Soldano SLO 100

[birdbybord]

The SLO is in a weird place for me in my studio. It's awesome, the first High-end amp I bought. It's super versatile (and can be a great pedal platform), but the 2nd best at almost everything I do (all the rock and metal genres plus some country, reggae and some fusion). Unfortunately I don't need to do a lot of soaring 80s leads. What's funny though is that last time I was using it a lot, I wasn't getting enough high end content, maybe I had the depth knob up too high. I need to get it back in the rotation because it has all the potential in the world.

 

[Smash]

Unfortunately I don't need to do a lot of soaring 80s leads.

You and about 99% of the rest of us.

 

[Smash]

I think the disconnect is it is still marketed as a high gain amp. And it performas very poorly in this role. It is noisy, has a shit.loop, and not tight.

It performs excellent at boomer leads. And God knows we need more of that

 

[birdbybord]

I can’t stand it myself. So much in fact that I developed the mid contour feature to scoop mids a different way than was done with the SLO/5150 to not bake the same thing into my own amps. Literally innovated around it. I prefer the stock Marshall low end that’s more chest-hitting and extended.

My old JCM 800 definitely has the best low mid, chest 3d chest bump thing going on. But I only ever appreciate that fact when I'm standing in front of it jamming with a group.

 

[ZEN Amps]

I don't need to do a lot of soaring 80s leads.

Time to reassess your entire life then.

I think the SLO is a cool amp, if you know what you're in for. Despite the familial link it does not sound like a Rectifier, and it won't do authentic 2203 tones. But the high gain voice is a lot of fun, and the lower gain stuff is very useable - and that's better than many modern amps can manage.

 

[Smash]

Time to reassess your entire life then.

I think the SLO is a cool amp, if you know what you're in for. Despite the familial link it does not sound like a Rectifier, and it won't do authentic 2203 tones. But the high gain voice is a lot of fun, and the lower gain stuff is very useable - and that's better than many modern amps can manage.

It is strange how similar the circuit is that the rectifier sounds nothing like it. Dual rectifier is one of my top amps. Put a boost on it, and it is a lot of fun. It is heavy in the low end, but tightens up perfectly..

 

[FourT6and2]

I think the Omega Granophyre is a better sounding SLO than an SLO, if you want to do modern metal. It is quite literally an SLO clone, but with a few changes here and there. There's a big long 80+ page thread on SLO Clone of various mods you can do to an SLO and the Grano has many of them. I think it's one of my favorite amps at the moment. I've been boosting it with an OD808 and it's great.

 

[birdbybord]

Time to reassess your entire life then.

I think the SLO is a cool amp, if you know what you're in for. Despite the familial link it does not sound like a Rectifier, and it won't do authentic 2203 tones. But the high gain voice is a lot of fun, and the lower gain stuff is very useable - and that's better than many modern amps can manage.

Haha agreed on both points. It's a good amp. Definitely high caliber in its construction and reliability. This thread popping up really has me thinking. I'm going to get it out an revaluate it. "What does it do that my other amps can't and where does that fit into my schema?" Is what I'll be asking.

 

[ZEN Amps]

It is strange how similar the circuit is that the rectifier sounds nothing like it. Dual rectifier is one of my top amps. Put a boost on it, and it is a lot of fun. It is heavy in the low end, but tightens up perfectly..

Lots of little things add up, and all power sections matter.

I think the Omega Granophyre is a better sounding SLO than an SLO, if you want to do modern metal. It is quite literally an SLO clone, but with a few changes here and there. There's a big long 80+ page thread on SLO Cone of various mods you can do to an SLO and the Grano has many of them. I think it's one of my favorite amps at the moment. I've been boosting it with an OD808 and it's great.

Not familiar with one, sounds interesting. US builder?

 

[ChurchHill]

The SLO is one of those amps I get stuck on the lower gain channel. The Overdrive channel is the one most people think of and it is unique. Love it or hate it, it does what it does. The clean is OK, but the crunch channel, I can just lose myself in for hours.

 

[FourT6and2]

Lots of little things add up, and all power sections matter.


Not familiar with one, sounds interesting. US builder?

Yeah. I believe the builder/designer was a member on the SLO Clone Forum and initially built speaker cabs. Then branched out to amps with the Obsidian (two channels), Iridium (now called the Granophyre), and Granophyre plugin for Neural DSP. A few different Granophyre revisions exist. I have the the AP-77 version—a limited run made for the Axe Palace built around KT77s. The owner left recently to be the guitar tech for Slipknot.

It basically sounds like an updated SLO. Tighter, more modern.

Here's an SLO and Granophyre back to back:

 

[FourT6and2]

And more clips:

 

[tjnx]

The Soldanos show up live which is a big thing for me. I'd like to hear some of these others in a live context. The tones that work well live or in a mix don't usually sound as great playing at home. I'm the 1% that wants to play leads though.

There sure are a lot of good amps in the $2800 range. I go back and forth about getting one and adding another cab vs just the SLO

 

[ChurchHill]

FWIW, the SLO, along with the Bogner Ecstasy and the VHT Ultralead are amps I'll never part with. Part of that is I grew up lusting after them, but a bigger part is that they were all better than I'd imagined. I'm part of the 1% that plays leads, too, and, honestly, I like the Ecstasy better than the SLO for that, but they are all different and the real surprise was how good the low gain channels on all of them are.

 

[tjnx]

FWIW, the SLO, along with the Bogner Ecstasy and the VHT Ultralead are amps I'll never part with. Part of that is I grew up lusting after them, but a bigger part is that they were all better than I'd imagined. I'm part of the 1% that plays leads, too, and, honestly, I like the Ecstasy better than the SLO for that, but they are all different and the real surprise was how good the low gain channels on all of them are.

My problem is I havent been able to try enough amps out in person. I'd be happy to add to or amend my favorites list. The Ecstasy is on there too haven't ran into a Bogner yet irl. Would love to try one some day.

 

[ChurchHill]

My problem is I havent been able to try enough amps out in person. I'd be happy to add to or amend my favorites list. The Ecstasy is on there too haven't ran into a Bogner yet irl. Would love to try one some day.

Yeah, that's a problem I've run into, too. It's easy to find mass produced Marshalls, but I'd never seen a Soldano, only one Diezel, and about three Bogners before I bought one.

 

[mentoneman]

I think the Omega Granophyre is a better sounding SLO than an SLO, if you want to do modern metal. It is quite literally an SLO clone, but with a few changes here and there. There's a big long 80+ page thread on SLO Clone of various mods you can do to an SLO and the Grano has many of them. I think it's one of my favorite amps at the moment. I've been boosting it with an OD808 and it's great.

i wouldn’t mind hearing more clips of your bay area mod. the thing sounds sick and guys who mic up and play demos like Blake or Zach Wish would really do your mod the justice it deserves!

 

[FourT6and2]

Even for all you lead players, I keep going back to Killswitch Engage. They used SLO on their cover of Holy Diver and the lead tones are some of my favorite ever. I absolutely love the timbre of those pinches in the solo.

 

[FourT6and2]

i wouldn’t mind hearing more clips of your bay area mod. the thing sounds sick and guys who mic up and play demos like Blake or Zach Wish would really do your mod the justice it deserves!

Oh yeah. It would be great to have some of the talented guys out there record some clips.