Maton Guitars

THE CUSTOM SHOP A.A TRADITIONAL

March 16th 2015

"I wanted to discover fresh tones and develop not only a different guitar, but a new way of looking at what The Maton Custom Shop had already achieved." Andy Allan


THE CUSTOM SHOP A.A TRADITIONAL

When most Maton enthusiasts and guitar aficionados take a glance at the AA they could be forgiven for thinking it is just another 808, but on a closer inspection they will see that this guitar is my take of an 80 year old classic with true Maton form.

The Double A is a Highly Figured Cape Otway Blackwood Back and Sides guitar with a Torrefied AAA Spruce top – another name for “Hot Spruce.” This is a process where the Spruce is essentially cooked crystallising the natural resins in the timber to give an already aged sound and appearance. The result is a beautiful rich and warm quality thick in its bass, mid and high frequencies releasing that 20 year old “friend” tone, so highly sort after, at the inception of life.

Though I am spoilt every day to work with these materials, I knew I had to rely on things other than their inherent tonal characteristics if I were to create my own voice within this model. Prototype after prototype, I travelled my guitars to Music Stores around Melbourne to compare its complexities against several other great instruments. After months of travel and development – moving bracing, refining heights and thickness and changing geometry one step at a time, I hit upon a formula that was unique comparatively to the other guitars I had played and yet perfectly in sync with my 20 plus years at Maton. I took this 000 or OM shape and married it with the depth of an 808 Maton. The result is a much deeper body which releases a wonderful combination of sweet and silky fingerstyle tonal balance and its depth characterises a power that when struck, gives volume that is surprising of a guitar of this dimension.

I have made so many of the AA Traditional model Guitars now that they continue to evolve almost daily. I grow happier with the results of my work as the guitars a brought to life and know deep down that this journey was worth the effort. Eric Johnson plays one, as does Neil Finn however the greatest joy this model brings me is that I have created something that my customers – The Maton Fans – remind me whenever they see me that I have given them their pride and joy. I hope you get a chance to play one of these AA Traditional Custom Shop guitars and maybe we can build yours together…..

 

Andy Allan