Magnatone was based in Southern California – Los Angeles, then Inglewood – from 1946 to 1967 and built electric guitars and amplifiers. From 1965, Magnatone was owned by Harmony, and ultimately production relocated from Southern California to just north of Pittsburgh. However, in 1967 with Harmony’s demise, Magnatone was sold again and by 1969 amp production ended.

In 2013, Ted Kornblum realized that the trademark on the Magnatone name had expired. Renewing this, he set about re-launching the company with product consultants on the performance side of the industry – Larry Cragg (Neil Young’s amp tech) and Billy Gibbons. These new amps are influenced by the originals, but carry many improvements.

Magnatone Amps are now built in St Louis, Missouri.