By NOEL MURPHY
BLACKWOOD timber from the Otways is driving a ukulele revolution by Australia’s leading guitar maker.
And at the helm with the Maton Guitars uke-beaut campaign is Geelong luthier/musician Pat Evans.
Maton’s manager of production and projects, Mr Evans has developed, designed, built the prototypes and set up production for the instruments.
While most people think of ukuleles as Hawaiian, which they certainly are, they originated in Portugal, he says.
“They arrived on ships taking migrant workers to Hawaii in the 1870s, the locals loved them,” Mr Evans told the independent.
“The instrument has a couple names. One is the machete but it’s definitely Portuguese.”
Mr Evans said woodcutter Murray Kidman sourced the blackwood timber for Maton for the ukuleles from across the Otway ranges.
“He has special permission to cut individual trees, which he selects for tone and chops up on the forest floor – it’s mostly for our guitars but also for our ukuleles.”.
Ukuleles have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years, a phenomenon Mr Evans attributed to the instrument’s accessibility price-wise and ease to learn.
“I think it’s largely to do with community,” he said.
“My observation is it gives people a chance to get together and play music in a community setting. Initially it’s really accessible price-wise and those who take it more seriously can invest in a really good instrument later.
“It’s not too hard on the fingers, it doesn’t have the big stretches like a guitar, and it’s at the same intervals as a guitar. Basically, you just chop the two bass strings off a guitar.”
The blackwood Maton uses is from the acacia family, the same as koa timber used in traditional Hawaiian ukuleles.
Mr Evans said Maton was about to release a longer-necked tenor version soon.
