ammettere pero' che prima di questa ne ho provate almeno altre 4 e sono state molto deludenti dal punto di vista sonoro.
Ho anche una Taylor 614c e come standard costruttivi quest'ultima e nettamente superiore, non parliamo poi dell'aspetto......la 614 e splendida e con una finitura super resistente....pero' ha poco carattere.
Ripeto, io la suono sempre, ma deve piacere e deve essere una di quelle "fortunate", non sono tutte uguali.