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Magic Switchboard

Wellington

(Based on 3 reviews)
A finely finished mahogany board is shown to have four different colored light bulbs, each with a switch of the same color in front of it. When the red switch in turned on, the red bulb lights. As each switch is turned on, the corresponding colored bulb in front of it lights. Nothing special so far. Now, the first two bulb's are removed from their sockets and their positions switched. They no longer line up with their matching switch. Even so, each switch still operates only its matching colored bulb. Throughout the routine, all the bulbs are moved around. Still, each switch only operates the bulb of corresponding color. Finally, with all the bulbs mixed up, you explain that it was better with the bulbs in front of their respective switches. Rather than unscrew all the bulbs, you remove the caps on the switches and replace them in the correct order. Again, all the switches are turned on and each colored switch operates only its matching bulb.

Reviews

Doc Johnson

Official Reviewer

Jul 04, 2014

MAGIC SWITCHBOARD REVIEW

WARNING: Killer bonus presentation idea at the end

RATING: 5

REVIEW

This is a tremendously devious device. It looks like a primitive device with four colored switches and four colored bulbs. However, you switch the bulbs, and the switches still light the correct bulbs!

USABILITY

This is probably not designed for walk-around. There is a large plug in version and a small battery version. The smaller version is probably best for a parlor type setting and the larger version would be good for parlor or stage.

BONUS

I think the real challenge is how to present it. Here is an idea that I use:

I set this up by asking the audience if they want to see something that isn’t magic, but is really eerie. I ask them if they can keep this in confidence, because I don’t want any trouble.

I talk about how my grandfather was an electrician at an undisclosed secret location. Let’s just say in this area they now have many gift stores selling little alien toy figures. He was working in a lab that he said had something to do with artificial intelligence. The facility he was working for was shut down and he was given permission to take some electrical equipment that he was going to use to build a model train set. He built the most beautiful model train set with four different locomotives that he could control with this wooden panel he built. Over the years, grandpa started to lose his mind and became more and more reclusive in his little locomotive world. I went to his home one day and he in a rage. Tearing train tracks from the elaborate scene he built, throwing everything in the trash. “What’s wrong, grandpa?” I asked. He kept pointing to the switchboard and saying it was losing it’s mind. I was really sad, for I knew it was grandpa that was losing his mind. However, He showed me what I am about to show you.

I then have them rearrange the bulbs and they observe nothing wrong. I then take the board back and ask two others to stand in a triangle formation around the board and touch finger to finger with me until a three-way loop is made around the board.

I then show them the magic of the board.

I hope this presentation idea sparks your creative powers to come up with something fun and entertaining for your audiences.

Best of luck
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Paul White

Oct 14, 2008

I love effects that I can "drop into normal situations." I am a Toastmaster. In Toastmasters we use Green, Yellow and Red lights to time speeches, and some clubs have a fourth "blue zapper" light to serve as a "hook" when someone has gone WAY over time.

With the MAGIC SWITCHBOARD by Wellington I can substitute a clubs "timing lights" for mine and weave a store about the mad Time Master who kept trying to confuse the rest of the club.

Very funny patter makes the illusion - the switchboard makes the magic. Because it is so perfectly constructed, I don't have to think about how to do the magic, I can focus on the storyline.

This is a wonderful piece of magic well worth the price.

Paul E. White
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Rey~Rey

Feb 23, 2004

I am a retired Industrial Electrician having once worked for such companies as the INTEL, IBM, Motorola, and Sitix Sumitomo Corporations.

Motor Control is my forte' and so it was with a tremendous amount of curiousness and enthusiasm in which I ordered
my large unit.

I wasn't in the least bit dissappointed with the well built and designed product. It's antique finish and traditional shelf materials mask it's deceptive modern programming interior.
Never once has anyone even remotely concluded anything more than what could be seen.

I am also enamoured with the fact that there is no quick moves or subtle sleights that are needed to appease all conditions and varying movements of both the bulbs and cap covers.

It withstands the greatest amount of scrutiny all around.
No gimmicks can be seen or found on the product.
The ad didn't embellish the truth in the least bit.

This one has fooled some very highly intelligent people in my circles of confidence.

I only wish that I had owned this Electrical Curiosity during my times working on prototype electrical applications.
Many times I suggested an alternate solution and was outvoted. If I had owned this then I could have perhaps made believers out of some in my twisted logic. (I digress)

It will never find it's way out of my platform/parlour shows.
It was an instant addition to my presentations once, I found a
storyline that put it within the context of my current sets.

I thank all of the engineers whom worked to create and then market them to the most fortunate community of performance magicians.

The added benefit to this product is that there aren't very many examples of it's use among today's mainstream performers.

The audience suppposes it to be an original to the
performer.

Gracias Wellington!
Rey~Rey
"International Brotherhood of Electricians" L.U.#640
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