Here's a pic of my Magnatone Maestro T-8 (I hope)!
Bear with me...it's my first attempt at playing with this FTP stuff, and I must say it's been a frustrating, all afternoon affair so far!
I hope it works!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 14 March 2004 at 02:19 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 14 March 2004 at 02:30 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 14 March 2004 at 02:40 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 14 March 2004 at 02:40 PM.]</p></FONT>
Jeff,
Is that a Maestro? It looks like a Lyric, I may be wrong.
Regardless what it is, is sure is nice.
Here's my Maggie, I thought it was a Maestro.
Sometimes I haave the hardest time figuring out what these things really are..... http://www.scaryoak.com/jay/mag.jpg
Jay<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jay Fagerlie on 14 March 2004 at 06:08 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jay Fagerlie on 14 March 2004 at 06:16 PM.]</p></FONT>
Very nice, Jay! I've never seen one quite like that.
Mine is definitley a Maestro...the writing on each neck after the 24 fret reads, "Magnatone Maestro." From my understanding the Double Necks were Lyrics, and the Triples were Maestros. I'd sure like to find out more about the history of Magnatones as it relates to the multi-neck steels. They were in business from the 30's thru the 60's I believe, under various names. There were a lot of different models.
There's quite a bit of space between each neck on mine. Playing that third neck for any lenghth of time puts a strain on the old back. The four neck models must have been really been a stretch! I've never seen one, but I think Keoki Lake owned one at one time.
Barney Isaacs played a Double Neck for many years on the old Hawaii Calls show. I think Magnatone supplied the players with steels.
Thanks Jeff.
Have you dated yours?
I checked the pots on mine during a re-string and it seems to be a 1955.
The volume control is normal, the tone control doubles as a mixer for the two pickups (I am assuming like a Stringmaster blend control)
Adjustable legs (4), the necks are staggered enough to be able to play it without catching the ol' buttons....but man is it heavy!
If I remember correctly, it's 56 lbs in the case. My back hurts just thinkin' about it!
What tunings do you have on yours? On mine near to far is A6, C6, and E13....I don't play the A6th as much as the other two, so I've been thinking of trying a new tuning on it.
So many toys, so little time!
I use those same tunings. A6th (Closest neck), E13 (Middle), and C6th (outer). But I don't get out to the C6th neck much.
I haven't tried to date it before...I'm not sure what to take apart to check. But, there is a serial number on the bottom: #42420.
In case anyone is interested, it's a short scale neck, with a string spacing of appox 11/32 at the nut, and 7/16 at the bridge. I say approx, because they were evidently filed by hand, so the grooves aren't exact like a machinist would have made them.
My Magnatone looks very similar to yours. I need to get the tuning machines worked on. Two broke on me a couple of years and it cost about $80 to fix. So now anytime I change strings or tunings I cringe because I know I'll break another one soon.
My Magnatone has four-on-a-side tuners. Are these made any more? I was hoping to swap out all of the tuners with new ones, but I'm afraid that will cost quite a bit. By the way my guitar weighs about 50 pounds in the case.
I think the 60's were the end of the line for Magnatones (at least I've never seen or heard of any from the 70's). You might contact Bobbe Seymour to see if he possibly knows where you could find some parts off of a "dead" Magnatone. That's the problem with these vintage instruments....no new parts!
That triple brings back fond memories of the quad (4) I once owned and foolishly sold. It was just too darned heavy to lug around especially in the heavy case. Today, I think it might be considered as a rare bird. It also had separate vol and tone controls for each neck.
Yes, Magnatone did indeed give the steel guitarists on "Hawai'i Calls" their instruments back in the fifties. When that happened, Webley Edwards would give the best world-wide plug a company like Magnatone could ever desire..."Alvin Isaacs and his Magnatone Steel Guitar". Jules Ah See also had a Magnatone which, in later years was acquired by Alan Akaka. Jules had his name painted in bold letters on the case. Whether or not Alan still has it, I have no idea. It too, would be a rare bird for anyone to own knowing it was played by Jules.
Here's my Lyric. It has these wild "wood humbucker-like" pickups under those handrests ...
I got it for $125 back in '88 ... very lovely tone
------------------ <font size=1>www.horseshoemagnets.com </font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 15 March 2004 at 08:21 AM.]</p></FONT>
At this point I'm planning to try and do the cheapest fix for my tuning machines. I don't mind having non-stock parts. I'm taking the guitar in soon to have the tuners looked at.
I have one other question, as a stock instrument are you able to have all three necks on at once? Right now I can have Front & Middle on or Middle & Back on, but not all three.
Yes I think a former owner did do some bad stuff to my guitar. I paid $300 for it three years ago and I ended up paying about $200 to have the middle neck rewired because someone had gone in and removed most of the wiring on that neck. How complicated would it be to have it wired so that I could have all three necks on?
I have to say it is nice to see that there are some other Magnatone owners on there.
