Anyone have any experience w/ Magnatone amps ? (not the new ones)

Canard

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
1,979
Reaction score
2,672
Guild Total
4
There was a old Magnatone in a (VOP - very over priced) vintage guitar shop here a few years back. I plugged in a drool-worthy old X-500 (one that I had no business touching, since I really could not even afford to look at its price tag). The amp had a lovely, if unexceptional, clean tone for Jazz. It did not seem voluntarily inclined to any kind of dirt. I did not try the vibrato. On a purely utilitarian basis, it seemed vastly, vastly, vastly overpriced. You could get a much more versatile new boutique amp with a warranty instead and still have some change left over.

A short while after I tried it, a very Greg-Leisz-like player plugged into it and played some frighteningly good outside-ish blues through it on a vintage Fender pedal steel, one of the big ones. The sales person asked him what he thought of the gear. He said, "Guitar - great. Amp - not much."

This is the sum total of my Magnatone experience for what little it is worth. :)
 

teleharmonium

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
448
Reaction score
147
Location
midwest
And Nobles were made by Ampeg, Magnatone and Sano. It's a brand name where the owner contracted the amps out.
Valco also !
I have a couple of the Ampeg built ones.

Played a Unique once, it was typically Maggie in sound and not that loud.

My only Magnatone is a black tolex Airline branded 1 x 12 screamer.
 

Guildedagain

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
9,002
Reaction score
7,167
Location
The Evergreen State
I had a Sano, that was an unusual amp, but don't think it was a Magnatone copy.

IMG_4129.JPG
IMG_4138.JPG
 

mad dog

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
1,269
Reaction score
240
Location
Montclair, NJ
Late reply to this. Magnatone designs were produced under a variety of brand names, and from pretty early on, while Magnatone was still in business. My 260 was branded Twilighter, made in 1961. Not the most practical amp. A bit heavy, not really enough volume for a 35 watter, at least in stock form. With a couple more efficient ceramics in there, that was one of the best sounding amps I've ever spent time with. Otherworldly, beautiful vibrato.

I remember reading long ago of a magnatone connection with a guy named DeLuca, in Wisconsin or the midwest, that his company licensed the 260 and other circuit designs, had them built locally, under various names. I think Laub was one of the brands. I could be misremembering ...
 
Top