Magnatone M-15 Combo

I have two 2X12 M15s amd a 3x8. The amps with the 12" speakers sound natural without having to add extension speaker cabs like I have to to the 3X8. Really the 3th 8" speaker is quite useless as I don't use reverb but the other 2 larger 8" speakers are very nice sounding ones.
As of now , I use only 1 channel. Both chaneels ( standard and the vibroto channel produce excellent tone, unlike the tonal inconsistancy found in 2 channel amps like Fender. I like to listern to the vibrato when I strum an open string G chord or when I have no good idea on what to play. There is this mix stereo input that I have been looking at for years wondering what I should do with it ??
No effects to talk about as I don't use them anyway. There are just too many knobs and clickers.A volume and tone are all that I need. I have an M12 for just that but this review is supposed to do the m15, No? I am a retired musician and use these to do some playing sometimes, if the people involved help to move the amps. Otherwise , I'll use whatever they have for me. These amps are not very loud but I use them for their excellent tone from a selection of some 10 old amps I still have.

I use archtop hollowbody guitars, some with P90/s and some with humbucker/s but I find that one with an old DeArmond chief works better for me using the M15 amps. I can't really tell which type of music I play but if it comes to a defination, how about just guitar playing ? I have my amps checked and serviced to work well . So there is no defectiveness in operation. I seldom plan to distort any amp but sometimes distortion is there when played at max setting with full chording. I can't sau I know much about distortuin to talk oe write much about it. I would like to know if Magnatone , when designing the M15,had distortion in mind ?

One of the most common problem associated with Magnatone amps is caused by the poor quality tube holders they use. Change them. The tubes will be held in place ro operate correctly. These amps are very reliable if not for the falling tubes.

Most tech who know how to fix maggies,charge too much. I know a couple of good techs located nearby and I don't have much to worry about.

Join my first band in 1954. I have lots of gears. No body can steal from me.If they have, its because I alllowed them. I like the amp because it sounds musical. Not all amps are musical, though. I would like to have it downsized to something like a pro reverb. Finally, I feel that players are now spending too much time and money on gears and stuffs to help play and sound better. How about spending time and money to improve the playing skill? Otherwise, soon there will be just 1 man standing alone as the last of the guitarists ?????

This is a model M15, it has 3 - 8" speakers, 2 input channels with hi and low jacks, 3-way contour switch, bass and treble for each channel, true stereo vibrato, reverb, external stereo speaker jacks. This amp is wierd and wonderful. It's a great sounding amp, warm and musical. I'd like to dispel some of the mis-information that was reported by the other reviewers (sorry guys!). The tubes in this amp are pretty common. It has a couple of 12ax7's for the first preamp tube on each channel, 4 12au7's (a variation on the 12ax7) two of which are the driver tubes for the main output sections, a 12dw7, a pair of 6gwb's (these might be a little unusual) in the reverb section, and 2 pairs of 7189a's (which are high-grade EL-84's) for the main output tubes. This amp basically has 3 output sections; 2 main output sections consisting of the 12au7 driver, a pair of 7189a's and an output transformer, each of which drives an 8" 16-ohm speaker with a huge alnico magnet, and the reverb output which has it's own pair of 6gwb output tubes and transformer driving the 3rd 8" speaker. I'd estimate the power of this amp at about 20 watts per output channel. I bought this puppy for $100. It seems that you could cannibalize it for the high quality parts it has, a bunch of switchcraft brass jacks, high quality pots, the transformers, mine was loaded with mullard and telefunken tubes, and build yourself a couple of killer 20 watt combos - but the thing works so well just the way it is that it seems a travesty to tear it apart. I don't think it's a practical gigging amp - it's not that roadworthy or loud, but to have it at home and just play through it is a treat.

I haven't really pushed it because I'm afraid to cook the speakers. But I've run it up to about 7 and it sounds great with my Les Paul. It's not noisy. When I got it it was humming and I replaced the filter caps, which cured the problem. The reverb is very lush. The stereo vibrato is very cool, although I don't really know what kind of songs you could use it for. I might look into modifying it to sweep slower, to get more of a leslie-type sound. It's slowest speed is pretty fast (maybe mine's not working right - I don't know how slow they are supposed to be able to get). But this amp gets a really sweet tone, very full and big.

This amp would best be owned by someone with the knowledge to keep it running. Like I said above, I replaced the filter caps. I also cleaned all the jacks and tube sockets, repaired a speaker, put a new reverb pan in, etc. It's old, it's heavy, it's not loud, you wouldn't want to gig with it.

I'd probably buy a few of these if I could get them for $100 a pop. I might cannibalize them to build some cool small amps with, and keep one really fine example to play through.