The origin of many of Maton’s successful models can be quite difficult to pin down. As is common with luthiers, the guitar we are most interested in is our next guitar, and the best guitar we’ve ever made has not yet been made. With eyes firmly fixed on the future we sometimes neglect to properly document our past, leaving that to the historians and enthusiasts.
Fortunately, the story of this little guitar is very clear in my mind, and in the minds of many of us who were around in its beginnings.
The predecessor to the Mini Maton was developed by Mark Malmborg (a long term Maton staff member from 1994 - 2020) around 1999 as an “after hours” home project using rejected or discarded Maton parts to create a new mini sized guitar, originally called “the Stubby Traveller”. It was a shorter scale guitar (22.7”) derived from the full length Maton scale of 25.5 inches by removing the first two frets. It was tuned to standard guitar tuning and was fitted with the Maton AP5 pickup we were using at the time.
Mark created a monster with his little guitar and was soon making instruments for top Australian musicians including Diesel, Jimmy Barnes and many more. The demand was such that it soon became necessary for Mark to make a decision about what to do with his creation. Luckily for us he decided to keep it in the family and so we set about designing the Mini Maton in 2004. It was released in 2005 (check).
It was quickly taken up by many musicians as a stage guitar. Its small body size meant it could operate safely at high volumes, and its rugged construction made it virtually indestructible on the road.
Its plugged-in performance was incredible. To most ears it was indistinguishable from its full-sized cousins, and to those in the know, it had a funky midrange quality and thicker sustain that leant itself to single string lead playing and snapping and growling in front of a band. This was so much more than a “travel guitar”.
The Australian musician Mark Lisotte (aka Diesel) worked with Mark to refine the guitar, eventually ending up with his own model, the Diesel, which continues to be one of our most sort after models.
We have made a few changes to the Mini series along the way, learning and improving as we do. The original fan bracing has been replaced by a double X and the trapezoidal bridge plate has been replaced by a laser cut curved bridge plate to help the lightweight soundboard resist string tension, but otherwise the Mini is still pretty much the same guitar Mark designed all those years ago.
At the time of writing we are putting out serial numbers in the mid-14,000s. That’s a lot of guitars, especially considering these guitars have all been produced in our Box Hill factory by a small team.
The Mini MatonEMD6 is not just a small guitar, or a travel guitar. It is an instrument in its own right, with its own voice and a unique place in the world of guitars. It is incredibly versatile, lending itself to all sorts of applications.
And did I mention the Mini 12 String? This is an incredible guitar. It sounds like an orchestra but is comfortable to play and easy on the left hand. It records brilliantly, adding all the 12 string shimmer and punch one could ask for, without any of the “mud” larger bodied 12 strings can bring to a mix.
There are some tonal differences between the Mini range. The Blackwood back and sides of the EMD range produce a warm, full tone, while the Qld Maple back and sides on the EM6 create a brighter tone. The EMBW-6 has a slightly compressed, bluesy voice driven by its Blackwood soundboard.
At Maton we are always looking to improve our instruments and there are some exciting developments coming for the Mini range shortly, but in the meantime, try one out. You will be amazed by what this little guitar can do!