To be fair though, it is an 808 body against a Dreadnought, thus the bassier sound. I have a an EBG808TE and a SRS70C. The SRS being a dreadnought sounds louder and fuller.
Maton sounds great and yes bright. Acoustic is truly a warm sound. The Martin has a roundness about the whole range and the overtones are like liquid gold.
Definitely played the exact same way on each guitar for comparison, although I don't feel it really demonstrated the capability of these guitars on how articulate they are. Hard strumming seems more appropriate on a dreadnought than playing on smaller or a more narrow-waist bodied guitar. You tend to overcome the soundbox IMO on OM or 00 style guitars. The Martin sounded warmer than the Maton IMO, but I was really hoping to hear more finger-style technique, as I think they are probably both very capable guitars with maybe the Maton winning out here!
Hi Shane & Dr Rick I think we are the real winners thanks for doing something on acoustics. Its great to see a comparison between Maton and Martin. I do acoustic gigs all the time, It would also be great to hear the difference plugged in Maton are my benchmark for live amplified acoustic sound. Perhaps a Maton, Martin, Taylor shoot out or similar it would be great to hear your opinion through Takamine and Cole Clark also are great perhaps a series of videos are in order :-) Cheers and thanks again!
Love Maton guitars mostly cause my hero Tommy Emmanual plays one however, I own a Martin D-35 & a Martin D-41. I have to say that the Martin seemed to me to have more of everything across the tone spectrum. I think I heard them saying that the Maton had new strings??? HOW IS THIS FAIR???????? Maton had a brighter sound which I don't particularly like so glad I have what I have. I also own a Cole Clark Fat Lady 3 with rosewood back and sides, so it is a cousin to the Maton I guess you could say?
I have a Maton S70 and I have a Martin D28 coming soon - my ambition of some 15 years! In this video I thoght the Maton was a little bit clangy. My S70 has the same beautifully resonant tone but just a little more harmonius and softer The Martin sounded more balanced, more melodious but both sounded beautiful. It's a real Pleasure to have any of these guitars, both to listen and to play.
The Martin had a lot more punch in both the mid and low mid range, usually the indicator of great guitar. Both guitars were strummed fairly hard, it would have been nice to hear them at different dynamics or fingerpicking etc. so its hard to gauge their true voice. The Maton has it's flavour. Bright, scooped mids. Its heard a lot in this country from concerts to gigs. It would certainly have an appeal over the Martin for some musicians. If I could choose only one I think I would take the Martin. Both nice Guitars.
I liked the Maton...nice and strident but the Martin was more focused with a deeper throatier sound that I enjoyed slightly more. I think it's down to what you're looking for in an acoustic at the end of the day. I'd be happy with either - my wallet might enjoy the Maton slightly more though LOL
Thanks for the demo. These are really two different guitars. I have the Maton Austrian 808 and this has a Bunya top with Blackwood back and sides. Because of this this guitar produced a more pronounced thicker midrange and also the blackwood B/S add punch and projection. The Martin has a sitka spruce top with Rosewood B/S. This has full bass and treble regarding the spectrum with a dip in the mid-frequencies. That's the reason why the guys ininitially thought that the Maton was " louder" but after measuring the Martin had more dB's on the meter. Because the mid-frequencies where more present in the Maton it seemed louder. Both great guitars. It's a matter of tase and/or application. Cheers
Yes, I agree… two beautiful incomparable guitars, each of which will shine more or less than the other depending on playing style ( rhythm strummed, flatpicked, fingerpicked) and genre played.
Without a doubt you can hear it. Martin was much fuller and more rounded. The Maton was still good, just a lot brighter sounding. Also, Bummer no lefty :( I feel your pain, Shane!
It’s a matter of taste, but if you’re congested it may be hard to do. I think the Maton would taste better for me. Are they both the same scale? I like the Maton because of the smaller scale because I have shorter fingers. How much does the Maton cost these days?
Dr Rick, good to see another guitarist who plays with the guitar resting on its shoulder between his legs. I took classical lessons for about a year at the start of my guitar journey 50 odd years ago and have never been able to play guitar any other way. We are few and far between. Good demo as well.
both are awesome. did i hear them say that the strings were newer on the maton? how can you make a comparison with indifferent string configs? The Martin sounds warmer. They are lovely guitars. Both are. Would love to hear this again with brand new strings on both
I think they picked the wrong guitars for a fair comparison. The Maton Messiah 808 which is rosewood and spruce for similar materials. Or perhaps a signature series from Maton, like the Tommy Emmanuel or Joe Robinson. Huge difference in values of the 2 they used. Plus strings make a big difference. I'm not keen on Elixirs.
@@lordfluxington Yes true. The Matons are actually good value for money. Just the basic srs808 with cedar top is a fantastic sounding guitar and can be bought for well under $2000 in Australia.
Since I discovered Maton over 20 years ago I’ve sold six Taylor’s and two Martins to me there is no contest. Maton rules I’m waiting for my all Blackwood 808c to get here from Australia. I had two different offers to buy my Maton right off the stage!
this was a good demo, all comes down to preference once again. I already have a Taylor 714, which the Maton reminds me of, and I love it. I've been looking at the Martin OM for that difference. Just the difference in price that I have to live with...
Well if you were playing only with fingers or a muted boom chick/thumb pick style like TE then its the Maton otherwise I'd say its the Martin for general purpose. You'd really appreciate those extra highs on the Maton if/when its only flesh & not plastic thats plucking them, & even more so while playing only a few strings at a time. I Mean just listen to ANY of Tommy's many one-take youtube vids recorded with only a few nifty mics. They really do sing. Though I'd be glad to review and/or own either one.
I own a Maton and a Taylor. Love them both but they both live in the bright section of the sound spectrum. The Martin brings a more rounded and mellow tone to the table. I'd love to have one but boy they are so expensive. I keep hoping to come across a guitar that offers that same quality in sound and construction but doesn't threaten my marriage! That sound may be unique to them but I live in hope.
My visual impression was that the Martin is just a bit bigger in the body with more room for the sound to bounce around & out from but could be optical illusion due to colour differences of timbers. But, on “ timbers”, I think it difficult to do direct comparisons when construction timbers differ so much. Maton, always famous for brightness, Martin always seems to have had lusher, softer more bass obvious sound. I’d fingerpick the Maton & more strum rhythm on the Martin, & flatpick both. But, comes down to what style of music you like to play perhaps… or solo Vs in a band etc. Ease of playability depending on player’s hand size, & other personal influences … The Maton neck feels really good in the hand of a less experienced or small handed player. 🙂
Maton sounds like aTaylor. I sold my Taylor because it sounded thin like the Maton. I have a Martin now and it sounds far more natural. I use it for recording and it's great.
All Matons don't sound the same. Have many models. It's a non comparison except between two different guitars. Also should have been both restrung with the same strings. It's about the type of wood used and the way it's braced not the brand name. Anyway, this is just marketing.
Maton for me 👍🏼 In my ears, and I’m wearing some Very high end headphones, the maton sounds much more alive and high end. The woody sound is crisp! Martin sounds almost muffled compared. And, when you plugg that maton in, that’s where the real difference shows by the way! Everyone can make awesome guitars, but getting the pickups right is almost impossible, but maton sure is best in class in this!
I thought the Maton would kill it but for me the Martin had a much warmer tone and sound. The Maton might have sounded a little louder but the warmer tones of the Martin were more acoustically resonant for me.
I have both and honestly, the acoustic comparison is not fair: I love my Martin when I place a mic in front of it, and I love my Maton plugged for recording. It is 2 different worlds and they are complementary! Moreover, the maton's neck is easier for complex songs...
Yes, playability of the Maton neck is often not mentioned. Was important to me as a small handed novice. I already liked the sound & feel if it but had a superior finger picking blues guitarist point out the advantage of that Maton neck, right at the start! 😊
I would love to see a blind test where the testers and audience couldn’t identify the make, model or price until much later. Those tests are very revealing.
I really wanted to like the Martin better, but for me the Maton wins here. The Martin just sounds a bit dull or muddy to me. Maybe that's because I play a Taylor and am used to the brighter sound..
Good solid comparison, the Martin sounded best in my opinion, just a more complete wood sound, but I have played Matons at a local shop in Solona Beach and those guitars are well built easy to play and I really am keen to them. You also picked an EC model one of their best (IMO) I think that was a TE model so very close. Trust me I saw TE at the Balboa Theatre in SD and those guitars in the hands of that Master, made you go through every emotion you have inside. Let’s here a Queensland Maple or Blackwood 12 string cutaway please and thanks. Good show
Yes! A Maton in the hands of TE; he certainly can play to pull that full range of emotions out of you. Which is what I thanked him for doing, after a gig a few weeks ago. TE’s reply: “That’s exactly what music should do.” 🥰
Goran Kosaric Absolutely correct. I went through approx 15 high priced acoustics and just about every combination of pickups you can imagine - then I got a Maton - happy days.
They are worlds apart in sound feel and price. Generally to have something 2db louder that feels quieter is like owning a nicely tuned v8. Maton and Martin have been in the market long enough for the world to evaluate them. They are priced accordingly.. Maton & Martin luthiers would argue who’s got better woods and craftsmanship and taste, over a beer or 3. But the difference in price and re-sell is justified, proven and accredited by the guitarist market. You can’t really say history is a big price factor as Taylor Collings, Santa Cruz, are all kinda newer. And more expensive in some cases. Acoustic Tone seems to be the contributing factor still.
The Martin sounds like a good choice to strumm and sing along solo style, as it's got a broad sound with some space in the middle for the voice to sit in. The Maton sounds like it's already been EQed to sit well in a more elaborte mix. Love it.
Played as demonstrated, The Martin over The Maton here, but ironically years ago as a complete novice looking for a “ beginners guitar”, I picked & strummed strings all the way out of my beginner budget range until I heard something I liked. It was a solid bodied QLD Maple B/S/neck, spruce topped. Clean, clear, balanced across the strings. Music shop proprietor asked if I’d found what i was listening for? Yes, I had. My “ problem” he said, was that I’d been listening to some excellent local, live players with Martins, Gibsons, Fields …. so knew what quality sounded like. Both these guitars are “ quality”, just depends on what/how you play & what pleases your own ear. Shop owner heavily discounted, I jumped my budget up 25%, and walked away with The Maton. The imported Martins a bit further up the racks were of course right out of reach $wise in Australia 1983.
I can’t believe I’m saying this. The Maton was the more musical and clearer of the two. The Martin just had too much bass and would be muddy in any mix. From a lifelong Martin owner
like a taylor the maton did sound bright and crisp. the martin sounded richer - fuller in the mids and lows. giving it a warmer tone. if a company could make a guitar that has the full, warm mids and lows that martins have with slight boost in the highs - i think it would be a fantastic sounding guitar.
I own a 1981 Maton, it sounds much fuller than the Maton used for this comparison. Almost as full as the Martin but still I'm comparing against a video with my Maton miked with an internal very old GHS condenser mike using an AA Battery for to power it. Thanks for the comparison, Given no guitar, the money, and a choice I would buy the Martin, but my Maton is great so I have no need.
I was never a Martin guy. I've owned Goodall, Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, multiple Taylors but never a Martin. However, whenever I watch some comparison videos, Martin almost always seems to win. To me, Martin is the sound that will never go out in style. It's so American. Wouldn't mind having a Martin D-42 or an OM.
Both great guitars, but depends on what you’re looking for. Maton is bright and brassy. Martin is rich and warm. I prefer the Martin. I wish they would have done a flat picking comparison and finger style comparison.
I love my Martin, however, the only problem is, it needs an external preamp, and they seems to be a pain. I like to be able to plug and play. Sound men freak out on the preamp box lol
I've seen two UA-cam videos with both these guitars ( back to back listening both clips) and I love Matons but in this case I think the Martin was a bit more mellow.. I usually find martin too bright ( square shoulders) but in this OM class I think the Martin is a winner. But that's just one man's opinion and I'm not in the room hearing it .
I own the 000-28EC and it is my favourite guitar of all time. It has a warm clear tone including strumming and finger picking. When I started playing Tommy Emmanuel songs I found I wasn’t getting the tone I wanted. TE has a bright percussive style and I couldn’t get the same on the Martin. I fitted an LR Bagg Anthem pickup on my Martin and played through a amp and it narrows the gap a lot but still not quite there. Of course my crappy skills may be part of it 🤣 I feel the wired Maton will make the difference but I haven’t had a chance to try the TE model for myself. Looking forward to trying it out soon.
King Robert haha yes that too. Since writing my comment above I went and got the Maton and it does have the TE sound but slightly harder to play than the Martin due to slightly longer scale and narrower fretboard
Maton is way better for high frequencies and overtone. Martin has better low frequencies and warmer sounds. Maton would be for finger style and Martin for pick style.
Whether it be gentle fingerpicking, lghtly strummed cowboy chordsor digging-in aggressively, the Maton just sounds "better" to my ears. Brighter and less restrained than the 'rosewoody' overtones we hear from the Martin. Just big, in your face, 'mapley' sound; perfect for soloists like Tommy Emmanuel. In a band setting, a maple back and sides guitar can help melodic phrases pierce through the mix more effectively.
I own a customised maton cw80 dreadnaught with stainless steel frets, bone saddle and nut. This has made the already bight sounding maton sound bighter and louder. My other acoustic is standard Tanglewood 1000, indian redwood back and sides, Solid AAA Engelmann Spruce top, Tanglewood has what I call a clearer sound with a deeper growly base and middle. These two acoustics are very opposite sounds. I love them both. I hear those same differents with the two guitars in the video. If I had to buy ONLY ONE it would be the maton but thats just for my personal use.
I prefer the warmth of the Martin's sound, though like other commenters below I'd like to hear more fingerstyle and single not lines to get a full impression of the entire range of each guitar.
I have two matons. A 2018 ebg 808.. it's beautiful..my work horse..the other is a 1981 maton coolabah. I've never played a Martin.. gotta get me one, someday
I think they're both great instruments in their own right, and they both sound really good. However I do think the comparison is slightly unfair, because the Maton's body is slightly smaller than an OM I believe, and the particular model you played didn't have rosewood back and sides like the OM28 does, it has blackwood instead. Nontheless I think both instruments sounded amazing but they sound very different from each other because of the differences in tonewoods etc.
I really wanted the Maton to win but the Martin has a fuller sound at least to my ears. The Maton is way bright to me.
To be fair though, it is an 808 body against a Dreadnought, thus the bassier sound. I have a an EBG808TE and a SRS70C. The SRS being a dreadnought sounds louder and fuller.
@@kintho1 No dreadnought in this video actually
@@kintho1 Eric Clapton model is a 000 body which is closer (if not the same body) to a Martin orchestra model (OM) so ur point is invalid
The maton is a little buzzy too
Actually the Martin isn't a Dreadnaught it's an orchestra model which the 808 is based on.
Martin has more depth, good full sound. Maton has loud bright string(ier) sound. I vote, Martin.
Both sounded great but different.
All depends on the sound you are going after. I would love to have either of them!
The Maton looks great, but I've always perferred the mellowness of Martin's over other, typically brighter brands.
The warmth and the mellow sound of the Martin is my choice hands down. I own a D 35, and it's by far the best guitar I've ever played
Maton sounds great and yes bright. Acoustic is truly a warm sound. The Martin has a roundness about the whole range and the overtones are like liquid gold.
Maton is on my list to own one day. A few years ago I was able to get a Martin D-28 which is just lovely, and made minutes from my home.
Definitely played the exact same way on each guitar for comparison, although I don't feel it really demonstrated the capability of these guitars on how articulate they are. Hard strumming seems more appropriate on a dreadnought than playing on smaller or a more narrow-waist bodied guitar. You tend to overcome the soundbox IMO on OM or 00 style guitars. The Martin sounded warmer than the Maton IMO, but I was really hoping to hear more finger-style technique, as I think they are probably both very capable guitars with maybe the Maton winning out here!
Maybe its what my ears are used to but I like the brighter sound of the Maton. The Martin in comparison sounds dull to me.
Thats What I thought
Totally agree!
absolutely
Hi Shane & Dr Rick I think we are the real winners thanks for doing something on acoustics. Its great to see a comparison between Maton and Martin. I do acoustic gigs all the time, It would also be great to hear the difference plugged in Maton are my benchmark for live amplified acoustic sound. Perhaps a Maton, Martin, Taylor shoot out or similar it would be great to hear your opinion through Takamine and Cole Clark also are great perhaps a series of videos are in order :-) Cheers and thanks again!
Love the Aussie maton, but the Martin was nice. Both distinct sounds. I'll take either..... Just send it to my place
79 compared to 81 dB, is quite a bit. The Martin ciovers a lot more of the frequncy range. If a comparison Schall be right, styrings must be equal.
Martin sounds fuller with more clarity. Thanks guys ! :-)
Love Maton guitars mostly cause my hero Tommy Emmanual plays one however, I own a Martin D-35 & a Martin D-41. I have to say that the Martin seemed to me to have more of everything across the tone spectrum. I think I heard them saying that the Maton had new strings??? HOW IS THIS FAIR???????? Maton had a brighter sound which I don't particularly like so glad I have what I have. I also own a Cole Clark Fat Lady 3 with rosewood back and sides, so it is a cousin to the Maton I guess you could say?
I love the '39 Riff in the beginning from Queen. It's probably the one riff I always play when testing a new acoustic guitar. 👌
I have a Maton S70 and I have a Martin D28 coming soon - my ambition of some 15 years!
In this video I thoght the Maton was a little bit clangy. My S70 has the same beautifully resonant tone but just a little more harmonius and softer The Martin sounded more balanced, more melodious but both sounded beautiful.
It's a real Pleasure to have any of these guitars, both to listen and to play.
Nice comparison gentlemen. Thanks.
Did they both use the same strings (brand, size)? Makes a huge difference if they did not.
The Martin had a lot more punch in both the mid and low mid range, usually the indicator of great guitar. Both guitars were strummed fairly hard, it would have been nice to hear them at different dynamics or fingerpicking etc. so its hard to gauge their true voice. The Maton has it's flavour. Bright, scooped mids. Its heard a lot in this country from concerts to gigs. It would certainly have an appeal over the Martin for some musicians. If I could choose only one I think I would take the Martin. Both nice Guitars.
I liked the Maton...nice and strident but the Martin was more focused with a deeper throatier sound that I enjoyed slightly more. I think it's down to what you're looking for in an acoustic at the end of the day. I'd be happy with either - my wallet might enjoy the Maton slightly more though LOL
Thanks for the video - I liked the Martin best -seemed to have more middle and warmth. But I've also a fair number of Matons in my collection.
How thick is the bracing on the Maton? It's sounds a little bright, but like the top isn't getting enough vibration.
Martin - Landslide.
I personally prefer the Martin, less tinny highs and more lower mids to give it some beef
Thanks for the demo. These are really two different guitars. I have the Maton Austrian 808 and this has a Bunya top with Blackwood back and sides. Because of this this guitar produced a more pronounced thicker midrange and also the blackwood B/S add punch and projection. The Martin has a sitka spruce top with Rosewood B/S. This has full bass and treble regarding the spectrum with a dip in the mid-frequencies. That's the reason why the guys ininitially thought that the Maton was " louder" but after measuring the Martin had more dB's on the meter. Because the mid-frequencies where more present in the Maton it seemed louder. Both great guitars. It's a matter of tase and/or application. Cheers
Yes, I agree… two beautiful incomparable guitars, each of which will shine more or less than the other depending on playing style ( rhythm strummed, flatpicked, fingerpicked) and genre played.
Without a doubt you can hear it. Martin was much fuller and more rounded. The Maton was still good, just a lot brighter sounding. Also, Bummer no lefty :( I feel your pain, Shane!
It’s a matter of taste, but if you’re congested it may be hard to do. I think the Maton would taste better for me. Are they both the same scale? I like the Maton because of the smaller scale because I have shorter fingers. How much does the Maton cost these days?
Dr Rick, good to see another guitarist who plays with the guitar resting on its shoulder between his legs. I took classical lessons for about a year at the start of my guitar journey 50 odd years ago and have never been able to play guitar any other way. We are few and far between. Good demo as well.
Thanks for the review
both are awesome. did i hear them say that the strings were newer on the maton? how can you make a comparison with indifferent string configs? The Martin sounds warmer. They are lovely guitars. Both are. Would love to hear this again with brand new strings on both
They should have fingerbbpicked them.
Thanks guys loved it.
i love Matons but the Martin did it for me in this demo. I wonder how the Maton would stack up if it had no electronics onboard, like the Martin
Strins plays a very importent role.Maton with elixir but martin has their original string.That is the biggest reason why maton sound much "modern"
先講maton 顆粒表現很好 中高頻的表現十分優異，音色乾淨且清晰。
再來是martin 共鳴表現很好 均衡的頻率分佈 音色渾厚且溫暖
現場與收音有落差，透過音響或耳機還原的聲音，聽起來Maton比較悅耳，因為麥克風收音的時候，聲波要越乾淨越好，所以這對共鳴比較強烈的吉他來說反而收起來的聲音就濁濁的，這也是maton的拾音器很好發揮的原因之一。
音色兩者的特點截然不同，martin以老練道地的傳統民謠風味
maton則以小鮮肉的姿色出場
以上為我主觀分析，僅供參考
Wang John 很贊成你所說的。我試過幾支Maton, 六條線都很平均的，所以彈fingerstyle真的不錯，中高音很悅耳。可惜一掃chord, 就覺得個bass 唔夠，support 唔到咁。
Aye)?
I think they picked the wrong guitars for a fair comparison. The Maton Messiah 808 which is rosewood and spruce for similar materials. Or perhaps a signature series from Maton, like the Tommy Emmanuel or Joe Robinson. Huge difference in values of the 2 they used. Plus strings make a big difference. I'm not keen on Elixirs.
Yeah. The Martin is double the price. ($6000 to $3000)
@@lordfluxington Yes true. The Matons are actually good value for money. Just the basic srs808 with cedar top is a fantastic sounding guitar and can be bought for well under $2000 in Australia.
I prefer the Maton sound. More original, more bright, more acid.
It always comes down to personal preference at the end of the day and you only know when you play them.
Since I discovered Maton over 20 years ago I’ve sold six Taylor’s and two Martins to me there is no contest. Maton rules I’m waiting for my all Blackwood 808c to get here from Australia. I had two different offers to buy my Maton right off the stage!
looking for one myself
this was a good demo, all comes down to preference once again. I already have a Taylor 714, which the Maton reminds me of, and I love it. I've been looking at the Martin OM for that difference. Just the difference in price that I have to live with...
Very different sounding guitars but I think I prefer the Maton and it’s nice and Bright sounding
the Maton sounds brighter. I just bought a Maton ebw70c all blackwood! I love the Maton
hey Guys! Can you do a Furch Sitka/rosewood and Cedar/rosewood guitar comparison? (furch yellow series) many thanks
how about maton vs cole clark ?
I'm always a fan of Martin but have to give it to Maton in this
Both sound good and are both great. I own a 2003 Maton so yea I made my choice.
Queen 39, hell yes!!! both sound great
Well if you were playing only with fingers or a muted boom chick/thumb pick style like TE then its the Maton otherwise I'd say its the Martin for general purpose. You'd really appreciate those extra highs on the Maton if/when its only flesh & not plastic thats plucking them, & even more so while playing only a few strings at a time. I Mean just listen to ANY of Tommy's many one-take youtube vids recorded with only a few nifty mics. They really do sing. Though I'd be glad to review and/or own either one.
realcygnus spot on. The Maton EBG 808 was designed and built for fingerstyle playing. It is a moot comparison.
Thank you gentlemen !
I like the way this man plays! Beautiful
Maton is typically used for fingerstyle right? Seems like it would sound better .
Martin sounded much better. Fuller sounding. Dr.Rick only invites Shane because Shane brings the ice cream.
If fully and bassier sound is the critical, maybe should have compared the Martin with the Messiah Dreadnoughts.
To my ears the Martin sounds better personally. What model is it?
I own a Maton and a Taylor. Love them both but they both live in the bright section of the sound spectrum. The Martin brings a more rounded and mellow tone to the table. I'd love to have one but boy they are so expensive. I keep hoping to come across a guitar that offers that same quality in sound and construction but doesn't threaten my marriage! That sound may be unique to them but I live in hope.
My visual impression was that the Martin is just a bit bigger in the body with more room for the sound to bounce around & out from but could be optical illusion due to colour differences of timbers. But, on “ timbers”, I think it difficult to do direct comparisons when construction timbers differ so much.
Maton, always famous for brightness, Martin always seems to have had lusher, softer more bass obvious sound. I’d fingerpick the Maton & more strum rhythm on the Martin, & flatpick both. But, comes down to what style of music you like to play perhaps… or solo Vs in a band etc. Ease of playability depending on player’s hand size, & other personal influences … The Maton neck feels really good in the hand of a less experienced or small handed player. 🙂
Like me! 😂😂🤣
Nothing can compare with Maton's absolutely beautiful high frequency sound!
Maton sounds like aTaylor. I sold my Taylor because it sounded thin like the Maton. I have a Martin now and it sounds far more natural. I use it for recording and it's great.
All Matons don't sound the same. Have many models. It's a non comparison except between two different guitars. Also should have been both restrung with the same strings. It's about the type of wood used and the way it's braced not the brand name. Anyway, this is just marketing.
Maton for me 👍🏼
In my ears, and I’m wearing some
Very high end headphones, the maton sounds much more alive and high end. The woody sound is crisp! Martin sounds almost muffled compared. And, when you plugg that maton in, that’s where the real difference shows by the way! Everyone can make awesome guitars, but getting the pickups right is almost
impossible, but maton sure is best in class in this!
I thought the Maton would kill it but for me the Martin had a much warmer tone and sound. The Maton might have sounded a little louder but the warmer tones of the Martin were more acoustically resonant for me.
I have both and honestly, the acoustic comparison is not fair: I love my Martin when I place a mic in front of it, and I love my Maton plugged for recording. It is 2 different worlds and they are complementary! Moreover, the maton's neck is easier for complex songs...
Yes, playability of the Maton neck is often not mentioned. Was important to me as a small handed novice. I already liked the sound & feel if it but had a superior finger picking blues guitarist point out the advantage of that Maton neck, right at the start! 😊
I would love to see a blind test where the testers and audience couldn’t identify the make, model or price until much later. Those tests are very revealing.
I will take both of them thank you
I really wanted to like the Martin better, but for me the Maton wins here. The Martin just sounds a bit dull or muddy to me. Maybe that's because I play a Taylor and am used to the brighter sound..
Both guitars are excellent but completely different. So it depends what kind of sound you want. So it is situational.
The Martin walked it to my ears. Richer, fuller sound.
Good solid comparison, the Martin sounded best in my opinion, just a more complete wood sound, but I have played Matons at a local shop in Solona Beach and those guitars are well built easy to play and I really am keen to them. You also picked an EC model one of their best (IMO) I think that was a TE model so very close. Trust me I saw TE at the Balboa Theatre in SD and those guitars in the hands of that Master, made you go through every emotion you have inside.
Let’s here a Queensland Maple or Blackwood 12 string cutaway please and thanks. Good show
Yes! A Maton in the hands of TE; he certainly can play to pull that full range of emotions out of you. Which is what I thanked him for doing, after a gig a few weeks ago.
TE’s reply: “That’s exactly what music should do.” 🥰
I love my 32yo Maton but that Martin 👌 i stick with the Aussie Maton .
Thanks for the vid guys!
Maton can stand up acoustically, but plugged in wins immediately :-D
Goran Kosaric Absolutely correct. I went through approx 15 high priced acoustics and just about every combination of pickups you can imagine - then I got a Maton - happy days.
They are worlds apart in sound feel and price.
Generally to have something 2db louder that feels quieter is like owning a nicely tuned v8.
Maton and Martin have been in the market long enough for the world to evaluate them. They are priced accordingly..
Maton & Martin luthiers would argue who’s got better woods and craftsmanship and taste, over a beer or 3.
But the difference in price and re-sell is justified, proven and accredited by the guitarist market.
You can’t really say history is a big price factor as Taylor Collings, Santa Cruz, are all kinda newer. And more expensive in some cases.
Acoustic Tone seems to be the contributing factor still.
The Martin sounds like a good choice to strumm and sing along solo style, as it's got a broad sound with some space in the middle for the voice to sit in.
The Maton sounds like it's already been EQed to sit well in a more elaborte mix. Love it.
Played as demonstrated, The Martin over The Maton here, but ironically years ago as a complete novice looking for a “ beginners guitar”, I picked & strummed strings all the way out of my beginner budget range until I heard something I liked. It was a solid bodied QLD Maple B/S/neck, spruce topped. Clean, clear, balanced across the strings. Music shop proprietor asked if I’d found what i was listening for? Yes, I had. My “ problem” he said, was that I’d been listening to some excellent local, live players with Martins, Gibsons, Fields …. so knew what quality sounded like. Both these guitars are “ quality”, just depends on what/how you play & what pleases your own ear.
Shop owner heavily discounted, I jumped my budget up 25%, and walked away with The Maton. The imported Martins a bit further up
the racks were of course right out of reach $wise in Australia 1983.
I can’t believe I’m saying this. The Maton was the more musical and clearer of the two. The Martin just had too much bass and would be muddy in any mix. From a lifelong Martin owner
thats what I thought
like a taylor the maton did sound bright and crisp. the martin sounded richer - fuller in the mids and lows. giving it a warmer tone.
if a company could make a guitar that has the full, warm mids and lows that martins have with slight boost in the highs - i think it would be a fantastic sounding guitar.
I own a 1981 Maton, it sounds much fuller than the Maton used for this comparison. Almost as full as the Martin but still I'm comparing against a video with my Maton miked with an internal very old GHS condenser mike using an AA Battery for to power it. Thanks for the comparison, Given no guitar, the money, and a choice I would buy the Martin, but my Maton is great so I have no need.
I agree the Martin had a fuller midrange and the Maton had a brighter sound. I can see use for both.
Wow, two totally different sounds! Can’t go wrong either way honestly. I would prefer the brightness of the Maton myself though.
I love how bright the Maton is it’s lovely ^-^
I was never a Martin guy. I've owned Goodall, Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, multiple Taylors but never a Martin. However, whenever I watch some comparison videos, Martin almost always seems to win. To me, Martin is the sound that will never go out in style. It's so American. Wouldn't mind having a Martin D-42 or an OM.
I have a custom woods Martin M 36. Its basically an oversized OM style acoustic. Great instrument. Only Martin I've ever owned that can do it all.
Love the brightness of the Maton!
Both great guitars, but depends on what you’re looking for. Maton is bright and brassy. Martin is rich and warm. I prefer the Martin. I wish they would have done a flat picking comparison and finger style comparison.
Me too.
How can I order a guitar?
If TOMMY plays one, you know it’s good! Although I do like the warmth of martin
I love my Martin, however, the only problem is, it needs an external preamp, and they seems to be a pain. I like to be able to plug and play. Sound men freak out on the preamp box lol
I've seen two UA-cam videos with both these guitars ( back to back listening both clips) and I love Matons but in this case I think the Martin was a bit more mellow.. I usually find martin too bright ( square shoulders) but in this OM class I think the Martin is a winner. But that's just one man's opinion and I'm not in the room hearing it .
i would prefer the maton because i can hear a better string to string separation and that is awesome for fingerstyle
I have owned several acoustic guitars over the years , a few have changed my hands .But my Maton guitars stay with me always - there life keepers .
The Maton was much brighter. I think the different scale lengths might have something to do with it.
Wood. It is more the wood than the strings.
I own the 000-28EC and it is my favourite guitar of all time. It has a warm clear tone including strumming and finger picking.
When I started playing Tommy Emmanuel songs I found I wasn’t getting the tone I wanted. TE has a bright percussive style and I couldn’t get the same on the Martin. I fitted an LR Bagg Anthem pickup on my Martin and played through a amp and it narrows the gap a lot but still not quite there. Of course my crappy skills may be part of it 🤣
I feel the wired Maton will make the difference but I haven’t had a chance to try the TE model for myself. Looking forward to trying it out soon.
When I started playing Tommy Emmanuel songs I had to have surgery performed on my mutilated fingers! 420
King Robert haha yes that too. Since writing my comment above I went and got the Maton and it does have the TE sound but slightly harder to play than the Martin due to slightly longer scale and narrower fretboard
Would be a fairer comparison if you compared to Martin 00-18 as the Maton 808 is most like 00 Martin size.
Maton is way better for high frequencies and overtone. Martin has better low frequencies and warmer sounds. Maton would be for finger style and Martin for pick style.
Wow - the Martin has a totally different sound to the Maton. Not sure which one I prefer!
Whether it be gentle fingerpicking, lghtly strummed cowboy chordsor digging-in aggressively, the Maton just sounds "better" to my ears. Brighter and less restrained than the 'rosewoody' overtones we hear from the Martin. Just big, in your face, 'mapley' sound; perfect for soloists like Tommy Emmanuel. In a band setting, a maple back and sides guitar can help melodic phrases pierce through the mix more effectively.
What's the price difference between them though?
Isn't the EC like double the price and then some?
Yes but you can get an ordinary 000-28.
I own a customised maton cw80 dreadnaught with stainless steel frets, bone saddle and nut. This has made the already bight sounding maton sound bighter and louder. My other acoustic is standard Tanglewood 1000, indian redwood back and sides, Solid AAA Engelmann Spruce top, Tanglewood has what I call a clearer sound with a deeper growly base and middle. These two acoustics are very opposite sounds. I love them both. I hear those same differents with the two guitars in the video. If I had to buy ONLY ONE it would be the maton but thats just for my personal use.
Where & what do you play on your CW80? Had one (1982 solid B/S/T) lost in house destroying bushfire in 2021. 😟
Depends on what you need, the Maton sounded brighter and the Martin more fuller over the whole spectrum - but 39 sounded better on the Maton.....
Again the Martin has a fuller sound than the Maton. In Ric’s hand , they both sound great!!!! Thanks for the video guys!! Cheers!🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾👍🏽
I prefer the warmth of the Martin's sound, though like other commenters below I'd like to hear more fingerstyle and single not lines to get a full impression of the entire range of each guitar.
I have two matons. A 2018 ebg 808.. it's beautiful..my work horse..the other is a 1981 maton coolabah. I've never played a Martin.. gotta get me one, someday
I personally love the brightness of the Maton. The Martin one sound dull and veiled.
Maton wins for me
I think they're both great instruments in their own right, and they both sound really good. However I do think the comparison is slightly unfair, because the Maton's body is slightly smaller than an OM I believe, and the particular model you played didn't have rosewood back and sides like the OM28 does, it has blackwood instead. Nontheless I think both instruments sounded amazing but they sound very different from each other because of the differences in tonewoods etc.
Love the low end of the Marttn.
The Maton sounded like a 12 string to me. The Martin sounded much fuller.