Magnatone Steel Guitar Serial Numbers. Serial Number Incredimail 2 50 more. Gretsch 1960's hardshell case original! There are so many comments from Swart owners pouring in weekly, that it's been near impossible to keep. Guitar Player Magazine Backissues. Guitar Player May 1. Tom Petty & Mike Campbell, Blur, Ebow.

This is a vintage Magnatone lap steel guitar -- serial number 54712 -- which I believe was made in America somewhere in the 1950's to 1960's. (If I've gotten either of those details wrong, please let me know!) The guitar is in very good shape overall for its age. It's got some wear and some dings on the wood, but nothing major or bothersome. It's clearly been played and enjoyed, but has been taken care of by previous owners. I plugged it in, and it worked just fine. Though admittedly, I can't play lap steel very well at all.

Eric's Comments: Epiphone made some cool steels but they didn't sound good with period amps and didn't sell well (there are no production numbers but this is based on availability in the vintage market). Actually they aren't bad sounding steels if you can turn up the treble on your amp, and some are fairly fancy. Aug 09, 2013 Aloha Magnatone Lap Steel Guitar. Turns out this Aloha brand was actually made by Magnatone, as evidenced by the serial number plate on the back. Howden Wrv 204 Manual on this page.

I got laughed at, to be honest! But if you're a lap steel aficionado, this solid, sturdy old guitar would be a fine addition to your collection. Also included is a beat-up old case that I'm adding to help keep it safe during shipping, but the case itself probably isn't worth anything. It came with the guitar and it's gonna go with the guitar. Product Specs Condition: Brand: Model: Finish: Categories: Year: Made In: United States. Accepted Payment Methods • • • PayPal Shipping Policy Available for local pickup from Canton, IL Ships from Canton, IL to: Continental U.S.

€34.57 EUR We do flat-rate shipping of $40 to anywhere in the lower 48 states via USPS. Please CONTACT US for a shipping quote for international orders. Please allow 3-4 business days for your item to be packed and shipped, depending on our current volume of orders. We are NOT responsible for customs duties or any other additional duties, taxes or fees imposed by your country. Sorry, but we are unable to declare a lower value on customs forms. Please be advised that doing so also decreases the insurance value of the item, and therefore does not guarantee full reimbursement in the event of loss, theft or damage. Tax Policy This seller doesn't charge tax on their sales.

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Bigsby is one of the major names when it comes to speak about the history of electric guitar. If it is difficult to find today one of his few guitars built, there is a cheaper alternative. Indeed in 1956, Magna President Art Duhammel hired Paul Bigsby to design some electric Spanish style guitars to be sold alongside the steel guitars and amplifiers in the Magnatone catalog. Bigsby and Duhammel already had a working relationship with some the Magnatone steel guitar design and consulting work, so collaboration for the new MARK series guitars was natural progression. Electric Spanish guitars were still somewhat of a new invention by 1956. Leo Fender's first electric guitar had hit the market in 1950, and Les Paul's Gibson offering had followed in 1952. Duhammel had the right guy with Bigsby, too.

Bigsby was as much of a pioneer as Leo or Les with his one-off guitars built for guys like Merle Travis and Grady Martin. Designing the guitars was one thing, and production of them was another. Bigsby had no interest in monitoring the production of these guitars, and furthermore, by all accounts, it seems that by 1957 or so, he was completely burnt-out on building or designing electric guitars for anyone. After designing these guitars for Magna, he shifted his focus to his own company's production of the Bigsby Vibrato Arm, which was sold as a boxed unit, for individuals or manufacturers to install on their guitars.

The Vibrato was a simple assembly that was made of cast and stamped steel parts, and was easily assembled. There was no finicky wood to expand, absorb moisture, and crack. As for the Magnatone electric Spanish guitars, by all accounts, Bigsby only designed the guitars. All production details were left up to Magna. There were two guitars designed and sold in 1956 and 1957. The first guitar was the Mark III and the Mark III Deluxe, and the second guitar, which appeared in Magnatone catalogs about 1957, was the Mark IV and Mark V. Not many of either of these guitars were built, and both were offered concurrently in the 1957 catalog, with production lasting into mid to late 1957.