Soldano SLO's

[Shark Diver]

Wasn't that rack you just picked up modified with a permanent govt mule guy mod on the drive channel... or something weird like that? I think I remember reading that in the classifieds and thinking wtf? If we are talking about the same rack then yes, they should sound different because one is not in stock form. Just a thought

, not the one I got. I hope Regardless, I had 5 at one time and have my opinion about the first few years vs post '92-93. But again, could be as simple as tubes making the difference. They all sound good

 

[JB6464]

Would love to have a red rack mounted slo .

 

[Shark Diver]

Would love to have a red rack mounted slo .

I have the SLO, X99, and an SM100r that Mike turned into a stereo 2x50. All I'm missing is a Red X88. But I have the X88, just need to do the faceplate.

 

[11blueegyptians]

If it's generally accepted among non-clone owners that there is bleed-through and this is based solely on controlled listening tests, then I'm completely OK with that.

46 and 2, sorry for compelling you to dig up links that I should have found myself.

I'm looking forward to learning from you guys here. This place and metroamp appear to be really excellent sources of information on tube amp design!

 

[lespaul6]

Wasn't that rack you just picked up modified with a permanent govt mule guy mod on the drive channel... or something weird like that? I think I remember reading that in the classifieds and thinking wtf? If we are talking about the same rack then yes, they should sound different because one is not in stock form. Just a thought

, not the one I got. I hope Regardless, I had 5 at one time and have my opinion about the first few years vs post '92-93. But again, could be as simple as tubes making the difference. They all sound good

You can never have too many of the same amp!! I have 4 wizard M/C's.. and I don't even know why?? strange hoarding tendencies in me.. same with motorcycles!

 

[FourT6and2]

If it's generally accepted among non-clone owners that there is bleed-through and this is based solely on controlled listening tests, then I'm completely OK with that.

46 and 2, sorry for compelling you to dig up links that I should have found myself.

I'm looking forward to learning from you guys here. This place and metroamp appear to be really excellent sources of information on tube amp design!

No worries.

Also, I'm uploaded a video showing the bleed right now. While it is on a clone, I'm pretty sure it's the same on the real thing based on what people have described.

 

[FourT6and2]

Here you go. Any hum/buzz you hear is from EMI/RF being picked up by the guitar. It isn't the amp. There's a giant power line transformer right outside the window in this room.

 

[lespaul6]

thanks for the clip.. I first became aware of this myself back in 2000 when I had my first SLO... I thought there was something wrong with my particular head so I did some research and it was confirmed as an issue relating to the circuit itself. It bugged me to be honest.

On another note, is that a vovox sonorous cable you are using there? if so, how do you like it?

 

[FourT6and2]

thanks for the clip.. I first became aware of this myself back in 2000 when I had my first SLO... I thought there was something wrong with my particular head so I did some research and it was confirmed as an issue relating to the circuit itself. It bugged me to be honest.

On another note, is that a vovox sonorous cable you are using there? if so, how do you like it?

Yeah, it's a Vovox cable. Honestly... it's just a cable. I have many other cables and they're all the same. Only difference is the cloth wrap on the Vovox makes it easier to coil up and it doesn't get tangled.

 

[SLOgriff]

I only read a few of the back an forth posts regarding bleed thru. Just to be clear, the NORMAL channel bleeds into the Overdrive channel at all times, not the other way around. You can test this by playing thru the Overdrive channel while turning the "Normal" channel's preamp knob 0 to 11....etc. if you have keen ears you will be able to discern an audible difference in tone and feel. This is even more apparent when switching the Crunch/Clean knob up and down as well. The Overdrive channel does not effect the Normal side. Lastly, part of the glory and tone of the SLO's Overdrive channel is due to the Normal channel bleed thru. I had an Overdrive Only SLO for 4 years...it was a little more "punchy" in tone and feel, but much prefer the tone of the stock SLO with the Depth Mod of course.

 

[11blueegyptians]

You can never have too many of the same amp!! I have 4 wizard M/C's.. and I don't even know why?? strange hoarding tendencies in me.. same with motorcycles!

I know what you mean, I'm about to buy a third Jet City 20W head. At least they're all different models, though.

Here you go. Any hum/buzz you hear is from EMI/RF being picked up by the guitar. It isn't the amp. There's a giant power line transformer right outside the window in this room.

Great demonstration! Thanks for taking the time to make the video for those (myself included) who have never heard it. Very strange but if it were a real problem, it would have been fixed and I'm sure you guys with clones wouldn't be copying it.

FWIW, my initial thinking was that maybe the LDR at the summing junction of the final gain stage was intended to mute the output of the normal channel instead of the overdrive channel, since there's already an LDR to ground the input of the overdrive section.

 

[FourT6and2]

There's a discusion about it on the SLO Clone Forum. I'm not super knowledgable about the technical details with this specific issue. But there lots of people on that forum who are. Might be worth a read. They also go into detail about how to get rid of the bleed. But the schematic shows an optional 5th LDR you can install to do it.

 

[11blueegyptians]

I was still speculating about what Soldano might have had in mind and possibly botched when building a prototype. Anyway, a simple enough solution (at least on paper) can be found in the 2-channel Jet City amps which should be adequate. The LDRs are replaced with relays, including that one that's in series with the signal path. I know there's always concern about audible pops when switching channels, but I don't hear any with mine.

But if it isn't actually broken...

 

[FourT6and2]

The guy from Carol-Ann Amplification posted about replacing the LDRs with relays over on the TGP somewhere. It's not just a plug-and-play thing, though. Some additional modifications are needed if you do that. Adding a 5th LDR works though. But it involves cutting a trace on the board.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Cool discussion, but I'm sure Mike Soldano knows what he's doing. The channel bleed issue isn't an issue at all. The SLO is perfect the way it is, IMHO.

 

[Mesa\Kramer]

Cool discussion, but I'm sure Mike Soldano knows what he's doing. The channel bleed issue isn't an issue at all. The SLO is perfect the way it is, IMHO.

This

 

[sled]

Hi,

I have a question for real SLO-100 owners only.

If you have the overdrive channel selected but have the overdrive preamp control at 0 do you hear the normal channel when the normal preamp control is not at 0?

The schematics floating around indicate that the answer is definitely a yes and I have verified that this is the case with one amp that was supposedly, "modified to SLO-100 specs."

Is this really the case with the real deal?

I have a 1990 Loopless SLO.

Yes, with the Overdrive Channel selected and Overdrive Preamp at 0, I can hear what appears to be the Normal Channel.

 

[FourT6and2]

Cool discussion, but I'm sure Mike Soldano knows what he's doing. The channel bleed issue isn't an issue at all. The SLO is perfect the way it is, IMHO.

This

Well yeah. Because nobody is going to be playing on the Overdrive channel with its gain on zero. But the Normal channel being on all the time is part of the SLO's sound. Isn't that why the few Overdrive-only models out there sound different compared to the normal model?

 

[11blueegyptians]

But it involves cutting a trace on the board.

If you didn't want to cut a trace, it can be placed between the plate of the second-to-last gain stage and the coupling cap or between the other side of that coupling cap and the treble peaker. I'm not familiar with the layout, so I have no clue what would be easiest.

In terms of it's affect on tone, it's just a matter of taste. I wouldn't begrudge anyone for changing the circuit or for leaving it be.

 

[southpark tube lab]

the soldano pre amp uses high plate voltages and cold clipping on the third stage the out put transformer is the key my next slo clone will have murcury magnetics iron some soldanos used murcury magnitics