Magnatone Varsity or Panoramic?

Z28 · February 2018

Hi everyone,

First post in the forum section here.

Was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Magnatone amps?
I am trying to decide between the Panoramic and the studio series Varsity. I really love both but they are very different and I can only afford one.

I've already tried a few Magnatones and these two are just my favorites. The studio Varsity has a nice fat bottom end and kind of reminds me of a good tweed amp on steroids. The Panoramic has a stiffer more blackface-like character. I guess the Panoramic is also more 'true to the guitar's voice' while the Varsity kind of makes everything sound great. It's also a bit brighter than the studio series Varsity.

However, I also have some concerns with both amps:
I think the Varsity may be just a little too thick perhaps (It sounds great but it may just be too much in a band??) and it's also very loud for 15 watts. Especially if you really want to make it shine, it does need some volume. And when turned down a little I am not so sure if it is as satisfying as it is when played loud. That is both with the amp volume turned down and with the guitar's volume turned down. My last concern is the reverb. The Varsity's reverb is a bit boring and plate-like. I don't think I'd want to pay extra for it so I'd rather save money and get a non-reverb if I decide to go for a Varsity. I have a great reverb pedal, but with an overdriven amp, reverb from a pedal is hard to control. The built-in verb on the Panoramic is much better sounding.

The Panoramic seems to be a lot more usable at lower volumes and it's cleans are to die for. However, when turned up loud, the drive is not as smooth as the Varsity. That's not a bad thing, but it just has a raunchy drive character. Kind of like a blackface amp. In terms of build quality, it's (presumably) a well-built PCB amp while the Varsity is point to point hand wired. The Panoramic is also nearly 1000 euros more expensive.

Would love to hear some of your thoughts on the issue as I have been thinking about it for a couple days and I just can't make up my mind.

Thanks!

Majorscale · February 2018

No idea about those two models but I’ve owned a Twilighter for a couple of years now and absolutely love it! Lovely cleans, nice crunch if you wind it up and gorgeous reverb & vibe. Never had an issue with it either and it’s regularly gigged...