Magnatone Tornado X-15 - Original Pickup switching?

[BruceB]

Does anyone know the original way the Magnatone Tornados were wired?

It's a mid-sixties model with two pickups and three switches. Two volumes and one Tone. The one I just got does not seem to have a setting with both pickups.

Looks like this one: http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/forsale_magnatone_tornado.html

In the above link, they are talking about the two bottom switches, which seem to be just tone combinations. It seems like on mine, the top switch selects one or the other pickup, but not both.

Thanks,

Bruce

[BruceB]

I think I've answered my own question, when I found this description regarding a Typhoon (3-pickup) model:

"...sophisticated use of passive electronics to create a truly astonishing range of tones. The three controls are Volume, Volume, and Tone instead of Volume, Tone, and Tone like a Strat, and instead of a three (or five) position lever switch, the Typhoon has three two position slide switches below the strings, and another on the upper horn. The switch on the horn selects which of the two Volume controls is active, and also significantly affects the tone, kind of like the 'Lead' and 'Rhythm' switch positions on a Les Paul. The three switches below the pickups are not simple On and Off controls, but select one, two, or three pickups in and out of phase, in series and in parallel, and also adds in some capacitors to darken or brighten the sound depending on the switch settings. With eight settings possible on the three switches, and two flavors of these eight from the upper switch, the Typhoon has about sixteen different tone settings on tap. For those with a gentle touch, you can park the upper switch in between the normal positions, just like the lever switch on an old Strat, and get another eight tones with both of the volume knobs active for balancing them. That's 24 tone settings without even touching the Tone control. And only two or three of the switch settings result in tones which aren't very distinctive from all of the others. Quite an accomplishment for a forty year old instrument."

So, my assumption that the two volume controls were assigned to an individual pickup was wrong.

"Mosrite content": The fully radiused body and zero fret on these instruments reminds me of the earliest Ventures models or certain Standels (like the one recently pulled off on eBay). Paul Barth may have had a hand in them, as they bear a strong resemblance to 'Bartell' guitars with the covered nut & zero fret.

Now I need to figure out the bridge and tremolo adjustment. Someone used some metal grommets to lock down the bridge. I think these bridges just rest on top of the screws.