21st Century Magnatone: Magnatone Guitar Amplifiers are Making a Comeback

An innovation that once made a splash in the music scene is making a comeback. Magnatone guitar amplifiers- featuring the iconic pitch-shifting vibrato effect- are back. More than 40 years after the original company in Los Angeles folded, a St. Louis startup bought the legendary Magnatone name, releasing a new line of six different Magnatone models. Magnatone engineers are using the patented vibrato circuit from 1958 as their design platform, bringing back the original pitch-shifting vibrato effect and making improvements for modern amp designs. Some musicians are calling it a 'rockin' resurrection'.
Subscribe now ➤ bit.ly/2kaiL2U
For more great content from the Higher Education Channel check us out at:
INNOVATIONS: www.hectv.org/watch/innovations
HEC-TV, Higher Education Channel: www.hectv.org
Facebook ➤ bit.ly/1WPZEek
Twitter ➤ bit.ly/22qZDNU
Instagram ➤ bit.ly/1THSOnM
Kathleen Berger
Executive Producer, INNOVATIONS
kathleen_berger
Kathleen-Berger-148305515248926

[@timothymallon]

We checked out a new Magnatone today. Literally the best amp Ive ever seen and heard. I'm a lifelong Fender and Vox amp fan and I can't tell you how much the new Magnatone amps make me change my mind on what's great

[@Dennis-mq6or]

I own an original Magnatone 480, purchased new in the late 50's or early 60's. (with my paper route savings, the little bit of money I would occasionally get from playing a wedding or something like that, and what I made on weekends washing walls for a guy who refurbished burned out buildings)... I used it for many years and kept it in perfect condition. When I was drafted and sent to Vietnam in 1969 I gave it to my dad to be used in his concertina band. When my dad passed away I got it back, and it looked like it was hit by a truck, but it still worked perfectly. I can get rid of all the beer and liquor stains on it and the cigarette burns in the top, etc., but the silkscreen on the control panel is almost completely gone. It looks like someone was trying to clean it with a solvent that actually removed the silk screening and someone drew marks as to where the band had to set the knobs to use it. Is there any way that I could possibly get a new old stock silkscreened front panel for my old model 480? I Can repair everything else like new but I cannot reproduce the gold and black silk screening that was originally on that front panel. Any help would be greatly appreciated.....

[@VonBluesman]

Congratulations on bringing back and improving Magnatone Amplifiers. Your family made Ampeg, that is a excellent amp and with that tone quality alone I can’t imagine how great these amps will sound. Thank you.

[@lelandbobpalmer]

I like these dudes!!! Best amps I think I've ever heard!!! Holy moly, if I ever get the dough...

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

I hope they don't shift their MIA to MIC profit and tone to MADE IN CHINA like peavey, fender and all the rest. AMERICANA is MOSTLY Chimerican.

[@BlindTom61]

Cool! I have an old 260-A and it rocks...

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

Magnatone amplifiers began in the late 1930s as the Dickerson Musical Instrument Company founded by Delbert J. Dickerson in southern California. They made steel guitars and amplifiers designed for that instrument.

[@deepwater2652]

Love those old Magnatone guitars on the wall!

[@gergemall]

Wow , I can remember playing on one in grade school. Congratulations 🎈.

[@dekalbes335]

He says in the video...." and this is the burgundy Studio " . Nice , but I see no mention of this amp anywhere. after much searching. What's up ?

[@averyadrian1534]

My first amp was a really really old magnatone - I was 10 - played bass through it ... one day it made a weird sound and stopped working. Didn’t know what I had - parents replaced it with a Peavy tko50

[@telecaster-ns3vr]

Wow. Awesome amps are back 👌🏻

[@MrAMF50]

Wow!! what a great story.

[@joesimon2018]

I just bought a Twilighter Stereo and I have to say that they finally got reverb right. Much better than a 480

[@joesimon2018]

My favorite original model Magnatone is the 260. The 280 has that stereo feature and some of the later versions had reverb. But the 280 lacks headroom because the stereo feature took so much power to create. It's basically like gigging with a pair of 15 watt amps. Barely there in the power Dept. A 260 can be played in a band easily. Also Magnatone seemed to struggle to get the reverb right in their later suitcase amps. Only the 440 460 and 450 had decent dependable reverb....but again they seemed to lose a bit of power to create that reverb. I have a whole collection of different models....but my favorite is the 260

[@bonsummers2657]

Classics!

[@paulharty3081]

Sounds good. Tremelo is rapid picking on one note.

[@maxwattage6631]

His dad made those guitars with effects in them? Fuzz, phasers etc.

[@walterpeluffo2462]

Kien fabrica éstos ekipos?

[@fullclipaudio]

I'm gonna go find them at NAMM. Maybe I'll buy 'em a beer.

[@Wilburnator]

I have a '61 260A and a '63 M10A

[@dbfcrell8300]

I had no idea Gene Wilder was running Magnatone.

[@jonjennings13]

You know a capital M upside down looks like a "W" WONKA right?

[@gregoryzoebisch7792]

lol

[@The170460]

it's a shame to play a Epiphone chinese guitar on this gem.

[@DrCowinabox]

billy gluboh yeah I've got a Gibson and I hate it. That said I hated my epiphones too... But who's counting lol

[@PhilGa]

''They don't break so easily'' How can you be incompetent enough to break guitars on a regular basis?

[@hirskdubbi]

epiphone makes a good,solid guitar.

[@taterlysaladman9377]

Epiphone has always made some great guitars and amps. Just gotta know your guitars! Internet hater spreaders always want to trash the headstock, although it's actually more intricate and beautiful than the simple book style of Gibson, and the angle of the headstock is also less likely to snap off.

[@jamesford744]

Wow nice sound but way over priced