• From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Topic: NGD, and it's a doozy...

So I'd been looking for a lap steel.  I'd seen this one up on the wall where I bought my 12 string, and it called me back.

1948 Magnatone lap steel, and a matched amp.  All tubes, all the time. This thing has a tube rectifier!

The guitar is in good shape, but the amp needs a little love.  Best part is that the finish is this odd kind of shrink wrap.  They call it MOTS.  "Mother of Toilet Seat."

One single coil pup under the hand pad.  I'm going to tear it down and clean it up.  Perhaps new pots.
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/5223/dsc0002nk.jpg

This is the front of the amp.  When they were new, they were sold as "Hawaiian guitars" and there was a groovy beach scene silk screened onto the cone cover.  I'll try to have that redone on the original cloth if possible, and replace the original if it can't be salvaged.  Looks cool, though.  Makes me want a mai tai!

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5774/dsc0018iz.jpg

Make and model number on the back.  There is a guy in Oregon that has schematics for it.  I've sent off for 'em.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/8590/dsc0016ap.jpg

Tubes as far as the eye can see.  I'll probably upgrade these to something a bit more modern, and I'll pull and replace all the caps over time.  This one also has an additional line out on the back so I can use all that vacume goodness through another cabinet if I want.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3869/dsc0017zy.jpg

So I'm all set for winter projects.  big_smile

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Western Australia (born in NZ)
  • Registered: 2011-04-18
  • Posts: 322

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

I'm interested. How do you play one of these?

"Where you begin doesn't matter. Your willingness to start is what counts."
Without music life would be a mistake.
Country music is three chords and the truth.
cool cool cool cool cool cool
  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Nice buy Jerome, she looks in great condition for her age and I am sure that with a little TLC she will be as good as new.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Louisiana
  • Registered: 2008-11-06
  • Posts: 863

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

I just logged in to get me a Betty Boop hand bag and saw your post. ( a pun about more spam on site)
That is a very cool toy you have there. Enjoy it muchly.

When the Power of Love overcomes The Love of Power the world will be a better place.

deadstring's Website

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Excellent.  Impressive that you've got the skills to do all that TLC.  Happy NGD. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • From: U.S.
  • Registered: 2007-01-24
  • Posts: 269

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Very cool Jerome!I never see any cool like that my guitar shops.

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

steelstrings wrote:

I'm interested. How do you play one of these?

It's just a regular old lap steel guitar.  It's a bottleneck on steroids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxPER7K2zvk

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Probably Somewhere
  • Registered: 2010-12-09
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Jerome I bought the exact same set (I think from '51) in grey MOTS about a year ago. Mind sharing your price? I want to see if I got a good deal.:)

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Zurf wrote:

Excellent.  Impressive that you've got the skills to do all that TLC.  Happy NGD. 

- Zurf

The nice thing about the really old electronics is that there is absolutely no integrated circuitry on them at all, so if you have a basic understanding of electronics, they're actually pretty simple to work on.  It's all tubes, wire, and discrete components.  If you can work a soldering iron, you can work on these things.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Baldguitardude wrote:

Jerome I bought the exact same set (I think from '51) in grey MOTS about a year ago. Mind sharing your price? I want to see if I got a good deal.:)

Guy gave me the whole kit for $525.  I checked around, and that seemed to be what they were going for as a set.  Amp was going for around $200 - $300 individually, and the guitar was going for about the same, depending on condition.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • dino48
  • Honoured Member
  • Offline
  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Looks like 1950's type of stuff,but it is something you do not see often,have fun jerome.!

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • From: Probably Somewhere
  • Registered: 2010-12-09
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Whew.

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Dating it is somewhat of a challenge, as there is no known index of serial numbers.   There is one that has been dated to '47 that is a 12XXX number, while mine is 10XXX so I'm going on the assumption that they hail from the same era.   I haven't found a serial number on the amp yet, so the assumption there is that they're the original pair.  The tubes in the amp all date from the late '40s, though. I've got copies of the original spec sheet for the amplifier tube, and it's dated 1948.

What I really want to do is go dig into the Los Angeles archives and dig up the ownership chain for this company.  I know they folded into a couple of different companies and finally went under permanently in the '70s.   There has to be an archive somewhere.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

Baldguitardude wrote:

Whew.

What did you pay for yours?

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Probably Somewhere
  • Registered: 2010-12-09
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: NGD, and it's a doozy...

I paid 800 but I picked up a pedal and some other stuff too. Probably a tad bit more than yours.