Magnatone Varsity Deluxe Model 108

This amp is beyond simple, with no features to speak of except for some simply wonderful class A 6V6 tone! A Magnatone Champ killer, made in the nifty `50's. This is one of the Mutha O' Toilet Seat models, with a neat tweed basket weave grill and a green reversed control panel. About 8 watts or so, with one volume and one tone control into a 8" speaker. The tone control acts as an extra gain booster as well as a tone control. An ideal bedroom/recording amp.

I've used this with a variety of guitars and with harp and mainly play amped up blues and R&B ...I had heard great things about the old maggies and decided to try one out, and was looking for a decent small everyday practice amp. I wasn't expecting anything that special, but boy was I surprised! This thing rocks!

The sound varies from a clean Fenderish chime to a cranked creamy `brown' distortion. Like many small amps, it starts really breaking up around 6 or 7. The 8" (stock)speaker is surprisingly full toned, with lots of grit and gristle. You won't get death metal out of it, but that's what stompboxes were invented for, right?

This thing sounds HUGE in a recording context. If you like the old tweed Fender champs, you'll LOVE this.

I've owned this about a year and it appears to be very dependable. Honestly, these's not much to go wrong in this simple circuit.

I've used it in recording sessions, and the little red light always goes on #$#@! It does have a little bit of 60 cycle hum, especially with single coils but nothing outrageous, and the cool vintage tone makes up for it. I suppose a simple filter cap job would fix it if it got worse.

Obviously, at 8 watts you could only use it miked. I don't gig with it...after all, it's 50 years old. I use one of my JMP Marshall 50W
for gigs. I'd never use ANY amp or guitar without a backup live.

Magnatone has been gone for years. But any competant amp doctor ought to be able to work on this simple circuit.

I've been playing for better than 25 years, and have used a variety of amps in that time. This is a great alternative to my usual sound (JMP Marshalls)and works very well for what I use it for.

From what I've read, Magnatone amps were actually higher priced than Fenders back in the day, used more expensive components and were considered more of an `upscale' amp. Considering how this thing sounds compared to many vintage Fender Champs, Gibson Skylarks, etc. I've heard, I can believe it.

If this disappeared, I would probably replace it either with the same model if I could find one or with a really excellent blond or tweed Fender Champ or a maggie with vibrato. All in all, a great amp for what it is.

They don't come much simpler than this baby. Made about 1957, based on original RCA blackface tubes dated 56-48 and 8" alnico Jensen same year. The tubes, 5y3, 12ax7, 6v6, about 8 watts, but man, is it loud! Same basic circuit as other small amps of the day(ie Fender Champ, Gibson GA-6). Of course all point to point. This is not one of the mother of toilet seat models; brown leatherette, beautiful condition. Features? Tone and Volume, 3 inputs, one of them high gain. No reverb, no tremolo.

I use this beauty for harp, mostly blues. It is about the perfect rig for harp; creamy smooth transitions in and out of distortion without having to destroy everyone's audiosensory capabilities in the process. The Tone control acts like a gain dial, really belting out some serious feedback when it's at 4 and my Green Bullet is turned up 3/4+ unless I stand a good ways away. But what a sound! No pedals/effects necessary. This is the real McCoy. Dark Chicago tones, to bright and clean with the right combination of mic work and dialing. It's not hard to understand why more and more harp players are looking for low powered rigs. You just plan on mic'ing it for anything other than small jams. No big deal. My 108 is absolutely silent, even at full volume and gain. No hiss, no hum. I left the 2-prong cord o' death original, and marked one side so I could get the polarity right (most of the time!). Couldn't bring myself to hack this vintage beauty. People used amps like that for years, and most survived. I've been snapped a few times, once on the lips! You just learn to be careful.

I gig with it regularly, without a backup. Hey, it's lasted 46 years, so far. I got it to play, not to "collect". Easy-to-find tubes, simple circuit, well-built cabinet. What else can you ask for?

The warranty? Probably expired in '58 or so.

Been playing 10 or so years. I love this amp. If it were lost or stolen, and I came across another one, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat. However, there are probably others that could replace it and do as well (ie Premier Twin-8, Gibson Skylark, possibly even a Fender Champ, although it would have to be a 50's tweed). None of this silver face stuff. What's the obsession with Fender?!! If you see a Magnatone for sale, you won't regret getting it.

Little Fender Champ substitute/wannabe. 8" Jensen alnico speaker, about 8 W output. 3 tubes, 6V6, cathode biased, 12AX7 and 5Y3. Volume and tone control. No reverb or tremolo. Your basic amp. Great bedroom amp.

Using it with a Fender Am Std Strat, it's pretty cool. The tone is not surreal, more average. But almost any low wattage tube amped cranked is gonna sound pretty good and this is no exception. Very trebly, so set the tone control around 2 position(where range is 1 through 4). With amp cranked and strat in neck position, great sustain and bluesy tone. Variety is really a clean sound at moderat volume levels to a blues distortion when fully cranked. No metal sounds outta here, but with a TS9 in front purely as a volume boost, it screams.

Never a problem, but the thing is so simple inside, even a complete overhaul would take a person 2 hours.

Magnatone? You gotta be kiddin!