Who's played/owned a HR 25?

[marshallmel]

Thinking about getting one but there's nowhere around where I can try one. Some of the clips sound good and others not so much. I'm mainly concerned about the feel and the overall volume. What say ye?

 

[guitup too]

I have owned two so far. The first was one of the best amps I have ever played through. Fat without being sluggish, great clarity and super punchy even at loud TV volume. Awesome amp. The second one was the exact opposite. Just meh. YMMV.

 

[fusedbrain]

Yeah I had one. I actually thought it was a pretty nice amp. Just as well made as everything else Soldano makes.
The amp felt great and sounded good at low volumes.
Like every other amp, it sounded better the more you turned it up, but the sweet spot started at a way lower volume than any 40-50 watter I've played. Mike did some stuff with the plate voltages to keep the power output from the 2 5881's to approx 25 watts and it does work well, without being too brown and it stays punchy.
My only real gripe with it was they seem to be a little pricey for what they are, and when I got a chance to pick up an SLO, it went out the door.
If you can get one used at a good price, check it out.

 

[copilot]

I got one. Awesome amp. Essentially a mini-SLO, IMO. I like it better than ANY SLO I owned and I've owned many. The lowered plate voltage plus a NOT Hi-Fi tranny let sustaining notes bloom that no SLO ever did. Great loop. Awesome tones at any volume and it's 29 lbs.

 

[Deleted member 21375]

I got one. Awesome amp. Essentially a mini-SLO, IMO. I like it better than ANY SLO I owned and I've owned many. The lowered plate voltage plus a NOT Hi-Fi tranny let sustaining notes bloom that no SLO ever did. Great loop. Awesome tones at any volume and it's 29 lbs.

I have one too and I agree. Beast of an amp!

 

[david simpson]

Great amp! Mike loaned me one for a couple months last year. Like Carl said - "mini SLO" is pretty spot on.

 

[glassjaw7]

How different in tone/feel is it from a HR50?

 

[Deleted member 21375]

How different in tone/feel is it from a HR50?

The HR50's I played were reminiscent of JCM800's whereas the HR25 sounds a lot more like the SLO.

 

[hammered]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

 

[jlb32]

My Soldano Hot Rod 25 is one of the best amps ever IMO. Just super note clarity, bloom and punch, no fizz, flub, etc...

Must be a tube issue, etc.. if you are getting fizzy or flubby tone through this amp?? It is the exact opposite of that. It's one of the clearest amps I have ever played. Even at super high gain it stays clear and articulate with every note. Not forgiving if you are sloppy.

It has become my #1 and can hang with my Mesa Boogie Mark IV and T-verb with no problem even with it's lower wattage.

Sounds great at all volumes yet can get extremely loud with the master volume up around 6-8. enough for any gig. It does not sound like a 25 watt amp and is built like a tank. It really does sound like a mini SLO. I played them side by side before buying and didn't have any doubts on which one I preferred.

The advantage of the Hot Rod 25 is it sounds good at any volume. IMO it does the SLO tone but trumps it with it's warmness and ability to sound great no matter what.

 

[JLB BCM]

I own serial # 002 in a custom Chrome Crocodile head shell. Mike got really good after he and I developed the Soldano 44 BCM 1x12" combo. 50 watt trannys producing 25 volts due to 400 plate volts, 2 channels, 2 speaker jacks, impedance selector, baby SLO. I've gigged or recorded with it everywhere. Never an issue for clean head room. Run it side by side with an SLO on 3 and the 25 on 6-7, and the 25 can hang all day long. I also own 3 custom SLO's, but the 25 is my favorite amp to play for most applications.

I've sold over 30-35 Hot Rod 25's, not one complaint. Rock on.

LB
BCM

 

[JLB BCM]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

 

[hammered]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

Splawn 4x12 with Scumback M75s , Charvel Clones with Duncan JB in one and Dimarzio AT-1 in the other . It came with all JJ preamp tubes and Sovtek Power . I tried an RFT 12AX7 in V1 and it made little difference. I also tried it thru my Splawn 2x12 that had EVH Greenbacks and pretty got the same results. It just wasn't for me , no biggie .

 

[Deleted member 21375]

Funny thing is both of those pickups you listed I did not like in my Charvels through this amp. My DeMartini with an RTM though is amazing as is my Music Zoo mahogany natural series with an A2 JB. My issue with the stock JB was that it was just too bright though. Not flubby at all. The AT-1 was just bland sounding with no balls. Once I swapped the A2 into the JB it was awesome.

 

[SavageRiffer]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

Hey James, you should let him know about your $400 power cables so he can get better tone. If not, those $300 Jensen Alnico speakers you recommend will make all the difference.

 

[Deleted member 21375]

Here we go.

 

[copilot]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

Hey James, you should let him know about your $400 power cables so he can get better tone. If not, those $300 Jensen Alnico speakers you recommend will make all the difference.

Hey asshole, I bought (from BCM) an SLO-100 and my Hot Rod 25, plus a 2x12 and 1x12 Soldano cab and was never recommended either cable or speaker. Maybe shut your fucking pie-hole. You should talk about $$$$ and tone, pissing thousands on a High School Shop Project overpriced toneless amp.

 

[SavageRiffer]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

Hey James, you should let him know about your $400 power cables so he can get better tone. If not, those $300 Jensen Alnico speakers you recommend will make all the difference.

Hey asshole, I bought (from BCM) an SLO-100 and my Hot Rod 25, plus a 2x12 and 1x12 Soldano cab and was never recommended either cable or speaker. Maybe shut your fucking pie-hole. You should talk about $$$$ and tone, pissing thousands on a High School Shop Project overpriced toneless amp.

He he, you're so butthurt for nothing. It's true, he does have $400 power cables that improve tone and highly recommends a $300 Jensen alnico speaker. I didn't lie about that so fuck you. There's even a Premier Guitar article that mentions it https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/review-soldano-44-blues-city-music-signature-amp-1 I don't know what stupid high school project you're talking about, but I'd love to hear how your tone and playing is so great that you can go around criticizing other people's gear... oh yeah, I do remember how arrogantly you think of your own ability from that last thread...

 

[copilot]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

Hey James, you should let him know about your $400 power cables so he can get better tone. If not, those $300 Jensen Alnico speakers you recommend will make all the difference.

Hey asshole, I bought (from BCM) an SLO-100 and my Hot Rod 25, plus a 2x12 and 1x12 Soldano cab and was never recommended either cable or speaker. Maybe shut your fucking pie-hole. You should talk about $$$$ and tone, pissing thousands on a High School Shop Project overpriced toneless amp.

He he, you're so butthurt for nothing. It's true, he does have $400 power cables that improve tone and highly recommends a $300 Jensen alnico speaker. I didn't lie about that so fuck you. There's even a Premier Guitar article that mentions it https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/review-soldano-44-blues-city-music-signature-amp-1 I don't know what stupid high school project you're talking about, but I'd love to hear how your tone and playing is so great that you can go around criticizing other people's gear.

So what? Lots of people recommend all sorts of shit. You imply he's talking people into buying this stuff and never had that experience. So, you're full of shit. My tone and playing has been around for years. I play thru all kinds of amps and get good tones.
None of my clips are jerk-off shredding to simpleton ballads, looking for the next notes to play.

 

[SavageRiffer]

I had one and didn`t care for it at all . It sounded fizzy and flubby , the EVH 5150 50 watt that I had sounded way tighter with much less fizz and my Splawn Super Sport just annihilated it in every way. Maybe my ears just don`t like the Soldano tone but there some stuff on record like Ratt & Motley Crue that sounds fabulous . I know they were using SLOs but from what everyone says the HR25 is a baby SLO . I was bummed I had high hopes

What speaker and guitar setup were you using?

LB
BCM

Hey James, you should let him know about your $400 power cables so he can get better tone. If not, those $300 Jensen Alnico speakers you recommend will make all the difference.

Hey asshole, I bought (from BCM) an SLO-100 and my Hot Rod 25, plus a 2x12 and 1x12 Soldano cab and was never recommended either cable or speaker. Maybe shut your fucking pie-hole. You should talk about $$$$ and tone, pissing thousands on a High School Shop Project overpriced toneless amp.

He he, you're so butthurt for nothing. It's true, he does have $400 power cables that improve tone and highly recommends a $300 Jensen alnico speaker. I didn't lie about that so fuck you. There's even a Premier Guitar article that mentions it https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/review-soldano-44-blues-city-music-signature-amp-1 I don't know what stupid high school project you're talking about, but I'd love to hear how your tone and playing is so great that you can go around criticizing other people's gear.

So what? Lots of people recommend all sorts of shit. You imply he's talking people into buying this stuff and never had that experience. So, you're full of shit. My tone and playing has been around for years. I play thru all kinds of amps and get good tones.
None of my clips are jerk-off shredding to simpleton ballads, looking for the next notes to play.

Uh OK, but keep in mind that I'm humble about my playing ability. I don't do it professionally. I just love to play. Unlike you who thinks you're some hot shit when you're clearly not. I've heard your stuff and your playing is novice. Your music is uninspired, you can't alternate pick so you try to cover up for it with shitty legato, your vibrato sucks, your phrasing is generic, and your tone is mediocre. That's all beside the point, but you brought it up to begin with. The fact is that you were wrong on the power cable/speaker topic, but you're not even man enough to admit it.

By the way, where is all your great playing? All I see is a bunch of removed video links. I guess it wasn't up to your elite standards so you're redoing with with your superior gear.