Expanding on the company’s iconic line of tube-driven guitar amps, Magnatone has introduced four new models at the NAMM Show in Anaheim:
- Kingston and Starlite Reverb 10 – two new entries in the company’s Traditional Collection
- Varsity Reverb – the debut model in Magnatone’s new Point-to-Point Collection
- Lil’ Viper – a stunning addition to the company’s Slash Collection
Leading the pack is the Kingston, a brand new, yet familiar voice, to the Traditional Collection. It’s a boutique amp hand-built and made in the USA that’s destined to become the premiere go-to workhorse amp for the stage or studio.
It delivers that classic and familiar American amp tone, with the legendary Magnatone voice. The Kingston was designed without compromise, offering the tone and character that cements its place among amp royalty.
Designed to be the classic studio and small-gig amp, the Kingston delivers plenty of power for live club performances while also being perfect for recording sessions and home use. Its clean, responsive voice gives players that sought-after creamy yet bouncy tone that stays clear, articulate and musical across all volume spectrums.
The Kingston was developed through a collaboration with Obeid Khan, Magnatone’s Chief Engineer, and Larry Cragg, longtime guitar technician for Neil Young, to be a tonally vintage vibe amplifier in a compact size, but with a big sound pros can rely on.
Larry Cragg says, “The Kingston takes your amp from the bedroom to the stage.”
The Kingston features High and Low sensitivity 1/4” inputs, a simple configuration of Volume, Treble, Bass, and Reverb controls, with Accutronics Digi-Log spring-style reverb. Powered by two 12AX7 preamp tubes and two 6V6 power tubes, the Kingston produces 12 watts of push-pull output through a Magnatone Custom 12” ceramic magnet speaker. Additional features include footswitchable reverb on/off, an external speaker output, and a 1/4” line out for expanded stage and studio flexibility.
As with all Magnatone amps, the Kingston is hand-wired and made in the USA. It’s finished in Magnatone’s Traditional Collection cosmetics and available in 100% cotton Traditional Brown, Camel, Dark Green, and Traditional Black covering.
Ted Kornblum, President & CEO of Magnatone, says, “The Kingston fills the perfect niche for players who want a truly classic American sound that’s reliable, rugged and ready to take anywhere.”
The Magnatone Kingston carries a street price of $2,349.
Next up is another entry in Magnatone’s Traditional Collection, the Starlite Reverb 10, a sweet-sounding, much-in-demand update of the original “grab and go” Starlite. This new evolution features a larger speaker, increased output, and a more lush, full sound - all still in a small footprint.
“The upgrades we designed include a 6L6 power tube for the 8 watts of Class A single-ended power and the 10-inch speaker in a slightly larger cabinet,” explains Obeid Khan, Magnatone’s Chief Engineer. “These two changes alone make a big sonic difference in tone clarity, volume, projection, and overall performance.” Khan says the amp keeps its Accutronics Digi-Log spring-style reverb, Traditional cosmetics, and compact footprint, making it “a nice little bedroom-office-study-studio amp.”
Like all Magnatone amps, the Starlite Reverb 10 is all hand-made in the USA and features one 12AX7 preamp tube and one 6L6 power tube, giving players 8 watts of Class A output through a Magnatone Custom 10” ceramic magnet speaker. Additional features include High and Low sensitivity inputs, an innovative tone control which spans “black-panel” and “tweed-era” voicings with a mid-cut below 12 o’clock, switchable negative feedback and an 8-ohm extension speaker output. Vintage-inspired Traditional Collection cosmetics highlight and accent the Starlite Reverb 10 in the same way that made the original model a true in-demand favorite.
Ted Kornblum, President and CEO of Magnatone, says, “Our customers love the Starlite’s vibe and performance of being ‘the-little-amp-that-could,’ and now it’s the ‘little-amp-that-can.’ I’m proud to say that we’ve delivered it.”
The Starlite Reverb 10 is available in 100% cotton Traditional Brown, Camel, Dark Green, and Traditional Black covering, carries a street price of $1,899.
The third amp introduced at NAMM is the debut model in Magnatone’s new Point-to-Point Collection, a limited-edition of hand-built amplifiers, made in the USA, featuring vintage-styling and point-to-point hand wiring and limited to a quantity of 50 units worldwide. The collection launches with the Varsity Reverb, now featuring point-to-point craftsmanship, and replaces the Traditional Collection version.
Each amp is meticulously hand-built in small batches using true point-to-point wiring technique that’s expertly made by Magnatone’s master builders.
“While all Magnatone amps are truly hand-built and made in the USA, the Varsity Reverb represents a return to old-school craftsmanship and artistry,” says Obeid Khan, Magnatone's Chief Engineer.
Designed for professional musicians, the Varsity Reverb delivers exceptional clarity, depth and touch sensitivity. Its Class A circuitry provides rich harmonic detail and responsiveness for players seeking amazing tone and superb build quality in a single amplifier.
The Varsity Reverb has already seen rugged, real-world use with some of today’s most respected guitarists. Charlie Sexton says, “I’ve used this amp on the road for years and it sounds as good as it looks.” Jeff Beck, Kenny Greenberg, and Sam Morrow have used this amp on tour and in the studio.
Ted Kornblum, President & CEO of Magnatone, says, “The quality and attention to detail in this model have never been higher, and we’re proud to showcase the craft of point-to-point amp building.”
The Varsity Reverb features 15 watts of Class A power, driven by two 12AX7 pre-amp tubes, one 12DW7 tube, two EL84 power tubes, and a GZ34 rectifier tube, and paired with a Magnatone Custom 12” ceramic magnet speaker. Additional features include authentic tube-driven long-pan reverb (footswitchable) with four counter-wound springs, high and low sensitivity inputs, and a feedback boost switch. The amp features 100% cotton Cathedral Black or Cathedral Burgundy covering, with a hand-tooled saddle-leather handle.
The Magnatone Varsity Reverb in the Point-to-Point Collection carries a MAP of $3,299.
The fourth new amp at NAMM is a special one: Magnatone has introduced the Lil’ Viper – the latest member of the Slash Collection. It’s a lightweight amp designed to deliver a remarkably big tone. Developed with Slash, the Lil’ Viper packs its unmistakable Master Collection tone into a surprisingly powerful 8-watt combo amp that’s perfect for home, studio and, of course, backstage.
Obeid Khan, Magnatone’s Chief Engineer, collaborated with Slash to create this super portable amp for practice and show prep. “The Lil’ Viper is Magnatone's smallest, most portable offering in the Slash line-up,” says Khan. “Slash wanted a big-sounding backstage solution so we worked together to literally create a big amp…in a little box.”
Slash adds, “I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the most kick ass amp of its size I've ever heard. Its sound actually kicks the ass of amps 3 times its size.“
Like all Magnatone amps, the Lil’ Viper is made in the USA and features a single 12AX7 preamp tube and a pair of NOS 6AQ5 power tubes delivering 8 watts of push-pull Class AB output through a Magnatone Custom 8” ceramic magnet speaker. A High/Low gain switch gives players two distinct voicings. As Khan explains, “Low Gain is a classic, slightly broken-up gain architecture. High gain is a modified type of saturation tone.” Khan also adds that the tone control adds highs and reduces lows as it’s turned up.
Additional Lil’ Viper features include a Slash-requested, speaker-emulated 1/4” headphone output that mutes the internal speaker while still allowing players full control of the amp’s features. There’s a 1/8” line input for playing with backing tracks. Elegantly dressed in Slash’s signature Purple Python cosmetics, the Lil’ Viper roars visually with a backlit Magnatone logo and gold-accented control panel hardware - including the signature vintage-style Magnatone chevron.
Ted Kornblum, President & CEO of Magnatone, says, “While it may be the smallest amp in the Slash collection, the Lil’ Viper really delivers a surprisingly big sound that stands up proudly to its bigger brothers in the collection.”
The Lil’ Viper is available exclusively in Purple Python with a MAP of $1,899.
To learn more about Magnatone’s new models visit www.magnatoneusa.com.
