Magnatone Hurricane X-10 Electric Bass Guitar (1965)
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Item #9079
Magnatone Hurricane X-10 Model Electric Bass Guitar (1965), made in Torrance, Ca, serial # 100563, sunburst lacquer finish, Appalachian poplar body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is a really nice, original example of the seldom seen Magnatone Hurricane Bass, one of the few long-scale instruments from the era directly comparable to a Fender Precision. This was the only bass in a completely new line of Magnatone solid bodies launched in summer 1965 dubbed the "Incomparable Magnatone Starstream Slimline (of) personalized electric guitars". The X-10 combines a few original ideas with a mostly Fender-like character. The body is shaped rather like a Telecaster while most other elements including scale length, neck and body contours, pickup placement, and general layout are similar to the Precision Bass. It's fairly certain that former Rickenbacker designer Paul Barth was involved in the Starstream design -- the guitars share a "family resemblance" to instruments he marketed under the "Bartell" name. Whatever the pedigree, this bass is very well-made, light, and rather handy 34" scale instrument.
The sunburst-finished "Appalachian poplar" body is smoothly contoured, with a deeper center blending into a tapered edge. The neck is maple with a "clay" dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The quality of materials workmanship is to a higher standard than many of the less well-known 1965-era electric instruments. "American made, by American craftsmen" was a selling point. The "Fender-y" single-sided headstock is fitted with short-shaft Kluson Deluxe tuners with safe-T-slot posts, and even a "hootenanny strap button" on the back in emulation of Fender. One nifty innovation is a screwed-down metal nutpiece fitted over the strings forcing them down over the zero fret, an interesting idea that works well. The guitar also features a very functional tilt neck adjustment, similar to what Fender used later after 1970 but combined with a more stable 4-bolt neck joint.
The adjustable bridge has an interesting dial-up mute system, a period advance on the strip of foam Fender simply glued under the cover! The single coil pickup is similar in size to the Rickenbacker "toaster", with a metal outer casing and adjustable poles in a white plastic center. It is mounted center body position like the Precision, in a top-mounted laminated plastic pickguard with the "Magnatone" logo cut through to the contrasting lower level, a nice cosmetic touch. The control layout is straightforward with the volume, tone, and jack laid out in the manner of the familiar fender Bass. The sound is in the same range, not as deep perhaps but with more midrange punch than many period basses. This Hurricane bass may be relatively obscure today but is one of our 1960s favorites and a superb value in a vintage American-made long-scale bass.
Overall length is 46 1/2 in. (118.1 cm.), 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
This bass remains 100% original, with even the unusual dial-up mute still intact. There is some light finish checking and wear, but overall this is an extremely nice example of this rare bass. The tailpiece cover has some plating loss on the upper mounting flange. The neck is perfectly straight and there is virtually no fret wear, and while we can't say this bass is the absolute equivalent of a 1960s Fender Precision, it comes closer than most of its contemporaries. This bass plays very well, and is head and shoulders above many of its (non-Fender!) contemporaries in terms of build quality and sound. Excellent Condition.
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This is a really nice, original example of the seldom seen Magnatone Hurricane Bass, one of the few long-scale instruments from the era directly comparable to a Fender Precision. This was the only bass in a completely new line of Magnatone solid bodies launched in summer 1965 dubbed the "Incomparable Magnatone Starstream Slimline (of) personalized electric guitars". The X-10 combines a few original ideas with a mostly Fender-like character. The body is shaped rather like a Telecaster while most other elements including scale length, neck and body contours, pickup placement, and general layout are similar to the Precision Bass. It's fairly certain that former Rickenbacker designer Paul Barth was involved in the Starstream design -- the guitars share a "family resemblance" to instruments he marketed under the "Bartell" name. Whatever the pedigree, this bass is very well-made, light, and rather handy 34" scale instrument.
The sunburst-finished "Appalachian poplar" body is smoothly contoured, with a deeper center blending into a tapered edge. The neck is maple with a "clay" dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The quality of materials workmanship is to a higher standard than many of the less well-known 1965-era electric instruments. "American made, by American craftsmen" was a selling point. The "Fender-y" single-sided headstock is fitted with short-shaft Kluson Deluxe tuners with safe-T-slot posts, and even a "hootenanny strap button" on the back in emulation of Fender. One nifty innovation is a screwed-down metal nutpiece fitted over the strings forcing them down over the zero fret, an interesting idea that works well. The guitar also features a very functional tilt neck adjustment, similar to what Fender used later after 1970 but combined with a more stable 4-bolt neck joint.
The adjustable bridge has an interesting dial-up mute system, a period advance on the strip of foam Fender simply glued under the cover! The single coil pickup is similar in size to the Rickenbacker "toaster", with a metal outer casing and adjustable poles in a white plastic center. It is mounted center body position like the Precision, in a top-mounted laminated plastic pickguard with the "Magnatone" logo cut through to the contrasting lower level, a nice cosmetic touch. The control layout is straightforward with the volume, tone, and jack laid out in the manner of the familiar fender Bass. The sound is in the same range, not as deep perhaps but with more midrange punch than many period basses. This Hurricane bass may be relatively obscure today but is one of our 1960s favorites and a superb value in a vintage American-made long-scale bass.
Overall length is 46 1/2 in. (118.1 cm.), 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
This bass remains 100% original, with even the unusual dial-up mute still intact. There is some light finish checking and wear, but overall this is an extremely nice example of this rare bass. The tailpiece cover has some plating loss on the upper mounting flange. The neck is perfectly straight and there is virtually no fret wear, and while we can't say this bass is the absolute equivalent of a 1960s Fender Precision, it comes closer than most of its contemporaries. This bass plays very well, and is head and shoulders above many of its (non-Fender!) contemporaries in terms of build quality and sound. Excellent Condition.
