The Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head is a Magnatone amplifier. Close alternatives include the Tone King Imperial Preamp and the Universal Audio Uafx Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier Preamp. It pairs well with the Beetronics Nectar and the Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz.
Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head
Magnatone · amplifier
The Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 is a 45-watt head, the higher-powered end of the modern Magnatone range and considerably louder than the Super Fifteen models. The M-80 designation marks a variant within the Super Fifty-Nine family. At 45 watts it has real clean headroom and needs volume before the output section contributes, placing it as a stage amp rather than a studio one. Magnatone's identity rests on the pitch-shifting vibrato it patented in the 1950s, a true pitch-varying circuit rather than amplitude tremolo. It suits players needing Magnatone character at band volume.
What stands out
“Its strengths are the rich, dynamic voice, build quality, and unique vibrato; the caveats are a steep boutique price and a voicing that favors warm classic tones over modern high gain”
— from the community notes
“s identity rests on the pitch-shifting vibrato it patented in the 1950s”
— from the listing
“players prize the super fifty-nine m-80 for its thick”
— from the community notes
“it suits blues and rock and responds beautifully to picking and pedals”
— from the community notes
“punchy”
— from the community notes
- vibrato
- pitch
- thick
- rock
- punchy
- pedal platform
- natural
- warm
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Genres the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head is commonly used in
- Rock
- Blues
- Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Country
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head
Beetronics Nectar
Beetronics
28% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Beetronics Nectar leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
Goes in front of the amp
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
25% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
Run Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz into that transparent platform and it finally leans toward fuzzy
Goes in front of the amp
Beetronics Swarm
Beetronics
24% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
Run Beetronics Swarm into that transparent platform and it finally leans toward fuzzy
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 Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head in the signal chain, clear of Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Universal Audio 1176 Compressor
Universal Audio
13% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Universal Audio 1176 Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Goes in front of the amp
Meris Polymoon
Meris
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.
Put Meris Polymoon in Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head's effects loop, clear of Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 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
Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini
Dunlop
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.
Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head gives it exactly that — 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
Into Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head, Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Alternatives
Tone King Imperial Preamp
Tone King
72% similarityTone King Imperial Preamp recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Universal Audio Uafx Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier Preamp
Universal Audio
72% similarityUniversal Audio Uafx Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier Preamp recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Electronic Audio Experiments Model feT V3.8
Electronic Audio Experiments
72% similarityElectronic Audio Experiments Model feT V3.8 recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Catalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box
Catalinbread
72% similarityCatalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Magnatone Super Fifteen 15W Head
Magnatone
68% similarityShared character: vibrato, punchy, touch
Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head
Magnatone
52% similarityShared character: vibrato, warm, clean
Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head
amplifier
51% similarityShared character: touch, warm, clean
Bad Cat Pre-Sale! Hot Cat Head
Bad Cat
51% similarityShared character: punchy, natural, gain
Dumble Overdrive Reverb
Dumble
49% similarityShared character: voicing, touch, warm
Orange OR30 Head
Orange
48% similarityShared character: voicing, volume, thickness
Blackstar Artisan 15H Handwired 15W Tube
Blackstar
46% similarityShared character: thickness, stage
Marshall JMP 2204 Master Model Mk2 Lead 50-Watt
Marshall
46% similarityShared character: punchy, touch, gain
See all alternatives to the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Tone King Imperial Preamp, the Universal Audio Uafx Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier Preamp, the Electronic Audio Experiments Model feT V3.8.
What pairs well with the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Beetronics Nectar, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz, Beetronics Swarm — The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Beetronics Nectar leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in.