What are your favorite tubes for the Soldano SLO?

[procos]

I am sure this has been gone over but I used the search function and it is a tad difficult to find posts. Anyways what is your favorite tube for a Soldano SLO for low end thump and less fizziness. I play somewhat loud and still am lacking some low end thump and low mids. I know the SLO isn't known for these qualities but would like to fatten it up abit. I have it for sale but am not sure I want to let it go. I am using it with a Marshall HW 4 x 12 that is loaded with the Heritage Celestion G12H 30 watters. It is the best combination I have ever played with the SLO. I am also currently using Sovtek 5881's per Soldano's recommendation. Maybe a 6L6 tube would be better if so what do you guys like? Here are my settings. The settings are the numbers on the dial not on a clock so 11 would be cranked

Normal Switch
Crunch Switch
Crunch Preamp 10
Overdrive Preamp 5
Bass 7
Middle 9
Treble 1
Crunch Master 4
Overdrive Master 5
Presence 5

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[loudgtr]

First try EVH's SLO settings
OD Gain 6 to 7
Bass 7
Mid 3 (try even 2)
Trble 4
Pres 5 (I liked 7)

I would also replace the JJ in v1 with a good Sovtek LPS or a Chinese and the try and Ei in v2. Sounded great to me.

Bottom end shoudn't be a problem with the SLO. For fun try these settings
OD Gain 7
Bass 3
Mid 0 (not a typo)
Treble 5
Pres 5

Turn the master up more than usual. Through your cab, this should sound pretty good. My old SLOvenger sounded surprisingly good with these settings.

Good luck.

 

[Shark Diver]

I use 5881s, 6l6s and Kt66s. I think KTs fit what you described. 6l6s fit in between the 5881s and Kts. Bias is also important so check that to taste.

 

[johnnyjellybean]

KT66 everything else sounds small

 

[procos]

I was afraid KT66's were the answer but I don't know how to bias an amp. Mike Soldano told me if I use 5881's or 6L6's the SLO doesn't need to be biased but if you put in KT66's you have to. I just don't know enough about biasing an amp to do it myself.

Chuck

 

[Shark Diver]

Just need a good tech. It's a fairly quick thing to do - but you have to know what you're doing - danger of electrocution. I like the Gold Lions. There is another KT being touted on the Soldano forum, but the person saying how great they are has a hand in them. So who knows? I think it's worth a shot, it really sounds like it would solve the issues that you stated. I'd go without the depth mod. It really is unnecessary once you have the right tubes. You could always add it if you still think you need more low end later. But I doubt it.

 

[Marshall Freak]

I was afraid KT66's were the answer but I don't know how to bias an amp. Mike Soldano told me if I use 5881's or 6L6's the SLO doesn't need to be biased but if you put in KT66's you have to. I just don't know enough about biasing an amp to do it myself.

Chuck

Chuck, If you buy a bias rite, or even just use the adaptor head, and a DMM, people here can help you do it. It's extremely simple. If you want, I'll even PM you my phone number and help walk you through it over the phone. It's literally a 15 minute process and most of that is taking the amp out of the box. Here's the basic process, to show you how easy it is:

Once you have the amp out, speaker cab plugged in, volumes all the way off, and the adaptor head plugged into the socket with a tube on it, all you have to do is turn on the amp, and see what the Plate voltage is. With an SLO it's somewhere in the
490 area, give or take a few. Since a KT66 is a 25 watt tube (What I was told the other night) you do a little math.

25 / 490 = .051.

That's your max dissipation. take 70% of that, or what ever percentage you want, usually 70% is about as hot as you want it though. and that's 35.7mA. Flip the switch on the bias rite, and see what it says, if it's different from that, turn a little bias pot on the board until it's in the range you want and you're done, put your amp back together.

 

[Shark Diver]

I was afraid KT66's were the answer but I don't know how to bias an amp. Mike Soldano told me if I use 5881's or 6L6's the SLO doesn't need to be biased but if you put in KT66's you have to. I just don't know enough about biasing an amp to do it myself.

Chuck

Chuck, If you buy a bias rite, or even just use the adaptor head, and a DMM, people here can help you do it. It's extremely simple. If you want, I'll even PM you my phone number and help walk you through it over the phone. It's literally a 15 minute process and most of that is taking the amp out of the box. Here's the basic process, to show you how easy it is:

Once you have the amp out, speaker cab plugged in, volumes all the way off, and the adaptor head plugged into the socket with a tube on it, all you have to do is turn on the amp, and see what the Plate voltage is. With an SLO it's somewhere in the
490 area, give or take a few. Since a KT66 is a 25 watt tube (What I was told the other night) you do a little math.

25 / 490 = .051.

That's your max dissipation. take 70% of that, or what ever percentage you want, usually 70% is about as hot as you want it though. and that's 35.7mA. Flip the switch on the bias rite, and see what it says, if it's different from that, turn a little bias pot on the board until it's in the range you want and you're done, put your amp back together.

I have never biased my own amps. Is this dangerous? I always am told it is extremely dangerous if you don't know what you are really doing. But I would love to do my own so I could try different bias points.

 

[jasonP]

If you don't touch something that has 500 volts on it you will be fine. hehe

Just being careful and knowing that you should not touch anything but the bias pot inside the amp. Other then that it is very simple to do. Just like Marshall freak posted.

 

[procos]

Well guys someone contacted me last week about trading me his Blockhead Hand Grenade for my SLO + $1100. He contacted me again today so I think I am going to do the trade. However he threw this in to the mix which is really making my decision tough. He said he'd do the Blockhead + $1100 or he'd trade me his Blockhead + a Soldano Avenger for my SLO. Now this guy swears that the Blockhead Hand Grenade is just a killer amp. I believe him because I have done a few trades with his brother and his brother is as honest as the day is long. Blockhead only made 3 Hand Grenades, this one and 2 other ones that he sent directly to Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day. The guy tells me the amps just smokes. It is 50 watts and has 2 EL34's in it. Obviously it is a hot rodded Marshall style amp. I figure that since the SLO's are so consistent that if I get the Blockhead and I really miss the SLO I can always buy another SLO and won't have to worry about losing that tone because SLO's are so consistent.

So I know I am taking the Blockhead but the thing that really has my head spinning though is do I take the $1100 or do I the Avenger? I am thinking that maybe the Avenger might be just what I found lacking in the SLO. Darker with the depth mod? I never used he clean channel on the SLO I always used it with the crunch switch engaged. I actually like the crunch channel a tad more than the OD channel because I felt it was a tad thicker but I also had the preamp gain up to 9 on the crunch and only on 5 on the OD. So what do you guys think take the $1100 or the Avenger along with the Blockhead. I did some research and it looks like the Avenger's are selling for right around $900.

Thanks,

Chuck