Soldano Decatone

2008 model, 100 watt three channel all tube amp made to rock. I think this amp could be used for many different music styles, such as jazz or country, but rock based types is where this amp is most happy. Everything from classic rock like Randy Rhoads or Led Zeppelin to higher gain rock such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, or Three Days Grace to all between. If screaming metal is your thing, such as Dragonforce or Slayer, it can do that as well. It has a clean channel, crunch channel, and an overdrive channel. This amp has plenty of power at 100 watts and is footswitchable through all three channels done by a three button footswtich that is built of high gauge steel just like the amp itself. Very sturdy. The attention to detail on this amp is amazing, and quality was not overlooked on this thing. Tube buffered parallel effects loop that has a mix knob when maxed out turns the loop into series, a depth knob that allows you to tailor the bass response, master volume knob, and a shared eq for the three channels. Sovtek 5881 output tubes, impedance selector switch on the back. I do wish this amp had built in reverb, and maybe seperate channel eq's, but it really is not a problem since the channels are voiced together well. Hand built in a small shop in Seattle, very cool.

This amp is hands down one of the best amps I have ever played. At first I was going for a Soldano SLO-100 but wanted the three channel versatility, and the lower price was attractive also. I was afraid that it would not have the same rich distortion as the SLO, but when I played a Decatone and an SLO back to back there was not any difference, THE sound was there! The decision was an easy one, and I should have known better because this is from Mike Soldano, after all. The difference I could tell was between this and other brands, such as Marshall, Mesa, and Peaveys. This mops the floor with a Dual Rectifier and laughs at Marhall's new JVM series, and does what a JCM800 can do with so much more in it's back pocket. And the 5150 I have some experience with is just a failed attempt at ripping off Soldano's sound. I mainly use a Gibson Explorer with 498R and 500T pickups, and a Kustom custom shop 412 cab with Celestion Vintage 30's in it mic'd through a PA with a Sennheiser e609 mic. I play mostly in a band setting (playing with bass and drums is where this amp shines), but it also is jaw dropping when I take it back home and spend some quieter "alone" time with it doing some low volume jamming. I use a MXR smart gate as I would with any amp, but it is very quiet on all channels at all volumes. The clean channel is very useable and starts to break up at higher gains which can be useful, and sounds great especially when paired with a delay pedal and a reverb pedal. The crunch channel is a JCM800 on steroids, and the overdrive channel is pure Soldano, nothing else like it. If you want a Marshall sound, get a Marshall. If you want a Mesa sound get a Mesa. But if you want rich harmonic overdrive that will slam you against the wall, get a Soldano. This amp is speaker sensitive so be careful there. I've found for me the best are Celestion Vintage 30's. They are perfect. Also it is designed to have the master volume maxed at 11 while controlling the actual volume with the channel volume knobs so the output tubes can color the sound like they're supposed to. And it is gain sensitive too, as it has more than you may need. But, I would rather have an amp that has more gain than I need that one that does not have enough obviously *cough* Marshall *cough*. The sweet spot for preamp gain is at 8 on the overdrive channel, and 7 on the crunch channel. I have the clean preamp gain at 9. Bass at 7, mid 5, treble 6. Depth at 6 set up for my 412 cab. Presence seems to break into the sweet spot at just the high side of nine. Just some of my settings I have found that work for me, as nobody else put in their reveiws what they found to work best.

I do not bring a backup with me to gig because I sold my other amp to get this, but I am not afraid of doing this either. I always have back up tubes of course but this amp is not going to break. I have taken the chassis out of the head cab and I cannot believe the quality and sturdiness. Hand built by people who know how to solder, that's for sure. This is one thing that must be stressed with Soldano's. In my experiences I have seen alot of the insides of amps, and I think this amp is the most well built one I have seen.
Now keep in mind I have only had this for about six months but a freind of mine has had his Soldano for alot of years with not one hicccup, and this seems to be the norm for everyone I talk to. So I see no issues in the future for me either.

I have contacted Soldano several times with questions, and every time it was Bill Sundt who answered. He designed this amp with Mike Soldano about ten years ago, he told me, and I found both their names are inside the amp on the main circuit board. Now, I have the guy who designed the amp answering my questions? I have NEVER had that happen with any piece of gear I have ever owned. Or anyTHING I have ever owned, period. That kind of service goes a long way. He is also very nice and of course is very knowledgeable. A+ for this category no doubt about it.

I've been playing off and on for a good number of years but for about the past 2 I have been serious about it. I could not be happier than I am now with this amp and it actually makes me want to play more because it sounds so good. I am having fun, period. The guys in my band love it just as much as I do, and I get comments on my sound all the time from people. It is expensive but in the long run it is not because I will have this amp forever. If it was stolen, God help the SOB. If I were stupid enough to lose it, I would replace it for sure. The only amps that I have played that will compete with this amp is a Soldano SLO, and a Marshall JCM800, and it only competes with the crunch channel of the Decatone. But past 6 on the preamp gain and the Deca cruises ahead easily.

It's a 3-channel 100w all valve beast...
Bright switches on each channel, 3 band shared eq, channel gain and volume for each channel, depth and presence controls, fx loop with level.

Ch1. The clean channel is very use-able, it reacts very well to pedals and the using the bright switch and properly setting up the gain for the channel can yeald a wide variety of clean sounds from warm breaking up tones with guitars with hotter pickups, to super clean spanky strat sounds. I've used this channel many times in conjunction with an MXR GT-OD pedal as an overdriven rhythm sound, and it's very similar to the crunch channel.

Ch2. The Crunch channel is again very useable with a huge variation in gain available to suit everybody. I would compare the sound to a majorly modded marshall 800.. but soo much better. I normally have the gain at around 12'oclock and use the mxr to push it harder if needed. The bright switch is a great addition to this channel and really adds a smooth presence boost to help you cut through the mix. This makes a great lead sound too if you play more blues-based rock, as it's a little warmer and forgiving than channel 3.

Ch3. This channel really is a one trick pony for me. Great for high gain rock/metal leads and that's pretty much it. the voicing is a little unbalanced when compared to channel 2 if you plan to use this channel for rhythm, too much bass and high mid, but it's perfect for leads :) It's an incredibly refined, thick lead sound with plenty of everything. The key is to not have too much gain as you really can over-estimate just how much you need with this channel as it's just so responsive. Some people might prefer to use channels 2 and 3 back to front depending on taste as I have done in the past. Either way you're gonna turn heads at the bar with this thing, it's truly an awesome tone machine, but you do have to play around with it to get the best out of it for you.

Never had a single problem with this amp, runs smooth and clean every time I turn it on. Just what you need.

I've contacted Soldano a few times and they're extremely helpful as most smaller amplifier companies seem to be.

I don't think I would ever sell this amp, it's not my main amp, but I use it regularly. I found that I played with the eq too much at first but I soon realised it's best sounds were achieved with the controls pretty much central, I guess because that's how it's designed by the people with the best ears in the business! It's built so well and the sounds really are top notch. I would encourage anyone thinking about buying one to A/B it with an SLO-100 or other brands though because if you've got a sound in your head you need to make the right choice. I'm very happy with mine, but remember having the right cab is vital too, it took me a few tries to get one that really sounds right to me.
E-mail me if you have any questions or whatever. ROCK ON!

3 channel,clean,crunch and lead with shared eq,depth,presence,master volume,channel volume,etc.Maybe the shared eq can't make you bring out of the amp different sounds from channel to channel,but you can just use a Boss GE-7.

Clean channel,I hadn't been spending so much time on this one,but i think it's one of the best clean you can found on an high-gain amp-

Crunch,it seem to be like my actual amp,dreamaker dual rectifier,modern channel,with a wonderful sound quality but even with more string to string definition and bright.

Lead,fantastic,IMHO it blows away even the most aggressive amp,it won't sound buzzy or noisy,very good quality here,but you can only appreciate it at a reasonable volume.When I tried the decatone I compared it with a vht pitbull,which I think perhaps it's just a little bit more beastly but I think it doens't have the quality of this one.I compared even with the lead channel of a Lucky 13 and a Slo100 and the sound really seems to be the same.Very very good.

NP

NP

I think this amp it's the best for a rock player in general,and a metal player,as I am,will be happy with this cube,it perfectly suits the style,I could play ultra-fast dragonforce riffs,and you can hear every single note even at an high volume.Fantastic

2002 Soldano Decatone, 100w all tube, 3 channel with bright switches for each channel, shared EQ, individual volume and preamp gain adjustment for each channel, presence and depth control, master volume, adjustable effects loop, adjustable output impedance, 2 speaker outputs. Mine is equipped with Groove Tubes 6L6's and Sovtek 12AX7's which I plan to replace in the near future. This amp is incredibly user friendly and very intuitive, allowing enough adjustment to provide any necessary versatility while still being simple and free of any excess. The shared EQ has not been a problem as the voicing for each channel is well matched to the others. I play modern hard melodic rock with a variety of settings from clean to filthy distortion and I can get exactly what I need with minimal adjustment. It sounds good at low volume for home practice but really shines when you turn it up. Very versatile and very impressive.

I don't ever use a crystal clear clean sound and as such, there is none on this amp, however the clean breaks up incredibly well providing just enough bite to sound the way I want it to. The crunch channel extends from that able to provide a slightly dirty blues tone all the way up to distortion enough to satisfy most rock players. The overdrive channel is clearly a high gain channel and excels at being one.

I need to note here that this amp doesn't sound like a Marshall, it doesn't sound like a Mesa, it doesn't sound like a 5150, etc. This amp sounds like a Soldano. The sound all across the board is thick, and the bass response is amazing (and adjustable with the depth control). The tone is very warm, yet crisp. If you're unfamiliar with what a Soldano sounds like, there are sound clips all over the internet.

I'm currently playing a Les Paul straight into the head, and the head straight into a G-Flex 212 cabinet. Nothing in the effects loop. The guitar is a very very dirty sounding guitar and though somewhat muddy though other amps I've tried, is much more defined through this amp. Harmonics come though with less effort than with the Marshall I recently came off of, and I can hear individual notes even on the overdrive channel with the gain on 11.

I purchased it used from a Guitar Center on the other side of the country (their used gear website is great). And it showed up in well used condition. The front grill was bent, and one of the jacks for the effects loop looked like it has been hit pretty hard with something. Nothing seems to effects the actual function of the amp though. The effects loop jack still worked fine (though I did replace it) and the front grill bent back into place without too much effort once I took it off. This thing ages well, but doesn't seem to deteriorate at all. I feel like a direct hit from a rocket would cause little more than cosmetic damage. If a nuclear bomb accidentally went off near my house, I'm pretty sure this thing would survive. I never keep more than one amp at a time, so I have to gig without a backup, but I don't believe I'll ever have to buy another amp.

I haven't had to contact Soldano for any reason, but I understand the customer support is top notch.

I've been playing guitar since I turned 16 and realized I couldn't fit a piano in my car (about 7 years now), and I've been playing piano for a good 15 years now. I keep one amp, one cab, one electric, and one acoustic.....and one piano. No sense in complicating anything more than is necessary. I'm shopping for a new electric, but I believe I'll just retire the Les Paul from active duty and keep it safe at home.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the Decatone is a wonderful addition to my setup, having replaced a Marshall DSL. I don't know if I'll keep it forever, but I won't replace it with anything less than another Soldano, and this being the only three channel one, I think it's job is secure.

I contemplated going with an H&K Trilogy, a Framus Cobra, or an ENGL Invader, but was won over by the simplicity of the Soldano, the excellent customer service reviews I've read, the fact that the workshop where they're built is here in the US, and the bulletproof reliability that almost everyone seems to love. I'm happy with it the way it is and don't wish that it did more, or had more, or anything else more.

An amp like this can be the investment of a lifetime when it comes to music equipment. I'm very glad I made that investment.

Clean, crunch and lead, shared eq, master presence and resonance, effects loop, bright switch per channel. I thought I'd miss seperate eqs but the channels are so well matched that there's no tweaking necessary - just adjust your overall sound to the room. I don't miss any of the features of my old amps (I've mostly played Marshall Anniversaries so I'm used to a lot of switches). This just sounds right everywhere and doesn't give you anything you don't need.

The clean channel is Fenderish at lower gain settings, but not as compressed and not quite as sparkly. By far the best I've heard in a 100W head, especially with a compressor. With the gain cranked it does an incredible Bassman - ballsy, crisp and wide open. Covers everything from SRV tone to that incredible crunch sound in the intro to Van Halen's Pleasure Dome I've been trying to get right. I set it up this way and then roll back the guitar volume for a proper clean.

The crunch channel is actually very similar to that on my old Marshall Anniversary heads, up to around 6 on the gain control. Which is to say it sounds like the best of the Marshall crunch amps. The best way to describe it would be a hot-rodded JCM 800 with some of the dynamics and airyness of a plexi (Soldano's original circuit was very similar to a plexi). The bottom end is thicker than a modern Marshall though and the top end is less sharp, but without sacrificing detail or string seperation. After about 6 on the gain control this channel turns into a proper hod-rodded Marshall, with that complex sizzling Soldano saturation starting to come through. This channel alone would have enough gain for any metal player, although would probably not be compressed or tight enough for some at high gain settings. It's not muddy or messy though, just a hod-rodded classic sound like early Van Halen or maybe Steve Vai on Slip of the Tongue. Great for lead too.

The lead channel has a similar sound to the higher gain end of the crunch channel, but smoother, more compressed and tighter in the bottom end (not less bassy, just tighter). This channel is basically the SLO circuit. It's perfect for any thick modern lead sound, with singing harmonics and ridiculous levels of gain and sustain, yet always controllable, musical and never flabby or buzzy. I use this channel for heavy rhythm parts and metal too - basically anything that would sound good through a Dual Rectifier or a 5150 or any good high gain amp will sound better through this. I had a 5150 for years and this floors it in every respect, except for extreme metal where the aggression of the 5150 gives it an edge. I can't say enough good things about this channel, it's addictive.

The Decatone sounds amazing with every guitar I've tried, but I've mainly settled on Peavey Wolfgangs recently, which compliment it really well. I play it through a Soldano 4x12, but I changed the speakers for Celestion G12-75s which I've always liked.

One thing, keep the master volume on 11 and control your level with the channel volumes - it sounds better this way!

It's ridiculously well-made. Somebody at Soldano needs to get out more. Turning a knob or flicking a switch is like shutting the door on a BMW - everything feels smooth, tight and chunky. I gig without a backup but always take spare tubes. The footswitch is made from proper steel and uses a standard connector, so when it wears out I can just get another one from almost anywhere.

I only dealt with Soldano once - I emailed them when I needed a new logo for my amp, and Michael Soldano and Bill Sundt both got back to me seperately within a couple of days. The price was reasonable too.

I've owned and played a lot of amps, and I will probably never need to change my amp again. I would buy another in a flash - i'd buy it in five different colours if I could! The only amp I reckon would get close would be a Cornford or a Bogner. The only thing it doesn't do is 'small amp' sounds. I'm thinking of getting an open back 2x12 and pulling two tubes for smaller gigs. Or maybe a different Soldano like a Reverb-O-Sonic or an Astroverb.

I sold a Marshall Anniversary, block letter Peavey 5150, USA Strat and a Gibson SG to get this amp and don't miss any of it. A Decatone and a good guitar is all you need. Buy one.

not so many features and a chared eq but it all works togeter so good,i had a decatone last summer but from GAS envy i sold it to get a caa od100se what a mistake that was,,the deca is so much better in every way,,so then i sold the caa to get a bogner xtc classic,,again i was disapointed the bogner is nice but i was always trying to tweak it to get my soldano sound,,lol,,so i sold my bogner and got a decatone again and WOW tonal bliss i just cant say enough about this amp it rules it rocks its the best i tried them all YES I DID for the past 4 years iv been trading and byuing guitar amps,,i spent hundeds of thousands of dollars to learn about tone and now im done thats it there is nothing better then this.......................

clean channel is great for a channel switcher the best depending on your guitar it can do coutry style jazz blues,,funk,,chiken picking,,classic finger pickin,,you name it its great at anny volume...

crunch channel (my fave here) this channel will do everything from old school marshall plex to all out modern metal but for me it does that classic 80,s metal tone perfect full of sweet harmonics and overtones, extremely dinamic to picking attack, it can be dark brite compressed or note it all depends on how you tweak it,,i use a tube sreamer in front of it not that it doent have enough overdrive but i just love the dinamics that the boost gives my but i use an overdrive to boost my signal on all amps except boogies witch dont even start to compare with soldano,s,,

overdrive channel this one i dont use much cause the crunch channel gives me all i ever wanted out of a amp,,but i do use it for melower gain stuff yes thats right this thing is just so versitile, i set the gain to about 5 and i sounds like the blue channel of my old XTC so it does that old marshall sound pretty good as well,,

the effects loop is the best for pedals no noise at all , one of the great thing about this amp is that it souds super great at any volume i can play at 5 in the morning wen my wife and kid or sleeping and it sounds monstress,this is one of the very few tube amp that can sound good at extreemely low volume or high volume with no tweaks at all,,it as the greatest master volume ever,,

to me it sound dark but extremely clear at the same time...the only other amp that came close to this was the bogner but even then the soldano is a much better amp trust me...

soldano last for ever...

great suport from the soldano guy,s email them and you are shure to get a response..

if you are looking for tone like i was STOP NOW! look no futher cause the decatone is here DECA"TONE" it say,s it in the nane this is by far the best tone machinne out there PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!

Three channels: clean, crunch and overdrive. The amp has a good set of basic features: The standard BMT EQ section, presence and a 'depth' control for added low-end. I really like the depth control...it adds extra 'ooomph' and chug to your tone without making it boomy or muddy. There are bright switches are on every channel...which I also like. Paralel effects loop with mix pot... Would've liked the effects loop to be foot-switchable. No reverb...but you won't miss it. Decatrol foot switch is very smooth and built to last.

I bought this amp used. Though it was in cosmetically perfect condition...the tubes were on the outs. It had 60 cycle hum and made various popping and buzzing noises when I got it....but it still sounded GREAT! From the first notes I played when testing it out, I knew I would fall in love with this amp. Good tone was achieved instantly with very little knob tweaking...a huge difference from the Mesa's I've been playing for years. There's a natural sag similar to a plexi that's just an absolute joy to experience....all Soldano's have this character...sonic bliss.

At first I wasn't sure about the common EQ for all three channels. I thought it would be limiting....absolutely not! All three channels are awesome and are voiced differently so they are all useable and sound great once the EQ is dialed to your taste. The bright switches and depth help you to shape the crunch and overdrive sounds to sound different.

As I said, this amp needed a re-tube....BAD! A tech once told me a very long time ago that any problem with tube amps is almost always tube-related. I've always kept that in mind and have solved 95% of my amp issues by playing with the tubes. So for this Decatone, I bought a set of Groove Tube 5881's and installed them. The sound improved but the hum was still there and the amp sounded way brighter and slightly 'brittle'. The GT's aren't very good IMO. Anyway, to make a very long story short....I eventually replaced all of the preamp tubes and replaced the power tubes...again..with Tung-sol KT66 reissues and rebiased the amp. (I emailed Bill Sundt of Soldano to get the right specs first...very friendly and helpful)

The pre tubes are now : Tung-sol gold pin in V1, Mullard 12ax7 reissue in V2 and JJ ECC803s in the remaining sockets. The amp is now completely quiet on idle...no hum at all. No popping, hissing...nothing! But the sound my friends....OMG!!!! This re-tubing wasn't cheap...but I would gladly pay double what I did for those tubes to achieve this tone! Now I know why they say the Decatone will go head-to-head with the SLO. I had an opportunity a short while back to be sitting directly in front of Warren Haynes's SLO during a Gov.'t Mule show....this Decatone has that awesome tone now...in spades! I can't find adequate words to describe the sonic transformation that experimenting with tubes has given this amp. Night and day. I've owned many high-end boutique amps...this is my favorite tone out of all of them. Warm, ballsy and articulate with the creamiest, most orgasmic gain ever! NO...and I mean NO...graininess. Smooth!!

Soldano's are built for pro's. My head lives in a road case to keep it looking its best....but the thing's built like a tank!! No worries! The Decatrol footswitch is also a solid chunk of steel.

Excellent customer support. Bill will answer your emails within two days. These are factory-warrantied for 1 year...but Soldano wil stand behind their product for a lifetime.

I've been playing 25 years. Other amps I own are a Koch Multitone, a Mesa Boogie Mark IV, a Rozon custom overdrive and a Mesa Mark III. All great amps in their own right....but the Decatone is my favorite...the Koch comes in 2nd. The depth of tone in the Decatone is inspiring to say the least. These are pricey but worth every dime. If it were lost, I'd get another. If it were stolen...I'd track the bastard down and beat him with it. I do wish it had a footswitchable and assignable loop...but no biggie. This is a fantastic rock and roll amp...not for new metal. If you want over-compressed and over-saturated there is Peavey and the Marshall mode 4 out there for you. If you want TONE...there is Soldano.

not the most feature on this head but hey who needs features wen you get this kinda tone,,,3 chanel all shared eq works great seperate gain and volume for all chanels,,,bright switchs on all chanels,,paralel effects loop one of the best loop i ever got in a amp,,,speaker output 8 16 or 4 ohm,,and thats about it oh almost fergot precense and depth control great feature on all amps..very tonefull versitil amp,,100 watt lound enough to rumble my house..

this is why you buy this amp TONE MAN,,,
cleane chanel.....as good are beter then my demeter tga 2
crunch chanel.....you can do crunh or metal on this one,very sensitive to volume or piking nuances..i love it
overdrive chanel.. famus soldano overdrive can do crunch but metal on this chanel is a must,,pure harmonic heaven and bliss a joy to play..
iv had many many amps and i almost gave up my tone quest but i now found the tone i had in my head,,this one is staying with me,,i almost got the SLO but i favored the versitality of the decatone and i aint regreting it..this tone machine is made of pure quality its a beauty ..

soldanos are built to last

email mike he is a wonderful guy full of knolegde..

been playin for 25 years,,i love the tone i hate nothin about it,,
iv had many boogies,,5150, JSX, splawn pro mod,,vht 50cl,,marshall jcm 800,,randall mts series,,demeter,,ENGL,,line 6,,boogie marshall and randall preamps,,the soldano tone ,craftmanship, and ease of use is just unbelevable,pluge and play you just cant get a bad tone outa f it..i shoulda bought this amp many years ago..oh and this amp actualy sounds good at any volumes,, wow,,this is a plus..it will also projest what you play so no slopy playin,,very organic if you wanit to be or compressed if you tweak it that way,,it is a players amp sounds super super good looks cool and will probably never break...

100W, Three Channel Head. Comes with channel select footswitch. Bright switches for each channel allowing a more glassy top end (or not). Depth and Presence controls. Single EQ section, individual volume and gain for each channel and master volume control. Also features an mixable FX loop in the back.
The Decatone is extremely versatile considering its relative simplicity.
I bought mine with the 4X12 slant cab, both is purple. It took 2 months to arrive from order time, as they are built to order.

This is where the review becomes important. After over ten years of playing through many different types of amps, from boutique to so called high gain, to digital modelling, ive never been happy with my sound until now. This amp has so much tone that even an idiot could find a decent sound. It really is the real deal. The clean channel is crisp and clear, the crunch has a lovely Paul Kossoff feel to it, plenty of distortion with ultimate clarity, and the overdrive channel is just sweet singing tone to the full, none of that mesa boogie rectified sag fizz. It has serious balls.
Im currently using it with a PRS CU24, PRS Rosewood McCarty Goldtop, A Custom Built Fender Strat and Various Les Pauls including an original 57' Goldtop. This all goes into a Boss GT8 used only for a little compression, EQ (for solos), reverb and a bit of delay here and there.
Ive been playing for over ren years and play everything from jazz to blues, rock, metal, industrial, classical and swing. I currently gig most nights, and have just finished a tour to promote the release of my first CD. This amp just does watever i want it to and more. Theres massive headroom in all channels, this is one loud amp.

Its built like a brick. Soldano is famous for reliability and build quality, you wont find a better made peice of equipment.

Bill Sundt is legend, the customer service could not be better. They have answered my emails with the day with exactly what ive needed to know.

It really is simple. This is the best amp ever. If you have the money and are in the market for a high gain amp, i cant recommend it highly enough, this is where the pound stops.
Infact stop reading this and go buy one!
Toodle Pip!

I think it's made in 2002 or 2003. I found the amp's tone & my pedals sound better plugged into the input rather than the fx loop. I'm into experimental/exploratory jam stuff, but do the heavy rock & metal shred stuff at times.

If I would ask for more it'd be separate EQ for each ch, perhaps a 4th ch, or dual modes for each ch. Very simple back panel compared to some Mesa/Boogies.

All 3 channels are superb. My main gtr is a US Tele HH w/dual Atomic hb. I have the bright switch on for each ch. Preamp settings I prefer: clean at around 4.5, crunch around 8 & overdrive maxxed at 11. It's quieter than I expected on the overdrive ch. The other day I had the master at 7 which is quite loud - louder than I usually play at w/a drummer, but I wanted to hear what this amp was like really loud. There's a song I play where there are 8th note rests during a chugging staccato section & I didn't need my noise gate on (to nullify squealing feedback) even though I was almost facing the 4x12 cab straight on.

The clean ch is excellent particularly at a middle p/u selection.

Haven't owned it long enough to give an unbiased opinion, but I'm sure it's dependable. Craftsmanship on Soldanos is excellent.

Bill Sundt sometimes answers your email inquiries.

Probably the only amp I would take over this is a Diezel VH4 or VH4S, but those are twice the price. I would like to see Soldano develop a 4 channel amp or have 2 modes per channel. Sure Soldano had the X-99 preamp, but most players don't want a separate pre & power amp or have to program settings. Nevertheless, this is one of the top high gain heads ever made.