The Steel Guitar Forum

I play a Magnatone G-70 in the "sable" finish (also came with a MOTS covering). I know it was the budget single-neck model in the mid-50's to the more expensive G-65 which came in blonde or walnut. Would love to see a photo of that one and any comments on it's sound etc. Yet to even see one out there. Thanks!

Here's a pic of my Troubadour which I believe is the G-65 Model. I recently saw someone's blonde model posted here and it was very nice. Nicer then mine anyway. As far as the sound, some say it is better suited for Hawaiian style music. I notice a big change in tone after the twelfth fret so I try to work things out below it. Got mine on eBay.

Dave

Dave, That's a fine instrument there, I do think the G-65 was a different model though. I saw a Magnatone brochure page and the G-65 would have had the same chrome plated pickup/bridge assembly plate, nut and other shared components,but had a more deluxe body contour, including the "gumby" headstock like your Troubadour.Here's a photo of a G-70 bridge plate.
Does your Troubadour have the same style pickup?

I find that the Varsity model, as shown by Dave, has the perfect sound for classic Western swing and country stylings, and takes a tiny bit more effort to get a great Hawaiian tone (I roll the tone to 0, then it's all in the hands), at least for me, but it's there as well. Jerry Byrd had no problem making it sound like a million bux! A great sounding steel, and an incredibly simple/basic but correct design. The PU's are usually quite hot. Mine is louder than my 'up to snuff' Rick bakelite.

I roll my tone control down pretty far also. The pickup on mine is hard to explain. I think its a loosly wound coil set in some kind of epoxy and set in a wood base. It's a very nice sounding pickup like Ron said. It would be cool if some other folks would post their Magnatone pics with some facts so we could check them out. I saw one here recently that was a keyless hollowed out metal body. Very cool!

I find these PU's to be way too trebly for me, and even with the tone at 0 it still has plenty of sing.

That keyless model comes in the simple version and a complexe mechanized/motorized tuning changer model that Margie Mays has an example of. They made noise during recording sessions and thus went nowhere as a practcal steel for most purposes, but Margie played it often at steel shows and it didn't seem to be a problem on stage.
I ran out and snuck in the back stage door to meet her and check out her incredible guitar after her set at one of Jerry Byrd's Ho'olaule'a steel shows, garnering a serious 'face' from Jerry before he knew 'it was cool'. Margie was great to talk with and she's one of my favorite players. Her Mag is the only one of it's kind that I've ever encountered.

Rick Aiello had a MOTs version of these steels (which was probably called something other than a Troubadour) that he Aiello-ized and shared pix of the procedure, either on this forum or the HSGA's. Very interesting comments about the whole thing, as well.