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Topic: 6 string MOTS magnatone ..vintage? |
David Wren
From:
Placerville, California, USA
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Posted 7 Jul 2005 2:54 pm |
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I've searched and found a lot of the same web links for this question, but nothing that links production dates with serial numbers, mine is labeled Magnatone, not Leilani or Dickerson. It's purple MOTS finish, with tone and vol controls, white knobs and tuner heads (the plastic is "shrinking on the tuners). Serial number is very low, 2335, hand stamped in metal tag on back of neck. Thanks for any help on this, I love the guttsy tone of this little guy (I call him Mr. Lucky, cause I saw him in a pawn shop for 3 years, in the corner, no case and covered with dust, then my wife secretely bought it and had it shipped to my house... nice wife huh?).
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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Session500; Hilton Pedal
www.ameechapman.com
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 7 Jul 2005 6:39 pm
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Speaking off-hand, as I recall it, these guitars started out as Dickerson, Oahu or Bronson in '37, with a tulip shaped headstock. Post war models had a squared off head. Dickerson sold out to Magnatone ca.'47. They were sold under about a dozen names. The headstock became more squared off ca. '50 and the hand rest became larger and was no longer atrtatched at an angle. About this time the fingerboard changed from black to off white. This series ended around '54. There are many more details but my head hurts when I think that hard.
If you check the pot codes I would bet yours is a '47-48.[This message was edited by John Dahms on 07 July 2005 at 07:42 PM.] |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 7 Jul 2005 7:58 pm
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As far as I know, there is no correlation between the serial number and year of production as there is for Valco-made instruments (Supro, National, etc.). There may be such a correlation, but nobody has gone to the trouble of compiling it and the original records are probably long gone.
Magnatone lap steels still aren't considered particularly collectible, although many of the higher end eight string steels are quite nice.
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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David Wren
From:
Placerville, California, USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2005 5:29 am
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Thanks for the info John and Brad.
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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Session500; Hilton Pedal
www.ameechapman.com
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