School me on Soldano FX loops!

[gokart mozart]

When I gigged with one I either ran dry or wet/dry. Little more load in/out but worth it.

So what additional equipment did you have to haul around other than the extra speaker cabinet to do the wet/dry?

 

[godgrinder]

So what additional equipment did you have to haul around other than the extra speaker cabinet to do the wet/dry?

You basically just need a big solid state combo.

 

[Racerxrated]

When I gigged with one I either ran dry or wet/dry. Little more load in/out but worth it.

So what additional equipment did you have to haul around other than the extra speaker cabinet to do the wet/dry?

I ran the SLO out to a G12 65 cab, then the line out to an FX unit(Intellifex) out of that to the Fx return of a JCM 800 2205, out of that to a greenback cab. 2 amp heads, 2 cabs.

 

[rstites]

If you don't have a second amp head, a good solid state power amp would work perfectly fine. I'm putting together a stereo SLO rig right now. I've owned the SLO for years and always played it mono with minimal effects. I have an extra 4x12 setting around so decided I should try a W/D rig with it.

I also run my SLO into an old Marshall 4x12 with G12-65's. My secondary cab is a matching cab with the same speakers. I just picked up a Rocktron Velocity 300 to use as a power amp. I have an Intellifex around, as well as a number of other older rack effects units. Personally, I don't need a lot of effects.

This thread is pretty much right where I'm headed with this rig.

 

[FourT6and2]

this broken loop is part of the "majik", if you fix it, it will have a slight difference in tone.

You know, lots of people repeat this claim over and over on the net. But it just isn't true. The SLO was never meant to have a loop. It originally had NO loop. But customers wanted it and Mike put it in and it fucks with the sound of the amp; it doesn't add "majik" or "mojo." And you can still order the map without a loop or with a loop-bypass mod. Ask Mike and he'll tell you he likes the amp without the loop. It's customers who keep perpetuating the myth that this broken loop is somehow integral to the sound of the amp. Take the loop out and the amp sounds better to many people who have tried it. Including the guy who designed the thing.

 

[gokart mozart]

When I gigged with one I either ran dry or wet/dry. Little more load in/out but worth it.

So what additional equipment did you have to haul around other than the extra speaker cabinet to do the wet/dry?

I ran the SLO out to a G12 65 cab, then the line out to an FX unit(Intellifex) out of that to the Fx return of a JCM 800 2205, out of that to a greenback cab. 2 amp heads, 2 cabs.

Sweet, thanks.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

The problem is not finding pedals that sound good in the loop...there are plenty of them out there. It's that when the loop is engaged, the tone of the amp changes rather drastically.

 

[gokart mozart]

The problem is not finding pedals that sound good in the loop...there are plenty of them out there. It's that when the loop is engaged, the tone of the amp changes rather drastically.

How so? Is it a change in EQ when the loop is engaged? Gain?

 

[Luca79]

this broken loop is part of the "majik", if you fix it, it will have a slight difference in tone.

You know, lots of people repeat this claim over and over on the net. But it just isn't true. The SLO was never meant to have a loop. It originally had NO loop. But customers wanted it and Mike put it in and it fucks with the sound of the amp; it doesn't add "majik" or "mojo." And you can still order the map without a loop or with a loop-bypass mod. Ask Mike and he'll tell you he likes the amp without the loop. It's customers who keep perpetuating the myth that this broken loop is somehow integral to the sound of the amp. Take the loop out and the amp sounds better to many people who have tried it. Including the guy who designed the thing.

This is interesting.
I wonder why, after so many years, Soldano never changed the loop. Or offer it only as option, or at least not put a switch for disable it...

 

[AmpliFIRE]

The problem is not finding pedals that sound good in the loop...there are plenty of them out there. It's that when the loop is engaged, the tone of the amp changes rather drastically.

How so? Is it a change in EQ when the loop is engaged? Gain?

Where the loop is placed in the SLO's circuit effects the voicing of the gain.

 

[gokart mozart]

Where the loop is placed in the SLO's circuit effects the voicing of the gain.

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[BackCrack]

If you can find an Egnater Loop Level Matcher box (he did a small run of these a few years ago), that helped my SLO run pedals in the loop just fine. I should've never sold mine. Another unit to look for is a Jaded Faith S.T.E.P. pedal.

A work-around for gigging purposes is to put your post-distortion pedals in one of the aux loops on the mixer. Feed the amp's mic signal thru that aux, and then back into your monitor mix (and FOH) via another mixer channel. This way obviously eats up two more channels on the snake and one on the mixer, so the available channel count is needed. Beauty part is that this works with all mic'd amps. The flip side of this coin is your wet signal is only in your monitor system, and that can sound weird depending on your monitor gear and the monkey running the monitors.

 

[Jack Luminous]

Each time I read one of these threads, I wonder what the fuss is all about. it's not that complicated. Just have a good tech move the loop after the tone stack. I had it done to my SLO years and years ago. Cost : $150 parts and labor. The tone of the amp didn't change at all and now the amp is fully usable as it should be. Don't think twice about it. All this talk about "the broken loop is essential part of the tone" etc. is total hogwash.

BTW, for the technically enclined, I posted a hires pic of the mod there : viewtopic.php?f=93&t=183142

 

[FourT6and2]

this broken loop is part of the "majik", if you fix it, it will have a slight difference in tone.

You know, lots of people repeat this claim over and over on the net. But it just isn't true. The SLO was never meant to have a loop. It originally had NO loop. But customers wanted it and Mike put it in and it fucks with the sound of the amp; it doesn't add "majik" or "mojo." And you can still order the map without a loop or with a loop-bypass mod. Ask Mike and he'll tell you he likes the amp without the loop. It's customers who keep perpetuating the myth that this broken loop is somehow integral to the sound of the amp. Take the loop out and the amp sounds better to many people who have tried it. Including the guy who designed the thing.

This is interesting.
I wonder why, after so many years, Soldano never changed the loop. Or offer it only as option, or at least not put a switch for disable it...

Because customers keep talking about this myth of how the loop "is part of the SLO sound!" Customers want it that way, so Soldano hasn't changed it.

 

[gokart mozart]

Because customers keep talking about this myth of how the loop "is part of the SLO sound!" Customers want it that way, so Soldano hasn't changed it.

What?? You mean to suggest that guitar players are a fickle & superstitious bunch??

 

[Luca79]

Because customers keep talking about this myth of how the loop "is part of the SLO sound!" Customers want it that way, so Soldano hasn't changed it.

What?? You mean to suggest that guitar players are a fickle & superstitious bunch??

Ok, i got it!

 

[SpiderWars]

There might be some confusion and I'm not entirely sure what MS means when he says he prefers it without the loop. Does he mean he prefers it without that entire tube (so it could built with only 4 preamp tubes) or does he mean he just prefers that it not have the jacks for the loop (and the shielded cables running to/from the jacks). IMO, that extra tube is part of the sound but you don't have to actually have the loop. Maybe that's where some of the confusion is?

 

[FourT6and2]

There might be some confusion and I'm not entirely sure what MS means when he says he prefers it without the loop. Does he mean he prefers it without that entire tube (so it could built with only 4 preamp tubes) or does he mean he just prefers that it not have the jacks for the loop (and the shielded cables running to/from the jacks). IMO, that extra tube is part of the sound but you don't have to actually have the loop. Maybe that's where some of the confusion is?

The SLO originally had no loop. Period. Hard stop. Not just no jacks. There was no loop. And you can still order it this way if you want.

Soldano didn't build the amp with a loop circuit and then leave the jacks out. That makes no sense. There was no FX loop until someone asked for it. And then people started going, "oh the loop is part of that SLO sound! You can't take it out! It will ruin the precious holy of holies!!!!"

 

[aftec]

There might be some confusion and I'm not entirely sure what MS means when he says he prefers it without the loop. Does he mean he prefers it without that entire tube (so it could built with only 4 preamp tubes) or does he mean he just prefers that it not have the jacks for the loop (and the shielded cables running to/from the jacks). IMO, that extra tube is part of the sound but you don't have to actually have the loop. Maybe that's where some of the confusion is?

The SLO originally had no loop. Period. Hard stop. Not just no jacks. There was no loop. And you can still order it this way if you want.

Soldano didn't build the amp with a loop circuit and then leave the jacks out. That makes no sense. There was no FX loop until someone asked for it. And then people started going, "oh the loop is part of that SLO sound! You can't take it out! It will ruin the precious holy of holies!!!!"

I wonder how Mike came up with this loop placement. Considering him a great amp builder, this is probably the worst loop ever designed, if it's an afterthought as you say, I get even more puzzled.
Beside of that. If you are not using the loop and it is there, it will not make a lot of difference. If you plug something in it, it will suck tone like a madman, but that's only my 2 cents, like my statement on fixing the loop results in change in tone.
IMHO the SLO circuit has it's flaws but it sounds unbelievable as it is. Any SLO I heard "fixed" next to a stock SLO sounded inferior. To me.
I guess "majik" is that pretty fragile balance of flaws and goods and their interaction dancing in the verge of instability in that circuit.

 

[Jack Luminous]

There might be some confusion and I'm not entirely sure what MS means when he says he prefers it without the loop. Does he mean he prefers it without that entire tube (so it could built with only 4 preamp tubes) or does he mean he just prefers that it not have the jacks for the loop (and the shielded cables running to/from the jacks). IMO, that extra tube is part of the sound but you don't have to actually have the loop. Maybe that's where some of the confusion is?

Yes, the SLO without loop has only 4 tubes.

I wonder how Mike came up with this loop placement. Considering him a great amp builder, this is probably the worst loop ever designed, if it's an afterthought as you say, I get even more puzzled.
Beside of that. If you are not using the loop and it is there, it will not make a lot of difference. If you plug something in it, it will suck tone like a madman, but that's only my 2 cents, like my statement on fixing the loop results in change in tone.
IMHO the SLO circuit has it's flaws but it sounds unbelievable as it is. Any SLO I heard "fixed" next to a stock SLO sounded inferior. To me.
I guess "majik" is that pretty fragile balance of flaws and goods and their interaction dancing in the verge of instability in that circuit.

You haven't heard mine. It sounds just as great as any SLO (I heard many) and the loop is "fixed".