Magnatone Varsity Model M-197-3-V

Simple, ballsy little tube amp, loves to be cranked, nice distortion at full vol.

This (very) antique amp uses one 6SJ7 tube, for both pre-amp and phase inversion into a 6V6GT power tube. It has an Oxford 8" 75L-2 speaker (date code:395218). Rectifier tube is a 5Y3.

Dimensions: 11.5 in. high, 12.5 in. wide, 6.75 in. deep. Original catalog list price was $45.00.
The schematic is very similar to the Gibson Les Paul Jr., page 517 and the Champ 5C1, page 389 of "The Tube Amp Book, 4th Edtion" by Aspen Pittman
cehck this site:
http://www.vibroworld.com/magnatone/M-197-3-V.html

Made 1947-1955

plug & play - great with any guitar I've tried so far, quieter than my silverface champ, fun to play thru.

just had it serviced ny Ben Kuris (Somerville, MA) - new 3 prong plug & tubes, now has a clean bill of health.

I would not hesitate to play with friends using this amp, or record with it, and already have (it sounds great with a slide guitar). It's old & a bit fragile, might not take it on the road.

Warranty? We don't need no stinking Warranty!

These old Maganatones are the Amreican tube amp secret. I would love to have a few more, and compared to vintage Fenders they are an absolute steal.

Pre-1955 Magna Electronics, Los Angeles, CA, Varsity M197-3-V Tweed
This is the only tweed Magnatone I have seen so far. Plug in and play features. ONE control: ON/OFF/Volume, chicken head knob that goes all the way to 7. One 8" AlNiCo speaker. 1-6V6 output tube, 1-6SJ7 preamplifier tube, and 1- 5Y3 rectifier. I use this amp for local jamming with friends, or at home. Great straight ahead Blues guitar or harp amp. My style ranges from early Chicago Blues to Hendrix/ British invasion. This is a no frills, vintage tone amp. Does one thing extremely well, which is to nail that early tweed sound.

This amp sounds amazing with a 335, or a hotter version of a Strat, ie: Texas Fat Strat, or some other version, I have the HM model that puts out a strong signal. I mainly combine amp this with a Hamer semi hollow with Duncan Humbuckers for a rich blues tone, or the Strat. I have tried an SG and an LP Custom through it, while it sounded good, the real creamy breakup needs hotter pickups. I prefer Humbuckers for the Blues. This amp can nail the tweed Fender sound in a small package, reminds me of Keith Richard's sound on some of the classics. I have replaced the original speaker in this with a Jensen MOD, an Italian made 8" with doped cone, and a ceramic magnet. It sounds a little more full, and not as crisp. As the speaker breaks in, the tonal range improves, a little less stiff.
This is a great little amp for studio work, small clubs, mic's well and has a full, rich sound. however a little light on the highs.
I had my local tech service this amp, it cleaned up nice with servicing and a few cap's. replaced, now it's very quiet when idling.

I'd probably not want to gig with this amp, just because i would not want to let it out of my sight. It's simple and easy to service, easy to get tubes and still making music after 50 years. It will probably keep on going well into the future

I've been playing for 33+ years, and I currently own about 18 vintage amps, mostly Fenders and Magnatones. I love the simplicity of this amp, and can't say anything about it that I don't like, it is what it is: a simple machine loaded with soul. I hope it never gets stolen, because I have yet to see another. It would be a huge disappointment. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say it would compare to a tweed Champ. I'm a big fan of small Magnatones, because they have a big attitude in a small package, and are easy to carry around.