Maton

Maton is an Australian musical-instrument manufacturer and guitar brand based in Box Hill, Melbourne. The company was established in 1946 by brothers Bill May and Reg May as the Maton Musical Instruments Company. Its name was derived from “May Tone” and is pronounced “May Tonne.” Bill May combined experience as a jazz musician, woodwork teacher, luthier, and guitar repairer with Reg May’s skills as a wood machinist. Together they developed a company focused on producing dependable, well-made instruments for students, working musicians, and professional performers. Maton’s early identity was closely connected to Australian manufacturing. The company sought to offer good value while experimenting with locally available Australian timbers, an approach that became an enduring part of its design and production culture. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Australian tariffs made imported guitars relatively expensive, giving domestic manufacturers an important commercial opportunity. Maton became visible on the emerging Australian rock and pop scene, with instruments used by performers and groups including Col Joye & The Joy Boys and The Easybeats. A notable early artist relationship involved Melbourne band The Strangers, who received a complete set of Maton El Toro guitars and basses while serving as the house band for the television program The Go!! Show. Although Maton became especially associated with acoustic guitars, its historical range has also included electric guitars, basses, amplifiers, and pickups. In the 1960s, electric instruments and amplifiers were initially associated with the Magnetone name. The company’s early amplifier documentation reflected Bill May’s jazz-oriented preferences by warning that warranties could be voided by overload or distortion, a position that contrasted with the later importance of deliberate amplifier distortion in rock guitar culture. Maton eventually became known for both acoustic and electric designs, but its current manufacturing focus is on steel-string acoustic guitars and pickup systems. The company no longer produces regular electric guitars; the BB1200-JH signature model for Josh Homme was identified as its last electric model. The brand’s international reputation has been built through a combination of Australian production, artist use, and distinctive models. Historical and contemporary players associated with Maton include George Harrison, Big Jim Sullivan, Neil Finn, Harry Vanda, Tommy Emmanuel, Joe Robinson, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Justin Sandercoe, Vance Joy, and members of The Wiggles. Harry Vanda’s red Maton Sapphire semi-acoustic 12-string became strongly associated with The Easybeats and was later donated to Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Tommy Emmanuel has been one of Maton’s most visible modern artist collaborators, using the BG808 and working with the company on the TE series, including models designed around his specifications. Maton also operates or has operated a Custom Shop for high-end instruments. The Custom Shop was established in 2008 and produced more than 1,000 guitars by 2024, with instruments hand-built under master luthier Andy Allen. Allen left the company in 2024 and subsequently began selling guitars under his own name; the future scope of Maton Custom Shop production is therefore uncertain. Current and recent Maton product families include the Mini Maton, Tommy Emmanuel TE models, SRS70C, Performer, and ER90. These lines cover compact travel instruments, artist-designed acoustics, stage-oriented slim-body guitars, and traditional acoustic formats. Maton’s positioning combines Australian manufacture, professional playability, acoustic projection, integrated electronics, and a strong connection to working musicians.

Maton began in Melbourne in 1946, when Bill May and his brother Reg founded the Maton Musical Instruments Company. The business grew out of Bill May’s earlier custom guitar-building and repair activity, conducted under the Maton Stringed Instruments and Repairs name. Bill brought musical, teaching, woodworking, and lutherie experience, while Reg contributed expertise as a wood machinist. The company name combined the family name with the word “Tone.” The founders initially concentrated on acoustic instruments intended for students and working professionals. Their approach emphasized quality and value, while also exploring the use of Australian woods. This local manufacturing orientation was commercially advantageous during the postwar decades, particularly in the late 1950s and 1960s, when Australian tariff policies increased the cost of imported guitars. Maton consequently became a prominent participant in the development of Australia’s local guitar market and gained visibility among the country’s growing pop and rock audience. During the 1960s, Maton expanded beyond acoustic instruments into electric guitars, basses, and amplifiers. Some of these products appeared under the Magnetone name. Early amplifier guidance reportedly cautioned users against overload and distortion, reflecting Bill May’s jazz background and the company’s original expectations for clean amplification. As rock music evolved, however, electric guitarists increasingly treated distortion as an expressive sound, creating a contrast between the company’s early warranty language and later popular music practice. Maton’s cultural profile grew through relationships with Australian performers. Col Joye & The Joy Boys used Maton instruments, while The Strangers received El Toro guitars and basses for their work as the house band on The Go!! Show. The El Toro’s unusual horned body shape made it one of the company’s more visually distinctive historical designs. The Easybeats also helped establish Maton’s reputation, particularly through lead guitarist Harry Vanda’s use of a red Maton Sapphire semi-acoustic 12-string. That instrument became part of the band’s recorded and stage identity and was donated to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney in 1999. The brand later became associated with a broad international group of artists. George Harrison owned an MS500 introduced in 1957, and British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan used a Maton Cello guitar during a career that included recordings and performances with artists such as Sarah Vaughan and Sammy Davis Jr. Neil Finn, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Vance Joy, and other performers have also been associated with the brand. Tommy Emmanuel became particularly important to Maton’s modern identity. He has used Maton guitars extensively, especially the BG808, and collaborated with the company on the TE series, which includes models developed around his playing requirements. Maton’s product emphasis eventually shifted back toward acoustic instruments. The company currently manufactures steel-string acoustic guitars and pickup systems and is no longer identified as a regular producer of electric guitars. The BB1200-JH, a Josh Homme signature instrument, was described as the final electric model in the company’s range. Acoustic offerings span compact instruments, traditional body shapes, stage models, and artist collaborations. The AP5 pickup system is used in products including the Mini Maton. The Maton Custom Shop was established in 2008 to produce more specialized, hand-built instruments. More than 1,000 guitars were made there under master luthier Andy Allen before his departure from the company in 2024. Allen later marketed guitars under his own name, leaving the continuation and future scale of Maton’s Custom Shop uncertain. Maton remains an active Australian guitar manufacturer whose identity rests on domestic production, acoustic expertise, artist relationships, and the continuing use of distinctive Australian design and material traditions.

• 2024

  Andy Allen leaves Maton

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  Master luthier Andy Allen departs after the Custom Shop has produced more than 1,000 guitars; the continuation of Custom Shop production is unclear.

• 2009

  Joe Robinson represents Maton internationally

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  Joe Robinson is identified as a Maton player and the company’s featured performer at the Frankfurt Musikmesse.

• 2008

  Custom Shop established

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  Maton establishes a Custom Shop for specialized, hand-built guitars.

• 1999

  Harry Vanda’s Sapphire donated to the Powerhouse Museum

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  The red Maton Sapphire 12-string associated with Harry Vanda and The Easybeats is donated to Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.

• 1960

  Expansion into electric instruments and amplification

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  Maton expands into electric guitars, basses, and amplifiers, with some products marketed under the Magnetone name.

• 1960

  Maton gains prominence in Australian popular music

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  The company’s instruments appear increasingly in the Australian rock and pop scene, including through Col Joye & The Joy Boys and The Strangers.

• 1957

  MS500 model introduced

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  The MS500 enters the range and later gains additional recognition through ownership by George Harrison.

• 1946

  Maton is founded in Melbourne

  [1]Matonen.wikipedia.org

  Bill May and Reg May establish the Maton Musical Instruments Company, building on Bill’s earlier guitar-making and repair work.

Australian-made or Australian-designed professional and enthusiast guitars emphasizing acoustic performance, practical stage use, distinctive local materials, integrated electronics, and artist collaboration.

• Compact acoustic guitar

  Mini Maton

  A small-body acoustic guitar designed for portability while retaining Maton’s amplified stage capability. The model uses Maton’s AP5 pickup system and represents the brand’s effort to provide a practical instrument for travel, performance, and players who prefer a compact body.

• Artist signature acoustic guitar

  EBG808TE

  A Tommy Emmanuel-associated model in the TE family. It is based on the 808 body format and reflects the collaboration between Maton and the guitarist, with design choices intended to support Emmanuel’s fingerstyle, percussive, and amplified performance requirements.

• Artist collaboration acoustic guitars

  Tommy Emmanuel TE series

  A family of acoustics developed with Tommy Emmanuel. The series includes the EBG808TE, EBG808TEC, TE1, and TE Personal. These instruments extend Maton’s artist-collaboration strategy by translating a prominent performer’s preferences into production and more specialized guitar formats.

• Acoustic guitar

  SRS70C

  A hollow-body, single-cut acoustic guitar with a tortoiseshell pickguard and rosewood neck. The SRS70C is offered in both six-string and twelve-string configurations, giving the line coverage across conventional and fuller-textured acoustic applications.

• Stage acoustic guitar

  The Performer

  A slim-bodied guitar using the 808-size format and designed with on-stage use in mind. Its reduced-depth construction is intended to make the instrument comfortable for live performers while preserving the practical role of an amplified acoustic guitar.

• Steel-string acoustic guitar

  ER90

  A model originally developed for the United States market. It is identified as Maton’s regular model offering the combination of a spruce top with rosewood back and sides, and is available in both 808 and dreadnought body formats.

• Guitar electronics

  AP5 pickup system

  Maton’s integrated guitar pickup system used in models including the Mini Maton. It supports the company’s focus on acoustic instruments intended for reliable amplification in live and professional settings.

• Electric guitar

  BB1200-JH

  A Josh Homme signature electric guitar identified as the last electric model produced by Maton. Its historical importance lies in marking the end of the company’s regular electric-guitar manufacturing before the range concentrated on acoustic guitars and pickups.

• Historical electric guitar and bass

  El Toro

  A historically distinctive electric instrument family recognized for its unconventional horned body shape. Maton supplied a full set of El Toro guitars and basses to The Strangers during their period as the house band on The Go!! Show.

• 2009Frankfurt Musikmesse featured performer program

  International

  Joe Robinson appeared as a featured Maton performer at the Frankfurt Musikmesse, connecting the Australian brand with an international music-industry audience.

  Outcome. The appearance supported Maton’s international profile among guitarists, dealers, and music-industry professionals.

  Source
• 1960The Strangers and The Go!! Show artist association

  Australia

  Maton supplied Melbourne band The Strangers with El Toro guitars and basses while the group worked as the house band for the television pop program The Go!! Show. The arrangement was an early example of a sponsorship-style relationship in Australian rock music.

  Outcome. The distinctive instruments increased Maton’s visibility during the formative period of Australian television pop and local rock music.

  Source

• 2024

  Departure of Custom Shop master luthierStrategy

  Background

  Andy Allen had led the hand-built Custom Shop operation and had produced more than 1,000 Maton Custom Shop guitars.

  Action taken

  Allen left Maton and began selling guitars under his own name.

  Aftermath

  Publicly available reference material does not establish whether Maton will continue producing Custom Shop guitars at the same scale or under the same leadership.

  Source

• 2008

  Creation of the Custom ShopStrategy

  Background

  Maton sought to support higher-end, more individualized instrument production in addition to its regular product lines.

  Action taken

  The company established a Custom Shop producing hand-built guitars under master luthier Andy Allen.

  Aftermath

  The Custom Shop produced more than 1,000 guitars before Allen left Maton in 2024. Its subsequent operating status is uncertain.

  Source

• 1960

  Expansion into electric instruments and amplifiersStrategy

  Background

  Maton’s original business was centered on acoustic instruments, but the growth of electric popular music created demand for electric guitars, basses, and amplification.

  Action taken

  The company broadened its range during the 1960s, initially using the Magnetone name for some electric instruments and amplifiers.

  Aftermath

  Electric products became part of Maton’s historical identity, although the company later returned to a primary focus on acoustic guitars and pickups.

  Source

1. 1Matonen.wikipedia.org