MatonEBG808TE

Martin MA540FX Tommy's Choice 12-54 on the Maton EBG808TE Tommy Emmanuel Signature is the rig Tommy himself plays nightly across 200+ shows per year — Maton from Australia, Martin's Flexible Core string from America, no compromise. As Tommy Emmanuel told Martin Guitar's blog about the SP Flexible Core: "They still had toughness to them, but they also had that flexibility and a softer feeling even though they were 54 to 12 [gauge]. It's a solid-feeling string, and it just has a sweetness that I really love." Tommy famously puts on a fresh set before every single show. Conventional wisdom: every EBG808TE owner defaults to Elixir Phosphor Bronze 12-53 or Martin SP 80/20 Light — the universal bright fingerstyle anchor. Mismatch logic: Martin's Flexible Core technology (a high-carbon hex core wrapped with Phosphor Bronze) makes the 12-54 gauge feel dramatically softer than spec — exactly what allows Tommy's percussive thumb-strike + fingerstyle hybrid to work without finger fatigue across 90-minute solo sets. Best for serious Tommy-influenced fingerstyle players using the EBG808TE for solo recital and recording; skip if you bought the Maton primarily for strumming where you need bright pick attack over softer-feel articulation.