Thoughts On The Soldano SLO 30 Combo?

[gibson5413]

I gig about 3 times a month with two different bands. One is a rock cover band that covers 70s and present music, and the other is a corporate/wedding gig band. I have been using my 3rd Power Kitchen Sink combo since 2019, and I love it and it's going nowhere. I use my Kemper Stage for the party band because they require no stage volume and in-ears. I use a really great profile set of a Soldano SLO 100 for that band and I love it! Soldano doesn't make a 100-watt combo version, which I understand. I don't have the space to have a head/cab and, frankly, don't want to lug that around. The Soldano SLO 30 combo would fit the bill for me and how I like to create a gig rig.

Do any of you have any experience with this 30-watt combo? I want a different flavor to complement my 3rd Power amp. What is the effects loop like? I know the 100-watt version really gets to the goods with volume. My 3rd Power doesn't need that amount of volume as the Hybrid Master Volume works great. I only need two channels and the ability to boost the volume for leads on the gain. Any good YouTube videos I can check out before I go down the wormhole? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Chris6870]

I don't have any experience with that particular combo but I would get the SLO30 head with a 1x12. Combos are usually heavy and always kinda suck for any type of rock/metal. Head/Cab gives you more options like 2x12/4x12 if needed.Plus resale on combos stinks.

 

[blackba]

I have the HR25 and I don't think it needs a lot of volume to sound great, in fact I tested that recently and was surprised how good it sounded at around 80dB. Obviously the more you crank it the better, but it does the job at lower volumes.

I would imagine the SLO30 would be the same as its very similar. My only pause with the SL30 combo would be how it sounds with the opened back. I have always use the HR25 with closed back cabs. You may also want to consider a neo speaker in the future to keep the weight down.

 

[zewango]

I had SLO 100 watt 2x12 combo
It was heavy!

 

[tjnx]

If I was gigging I'd look pretty hard into the Astro over the 30, it covers a lot of ground. It sounds good, has basically a built in loadbox + IRs, you can go direct, and it has a lot of room for covers with all the galaxies. Otherwise get a used 30 and a 112.

The 30 has the edge if you want a better slo 100 approximation and if you prefer using the raw amp sound vs micing the cab... in that case I'd get the vertical 212 as a 112 would kind of limit any advantages

Edit: here's some astro 20 live footage

 

[HowieJams]

I personally think it is easier to carry a Head and 1x12 cab, two lighter pieces verses one heavy unit.
Also, it is easier to get to the effects loop wiring on the back of a head compared to a combo.
I sold my Friedman Little Sister combo and bought a Friedman Little Sister Head and 1x12 cab, I am much happier.

As for the SLO 30, I am looking to pick up a SLO 30 head to use with one of my Friedman 1x12 cabs.

Of course this will mean selling my Friedman JEL-20 head to cover some of the cost.

As for the Astro 20 which I also own, great amp and would be perfect for your needs especially with 4 footswitchable galaxies/channels.
You could program clean, crunch, hard rock, and solo, great for your wedding gigs.
It sounds great, but not quite as raw/fuzzy as the SLO 30, but definitely the Soldano tone.
It is also a lot less money.

Hope this helps