Magnatone 1951 Deluxe M-195-5-J Amp & Lap Steel Set Pearl Burgundy MOTS, Excellent

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

Beginning in the late 1930s, Magna Electronics produced amplifiers, Hawaiian and steel guitars. In the hands of Art Duhamell, the brand name was changed to Magnatone, and by 1950, Magna had expanded from their Jefferson Boulevard, Los Angeles location with three new buildings at 9749 S. Freeman Ave. Between 1947 and 1952, Magna primarily produced 5-watt and 10-watt steel guitar amplifiers, and early models often featured a mother-of-pearl plastic finish matching the design of their steel guitars.  While the guitar and amp were commonly sold together, they could also be purchased separately. The M-195-5-J Deluxe is the upper end of that early production lineup.  You get approximately twelve watts from two 6V6 power tubes through a 10" speaker rather than the five watts and 8" speaker of the Varsity models, a substantially more capable instrument designed for the working steel player who needed volume and headroom.

The Pearl Burgundy swirly pearloid covering — known affectionately in the vintage amp community as "Mother of Toilet Seat" — is the material that defined this era of American instrument manufacturing. Applied to drum kits, lap steels, amplifiers, and accordions through the late 1940s and early 1950s, it is the visual signature of a specific period in American popular music when Hawaiian and western swing were mainstream entertainment and the steel guitar was as common in living rooms and dance halls as the acoustic guitar would become a decade later. Both the amplifier and the lap steel are covered in matching Pearl Burgundy.

The amplifier is in excellent original condition with two caps replaced — the correct and conservative service approach for an amplifier of this age. Original Triad power transformer, original Albion output transformer dated to February 1950. The 10" speaker decodes as a Jensen unit from the 12th week of 1951 — Jensen speakers in period combo amps are consistently valued by players and collectors for their tonal contribution, and finding an original Jensen intact in a 75-year-old amplifier is notable. Tube complement: two RCA 6V6 power tubes, Sylvania 5Y3 rectifier, GE preamp tubes. Grounded power cord. All original pots, knobs, handle, grille, cabinet, baffle, and chassis. The swirling silver-blue grille cloth is original and in excellent condition — these grille cloths rarely survive intact.

The matching lap steel is in excellent condition overall with honest notes throughout. The body finish — the same grey pearloid as the amp — is excellent. The original single-coil pickup, original pots, original wiring and solder joints, original output jack, and original knobs are all intact and functional. The tuners are non-original replacements with headstock modifications, which is the most common alteration found on Magnatone lap steels of this era as the original tuners were frequently replaced for functional reasons. The painted fretboard markers have been repainted. The aluminum nut is original. 22-1/4" scale, 2-3/16" nut width. A period-correct Geib case — not the original, but a correct-era case we had in stock and matched to the instrument — is included in fair condition.

SPECS:

Amp:

• Case/Cover?: no
• Weight: 17lbs 12.5oz
• Dimensions: h 15-1/2" x w 15" x d 11"
• Watts: 12 watts
• Covering Material: Mother of Toilet Seat aka pearloid swirled nitrocellulose plastic 
• Covering Color: Grey Pearl 
• Covering Original?: yes
• Cabinet Material: plywood
• Cabinet Condition: Excellent
• Cabinet Repairs/Changes: none
• Cabinet Original?: yes
• Grille Style: swirley silver blue
• Grille Condition: Excellent
• Grille Original?: yes
• Baffle Material: plywood
• Baffle Conditon: Excellent
• Baffle Original?: yes
• Baffle Repairs/Changes: none
• Chassis Material: sheet metal
• Chassis Condition: Excellent
• Chassis Original?: yes
• Chassis Repairs/Changes: none
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Handle Original?: yes
• Handle Material: die cast metal
• Date: 1951
• Where Is Date Noted?: serial#, codes
• Speaker 1 Brand: ? 10-T
• Speaker 1 Size: 10"
• Speaker 1 Manufacturer Code: 39
• Speaker 1 Date Code: 512
• Speaker 1 Cone Code: 2416 1
• Speaker 1 Condition: Very good
• Power Transformer Manufacturer: Triad
• Power Transformer Manufacturer Code: n/a
• Power Transformer Date Code: n/a
• Power Transformer Original?: yes
• Output Transformer Manufacturer: Albion
• Output Transformer Manufacturer Code: 1689
• Output Transformer Date Code: 2-50
• Output Transformer Original?: yes
• Reverb Onboard: no
• Reverb Tank Original?: n/a
• Tremolo Or Vibrato Onboard: no
• Pedal Included?: no
• Rectifier Tube: 5Y3
• Rectifier Tube Brand: Sylvania
• Power Tubes: 2 x 6V6
• Power Tube Brand: RCA
• Preamp Tubes: 12AX7, 6SL7 or 6SJ7 - the tube is not labeled
• Preamp Tube Brand: GE
• Potentiometers Original?: yes
• Filter Caps: 2 caps replaced
  
• Power Cable: grounded
• Documentation: none
• Smells?: no
• Accessories Included: none

Lap Steel:

• Weight: 4lbs 4.5oz
• Color: Grey Pearl 
• Body Material: " hardwood"
• Body Condition: Excellent
  
• Body Date: n/a
• Body Markings: none
• Body Repairs: none
• Body Binding: none
• Body Binding Condition: n/a
  
• Body Finish Original? yes
• Body Finish Condition: Excellent
• Overall Length: 29-1/4"
  
• Lower Bout: 8"
• Waist: 6"
• Upper Bout: 6-3/4"
• Body Depth/Thickness: 1-3/4"
• Scale Length: 22-1/4"
• Neck Condition: Very good
• Neck Repairs: none
• Neck Finish Original? yes
• Neck Markings: none
• Fretboard Material: painted
• Fretboard Condition: Good
• Fretboard Repairs: painted on fret numbers
• Nut Material: aluminum
• Nut Repairs: none
• Nut Width: 2-3/16"
• Bridge Brand: n/a
• Bridge Original? yes
• Saddle Material: metal
• Saddles Original? yes
• Bridge And Saddle Crews Original? n/a
• String Spacing At Bridge: 2.1915"
• Bridge Condition: Good
• Tuner Brand And Model: generic, 3 on a side
• Tuners Original? no
• Changes To Headstock For Tuners? yes
• Tuner Condition: newer
• Tuner Markings: none
• Tuner Screws Original? no
  
• Case Brand: Geib
• Case Original? No, we had it in stock and added it to this package.
• Case Condition: fair
• Case Smells? no
• Pickup Brand: single coil
• Pickup Count: 1
  
• Pickup Original? yes
• Knob Color: white
• Knob Count: 2
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Knob Condition: good
• Control Cavity Cover Material: metal
• Control Cavity Cover Original? yes
• Control Cavity Condition: Very good
• Potentiometer Count: 2
• Potentiometers Original? yes
• Potentiometer Condition: Very good
• Solders Original?: yes
• Wiring Original?: yes
• Output Jack Plate Color: nickel
• Output Jack Plate Condition: good
  
• Output Jack Original? yes
• Documentation: none
• Smells? none
• Accessories Included: none

Shipping policy:

Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.