MAGNA, who has heard of them?

Chris Pile

Chris Pile

Well-known member
I'm talking about a brand of guitar called Magna. A client dropped one off with me - it's basically a Strat copy. Heavy body, blue tinted finish, white pickguard, rosewood board, gold hardware. I've done multiple searches and found nothing except stuff about Aria Pro II's Magna series built in the 80's. And then multiple returns of variations on Magna, like Magnatone, etc. Nothing on Squeebay, Treeverb, or even Glamazon. It's like they have no internet presence at all.

It seems decent, I got the setup nice and low. The whammy system works nicely. The pickups are cheapo, for sure - but that can be corrected. I think he said he found it in a pawnshop. It's brand spanking new - plastic still on the pickguard, no marks. Gold Gotoh 18:1 tuning machines with butterbean knobs. The only thing I did of any consequence was polish the frets, because they looked like someone scuffed them with maroon Scotchbrite.
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

sounds like the Lotus from India
cheap store brand at a local shop in the 90s
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

Good find, sir! The longer I look at this thing, the more cool details I notice. The peghead isn't flat like a Strat, it's actually tilted back slightly, about 4 degrees I think. No string trees, either. Like I said, it plays great.

The only text on the whole guitar is on the peghead - MAGNA Guitar. I'll post pix tomorrow, OK?
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

The truss rod adjustment is similar to Ernie Ball stuff. I translated some of the Russian, and it says the body is laurel (looks like ash to me). 5 piece maple & mahogany neck, fingerboard looks like pau ferro, but the website says rosewood. The fret work is nicely done (except the buffing with Scotchbrite). I plugged it in, and the single coils are sort of low power, with the middle pickup being reverse wound for a humbucking tone in positions 2 and 4. All in all, a nicely built axe.

https://imgur.com/2zGq0np

https://imgur.com/zU22UKb

https://imgur.com/mtzAscC

https://imgur.com/swVIe2F
 
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Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

2zGq0np.jpg


zU22UKb.jpg


mtzAscC.jpg


swVIe2F.jpg
 
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Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

I selected the link
then from the image
right click
copy image address

then paste into the
] thingy
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

Okay, did the final touches on the setup and it plays great. The client will pick it up tomorrow and then we'll see what he thinks....
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

I finally asked..... He was in California on business and stopped at some little music store to kill some time. They finally GAVE it to him to get him to leave the store. His favorite intro line is, "Lemme aks you a question"... Yes, he's black... an albino. Okay, not a true story, but it could be (he really IS a black albino).

What really happened: Carl lives across the street from a pawn shop, right? And this sales rep was in there trying to get them to carry the line. They weren't interested, so he followed the guy out and bought the salesman's sample out in the parking lot for $100.

I can believe the story, because Carl is a real hustler when it comes to gear. He finds the weirdest stuff no matter where he goes and drags it back home for me to work on. He works for the Air Force as a tech writer and travels a lot, meeting the craziest array of people. He knows politicians, generals, princes, CEO's, you name it. Carl is a TRIP. Through the decades he has brought me sitars, banjos, guitars of all kinds, violins, celtic harps, anything with strings. Made a lot of money off Carl.
 
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Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

Johnny Winters was Albino

has no pigment in their skin
pink eyes

its a genetic thing
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

If you cant find the politically correct terms to tell your story
let it go
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

I believe he means the gentleman is albino AND of African-American heritage. Hence "Black albino." Are we just looking for things to get edgy about now?
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

ICTGoober said:
Dude. You have the internet. Look it up.
Click to expand...

Nah....your story isn’t that important to me.
If you were telling me this story in person, would you tell me to look it up? I doubt it.
If you can take the time to tell me to look it up, you have the time to fully explain your story....otherwise don’t bother.
 
Re: MAGNA, who has heard of them?

Gtrjunior said:
I know what an albino is, but how can somebody be both black and an albino....kind of contradictory, no?
Click to expand...

No it's not
It's just what happens
Different races all have this

I think

I've not seen Asians with the condition
But I'm sure they exist
 
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