Soldano Atomic 16

A very low serial number this amp has all the basic adjustments and operates very quietly. It's light weight and plenty loud and although it's 16ohms you can plug into 8ohm cabs without worry. Two EL 84's for power and three 12A7's for the preamp section.

I've played a Fender Strat, Ibanez LP, and a 12 string electric through this amp and of course the humbuckers overdrive more easily. Single coils aren't lost at all, though. I was looking for an amp that had neither a Fender tone or a Marshall tone, and this amp has it's own sound. In theory bottom end should be filled in by the bass player so this amp is voiced without much bass. Extention cabs alter this however. I wished it had more clean headroom and more harmonic tube tone. I changed the speaker to a mojo tone alnico and replaced the tubes with Goove Tubes going with less hot pre-amp tubes to get warmer tone. I was successful to a point but the circuitry is just designed with too much gain to achieve that. So, dialing in a particular tone takes quite a bit of fiddling around thereby making it hard to use on stage unless you stay in one particular flavor. After all that said, I find this amp leaving me wanting and frustrated for more harmonics as I don't play much in the relm of this amps capabilities. For what it was designed for though, you won't be disappointed. One last note, If you plug in pedals to this amp, say a chorus or delay, the amp comes alive at volumes out of the gain stage.

You needn't worry about this product. I met the gent that built this amp.It's way over built. I've had the Atomic since they first came out and have used it quite a bit with no problems at all.

The Soldano people are fast and friendly folks to deal with. I took my amp in to have a slave port added. The same guy that built the amp greeted me and in 24 hours I had my amp back.I get the impression that if this amp ever did faulter, which is unlikely, warranty is a non issue, they're that proud and sure of their product.

I've been playing electrics for 10 years now and like you, I'm always looking for that magic combination in an amp. Just because I chose the wrong amp for my playing styles at this time doesn't mean the Atomic isn't great for what it was designed for. I'm still keeping it and play through it regularly. With an Akai echo delay pedal.One can never have too many amps!

Basic 3 band eq, preamp gain, presence and volume. Plenty loud for a 20 watter. Extension cab jack comes in handy to run to a 4x12. 2 power tubes and 3 12AX7's. No reverb, channel switching or headphone jack.

I bought to use primarily as a practice/blues jam amp. Samll lightweight 20 watt 1x12. A good basic amp. The preamp gain starts the signal breaking up at around 2 with humbuckers. It's kind of hard to get a Clean-Clean sound or a real good Gain-Gain sound, but for classic rock or dirty blues it should do well. You definitely need a pedal in front to get decent sustain and harmonics, actually sounds better with a neck pickup. The tone is much better through a 4x12 cabinet which it drives surprisingly well. The internal speaker leaves a lot to be desired. It can get raspy at high treble levels very fast. Definitely not a metal or a jazz amp.

I've been playing on and off 20 years and bought it primarily as a basic second amp. I wish it would either have a better clean sound or a dirtier gain sound not just the middle ground only. I've only had it a few days and probably would look elsewhere if I had it to do over. If the middle ground is your teritory then it would make a great little amp.

not much has been said about this amp except for the reverb atomic 16 but this is a powerful little amp and i have been tweaking it for several months now and i am amazed at the different tones i can sqeeze out of it just a preamp knob and volume presence bass treble mid but they are very sensitive i tried eqs all on zero and presence all the way up and it was ok but the best sound is with a danelectro daddy o with the clean side working the treble is piercing but i nedd to get it into a large place with good acoustics so i can find the best tones like i said this thing is loud i hook it up sometimes to a mesa boogie vertical 2 12 cab and it rocks reverb or not, this is a very light amp also and the presence control really pushes the sound way out there

this is not a noisy amp and the distortion is sweet and adjustable. i put two groove tubes 10s in it and it seemed to give it more headroom but for clean blues licks this amp has class but you cant stand in front of it because it seems too loud, i think this would be the perfect amp for me but riight now im trying differnt cabs with it i still am not sure which el84s to use in it from 2 on up to 10 in groove tubes but if anybody has a good idea on two better el84s to use in it please email me with some advice thanks

this looks like a well built amp the company answered my email by the second day. Im keeping this amp because i geuss they only make a reverb version now and the price has gone up i go this one for 500$ups

one year warranty they have a pretty good reputation i geuss

playing for 30 years have hot rod deluxe boogie dc2 and pro junior but this amp is just simply unique and simple i would not want to let it go unless it were for a 50 watt soldano head or something then again this thing is so portable and if you crank it all the way up it has responses from tubes and strings that just grab you, it does seem a little too trebly but they advertise tone controls that really work so i think this amp is well worth the price in simplicity and portability and crunch to clean and in between