The Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo is a Magnatone amplifier. Close alternatives include the Universal Audio Uafx Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier Preamp and the Tone King Imperial Preamp. It pairs well with the Marshall Guv'nor and the Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz.
Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo
Magnatone · amplifier
The Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII is a two-channel 45-watt 1x12 combo, the combo member of the Super Fifty-Nine family and its most powerful single-piece amplifier. Two channels give it switchable voices where much of the Magnatone range is single-channel, and at 45 watts it carries genuine clean headroom for stage use. Magnatone is defined by the pitch-shifting vibrato it patented in the 1950s, which varies pitch rather than volume and is the reason the brand is remembered. It suits blues, roots and rock players who need channel switching and stage-level output in one box.
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
“magnatone is defined by the pitch-shifting vibrato it patented in the 1950s”
— from the listing
“roots and rock players who need channel switching and stage-level output in one box”
— from the listing
“players prize the super fifty-nine mkii for its thick”
— from the community notes
“punchy”
— from the community notes
- vibrato
- pitch
- rock
- thick
- punchy
- high gain
- natural
- pedal platform
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Genres the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo is commonly used in
- Rock
- Blues
- Indie
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Country
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo
Marshall Guv'nor
Marshall
25% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)
Marshall Guv'nor leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own
Goes in front of the amp
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
24% 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 — Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
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)
The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Beetronics Swarm leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
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.
Run Boss BF-2 Flanger after Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo in the signal chain, clear of Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo'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 leans toward compressed, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Goes in front of the amp
Strymon BigSky
Strymon
9% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Keep Strymon BigSky in Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo's effects loop, clear of Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Keeley Halo
Keeley
9% 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 Keeley Halo in Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo's effects loop, clear of Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Friedman Small Box Overdrive
Friedman
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Into Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo, Friedman Small Box Overdrive is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
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
Tone King Imperial Preamp
Tone King
72% similarityTone King Imperial Preamp 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
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
Magnatone Super Fifteen 15W 1x12 Combo
Magnatone
70% similarityShared character: pitch modulation, vibrato, punchy
Magnatone Lil Viper
Magnatone
60% similarityShared character: vibrato, thickness, warm
EVH 5150 Iconic Series 60W 2x12 Combo
Evh
52% similarityShared character: two channels, punchy, high gain settings
2002 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe II Combo
amplifier
50% similarityShared character: punchy, warm, clean
Dumble Overdrive Reverb
Dumble
50% similarityShared character: voicing, touch, warm
Mesa Boogie Fillmore 100 1x12 Combo
Mesa Boogie
49% similarityShared character: two channels, thickness, clean
Carr rambler
Carr
48% similarityShared character: punchy, thickness, warm
Bogner Barcelona
Bogner
47% similarityShared character: thickness, warm, gain
See all alternatives to the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo?+
The closest matches in character are the Universal Audio Uafx Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier Preamp, the Tone King Imperial Preamp, the Catalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box.
What pairs well with the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MkII 1x12 Combo?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Guv'nor, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz, Beetronics Swarm — Marshall Guv'nor leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own.