Guitars Australia

[Australia has been exporting guitars to musicians across the globe for the past 60+ years, some brands have come and gone but a select few have stood the test of time and continue to create world class instruments. In a very competitive and trying guitar market we can still see a select number of Aussie brands dominating in their field, ‘Made in Australia’ with the finest materials these guitars are sought after the world over. From acoustic guitars that have barely changed their methods in the 40 years to genre-breaking 8 string electric guitars, the variety of guitar manufacturers in Australia is nothing short of amazing. Here’s a few making waves.

Established in the 1940’s Maton are one of the oldest guitar companies in Australia. Boasting endorsees such as Josh Homme of QOTSA & Tommy Emmanuel. Maton have managed to capture not only the acoustic but electric market with their offerings. The company pride themselves on sourcing traditional tone woods from Australia. Queensland Maple, Queensland Walnut & Victorian Blackwood featuring heavily on guitars produced from Maton.

A small custom shop run by John Shub, he strives to make ‘one of a kind’ guitars. His guitars and basses definitely have a retro-vibe to them with a strong presence of jagged asymmetrical shapes throughout his custom builds. Shub guitars are a small operation but hold prestige and notoriety throughout the guitar community globally. Offering a repair and maintenance service in house you can be assured all guitars leaving Shub will come playing great straight from the case.

Big Playable Guitar

Perry Ormsby has exploded onto the scene in the last few years with his fanned fret progressive designs. Using many Australian woods and local sourced timbers in his Australian made guitars, Ormsby have captured the attention of many guitarists with exotic tops and extended scale guitars on offer. Fanned frets feature heavily in Perry’s designs showing to be very popular in the metal scene, detuned guitars benefit greatly in this setup offering even tension across the neck.

Electric Guitar Victorian Blackwood Ormsby Guitars Shubb Guitars Maton Custom Guitars Queens of the Stone Age Guitar Repair Tommy Emmanuel fanned fret Guitars Made In Australia Australia bass guitar acoustic guitars Acoustic Electric Josh Homme Queensland Maple Basses Queensland Walnut

Is an Australian based collective of working musicians, producers, DJs, and live audio professionals dedicated to bringing you the latest music gear news, tutorials, interviews and more. We cover a range of categories including guitars, bass, synths, keyboards, pro-audio, DJ gear, live audio, industry news and all the ways we make and interact with music and sound.On 25 July, the largest exhibition of Australian s and a survey of over 70 years of music opened at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum –

Classical Guitars Made In Sydney Australia

. It presents the sprawling personal collection of avid player and art collector, Wadih Hanna, and proudly showcases the intricate and extensive history of Australia’s leading manufacturer, Maton.

Founded by Melbourne-born jazz musician and luthier Bill May in 1946, Maton is a pioneer in the field and has produced more than 200 models since its humble beginnings in May’s garage workshop. It built its first commercially produced instrument that same year, under the name Maton Musical Instruments Company, and the company remains a family-owned business in 2020.

Explores the company’s influence on the music scene in Australia and beyond. The brand has earned recognition for its use of high-quality tonewoods and innovative designs, and counts the likes of Australian and international musicians like Archie Roach, Keith Urban, Missy Higgins, Gordi, Tex Perkins, George Harrison, Keith Richards, Tommy Emmanuel and more, as fans of its instruments.

Electric Guitar With Australia Flag Paint Finish Stock Photo

Include the first acoustic and electric s ever made by the brand, as well as signature instruments for a few leading Australian players.

 through the expansive gallery of more than 200 s, amplifiers and cases, discussing his personal picks of what he calls “an important documentation of Maton’s history”, each piece highlighted for their ingenuity, historical significance, and their exemplary playing qualities.

The Archtop GA1 sits nobly as the start of the exhibition – rightly so, as it was the first production model ever made by the company, in 1946. Maton Archtop models are renowned for their woody, round and even tone, thanks in no small part to their tailpieces.

Loog Pro Vi Acoustic Guitar In Pink

Beneath the Archtop sits this 1946 Electric E1, the first ‘fully’ electric Maton ever built. According to McDonald, May wasn’t really interested in making electrics initially, but was persuaded by a musician at the time, Jack Wilson, who made the request for a custom piece.

“I don’t think the intention at first was to make electric s, ” McDonald says. “They don’t do quite as many electric s as they once did – you can tell from this display – but they certainly made a lot of electric s through the 1960s, 70s and 80s.”

One of the true highlights of the exhibition has to be this 1960 Mastersound MS500 – Tommy Emmanuel’s first . Influenced by jazz, country, blues, folk and bluegrass, Emmanuel is lauded as one of the world’s greatest performers – and it was practising on this instrument at the age of six that helped shape his stellar style.

Washburn Guitars Catalogue 2023 (au) By Musical Merchandisers

“Most ists learn on an acoustic – that’s the tradition. [But] Tommy’s dad bought him [an] electric ,” McDonald says. “He gifted that to Maton and they have it in their collection.”

The Mastersound boasts a silver silkwood body and a Queensland maple neck, with a chrome stop tailpiece and bridge. To mark the 50th anniversary of the line in 2008, a reissue of the 1958 classic was made available, cementing the Mastersound’s reputation as an instrument built to last.

Here’s another Emmanuel , with a slightly less auspicious backstory. One of only two of its kind, it’s an incredibly rare 2005 Flaming Arrow that sticks out on the wall like a gloriously sore thumb.

Cigar Box Guitars Australia

“It’s really rare to find an acoustic Flying V – like the bass, is a difficult shape to get a decent sound out of, ” McDonald explains.

As it turns out, this was custom made for Emmanuel – but he didn’t like it. “He didn’t think it really suited him, ” McDonald says. “I think it was just the feel of playing it, he just didn’t suit his style of playing.”

Australian Country Music Hall Of Fame inductee Lindsay Butler is one of the country’s most sought after musicians, so it’s only natural that several of his signature models are a part of Hanna’s collection. This 1988 Lindsay Butler Tamworth , a black S-type dubbed the FB86, also bears the musician’s signature.

The Australia Shaped Guitar From Chons Guitars

Made in 1959, the Big Ben BB66 seen above was the first bass to be commercially manufactured in Australia. This particular model is considered very rare, with serial number records indicating that only 235 instruments were made between 1959 and 1963. The Big Ben, a short-scale bass, was available in two forms: as single-pickup and dual-pickup versions.

Another unique gem, the 1967 12-string Sapphire DC545 dazzles beneath a spotlight with its twin cutaways, slim neck and distinct cherry colour. Owned by Harry Vanda of Sydney rock band The EasyBeats, it’s the very instrument that was used to write the riff for their classic song

Posted by zodaries14

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