SLO vs Fortin Bones

[DLJR]

Who's the winner?

 

[Anonymous]

Depends

Gi or no gi?

 

[glpg80]

I've played both recently. Had the change to play Bill's rack SLO at above band volumes and ampjunkie's fortin bones.

The bones definitely had more compression under the notes but the gain was very mildly voiced in the sense that it was not pissed off sounding but rather very rounded and even. It was fun to solo with and easy to play but did I not much care for the rhythm tone - YMMV. The SLO did not open up until around 6 on the volume before delivering the goods. It got bigger and more compressed and definitely sounded good, but the bones was more modern sounding. The bones also seemed like it could cover a lot of ground without the help of pedals.

Between the two I would take a bones if I had to choose simply because of the headroom required to get the SLO to sound like it should in comparison to other models and the dual master volumes making live playing more user friendly. Neither amplifier sounded bad at all. The SLO is definitely an amplifier that would require an attenuator to be useable. The bones sounded the same at low volumes as it did at high volume and it just seemed more musical to the ear and easier to play.

 

[Anonymous]

Gotta admit I own both
Gotta admit they both rule at what they do
Will my personal opinion really influence yours?
Probably not
So try and play both if you have the occasion
Or at least listen to clips

 

[IntenseJim]

The SLO is definitely an amplifier that would require an attenuator to be useable.

I disagree completely.

I've read this from others too but IMHO the SLO possesses a great master volume. You just need to EQ the tone controls differently for different volumes. I would get the same tone at home, rehearsal and performance volume levels but would compensate with different EQ settings. Clearly YMMV but I've played my SLO through an Aracom attenuator and the sonic difference was minimal. Hence I never purchased an attenuator.

A pre-owned SLO will hold it's value and be easier to swap/sell if you so decide.

 

[Shark Diver]

I just don't see the amps similar enough to compare. Which is better - a #2 pencil or a Bic ball point?


(But in a, "which is better" question the SLO is always the right answer )

 

[mikey]

I don't have any experience with a Fortin. ...but I agree with IntenseJim, no attenuator needed with an SLO. I've used mine in all kinds of situations without one.

 

[cardinal]

I think Bill's rack SLO use to be mine. Never played a Bones, but I thought that SLO sounded awesome from bedroom volumes all the way up to vaporizing-small-aminals volume. I've bought and sold a fair share of expensive amps the last few years, and that SLO is the only one that I miss. Really shouldn't have sold it; don't really know why I did.

 

[ampjunkie]

I've owned 3 different SLOs, and they all sounded slightly different. The last one was way gainier than the others, and less bright. I find that half of the gain range on SLOs is unusable (for me anyway). Past noon, it just gets overly saturated for my tastes. Not an issue, I just keep the gain lower. I always got fantastic tones from my SLOs at loud VOLUMES, but not 6!! 9-10 oclock was enough.

The Fortin Bones is more of a chameleon. It can be thick and chewy or bright and crunchy. It has a more modern voice ... it's very fluid and fast responding, making it easy to play quick leads. It can get low gain plexi-ish, to 80s metal, to modern chugga (ish) with the 3 gain settings.

 

[RedRider]

I think Bill's rack SLO use to be mine. Never played a Bones, but I thought that SLO sounded awesome from bedroom volumes all the way up to vaporizing-small-aminals volume. I've bought and sold a fair share of expensive amps the last few years, and that SLO is the only one that I miss. Really shouldn't have sold it; don't really know why I did.

I got mine from Sharkdiver probably 3-4 years ago....

I think the SLO sounds great at bedroom volumes (obviously I have been playing it there for the last 3-4 years)...but I think it sounds better once its over 4.5. The one thing, at least on mine, is that the volume tapers up very uniformly til about 5...then just a tad past 5 it practically triples...not that its a bad thing, but you have to be very judicious with the master volume around 5 or so....or you can really wake up the neighbors.

When we were jamming at James house every amp we played was REALLY being cranked (when you were all first comparing, the bogner and modded marshal were all cranked and then you guys plugged in the SLO and kept it all turned down...I was like "Hey no fair!! Luckily Tim came to the rescue and friggen cranked it)...and with the SLO it seemed REALLY loud....although in all honesty the Bones we played was INSANELY loud even with the volume on 2-3....and was by far and a way the loudest amp I think I have ever heard. Mike (the guy who owned the Bones at the party) and I talked after the party and both of us felt the Bones just sounded a bit brittle/stiff when compared to the rest of the amps there. It was obviously very different than the rest...not bad sounding...just different...especially when you were able to go from 3 Marshalls, the SLO, the 6505's, and the Bones immediately and back to back to compare...I seriously doubt most of us would be able to see the glaring differences if you didnt play them back to back...

If anything...wait til after december when James does his Ampfest again and records them all so anyone can compare...hopefully Mike will still have his Bones and will let it be used...

 

[jcj]

Depends

Gi or no gi?

 

[rlord1974]

Two Notes.

 

[aulo]

I've had my Bones for a little while now, so I guess I can contribute to this. The Bones is a total shapeshifter. The voice is definitely a little bit more modern than the SLO and it can go from very open, boxy clean (albeit, not pristine) to plexi (it doesn't quite have that same 'kerrang' though) to super fluid modern leads and chewy chuggs. I think this amp really shines on the M gain stage with the master at about 3-4 o'clock and the gain up to about 2-3'oclock. Cleans up nicely with the guitar's volume, too. Fucking LOUD, though.

Haven't owned a SLO, but I've played my buddy's enough to know that I definitely prefer the modern voicing of the Bones. The Bones is definitely a bit stiffer and less forgiving(?) than the SLO, but throw a transparent clean boost in front of a Bones and that stiffness just MELTS away.

TL;DR: I love my Bones, but it's a modern shapeshifter and at times, a little stiff. I love my bud's SLO but it's of the wrong era for me.


Edit: Also, this isn't to say I'm giving the SLO a hard time... It's an unreal amp and it sounds great at any volume, but it serves an application that isn't mine.

 

[the rossness]

slo by a large margin

 

[ampjunkie]

I've played both recently. Had the change to play Bill's rack SLO at above band volumes and ampjunkie's fortin bones.

The bones definitely had more compression under the notes but the gain was very mildly voiced in the sense that it was not pissed off sounding but rather very rounded and even. It was fun to solo with and easy to play but did I not much care for the rhythm tone - YMMV.

We never messed with the EQ. (The last time I played it, before the get together, I was using the low gain setting, so I had changed up the EQ to suit that). The bright switch was off too. I'm not even sure if the boost was on either..... Believe me, it can get much more aggressive.

 

[glpg80]

We never messed with the EQ. (The last time I played it, before the get together, I was using the low gain setting, so I had changed up the EQ to suit that). The bright switch was off too. I'm not even sure if the boost was on either..... Believe me, it can get much more aggressive.

Wish we had the chance to spend some more time with it. It was a blast to play

 

[jmgman69]

I am a bones fan

 

[Mailman1971]

Never played a SLO.....
Owned a Bones for a bit. It was decent.
Like to check out a SLO for sure though.

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

I am a bones fan

You sound great with Bones, loved your clips with it.




I gotta go with the SLO for me. Fortin did so much cool stuff with the Bones and I so wanted it to be the one, but in the end it just wasn't quite right for my ears.