Magnatone 480 preset

DavidCarrMusic

Inspired
Hi chums. I've posted this already on the FM3 share thread and keen to know if it translates to the AxeFXIII. I own an FM3 and Axe2 XL

Some years ago I owned a Magnatone 480 with stereo vibrato, which is essentially a 280 with reverb added to one channel. I have many recordings of it and used it live occasionally. I'm a hobby builder of very basic valve amps (no relation to Steve Carr) so I've looked at the circuit diagram many times.
For me, the sound of the vibrato was like a stereo version of the vintage Vox AC 30 channel and the luscious throb of a Univibe, so I've based the vibrato on the wet mix of 2 dissimilar Phasers. Scene 1 is fast wobble, S2 is slow. Scenes 3 and 4 are some fun based on that good ol 2112 watery sound.
Enjoy.
 

Attachments

  • DC Magmatone 480.syx
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Hi chums. I've posted this already on the FM3 share thread and keen to know if it translates to the AxeFXIII. I own an FM3 and Axe2 XL

Some years ago I owned a Magnatone 480 with stereo vibrato, which is essentially a 280 with reverb added to one channel. I have many recordings of it and used it live occasionally. I'm a hobby builder of very basic valve amps (no relation to Steve Carr) so I've looked at the circuit diagram many times.
For me, the sound of the vibrato was like a stereo version of the vintage Vox AC 30 channel and the luscious throb of a Univibe, so I've based the vibrato on the wet mix of 2 dissimilar Phasers. Scene 1 is fast wobble, S2 is slow. Scenes 3 and 4 are some fun based on that good ol 2112 watery sound.
Enjoy.
I had an Etsey Magnatone M8 for a whole. Great little amp. Wish I could've kept it....
 
I downloaded and imported the 480 sysx file to my Axe-III with no issue. I got no sound... It looks like it was made with cabs I don't have. Can you tell me what the cabs you used for this are based off of? It'll at least narrow my search. ;)

Thanks!
 
I downloaded and imported the 480 sysx file to my Axe-III with no issue. I got no sound... It looks like it was made with cabs I don't have. Can you tell me what the cabs you used for this are based off of? It'll at least narrow my search. ;)

Thanks!
I used the Legacy 2 x 12 BOUTIQUE R121. Cab #30. If you don't have that I'd go for perhaps a 70's twin. The speakers in the 480 were 12" Oxfords, very hifi sounding and also had an oval 5" 'tweeter'. Here's some interesting info:
https://www.magnatoneamps.com/480.html
 
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Thanks for the cab info, alternative and some history. I've been watching a lot of videos regarding the Magnatone line. The first one I heard was the Twlighter Stereo. The first few chords gave me goosebumps. That's the tone I remember growing up. That and the Fender twin. I remember having my amp in the shop for repair, they lent me a twin. The thing weighed almost as much as I did! It was too big for the house so I setup in the garage. Still can't figure out why so many cops stopped by to visit. :rolleyes:
 
This is an amazing preset! I have recently become obsessed with magnatone amps and just recently acquired a 1957 260 with the original oxford speakers. The speakers are in shockingly good condition and sound great. Unfortunately channel 1 does not work and this is the channel that feeds the vibrato effect. I just gave it to my amp tech to see if he can fix it. Hopefully it is fixable. Would love to see a magnatone amp model on the axe fx. If anyone at the home office is reading this, I'd be happy to send you mine to poke around in it and model it :grinning::grinning::grinning:
 
This is an amazing preset! I have recently become obsessed with magnatone amps and just recently acquired a 1957 260 with the original oxford speakers. The speakers are in shockingly good condition and sound great. Unfortunately channel 1 does not work and this is the channel that feeds the vibrato effect. I just gave it to my amp tech to see if he can fix it. Hopefully it is fixable. Would love to see a magnatone amp model on the axe fx. If anyone at the home office is reading this, I'd be happy to send you mine to poke around in it and model it :grinning::grinning::grinning:
If it is the 260A, with bass and treble controls, it is not too far removed from a typical small/medium Ampeg, circuit-wise. You may try putting a phase shifter inbetween amp and cab with the Porta Bass model and a cab. The Script45 with Order bumped up to 4 and the mix set to 100% wet gets pretty close to the vibrato in the old M8 I used to own, from memory....
 
If it is the 260A, with bass and treble controls, it is not too far removed from a typical small/medium Ampeg, circuit-wise. You may try putting a phase shifter inbetween amp and cab with the Porta Bass model and a cab. The Script45 with Order bumped up to 4 and the mix set to 100% wet gets pretty close to the vibrato in the old M8 I used to own, from memory....
Thanks, I gave it a try! Sounds pretty good to me.
 

Attachments

  • Magnafaux Troubadour.syx
    48.2 KB · Views: 23
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Whipped this up to test the concept. Amp may not be 100% like the Magnatone, but the circuit is not too different - volume, treble, bass, using a Baxandall tone stack. Should probably leave the mid pot centered, per the manual's suggestion on "extra" knobs in the ideal view, since the control is likely based on a boost/cut mid circuit, which Ampegs used a lot (though the Portaflex my friend owned didn't have a mid control at all) and which is usually nominally flat when at center.

The phaser worked out to about where I remember the vibrato on the M8, which uses more or less the same circuit for the vibrato that was used in the 260A.

I was reminded of how much I enjoyed playing guitar through my friend's Portaflex. Add another clean/EOB amp to my favorites list.... :D
 
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