Soldano/ Jet City/Fryette/ Kemper guys, help me out...

[rupe]

Hate to disagree with ya Rupe - I A/B'd a HR 50+ with an SLO, the SLO sounded a bit bigger but I'm sure that was due to 100 watt transformer vs a 50, even at the same volume. The SLO did have a tiny bit more 'magic/clarity/3d/pixie dust/whatever' than the HR, but it was really close. I wouldn't take a Hot Rod 50 OVER an SLO at the same price, but unless you had them both at the same time to compare, they really do share a lot of traits/tone.

I trust your ears so I'll defer on this one. I didn't play them side by side or through the same cabinet which can be pretty significant variables. That said, I played them within a few weeks of each other and felt that the HR sounded quite a bit different at that time. I'd love to try it again in a more controlled and equitable setting.

 

[cardinal]

If that's the case, sell those modules and pick up an early 80's JCM800 and boost that summa bitch! All your tones right there but you will be missing a clean channel. The basics still work the best.

SLO's OD channel has been may favorite high gain amp to date, but I did just this. I got an '82 JCM 2204 and subsequently sold off the SLO. The JCM on its own blows away the SLO's clean/crunch channel, and as legendary as the SLO's OD channel is, the 2204 hit with an SD-1 is pretty damn awesome, too. For the way that I dialed in the SLO, the 2204 is more than good enough to get the job done, so I had to unload the SLO to free up the cash.

But if I didn't mind spending all the money, I'd still have a SLO, no doubt.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I've said it from day one, love my small MTS collection but they are just missing that something that the real amps have. Call it thickness or detail.. something is missing.

I wa floored when i bought a used Peavey Ultra + for cheap and it slayed my mega invested MTS system
In recordings it was so clear- the mts just sounded farther away
I've had a few other amps in since then and they all defeat mts for immediacy, attack, and punch
But I did like the clarity of the mts, but bang for buck is just not there
You wind up buying a modded module for more money than the actual amp, such as a used 5150 or Legacy- it gets a little out of hand
So much fun though.....

I prescribe a SLO for rossness

or, get a Kemper, profile all of your modules and sell them off. The tone gets captured very accurately

 

[Mr. Willy]

Since I bought a SLO I've had zero amp gas. I didn't think it was possible.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I've said it from day one, love my small MTS collection but they are just missing that something that the real amps have. Call it thickness or detail.. something is missing.

I wa floored when i bought a used Peavey Ultra + for cheap and it slayed my mega invested MTS system
In recordings it was so clear- the mts just sounded farther away
I've had a few other amps in since then and they all defeat mts for immediacy, attack, and punch
But I did like the clarity of the mts, but bang for buck is just not there
You wind up buying a modded module for more money than the actual amp, such as a used 5150 or Legacy- it gets a little out of hand
So much fun though.....

I prescribe a SLO for rossness

or, get a Kemper, profile all of your modules and sell them off. The tone gets captured very accurately

If you remember the Lugo amp shootout, there were some salvation and other MTS modules in the med and higher gain sections. While they sounded good (which they do), as soo as they were followed by any other amp, they sounded liked they lacked overall girth and volume and the big one ..punch. I like this stuff , but it was really clear to me when A/B'ing with my JCM800 that one has the mojo over the other. I've even recently played with the idea of selling my MTS stuff and just getting another amp..maybe another 800 combo or head.

So all this to say for the Rossness who I know has picky ears and is chasing the elusive tones in his head, I'd say at the very least go Kemper or hot Rod 50 but try to save and go SLO! What the hell, one of those things you only do once like sleep with a stripper or go sky diving. I also found it interesting that you felt the salvation slo module missed the mark. I seem to hear either people loving it (fig is one) or people saying it missed the mark..that is why I haven"t pulled the trigger on one. I can't justify dropping 550$+ on a module with such a narrow market to resell in. A SLO will never lose value... salvation modules likely will.

What about the Randall Diavlo series? Hilligan (I think he said it sent his Cameron packing) and Chubtone seem to rave about those and those two are people who know and like the hot rodded Marshall tones (which is what a SLO is). Maybe something to try out if there are any near you.

 

[ke2]

+1 for the Diavlo. It's a great clean channel and a great od channel, And it doesn't break the bank. Get the 20 if the 45 is too loud

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Like Olaf said, I have/had a couple of different Soldanos, they all have that unique soldano signature tone, no night/day differences between them.

I used to own or still own:

Sp77 (Japan and USA)
SL60
Hr50
Hr100+ (modded to slo specs by Olaf/duesentrieb)

The sp77 are really nice preamps and can be found for relatively cheap (especially the Japanese version), but it's just a preamp, so you'd only be a small step up from your mts.

The SL60 is a japan made hr50 I think (or very close), I loved that amp, sounded very lush, shouldn't have sold it.
I sold it a couple of years before I finally got the SLO though, so I can't really compare it directly, just from memory. But from what I recall it sounded very warm and full. They were build by Yamaha afaik and the build quality is great.

The hr50 and hr100+ are both awesome amps as well, the hr100+ sounded a bit warmer but also a little bit less "direct/open" than the hr50 (the hr100+ was an early one with Schumacher trannies btw).
Both hot rods certainly had that SLO vibe going on, from the hr100+ I preferred the lush mid range and of the hr50 I liked the sizzle/openness better...
Both sounded equally close to the SLO, the differences were just nuances really.
The hr100+ is quite a bit more expensive though, if you just want that high gain soldano tone on a budget I'd try to hunt down a hr50 or SL60


iPhone post after 3 hrs of sleep, sorry if this didn't come out very cohesive

 

[fuzzyguitars]

Avenger

 

[se7en]

Avenger

How are these? I had an SLO. Of course, it's a incredible amp, but I couldn't justify the cost. The OD channel was amazing for lead playing, but the crunch and rhythm sounds and loop were the deal breakers.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Wow, I think the crunch sound of the SLO is one of the best ever.

 

[cardinal]

Wow, I think the crunch sound of the SLO is one of the best ever.

It's a great sounding channel, but lots of high gain amps have nice "crunch" channels too (like the 101B, and for me the VH4). All are nothing compared to a real ripping Marshall though IMHO.

 

[duesentrieb]

Wow, I think the crunch sound of the SLO is one of the best ever.

X88R crunch is superior, Lasse

 

[the rossness]

I've said it from day one, love my small MTS collection but they are just missing that something that the real amps have. Call it thickness or detail.. something is missing.

I wa floored when i bought a used Peavey Ultra + for cheap and it slayed my mega invested MTS system
In recordings it was so clear- the mts just sounded farther away
I've had a few other amps in since then and they all defeat mts for immediacy, attack, and punch
But I did like the clarity of the mts, but bang for buck is just not there
You wind up buying a modded module for more money than the actual amp, such as a used 5150 or Legacy- it gets a little out of hand
So much fun though.....

I prescribe a SLO for rossness

or, get a Kemper, profile all of your modules and sell them off. The tone gets captured very accurately

Maybe its time to let some of the MTS stuff go, but I dunno. I've invested so much time and money into the system. Besides a few modules (Stonerverb, Camerock, Afterlife, Terrier) I'm left wanting, I'm left wanting quite a bit. So I don't know. I can't play either the Soldanos or Kempers locally and buying before trying is a 50/50 chance. Also, maybe its my "super picky ears", but the kemper sounds artificial in almost every clip I've heard. I heard a VHT clip once that sounded solid, (VHT/ Fryette is the other direction I'd go if it wasn't Soldano). Its really hard to decide without having first hand experience with one, ya know? I guess its all a matter of time before the MTS sale begins.

 

[fuzzyguitars]

I really love my avenger.

But heres the catch mine has deyoung trannies.

In direct comparison to my slo, it is a little more punchy.

But that may be becuase it doesnt have an effects loop.

They can be had all day long on ebay for about a grand.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I've said it from day one, love my small MTS collection but they are just missing that something that the real amps have. Call it thickness or detail.. something is missing.

I wa floored when i bought a used Peavey Ultra + for cheap and it slayed my mega invested MTS system
In recordings it was so clear- the mts just sounded farther away
I've had a few other amps in since then and they all defeat mts for immediacy, attack, and punch
But I did like the clarity of the mts, but bang for buck is just not there
You wind up buying a modded module for more money than the actual amp, such as a used 5150 or Legacy- it gets a little out of hand
So much fun though.....

I prescribe a SLO for rossness

or, get a Kemper, profile all of your modules and sell them off. The tone gets captured very accurately

Maybe its time to let some of the MTS stuff go, but I dunno. I've invested so much time and money into the system. Besides a few modules (Stonerverb, Camerock, Afterlife, Terrier) I'm left wanting, I'm left wanting quite a bit. So I don't know. I can't play either the Soldanos or Kempers locally and buying before trying is a 50/50 chance. Also, maybe its my "super picky ears", but the kemper sounds artificial in almost every clip I've heard. I heard a VHT clip once that sounded solid, (VHT/ Fryette is the other direction I'd go if it wasn't Soldano). Its really hard to decide without having first hand experience with one, ya know? I guess its all a matter of time before the MTS sale begins.

It's always a gamble but unfortunately you might just have to get an amp and then see if it beats the MTS you have and keep moving whatever doesn't cut it. Hard to let go of gear we are attached to sometimes. Splawns didn't do it for you either eh? Or did you ever get one? That would be one on my list as well but mainly because i already am used to the very tight JCM800 /2204 circuit so it is up my alley and I don't really look for "smooth" or "compressed" leads. To me smooth and compressed means the neck pickup lol.

 

[the rossness]

I've said it from day one, love my small MTS collection but they are just missing that something that the real amps have. Call it thickness or detail.. something is missing.

I wa floored when i bought a used Peavey Ultra + for cheap and it slayed my mega invested MTS system
In recordings it was so clear- the mts just sounded farther away
I've had a few other amps in since then and they all defeat mts for immediacy, attack, and punch
But I did like the clarity of the mts, but bang for buck is just not there
You wind up buying a modded module for more money than the actual amp, such as a used 5150 or Legacy- it gets a little out of hand
So much fun though.....

I prescribe a SLO for rossness

or, get a Kemper, profile all of your modules and sell them off. The tone gets captured very accurately

Maybe its time to let some of the MTS stuff go, but I dunno. I've invested so much time and money into the system. Besides a few modules (Stonerverb, Camerock, Afterlife, Terrier) I'm left wanting, I'm left wanting quite a bit. So I don't know. I can't play either the Soldanos or Kempers locally and buying before trying is a 50/50 chance. Also, maybe its my "super picky ears", but the kemper sounds artificial in almost every clip I've heard. I heard a VHT clip once that sounded solid, (VHT/ Fryette is the other direction I'd go if it wasn't Soldano). Its really hard to decide without having first hand experience with one, ya know? I guess its all a matter of time before the MTS sale begins.

It's always a gamble but unfortunately you might just have to get an amp and then see if it beats the MTS you have and keep moving whatever doesn't cut it. Hard to let go of gear we are attached to sometimes. Splawns didn't do it for you either eh? Or did you ever get one? That would be one on my list as well but mainly because i already am used to the very tight JCM800 /2204 circuit so it is up my alley and I don't really look for "smooth" or "compressed" leads. To me smooth and compressed means the neck pickup lol.

I had 2 Splawn Quickrods. One was an 08' model and the other was from 2010. They were stupid loud and 90% of my time, I just play at home. Maybe I wasn't the right player for the quickrod, because in my hands, they didn't sound special. I tried to like them, I really did and bought 2 of them. For me, the magic wasn't there. I sold both Splawn's. On the subject of amps that get a lot of talk... I thought the VH4 was going to be an "End of the world" kind of an amp. The way its talked about on RT, the mystique it has... But I was let down when I payed one. The same goes for most (with 1 or 2 exceptions) of the jaded faith mts modules. Rob seems like a nice enough guy and on the MTS forums, his stuff is talked about daily. But I've gotten a number of his modules and played them and they really don't compare to my Salvation/ SG/ Voodoo modded modules. Over all of the years I've played mts amps, I've kept 1 JF module and sold the rest. Like Splawn or Diezel or Jaded Faith, I try to like what's popular but I can only try and fool my ears for so long before they fight back. That's part of the reason I kept my Salvation SLO module for as long as I did. I wanted to like it and heard how it nailed an SLO's tone. For almost 2 years I kept mine and tried to get it sounding right, but in the end, my ears were just too picky.

As far as my search goes...

Well, I've sold a few MTS modules and I'm sure I'll sell a few more. I need to hear a Kemper in person before I make the jump. I can't get one sight unseen. Urgh! I need to play it and hear it and feel it and that I can't do online. Since I don't know a soul who has one that lives anywhere near me, I think its off the table for the time being.

Soldano/ Jet City: So as I listen to all the Soldano clips I can find, my ears her this- The avenger isn't exactly my cup of tea. I want an FX loop and they're too dark for what I'm going for. The do share the same kind of "Punch" with the SLO. The hotrods, decatones, ect sound thinner than the SLO. I don't like their cleans. They have a nice harmonic upper mid quality and I perceive that they have a touch more gain, but it doesn't hit me in the way the SLO does. It also sounds quite a bit thinner to my ears. They sound HiFi as compared to the Jet City stuff, but the Jet city has a little more girth and I'm wondering if I upgrade the Trasformers to Mercury Magnetics if I can get a something close to a hotrod that sounds fuller at $700, cause' a $700 JCA is appealing if it gets me close to an SLO.

VHT/ Fryette: And as I'm listening to all the Soldano clips online, I can't help but listen to Fryette clips as well. One of my favorite modules is based of an old GP3 preamp and it has such a unique tone compared to every other high gain amp out there. I think that if I had a multi channel GP3 it would be awesome, so I've been looking at the Pitbull series of amps. At the same time, I still like that SLO lead sound, and I can't help but think about the SigX. It would give me that signature VHT tight sound, but be a little more marshall based like the Hotrods and it might be the best of both worlds. However, I had a sigX about 5 years ago and for whatever the reason, It have me awful headaches even at low volume, so I'm a little reluctant to get one again. I kept my original sigX for 2 weeks before I sold it, and all I remember was loving the tone and how my head was throbbing. I don't know if it was a fluke or not, and I'm slightly hesitant about getting another one. That said I'm extremely tempted to get one and take a chance on the headaches.

 

[bhuard75]

Well, I've sold a few MTS modules and I'm sure I'll sell a few more. I need to hear a Kemper in person before I make the jump. I can't get one sight unseen. Urgh! I need to play it and hear it and feel it and that I can't do online. Since I don't know a soul who has one that lives anywhere near me, I think its off the table for the time being.

musiciansfriend has the kemper. Buy it from them, you dont like it, send it back.

 

[moronmountain]

VHT/ Fryette: And as I'm listening to all the Soldano clips online, I can't help but listen to Fryette clips as well. One of my favorite modules is based of an old GP3 preamp and it has such a unique tone compared to every other high gain amp out there. I think that if I had a multi channel GP3 it would be awesome, so I've been looking at the Pitbull series of amps. At the same time, I still like that SLO lead sound, and I can't help but think about the SigX. It would give me that signature VHT tight sound, but be a little more marshall based like the Hotrods and it might be the best of both worlds. However, I had a sigX about 5 years ago and for whatever the reason, It have me awful headaches even at low volume, so I'm a little reluctant to get one again. I kept my original sigX for 2 weeks before I sold it, and all I remember was loving the tone and how my head was throbbing. I don't know if it was a fluke or not, and I'm slightly hesitant about getting another one. That said I'm extremely tempted to get one and take a chance on the headaches.

VHT's are my favorite amps, but they sound nothing like a Soldano to me, or a Marshall for that matter. They really are their own thing that you will love or hate. I think the closest thing I can come up with to describe them is more of a hot rodded Hiwatt than a rodded Marshall. JMO. You said your old Sig X gave you headaches? That's crazy to me. Were you playing it super loud with the lows all the way up or?????? Wierd.....

 

[the rossness]

VHT/ Fryette: And as I'm listening to all the Soldano clips online, I can't help but listen to Fryette clips as well. One of my favorite modules is based of an old GP3 preamp and it has such a unique tone compared to every other high gain amp out there. I think that if I had a multi channel GP3 it would be awesome, so I've been looking at the Pitbull series of amps. At the same time, I still like that SLO lead sound, and I can't help but think about the SigX. It would give me that signature VHT tight sound, but be a little more marshall based like the Hotrods and it might be the best of both worlds. However, I had a sigX about 5 years ago and for whatever the reason, It have me awful headaches even at low volume, so I'm a little reluctant to get one again. I kept my original sigX for 2 weeks before I sold it, and all I remember was loving the tone and how my head was throbbing. I don't know if it was a fluke or not, and I'm slightly hesitant about getting another one. That said I'm extremely tempted to get one and take a chance on the headaches.

VHT's are my favorite amps, but they sound nothing like a Soldano to me, or a Marshall for that matter. They really are their own thing that you will love or hate. I think the closest thing I can come up with to describe them is more of a hot rodded Hiwatt than a rodded Marshall. JMO. You said your old Sig X gave you headaches? That's crazy to me. Were you playing it super loud with the lows all the way up or?????? Wierd.....

Yea. I posted a thread about it years ago. I was playing it at tv volume and I was getting monster headaches. The only other time I got headaches from an amp was when I played a DV mark triple 6. Their commonality is the use of kt88's. I think those tubes operate on a frequency that gives me headaches. Beyond that I'm kind of dumbfounded.

 

[moronmountain]

VHT/ Fryette: And as I'm listening to all the Soldano clips online, I can't help but listen to Fryette clips as well. One of my favorite modules is based of an old GP3 preamp and it has such a unique tone compared to every other high gain amp out there. I think that if I had a multi channel GP3 it would be awesome, so I've been looking at the Pitbull series of amps. At the same time, I still like that SLO lead sound, and I can't help but think about the SigX. It would give me that signature VHT tight sound, but be a little more marshall based like the Hotrods and it might be the best of both worlds. However, I had a sigX about 5 years ago and for whatever the reason, It have me awful headaches even at low volume, so I'm a little reluctant to get one again. I kept my original sigX for 2 weeks before I sold it, and all I remember was loving the tone and how my head was throbbing. I don't know if it was a fluke or not, and I'm slightly hesitant about getting another one. That said I'm extremely tempted to get one and take a chance on the headaches.

VHT's are my favorite amps, but they sound nothing like a Soldano to me, or a Marshall for that matter. They really are their own thing that you will love or hate. I think the closest thing I can come up with to describe them is more of a hot rodded Hiwatt than a rodded Marshall. JMO. You said your old Sig X gave you headaches? That's crazy to me. Were you playing it super loud with the lows all the way up or?????? Wierd.....

Yea. I posted a thread about it years ago. I was playing it at tv volume and I was getting monster headaches. The only other time I got headaches from an amp was when I played a DV mark triple 6. Their commonality is the use of kt88's. I think those tubes operate on a frequency that gives me headaches. Beyond that I'm kind of dumbfounded.

Dang man, that's wierd as heck! Save up for a Soldano then IMO, so long as you have something else to play through in the interm!