Maton EST65C

I've reviewed this guitar previously (see 'electric' section), though because since then I've used the guitar so much and for different applications I thought I'd share some new insights on an instrument that's somewhat become a part of me.

Dreadnought shape but a tad downsized.

2002 model, AA-grade Sitka Spruce top, Solid Rock Maple back'n'sides, Rock Maple neck & headstock. AP5 preamp & pickup. Differences to current model are black pickguard, gold diecast tuners (with Maton logo imprinted on each tuner), and in this instance, a lovely sunburst gloss finish.

Rock Maple is a generic North American hardwood also known as Sugar Maple or 'Eastern' Maple, and the tree produces maple syrup! (and 'classic' maple leaves ;)

This is the 'Deluxe' model of Maton's 'Stage Series' acoustics. There are 2 models in this series, the solid Rock Maple model and standard laminate Queensland Walnut model (EST60).

There are no Aussie woods used to construct this guitar (aside perhaps from any internal components), so it's quite unusual for a Maton in that respect. It still sounds Maton-ish, even though it's comprised solely on cool-climate north American woods.

As far as I'm aware Rock Maple was pioneered as a standard back'n'sides wood by Gibson for their flagship jumbos. Other than that I don't think it's used much as a back and sides for acoustics, it works well for electric guitar & bass necks though. I suspect that Maton's association with this tonewood came into being when (I guess) they copied the Gibson jumbo for their own 'country jumbo' and it went from there with the Tommy Emmanuel series and then the Thinline stage series (Gibson uses "Eastern" maple, same thing).

Read my other review for further details, but since that review I've been using the guitar a lot more, particularly in a duo with a singer and I'm amazed at how versatile this guitar is. We do a lot of Eva Cassidy, and then Norah Jones, various jazz, blues & r'n'b, and the amazing thing about this guitar is its ability to metamorphose into virtually any style. Perhaps that's the high gloss finish which, when plugged in, gives that 'pianistic' touch. But I think it's more likely that rock maple, like any north American maple, is bright and crystalline; though unlike 'Big Leaf Maple'(used by Taylor for example on their 600 series), the tone is somewhat 'cleaner', less flavoursome, and somewhat glassy. But with that, it's a wonderful tone that blends in with, as mentioned, almost every style of acoustic music (exceptions would be, say, acoustic roots rock etc). It certainly, 'particularly', does Eva Cassidy's music absolute justice, and it likewise comes to the party with r'n'b and bluesy material. Plugged in it sounds like an utterly high end instrument - acoustically it's a bit dense or 'jazzbox'-sounding (though lovely tone-wise nonetheless), fair enough considering it's a thinline and it's covered in gloss and uses quite heavy woods, it's quite 'glassy' and tonewise acoustically it's like a maple archtop...you have to be careful with marketing pitches but Maton are right when they say these guitars are meant to be plugged in and played live (records excellently too). In short, plugged in you get that delicious maple clarity and brightness, a fresh clean sound that's particularly rich, translucent, dramatic and clear, with 'treacley' mids generated from the wood configuration.

I believe that every tonewood has its strengths and weaknesses, having said that I believe the most 'convincing' sounding tonewood to be Rosewood. To me, Rock Maple's strength is its dramatic, clear, 'pianistic' quality, particularly to the chording; so it's a terrific guitar for styles of playing that require intricate chording, jazz etc (finger-style jazz is especially good). Rock Maple's weakness is, say, it's not particularly or obviously 'warm', or 'mellow', but that's all a matter of taste; for example, I find Blackwood's richness of tone a bit too "bleating".

A lot of people do comment on the tone of the guitar, ...very favourably.

The AP5 pickup has worked excellently thus far.

Maton recommend string gauge 12-53 but in my experience 11-52 seem to fit better. My changing my strings to the aforementioned 'custom lights' the string tension has eased and the guitar is so much more playable. The tone has not necessarily compromised, in fact it's a bit clearer and 'fresher' with better string definition (a bit of the 'treacley' maple richness was lost). Most importantly, I've finally got the guitar to the point where it's utterly playable, and so fit-& finish, & action is excellent.

The rock maple neck has an advantage over Queensland maple/mahogany in that it doesn't move and is utterly firm; "rock" is the operative word for this dense tonewood. A disadvantage is that aesthetically this makes the neck that bit stiffer and 'colder' to play though in this instance, it's that bit thinner than the neck Maton puts on the CW80 or A80 etc.

The sunburst gloss finish is exceptional.

The compromise is gold die-cast tuners, yet I will keep them as the guitar rarely if ever goes out of tune, the tuners are quite firm in fact.

This guitar has done heaps of gigs and is as solid as a rock! I don't bother with back-ups, except the batteries. The guitar is incredibly durable, I mean, rock maple back, neck & sides...these are strong woods baby!

I like the fact that 2xAA batteries last 120h+....makes things a lot easier!

Actually, I like the shape of the guitar, it's sort of like a cross between a dreadnought, grand concert & grand auditorium rolled into one. Very versatile instrument.

If lost/stolen etc which it won't be I would get this guitar again, perhaps customize it to some degree, may even try rosewood b&s for a different tone, apmic etc. This guitar is precisely half the price of a Taylor 614c (grand auditorium 'big leaf' maple b&s) and therefore represents much better value. Cole Clark's Angel at the time of writing is slow to hit the shelves so can't compare there. But....I really find the thinline/tapered dreadnought to be a very clever shape in itself, as said before, it's quite versatile in what it can deliver.

My favourite feature about this guitar is the magic, rich tone coming through the speaker(s) when all settings are good - this guitar is lush, a cross between a good violin & piano!!! It sounds like it looks, and it sounds like you'd imagine North American maples to sound like, cool-climate, fresh, scintillating....Eva Cassidy's material truly sings when performed on this guitar!!!

I'd prefer the guitar had gold-grover tuners....but that is all extremely small-fry to the important things in life....it's a terrific pro-quality guitar and deserves good accolade.

Caution!!: I don't think the EST65C is the guitar to acquire if you just want one all-rounder guitar, ie, an acoustic strummer as well as a plug-in instrument; this guitar is much better plugged into a decent system. Remember it's quite 'glassy' for an acoustic guitar so if you're after that woody tone perhaps this is not the guitar for you, particularly if you're using it primarily as an acoustic, rather than plugged-in guitar. And when you try out the guitar, make sure you try it plugged in as that's where you can really hear it in its glory, still, you'll still get that shimmering rich quality when you strum away without having it plugged in.

I reviewed this guitar previously (see 1st review on this page), but because since then I???ve used the guitar so much and for different applications I thought I???d share some new insights on an instrument that???s somewhat become a part of me.

Dreadnought shape but a tad downsized.

2002 model, AA-grade Sitka Spruce top, Solid Rock Maple back'n'sides, Rock Maple neck & headstock. AP5 preamp & pickup. Differences to current model are black pickguard, gold diecast tuners (with Maton logo imprinted on each tuner), and in this instance, a lovely sunburst gloss finish.

Rock Maple is a generic North American hardwood also known as Sugar Maple or ???Eastern??? Maple, and the tree produces maple syrup! (and ???classic??? maple leaves ;)

This is the ???Deluxe??? model of Maton???s ???Stage Series??? acoustics. There are 2 models in this series, the solid Rock Maple model and standard laminate Queensland Walnut model (EST60).

There are no Aussie woods used to construct this guitar (aside perhaps from any internal components), so it???s quite unusual for a Maton in that respect. It still sounds Maton-ish, even though it???s comprised solely on cool-climate north American woods.

As far as I???m aware Rock Maple was pioneered as a standard back???n???sides wood by Gibson for their flagship jumbos. Other than that I don???t think it???s used much as a back and sides for acoustics, it works well for electric guitar & bass necks though. I suspect that Maton???s association with this tonewood came into being when (I guess) they copied the Gibson jumbo for their own ???country jumbo??? and it went from there with the Tommy Emmanuel series and then the Thinline stage series (Gibson uses ???Eastern??? maple, same thing).

Read my other review for further details???but since that review I???ve been using the guitar a lot more, particularly in a duo with a singer and I???m amazed at how versatile this guitar is. We do a lot of Eva Cassidy, and then Norah Jones, various jazz, blues & r???n???b, and the amazing thing about this guitar is its ability to metamorphose into virtually any style. Perhaps that???s the high gloss finish which, when plugged in, gives that ???pianistic??? touch. But I think it???s more likely that rock maple, like any north American maple, is bright and crystalline; though unlike ???Big Leaf Maple??? (used by Taylor for example on their 600 series), the tone is somewhat ???cleaner???, less flavoursome, and somewhat glassy. But with that, it???s a wonderful tone that blends in with, as mentioned, almost every style of acoustic music (exceptions would be, say, acoustic roots rock etc). It certainly, 'particularly', does Eva Cassidy???s music absolute justice, and it likewise comes to the party with r???n???b and bluesy material. Plugged in it sounds like an utterly high end instrument ??? acoustically it???s a bit dense or ???jazzbox???-sounding (though lovely tone-wise nonetheless), fair enough considering it???s a thinline and it???s covered in gloss and uses quite heavy woods, it???s quite ???glassy??? and tonewise acoustically it???s like a maple archtop???.you have to be careful with marketing pitches but Maton are right when they say these guitars are meant to be plugged in and played live (records excellently too). In short, plugged in you get that delicious maple clarity and brightness, a fresh clean sound that???s particularly rich, dramatic and clear, with ???treacley??? mids generated from the wood configuration.

I believe that every tonewood has its strengths and weaknesses ??? having said that I believe the most ???convincing??? sounding tonewood to be rosewood. To me, Rock Maple???s strength is its dramatic, clear, ???pianistic??? quality, particularly to the chording ??? so it???s a terrific guitar for styles of playing that require intricate chording, jazz etc???.and with finger-style you get that ???violin??? tone. Rock Maple???s weakness is, say, it???s not particularly or obviously ???warm???, or ???mellow???, but that???s all a matter of taste; for example, I find Blackwood???s richness of tone a bit too ???bleating???.

A lot of people do comment on the tone of the guitar, ???very favourably.

The AP5 pickup has worked excellently thus far.

Maton recommend string gauge 12-53 but in my experience 11-52 seem to fit better. My changing my strings to the aforementioned ???custom lights??? the string tension has eased and the guitar is so much more playable. The tone has not necessarily compromised, in fact it???s a bit clearer and ???fresher??? with better string definition (a bit of the ???treacley??? maple richness was lost). Most importantly, I???ve finally got the guitar to the point where it???s utterly playable, and so fit-& finish, & action is excellent.

The rock maple neck has an advantage over Queensland maple/mahogany in that it doesn???t move and is utterly firm; ???rock??? is the operative word for this dense tonewood. A disadvantage is that aesthetically this makes the neck that bit stiffer and ???colder??? to play though in this instance, it???s that bit thinner than the neck Maton puts on the CW80 or A80 etc.

The sunburst gloss finish is exceptional.

The compromise is gold die-cast tuners, yet I will keep them as the guitar rarely if ever goes out of tune, the tuners are quite firm in fact.

This guitar has done heaps of gigs and is as solid as a rock! I don???t bother with back-ups, except the batteries. The guitar is incredibly durable, I mean, rock maple back, neck & sides?? ??? these are strong woods baby!

I like the fact that 2xAA batteries last 120h+....makes things a lot easier!

Actually, I like the shape of the guitar, it???s sort of like a cross between a dreadnought, grand concert & grand auditorium rolled into one. Very versatile instrument.

If lost/stolen etc which it won???t be I would get this guitar again, perhaps customize it to some degree, may even try rosewood b&s for a different tone, apmic etc. This guitar is precisely half the price of a Taylor 614c (grand auditorium ???big leaf??? maple b&s) and therefore represents much better value. Cole Clark???s Angel at the time of writing is slow to hit the shelves so can???t compare there. But???.I really find the thinline/tapered dreadnought to be a very clever shape in itself, as said before, it???s quite versatile in what it can deliver.

My favourite feature about this guitar is the magic, rich tone coming through the speaker(s) when all settings are good ??? this guitar is lush, a cross between a good violin & piano!!! It sounds like it looks, and it sounds like you???d imagine North American maples to sound like, cool-climate, fresh, scintillating??????.Eva Cassidy???s material truly ???sings??? when performed on this guitar!!!

I just ???wish??? it had gold-grover tuners???.but that is all extremely small-fry to the important things in life???.it???s a terrific pro-quality guitar and deserves good accolade.

Caution!!: I don???t think the EST65C is the guitar to acquire if you just want one all-rounder guitar, ie, an acoustic strummer as well as a plug-in instrument; this guitar is much better plugged into a decent system. Remember it???s quite ???glassy??? for an acoustic guitar so if you???re after that woody tone perhaps this is not the guitar for you, particularly if you???re using it primarily as an acoustic, rather than plugged-in guitar. And when you try out the guitar, make sure you try it plugged in as that???s where you can really hear it in its glory, still, you???ll still get that shimmering rich quality when you strum away without having it plugged in.

Tapered thin-line body (but not too thin!) 91mm-114mm.

Dreadnought shape but a bit downsized.

2002 model, AA-grade Sitka Spruce top, Solid Rock Maple back?n?sides, Rock Maple neck & headstock. AP5 preamp & pickup. Officially the ?deluxe? model of Maton?s ?Stage Series? acoustics.

Entirely hand-made.

This particular model features a gorgeous sunburst gloss at a time when the old Cherry burst of the EST65C had been replaced by natural gloss finish. I think these were sunburst finish guitars were made specifically for Haworth guitars in Kiama. The sunburst is great, only problem is that Maton cut a corner by forgoing standard gold Grover tuners by using Gold Diecast tuners, like the late Cherry burst version. I?d prefer natural gloss & gold grover tuners but, practically speaking, the gold diecast do the job and the guitar rarely goes out of tune, still, may enquire about replacing the tuners one day with gold grovers. They appear to be top of the line diecasts.

Along with the Rock Maple Jumbo, this is the only guitar of Maton?s standard line to not utilise any Australian woods at all, so although still a Maton, the Maton vibe or ?baggage? is less apparent on this guitar than their others. Aesthetically it feels like more of a North American instrument than an Australian one, and even the Rock Maple jumbo feels ?rootsier? in comparison to this, so my estimation is that the EST65C is the most left-field of Maton?s standard line. (All other of Maton?s standard line except for the aforementioned Jumbo at least uses a Queensland Maple neck.)

Features are great, except that the cutting corner bit of using diecasts instead of grovers is a stinker! Lose points for that ma-ton!

Maton advertise this as the guitar to be plugged in and played live but it sounds good without any amplification, albeit a tad on the soft side, yet it projects very well. It?s not a customary ?woody? Maton sound at all, like say the 225 or CW80, it sounds more ?Rickenbacker-y? with a distinct feel for jazz chording, or any chording for that matter?the chords and aftertones just SHIMMER and SPARKLE beautifully - a bright, rich sound. The bass response tends to be a tad awkward (I?m being finicky) but the mids (especially) and highs just shimmer - each note is clear and distinct, and leads work terrifically. A lot of thinlines acoustics can sound tinny, flat and faintly jarring but this beauty with its solid rock maple b&s SHINES, plugged or unplugged (besides, it?s almost as deep as a Taylor). The AP5 even gives it a smooth creaminess just sounds like heaven when performing, and more and more people are coming up to me and asking about this guitar. I use this guitar primarily for solo singer/songwriting gigs and it is the one acoustic guitar I?ve used that truly ?fits? for that purpose.
It can be a touch soft given that it?s a thinline but the sound projects very well. It records well too, basically it?s an extremely responsive instrument. It sounds like it looks actually, the sound definitely matches the reddish sunburst of the gloss.
Note too that a poor setup with fretbuzz as happened once made this sound worse than an old cracko Monterey thinline I owned!, but setup well, and it?s a truly MAGNIFICENT instrument with supreme sound and response.

The AP5 is a intricate and good piezo system but not wonderful. Be careful with those sweepable mids as the guitar can be made to sound quite scratchy or with this particular guitar, a bit clamorous. I think with any rhythm style the sweepable mids on this model are best kept next to off because the instrument itself has such a strong mid-presence anyway. But, hitting on the right levels....nothing sounds better coming out of that p/a!

As mentioned it?s a tad on the soft side unplugged, other than that it?s excellent.

Action is good. Has been lowered since purchased. Ergonomically it?s not ideal, the neck is quite wide at the nut and the radius is reasonably shallow, I suppose ideally for my hands either having a wider radius or thinner neck at the nut would be optimal. Sometimes feels a bit awkward to barre the minor chords etc. To me the Rock Maple neck feels rather cold - steely almost - and particularly hard so that has a slightly detrimental effect on the playability of the instrument. It doesn?t have the suppleness of say, a Queensland Maple neck or something equivalent to that. (Rock maple is commonly used for electric guitar necks is it??) Aesthetically too, the guitar does tend to feel rather ?furniture-istic?, it?s not an instrument that ?warms? as it were; not taking away from it?s excellence and beauty but the glossy rock maple vibe with is quite cold and hard - yet it suits its purpose and it works, that?s what counts. Fit is superb except for the diecast tuners, and finish is wondrous, beautiful hand-rubbed sunburst on front, and around the edges of the back, and at the back of the headstock and near the heel of the neck. This means the centre of the back of the guitar and centre area of neck you can see the natural and lovely look of rock maple not tainted by finish - on the whole it?s lovely. I notice there?s a few rot marks within the wood on the sides of my instrument but that?s ok!

On the whole very good except for issues related to ergonomics of the neck dimensions combined with aesthetics of utilizing a rock maple neck.

Been good so far with reasonable amount of use. AP5 still working, can't say the same about my old EM325C (since been sold). Diecasts are still good (keep harking back to that don't I!!!)

It's a very solid beast, glossy thin-line rock maple gives it a tougher touch compared to most other electro-acoustics. Use it with confidence!

When I purchased this guitar down in Kiama a Maton rep called Dave was at the store. We had a ripe old yarn about stuff, he knows his guitars and product line well. I don't think I'll need customer support. I'm sure this newer batch of AP5's won't konk on me like it did on my old guitar.

This is my favourite instrument of which I own. I own Fender basses, digital pianos & a CW80 Maton acoustic but this is the one instrument which is "me". It's not without hiccups or idiosyncrasies as mentioned yet for what it is I believe it to be the best of its kind in the world. I bought this guitar on specs as I wanted a solid back & sides thinline as I was after playability and resonance (plus I love American maples), no other manufacturer seemed to produce anything like Maton?s EST65C, and it?s everything I want in a performing/singing guitar. I heard it once in a band I saw at Woodford and loved it! It compliments my other Maton the CW80 really well as that?s far mellower and ?acoustic?. I suppose I?d prefer the neck of this particular EST65C to totally fit the dimensions of my hands, and I?d prefer grover tuners obviously as they are the standard. I suppose if it had a Queensland Maple neck instead of Rock Maple it would be virtually like the TE1 or Messiah (Rock Maple) version model.

A guy who set up my guitar believes this model to be the flagship of the Maton series. It isn't but it certainly offers something quite special and it is Maton's acoustic model which tends to be the most left of centre. The EST60C is the less expensive laminate version of the 'deluxe' model and uses Queensland Walnut back and sides instead of Rock Maple. That version sounds terrific too, Queensland Walnut sounds better I think glossed up or in 12-string format than it does as standard dreadnought (325 series). The new equivalent to these models produced by Maton are the bluegrass/cutaway thinlines the performer series featuring Bunya tops and Queensland Maple laminate back and sides. These models don't quite have the sparkle or resonance of the Stage Series, particularly the deluxe model EST65C.

If you like to play acoustic jazz, strongly consider the EST65C.

If you want a guitar to sing with in live venues, strongly consider the EST65C as it will GIVE BACK to you the singer, what you need to put out, ie, it's responsive and dynamic.

If you're after a Maton thinline or performer's guitar, see if you can get your hands on one of these to compare it to the other models, including the EM325C. You'll be paying around the $2000AUD mark for this model though.

I prefer the sound of Rock Maple - which is clean and strong - to that of the equivalently priced Victorian Blackwood ('Australian series' acoustics) which possesses a certain "bleatiness" to the overall tone.

Maton's EST65C Deluxe Stage Series thinline, Australian made, it's a fine guitar!