Help me understand Soldano

BigGuitars

BigGuitars

Active member
Is soldano closer to a modern high gain, modern metal amp, or more voice for classic 80s metal, or somewhere in between? Is it closer to Marshall or mesa? Or is it versatile? I hear they’re potentially the best amps made. I’ve tried a couple, but honestly the store owner wouldn’t let me touch them, insisted on working the dials, so I never got to experiment with them.

Interested in the SLO 30.

Thank you.
 
Very high gain. Can be bright or dark. Not really a modern metal amp with heaps of monster low end. But you can fit it into whatever genre you want, really.

IMHO there is a bit of a "brown" sound from the amp. They have a reputation for being super tight but that's not really the impression that I have. It's not at all flubby or loose, but it's "brown" for lack of a better word. Not really a chugga chugga amp unless you boost it.

IMHO the circuits are totally different, but I think a Mesa Mark gives a generally similar vibe (saturated, singing sustain) but is tighter and more versatile (better able to do the modern metal chugga thing if you want it).
 
I wouldn't call Soldano SLO a very high gain amp. It has plenty of gain but isn't over the top by any means. They cover a lot of ground, are made well and have a proper warranty. They record well, they are articulate and they work in a two amp situation with other amps very well. IMO, everybody should have one.
 
cardinal said:
Very high gain. Can be bright or dark. Not really a modern metal amp with heaps of monster low end. But you can fit it into whatever genre you want, really.

IMHO there is a bit of a "brown" sound from the amp. They have a reputation for being super tight but that's not really the impression that I have. It's not at all flubby or loose, but it's "brown" for lack of a better word. Not really a chugga chugga amp unless you boost it.

IMHO the circuits are totally different, but I think a Mesa Mark gives a generally similar vibe (saturated, singing sustain) but is tighter and more versatile (better able to do the modern metal chugga thing if you want it).
Click to expand...
I’ve never heard anybody describe an SLO as super tight. They’ve got a bit of sag to them. That’s why guys use a boost with them to tighten them up.
 
Last edited:
I have a new Slo-30. If you turn up the gain on the overdrive channel the bass gets flubby..running the bass next to off with a boost really helps that. Amp sounds amazing tho.
 
Bass is not flubby at all IMHO. It's more that it's not dry as fuck as some more recent modern amps like Engl, Fryette, Framus Dragon etc. There is definitely too much gain for any style of music including death-metal. It gets chaotic when turning up the gain because there is definitely a lot of gain on tap, much too much for any musical application, unless your only goal is noise. It's closer to Marshall than Mesa in the voicing. It is very versatile, unlike all those over-the-top-tight-as-fuck-ridiculously-high-gain modern amps. Can really go from old blues or even funk to chugga-chugga with ease. Of course, it's personal opinion and a matter of taste in the end.
 
IMG_3221.JPG



Here is my new rig.
 
The 'flubby bass' thing must be something with the new 'non Mike Soldano' SLOs. I've had 3 Pre-BAD SLO 100s and no flubby bass with any of those. But, it won't be super tight either, unless you put a boost in front. When I think flabby bass I think of a dual rec, where no matter what I did with any number of boosts I could not dial out the 'bloated' lows. This is with a G two channel..Triples are a completely different story though.

My SLOs were boosted, and sounded like a modded Marshall with incredible clarity and punch. Gotta use GB style speakers IMO; V30s can be harsh even when scooping the mids on the amp. Just too many mids between the amp and speakers. To my ears anyway.
 
i still couldnt tell you what the signature soldano tone is, i always ask what albums made the SLO so legendary and the answer never gets answered and turns to talking about the deyoung transformers. then the SLO30 came and it sounded pretty bland to me in all the review videos who were calling it the best amp ever in the title :dunno:
 
Racerxrated said:
The 'flubby bass' thing must be something with the new 'non Mike Soldano' SLOs. I've had 3 Pre-BAD SLO 100s and no flubby bass with any of those. But, it won't be super tight either, unless you put a boost in front. When I think flabby bass I think of a dual rec, where no matter what I did with any number of boosts I could not dial out the 'bloated' lows. This is with a G two channel..Triples are a completely different story though.

My SLOs were boosted, and sounded like a modded Marshall with incredible clarity and punch. Gotta use GB style speakers IMO; V30s can be harsh even when scooping the mids on the amp. Just too many mids between the amp and speakers. To my ears anyway.
Click to expand...
Yea maybe, I had 2 SLO-100's back in 2005 and I really don't remember the settings..but I was lugging around the matching 4x12. Yea this new SLO-30 gets pretty flubby quick with the bass turned up past 1, and I don't use a stupid amount of gain.

Right on about the V-30's! These new one's in this cab sound terrible, they need a major break in. My old V-30's in these other cabinets here sound great. I actually have a Heritage g12M showing up today.
 
I’ve played too many SLO’s and consider them mid gain amps. I find them flubby... Meaning when the bass is turned up too much it doesn’t hold together... just like a Marshall JCM800 and a ton of other amps. That said, the amp wasn’t designed to be a tight metal machine, so the argument really isn’t fair.
While SLO amps are cool, I’ve never been floored enough to own one.
 
The crunch tones on the normal channel are underrated (as in no one talks about them lol) and I’ve never got the lead channel above 4 on the preamp without it being a hot mess (Using Gibsons). Agree with others that GB’s are a good speaker choice as the SLO can be strident in the upper mids and top end. I wouldn’t say no to a 100, if the price was a steal but it’s certainly not a holy grail amp for me. Ultimately, for me a boosted JMP/JCM 2203/4 is more my thing for that sound.
 
I wanted the SLO for so many years, it was my favorite and standard amp in my AxeFx and still is so I always wanted the real thing. I bought one last year and no regrets. I made this demo where I played some basic 80’s type riffs and played with different settings. Then added different OD pedals. Maybe it can help, but I’m not Pete Thorn so...

Fast forward to 1:20 for the actual playthrough.

 
The crunch is fine but pales to a 2203 or 2204 IMHO. The lead channel was cool for some things, but I sold it because I just preferred a 2204 and an SD-1.

With a Chandler SDE in the loop, I thought it was pretty spectacular for singing leads, but kinda meh for anything else, for my purposes at least.
 
psychodave said:
I’ve played too many SLO’s and consider them mid gain amps. I find them flubby... Meaning when the bass is turned up too much it doesn’t hold together... just like a Marshall JCM800 and a ton of other amps. That said, the amp wasn’t designed to be a tight metal machine, so the argument really isn’t fair.
While SLO amps are cool, I’ve never been floored enough to own one.
Click to expand...
Pretty much my analysis of them too. SLO models are all very front-forward in a band mix - there’s no lie they cut and are very prominent. The downside is that they sound too similar to a well-tube chosen 5150 II to my ears and honestly I don’t find the premium cost advantageous for what it offers.
 
psychodave said:
I’ve played too many SLO’s and consider them mid gain amps. I find them flubby... Meaning when the bass is turned up too much it doesn’t hold together... just like a Marshall JCM800 and a ton of other amps. That said, the amp wasn’t designed to be a tight metal machine, so the argument really isn’t fair.
While SLO amps are cool, I’ve never been floored enough to own one.
Click to expand...

I also find the SLO both pre/post BAD flubby and mushy... and somewhat dark. Not my thing. I've owned 3 of the pre-BAD SLOs and have played the newest latest, greatest post-BAD 2020 SLO 100. It's a '80s hard rock amp. Medium gain. Very limited feature set. Soooo many better options on the market to get the same tones with so many other options. Some things are best left to extinction.

stratjacket said:
I wanted the SLO for so many years, it was my favorite and standard amp in my AxeFx and still is so I always wanted the real thing. I bought one last year and no regrets. I made this demo where I played some basic 80’s type riffs and played with different settings. Then added different OD pedals. Maybe it can help, but I’m not Pete Thorn so...

Fast forward to 1:20 for the actual playthrough.

Click to expand...


Good work. Your demo is one of the best demos of the new BAD SLO. You actually turn the knobs and show it boosted and unboosted.

:thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
zuel69 said:
Yea this new SLO-30 gets pretty flubby quick with the bass turned up past 1, and I don't use a stupid amount of gain.
Click to expand...


The SLO-30 has a whole other set of issues. BAD lowered the plate voltage too much and tiny transformers. But hey... it's the brown sound! Paper bag and Peptobismol optional.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top