Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Guitar Amps
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Lemmy vs Dylan
  • Are 'Friends' Electric?
  • Flava D - DnB is hard
  • Prince's drummers
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
Jimmy Page plays his cherry red Gibson EDS-1275 double neck live at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Link Wray.
Artists Sundragon unveils the Nymph, a one-watt powerhouse tube combo designed for Jimmy Page
Hotone Pulze Mini
Guitar Amps "The clean and medium-gain sound is where it truly flexes its sonic muscles": Hotone Pulze Mini Bluetooth Amplifier review
Laney LFR-110: A compact 1x10 version of the British amp brand's "best in class" FRFR speaker cabinet.
Guitars Laney expands Devin Townsend and Guthrie Govan-approved FRFR speaker range with compact 1x10
Blackstar ID:X 50: The new combo from the British amp titan is described as "this is the most natural-sounding" modelling amp on the market.
Guitars Blackstar unveils ID-X combos – complete with 6 amp voices, over 35 effects, CabRig and OLED display
Mooer Audio F15i Li Intelligent Amp: this battery-powered take-anywhere guitar amp is packed with amp and effects models, and is an all-in-one practice solution.
Guitars Mooer’s F15i Intelligent Amp is a desktop doozie equipped with 55 amps, 69 effects and a touchscreen
The BEAM SOLO is the new headphone amp for guitar and bass from Blackstar Amplification, and is a compact unit with an integrated jack featuring amp models and effects, and a suite of digital features.
Guitars Blackstar Amplification unveils the BEAM SOLO – has the Fender Mustang Micro Plus found a rival?
Laney Digbeth Foundry Series: the new bass amp range from the British amp band is offered in head and combo formats, and with a variety of wattages.
Bass Guitars Laney Amplification unveils Digbeth Foundry range – affordable, powerful bass amps from 30W to 200W
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++: the super-rare holy grail metal amp used by the likes of Vivian Campbell and Metallica has been officially released by the Gibson-own amp brand.
Guitars ‘Crunch Berries’ are on the menu! Mesa/Boogie releases holy grail Mark IIC++ Metallica amp
Harley Benton Head Switcher; this black single-footswitch pedal is an affordable switching solution for players with two amp heads sharing one speaker cabinet, and is here photographed against a blue gradient background.
Guitars Harley Benton unveils sub-$100 solution for players with two tube amps sharing same speaker cabinet
Mooer SD30i Intelligent Amp: The compact desktop amp is finished in grey-cream and has a black control panel
Guitar Amps “If you’re looking for something to use for home practice, then it’s an invaluable tool”: Mooer SD30i Intelligent Amp review
EVH Gear Hypersonic FR-12: The newly launched FRFR speaker packs 1000-watts, is available in black or ivory, and might just be the perfect companion to your amp modeller.
Guitars EVH Gear drops the Hypersonic FR-12 FRFR speaker – 1000-watts to get the most from your amp modeller
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Guitars Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
Guitars “These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
Laney Black Country Customs Tony Iommi TI100: Long-time Laney user Tony Iommi is pictured with his new signature amp, which is limited to 50 units worldwide to mark Black Sabbath's final show at Villa Park.
Guitars Laney celebrates Black Sabbath's final show with a limited edition reissue of Tony Iommi's TI100 amp
EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Analog Amp Simulator: the compact single-knob pedal can be used as a headphones amp or on your pedalboard as a preamp whose signal can be sent direct to desk or DAW.
Guitars EarthQuaker Devices launches headphones amp mini-pedal that you can use to record with
  1. Guitars

NAMM 2015: mighty Magnatones

News
By Editor, Jamie Dickson ( Guitarist ) published 25 January 2015

Two small but juicy amps explained

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Mighty Magnatones

Mighty Magnatones

NAMM 2015: Vintage Magnatone amps enjoy a great reputation among tone hounds, so we were intrigued when this once-forgotten brand, which originally made amps from 1937 until production halted in the mid-1970s, was revived recently.

Since then some seriously cool new amplifiers, with retro looks and gorgeous tones, have started rolling out. We caught up with Magnatone's chief engineer, Obeid Khan, to talk about two small but juicy new amps from the company that have been launched at NAMM 2015.

Page 1 of 3
Page 1 of 3
Lyric combo with 12-inch speaker

Lyric combo with 12-inch speaker

"So, we had a Lyric amp already - a 10-watt, single-ended amp with 6L6 valves and a ten-inch speaker, a Jensen P10R. But with this new Lyric amp we've added a 12-inch speaker and a slightly larger cabinet.

"Adding that 12-inch speaker made a huge difference - this thing is now big and beefy and useable in a club situation, whereas the 10-inch there were situations where it wasn't quite enough for that. It's still 6L6 single-ended, but you get a nice thick class-A tone with lots of midrange and colour to it. So this is new. It's on our price sheet at $1,699."

Page 2 of 3
Page 2 of 3
Varsity Reverb combo

Varsity Reverb combo

"The next one up from that is our Varsity, which is $1,799 but new this year is the Varsity with reverb.

"So we added all-tube, long-pan spring reverb and kept the circuit the same and the whole vibe of the amp - you know that Varsity is a fun, bouncy little thing and we didn't want to kill any of that character, so we managed to get it in there and it sounds really, really good.

"It's 15 watts and it has two EL84s. Everybody loves EL84s because they compress and they bounce back through the amplifier, through the cable. It also has the same 12-inch speaker that we've been using."

Page 3 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Jamie Dickson
Jamie Dickson
Social Links Navigation

Jamie Dickson is Editor-in-Chief of Guitarist magazine, Britain's best-selling and longest-running monthly for guitar players. He started his career at the Daily Telegraph in London, where his first assignment was interviewing blue-eyed soul legend Robert Palmer, going on to become a full-time author on music, writing for benchmark references such as 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and Dorling Kindersley's How To Play Guitar Step By Step. He joined Guitarist in 2011 and since then it has been his privilege to interview everyone from B.B. King to St. Vincent for Guitarist's readers, while sharing insights into scores of historic guitars, from Rory Gallagher's '61 Strat to the first Martin D-28 ever made.

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Jimmy Page plays his cherry red Gibson EDS-1275 double neck live at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Link Wray.
Sundragon unveils the Nymph, a one-watt powerhouse tube combo designed for Jimmy Page
 
 
Hotone Pulze Mini
"The clean and medium-gain sound is where it truly flexes its sonic muscles": Hotone Pulze Mini Bluetooth Amplifier review
 
 
Laney LFR-110: A compact 1x10 version of the British amp brand's "best in class" FRFR speaker cabinet.
Laney expands Devin Townsend and Guthrie Govan-approved FRFR speaker range with compact 1x10
 
 
Blackstar ID:X 50: The new combo from the British amp titan is described as "this is the most natural-sounding" modelling amp on the market.
Blackstar unveils ID-X combos – complete with 6 amp voices, over 35 effects, CabRig and OLED display
 
 
Mooer Audio F15i Li Intelligent Amp: this battery-powered take-anywhere guitar amp is packed with amp and effects models, and is an all-in-one practice solution.
Mooer’s F15i Intelligent Amp is a desktop doozie equipped with 55 amps, 69 effects and a touchscreen
 
 
The BEAM SOLO is the new headphone amp for guitar and bass from Blackstar Amplification, and is a compact unit with an integrated jack featuring amp models and effects, and a suite of digital features.
Blackstar Amplification unveils the BEAM SOLO – has the Fender Mustang Micro Plus found a rival?
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Misha Mansoor plays his signature Jackson Juggernaut in front of a flaming van in a still from the promo video for his signature Neural DSP plugin.
Misha Mansoor teams up with Neural DSP for Archetype plugin that nails his Periphery tone – but does so much more
 
 
Jackson American Series Rhoads: the Rhoads is now officially being made in the USA again, and is offered with a choice of a hardtail or Floyd Rose, with the hardtail finished in Satin Black and Snow White, and the Floyd in Satin Black, Matte Army Drab and Snow White. Note the reverse headstock.
All Rhoads lead to California as Jackson brings one of its most-iconic metal guitars home for a high-end upgrade
 
 
Source Audio dials up the ambience with the Encounter – six reverbs, six delays, one tricked-out pedal for “deeply immersive soundscapes” featuring MIDI I/O, full stereo operation, and a black enclosure with blue swirly graphic.
“Players have asked us to push further – into more adventurous, exploratory delay and reverb”: Source Audio dials up the ambience with the Encounter – six reverbs, six delays, one tricked-out pedal for “deeply immersive soundscapes”
 
 
Andy Fraser in 1971
“The notes he didn’t play were more important than the notes he did play”: A salute from one great bassist to another
 
 
Joe Bonamassa wears a blue suit and plays his P-90 loaded Epiphone signature Les Paul [left] and BB King cups his hand to his ear to ask for some more from his audience at a 1991 show in Chicago.
Joe Bonamassa announces all-star album celebrating life of BB King on the King of the Blues’ 100th birthday
 
 
Loog Guitars x Gibson: these child-friendly 3-strings reimagine the Les Paul and SG for young beginners.
Gibson teams up with Loog for child-friendly 3-string versions of its most famous electric guitars
 
 
Latest in News
PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy performs at Victorious Festival 2023 at Southsea Common on August 26, 2023 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Rob Ball/Getty Images)
“It’s pretty rancid!”: The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon isn’t a fan of modern pop music
 
 
Lizzo at the Christian Siriano fashion show as part of Spring/Summer 2026 New York Fashion Week held at Macy's Herald Square on September 12, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)
“It’s policing black music”: Lizzo speaks out on the ‘racist’ origins of sampling law
 
 
Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam performs live on stage during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 03, 2025
Matt Cameron explains why he left Pearl Jam and insists that the final Soundgarden album is coming
 
 
Modular synth
SampleRadar: 497 free modular percussion samples
 
 
NASHVILLE - MARCH 10: CBS presents RINGO & FRIENDS AT THE RYMAN, a two-hour special celebrating the music and legacy of Ringo Starr through the lens of country music, airing Monday, March 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs). Pictured (L-R): Jack White and Ringo Starr. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/CBS via Getty Images)
With A Little Help From His Friends: Jack White joins Ringo Starr on stage for a Beatles classic
 
 
Klaus Meine of The Scorpions, 1991
“The whistling was a result of me having no guitar": The making of The Scorpions' Wind Of Change
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...