Maton M425/12

i recently purchased a maton em 425c / 12 string, left handed cut away, so it had to be ordered and made especially. its my first 12 string, my other acoustic is a cort.
the body is made from queensland walnut back an sides, queensland maple next, A select solid spruce soundboard, it has the ap5 pickup system which i have heard are good, and it has grover rotomatic machine heads.
i also got the maton case and strap.

the sound of this without an amp is really loud, and very lovely tone. when plugged in it sounds great too, im using a behringer acx 450, which is a nice amp. i dont have a lot of experience comparing acoustic guitars , but it certainly sounds better than my cort through the same amp, as i would expect!! the sound is full and rich and isnt tinny or too boomy or anything. overall excellent sound

well theres a bit of story here, when i got the guitar, which was sent from interstate, the action was so low i couldnt play it, so i had to send it back to the factory to get fixed, apparently something under the bridge had become unglued slightly in transit, so needing repairing unfortunately. so i got it back and it was perfect, the action is nice and low and is suprisingly easy to play for a 12 string, playing my 6 string after the 12 string, my fingers get sore heaps quicker, i think its due to the action, and the strings on the maton are elixer, very nice strings.
the finish is great , looks very nice, no noticable flaws, so overall great in this catergory.

for live gigs this guitar is perfect, the loud full sound is great especially if its just the one guitar playing, really fills out due to the extra strings and guitar sound. i would rely on this no worries

i have dealt with them about the bad action, but they emailed back promptly and kept me informed on everything so no worries there.

i have been playing electric for 15 years but have been getting in to acoustic more now, this is my first relatively expensive guitar and from now on i will not be bothering with cheap brands, it really is worth it getting a decent product, i think it will last a very long time if i look after it.
i would replace it with a similar kind if lost or stolen, i am thoroughly happy with the 12string, it sounds amazing, i mainly play strumming songs, so especially good for this. now i just need to buy another good quality 6 string to go with it!!

Basically all the same features that have been listed in previous reviews - Dreadnought body 12-string guitar made in Australia in 1991. Solid A grade Sitka Spruce top, Queensland Maple back and sides, maple neck, chrome Grover Rotomatic tuners and Satin Nitrocellulose finish. Ivoroid body banding and rosewood bridge and fingerboard. Only difference in this review is that i'm reviewing the electric version - the EM425C/12. Fitted with an AP5 pickup. This guitar is yet another beautifully constructed masterpiece from the Maton factory in Melbourne and i'd like to commend Maton on their continual perfection in crafting and building some of the most gorgeous acoustics in the world! Top Work, Boys!!!

I mainly bought this guitar to use in live situations - as well as playing in a band, i also play at church regularly and it goes BEAUTIFULLY through either a normal guitar amp (miked up with something along the lines of a Shure SM57 instrument mike)or DI'ing it through the main sound desk. Noise isn't a problem as the pick-up is one of the best in the world and there doesn't seem to be any hum or hiss etc. I've found so far that the pickup gives off more of a bright and, not tinney as such, but almost 'electric acoustic" kind of acoustic sound. I know that sounds stupid but those of you who own one will know wot i mean.

I'll be honest with you - the setup on the guitar was rather shabby when i ordered it from the factory to be honest. However this didn't upset me as very rarely do you buy a guitar directly from the factory with the pickup, action etc in perfect shape and place. I took it to my local guitar guru and he did a full service on it as the truss rod also needed adjusting and the action was WAY too high. Up until the first 5 or so frets it was fine but after that, the strings were lifted off the fretboard almost a centimetre by the 12th fret - makes life a living hell for the muscles in the webbing of your hand when playing barr chords etc. So i base my rating for this on the INITIAL setup that was on the guitar from the factory. After the setup, it played awesome and haven't had any problems since!

I continually use this guitar on stage and at church without a back-up guitar as i know i can rely on it forever and ever amen - no pun intended people :) The nitro-satin finish makes cleaning very easy and doesn't show up fingerprints and a blinding flash (like a gloss finish) when under lights etc. The strap buttons are nice and solid to use as i purchased a genuine leather Maton branded strap and it sits on the buttons nice and firmly - my only issue with the buttons is that as you have to remove the bottom strap button to adjust the truss rod, strap-locks cannot be fitted to this guitar which is a real pain in the ass! Hopefully Maton can come up with an alternate design or find a way around this problem as I (and many thousands of guitarists around the world) are firm believers in the use of straplocks.

Never had to deal with Maton support as i haven't needed repairs, fixation etc.

Had this guitar for about 18 months and if it was stolen, broken, damaged etc, i'd have about the same reaction if my girlfriend died. All guitarists have their "own love" for their axes and this is one of my four babies that i own!

A new non-electric cutaway model. Very nice satin finished top and all the other features described in the previous review. For a 12 it has a very acceptable neck width and I would rate the guitar as very user freindly and highly playable. One of the odd things I love about this guitar is the sweet aromas of the timbers that waft up while I am playing it. It has a very nice appearance, feel and weight about it which encourages me, and visitors, to pick it up and play.

Has a full and rich sound that some Maton sixes seem to lack. The six string lower end Matons have a very 'bright' but slightly shallow ring when new. Perhaps they mellow a bit with age. But this 12 has a very desirable richness to it. I dont play amped but when playing with a pick it is very loud indeed. I play a wide range of popular music from old c & w, rock, pop, ballads etc. I havent found many songs that it is not suitable for. I dont do much picking and when I do I find it easier on a six.

I ordered mine from a retailer after a horror story with a Korean made 12. I was there when they pulled it out of the box and it was set up perfectly. It arrived from the factory tuned down half a step.
I tuned it straight up and it played beautifully from the outset. No discernible flaws - I had high expectations of Maton's reputation for quality and I wasnt disappointed.

Dont do 'gigs' but play at parties, get-togethers etc. And on my own mostly of course. Typical robust Maton with a thin feeling finish that wears hard despite the feel. I'm going for a 'no opinion' here because I havent had it long enough to know.

As above - but from earlier knowledge of Maton's I am very confident about warranty and service.

I bought this after I had foolishly bought a Cort 12 that started warping after about ten months. The retailer was very helpful in getting me out of the Cort and into this. I have been looking at 12s for about 4 years and this is easily the best one I have picked up in all that time. (And I have looked at some expensive stuff) I also own a Martin D16RGT, Gibson Hummingbird, Yamaha FG180. I have also bought two Maton 225 cutaways for other people. This 12 sits right up there with my other instruments, all of which are real quality gear. If something happened to it I would definitely buy the same one again if I could get it. It is the only cutaway I own and I find it useful up the neck with the little bit of extra strength needed. Go for quality and reputation every time!!

Dreadnought body 12-string guitar made in Australia in 1991. Solid A grade Sitka Spruce top, Queensland Maple back and sides, maple neck, chrome Grover Rotomatic tuners and Satin Nitrocellulose finish. Ivoroid body banding and rosewood bridge and fingerboard. The overall style of the guitar is slightly austere, yet I like this...not gaudy but nice to look at in a classic kind of way.

I was stunned by the sound of this guitar! The previous owner struggled with this guitar as he had small hands...he didn't really volunteer too much info on it but just one strum and....GAWD!!! It sparkles and shimmers beautifully with a delightful ring to the mids and highs. You can feel the back of the guitar vibrate into your gut..just sustains like anything...This suits strumming and flatpicking primarily, and you can get that lovely 12-string "jangle" fot alternative guitar sounds. R.E.M, sounds superb on this....

It was previously owned, and the owner had taken pretty good care of it. There are a few little dings and scratches, but I like a guitar with character! The top has aged to a beautiful shade of honey brown, and there is no fret buzz. The action is a little high after the 10th fret, but a simple truss rod ajustment will rectify this...I just can't bear to be parted with it at the moment!!!

Maton is a well respected name in Australia and construct their instruments using top notch workmanship and materials. I have a 6 string that I bought new in 1982 and it is fine. You just have to look after your guitar....It will last me till I die I have no doubt.

E-mailed the company as I was unsure of the date of manufacture after purchase. They replied in less than 24 hours with all the info I could need. They care...........

I have been playing for nearly 30 years now (christ that long!!??) and own anothe Maton 6 string acoustic (Coolibah) 2 Telecasters and a Rickenbacker 1997 Thinline. If this guitar was stole I would be devastated as it would be hard to replace a guitar of this age/condition, especially since Maton owners don't generally sell their guitars...they're too good. I always wanted a quality 12-string and I couldn't be happier.