Here's a little more info about the Magnatone Leilani, Varsity and Student models that had the MOTS covering and palm-tree / sailboat on their grill cloth.

Shown further below are some links to additional info. You will notice the tube (and circuits) differences between the Leilani and Varsity models. Depending upon the year and model, some amps had chrome "refrigerator" handles on top while some had a MOTS covered wood handle that almost spanned the width of the amp top. ------- Regarding the Steels usually associated with these amps, the cheaper of the 2 models had a slanted hand guard over the strings directly above the pickup, and usually a heavy wire bridge (that was weak and often found bent / sagged in the middle from string pressures, which can be rebent and propped in the middle with any number of home-made braces); While the little bit more expensive one (and better) had a wider hand guard that was at right angle to the strings, and a folded-double thin sheet metal bridge screwed to the top, or a flat bar/blade bridge impedded into the body. You will often find a Leilani matched with a Varsity Amp and vice versa. ------- I like the better model Steel and amp ALLOT ....and play it more than my other lap steels; (although I also like the "cheaper" model almost as well). They are very light and their geometry feels very good to play, ...slants "a breeze", ...and they also sound very good albeit a bit on the mid to treble tone character side which is easily compensated for with their tone control rolled back into the "Hawaiian sweet spot" where the treble just starts to come on, or via an outboard EQ. A "hint" of reverb and echo (about 3cps rate and duration) also expands the dimension and depth of their tone very well (as it does most Steels ...no bottles and tomatoes from the Purists, please) and is motivational in enjoying, learning and playing on it.

Here's links to the data:

LEILANI

VARSITY

LIST OF MAGNATONE AMPS WITH DATA

I have 2 sets in my small shop, but I am in the middle of remodeling construction chaos and it will be a couple more weeks before I can resume full-time reliable business again.

Aloha,
Denny T~

[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 11 January 2004 at 07:09 PM.]

Yepirrrr ...I really like those little Maggies allot.

I have 3 of the black Magnatones in the shop with the exposed pickup mounted in a large square chromed steel plate upon which the bridge (similar to old fender lap steel "roller" type nuts) is mounted with 2 screws. Those Magnatones are lacking in sustain IMHO. I feel certain it is because the plate covers a larger electronics cavity and is not married in contact with the remaining perimter of the wood body as good as bridges that are in direct contact with a Steel's body. The Supros also have a large plate but the electronics cavity is minimal and the plate makes good contact with allot of body. I've found less sustain to also be the case with old Electromuse Steels that have a similar large steel plate arrangement over a larger cavity, with the bridge being a protrusion that is "fender stamped" into the plate (with the Electromuse having a slightly warmer sound due to it's thinner laquered wood body rather than the Magnatones thicker MOTS covered body). However, the steel plate on both the Magnatone and those similar Electromuses have a slightly muted metallic sound that has a strong hint of resonphonic tone.

Now I have not played either of those Steels within a high volume speaker broadcast field which might very well wake that plate up like occurs particularly with masonite Danelectro spanish guitars, Gibson ES335/345 style guitars and even Resophonic guitars in a strong speaker field. Until I get a chance to try the steel plate Magnatones and Electromuses in a strong speaker field, ....I won't buy any more as they were a bit of a disappointment in tone compared to the smaller "cheaper" Magnatones! Maybe someone here in the Forum has played those plated guitars in a strong speaker field and can provide some info about their sound character in that speaker environment.

The plated / exposed pickup MOTS Magnatones are slightly larger than the slightly smaller MOTS Magnatones subject in this discussion. I bought a blonde-oak-color laquered version (no MOTS) of this larger body style a couple months ago here on the SGF buy-sell board, which didn't have the said plate but had the bridge and pickup mounted into the wood top that was contoured like the smaller ones (the big plate models are flat on top) ...and it is VERY nice sounding and playing. I didn't measure the scale length but it feels to be about 23" where the smaller ones are 22 1/2".

String spacing is wide on all the Magnatones mentioned above (3/8 Bridge - 5/16 nut if I remember correctly) ....which I like better than tighter spacings.

I hope this rambling helps somehow. Pardon any typos; It's 5:43 AM and I'm about to fall face first into the keyboard at the end of a lonnnnng day! The SGF is my bedtime toddy since I quit toddying a couple years back.

Aloha,
Denny T~

[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 11 January 2004 at 07:14 PM.]