Soldano SLO 100 - yay or nay for modern high gain?

  • Thread starter Thread starter nightlight
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Most have said it here already. SLO for modern metal wouldn’t be the go to amp. Sure with a boost and a eq and the right cab it can do it fine. I’ve owned two Slo , one of the newest BAD version and an older one. The BAD version I liked a little more for whatever reason.

That being said the lowend is what I don’t like, it has a fuzzy loose thing going on. Yeah if you are tuned to standard , keep the gain down and hit with a boost it gets there. For 80s stuff a lot of people love it. But especially if you are tuning down and doing modern metal I just don’t see the point. I had both Slos next to a peavey 5152 and a Fender EVH. Those amps just do it better. If you a primarily a lead player then I could see the attraction to the SLO but for that modern fast attack and clarity in the lowend for rhythms it just doesn’t do it as good as a 5150. Especially the 5152 that amp IMO is the best version of them for tight metal rhythms.
 
nightlight said:
I have a chance to pick up an older Soldano SLO 100 with the original DeYoung transformers and was wondering whether the amp is still “all that” in 2023?

For example, I know that the 5150 piggybacked on the SLO design. But would I be better off getting a 5150 for metal tones or would the SLO be a cut above?

Similarly, a lot of other modern amps are said to have borrowed design elements from the SLO. Anyone have a list of said amps? Also, is it a case of the successors surpassing the performance of the “godfather” of high gain amps?

I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube reviews, and most are glowing. The tones I’m hearing though are a mixed bag. I also feel (as always) that those guys have an agenda to push so that more amp manufacturers send them gear to review.

Even the artists list on the Soldano page was a bit thin on high gain acts. I mean, I didn’t really see any of my favourite heavy acts using one.

One reason I haven’t already pulled the trigger is the price. It’s really expensive. And I would essentially be buying this without trying, as it’s overseas.

Talk me into or out of this, please.
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If you're primarily going for super high gain stuff (would need some examples really as to what you're looking for) I'd say maybe depending on what it is.

If it's tight modern metal, I'd honestly say look for something else. The SLO is a legendary amp but there are amps out there now that are more suited to that like the new 5150 iii's, Omega Granophyre, Driftwood, fortin etc, if it's high gain in the more classic hardrock direction then I'd say go for it.

When I had my SLO I tried to get it to do the modern metal thing and it just felt too round overall and like I was forcing it to do something that it wasn't really designed to do.
 
Something interesting to share, today I played the SLO capture on a FM3. I felt like it was one of the better captures I tried on the unit, and definitely had that SLO thing going on. I actually had a pretty fun time playing it. The Fractal was going into the front end of another tube head with everything set flat so it was pushing a little air. Anyway, I did some metal riffage and it was tighter and more satisfying to play metal riffage than my real SLO was. There was still some SLO sag, but you could chug and the ass held together. it was nice.

I find myself having a hard time not buying another SLO, 100 or 30. I think it's the best not-metal amp I've played. ...But like with my other not-metal gear, at the end of the day I'm a metal player and I can't keep it all so I've moved it on.
 
glpg80 said:
That’s basically the camp I fall into. I gigged a 5150 II for over a decade before I joined RT. I plugged into a SLO at a store with a $4k pricetag and was shocked that my 5150 II sounded so close at band volumes. I couldn’t justify the price difference and still can’t.
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I can't disagree with that. The thought had not crossed my mind until I read this. Had a 6505+ for a while, the SLO30 for bit, and primarily use the SLO mod in a Syn1 as my main tone now.

From what I can recall, not a huge difference.
 
Racerxrated said:
The SLO shits on every version 5150 in clarity, punch, feel…..but it’s not as tight even boosted. For me it’s tight enough with a boost but I’m not a metal player. Try one, boost it with different pedals and you may find it works. If not, move it on…
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Can't disagree there. The tone is to die for. I wanted the SLO30 to be a keeper for me so bad, but it had loose bottom end that I couldn't get past, even boosted. I play metal, but standard tuning and some drop D. Nothing "modern" metal.. I go for 80's thrash tones.
 
napalmdeath said:
Can't disagree there. The tone is to die for. I wanted the SLO30 to be a keeper for me so bad, but it had loose bottom end that I couldn't get past, even boosted. I play metal, but standard tuning and some drop D. Nothing "modern" metal.. I go for 80's thrash tones.
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With all the great pedals available there might be some out there that could help the SLO pull it off.
 
Racerxrated said:
With all the great pedals available there might be some out there that could help the SLO pull it off.
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I have had the idea that I wouldn't mind revisiting the SLO with a Dirty Tree. If any pedal can reel that phat ass in, the DT just might do it.

Or, just have Bogner mod it..

I will say when I A/Bd the BAD SLO to my old Triple Recto rev F in the live band, if I could overlook the loose bottom, myself & all my guys agreed the SLO sat in the mix WAY better. Better mids, better clarity, better tone. Unfortunately Sir Mix-a-lot called to get the amp back so I sent it on.
 
Racerxrated said:
With all the great pedals available there might be some out there that could help the SLO pull it off.
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This I agree with . I prefer the EVH Stealth like I said but I definitely can boost it and get a modern metal tone .
 
GJgo said:
I have had the idea that I wouldn't mind revisiting the SLO with a Dirty Tree. If any pedal can reel that phat ass in, the DT just might do it.

Or, just have Bogner mod it..

I will say when I A/Bd the BAD SLO to my old Triple Recto rev F in the live band, if I could overlook the loose bottom, myself & all my guys agreed the SLO sat in the mix WAY better. Better mids, better clarity, better tone. Unfortunately Sir Mix-a-lot called to get the amp back so I sent it on.
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Similar to that empress pq, the DT imho also suffers from that sterile/inorganic inherent quality of tone. I much prefer the real vintage TC integrated Pre I have that it’s based on since it has that more lively sound/feel, but I only really like using it in lower tuning. For standard tuning, I like boosting my ‘89 SLO most with my Klon and Fortin Tubescreamers. I should also try my new Thorpy Team Medic that has been incredible with my other amps

I find my slo also more sensitive to tube swaps than other amps. RFT’s in the pre really help it and for tightness in the powersection Sylvania’s or ‘90’s Sovtek KT66’s can help it. I find SLO’s always still have this inherently round, somewhat rubbery quality to its attack, but with these pieces assisting can at least make it work better for metal. 20w Greenbacks and JBL’s also work great with it and make it tighter
 
I will say this. My enmity mod for those that are curious will use a SLO circuit as a donor. It was created on a ground up build of a Marshall chassis but a tube socket needs drilled and added on a Marshall but no extra tube is needed on a SLO.

@burger also makes a generic PCB that I can use as a starting point for any chassis but it’s a lot more work than just starting with a SLO.

So yes highly modified a SLO can be made to bring serious heat but in stock form my 5150II just does it better for metal.

Enmity #2 will be on a SLO kit next which I then plan to sell here.
 
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Techdeth said:
This I agree with . I prefer the EVH Stealth like I said but I definitely can boost it and get a modern metal tone .
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50 watt Stealth? I considered one, but I've never played an EVH that I felt was dynamic, and harmonically rich. Just kinda stale and almost solid state sounding.
 
napalmdeath said:
50 watt Stealth? I considered one, but I've never played an EVH that I felt was dynamic, and harmonically rich. Just kinda stale and almost solid state sounding.
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I have the 120 watt . I fucking love it . I use to get a fear factory type tone when I play live . I been selling off a lot of amps but I’m keeping the stealth
 
LPMojoGL said:
Can it pull em off? Sure. Wouldn't be my first choice for a metal amp, or why I'd buy an SLO. The Friedman Phil X boosted does the modern metal sound better, imo. But the SLO still sounds pretty freaking great.

I put these up a while back, I think for a similar thread. SLO, boosted with an SD1 in the SG clip, and I think a Klone in the LP clip:


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Sounds killer
I have a newer one. I've had 3 now.
One thing that people keep thinking that it wont do newer metal is that to me it has a completely different mid range focus than a lot of other " metal" amps.
It doesn't scoop as much and the mids are always present.
i think its more like a thrash amp like Slayer, which to me is the greatest anyway..:)
I love the SLO tone.
 
KyleKing said:
If you're primarily going for super high gain stuff (would need some examples really as to what you're looking for) I'd say maybe depending on what it is.

If it's tight modern metal, I'd honestly say look for something else. The SLO is a legendary amp but there are amps out there now that are more suited to that like the new 5150 iii's, Omega Granophyre, Driftwood, fortin etc, if it's high gain in the more classic hardrock direction then I'd say go for it.

When I had my SLO I tried to get it to do the modern metal thing and it just felt too round overall and like I was forcing it to do something that it wasn't really designed to do.
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I think recording the SLO is great, but like you mentioned alone is very hard to do modern. I also think the definition of modern metal these days has gone way beyond our typical slo,5150, rev blue/green Ubers.

Modern to me now is Omega obsidian, Granophyre etc…
 
Hard to pull off a modern metal tone with a tube amp….vacuum tubes don’t put out 1’s and 0’s…seems like everything today is computers…. :confused: Sorry I’m being a bit of a clown ? today…lol
 
Chronic Narnia said:
There are better options for modern metal. I bought one of the newer versions and returned it. It is too thick sounding and not tight enough in my opinion. Good rock tone but not for modern metal.
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I had that issue with the SLO30. I was so disappointed I couldn't get it tight enough, even boosted. Tonally speaking and voicing, I absolutely loved it. When I first got it, I was blown away how awesome it sounded. I even him-hawed about trying again. I REALLY loved that tone.
 
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