Magnatone

Today would have been Buddy Holly’s 90th birthday.

Buddy purchased this 1958 Magnatone Custom 280 from Manny’s in New York City in September 1958. It became his home amp during the period when he was making what became known as the “Apartment Tapes.”

Those recordings captured Buddy working through songs and ideas during the final months of his life. His Magnatone was used on several of those demos, including “Peggy Sue Got Married.”

The Apartment Tapes remain a remarkable look at Buddy as a songwriter and musician, working at home with his guitar, his songs and the equipment around him.

His influence on rock ’n’ roll is still everywhere, and we’re proud Magnatone has a place in that history.

Happy birthday, Buddy.

This Labor Day, we’re proud of the people whose hands and hard work go into every Magnatone we build.

From wiring and assembly to final testing, our amplifiers are built by hand here in St. Louis by a small team that takes pride in doing things the right way.

Today we celebrate them, and everyone who takes pride in their craft.

Happy Labor Day from all of us at Magnatone.

Some of the most recognizable details on a Magnatone amp still go on by hand.

Here’s a look at the process of installing the signature chevrons on a Kingston. Each chevron is carefully positioned and applied by hand as part of the finishing process before the amp leaves our shop.

Magnatone chevrons come in two finishes, 14K gold-plated and silver, with each selected to complement the amp’s cosmetics. It’s a distinctive detail carried forward from Magnatone’s heritage and still applied by hand today.

It takes a little more time to do it by hand. We think it’s worth it.

Hand-built and hand-finished in the USA.

The Magnatone Model M-199-3-J “Student” is a look back at the early years of Magnatone.

Built by Magna Electronics in California in the late 1940s to mid-1950s, the Student was a compact, low-wattage tube amp built around simplicity. This example features approximately 5 watts of output, a single 8-inch speaker, two instrument inputs and one switch/volume control. Typical tube complements included a 6V6 power tube, a 6SJ7 or 6SL7 preamp tube and a 5Y3 rectifier.

No channel switching. No long control panel. Just a straightforward little tube amp designed to plug in and play.

More than 70 years later, examples like this are still out there, carrying the wear, repairs and stories that come with a life spent making music.

We want to see yours.

If you have a vintage Magnatone, post it and tag Magnatone Amplifiers. Whether it has been in the family for decades, found in a guitar shop or brought back to life after years in storage, we’d love to see the old Magnatones that are still out there.

The Super Fifteen in the Billy F Gibbons Collection Chrome Grape makes an impression before you ever plug in. And once you do, it gives you more ways to use those 15 watts than you might expect.⁣
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Around back, it has a feature built for keeping things quiet.⁣
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The Super Fifteen includes a speaker-compensated line out and headphone output, along with an internal speaker load that lets you play without connecting a speaker cabinet. Plug in headphones for silent practice, or take the amp direct when recording.⁣
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15 watts of EL84-powered Magnatone tone, with the flexibility to turn it up or keep it quiet.⁣
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Four colors. One Traditional Collection. What’s your favorite color in the collection?

Shown here is the Starlite Reverb 10 in all four Traditional Collection colors: Traditional Brown, Dark Green, Traditional Black and Camel.

Whichever color you choose, underneath it is 8 watts of single-ended Class A power, a 6L6 power tube, Magnatone Custom 10” ceramic speaker and Accutronics Digi-Log spring-style reverb, all hand-wired and made in the USA.

What’s your favorite color in the Traditional Collection: Traditional Brown, Dark Green, Traditional Black or Camel?

On behalf of everyone at Magnatone, we remember Dolly Parton and the extraordinary impact she made on music and the world around her.⁣
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As a songwriter, Dolly created songs that became part of the fabric of American music, with a voice and perspective entirely her own. Beyond the stage, her generosity and philanthropy touched countless lives and reflected the same heart found in so much of her music.⁣
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Her influence will be felt for generations.⁣
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Rest in peace, Dolly.⁣
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Photo reposted from .

Magnatone made its way out to the Outlaw Music Festival in St. Louis on August 18 for a great night of music.⁣
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Micah Nelson brought Micah Nelson to the stage earlier in the evening with a Twilighter. Later, Lukas Nelson took the stage with a Twilighter Stereo, Panoramic Stereo and Kingston before closing out the night alongside his dad, Willie Nelson.⁣
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A big thank you to Willie for bringing the Outlaw Music Festival to St. Louis, and to Micah, Lukas and the entire crew for having us.⁣
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📸 Micah Nelson / Particle Kid: sisterlu_⁣
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