Desert Island Amp

[guitarslinger]

First piece of gear I’ve bought in a long time. Found a clean one and couldn’t resist. Guild and Maggies are inexorably linked in my mind since they were the 2 major lines carried by the studio where I took lessons. My first Magnatone was a ‘65 M10A purchased new and just like this one

 

[fronobulax]

I understand "desert island" as an idiom for something that does "something" very well but I nevertheless amuse myself by talking the phrase literally. In this case I guess an amp makes sense because on a desert island you could play as loudly as you wanted, presumably without bothering the neighbors.

Magnatone was not a part of my youth so I have never seen one before or in person. But the aesthetics are appealing and that glamour shot makes it look almost new. Thanks.

 

[GGJaguar]

Suitcase amp!!

 

[shihan]

Vintage Magnatones are fabulous amps. Congratulations! How about some details? Is is 1X12?

 

[Jaroboni]

Beautiful amp, I bet it sounds great.

I will always associate Guild with Matchless and Randall, from when they were all under the U.S. Music Corp umbrella in the mid 90s.

 

[F312]

Back in the 60's, I plugged into a friends brothers big Magnatone suitcase amp. I remember thinking, wow what a full rocking sound. The thing was so heavy, but that sound was so nice. I wound up buying two Fender Bassman's soon after. I was ahead of my time.

Ralph

 

[bobouz]

Had a small brown tube Magnatone in the ‘70s - wish I’d kept it!

 

[guitarslinger]

I understand "desert island" as an idiom for something that does "something" very well but I nevertheless amuse myself by talking the phrase literally. In this case I guess an amp makes sense because on a desert island you could play as loudly as you wanted, presumably without bothering the neighbors.

Magnatone was not a part of my youth so I have never seen one before or in person. But the aesthetics are appealing and that glamour shot makes it look almost new. Thanks.

That all assumes the “desert island” has electricity and the comforts of modern Society and the developments I wouldn’t care to live without. I’d probably want a Nightbird for the guitar. Oh, and a girl to swoon over my playing. If I could just get my wife to swoon...

 

[guitarslinger]

Vintage Magnatones are fabulous amps. Congratulations! How about some details? Is is 1X12?

Yes. The ”A” has a twelve which works much better than the puny 8” of previous years. IMHO Franz pickups never sound better than when played through a good old Maggie.

More info on the model here...

MagnatoneAmps.com

 

[DougH]

Had a small brown Premier in the 60's-wish I 'd kept that.!

 

[matsickma]

Magnatones came in many forms over the years. The amp shown above was the "suit case" era. Folklore says Magnatone literally used modified suitcases or went to suitcase company to have the cabinets built and supplied for their amps. Not sure if its true.
The other famous era of Magnatone was a few years earlier when their amps were in a more tradional cab. This style amp has been re-released in the last so many years. ZZ Top was touring with a stack of them the last time I saw them within the last 5 years.
M

 

[Nuuska]

- - - If I could just get my wife to swoon...

She has never said it - but I have my doubts that my wife might swoon justa seeing me grab a guitar.

Of course not for the reason we would like someone to swoon ☹

 

[Guildedagain]

Went to some out of the way old boy's yard sale for truck and fishing stuff a couple decades back, and after looking over all the stuff in the driveway I ask "got any musical stuff" and he has me follow him into the garage where he has this Magnatone I'd never even heard of before with original cover and more damn knobs than you ever seen on an amp before. Man what a looker.

It had two channels and four speakers, I remember doing some minor repairs on it, something to do with the tweeter speaker vibrato circuit, and then I traded it to a wheeler dealer maybe towards the item in the next pic. Made enough of an impression on me to be seen with my Pre CBS Strat. Just found this pic after reading the thread, went through some photo albums, I knew I had pictures of it.

Good old pictures from the days of film... It looks to be a Custom 280 High Fidelity, it was worth quite some mad money then, I wouldn't even wanna know now. I kinda remember the old guy saying $120, real good amp he said. No guitar in sight but the tubes lit up just fine.

Thx for bringing back memories of olde gear you [should] never forget...

 

[Coop47]

Mine is my '71 Deluxe Reverb, but here's a picture of my '49-ish Maggie

 

[GGJaguar]

And that Gemini II - one of my favorite Ampegs!!

 

[Guildedagain]

I just remembered this Grailish Magnatone Mother Of Toilet Seat Set I picked up and then peddled like a fool... The amp was just so damn cool. I can only imagine I had a much better steel at the time, shoulda kept it anyway.

And my Ampeg arm breaker, 1966.

 

[Coop47]

And that Gemini II - one of my favorite Ampegs!!

The Gem is a pain in the neck to get in and out of trunks and back seats, but I try to play it as much as I can. It's a fantastic amp.

 

[Quantum Strummer]

I've got one of those Maggie Custom 280s. It works but needs some work. Also have an Ampeg Super Echo Twin, the 7591 power tube version, in the same condition. Both are tucked away in a closet but I guess I could manhandle 'em out for pics…

My desert island amp would be my tweed Deluxe. It sounds great with every guitar I've ever plugged into it. Gotta use a 12AY7 in the first preamp stage IMO, way too gainy otherwise.

-Dave-

 

[fronobulax]

I wonder if my Desert Island amp should be a Versatone like Jack Casady's. I'd have fun until word got out I had it and then someone would mount a rescue mission in hopes I'd sell it to them