Soldano SLO 100?

[RightOnTime]

Getting some real GAS for an SLO 100. Are they worth the dosh? Is there a crunch channel and a boosted lead channel -I'm not interested in clean really anyway? Saw a guy in a band locally recently and he kinda sounded like he was playing my Cornford MK50. Thought they would sound more awesome than that. Are they just superior hotrodded Marshalls? Whats so special about em. Done the Bogner thing. Now have more GAS and can't get to Soundsgreat to try one out, every time I have time they have none left! Overrated or awesome? Youtube doesn't give the trouser flapping awesomeness I require! Tell me about them you guys wot ave em!!!!

I've been using the SLO model on my Duoverb and now I'm massively GASing for one!



Try the Yamaha T50/T100. Designed by Mike Soldano and it's a total monster. Hard to find though.

[Dave_Mc]

i haven't tried an slo, but i have tried an avenger- and it definitely reminded me of a cornford. Not exactly the same, but not a million miles away, either.

thomann has good deals on jet cities at the moment- that might be a way to try the soldano thing for cheap (obviously not as good as the real thing, but still pretty good) to see if you get on with them.

EDIT: oh i own a jca50H, i picked one up when thomann still had stock of them cheap. Pretty darn nice for £250

[paulmapp8306]

It's where you don't hang round, just get the stuff and out.

I have got to say when ever I see post about an slo nearly everyone who replies either guesses or has only tried one in a shop so I'd have to say a fair judgement would have to be from an owner.

Quite right - but as so few have actually been owners - there wouldnt be too much feedback.

[ICBM]

I don't own one, but a good friend of mine does. He hasn't needed to buy another amp since he got it, and before that he changed them regularly...

It's one of the best amps ever made - the absolute best high-gain lead and solo amp I've ever played or heard. It's not quite my thing personally - I'm more of a clean and crunch player, and the Mesa Trem-o-verb is my ultimate amp - but at what it does, it's untouchable. It has a combination of aggression and refinement that's very hard to describe or compare it to - it's extremely dynamic and has great presence in a mix, but yet it's also quite smooth and not harsh-sounding - it isn't shrill even when it's really cranked, and although it's very loud it isn't painful to listen to, unlike some big amps.

The crunch channel is great as well as the full on lead channel. Contrary to what I've often heard said, I think the clean channel is also good - but then I do like rich Marshall-style cleans rather than glassy Fender-style ones. It does not do Fender cleans.

If it does have a weak point, it's the FX loop - it's at the wrong signal level to be useful for anything other than rack units, and too early in the circuit to be really useful at all (in my opinion). Apart from that it's hard to fault. The build quality is outstanding too - one of the very few amps I've ever looked inside and not wanted to improve anything .

It's also not true to say it sounds like a Cornford. If they sound similar, it's because it's the other way round . The SLO came first, by a wide margin. It was really the first modern high-gain amp. Personally, I don't think the Cornfords I've heard have the same fullness of tone either.

I personally wouldn't pay what they cost new though. It's just a vast amount of money for an amp, no matter how good. I would look for a second hand one, not a substitute - they're not *that* rare, and they sell for as low as half the new price sometimes.

[paulmapp8306]

It's also not true to say it sounds like a Cornford. If they sound similar, it's because it's the other way round . The SLO came first, by a wide margin. It was really the first modern high-gain amp. Personally, I don't think the Cornfords I've heard have the same fullness of tone either.

Quite - though I meant getting an SLO would be closer tonally to the Cornford the OP has - rather than the Bogner(s) he's had in the past - rather than the two being "really close" or that the Cornford came first - or even the Cornford was on par from a depth/quality/complexity POV.

[Suhrtwanger]

Ive done a serious ammount of study into the SLO... It is one of the two high gain amp i really, really want! Cornford Rk the other). I purchased a 50w Avenger and got a Soldano 2x12 also and it was fantastic (its supposedly the lead channel of the SLO) but it got sold in a moment of madness (regret it since ;()

After all that i've read about them - the ultimate bottom line is that unless the master is pushed above 6 it aint even breaking a sweat (and not sounding how it should!).
And when you consider the versatility its great - Knopfler, Clapton, Moore (Blues alive is the crunch channel dimed iirc), then the ultimate rock tone imo Motley Crue (The Corabi record)

Ive decided ill just have to hold out and get one. . .Ive had a few amps in my time but I think i OWE myself an SLO!

Anyway, sorry for ramblings - maybe that dude in the pub had the masters too low and gain too high !

[Dave_Mc]

(a) It's also not true to say it sounds like a Cornford. If they sound similar, it's because it's the other way round . The SLO came first, by a wide margin. It was really the first modern high-gain amp.

(b) I personally wouldn't pay what they cost new though. It's just a vast amount of money for an amp, no matter how good. I would look for a second hand one, not a substitute - they're not *that* rare, and they sell for as low as half the new price sometimes.

(a) of course. it's just the way i happened to phrase it, based on the question in the thread- and also i tried a cornford before i tried a soldano. but yeah, obviously the soldano came first.

(b) also isn't the lifetime warranty transferrable on them? that's pretty handy. But yeah, £3k is an awful lot for an amp, even a killer one. Plus, I mean, you have the other cheaper soldanos, which are meant to be pretty close- even soldano says that, unless you had the two in the same room, you wouldn't know the difference. But whether that's marketing spiel to ensure continued sales of the cheaper ones, I don't know.

Heck even the cheapo 50 watt jet city head gets me close enough (from memory) to the soldano thing that my GAS has pretty much gone for one until such time as I have so much money I don't know what to do with it (which isn't likely to happen any time soon).

[digitalscream]

If it helps, there's a Decatone on eBay for £1600-odd. I never understood why they go for less than SLOs, when they have a proper clean channel (I believe it's the circuit from the Lucky 13, but I couldn't swear to that) as well as the crunch and drive channels from the SLO.

One thing - if you like TC Electronic pedals in your loop (eg Flashback, Hall of Fame etc), you'll be fine with the loop in the SLO. Apart from the cheapo Belcat stuff, they're the only pedals I've ever found which can handle the excessive signal coming out of the loop send on my Jet City.

[cosmiccarrot]

If it helps, there's a Decatone on eBay for £1600-odd. I never understood why they go for less than SLOs, when they have a proper clean channel (I believe it's the circuit from the Lucky 13, but I couldn't swear to that) as well as the crunch and drive channels from the SLO.

I'd sell mine for that! ...mint, flightcased, midi switcher. owned from new.

When I got the decatone I had the deca, slo and an mk50 all set up together (thanks Rick). The mk50 was a great amp but I had to check it as it was the saving that attracted me. Soon it was just down to the soldanos (although these weren't at gig volume they were above shouting vol, with a power brake 3 notches down) from what I remember, as it was years ago, I struggled with the boost switch as the volume jump was too much but I'm sure this was just down to my cack handed dialing in plus there was no room for eq adjustment, BUT the sound was thick and creamy, although since reading more on the options list and having the depth knob on the deca, this mod is an absolute must for the slo, it's feckin awesome how much it adds to the scoop of the tone and is great for balancing open floor and carpeted rooms. The slo has amazing clarity of notes even in full saturation, but I have to say so does the deca, side by side it was a tough call but I went with the deca for it's versatility and eq. although the clean channel, which I hardly ever use, is very fenderish and I've always loved marshall cleans (I think all this would of changed on the day if the slo I played would of had the depth mod.
In the years I've had the deca it's never failed, crackled or popped and it gets used regularly but the only regret I've had was not getting the amp everyone talks about, albeit virtually similar in sound, I just wish they would of sold be those pesky DeYoung trannys because I think that's the missing key.

As far as recommending slo or even a deca to Rod, I'd have to back out, as the guy has had nearly every high end amp out! personally all those tones would screw with my head, I've been happy for years with just a modded marshall and the deca (although I might get a slo just to see what living with one is better than the deca?).
Best of luck Rod what about Ian's Cammeron?
I'd like to hear from Steve Thomas from here he sold a slo ...why? ...Steve?

The best deal I've seen go through recently was this...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2211237025...orig_cvip=true
I know it's a HR50 but early soldanos command a premium especially in the states and this was a beauty.

The other thing about soldanos well at least the older ones since they've now moved to bigger premisses is chances are Mike or Bill have probably had a hand in building your amp! when I spoke to Bill some years back he said it was just him and another guy who did the assembly and Mike flitted about answering calls and restoring his car!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz1Z16JIaaM

Watch out for the SL60 if your hunting round for used this was an attempt by soldano in the early 90's to go to the far east and have their amps assembled there and shipped back, these go for low prices and I've seen people try to pass them off a real US built ones.

[rockmonster]

Thanks for that Cosmic interesting stuff. At the moment I use a Evh 100 III head and matching 4x12. and it certainly suits what I need but this Soldano thing is definately giving me an itch. I don't even use my MK50 any more. I think I need to get up to Soundsgreat and try one to see what all the fuss is about then make a decision. I do fancy Ian's Cameron too!