1955 Magnatone Troubadour, model 112:
Found this on Reverb:
https://reverb.com/item/69155900-magnat ... ther-studs
Schematic:
I probably paid too much, but I've never owned or worked on a Magnatone, so I couldn't pass it up.
I knew the rust maybe pointed to water damage or mice, but boy was I in for a surprise when I opened it up.
Luckily, I didn't find any dead ones in there, but it was totally trashed.
I cleaned the cabinet with bleach and denatured alcohol (separately), and scrubbed the cloth covering (it's not really Tolex) and the baffle/grill cloth with some mild plant-based cleaner we had under the sink.
I sprayed the shit out of the circuit with denatured alcohol before I gloved-up and stripped the chassis down. Then I treated it with phosphoric acid and coated it with rust converting primer.
Drew up a wiring diagram based on my reverse engineering and the above schematic. There were a few small differences. 0.1uF Bypass cap on V1 Instrument input cathode. Extra B+ voltage dropping stage feeding most of the preamp plates.
Replaced all the components:
The transformers were still good, as was everything on the panel. Tubes were good, but somebody had dropped 12AU7s in place of the 12AX7s, so I corrected that. Original Oxford speaker had a rubbing voice coil. I dropped in a 60s Cleveland AlNiCo I had sitting around. Also replaced the disintegrating original handle.
Sounds great now. Dead quiet, breaks up very nicely. Instrument input is a little bit brighter from that extra cathode bypass cap. Tele bridge pickup sounds good in the mic input.
