John Frusciante’s Maton ECW80C

John played this Maton acoustic guitar during part of the Californication tour. The guitar first appeared in photos published in Guitar Player Magazine in September 1999, where it can be seen in a rack or traveling case behind John’s electric guitars. The only other known instance of its use was during Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit concert on October 29, 2000, which featured the band’s only acoustic set during the tour.

Model

While many sources list John’s guitar as the Maton EM100C, this doesn’t seem accurate based on its appearance. The EM100C model features custom inlays, which John’s guitar clearly lacks.

After examining various models, it appears that John’s guitar most closely resembles a modern Maton CW80C. Maton themselves were kind enough to provide some insights via email (shoutout to Tom from Maton!), suggesting that the guitar is either an ECW80C or an EA80C.

Key Differences Between ECW80C and EA80C

According to Maton:

• ECW80C:
  • Chrome machine heads.
  • Flat (matte) finish.
  • Ivory outer binding with 5-ply (BWBWB) inner binding.
• EA80C:
  • Gold machine heads.
  • Gloss finish.
  • Blackwood outer binding with herringbone inner binding.

Based on available photos, it’s challenging to determine whether John’s guitar has a matte or gloss finish, though a matte finish seems more likely, which points to the ECW80C. However, some images suggest the guitar has gold machine heads, which is characteristic of the EA80C.

If you happen to have or find a high-resolution photo of John with this guitar, please share it. A clear image would greatly help in confirming the model. Special thanks to Maton Guitars for their assistance in narrowing this down!