Do all or most Maggie's sound alike?

Tom Snook · Post by **Tom Snook** » 13 Nov 2019 1:40 am

I've heard a few on YouTube, never played one.Do they all have that shimmer when played clean? It's almost like a CHORUS effect.I searched Magnatone steel guitar on YouTube,found Love Hawaiian Style Channel and Tetsuya Ishiyama playing "How'd Ya Do".I really like the sound of his what looks like a Troubadour. I think I might want one.I think it must be the pickup, what else would give it that TONE, that "MAGNATONE "
ALOHA

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 13 Nov 2019 4:11 am

Honestly with me owning a Magnatone...99% of what you're heading in that video is Tetsuya (and a lot of practice!). He did a very good job, lot of Jules Ah See stuff straight from the Tapa Room.

I like the Mag, it sounds good. In my opinion, compared to my Stringmaster, it has less of a deep bass and more of a mid-range bump. Still, all around, the horseshoe in my Clinesmith sounds better to me, but all of that is subjective. But the Mag has a nice growl to it that cuts through a mix.

As for chorus and shimmer, I don't really know what that would be. It's just a magnetic coil pickup, nothing magical about it. The electronics on mine are more frustrating than anything else (really goofy tone pot blend and unbalanced necks). They are great values though, I've seen triplenecks for 700 or so.

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 13 Nov 2019 4:11 am

They don't all sound the same. In the last few years of production, the console models had a longer scale length. They used several different pickups over the years as well. None of the higher-end models sound bad to my ears, though the lap steels with the pickups hidden under the MOTS covering are pretty underwhelming.

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 13 Nov 2019 12:03 pm

Noah Miller wrote:They don't all sound the same. In the last few years of production, the console models had a longer scale length. They used several different pickups over the years as well. None of the higher-end models sound bad to my ears, though the lap steels with the pickups hidden under the MOTS covering are pretty underwhelming.

Agree. One of the problems with having the pickup under the MOTS is you have to keep the strings very low to the guitar, which I have found doesn't give you room to pick without hitting the top of the guitar. Raising the bridge and nut to make it more playable causes loss of volume. The MOTS Maggies sound ok, if you can get around the playability issues, but generally were student/budget guitars compared to the Fenders, Gibsons and Rickenbackers of the day.

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 13 Nov 2019 2:45 pm

Here's the video for reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S2c-kxdHhw

Again, to me, there's lots of midrange, in a good way...but the amp will have something to do with that too.

And Jules on a doubleneck Mag:
https://archive.org/details/TapaRoomTap ... 'ya+Do.mp3

Tetsuya has the single neck lap model, but it's very similar...same type of pickup and 8 string, but it only has 1 pickup. They are definitely nice guitars IMO.

Here he's playing a doubleneck like mine and Jules'...harder to hear the tone easily in the mix though. Some great jamming on what's likely an E13 neck...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46P7ZBohMPc

Tom Snook · Post by **Tom Snook** » 13 Nov 2019 4:35 pm

I just love the sound of that I guess it's the Troubadour model lap steel, when he does that open string arpegio thats the "shimmer"sound I'm referring to it has a fullness it must be the PU.my Rick lap steel doesn't sound like that.how do you get YouTube vids onto your post?
ALOHA

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 13 Nov 2019 4:40 pm

I just cut and paste the link in. Do you mean at around 36 seconds in? He's in B11 and doing a big 9th chord strum from the low strings up. I think what gives it that sound is the fact that he's letting it ring out with a nice bit of vibrato on it. You hear it in the Tapa Room recording at 30 seconds in, its just that 9th chord with a nice bit of quaver applied with the bar/vibrato. Really cool sound...but it should be duplicable with an 8 string in B11, nothing particular to the Maggie that gives that effect (IMO)...

Is your Rick an 8 string? The low two strings definitely give those strums some bassy authority. I noticed my CS frypan has a bit less bass response, strung the same way, than both my Stringmaster and Mag, or at least I perceive it that way...not a complaint, as overall I like the sound better.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 14 Nov 2019 2:58 am

I don't think of Magnatone pickups as particularly bass-oriented. I'd described them as a sweet, somewhat underpowered, clean single coil sound. Here's a recording of my hidden-pickup Magnatone Varsity I'm posting more as a good example of the sound of the pickup than for my performance (lap steel intonation is heaven or hell by fractions). I've read that they look sort of sloppy and minimal when you look under the hood but nevertheless sound pretty good. Personally, I think Magnatones are undervalued: depending on the guitar, they can play well and sound quite good. While nothing I've ever played matches my horseshoe-clad Clinesmith, I still enjoy plugging in the Maggie from time to time.

https://soundcloud.com/aev/my-cherie-amor

Tom Snook · Post by **Tom Snook** » 14 Nov 2019 5:45 am

I have a Model 100 I believe.1955 from what Elderly Instruments says.Horseshoe PU speckled black and white paint.Near mint,I'll trade it for a Magnatone Troubadour (anyone)!we're selling the house and moving to Maryville Tenn.so I should probably keep the Rick and just buy a Magnatone. I'll have a few bucks left over,time will tell
ALOHA

Steve Marinak · Post by **Steve Marinak** » 14 Nov 2019 4:13 pm

I wonder what amp Jules was using in those Tapa Room tapes?

He does have a nice tone.

Jerry Wagner · Post by **Jerry Wagner** » 15 Nov 2019 5:33 pm

My guitars are all 6 and 7-string laps, no consoles, and I've never played a Troubadour. I own a long scale MOTS Magnatone G70, and I agree with Mike Neer that this guitar has exceptional tone, especially considering current values. It's been reported on the Forum that Paul Bigsby was involved in the pickup design for the Magnatone G65 & G70:

viewtopic.php?p=1341620&sid=99b7c6fc380 ... 45a77f23d9

viewtopic.php?t=256359&sid=70c66e8882e3 ... 376ec81c0a

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 15 Nov 2019 5:47 pm

Bigsby designed the first pickups on the Mark IV and V guitars; the late '50s pickups on Magnatone steels (and the later Mark-series guitars) were designed by Paul Barth.

Jerry Wagner · Post by **Jerry Wagner** » 18 Nov 2019 5:14 pm

Thanks Noah,
I have a dim & distant memory of reading a prior mention somewhere about Paul Barth in connection with Ro-Pat-In Corp./ Rickenbacher. But I never bothered to follow up, until now:

http://bartell.vintageusaguitars.com/in ... ul_barth1/

https://www.magnatoneamps.com/barth.html

This seems to place Barth's association with Magnatone in the late 1950's. Any pickup design "association" with either Bigsby or Barth is an indication of why the G65 & G70 Magnatones sound so good.

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 18 Nov 2019 5:47 pm

Yeah it mentions him being hired by Magnatone in 1958...the design we're mostly talking about here (the "premium" models with the rounded chrome pickups, that came in single pickup versions on laps and in pairs on console steels) was around before that, probably mid 50s and wrapping up production in 58 to 59. So he probably didn't design those (unless he was collaborating with Magnatone earlier and just was officially hired on in 58).

There is the other covered pickup design on Magnatone Lyrics, the one with the white fretboard (instead of the black metal one) and the clear tuner buttons. I don't know much about those but I think Barney Isaacs played one for many years. Alan Akaka tells the story about him carrying needlenose pliers to tune it since some of the tuning buttons had broken off in later years!

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 22 Nov 2019 4:22 am

Im about to find out! I just found a killer S8 that i put on hold, I'll post some pic's this weekend. Its black pearl MOTS and has that Bigsby looking pickup but I've not seen another like it.

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 22 Nov 2019 4:43 am

To clarify, this is the pickup that Bigsby designed:

The Barth pickups have several different covers - silver, black, "button" poles or hidden poles - but they don't have the "ridge" running down the center of the cover. Some of them used on guitars have adjustable poles, but I have never seen one on a steel with adjustable poles.

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 22 Nov 2019 7:25 am

Noah Miller wrote:To clarify, this is the pickup that Bigsby designed:

The Barth pickups have several different covers - silver, black, "button" poles or hidden poles - but they don't have the "ridge" running down the center of the cover. Some of them used on guitars have adjustable poles, but I have never seen one on a steel with adjustable poles.

Cool, the S8 i found looks just like the S6 in your pic but in black pearl. Barth pickup it is.

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 24 Nov 2019 3:05 am

This is the lovely critter i just found, had to put it on layaway so it ain't home yet but im pretty excited.

Bill Groner · Post by **Bill Groner** » 24 Nov 2019 4:00 am

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 7 Dec 2019 9:29 am

PSA, anybody in the Sacramento Ca. area, there is a Magnatone D8 on CL with case and all accessories for $500.00 right now

I cant do it but maybe someone else can.