Maton

Maton has called Melbourne home since its inception in 1946 by brothers Bill and Reg May. A jazz musician and luthier, Bill ran a custom guitar building and repair business, while Reg was a wood machinist. This combination, and a government tariff on imported instruments, allowed the company to gain a strong foothold in the Australian rock scene in the 1950s.

It was the 1960s, however, when the brand really made its mark. It was the heyday of the Beatles and the Easybeats (AKA the Australian Beatles), and both George Harrison and Harry Vanda, two of the most recognisable guitarists of the era, were both Maton players. Other well-known users at the time included in-demand British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, and the entire line-up of The Strangers, the house band of music television show Go!!.

These endorsements put the brand in the public consciousness, but it was the founders' commitment hand-crafting boutique guitars at an affordable price that built Maton's lasting cultural legacy. In fact, all their acoustic guitars are still hand-crafted in the company's Melbourne factory. As such, their precision and attention to detail are second-to-none. Modern players include Tommy Emmanuel, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), John Butler, Ben Harper and Neil Finn.