1950 Magnatone Aloha

March 3, 2019 • Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz • Instruments and Luthiers

The Magna Electronics Company was a small company located at Los Angeles, California, that specialized in lap steel guitars and amplifiers. The instruments were simple, yet striking.

This 1950 Aloha Model is a good example of Magnatone's artistry. The Art Deco inspired design includes a sand cast molded aluminum body together with a "Lucite" acrylic colored fret board.

The pickup and control knobs appear similar to Gibson guitar parts of the era. The headstock is shaped like the headstock of the Weissenborn steel guitar.

Collectors call the white plastic tuning gears "Chiclets heads" because they resemble the chewing gum.