Maggie Tube Pedal

[plexi50]

I see there are a few more Magnatone varistors for sale again on Ebay. Question.
Am i going to need 4 of these varistors to build a maggie tube pedal? I would like to make an effort to try building a true tube driven maggie tone using the original varistors. Are there any schematics available to make building this easier?

[jazbo8]

Man, you are on a vibrato building binge The Hammond that you built was super nice, but you want more, eh!
Here is the schematic for the Magnatone 260A, which use 4 varistors. Looking forward to your build again.

[plexi50]

Yeah i want the real thing before i get too burned out. It may spark some new life in me. Steve was the masterpiece builder of the warbler. I and a few others chased after it and built one as well. There has been some real ingenius projects over the years here on this forum. I found a place called Metrosil on the net that is making the original magnatone silicon carbide varistors Carborundum Part #233BNR-32. Is that factual? Who knows.

I put in a quote for 100 of them. I saw a thread and they were $16.50 each in 2011.

All the Maggies as far as i have read used the same varistor part number 233BNR-32. But if you look at the Magnatone 213 schematic you can see that the varistor says it is Copper Oxide

Who knows. Im tired.  

[Willabe]

I found a place called Metrosil on the net that is making the original magnatone silicon carbide varistors Carborundum Part #233BNR-32. Is that factual? Who knows.

I put in a quote for 100 of them. I saw a thread and they were $16.50 each in 2011.

Good question plexi.

That's at least 1/2 if not more then less the going price on ebay has been. I was hoping someone would pick up the ball on this as many have too.

When did you find this source?    

Hey K you see this thread?


                 Brad              

[Willabe]

All the links to Metrosil seem to be dead?

When's the last time you had contact with them?


               Brad      

[plexi50]

Wow! Thats freaky Willabe! I contacted them last night and submitted a description of what i needed. I did go back to the same saved page later last night and it would not load. I figured it would be running again in the morning. Now it says:

This error (HTTP 403 Forbidden) means that Internet Explorer was able to connect to the website, but it does not have permission to view the webpage

So if someone is using a different browser maybe you can give it a try. www.metrosil.com
The seller of the Ebay varistors told me i could contact David Taylor there for pricing on the ones there making now

This past week has been strange as hell for me

[Willabe]

Just tried it. Message said, "website declined to show this page."


                Brad      

[plexi50]

Well Willabe i quess im just going to have to bite the bullet and buy 4 of them from him in the morning after i can load my visa. Nothing ventured nothing gained. It almost seems like the varistor god does not want us to use any other varistor but the NOS ones

[Willabe]

The heck with 4 of them we need a couple 100 at least.


                 Brad     

[plexi50]

Well it is aweful strange for the website to have vanished right after i put in the request and submitted it. Makes you sorta wonder if they might be ramping up to make these available again and are simply tired of answering the many emails they probably get about the magnatone

Thats a huge company. Maybe the website bill wasnt paid on time. Ah!!! I know!
The magnatone varistors came from the debri at Roswell and they dont want us to know what other mysterious things are possible using them! 

[plexi50]

Does this look like what i will be building in a pedal box form? Gona be a fairly big pedal with a transformer on it

[Willabe]

I'm not sure that the single stage Maggies sound as good as the 2 stage Maggies?

I wonder if somebody with some money swung an exclusive deal with them? We'll see in time.

Or the company is going under? Just cause their big doen't mean they can't go under.

(Roswell.        )
             
                    Brad     

[plexi50]

Yes the single stage 213 doesnt turn me on. But right now im just playing with the only clear magnatone Jpeg i have. I'll do the same with the 260 or M10. Does the input and output look right to you? Volume-Tone-Rate-Depth

[Willabe]

Does the input and output look right to you? Volume-Tone-Rate-Depth

Sorry Plexi.     


             Brad            

[plexi50]

Final schematic idea/ Probably will work best in an FX loop rather than straight into an amp guitar input. Who knows

[sluckey]

http://home.comcast.net/~seluckey/amps/magnatone/Magnatone_M10A.pdf

Look at page 4. Turn off "reverb" layer.

[plexi50]

http://home.comcast.net/~seluckey/amps/magnatone/Magnatone_M10A.pdf

Look at page 4. Turn off "reverb" layer.

Man that looks super fine. You have the best PDF's and info on the planet. Have you built this? Does it sound heavenly?
That looks more practical and with the reverb being in the circuit to give it bliss

[sluckey]

Magnatone built it. That's my M10A. I just restored the amp and did the drawings.

[plexi50]

www.metrosil.com is back up again this morning

[Willabe]

www.metrosil.com is back up again this morning

Good!   


                Brad     

[plexi50]

I havent heard from them yet. Maybe i should submit another request. Maybe that email thing didnt get to them seing as the site went down shortly afterwards. Another thing that is bothering me is the Magnatone Tiatano Custon 314 shows in print metal oxide varistors on the schematic. So does that negatate the silicone carbon info stated online? Or maybe magnatone didnt all use metal oxide varistors?

Isnt there at least one person left alive that worked at the factory that can tell us the facts? Probably not or has forgot

[Willabe]

I havent heard from them yet. Maybe i should submit another request.

Yep, I would. When I get the money and if they are the real deal I think I'm gonna buy a bunch of them. I love trem and vibrato.

Or maybe magnatone didnt all use metal oxide varistors?

It's been posted here more than few times the link for that Maggie web sit. The guy used to sell NOS varistors but ran out a long time ago. Anyway his site is still up and shows pics and part numbers for the 2 different varistors that Magnaton used.

Isnt there at least one person left alive that worked at the factory that can tell us the facts?

Maybe, find them.    


                Brad      

[plexi50]

I did another submit to metrosil:

Hello! I am looking for the varistor that was used in the Magnatone amplifiers of the 1960's. I see info that says they were made of Silicon Carbide,Carborundum Part #233BNR-32 -1 watt 110 VDC @ 1mA. But the Tiatano Custom 314 amp schematic says they used metal oxide vaistors. I am looking to purchase 100 of them more or less. Thankyou! D M

[Willabe]

Here's a link on Maggie varistors, you must have missed school that day?     

http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=14650.0

(BTW, look up vibro world for Maggie vibrato.)


                  Brad     

[kagliostro]

Hey K you see this thread?

Yes I'm looking to it  

at the moment the only true vibrato circuit that can be build easily that I know

is the Merlin's Valve Vibrotron who is based on the Vox AC30 Vibrato channel

Here Vibrato Sample
http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard1/Vibe.mp3
Here Tremolo Sample
http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard1/Trem.mp3

http://s81.beta.photobucket.com/user/merlinblencowe/media/Vibrotron/CIMG1459.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
http://s81.beta.photobucket.com/user/merlinblencowe/media/Vibrotron/Tremform.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
http://s81.beta.photobucket.com/user/merlinblencowe/media/Vibrotron/CIMG1462.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5

K

[Willabe]

at the moment the only true vibrato circuit that can be build easily that I know

is the Merlin's Valve Vibrotron who is based on the Vox AC30 Vibrato channel

K look in here;

http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=14863.0

Sluckey pointed out that the Vox vibrato was probable copied from the Gibson GA-83S.


             Brad     

[kagliostro]

Ciao Brad

I'm going to read that tread, thanks for the link

I want to point that Steve has build a very good vibrato unit

unfortunately it requires a special transformer

so isn't easy to be build

I forgot to mention this circuits

http://thermionic.info/dorf/Dorf_TheUniversalVibrato.pdf
http://thermionic.info/dorf/Dorf_TheWurlitzerVibrato.pdf

Franco

[Willabe]

And thanks for the links you just posted K!


              Brad     

[Willabe]

I did another submit to metrosil

Did they ever respond back to you Plexi?


            Brad     

[worth]

Looking at the Vibrotron photos , I see an LED in the circuit, but I don't see it in the schematic ?

[Willabe]

Merlin talks about the LED in the text that goes with the schemo and photos.


              Brad      

[plexi50]

I did another submit to metrosil

Did they ever respond back to you Plexi?


            Brad     

Yes Metrosil responded back but they said they were not aware of what type varistor was used in the magnatone nor did they have a varistor with any of the numbers online claiming to be the ones used in the magnatone. They also only sold by 1000 piece lots. I gave them a zenith tv varistor number as well that was claimed to be used in the magnatone but no luck

[Willabe]

Thanks Plexi, I know you have your hands and bench full right now.

said they were not aware of what type varistor was used in the magnatone nor did they have a varistor with any of the numbers online claiming to be the ones used in the magnatone.

The part number or the spec numbers?

They might have a stock part that has very close to the spec numbers that were used by Magnatone. One of our fellow members posted the spec sheets (in this thread or the other) for the 2 part numbers Magnatone used.


             Brad    


Edit; here it is from the other thread reply #16. I had a hard time getting it open.   

http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=14650.0;attach=33331

[plexi50]

I emailed them the specs from the part numbers in that thread but they didnt have anything. And @ $16+ dollars a piece for 1000 of them i figured i would pass and find a sub that i found from andrew in the UK. It will be a while before i ever get to the maggie circuit now

[Willabe]

Ok, thanks Plexi. It's a shame to be so close and yet so far.

Somebody's gonna get those made someday. Problem might be that we might not be able to get our hands on them at a fair price.


             Brad