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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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!
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! 😊
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.
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.
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. 🙂
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.
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.
Both sounded wonderful. The Maton IS the sound of Australia! Wouldn't kick either out of bed! As to the volume readings, don't take those as gospel, that 3dB difference is a LOT! It's not 3 notches more, 3dB = around 9 notches more loud!
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.
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?
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Obviously the Martin has a deeper tone closer to a D series but the Maton has the distinct treble and midrange definition you'd want on this scale of guitar. Answer, buy both.
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
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...
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 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 would love to own a Maton guitar. I first heard of them when I encountered Tommy Emmanuel at the Walnut Valley Music Festival here in Kansas (USA). They are amazing do doubt. But there's a reason all these "shootout" comparisons compare guitars to Martins. Larrivee, Collings, Taylor, etc. they all need to be compared against a Martin to gage their sound quality. There is just something about the tone of a Martin in the hands of a great player that is unmatched, IMO.
Having owned a Maton for 10 years I prefer their sound which is quite distinctive. The Martin appeared dark to me (although it sounded like the strings were well used).
Tim Berry...well spotted mate...the strings on the Martin were dull and lifeless, especially compared to the fresh set of Elixirs on the Maton. In an ideal world I’d love to restring the Martin for a fairer comparison. They both sounded beautiful in the room. My personal preference was the Martin for that full-bodied blues tone.
For my part I prefer, and by far the Maton. The difference in Db is not significant. I think it would have been better to compare Maton Tommy Emmanuel to Eric Clapton's Martin.
It's about tone. I heard Colin Hays plays one and it is very warm...more like a Martin. Maton is lovey for sure and has it's place. For warmth with a steel string the Martin won 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.
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've seen two RUclips 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 .
As I listened I thought to myself he is a Martin player & sure enough he said so. My reasoning - I think the Maton was played too hard & sort of overdriven so I think the Maton would have sounded better with a lighter touch. I have an old Maton Messiah & a Gibson Dove - My other half plays a Gibson J185. I have a LAG and an old Alvarez. I love whatever guitar is in my hand at the time. Never owned a Martin but one day I might.
Can't really judge as it was just acoustic, not plugged in as you would use it more times than not. But I heard the Maton had more clarity and sustain than the Martin but the martin had more warmth, which could be compensated by plugging it in!
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
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.
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
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
Martin has more depth, good full sound. Maton has loud bright string(ier) sound. I vote, Martin.
The Maton looks great, but I've always perferred the mellowness of Martin's over other, typically brighter brands.
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.
Both sounded great but different.
All depends on the sound you are going after. I would love to have either of them!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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?
Martin sounds fuller with more clarity. Thanks guys ! :-)
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.
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
I'm always a fan of Martin but have to give it to Maton in this
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 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.
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.
Martin - Landslide.
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)?
the Maton sounds brighter. I just bought a Maton ebw70c all blackwood! I love the Maton
Nothing can compare with Maton's absolutely beautiful high frequency sound!
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
I personally prefer the Martin, less tinny highs and more lower mids to give it some beef
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. 👌
Very different sounding guitars but I think I prefer the Maton and it’s nice and Bright sounding
I prefer the Maton sound. More original, more bright, more acid.
Both sound good and are both great. I own a 2003 Maton so yea I made my choice.
Nice comparison gentlemen. Thanks.
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! 😊
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.
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 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 .
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.
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! 😂😂🤣
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.
Again the Martin has a fuller sound than the Maton. In Ric’s hand , they both sound great!!!! Thanks for the video guys!! Cheers!🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾👍🏽
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.
Both sounded wonderful. The Maton IS the sound of Australia! Wouldn't kick either out of bed!
As to the volume readings, don't take those as gospel, that 3dB difference is a LOT! It's not 3 notches more, 3dB = around 9 notches more loud!
Yep! 3 dB = 2 x perceived loudness, 6 dB = 2 x sound pressure level (it's a logarithmic scale).
That's rock'n'roll baby!
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"
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 guitars are excellent but completely different. So it depends what kind of sound you want. So it is situational.
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?
If TOMMY plays one, you know it’s good! Although I do like the warmth of martin
Queen 39, hell yes!!! both sound great
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.
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.
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.
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 agree the Martin had a fuller midrange and the Maton had a brighter sound. I can see use for both.
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.
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.
I love my 32yo Maton but that Martin 👌 i stick with the Aussie Maton .
Thanks for the vid guys!
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.
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 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.
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.
Did they both use the same strings (brand, size)? Makes a huge difference if they did not.
Maton sounds great, what’s not to like about it
Obviously the Martin has a deeper tone closer to a D series but the Maton has the distinct treble and midrange definition you'd want on this scale of guitar. Answer, buy both.
how about maton vs cole clark ?
I personally love the brightness of the Maton. The Martin one sound dull and veiled.
Great comparison, the Martin sounded just slightly more bassier, only slightly but my choice would be the maton, listening through earphones 😊😊😊
Wow - the Martin has a totally different sound to the Maton. Not sure which one I prefer!
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
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...
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 would prefer the maton because i can hear a better string to string separation and that is awesome for fingerstyle
The Maton sounded like a 12 string to me. The Martin sounded much fuller.
'39 by Brian may >Great Choice!
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.
The Martin walked it to my ears. Richer, fuller sound.
How thick is the bracing on the Maton? It's sounds a little bright, but like the top isn't getting enough vibration.
I would love to own a Maton guitar. I first heard of them when I encountered Tommy Emmanuel at the Walnut Valley Music Festival here in Kansas (USA). They are amazing do doubt. But there's a reason all these "shootout" comparisons compare guitars to Martins. Larrivee, Collings, Taylor, etc. they all need to be compared against a Martin to gage their sound quality. There is just something about the tone of a Martin in the hands of a great player that is unmatched, IMO.
Having owned a Maton for 10 years I prefer their sound which is quite distinctive. The Martin appeared dark to me (although it sounded like the strings were well used).
Tim Berry...well spotted mate...the strings on the Martin were dull and lifeless, especially compared to the fresh set of Elixirs on the Maton. In an ideal world I’d love to restring the Martin for a fairer comparison. They both sounded beautiful in the room. My personal preference was the Martin for that full-bodied blues tone.
It always comes down to personal preference at the end of the day and you only know when you play them.
For my part I prefer, and by far the Maton. The difference in Db is not significant. I think it would have been better to compare Maton Tommy Emmanuel to Eric Clapton's Martin.
Both sound great but the Maton's strength is AP-5 Pro pickup, the best pre-amp out there by far! Maton is meant to be played amplified!
It's about tone. I heard Colin Hays plays one and it is very warm...more like a Martin. Maton is lovey for sure and has it's place. For warmth with a steel string the Martin won for me.
hey Guys! Can you do a Furch Sitka/rosewood and Cedar/rosewood guitar comparison? (furch yellow series) many thanks
At about the 3:00 mark the guy says the strings are new on the Maton. That makes a lot of difference!!
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 like the way this man plays! Beautiful
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.
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 always think Maton is brighter. Which I like for recording.
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. 😟
Would be a fairer comparison if you compared to Martin 00-18 as the Maton 808 is most like 00 Martin size.
Love the brightness of the Maton!
I've seen two RUclips 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 .
Martin sounds pretty tight
As I listened I thought to myself he is a Martin player & sure enough he said so. My reasoning - I think the Maton was played too hard & sort of overdriven so I think the Maton would have sounded better with a lighter touch. I have an old Maton Messiah & a Gibson Dove - My other half plays a Gibson J185. I have a LAG and an old Alvarez. I love whatever guitar is in my hand at the time. Never owned a Martin but one day I might.
Can't really judge as it was just acoustic, not plugged in as you would use it more times than not. But I heard the Maton had more clarity and sustain than the Martin but the martin had more warmth, which could be compensated by plugging it in!
Should compare with a Martin OM instead of the 000, which has shorter scale length. OM is much louder. Still a good comparison though.
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
I think I preferred the Maton. But realistically both are top notch guitars.
To my ears the Martin sounds better personally. What model is it?