Vintage Circa 1956 Magnatone Mark III (Paul Bigsby) Electric Guitar w/ Hardshell Case!

Up for sale is this vintage circa 1956 Magnatone Mark III electric guitar. A reasonably affordable way to get into an original Paul Bigsby instrument, these Magnatone guitars are such a cool and important historical link to the early evolution of the solidbody electric guitar...

This instrument is all original with the exception of the pots and the reproduction Kluson tuning keys (the original keys are in the case but need to be rebuttoned, pictured). The original blonde finish shows heavy wear, chipping/flaking, and discoloration. To be honest, it's easily the coolest looking example of the model that we've ever seen. This one got played and certainly didn't live tucked under a bed somewhere. The original plastic is in good condition as well as the original hardware, although it does show wear and pitting. The original pickup sounds great and truly is like getting into a time machine when plugged in...

Our tech has just been over this one and he sprayed out the electronics, cleaned it up a bit, and lowered the bridge to get the action more manageable. As is typical with these, while the neck is pretty straight (the bass side is spot on, the treble side shows a touch of relief), the original fretwork is a little all over the place. While the instrument plays nicely with action on the lower side of medium, past the seventh fret you'll find quite a bit of buzz and choking out (especially on bends). This guitar would be a prime candidate for a proper refret and could easily become someones main gigging axe afterwards. It truly is that much fun. Our tech also noted some seam separation (pictured) but it's not moving under pressure so we opted to leave it alone.

A non-original and very loose fitting hardshell case is included. It's in good condition with all of the latches and hinges present and working as they should. The instrument will be well-packed inside and out to ensure safe shipping.

With these, perfection simply doesn't exist and this one is no different. It could use a little TLC but, even as it sits, it's a very fun guitar from a very historically significant builder that hails from a very important time period in the evolution of the instrument. How can it get any cooler?

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THE FINE PRINT: Most of our items are used/vintage. That being said, all sales are FINAL and we do not offer returns. We only ship within the US. We do NOT make exceptions to this rule. We do not accept online trades. Please check our feedback and buy with confidence. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.