- Maton Factory Melbourne Ky
- Maton Factory Melbourne Beach
- Maton Factory Melbourne Park
- Maton Factory Melbourne City
The Maton Guitar Factory tour will take you on a journey to see how Maton guitars have been created from start to finish by our craftsman, as they have been don Only Melbourne Eat & Drink. Jun 28, 2020 Maton guitars have been hand-crafted in a factory at Box Hill since 2003 and the company, which employees 70 people, is still family-owned and operated. New Zealand born country-pop singer Keith Urban, who began learning to play guitar aged six, is pictured on stage with a Maton. He usually plays a Model EBG808 or EMD6. Jul 07, 2011 Kuah's trip to the Maton factory in Melbourne where the making of two custom guitars for Sunny & Strings are being explained. Can't wait to see the finished product when it arrives in TGS! THE MATON GUITAR; FROM A GARAGE IN MELBOURNE TO THE HANDS OF ROCKSTARS. And if you go to the factory the making of a Maton is quite an extraordinary process to witness. So many people touch the guitar from start to finish, add their skill and expertise to create this perfection that is the Maton. It is a labour intensive process.
When it comes to Australian musical instruments, few names are as recognisable and legendary as the iconic Maton guitars brand.
From humble beginnings, the company has grown into a global icon, famed for its acoustic and electric instruments alike. Maton guitars have been proudly played and endorsed by an ever-growing list of players that includes some of the biggest names in music, both past and present.
One Man’s Vision
Founded in Melbourne in the early 1940s by teacher and musician Bill May, Maton Stringed Instruments and Repairs (as it was originally known) was a simple, one-man operation that offered repairs and custom guitar manufacturing.
As is often the case with great companies, May never set out to create any kind of empire. He had a much simpler vision — to make hand-crafted, affordable guitars that were as good as any in the world.
As Bill’s reputation grew and word began to spread, it soon became clear that the business needed to expand in order to continue to meet demand. Prompted by this realisation, Bill convinced his older brother, Reg (a machinist by trade), to join him full-time. Together, they launched the Maton Musical Instruments Company in 1946 and began producing a steady output of the companies now-world-renowned acoustic guitars.
Going Electric
The next step in the company’s evolution came just three years later, when, with demand once again starting to outstrip supply, the company expanded. Maton also moved its operations into what was, at the time, Australia’s first and only major guitar production facility, located in the Melbourne suburb of Canterbury.
Tommy Emmanuel's 1999 Maton MS500 Mastersound
This factory would become Maton’s home for the next 40 years. It was here, in 1958, that the company broadened its horizons once again with the introduction of its very first electric guitar model: the MS500 Mastersound. The MS500 Mastersound remains the company’s flagship electric to this day.
Over the next couple of decades, Maton went on to release a swath of different electric guitar models in addition to its exceptional acoustics. These ranged from notably esoteric designs, such as the Maton Flamingo and Ibis, to slightly more understated yet equally unique guitars, like the Goldline and Fyrbyrd, as well as instruments inspired by other, more traditional designs. This even included copies like the El Toro, which was based on the Danelectro Longhorn.
Many guitars from this era were quite short-lived in their production and thus, are quite rare. In recent years, prices have soared on some of these hard-to-find vintage instruments, and they have become quite a prize for collectors.
1962 Maton 750 GoldLine
The Music That Matons Made
Throughout the years, a veritable who’s who of influential musicians have championed the Maton brand in one way or another. Going back to the ‘60s, one of the most prominent players was Harry Vanda of The Easybeats, known for his trademark cherry red Maton Sapphire 12-string that he used throughout the band’s career.
Locally, other prominent players throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s included the likes of Phil Manning, who had a short-lived Maton Signature model in the mid-’70s and Keith Potger of the Seekers. But arguably the greatest stalwart and advocate of the Maton brand is legendary acoustic guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, who’s very first guitar was a Maton MS500. He has continued to used Maton guitars almost exclusively throughout his long career.
On an international level, somewhat infamously, George Harrison played a Maton MS500 during The Beatles 1963 summer tour that he borrowed from a guitar store while his Gretsch Country Gentleman was in for repairs. That same guitar sold at auction in 2015 for a staggering $485,000 USD. Scott colley empire group.
Maton Factory Melbourne Ky
Contemporary Maton players include Eric Johnson, Keith Urban, Jack Johnson, Murray Cook of The Wiggles, and Neil Finn of Crowded House. Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme is also a huge fan of the brand and even has a signature model based on the Mastersound’s hollowbodied cousin, the BB1200. Homme isn’t exactly known for company or brand endorsements, so the fact that he worked with Maton definitely speaks volumes.
Maton Factory Melbourne Beach
The Legacy Lives On
Maton Factory Melbourne Park
Maton remained in their Canterbury factory until 1990, when demand for its guitars again forced a move to a larger factory in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater. A mere 12 years later, the company moved yet again into a purpose-built facility in Box Hill.
Maton Factory Melbourne City
Maton’s new location has allowed the company to increase production enough to comfortably meet market demand while focusing on the next era of the brand.
Bill May sadly passed away in 1993, but his legacy lives on. Maton remains a family-owned and operated enterprise, with Bill’s daughter Linda and her husband Neville having taken the reigns and stepping up to steer the company into the 21st century and beyond.
From a small backyard workshop, Maton Guitars has grown into a truly great Australian success story. Currently, Maton employs more than 70 people and remains 100 percent family owned and operated.
Firmly established now as Australia’s favourite and most successful guitar, Maton is gaining acceptance on the world stage as an instrument of the highest quality. It is following Bill May’s vision of making handcrafted guitars at an affordable price. His philosophy still rings true today: “If you make a good guitar, the right guitar, people will want it.”
Bill May's philosophy meant that “precision in work is very important. Individuals are important – I must have them. I feel it is the right way of life for a man to come and work and to give his ability to a job which means something to him and something to the end user.” Bill May.
Source: Maton website