Maton EBG808TE, natural finish, made in Melbourne Australia in 2015. It's hard to understate the skill and impact of Tommy Emmanuel; he has surely got to be the most influential Australian guitar player ever and a globally lauded maestro. This model is worthy of his name; it's a delightful guitar. Maton's 808 shape is a favourite with working players: small enough to be comfy for long periods, loud enough to punch with the best of them and very balanced and articulate. As such, this sounds awesome: heaps of grunt and low end when strummed with vigour, matched by a delicate and expressive treble and a wide, saucy midrange that offers superb clarity and articulation. This came in with some 'capo bites' on the back of the neck, so our local ninja luthier Paul has sanded the neck bak and finished it in oil. It now feels absolutely stellar: smooth as silk and all class. He also lightly colour corrected the glue stain on the bottom horn to make it a little less obvious. The Maton AP5 Pro pickup system is world class, reproducing a rich and full tone with excellent accuracy. There's a lot to love here, plus, there's a kangaroo on the headstock: perfect, right?

Model: Maton EBG808TE Tommy Emmanuel 
Made: Feb 2015, Melbourne Australia (serial 10693)
Finish: natural satin top, vintage amber stain satin back/sides
Body: solid AAA Stika Spruce top, Queensland maple back and sides, 
Neck: Queensland maple, rosewood board, 12" radius, 25.5" scale
Weight: 1.940kg
Mods: neck sanded back and refinished in oil
Pickup: Maton AP5 piezo + preamp system
Case: Maton wood hard case, very good quality and condition

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. The headstock has a couple of minor marks on the end. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, note the refinish in satin oil; it feels amazing. The back has a couple of dimples on the top edge and some glossing from rub wear around the edges; no major marks. The sides are pretty clean, just some glossing from contact on the bottom side and dimples and glossing near the pre-amp. The top had a glue stain on the bottom horn; it's been lightly colour corrected by our local luthier, as well as some play wear above and below the strings and some glossing in the elbow contact area. Overall: good condition (7/10)

Playing condition notes: action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good. All electronics tested and working properly. Frets look pretty good, just a bit of normal wear, 7/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 12/54 strings.