Magnatone MOTS Lap Steel Pickup Construction
ca. Late 1930s to ca. 1955


Overall Images, Info and Diagrams of Factory Construction of Pickup Into the Steel Guitar

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2-17-04
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Diagram of how these Magnatone "Maggie" pickups were made:

The coil was wrapped around a bobbin fixed on the winding machine; Probably 4 rod-posts that formed each corner of the bobbin yet allowed open space for 6 bands of masking tape to secure the winding before removal.  The coil was installed into a cavity routed into the guitar's top in front ot the bridge station.  The magnet was then inserted and rode in an extra routed slot in the bottom to receive and center the magnet in the pickup's routed cavity.  The pickup was then wired to pot leads that ran through a tunnel drilled between the pickup cavity and the electronics cavity.  Then a heated bees wax and "tar" based compound was poured in to pot the entire pickup into it's routed cavity.  Any overflow was shaved level with the body top.  Then the guitar's top and sides (and back edges) were covered in MOTS and the MOTS trimmed on the back leaving about 1/4" lip of MOTS reaching around the entire perimeter of the back of the guitar.
Specs and Info:

THE STEEL GUITARS:

Steel #1:

--Magnatone Leilani model. (Sometimes marketed as Varsity model).
--Serial number: 12905.
--Magnatone logo decal on headstock in Excellent condition.
--Steel blade bridge (bettern than folded light metal on some Varsity
models).
--Kluson Deluxe tuners in excellent condition except plastic button knobs
are disentigrated.
--Scale Length 22.5"
--String spacing: 3/8" nut;  7/16" bridge.


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THE AMPLIFIERS:

--Leilani models the most common. Varsity model had slight "upgrades".
--Original Hawaiian scenery grill cloth.  PROFESSIONAL dry cleaners can remove dust and discoloration without removing grill cloth from amp.
--2 inputs.
--Volume control w/ on-off switch.
--35Z5 tube rectifier.
--12SL7 preamp tube.
--Single-ended, class A power 50L6 Beam Power tube.
--8" Oxford model 75K (not ohms) speaker.

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Typical Leilani Steel and Amp Sets:

A sky blue set is the most common color:
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Rewinding or remanufacturing a MOTS Magnatone lap steel pickup:

I know that Jason Lollar has rewound MOTS Magnatone pickups before, and Lindy Fralin probably has too.  Both are top shelf experts by which all others are measured.
Magenta pink is one of the rarest colors:
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Notice below that it appears there is no pickup under the handrest plate.
That is because the top of the pickup is under the MOTS finish / covering.