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Mini Magic Switchboard by Wellington Enterprises

Available from Wellington Enterprises http://www.wellingtonent.com/document/duoswitc.html

Price: $395.00

Parlour / trade show / close up

Difficulty: 1 out of 5

They say:

After a long absence, the Magic Switchboard and our Signature Series Mini-Magic Switchboard are again available. The effect is simple. Each colored switch will only operate its matching colored bulb  regardless of the position of the bulbs. You can even change the colored switch caps and still they'll always light the matching bulb. The spectators can decide the position of the bulbs and the switch caps and even flip the switches. Yet, each switch will only operate its matching bulb. It's an impossibility. The bulbs, the sockets, the switches and their caps are all perfectly ordinary and their examination will provide no clue to the method. All the trickery is built into the beautifully finished walnut board. It's entirely self contained and devilishly clever. We've literally fooled rocket scientists with this one! Great for trade shows! It's so simple to operate, you'll entertain yourself with it.

The boards are designed to look old fashioned, belying the electronic wizardry inside and even include authentic Thomas A. Edison markings.
The Magic Switchboard measures 16 by 9 inches and plugs into any 110-volt outlet. The Mini-Magic Switchboard measures 10 by 6 inches, operates on AA batteries and is completely portable. Use it anywhere from a restaurant table to a foreign country. This latest model features newly improved switch caps that are machined from colored plastic  no paint to chip. They are held in place with powerful neodymium magnets, making it easy to reposition the caps.

Which one should you buy?

Use the Magic Switchboard with its larger bulbs when you have access to 110-volt power.
Use the Mini-Magic Switchboard anywhere.

I say:

I have coveted this item for some time now and I could hardly wait to open the package when it finally arrived.

The first thing you are struck by is the look of the switchboard itself. To be honest, it was one of the reasons why I wanted it and I suspect the same is true for many other people. The beech wood board is very nicely made…not to a high gloss but rather a modest satin finish. The lamp holders are plastic and look every bit like a ceramic lamp holder one would have used many years ago. The switches are very robust toggle switches with solid, brightly coloured covers that “snick” satisfyingly into place using a magnet. The thick black plastic bezel surrounding the base of the switch is very well machined and, again, gives it an “old-world” technology feel. The top also supports a subtle Thomas Edison transfer to fit in with the board “antique” styling. The underside of the unit is covered with a panel of black, anodised aluminium. In each corner is a rubber ‘foot’ and there is a small slide switch used to turn the unit on. The whole look of the “switchboard” (apart from the underside) is that of an antique demonstration apparatus built with pride and loving care by a highly skilled “old duffer” in his garden shed machine shop. This suited me to the ground. I wanted a clever bit of “magical fun“ that could sit patiently on my mantle piece, looking classy and interesting just waiting for friends to come by for dinner.…that is exactly what I got.

The documentation is excellent. It gives you everything you need to know to care for and perform with your switchboard. You will find a hand written serial number on a page. This is matched to a machined in number inside the wooden body of the unit where the batteries are installed. It is a “Signature Series Mini Magic Switchboard” after all and it looks and performs the part with ease! You are also treated to a small, “Phillips head” screw driver (with the Wellington logo on it) to access the battery holder.

The unit uses eight AA (pen light) batteries, so buy them in bulk if you plan on performing often. One might be able to us rechargeable batteries but it would be wise to check with Wellington first as some battery operated devices don’t seem to get on with them. The bulbs used have a relatively large “glass bulb” itself and are richly coloured. These bulbs have a standard screw thread mount but they are custom made owing to the size of the glass. You receive two sets of the four colours and I suppose they will last some time. If you do blow your first set it is worth considering a replacement set of bulbs as a safety backup for $15 (2 of each colour) from Wellington direct.

The routine moves along a fairly specific path in terms of actions and events but as the advertising copy states, there are a lot of places throughout where the spectator makes totally free choices. The elements that need to go “the performer’s way” are, owing to the written routine supplied, unnoticeable. The genuinely amusing routine progresses logically while defying logic! It is a charming routine and can easily be played for comedy for adults and children alike. I think this is one of the things I like about the Magic Switchboard, it plays with all our basic preconceptions of the logic of science and tips it on it’s head…just for “fun and giggles”. The basic routine has an extended version within the documentation designed to baffle “know-it-all” magicians. As they suggest this addition may leave the “laymen” cold but it will mess with magician’s sense of logic…big time! Finally there is a card based routine included that has a “mental magic” feel to it. This routine uses uncoloured bulbs that are not included but are a stock item in most hardware or home improvement stores in any decent size town.

Overall
What a elegant charmer this is. If you like magic fun and games that is designed to confuse and charm a casual audience in a comfortable environment you can’t go wrong with this one…it’s lovely and BEAUTIFULLY made.

Save your pennies and I’ll be surprised if you don’t LOVE what you get.

Rating out of 10: 10/10 If you like this type of magic you won’t find better.

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Another great review Tom. Are you getting hold of Balsamo by Fabrice Delaure. I really would like an expert to give me an honest view on it. alakazam stocks it.

I'd love to have a go with it but no plans at the moment.

Glad you lked the review.

Hey Folks!
I went to a magic show in my earlier years and a magician used me as an assistant for this trick! I was really amazed. I also must say that you have made an incredible review as you always do. Very informative. Nice job!
Thanks,
Dominick

Tom Lauten wrote:I'd love to have a go with it but no plans at the moment.

Glad you lked the review.

Well if i get it first then i will review. It is one of the best CUPS i have seen