Product: Magnatone 432 Combo
Price Paid: USD 150 USED
Submitted
11/23/2008
at
11:59am
by
James
Email: James dot Rychak<at>gmail dot com
Features
:
No Opinion
This is a '64-'66 Magnatone 432 combo amp. It's the same as the 431 but with a 12" speaker rather than a 10". Its got a few 12ax7s, a 12au7, a 12dw7, and a dual pentode ell80 power tube. The power tubes are getting hard to find, but there's always a few on the bay.
This piece isn't going to be loud enough for the stage, but it would be excellent as a studio amp as long as new caps are installed so it makes less noise than mine.
Most importantly, this amp has the highly regarded REAL Magnatone Vibrato. Interestingly enough, it has tremolo as well.
The reverb on my amp is currently not working, but I would imagine it sounds nice as it uses a legit accutronics tank, much unlike the 4 inch long tank on my Silvertone.
Sound Quality
:
9
Incredible.... Honestly, wow. This thing came to me in a re-done cab with some garbage speaker that broke up way too quickly and sounded way too nasally with the tone control above zero!
One day I decided to plug it into my closed back 4x10 with ceramic Jensens and I was blown away. This amp cranked has the bite of a Marshall with a tone all of its own.
The cleans on this amp are not bad at all either, but it's hard to dial in, as it breaks up pretty quick. Interestingly enough though... Crank the amp, and drop the volume on your guitar for extremely chimey cleans with very little tone loss.
I've never been a huge proponent of using the volume knobs on guitars for this reason, but this amp just keeps continuing to surprise me.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Well as I said before, this is not a gigging amp, but you probably already know that anyways. It is what it is really - a 45 year old point to point tube amp built in a bent alloy chassis. Keep it in good shape and you're fine. I mean, it's lasted this long right?
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Long gone.
Overall Rating
:
10
I'm going on 11 years of playing guitar. I own 10 guitars currently. Mostly '60s, '70s, and '80s Japanese made guitars. Silvertone, Ibanez, Univox, Crestline, Hondo, etc. The majority of my collection probably came out of the Matsumoku plant. Cheap as hell, plays as good as most USA made guitars.
If it were lost I'd be pretty bummed because this thing has some serious balls in a small package. I'd try to replace it for sure.
The distortion is really the best feature. I'm sure some of you would really dig on the vibrato, but I'm just looking for a tone that isn't Marshall or Fender.
