Anyone here every owned a Mateos Audrey?

strombolimusik · December 2023

Curious about this guitar, would like some opinions from any owners. Also wondering about the stability of cedar tops, esp. in a northern climate. I think of cedar as being very brittle and prone to cracks, but maybe the cedars used for guitars are different? I really have no idea. Thanks!

pdg · December 2023

Cedar dents more easily than spruce, if you're not careful. I had a Mateos with a cedar top. It didn't crack. It sounded pretty good, but it's been a while.

LeNava · January 2

I own one O Hole currently and I am very happy with it. I live in Germany and had minor issues with the guitar, playing in direct Sunlight for hours makes the strings sound "tense and metallic" in a bad way, but I guess it's due the sensibility of the Cedar. No problems in the winter. The Neck is slightly thicker than the Altamira M, more D than C Profile. Sound is nice, lacks a little bit of bass, and is a good compromise between vintage old gypsy tone and modern tone. Not extremely loud.

Hope this helps :)

strombolimusik · January 3

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/116469#Comment_116469

Thanks! Yes, that is helpful. Very interesting about the change with the sun, but would make sense. Do you know what kind of finish (french polish, nitro, etc.)?

JasonS · January 3

I have an O hole Audrey. As mentioned the cedar top will dent/scratch easily but not a huge deal. I think the guitar sounds great, I don't find it lacking in bass for a Selmer style guitar. The neck is fairly large, not a modern shape by any means. Overall the guitar feels very raw and lively with the thin finish, it feels very different from guitars w/ a poly finish. I think Mateos' are a much better buy in the sub $3k range than anything else on the market, generally.

I also own a Jazz B and don't find the Audrey to sound all that different, especially in the context of a mix, despite the cedar top so just something to consider.

strombolimusik · January 3

Hey Jason,

I've also been looking at the Jazz B, so I appreciate the comparison. And the end of the day, which do you prefer?

Oh, and if you'd like to sell one, I'm interested ;)

JasonS · January 9

I honestly play them both pretty equally. The Audrey is currently set up a little easier to play and has a lot more dings and dents so I tend to take that one to jams and gigs. I got a really good deal on the Audrey but I'd be totally happy with just the Jazz B. Will keep you in mind if I decide to move one along!

I use the Mateos pickup on both of them, it sounds great IMO.