SLO observations and question for other owners

[stratotone]

It kills. Flat out, fucking kills. I was running the 'clean' channel as crunch with the gain dimed, and could get a nice edgy clean by rolling my guitar volume down. Sweet! Amp has a nice woody knock to it, kicked in the overdrive channel and it was just freaking awesome. Toothy growl... very aggressive and pissed sounding. I love it.

Compared to the XTC I have, it just seems to be a little more alive. Could it be because it has so fewer frills/options/switches in the signal path? Maybe, I don't know. It just seems more immediate. Whatever it is, I really like it... and I still dig the XTC too. It's like I have a kickass 6L6/American amp and an EL34 one now.

However, it isn't as loud as I would have thought. Looked at the tubes, and they are stock Soldano with the soldano screen print nearly burned off. Well, the amp was built in '95, so it could be running 14 year old tubes. DOH.

Question... what power tubes for a retube? Soldano recommends Sovtek 5881WXTs, which I always thought were the thermionic equivalent of a turd in a punch bowl. Any ideas from other owners?

Pete

 

[procos]

I just put up the same post and got a bunch of replies so you might want to check out my thread. I talked with Bill Sundt and he told me that unless you are running the master volumes extremely loud the preamp tubes have a much more effect on tone. I just bought myself a matched quad of Sovteks 5881's for my SLO. I figured why spend the extra dough if Soldano recommends that tube.

 

[Marshall Freak]

If I ever get another SLO I'm putting KT66's in it. I HATE Sovtek 5881's and 5881's in general. best mine ever sounded was with Winged C's in it. Well, second best, I have some 7581a's that sounded much better in that amp, but they're too expensive. Seemed to improve the low end problems I don't like.

Mine didn't have any problems in the volume dept though, very loud.

 

[Digital Jams]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

 

[Marshall Freak]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I agree. I will say though, that for as many options etc as the XTC has, it's the best amp I've ever had that minimized that affect. IMHO.

 

[danhops]

It kills. Flat out, fucking kills. I was running the 'clean' channel as crunch with the gain dimed, and could get a nice edgy clean by rolling my guitar volume down. Sweet! Amp has a nice woody knock to it, kicked in the overdrive channel and it was just freaking awesome. Toothy growl... very aggressive and pissed sounding. I love it.

Compared to the XTC I have, it just seems to be a little more alive. Could it be because it has so fewer frills/options/switches in the signal path? Maybe, I don't know. It just seems more immediate. Whatever it is, I really like it... and I still dig the XTC too. It's like I have a kickass 6L6/American amp and an EL34 one now.

However, it isn't as loud as I would have thought. Looked at the tubes, and they are stock Soldano with the soldano screen print nearly burned off. Well, the amp was built in '95, so it could be running 14 year old tubes. DOH.

Question... what power tubes for a retube? Soldano recommends Sovtek 5881WXTs, which I always thought were the thermionic equivalent of a turd in a punch bowl. Any ideas from other owners?

Pete

Hopefully you can capture most of the SLO vibe in your MTS mod. I know it will never be the same, but I always liked Soldanos. I can deal with pretty close for a few hundred dollars

 

[thiswaythatway]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

 

[Digital Jams]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

Listen dad to be, you aint seeing no sound man for some time just like me I am talking that open roar that JMPs and SLs bring, heck yeah I like the Herbert but imo it does not have that roar that the striped down amps have. The diezel sounds huge but different, more compressed maybe is what I am talking about. The VHT DLs imo have that huge roar and imo because they are pretty simple circuits once you look at it.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

Listen dad to be, you aint seeing no sound man for some time just like me

Well then i sure as well won't be turning up an amp in my basement so i can feel the roar of power tube sweetness. Say goodbye to your hearing. And anytime i did turn up that loud live, the sound guys wouldn't pump me through the PA.

 

[Digital Jams]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

Listen dad to be, you aint seeing no sound man for some time just like me

Well then i sure as well won't be turning up an amp in my basement so i can feel the roar of power tube sweetness. Say goodbye to your hearing. And anytime i did turn up that loud live, the sound guys wouldn't pump me through the PA.

Been drumming my ass off since I got the kit, the freaking cymbals are killing me and I am a hard hitter MY jam band is going to set up on my deck in May for a jam and I fully plan on using the SLP during that

 

[thiswaythatway]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

Listen dad to be, you aint seeing no sound man for some time just like me

Well then i sure as well won't be turning up an amp in my basement so i can feel the roar of power tube sweetness. Say goodbye to your hearing. And anytime i did turn up that loud live, the sound guys wouldn't pump me through the PA.

Been drumming my ass off since I got the kit, the freaking cymbals are killing me and I am a hard hitter MY jam band is going to set up on my deck in May for a jam and I fully plan on using the SLP during that

It's the drum cymbals that put a hurting on my ears over the years. I eventually had to use an earplug in whatever ear faced the drummer.

 

[stratotone]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

You were playing a dud or one with bad preamp tubes... I was getting feedback on my choice of notes at talking volume with the gain at around 7. PLENTY of gain on the lead channel. It just has this string clarity thing going on at all levels of gain that is pretty sweet. Even the lead channel cleans up quite a bit with the volume control, and with the gain cranked you can change your pick attack and angle and get different tones.

I've played an Avenger before, I kinda dig the SLO better because of the loop and the other channel. SLO has a little more clarity on the lead channel too. I dig the Avenger too though, I was at a Harmony Central ampfest in the early 2000s where an Avenger ate damn near every other high gain amp there alive. It pissed all over an Uberschall IMHO.

Pete

 

[Rufus Leaking]

I had one with KT66's and also one with 5881's that I later retubed with =C= 6L6GC's. I liked the 6L6's the best....

 

[kannibul]

Ya know, I'd think the circuit to the XTC would be a bit "less" when it comes to less-is-more, when you're considering the actual patch at any given time...

I mean the SLO has what, 6 gain stages?

 

[marvcus]

I have nothing of value to add other than I am really starting to believe that the more simplistic the designh the more roar and alive the amp is.

That is all I got, total n00b in SLOs.

I'm sure Diezel Herberts owners wouldn't agree with you. However, as far as Mesa Boogie's the IIC+ to me was the best sounding amp they've ever made. And it was also one of the most simple really.

Maybe the SLO i played a few years ago was a dud. It didn't have much gain and to get it to sound good it had to be close to 5 on the master. And good luck ever getting a sound guy to deal with that. Maybe something was up with that one?

Either way, if i went with a Soldano I'd get an Avenger.

Wow, it must've been a SLO that needed service/maintenance.

These things have, like, 5150 gain, but it's all useable and smoother. A KILLER amp. I recommend playing another one if you can find it!

 

[johnnyjellybean]

+1 on the KT66. Try them and you'll never look at another 5881

They're considerably louder too

 

[johnnyjellybean]

Double post

 

[stratotone]

Ya know, I'd think the circuit to the XTC would be a bit "less" when it comes to less-is-more, when you're considering the actual patch at any given time...

I mean the SLO has what, 6 gain stages?

It's not just gain stages. The XTC has so many features/switches that many think can have a detrimental effect on the signal. I'm not saying the XTC sounds bad, I love mine... but just that it may be why the Soldano sounds rawer. I'm not just talking about gain. A post 2004 XTC has PLENTY of gain on the red channel!

 

[vchizzle]

Compared to the XTC I have, it just seems to be a little more alive. Could it be because it has so fewer frills/options/switches in the signal path? Maybe, I don't know. It just seems more immediate. Whatever it is, I really like it... and I still dig the XTC too. It's like I have a kickass 6L6/American amp and an EL34 one now.
Pete

I kind of wondered this same thing. When I bought my Hot cat 100 several years back, I tried the SLO, XTC and Hot cat in the same room and went back and forth between the 3. The SLO and Hotcat 100 were more similar in terms of having that immediate, in your face vibe to them. The XTC didn't sound bad by ANY means, just different. At the time, I attributed it to not spending enough time with the XTC to not figure out all the switches and settings and whatnot.

 

[guitup]

Never had an SLO, but I put Ruby 6L6 BSTR's? in my Soldano Hot Rod 50+ a few years ago and thought they sounded great. Definite improvement over the stock tubes I replaced.