Soldanos users chime in Slo versus JMP

cragginshrd

cragginshrd

Active member
I have gone full circle from every boutique amp out there (except Diezel and Splawn) back to a 1979 Marshall JMP. The JMP is "that" sound but for me in a hard rock context pretty much a one trick pony.
Recently bought a Headfirst Alta which captures all of the JMP good and none of the bad with so much more flexibility (3 ch's midi ect)

Now I'm feeling like of all the amps I've had I'm missing the aggression of the Soldano. As I look back on my notes I had frustration with ch 1 on both the Slo 100 and 30
Caveat is with a LP the Slo is pretty massive -same with JMP and the Alta sounds best with super strats of the 3, and massive with a LP as well -duh!

So topic here is for those who use Slo's how do you interpret the voicing compared to a real Marshall? Bright -check, aggressive -check, but for gain structure do you feel like it nails the Marshall or can be a bit more fizzy?
Now the Marshall can be dialed in to sound fizzy/sizzle and flubby but the Slo cannot dial out the sizzle and crunch..
As long as an OD is going into the front of the Slo's it will never be flubby
I assume Mike was shooting to get the SLP tone but have more options and be more aggressive. Hence the name super lead overdrive?

My tone!

 
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SLO has less "kerrang" and more ooomph. Less grainy, more refined. JMP is rawer and grainier. High-mids are there in both cases but maybe moreso in the JMP case.

Palm-mutes go "DANG-DANG-DANG" with the SLO, a bit like firing bullets. Palm-mutes go "KANG-KANG-KANG" with the JMP, a bit like hitting a metal plate with a metal rod, if that makes any sense. At least it's how I hear it.
 
There’s overlap for sure, my ‘89 SLO sounds even more Marshally and raw, but felt still my SLO’s have their own distinctive sound and feel when AB’ed with the Marshall’s I’ve had (including a 1979 JMP2203). The SLO’s have a distinctive uppermid quality vs Marshall’s where they almost sparkle (maybe it’s the 6L6’s?) and overall are smoother than Marshall’s. Worth having both
 
Both is likely the plan with the Alta which I plan to use live a lot this year because current band calls for a less aggressive sound than the JMP or Slo
 
Jack Luminous said:
SLO has less "kerrang" and more ooomph. Less grainy, more refined. JMP is rawer and grainier. High-mids are there in both cases but maybe moreso in the JMP case.

Palm-mutes go "DANG-DANG-DANG" with the SLO, a bit like firing bullets. Palm-mutes go "KANG-KANG-KANG" with the JMP, a bit like hitting a metal plate with a metal rod, if that makes any sense. At least it's how I hear it.
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Have you tried the JMP with a mr scary mod if not it's def different than using an OD into the front. If no what OD do you use into the front?
 
Haven't tried a Mr Scary mod but I've got an original Soldano Hotmod I used in various Marshall heads over the years. It does sound good but it is too noisy (hiss) for my taste. I use either a Boss SD1 or Maxon OD808 in front depending if I need agressive or smoother. I also used to use an old TC Integrated preamp but it's broken right now and I need to get it fixed...
 
SLO for me has to be boosted; but then it's similar to a great modded Marshall but with a more smooth quality. I did have a modded Marshall that sounded similar to a boosted SLO, but for the life of me I can't remember who the modder was.
Definitely different enough to justify both.
 
Jack Luminous said:
SLO has less "kerrang" and more ooomph. Less grainy, more refined. JMP is rawer and grainier. High-mids are there in both cases but maybe moreso in the JMP case.

Palm-mutes go "DANG-DANG-DANG" with the SLO, a bit like firing bullets. Palm-mutes go "KANG-KANG-KANG" with the JMP, a bit like hitting a metal plate with a metal rod, if that makes any sense. At least it's how I hear it.
Jack Luminous said:
Having both is mandatory ! :rock:
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I agree with this. SLO has more sustain, JMP has more KERRANG. I have the 100w SLO never tried the 30 tho. Both are mandatory IMO
 
While I loved Ed's live tone at Cabo Wabo opening it did seem to have some raw kerrang to it maybe a bit subdued. An amp that seems to have that raw kerrang yet still has a master volume and effects loop is the Morris UK68. Here's a clip of the UK68 and a 71 Marshall amp by the same guy. The previous Morris amps seemed to miss the mark but this UK68 sounds pretty darn good but I can only go off the clips.



Marshall
 
Soldano has more gain, thicker, smoother more modern sound. Searing midrange which makes it seem similar to a Marshall. I think SLOs so more like a Boogie MK mixed with a Hiwatt than Marshalls.
 
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cragginshrd said:
Like this? :ROFLMAO:


Or this?


Sold both. The Trinity ch 2 was really bad, nothing like a Marshall and the voicing is so different than ch 3 it was just odd sounding, really uninspiring as a result never used it. Ch 3 was solos heaven kinda like a Wizard
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Yep couldn't get rid of my Trinity fast enough. Super disappointed in that amp but that is just me and my tastes, others dig them and that's all that matters.
 
Others call it the Marshall Karrang. I call it upper mid spike and the SLO doesn't have it. Great amp but I never got the Marshall comparison.
You got Marshall of all striped covered with the Alta. SLO would be a great alternate amp.
 
jabps said:
Yep couldn't get rid of my Trinity fast enough. Super disappointed in that amp but that is just me and my tastes, others dig them and that's all that matters.
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Guys like Eric Steckel just use ch 3 all day for solos and it works. If ch 2 was voiced like a real Marshall it would be a great amp -midi 3 ch's ect
 
CarlF said:
Others call it the Marshall Karrang. I call it upper mid spike and the SLO doesn't have it. Great amp but I never got the Marshall comparison.
You got Marshall of all striped covered with the Alta. SLO would be a great alternate amp.
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I would assume it's compared because SLO stands for super lead over drive and Mike was introducing one of the 1st alternate to what everyone used back then - modded Marshalls right? giving them more of what they complained Marshalls did not have
 
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