The Steel Guitar Forum

Can anyone tell me anything about this Magnatone? I have it on loan from a friend, and I enjoy playing it but would love to know a little more about it. The tuners are not original, but everything else seems to be, and it seems to work well.

Thank you!

I'm definitely no expert nor guitar historian, but since no one else is responding, I'll tell you that from my experience of "watching" Magnatones in auctions and owning a number of them (and I still think their consoles were the nicest made back then), that the one pictured is one of the earliest Magnatones and not the typical dime-a-dozen (well, they go for about $250 now) MOTS that you usually see. I don't know if the pick guard is original, but it looks like it - I really like it, anyway, even if it's not. My experience with owning Magnatones is that their pickups are right in the middle of bright and not bright. I am a fan.

I have a '52 Lyric and I like it. There isn't a lot on the net about The guitars but quite a bit about the amps. Here is one discussion from the forum. I hope this works, sometimes it doesn't.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... b217f6ffdd

I've owned three steels in my life. The first of the three was an S-8 Magnatone Troubadour. It was from the 50's I think. I loved it. I sold it to "upgrade" to a expensive instrument that I never liked. My third (and hopefully last) steel is amazing, but I remember really loving the sound of that first Troubadour. It's sound was very warm.

Tony L.

I agree with Al, that Magnatone looks a little more ornate than most of the 6-string Magnatones I've seen. A very cool looking lap steel.

Thanks for the replies. I believe that the pickguard/pickup cover is original. Here's another picture, that is just a close-up of the body and maybe shows it a little more clearly. The coloring in the pickup cover is just reflections -- its all silver.

Here's a previous discussion with a similar Magnatone lap steel.

There are two of these on Guitar Center Vintage. A blue one as in Brads photo but looks like the name on the head stock is missing $249.99. There is a brown one like John posted but without a name on it for $350.(listed as Bakelite?)

Thanks very much for the information, gentlemen.

I don't think of Magnetones as high dollar instruments. Somewhat how the Sears name is/used to be.

I'm sure this one cost some $$$ in it's day:

(I snapped these pics during a string change afternoon...)