Magnatone Panoramic Stereo – 2×10″ 12+12-watt Tube Combo – I picked up this minty amp that was totally like new! Included slip cover, 2-button footswitch and Moog Expression controller at a nice price as these boutique amps are quite expensive. The Magnatone Panoramic Stereo is a 2 x 12W Push-Pull (Class AB) stereo guitar combo amplifier made in the United States, with American parts.

The solid-pine cabinet is covered in Magnatone’s traditional brown colored 100% cotton fabric, which was originally developed as book binding material. It has a pebbled finish and looks quite similar to Tolex you see on most amps, but is a touch smoother. There are dual chevrons on the front indicating it is has a stereo power amp. Magnatone uses a single chevron on their mono amps. The front speaker baffle is slightly angled as found on some vintage Magnatones amps.

The provide amp cover is high-end as well. Fabric is made by same company that makes high quality car tops.

While the inspiration of earlier Magnatone amps like the famous 280 can be seen, the Panoramic Stereo isn’t a reissue of any previous model. Quality craftsmanship is evident throughout. Even the leather handle with “Magnatone” engraved shows this.

The Magnatone Panoramic Stereo High Fidelity amplifier is has two separate power tube sections using two EL84 tubes each driveing its own 10-inch Magnatone Custom ceramic magnet speaker. The amp features two 1/4-inch inputs which are both mono. The first is High Sensitivity, with a 1M Ohm input impedance. Input 2 is Low Sensitivity at 120K Ohm impedance; it’s padded down about 6 dB compared to Input 1, making it better suited for use with really hot pickups and / or for lower-gain tones (similar like many Fender amps).

Note that this amp does NOT have stereo inputs as there is only one preamp, but two power amp outputs. I saw a video online that seems to indicate it has stereo inputs and this is incorrect. No stereo effects loop is provided for patching in outboard stereo effects. Using one of the mono inputs direct from your guitar (or a stompbox) the build-in Vibrato (FM)/Tremolo (AM) can product a fantastic stereo effect. There is even an input for an expression pedal for Vibrato/Tremolo circuit.

Magnatone’s exclusive Varistor Pitch Shifting Vibrato is what they are famous for. Nothing sounds like it. Along with the tube-driven reverb you have the swirling Frequency (Vibrato) OR Amplitude (Tremolo) modulation into an amp that does amazing cleans. Driving the amp for bit of grit but upping the volume gives you a nice crunch and touch sensitively. Amp is a great pedal platform as well and you can drive it nicely from the front end.

The tone shaping section has just Treble and Bass controls. Treble is centered at 2 kHz, while the Bass is centered in the 60 Hz region. Very versatile without any complexity. The Reverb is deep and rich. A true tube-driven four spring long-tank Accutronics with a medium (1.75 – 3 second) decay time that allows you to add a touch of ambience or drench your sound. This is no cheap digital reverb or a short spring tank.

There is no master volume or attenuator. So getting the amp to provide some grit in a home situation or a small gig is probably best done with a step pedal. The cleans are spectacular on this amp and it makes for a fantastic pedal platform.

The included footswitch is a two-button unit requiring a 9V battery (or standard 9V power supply) to power the two indicator lamps – a red one on the left for the tremolo / vibrato and a yellow one for the reverb. The footswitch will work fine without the battery, but the indicators don’t light up. The battery compartment is on the bottom of the pedal.

Stereo Tube Amplifier in a Compact Package

The Panoramic Stereo amp is a more compact version of the Magnatone Twilight Stereo that sports four 6V6s at 22+22W, two 12-inch speakers and weights in at 56-lbs. The Twilight Stereo is louder, needs more volume to achieve natural crunch and break-up without a distortion or boost pedal. The Twilight Stereo also features a few more controls in the Vibrato/Tremolo section. This amp may be too large, too expensive and too heavy for some players. Certainly was for me.

Panoramic Stereo Tube Layout

The Panoramic Stereo 2 x 10-inch conveniently sized 20 x 22.5 x 10 inch combo that weighs about 36-lbs is perfect for gigging, rehearsing, and recording. The Panoramic Stereo retains the essentials of the Twilight Stereo and sounds quite similar. It is a wonderful sounding amp.

Magnatone Panoramic Stereo Tube Combo Amplifier Features:

  • All-tube combo amp with true stereo performance
  • (3) 12AX7, 12DW7, (4) EL84
  • Highly detailed tone that goes from crystal cleans to vintage breakup
  • 12 x 12-watt EL84 power sections drive each speaker individually
  • External speaker and line outputs located on the control plate
  • Stereo pitch shifting, tremolo, and Accutronics reverb available onboard
  • Effects are footswitchable with included pedal
  • Two Magnatone Custom 10-inch speakers
  • Compact dimensions for such a powerful tube amplifier 20 x 22.5 x 10 inch at 36-lbs