Soldano Avenger Head

The features of this amp remind me of a Marshall JCM 800 with a depth knob added. Very simple, no reverb, no channel-switching, no effects loop, in other words no junk added to the pure tube pathway. Just a few knobs, two inputs and tone for days...If you're looking for lots of versatility look somewhere along the lines of a Mesa or a rack system. This is a no BS kind of amp. Just what I wanted.

I play a USA Jackson through this amp and I play mostly metal but also rock, blues and jazz on the side. This is my only amp and my only guitar. My cabinet is a VHT Fatbottom 2x12 loaded with a Vintage 30 and a G12H30 which I think is a great combo. I plug straight in with no effects. I like it that way. When I want a cleaner sound, I just roll down my volume knob and switch to a different pickup. I had been playing a friend's SLO for a while and I loved it but couldn't shell out the money for one. I also had a JCM800 2204 and I loved the simplicity of that amp but it didn't have enough gain on its own. Suddenly Mike creates the perfect amp. The Avenger is basically the lead channel of the SLO (albeit with its own flavor) with the simplicity and look of the JCM800. My prayers had been answered. It's everything I wanted in a rock/metal amp and more. The distortion is more than enough and it's made me realize what a sloppy player I am. An amp like this will expose every nuance of your playing so you better be ready for it. It's forced me to really "clean up" my technique and I'm very grateful for that.

So far it's been really reliable and after taking a peek at the insides I'm sure it won't let me down. Built extremely well and the attention to detail is there in spades.

I e-mailed the company several times and got responses the following day. Bill Sundt is a great guy and I'm sure Mike is just the same. Great company, great product. What more could you ask for??

I bought this Avenger used and got a screamin' deal. I paid $800 for it and the amp was dead mint. I couldn't be happier and I know this amp will stay with me for a very, very long time. I've been playing around 10 years and have owned many amps (vintage Marshalls, vintage Fenders, Mesas and Bogners) and guitars (Fenders, Gibsons, Taylors, Yamaha, etc). My pedalboard weighed around 60lbs and was made up of all boutique pedals (Way Huge, SIB, Klon, Fulltone, Analogman, Keeley, etc.). I sold absolutely everything and just kept the Avenger, my VHT cab and my Jackson. Funny how that works. You spend so much money trying to find the perfect tone and you finally come to realize that one guitar and one amp is all you need (at least for me). A hard lesson learned but well worth it...

I'd like to see a 50 watt version of this amp since 100 watts seems overkill for everything except large stadiums and arenas. Thank-you Mike for making my dream amp a reality!!

2004 avenger 5881 3-12ax7 mv gain treble bass presence mid depth....no fx loop no slave no bells it dont open my garage door it just an amp..oh hi and lo gain inputs and 4 8 16 ohm dial for the cab of choice i rate it a 10 cause its all i need

i use gibsons with humbuckers morley volume-fulltone fulldrive(for licks)-strobo stomp tuner-head-mesa trad 4-12 cab and thats it..sound?...the best amp i ever played i had em all...rectos...marshall..sovteks..i got rid of the marshall and the recto to buy this baby..and im finally happy..i play hard rock/punk....not that pop puck crap..boohoo boy shit...real rock n roll..lol....but anyways...this amp just has that sound...distortion is heavy yet clear.which was my only beef with the recto..and is built like a tank..which was my beef with the marshall dsl..that thing was so rickety it scared me i returned it in a week...its single channel no clean ..but i dont play clean...ever...lol..when i want less gain i use the volume pedal..easy...the depth knob really helps this amp...use it sparingly...i use it at like 31/2 it just gives the bottom end a lil more umph...i cant stress how happy i am with this amp..it cuts thru the mix of a drummer loud bass and a recto the sound is very clear....the best amp i ever heard or played.

i only had it like 6 months...so whos to say...but its built pretty tough so i cant foresee any probs..but i never gig with out a back up.

seem like nice people

ive been playing almost 20 years..all heavy stuff ...what else can i say? if u dont need clean and u dont like tap dancing while playing and u like clear yet brutaly distorted tones then this is the best amp there is period

This is a 2004 model with 5881 tubes. It has a high & low input, One channel, no effects loop, Presence, and Depth control. This amp is a the case of less = more. It may be the fact that this amp has a direct signal path, but it just sounds incredible. The amp has huge volume with great headroom & dynamics. I think the simple layout of this amp is just perfect! I have black gator skin - looks amazing!!

Make no mistake this amp produces some BRUTAL DISTORTION, the best I have heard to date. I use early USA BC Rich & Dean guitars. I really like the sound of a Dimarzio super distortion through this head, I prefer it over an EMG. I play very aggressive metal and this amp is fantastic. This amp is can handle many styles, but it clearly is a very aggressive amp. I plug straight into this head and it sounds incredible. This amp is also very quiet, in terms of noise.

It is fairly new, I have had the Avenger for about a month now and it works perfectly. I am really impressed with the build quality of this amp, from the internal components like Mercury Magnetic Transformers to the steel reinforced corners on the outside. Still she is new, but so far so good.

I have called Soldano a few times to ask questions, they were always very helpful and very cool. They always took time out to answer all my questions. I picked this amp up from Ken @ Solidbodyguitars.com, he is a great guy and knows everything about Soldanos! I highly recommend his shop!

I have been playing for over 20 years. Besides the Avenger, I own a real nice modded Marshall Re-issue Plexi and just sold my CAE OD-100. I would buy this amp again in a heartbeat, in fact I love the sound so much, I would almost buy a second one now. I gave this amp straight 10s because it is the best I've heard. I have played Bogner, Diezel, Roccaforte, VHT, Bad Cat, you name it, this thing KILLS. I highly recommend playing one, there is a lot of amp hype out there, check this one out, it'll put a smile on your face!!!

This is a 2003 version with EL34's in place of the 5881's. Single channel that cleans up nicely when you roll off the volume. No efeects loop ( I've never in my entire life used an effects loop) A tad noisy at high gain levels (haven't had it past 4 yet) I inquired about a mute switch and Bill at Soldano said it's a easy mod. I use multiple amps and use this one as my balls to the walls amp. I also play larger venues so volume is important....IT HAS VOLUME!

I mainly use a PRS Custom 22 Artist series with a stop tail, I also use various othe Gibsons and Fenders. I play hard rock, not dropped D hard, just hard. I also play blues, the amp is well suited for both. Once again the distortion is BRUTAL.

Only had it a couple weeks. So far so good, I use it along with a Bogner XTC Classic.......works for me!

Bill Sundt at Soldano was very helpful to my question about a mute switch for the amp, in fact, I got same day response. Kudos

I've been playing 30 years, I own Marshalls (Plexi's only please!) I own a OLD Vox AC-30, a 62 Tweed Bassman, the XTC, and a hoard of other old amps. So far the "AVENGER" is a monster. I had a Hot Rod 50,it doesn't come close. For the money, this is one of the best amps I've seen. Thanks to Stu at Fat Sound Guitars for all the effort on this as well as the Bogner, if your gonna buy a amp via the inter net, Stu is the guy to look up.

It's a one channel amp. It does have a high and a low input. No FX loop, no push pull knobs, no fancy bells or whistles. Plug and play type amp. All knobs go to 11, so that's kinda cool for comedic's sake.

This thing is an absolute BEAST!!! If you want a no frills head whose only purpose is to put your dick in the dirt then get this one. Gobs of gain yet remains very articulate. This amp has a lot of low end. If you like alot of thump in your sound then you'll definately dig this amp. If you wanna play some cleaner stuff like classic rock or blues, then just plug into the low input. It sounds just as good in a lighter rock sort of manner. In a nutshell, this is the perfect amp for me. I also think it's very versatile for a one channel amp. It's not "footswitch" versatility but if you don't mind tweaking knobs there's plenty of different tones and voicings in there.

I would have given her a ten but she blew a fuse the second week I had her. Replaced the fuse and no probs since. Very reliable amp and, like all Soldanos, it's built like a brick shithouse.

If you've ever dealt with Soldano's customer service then you know that it's top notch. I've emailed them and gotten a reply the same day. Call em up on the phone and they are nothing but kind and very helpful and knowledgable.

Overall, I give this amp a 9. The lack of fx loop and clean channel make this a little less than perfect for some folks, so that's why I didn't give it a 10. Personally, for my needs in an amp, it gets a 10. Dont' need a clean channel and don't need an fx loop. I just need that awesome tone. This is one mean amp that's definately a keeper.

Great look, front panel couldnt be better.
is not a versatile amp, cuz is only one channel, and your options are on this drive channel only.

sounds, very loud, the only problem was a kind of humming noise all the time, and im fighting with it yet.
but the overdrive is perfect.
i got a less paul gothic for this amp and a marshall 1960 superlead

i got a humming noise problem, that i got to take care now.

i just wrote them an told me that changin a tube could fix it.
but the were very fast in their answer.

10 year playing, i love the unbeatible power of this amp, it should had a fxloop jacks, great looks. nice purple light
awsome sound
awsome power
awsome weight

The features of this amp are not in quantity, but QUALITY! This amp only has 1 channel (overdrive), but the quality of the channel is AMAZING! I easily compare this amp to the SLO, simply a stripped price and features. I have never heard a better overdrive than this amp offers. If all you need is an overdrive channel (I run my cleans through another amp) this is the amp for you. Sure, it could have more features, but then you'd have to call it the SLO.

I'm using a PRS Hollowbody II with this amp and the versatility of the guitar really compliments this amp!!! This amp wails and is great for all rock and roll (it can do anything dirty... vintage, raw, or modern) The distortion of this amp is unmatched I actually think it is BETTER than the SLO

I've only had it for a short time, but I know Soldanos are sturdy. Its pretty heavy only because they protect the tubes and internal parts w/ a great frame. Of course I dont plan on dropping it anytime soon, but Im sure it would survive.

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I love this thing. I hardly spent anytime dialing it in to get a good sound (like MESA) because everything i tried sounded awesome. I have to say that this is the BEST amp I have ever played/heard. And I'm proud to own it.