The Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head is an Amplified Nation amplifier. Close alternatives include the DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine and the Mooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral). It pairs well with the Univox Super-Fuzz and the EarthQuaker Devices Hizumitas.
Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head
Amplified Nation · amplifier
The Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head is a hand-built American boutique amplifier modelled on the Dumble Steel String Singer, the high-headroom clean design Dumble built for players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan. It delivers shimmery, silky cleans moving into clean-lead territory, with a balanced EQ and an unusually large amount of clean power that keeps the amp articulate, punchy and clear even at high volume. A three-tube reverb circuit with send and return controls sets both the depth of the effect and how much of it sits in the mix, and it works with clean and lead playing alike. At 50 watts it is the more room-friendly of the two common sizes. It suits blues, soul, funk and fusion players who want headroom and touch response rather than amp distortion.
What stands out
“It delivers shimmery, silky cleans moving into clean-lead territory, with a balanced EQ and an unusually large amount of clean power that keeps the amp articulate, punchy and clear even at high volume”
— from the listing
“The onboard reverb is singled out repeatedly as exceptional, with players noting the dedicated send and return make it far more controllable than a typical spring circuit”
— from the community notes
“a three-tube reverb circuit with send and return controls sets both the depth of the effect and how much of it sits in the mix”
— from the listing
“The main caveats are cost, and that anyone wanting amp-generated distortion is buying the wrong amp: this design is about clean power”
— from the community notes
“Regarded as one of the strongest Steel String Singer interpretations available, and bought specifically for clean headroom”
— from the community notes
Trade-offs
“the amplified nation steel string singer 50w head is a hand-built american boutique amplifier modelled on the dumble steel string singer”
— from the listing
- clean
- reverb
- clear
- punchy
- return
- send
- clean headroom
- eq
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Genres the Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head is commonly used in
- Funk
- Blues
- Soul
Pedals that stack with the Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head
Univox Super-Fuzz
Univox
20% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → mid-forward)
The high headroom tone has headroom to spare — Univox Super-Fuzz leans it toward mid-forward to fill it in
Goes in front of the amp
EarthQuaker Devices Hizumitas
EarthQuaker Devices
20% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → high gain)
Run EarthQuaker Devices Hizumitas into that high headroom platform and it finally leans toward high gain
Goes in front of the amp
Origin Effects DCX Boost
Origin Effects
20% 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
Boss BF-2 Flanger
Boss
13% 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 Boss BF-2 Flanger after Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head in the signal chain, clear of Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 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
Binson Echorec Delay
Binson
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Binson Echorec Delay in Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head's effects loop, clear of Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 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
7% 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 Steel String Singer 50W Head's effects loop, clear of Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 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
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2
Dr Scientist
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Into a high headroom tone, Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2 brings a pull toward fuzzy that's missing
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine
Dsm Humboldt Electronics
72% similarityDSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine 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
Xotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
72% similarityXotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5 recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Rowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim
Rowin
72% similarityRowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Fender Twin Reverb Head
amplifier
51% similarityShared character: volume, fusion, mix
Dumble Overdrive Reverb
Dumble
51% similarityShared character: fusion, touch, reverb
Hiwatt Custom 50 SA212
Hiwatt
49% similarityShared character: volume, mix, distortion
Hiwatt T20/10
Hiwatt
49% similarityShared character: touch, reverb, response
Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head
amplifier
46% similarityShared character: touch, reverb, distortion
Bad Cat Pre-Sale! Hot Cat Head
Bad Cat
44% similarityShared character: punchy, mix, response
Bad Cat *PRE Order* Hot Cat Head
Bad Cat
44% similarityShared character: volume, mix, clean
1950s Fender Twin
amplifier
44% similarityShared character: punchy, clean
See all alternatives to the Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head?+
The closest matches in character are the DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine, the Mooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral), the Xotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5.
What pairs well with the Amplified Nation Steel String Singer 50W Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Univox Super-Fuzz, EarthQuaker Devices Hizumitas, Origin Effects DCX Boost — The high headroom tone has headroom to spare — Univox Super-Fuzz leans it toward mid-forward to fill it in.