The Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head is an Amplified Nation amplifier, currently around $4399. Close alternatives include the Two-Rock Classic Reverb 100W Head and the Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive 6L6 100W Head. It pairs well with the Origin Effects DCX Boost and the Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic.
Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head
Amplified Nation · amplifier
The Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head is based on Dumble Steel String Singer number 005, the amp originally built for Eric Johnson, and is described by the builder as the pinnacle of high-output clean. Its voicing is hi-fi and crystal clean with an unusually powerful, percussive response that stays tight and focused rather than loosening as it gets louder. Like the Steel String Singer design it descends from, it is built around clean headroom instead of amp distortion, which makes it an exceptionally uncoloured platform for pedals. At 50 watts it is the more room-practical of the common sizes. It suits blues, fusion, country and rock players who want articulate, powerful cleans and prefer to generate their drive from pedals or from the guitar itself.
What stands out
“Owners describe the percussive attack and note tightness as the standout, particularly how the amp stays focused at volume where others get woolly”
— from the community notes
“Like the Steel String Singer design it descends from, it is built around clean headroom , which makes it an exceptionally uncoloured platform for pedals”
— from the listing
“It suits blues, fusion, country and rock players who want articulate, powerful cleans and prefer to generate their drive from pedals or from the guitar itself”
— from the listing
“Bought specifically for clean headroom and generally used as a pedal platform, since the amp colours very”
— from the community notes
“At 50 watts it is the more room-practical of the common sizes”
— from the listing
- clean headroom
- clean
- articulate
- platform
- pedal platform
- glassy
- tightness
- fusion
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head is commonly used in
- Country
- Blues
- Rock
Pedals that stack with the Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head
Origin Effects DCX Boost
Origin Effects
19% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → low gain)
Into a high headroom tone, Origin Effects DCX Boost brings a pull toward low gain that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic
pedal
19% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → mid-forward)
Into a high headroom tone, Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic brings a pull toward mid-forward that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
Colorsound Overdriver
pedal
18% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)
Into a high headroom tone, Colorsound Overdriver brings a pull toward fuzzy that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter
EarthQuaker Devices
11% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter after Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head in the signal chain, clear of Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Universal Audio 1176 Compressor
Universal Audio
11% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (high headroom → compressed)
Universal Audio 1176 Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Goes in front of the amp
Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay
Electro-Harmonix
6% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay in Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head's effects loop, clear of Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Malekko Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy Analog Delay
Electro-Harmonix
6% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Malekko Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy Analog Delay in Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head's effects loop, clear of Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head gives it exactly that
Cheaper alternatives
Rowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim
Rowin
72% similarityRowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Mooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral)
Mooer
72% similarityMooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral) recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine
Dsm Humboldt Electronics
72% similarityDSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Xotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
72% similarityXotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5 recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Hiwatt Custom 50 SA212
Hiwatt
55% similarityShared character: volume, clean
Fender Twin Reverb Head
amplifier
54% similarityShared character: glassy, fusion, volume
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Two-Rock Classic Reverb 100W Head
Two-Rock
57% similarityShared character: glassy, fusion, volume
Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive 6L6 100W Head
Two-Rock
55% similarityShared character: glassy, fusion, clean
Hiwatt T20/10
Hiwatt
51% similarityShared character: glassy, response, clean
Matchless Clubman 35
amplifier
49% similarityShared character: glassy, clean
Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 100W Head
Amplified Nation
49% similarityShared character: fusion, clean
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 100
Ceriatone
48% similarityShared character: fusion, clean
See all alternatives to the Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Two-Rock Classic Reverb 100W Head, the Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive 6L6 100W Head, the Hiwatt T20/10. Budget picks: Rowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim, Mooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral), DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine. Boutique upgrades: Two-Rock Silver Sterling Signature 150W Head.
What pairs well with the Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Origin Effects DCX Boost, Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic, Colorsound Overdriver — Into a high headroom tone, Origin Effects DCX Boost brings a pull toward low gain that's missing.
How much does the Amplified Nation Six String Sustain 50W Head cost?+
Around $4399 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).
Compare
- vs ENGL E630II Savage 60 Custom Shop Head
- vs Two-Rock Silver Sterling Signature 150W Head
- vs Hiwatt High Tube 100 Head