Hi, I’m Andy Allen.
For over 30 years, I had the privilege of crafting guitars at Maton, where I established and led the Maton Custom Shop. During that time, I built instruments for incredible artists like Tommy Emmanuel, Eric Johnson, John Butler, and Keith Urban. Each guitar was a unique creation, tailored to the individual musician’s needs and preferences.
In 2023, I decided to retire from Maton and embark on a new chapter. Now, through Andy Allen Custom Guitars, I focus on building instruments that inspire me personally. Rather than taking custom orders, I create guitars driven by my own artistic vision and passion for the craft. Once completed, these instruments are made available to the guitar community.
Each guitar I build is a reflection of my dedication to quality, tone, and playability. I select the finest tonewoods, often native Australian species like Blackwood and Bunya, and meticulously handcraft every detail to ensure the instrument sings with character and soul.
Thank you for your interest in my work.
Warm regards,
Andy Allen
In the Workshop
People often ask me where a guitar begins. For me, it usually starts with a piece of timber that speaks to me — a curl in the grain, a particular tap tone, something that sparks the imagination. I’ve always believed that the best guitars come from following the material, not forcing it.
I don’t use templates in the traditional sense. Every guitar takes shape a little differently depending on what it wants to become. That’s the joy of it — letting the process unfold. I might try a new bracing carve or a small shift in geometry, not for the sake of change, but to see if there’s something more I can bring out of the timber.
Tone is always the goal. Balance, clarity, warmth — I want every guitar I make to sound full and alive, to make the player feel like they’re in conversation with it. I take my time with voicing, with neck shaping, with finishing, because I believe those small details matter in the long run.
There’s no production line here. Just me, some tools, and a lot of listening — to the timber, to the sound, and to that inner voice that says, this one’s ready.
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