Soldano Decatone

It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that some amps have. It has a shared EQ section for the 3 channels that might be a problem with other amps but this amp is SO well voiced it doesn't affect the overall sound. Effects loop with an adjustable mix knob. 3 button footswitch with replaceable midi cord. Boa skin covering.

I use multiple Les Pauls, all with stock pick-ups. I play mostly heavy rock type stuff but also dabble here and there with jazz and blues. The tone from this amp is amazing to say the least. I use a TC Electronic G-Major and a BBE Sonic maximizer through the effects loop with a Boss GT-3 plugged straight into the front with an Axcess midi controller custom made for the Decatone. I have played numerous other amps ( marshalls,fenders,soldano hot rods and the newer modelling amps) and this amp plain out blows them away. I have been playing for nearly 20 years and this is the best sounding amp I have EVER played through. Everytime I plug in and play through it, it seems to sound better. It's fun to see my friends jaws hit the floor when they hear it.

The clean channel is like glass, the crunch channel is perfect for warm distortion and the overdrive channel is lead heaven.

Once this amp is cranked it is like butter in your hands. The response is unmatched.

I have had this amp for about 5 or 6 years now and I still have the Original tubes in it!!! Am I dreaming? Soldano stuff is made like a tank.

Warranty was one year I think. Never had to really deal with customer support other than emailing to ask what tubes would make the best replacements if one blew. (which hasn't happened as of yet) Very fast and friendly response.

If this amp were ever lost I'd probably cry till I could replace it.
It is a pretty steep price tag but you definately get your moneys worth. I recommend using it with a Soldano cabinet to get the FULL potential.

blah, blah, blah...who cares? It kicks ass and has it all...well, it does'nt have 50 different amps that don't sound right or bells and whistles that sound like poo-poo....it's not versatility it's TONE

yoweee mowie, never knew it couls be sooo good...

who gives a care, I had it 2 months and it it breaks I'll fix it. I checked the power draw, and it seems in line with heavenly design.

love em

I love the sound of it, other Soldanos (combos) didn't have the huge balls of this, now, my nuts are full and I sleep sooo good....

Purchased in late 2000 from Pete's Amps (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/petesamps/info.html). Very good guy!
Amp was built in 2000 in Seattle, USA. I play indie/punk and this amp is drop/dead perfect!!

I use the red (overdrive) channel twice per live set, and it totally screams. Most of the time, I live in the green channel, which breaks up ever so nicely. I don't know why people say it sounds like a Twin, which has always sounded a bit too twangy for me. Gotta say, though, this is the best clean I have ever heard, period.

100% reliable. Tubes still going strong after a year. With other amps (Boogies, Marshalls) I have had to replace tubes after 25-50 hours. I have over 200 hours on this amp, and their still going strong. I was skeptical about this when I heard about it, but for some reason the design of Soldano Amps produces very little wear and tear on the tubes.

Soldano customer support kicks butt. Their reps are smart, friendly and generous with their time. I wish all companies could be like this.

Been playing 15 years. If this we stolen or lost, I would replace it in a heart beat. I also own a Soldano Lucky 13, which I use as a backup, just in case (knock wood), and a Marshall JCM 2000 TSL just for fun. I play Les Pauls, SG's and a Gretch Silver Jet.

Good features. It has 3 channels of pure Soldano amazing sound. I just wish that the clean channel was cleaner that what it is right now. But for my music (I play jazz, fusion, pop, and hard rock) is perfect. To get cleaner at the first channel I change the setup of my guitar pickups (a Fender start '75 with mini-toggles and pull switches) and I can get a Dann Huff or Michael Landau sound. No bad at all anyways.

This head sounds like no other thing I have ever listened. The sound on all 3 channels is amazing. Like a mention before, if you know how to get a good clean sound out of you guitar you'll get the cleanest sound ever. The crunch channel is super cool. I can get a very bluesy sound. The lead channel is out of this world. Here is where the Soldano power shows more than on the other channels. Super nice harmonics and if you know how to use the depth control you will get to feel the tube power all over your hands and playing style.

It's been working without a problem. But again, I only have this amp for about 2 months.

Don't know. I have never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for about 20 years and I have use trough out the years Marshall, Mesa Boogie (studio preamp, quad preamp, TriAxis and Mark IV), Peavey, Create and a couple some other amps and preamps. The one that I did love for many years was Mesa Mark IV until I listen to the first Soldano amp (SLO) back in 1989 at GIT in Hollywood. Mike Soldano him self was promoting his SLO at the school and I got to tell you that I was in love with the amp. Before buying the Decatone I test the Rivera bonhead and Mesa Boggie Triple Rectifier. Decatone blow then all away. The other additional thing that I wish this amp had is the option of having a recording output.

Three chanel amp hand made in Seattle WA. I play anything from SRV to EVH and this amp does it all! Not as feature laden as a Bogner Ecstacy, but there sure is a ton of versatility.

I play an American Strat with a Dimarzio Fast Track 2 in the bridge positon. This amp suits my musical styles perfectly. I believe this amp actually sound like three different amps: Channel 1 (clean) sounds like a hard working Fender twin (cranked), the clean in this channel is far supperior to any other HI Gain head I have played. Channel 2 (crunch) is like a modded Marshall (but with tone to die for). Channel 3 (overdrive) is exactly like the acclaimed SLO-100. This channel nails the Gary Moore sound. This amp has as much gian as possible without having the amp oscilate. This amp, like most tube amps, sounds its best when cranked.

This amp is built like fort knox. Much better cabinet quality than a Marshall, Fender etc. Mike Soldano seems like he cares about his customers, and wants to keep his company as "boutique" as possible without charging an arm and a leg. Sure some may think these amps are ridiculously priced, but in my opinion they are made better and sound better than any amp. Thank god they're not as much as a Two Rock Emerald 50 head (around $4000). I don't anticipate any problems in the near future, and would definitley gig without a backup.

Simply the best in the business!

I've been playing for about ten years, and always tried to get a good sound out of a stock Marshall, but I always felt like something was lacking (mostly gain and TONE). So I was considering getting a full-blown mod job done. Then my friend told me that he had his Marshall modded ($800 for a used head, $500 for super-gain mod, and another $500 for a master push-pull mod). With this mod, he had to re-tube and re-bias EVERY MONTH!!! What a pain in the ass. Then I heard about these Soldano amps. I must say, at first I was skeptical. But after playing the Decatone I immediatly found the sound I was looking for. And best of all the tubes last a year or more, and it is much more reliable than ANY modded Marshall!

This amp is 100 watts of A/B power, 3 channels, master volume for each channel and master for overall amp. 3 Channels, one eq.

If it had reverb it would be the perfect amp, especially after hearing the quality of Soldano's reverb in their Astroverb models. A sweepable mid control would also be nice, but I'm nitpicking.

This amp can do it all, the cleans are as good as a fender twin, but there's no rip your head off treble. It sounds best in a direct line from the cones. How many amps can you say that about?

The crunch(middle channel)has the BEST rhythm tone I've ever heard, it could make a Marshall cry. It has all the best features of an overdriving blackface Bassman, and a Vox AC30.

NOTHING will ever sound as good as the lead tones in this amp (well maybe an SLO). After the Marshall's done crying we can ship it back to the UK were hopefully it'll stay. I suggest we float them over.

The best thing about this amp is that it keeps getting louder all the way through the volume sweep, not like a Fender or Marshall, were it gets loud all the way to 5, and then changes the tone from 6-10. There is a puddle of tone that's oozed out of this amp, underneath the cabinet

All the knobs go to 11, how come I can't rate it 11? It deserves it.

Damaged in shipping, and have had a slight problem with my clean tone...something get jarred... email me if you really want to know what happened. Haven't had it long enough to comment on it's overall reliability.

OH MY GOD. I ahve never experianced support like this. My amp was used and the warrenty had expired with the former owner. I called Soldano, talked to a real person(Amy was very sweet), and was directed to Bill Shultz's Voice Mail. Promptly he called me back, I explained what was happening to my clean tone, and he identified the problem with the first suggestion.. fantastic. Then, as if that wasn't enough, he sent me the part for FREE. He decided to warrenty the used amp!! Later I opened up the amp, being curious as I am and not only did I see a stunning wireing job(take a look inside, it's sooo tidy!!), but Bill and Mike Soldano were the two individuals who designed the amp!! Says so on the board! The tech guy designed the amp? Where else are you getting that? What other company does that for you?

I've ebeen playing 6 years... I'm probably the youngest Decatone user out there at 20 years old. I cycle through gear quickly, I've gone through 15 guitars in 6 years, four amps and countless pedals. I will NEVER buy another amp if it doesn't say SOLDANO on the front of it. If they made a guitar, I'd play it.

If it were stolen, I think I'd cry. And I'm a big guy too, 6'1", 240 lbs... when was the last time you saw anyone that big weep and wail? I would pimp my body out to afford this amp again. I would sell my soul at the crossroads.

Tone Baby, nothing to love except the tone... wish it had reverb, I guess that's why Fender does an offboard unit, the ultimate would be the Surf Box though... cash is a hard thing to come by though, and Surf Boxes aren't easy to find. if it had a Surf Box built in, there would be no sence in having any other amps.

Tone and customer service from Orgasmland, what more can you ask for?

Earlier Model--#2 prototype actually. Signed by Michael Soldano-cool. Also has Silver chassis and hand lableled control panel as opposed to the black chassis and silkscreened control panel on the production amp. Has all the same features etc as all Decatones-see other reviews. Alot of features but not too many....if ya know what I mean. The tone is able to shine thru, not too much ciruitry in the way.

Very good tones across the board, from a Fendery clean to full out overdrive. All 3 channels are well voiced individually and are voiced very well collectively as well. They compliment each other well. The Clean is bright and full and can get a nice breakup when the gain is cranked. The crunch is full and powerful with a great bottom end and a very "Marshall" voice. The Overdrive channel is higher gain, a little more compression a bit more "fat midrange" and a little more sizzle. Switching from one channel to the other, there is no large overtly obnoxious difference in the overall tone. Very nice balance. Ya know, I don't even miss seperate eq's on each channel. I currently use the "basic 3" guitars with it...Les Paul, Strat and Tele and get good results with all. Run it thru a Marshall 4X12 with 2 Greenbacks and 2 75 watters in it. Usually only have to make minor tone adjustments when changing guitars. This head translates the tone of each guitar well. As said by other reviewers, this amp begs to be turned up and really shines when played at gig volumes. Sounds good at lower volumes, but it's true sound and potential isn't realized until the power section gets involved. Not extremely loud for 100 watts ( it's not a Plexi) but definitely has enough. You can hear both the Fender and Marshall influence in this amp. To try to sum up the general tone of this head I would say: The feel of a Fender with the voice of a Marshall. Seems to be smoother than a Marshall with a more "even" feel, yet plenty of balls and the definite midrange grind. Oh well, I tried.....
I give it an 8 because I do not believe there is an amp that is a 10.

It is a Soldano and their reliability is known to be rock solid. This is a prototype so I assume it was made well. I do not expect a problem with it. It still has the original power tubes and preamp tubes, but No biggie there. Pretty much as well made as they come.

Soldano's Customer Service is shall we say, Legendary for lack of a better word. Small company with excellent people that answer your questions and take care of you. Even if you haven't bought one of their amps, they still treat you like you just spent $3000 on an SLO. It doesn't get much better!

What can I say. A great amp from a great company. Sounds very good and is made to last. Not cheap, but what good is??? Been playing far too long for my own good and have owned quite a few amps. Have to say I really dig this one. If you dig great distortion, ya gotta get a Soldano.

Individual volume and gain controls for each of the three channels with an overll master volume. Shared Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence and Depth controls, bright switches for each channel. Adjustable effects loop, two speaker outs with impedence switch for 4,8,16 ohms. This amp was made in 1998 and I bought it late in the year with a soldano 4x12 cab with soldano speakers both for only $1600 used but in new condition. When i asked seller why he was gettingf rid of it he pulled out his two SLO's and stated that he bought the Decatone just to try it out but wasn't really gong to use it. Lucky for me I can really put it to good use. It's not the loudest amp out there freinds of mine have Marshall JLMNOPs and Mesa Quintuple Rectifiers or whatever that truly are a little louder but 100 watts is more than enough in fact for the past year and a half I've been playinmg it with only two power tubes so I can get the gain in there without having to be as loud and trust me at 50 watts it still cuts through without having to be miced.

Mainly I've played this amp with my Travis Bean Artist, Travis Bean Standard and a Karl Sandoval (built Randy Rhodes pok-a-dot flying V) custom Telecaster. The Beans have extremely loud humbuckers ouder than any other humbucker I've ever played in other guitars. One would think that the tone would get really muddy and garbled considering the amount of gain from the pcikups and amp but this has never been a problem. I play in a really noisey rock band ala Unsane/Hammerhead/Jesus Lizard and with the three channels it can go from a really bright clean sound into a warm distortion to a full on gain overdose. A few peple have asked me how is it possible get a good eq on all three channels if they share eq and the answer is I don't know except that Soldano has voiced each channel to complement eachother and therefore you don't get a multichannel amp with only one good channel, the bright switches also provide for more versatility in your tone. Though Soldano isn't known for their clean sound i must say that this amp does a good job of remaining clean at high volumes especially with single coils of course. One thing I like about Soldano's is that they don't sound like Marshall's though some may think that Soldano was inspired by Marshalls his inital base design was a Fender Bassman so don't excpect a Marshall type sound or even a Mesa for that matter. The depth control is something that seems to intrigue people since they (and I) weren't used to seeing them on amps but apparently it's like a presence control for the low end, it takes tone from the power tubes so I've played it through a few different cabs and can still adjust bottom end to fit the voicing of each speaker/cab combination though I think the Soldano cab really compliments the amp best. Soldano Really put a lot of brain power into this amp and designed a great instrument.

I haven't had any problems wit htis amp and Soldano customer sservice is known by everyone to be great. A friend of mine had a Hot Rod 50 and it didn't give him any problems for eight years until some moron used a weird speaker wiring and blew the power tubes..the tubes were also 8 years old so go figure.

I've called Soldano three times, the first to see if the amp was stolen considering i did get it for so cheap i was a bit weary but fortunately it was registered to the seller, the second time to ask about amp cover/anvil case (which I did get built for it) and finally to ask about only using two of the four tubes. Each time they were very polite and helpful, didn't make you feel like you were bothering them with pettiness.

I've had a Carvin X100b and Yamaha/Soldano T100 prior to this amp and by far this is my favorite. I've been playing for 12 years so I've used a fair share of amps and I"ve never really liked Marshall sounds for my playing and Mesa's are too midrangey for my taste so I've tried to avoid those amps. I'm really happy with this amp and if it were stolen I'd easily go out and buy another one full price if I had to. The first time i heard a Soldano (Hot Rod 50 ) i knew i had to get one, it took some time to save up but it's an investment I'll never regret. Considering the fact that other instrumentalist spend thousands of dollars on there prized possesions (violins, sax, classical guitars etc..) a one time investment for an amp that makes you happy is certailny something everyone should consider.

This is an update to my earlier review from a couple of years ago.. I just bought the SOLDANO 4-12 cab to go with the Decatone head.. I think their cabanet goes a long way to getting the full potential of the amp.

The cabinet is mono and 16 ohms. There are 4 thick rubber feet on the bottom. The option of having wheels would be nice. The grill cloth is held by velcro.This is kind of cool. Seems like the cab sounds a little less muffled and more open when you take this off. This could help alot recording as well.

I really dig the Decatone. I just recently tried a Bogner Ecstacy with Vintage 30's and it had a upper midrange buzz that was annoying. The Soldano cab can sound a little boxy but I found experimenting with it made that go away.

Using their cab makes the Depth and Precence contols much more interactive. I was using a Marshall 800 series cab and it was fine but not as well matched as this cab. I do find myself backing off on the mids a bit more with the cab but you can get tons of low end out of the amp (If that's you're thing)

I've heard people compare the clean channel to a Twin. It's not nearly as good but you probably won't buy this amp for that sort of thing. The clean will stay clean at high volumes and is better than most "high gain" amps clean channel .

I'm assuming the cab will hold up ..Used it on a gig this weekend and it sounded great.It looks pretty solid and not as succeptable to tears as some other cabs out there (I need to get a cover though..) . I've been using the Decatone 2-3 nights a week for the last 2 years and it has been pretty reliable. Hd to change a couple of preamp tubes but the power tubes are fine.

I had a couple of gigs where I left the power on 2-3 hours before the show started(standby mode) and the amp sounded underpowered when it was playing time. Also, the footswitch self-destructed one night but they were quick about fixing it and didn't charge me despite the fact that my warranty was up.

Soldano is pretty cool..They usually return phone calls and are very helpful. What can you say about a company that won't try to jerk you off with automated phone lines.. Yes it's true! A PERSON answers the phone!

They bulit a box for me that let me MIDI control (With a Scholz Octopus) the 3 channels via MIDI. They didn't charge me a fortune or make me wait forever for custom work.

I've been playing for 13 years and am reasonably happy with my sound. Evenhough there's always little ways to improve it.

I compared this can to a V30, Greenback and my own 800 series cabs. All 4-12 closed back. All these speakers are excellent for different things but I found the Soldanoo cab best matched with this particular amp.

Three channels with common three band 30dB eq. Bright switch on each channel with overall Presence and Depth control. Four 5881/6L6 Sovtek power tubes and Five 12AX7 preamp tubes. Tube buffered effects loop with 0-100% dry/wet control. Solid state recifier. No Reverb. Comes with a "Decatrol" footswitch with, a great plus, standard MIDI cable interface. I love this!! If the cable breaks, simple replacement! All features pretty much convered in the other reviews.

Sounds...well lets see. I was very concerned about the global eq. for the three channels. Being that it is a Soldano, almost impossible to find this particular head stocked in stores. I have about every style/type of guitar that can cover most playing situations. My main axe is a Jackson with stock Jackson HSS pickups and botls on neck. I also own a Fender American Standard, Ibanez UV777BK, Ibanez Artstar semi-hollow, Gibson Les Paul Jr. and Ibanez RG with a DiMarzio P/U's. The Head goes through a Marshall 4x12 with Vintage 30's. All of the guitars sound great for the particular style they were intended for, but if you try and extract an over-the-top, rip-your-face-off, high gain sound, with the Fender strat...forget about it. The Fender sounds best on the Second "Crunch" channel with a little gain to break it up nicely. The best feature on this amp is the clean channel. Most amps can produce a very good high gain sound, but most fall flat on their face when you are looking for a well balanced clean sound. This amp does not fail. The clean channel is crystal clear with great overall balance. The next two channel provide all the scope of distortion one would ever need. This amp will go from a slight overdrive, bassy jazz to super high gain in the tap of a footswitch. I found that the third "overdrive" channel has too much gain. I've been more than happy with a gain setting of around 5-7 for any hard rock/metal sound. One caution would be to find a good speaker combination for your particular style. I went with the vintage 30's to take advantage of their low power break-up, but also they provide real balance. Don't think that you can plug ANY head into a set of Joe Blow speakers and it will sound good. I spend alot of time checking cabs out and just loved the Marshall. If your looking for booming bass the Mesa Retro would be in your league. The single eq to cover all channel is not a problem. Each channel is very well voiced and pretty much a set it and forget it eq section. The "Depth" control is pretty cool. It's very practical in tuning in the bass responce for the cabnet your using. I've also found that depending an the room size, this control can save a lot of agony in in your sound. I don't use reverb, so the lack of one is not a problem. Besides a reverb could be installed with minimal effort and cost if you really desired one. Overall I bought this amp for its range and it has not disappointed. Pure Soldano fury with enough class to be plopped down at the next family reunion!

Lets see, it's Soldano so anything less that a direct hit from a SCUD would surprise me.

Amp carries a one year warranty, so if anything goes wrong you bet I'll hit them up on it.
I've dealt with Soldano before I purchased the amp and I had many questions. Sean was extremely helpful and you get the feeling they real care about the performance of there product. Very personal approach and get this...They acually call you back!!!

I like it! This amp will be the anchor of my rig for many years! I spent almost two years testing every make/model of amp there is and this was the one. Great company with a reputation for high quality and reliability. I would recommend at least a test drive drive before you buy anything. Soldano's can be expensive, but you do get what you pay for. I gave it an 8 on value because I'm cheap and I hate departing with any of my money!