A Small History of Australian Guitar Building DRAFT

A Small History of Australian Guitar Building
When Australians try their hand at making something, it is usually a

success. Whether creating something new or taking an existing idea and
trying to do it better, a determination to do a job well is woven into the
Nation’s identity. Premium wine, motorsport engines, the bionic ear, the
combine harvester, engineering marvels like the Snowy Hydro system,
taking only three months in the Second World War to develop a fighter
aircraft from scratch… Australia enjoys a reputation for resourcefulness and
quality. Something that garners less attention is Australian luthiery (the art
of making string instruments). It is generally only recognised and
appreciated by its ‘insiders’: players, makers, dealers and collectors.
Indeed, it has been overlooked by academic History and barely a handful of
works exist that examine the instrument’s history in Australia. It’s almost a
hidden world that hums away under our noses in countless dusty
backstreet workshops, old city stores, hidden hillside factories, pubs and
garages. Australian luthiery is a story of international success that few get
to hear. Its history exists almost entirely in the memories of its builders
and enthusiasts. Much of the story is already lost forever, and more sits
poised to disappear in kind. This is why historical enquiry into Australian
guitar making and guitar culture in general is important. This short piece is
not intended to be the comprehensive analysis that the topic deserves –
rather, I hope this is simply a compelling snapshot of the mysterious world
for people who have not yet been exposed, and that an appropriate level of
attention and research follows in the future.
Title image: Maton MS500 Mastersound electric guitar (Author)
Left: Inside the Cole Clark guitar factory in Bayswater, Victoria (Author)
Origins
The story begins – perhaps – in colonial Australia. As suggested, the history

of the instrument in this country is hazy and it is simply not known who
brought the first guitar to Australia, nor indeed who actually built the very
first instrument here. Dr Ray Archee from the University of Western
Sydney has suggested that there were no Australian made guitars until
after the Second World Wari; however, I believe this to be incorrect.
Journalist and researcher Chris Johnson has suggested that early European
settlers commonly brought musical instruments with them to new lands.
These included bulky items such as pianos, so conceivably small animal-gut
string European guitars would have “undoubtedly” been the first to arrive
with their migrating owners. It is likely that early settlers attempted to
build the same style of guitars once they were hereii, driven by Australia’s
isolation and difficulty obtaining new instruments. Johnson identifies one
Hector McLennan as a luthier who built guitars in Melbourne as early as
the 1920siii. An example of a Pacific brand guitar built by McLennan exists
in the Powerhouse Museum of New South Walesiv.
The longest established form of the instrument in Australia is the classical

guitar. Also known as the Spanish guitar, featuring nylon or gut strings, it
enjoyed a presence in Australian folk and classical music from the very
beginningv. Musicians formed classical guitar ensembles at the same time
that the earliest symphony and chamber orchestras were bornvi. Although
Australian classical musicians at first generally played European-made
guitars, Australian luthiers would soon make some great contributions to
this old instrument. The Spanish guitar first appeared in its modern,
recognisable form in the mid-19th Century, pioneered by Spanish luthier
Antonio De Torresvii. The design barely changed over the course of a
century, until Australian luthier Greg Smallman developed a modern
bracing technique (bracing refers to structural support within the
instrument) in the 1970s. Smallman used a lattice structure made of
modern carbon fibre and epoxy resin, allowing for a more freely-moving
soundboard and a louder, clearer instrumentviii. This use of modern
materials and lattice-bracing was transformative; Smallman did not patent
his design and it has since been emulated all around the world, with
instruments utilising the method known globally as ‘Smallman type
guitars’.
Right: Guitars after being glued, in the Cole Clark Factory

(Author)
Smallman was not the only influence on Australia’s classical guitar-making reputation, however; many other luthiers have
offered well-regarded hand-made instrumentsix and builders such as Jim Williams have even operated their own schools
of luthieryx. Williams made waves of his own in 2004, when he introduced Spanish guitars with offset sound-holesxi.
Makers such as Jim Redgate have also successfully experimented with modern materials such as Nomex laminates in
making guitar topsxii; Redgate’s Nomex “double top” guitars are highly regarded around the worldxiii. Australian luthiers
demonstrably have an ability to successfully apply new technology and engineering concepts to very old designs, in the
pursuit of a better instrument.
Maton & Cole Clark – Australian guitar’s big names
Above: A Maton acoustic guitar (Author)
It is not only the classical guitar that Australians have successfully made their mark upon. Arguably, Australia is better
known around the world for its makers of steel-string guitars. The early McLennan/Pacific guitars were steel-stringed
instruments, emulating the variety pioneered in America in the early 20th Century by luthiers such as Christian Friedrich
Martinxiv. But when people ponder Australian guitars the name that invariably appears in consciousness is Maton.
‘Maton Stringed Instruments and Repairs’ was founded in Melbourne in 1946 by Bill and Reg May, initially as a repairs
businessxv. Bill May had built his first guitar as early as 1940, inspired by a collective frustration amongst Australian
musicians at the lack of availability and high cost of American made instrumentsxvi. Maton’s first factory opened in
Canterbury in 1949, and Maton branded acoustic guitars proved to be a success, played by musicians from Elvis Presley in
the past to modern legends such as Tommy Emmanuel todayxvii. Bill May passed away in 1993 and was posthumously
inducted into the Australian Music Association’s Hall of Famexviii. Today, Maton operates out of Box Hill in Victoria,
building thousands of guitars each year and exporting more than a third of their instruments to hungry markets in North
America, Asia and Europe. Maton guitars have even made ceremonial gifts between the Australian Prime Minister and
foreign leadersxix, cementing their place as part of Australia’s musical heritage.
Above: A guitar being sanded in the Cole Clark Factory (Author)
Bradley Clark and Adam Cole, two former Maton workers, founded Cole Clark guitars in 2001xx. Although in the scheme
of Australian guitar history Cole Clark is a very recent development, they certainly represent the ‘doing it right’ impulse
and the present trajectory of the movement. Like Maton, they are revered internationally for high quality instruments
(When I visited their factory, CEO Miles Jackson suggested around half of all the instruments they build are exported to
international markets) and are steadily growing. Although many luthiers across Australia today utilise local unique
timbersxxi, Cole Clark were one of the first to make their name building guitars from Australian tonewoodsxxii. At first
controversial, this proved ultimately successful and they are today associated with visually striking guitars constructed
from Bunya Pine, Queensland Maple, Huon Pine, Blackwood and Queensland Silkwoodxxiii. The company is also known for
a controversial and unique construction method: Where traditional guitars have flat machined tops and a dovetail join or
bolts attaching the neck, Cole Clark utilise modern Computer Numerical Control (CNC) cutting machines to carve the
inside of their tops, and the neck is glued into the top, back and sides of the guitar. This makes it integral to the
instrument, and the top is able to vibrate more freely making for a louder instrument. The neck join method is described
as the “Spanish method”xxiv, and is actually reminiscent of very old classical guitars. Miles Jackson suggested to me that
the method had been used for nearly three hundred years.
The use of unique Australian timbers and modern construction tools is becoming widespread today. Not only do both
Maton and Cole Clark use CNCxxv, but smaller independent luthiers are also investing in the expensive technologyxxvi for its
benefits in manufacturing consistency. Makers such as Cole Clark are also embracing CNC-based PLEK technology which
is an automated version of a fret dressing process, normally performed by hand.
Above: Timber blanks rest in front of large kilns used to dry timber before it is used. The moisture content of
the raw timber must be dropped to an appropriate level where the material becomes stable enough for use in
a high stress application, such as instrument building.
(Author)
Above Left: A CNC Machine in action,
cutting necks for acoustic guitars. These
are finished by hand afterward (Author)
Above Right: Australian timbers stockpiled

in raw and blank form at the Cole Clark
Factory (Author)
Left: A PLEK machine, based on CNC.

These machines perform a fret dressing
operation that is traditionally performed
by hand (Author)
Going Electric
The Electric guitar is universally considered an American

invention, although Australia was not far behind. In 1936 in
Melbourne, a guitarist named Peter McCarthy is thought to
have fitted a phonograph pickup to a guitarxxvii, seeking a
way to amplify the instrument in precisely the same way
guitarists in America were experimenting at the same time.
Nobody knows for sure who went on to build the first
recognisably modern, solid-bodied, magnetic-pickup electric
guitar herexxviii, although undoubtedly the most notable
model produced was the MS500 ‘Mastersound’ model by
Maton. Bill May first introduced this guitar in 1958. This
wasn’t just a quality instrument offered hot on the heels of
the pioneering American electric guitars of the early 1950s,
it came while the era now considered the golden age of the
instrument (Gibson’s most famous Les Paul model, prized
on vintage markets today, was produced in 1959) was still
unfolding and was thus no mere imitation. The MS500 was
used by famous musicians such as George Harrison from the
Beatlesxxix and is still available today. Countless other
luthiers have since made names for themselves building
electric guitars, often showcasing the same Australian
timbers that Maton and Cole Clark’s acoustic models do to
international consumers.
Above Left: A Maton

Mastersound guitar on sale in
Melbourne (Author)
Left: A Cole Clark Guardian

guitar. Although the model
paid tribute to the Fender
Stratocaster of the late 1950s,
its close resemblance earned
Cole Clark a lawsuit from the
American guitar giant. CEO
Miles Jackson explained the
headstock was of particular
contention, although Fender
had actually appropriated that
design themselves, from an
even older company called
Bigsby. (Author)
Top Left: An ultra-rare Maton Pasha
guitar amplifier. Only a handful of
examples are known to exist
(Author).
Bottom Left: A Goldentone guitar

amplifier. Affectionaly known as
“Goldies”, these amplifiers were
made in Sydney during the 1960s.
Australian amplifiers used whatever

components were available,
including repurposed television and
radio vacuum tubes, and they
utilised hybrids of American and
British circuitry. They have become
sought after today by collectors.
Finding your own history
I want to close by discussing this small item I discovered in the

back of an old guitar store in Carlton, Victoria. It is a tiny
amplifier with an eight inch speaker, built by the Lamberti
Brothers of Melbourne in the 1960s. This amplifier was sitting
covered in dust, dwarfed by stacks of larger more modern
equipment in the dark rear of the shop. It is labelled a ‘Rex’
brand amplifier, identified by the shop owners as a Lamberti
product. I discovered the Lamberti Bros. operated out of North
Melbourne, the business of brothers Frank and Tony Lamberti.
They ran a record label called Melodiana through the 1950s and
60s, supplying the local Italian migrant community with Italian
records, and through the 1960s and 70s built guitar amplifiers,
and sold guitars and other instruments. The only record of this
information exists in a single written testimony by Mary
Lamberti, a descendent of the same family, published by the
Australian Music Association. This amplifier was not alone,
hidden in corners and behind cabinets were several other small
Australian made amplifiers with similarly obscure histories, many
of which are impossible to date precisely and the makers of
some of the other brands are disputed or unknown. One thing is for sure, and it might sound crass: When people like the
store owners, the family descendants of the pioneering luthiers and the collectors pass on, we are set to lose a whole well
of Australian music history with them. We should not let it happen. Such capsules of history as the little Rex above are
within your own reach, a simple stroll into a second-hand dealer and you might discover something for yourself. Just
make sure you write about it!
Please note, this document needs to be cut down and it is missing some references
References:
i
Archee, R, ‘The Australian School of Lutherie: Origins and Achievements’, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol.4, No.1,
pg.101
ii
Johnson, C 2011, Guitars: The Australian Journey, (West Geelong, VIC: Barrallier Books), pg.15,16
iii
Johnson, C 2011, Guitars: The Australian Journey, (West Geelong, VIC: Barrallier Books), pg.65
iv
Pacific, Pacific acoustic guitar, ~1945-1955, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, object number 2005/131/1, <
https://collection.maas.museum/object/350304>
v
vi
vii
Morrish, J, “Luthier: Antonio De Torres” [Chapter from The Classical Guitar Book: A Complete History (ed.) John Morrish], Guitar Salon
International, (11 April 2018) <https://www.guitarsalon.com/blog/?p=4056>
viii
Johnson, C 2011, Guitars: The Australian Journey, (West Geelong, VIC: Barrallier Books), pg.19; Archee, R, ‘The Australian School of Lutherie:
Origins and Achievements’, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol.4, No.1, pg.103
ix
See Johnson, C 2011, Guitars: The Australian Journey pp.19-21 and pp.139-150 for more examples of Australian luthiers
x
xi
xii
pg.105
xiii
pg.105
xiv
‘The Martin Story: C.F. Martin & Co.’, Martin & Co. [website], (2018), <https://www.martinguitar.com/about/martin-story/>
xv
xvi
xvii
Ben Caroll (Minister for Industry and Employment), Helping an Iconic Melbourne Guitar Maker Grow, 30 July 2018,
<https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/180730-Helping-An-Iconic-Melbourne-Guitar-Maker-Grow.pdf>
xviii
xix
Alexander, C ‘Indonesian President given Australian guitar at start of visit’, News.com.au, 10 March 2010, <https://www.news.com.au/breaking-
news/indonesian-president-given-australian-guitar-at-start-of-visit/news-story/b7a6dbcf0fe4f37adf73e16d82b6f017>;Johnson, C 2011, Guitars:
The Australian Journey, (West Geelong, VIC: Barrallier Books), pg.74
xx
xxi
xxii
Johnson, C 2011, Guitars: The Australian Journey, (West Geelong, VIC: Barrallier Books), pg.106,107
xxiii
‘Guitar Timbers’, Cole Clark Guitars [website], (2018), <http://coleclarkguitars.com/about-cole-clark/guitar-timbers/>
xxiv
xxv
xxvi
xxvii
xxviii
xxix

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A Small History of Australian Guitar Building DRAFT

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Copyright:

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A Small History of Australian Guitar Building

When Australians try their hand at making something, it is usually a

Title image: Maton MS500 Mastersound electric guitar (Author)

The story begins – perhaps – in colonial Australia. As suggested, the history

The longest established form of the instrument in Australia is the classical

Right: Guitars after being glued, in the Cole Clark Factory

Maton & Cole Clark – Australian guitar’s big names

Above: A Maton acoustic guitar (Author)

Above Right: Australian timbers stockpiled

Left: A PLEK machine, based on CNC.

The Electric guitar is universally considered an American

Above Left: A Maton

Left: A Cole Clark Guardian

Bottom Left: A Goldentone guitar

Australian amplifiers used whatever

I want to close by discussing this small item I discovered in the

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