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.

I bought this amp new from a store here about 6 months ago. I mostly play classic/hard rock music as much as my wife hates it. There's like 40 reviews here describing all the features so to keep it short, I'll just explain my rating of "7". Basically this thing cost me approx. 3000 dollars canadian, with no reverb or other options than you could get cheaper on a boogie or such.It has loads of power for me, too much for her.

I use an assortment of Ibanez guitars through this amp, all have had pick-ups changed out to seymour duncan's and DiMarzio's. Honestly I can give a 10 rating here and mean it because like I said, I've tried every other amp tailored to hard rock in hopes that I would like one just as much as this amp and save some cash. Didn't happen. I've never played an amp so sensitive to your touch, feel, and agression like this one- it inspires you to play, and inspires you to be better. The first time I tried it out I imediately took it home with me. Seriously turn it up. The louder you play it, the better the sounds that come out of it are. I enjoy the crunch channel the best, to my ear it is the most versatile. Clean channel is truly that- clean, overdrive gets downright nasty, great for harmonics, tapping, legato and the sort. There are no traits you have to 'settle' with. Everything sounds great.

Only been gigging with it for 6 months, no problems at all yet. Can't imagine anything other than happening other than a certain bandmate smashing it (or my wife).They're both pretty jealous for different reasons.

The store gave me one year warranty, tubes and all. Soldano I've heard is pretty good about everything.

I've been playing guitar for 20 years. Am pretty proficient at it, had lots of gear as well. I consider myself to be lucky every time I plug into this whore. If it were stolen I would cry. I can't afford another one. If I could I would definatley buy one. You're absolutley paying the extra dollars for craftsmanship and tone here, If you honestly play this amp next to any boogie or that godforsaken Krank, you would say the same.

I bought a new head (from the factory, not a floor model) in 2005. I've played for 25 years, including semi-pro and rock oriented church worship bands. I've owned 10+ amps including several Mesa Boogies and this is the best amp by far. The clean, crunch, and gain stations are all wonderful. And all the dials go up to 11. This isn't just to be like Nigel; the power amp is powered (pardon the redundancy) such that you can turn the dials up to 11, wheras most amps start feeding back at 3.(all 3 channels have their own power knob, plus a master power). The depth knob is cool-sort of like a subtle bass feature.

I play classic rock, jazz fusion, modern blues, and Baroque. I use a PRS Singlecut (a Les Paul) and a PRS McCarty Soapbar (like a vintage strat with only 2 singlecoils). I run it through a 4X12 Marshall 1960 with 75 watt British made Celestions. Depending on what channel and pickup/channel combo I am using (3 pickup sounds x 2 guitars x 3 channels = 18 sounds) I can get any sound imaginable, including Henrdrix, SRV, Frisell, Mclaughlin, Page, Slash, McLaughlin, or Al di Meola. However, this is not a rip-off amp, in that Soldano has its own distinct sound, rather than that of a Fender Twin, a Marshall Plexi, or a Mesa Rectifier. You won't get the SLO gain sound, but you get a great crunch AND clean, which the SLO does not have.

I've only have it for a month.

Again, this is worth the premium price. I can't imagine ever getting anything else after this. It goes with me to my grave, if I were not a Christian, I'd worship it.

The one complaint I have, is the way both the front and back grills are attached. In order to access the tubes, you have to remove 2 screws from the plywood siding. It takes several minutes to unscrew them, and its semi-difficult to do so. It seems the screws will start stripping soon, and the holes in the wood may get disfigured. If construction had a rating, I would give a 7, and is why I don't give it a 10 overall.

2003 Soldano Decatone 3-channel 100w head, 3months old, from ebay. This is a VERY versatile head! I play in a classic rock band, and this thing blows away the Peavey XXX head I had before it. An effects loop bypass would be nice, and maybe a line out jack, but it works perfect and has no flaws whatsoever. The construction/wiring inside is so neatly laid out and the wires are perfectly and symetrically bundled, as if it were going to be judged from the inside for some neatness contest. I use this head atop a full Marshall 1960a and 1960b stack when gigging and with one cab at home. The power output is just right for playing clubs pretty loud at that "sweet spot" volume of 8 or so. Comes with Sovtek tubes...

I play Les Paul copies that are all mahagony and Dean USA Hardtail Pro guitars and use a wah pedal. I prefer anything with humbuckers, but this amp sounds great with anything. The distortion, sound, and sustain are all heavenly. The thing is, like any tube amp, you can change the sound a lot by swapping in various preamp tubes (the Mullards sound pretty cool) and the output tubes somewhat. I switched to J/J output and electroharmonix preamp tubes. However you have this thing set up, it always sounds SOLID and unified. Not the saturated mess you get from say, a Peavey xxx. When I had some money, I went and got a couple of Marshall 1960 cabs which sound way better than the Peavey cabs I had been running. Different cabs will change the sound a LOT! I don't know how the Soldano cabs sound now, but I didn't want to get them because they no longer come with Celestion speakers. Marshall may have cheaped out on most of their amp heads somewhat, but their cabs still rule.

Very reliable- I gig every weekend, and the only time I had a problem was when a tube went, but I put a LOT of hours on this thing. That was normal wear and tear. I invested in a flight case for it, since it is a $2500 head. I couldn't believe it when I got the thing on ebay for so cheap. It was BRAND NEW. The previous owner was real nice, and honest. Nice to find people like that. She got a Mesa Boogie instead. Her loss, my gain.

Oh my God! I have never seen anything like the customer service I got from Soldano. I spoke to Mike for like 45 minutes or more on several occasions. I got advice and tech info on how to hook up the head, what tubes, etc. I also told him that it came with a very short cord for the footswitch. He sent me a new one at no charge! I guess that's what you pay for, but in a lot of cases you can spend a fortune and get garbage (My recent Gibson purchases, and returns, come to mind), but with Soldano you get what you pay for and more.

I've been playing guitar for 20 years. If this head were stolen, I would want another one, but I probably would be in jail for killing the bastard who took it! I love the quality, reliability, and TONE of this amp. The other guitar player in my band has a Mashall TSL and when he played my Soldano, he decided he wanted to change brands. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a couple grand right now, so he is upgrading the transformers and modding his TSL to try and make it sound like the Soldano. When you compare the two heads, the quality differences are amazing. The soldano has the best transformers, neater wiring, rugged inputs. The TSL can't even run a full stack without burning itself out. You have to get it modded with an upgraded capacitor or something first(a defect). The soldano is ready to rock one or two cabs right out of the box. The TSL's footswitch jack is a cheesy affair. It's only held in place by the solder joints, which guarantees it will fail, which my buddy's did. All the money he's spent fixing and modding the TSL, he almost could have bought a new Soldano Decatone. When people say "you get what you pay for," they mean Soldano.

I believe this amp was made in 2001. I'm sure you already know the features, but in a nutshell there are three very different channels, a parallel/series effects loop, bright switches on each channel, shared 3-band EQ (read below), presence and depth knobs, and a global volume. Honestly, this amp is so well made and sounds so good that I can't see needing a single thing that it doesn't have. The only thing I do wish it had was a button to hard-bypass the FX loop from the footswitch. But other than that, the features are basically perfect. Not as many little buttons as a VHT, but you seriously don't need them, it's nearly impossible to make this amp sound bad!

I use a 90's Gibson Les Paul. This amp sounds absolutely amazing. The key thing about this amp is that each channel could be a single amp on it's own! I owned a Marshall TSL a long time ago, only for a couple of weeks. What a piece of garbage! The Decatone is 100 watts of pure tube tone, and each channel is a QUALITY channel, not a single mediocre channel to be found! My assessment:

Clean channel - can do anything from a beautiful fender/modern marshall clean, and you crank the gain you can get into Hiwatt territory. Sounds absolutely beautiful.

Crunch channel - the perfect hot-rodded Marshall sound. But it doesn't really stop there... It's got the Soldano sound. It's hard to describe, but it's basically more of... everything. The perfect distortion sound, for me personally.

Overdrive - Very similar to the SLO circuit. Screaming leads, endless sustain. Ultra harmonic. Super hard on... haha

Again, the key thing is that every channel is different, but voiced to work together perfectly with the shared 3-band eq. You won't need any additional EQ, trust me.

I play mostly rock music. My influences come from the early 90's west coast bands, mixed with some progressive rock influences from the last 5 or 6 years. I've always been a Marshall guy, owned a VHT for a little while, but was never completely happy with any of them. Now, I've found my perfect amp.

By the way, in case anyone is wondering, the overdrive circuit is very similar to the HR50 and SLO, but not exactly the same (all of their amps are slightly different, of course). But that same basic vibe is there, but with it's own character.

Soldano is known for making great stuff. Mine is new, but I doubt it will be needing any service anytime soon.

I've called Soldano a bunch of times, both before I bought the amp, and afterwards. Beforehand, I called for advice. Afterwards, I've called to order a t-shirt and ask about speakers, etc. Every time, the same guy answers the phone, (Bill Sundt I believe) and he's very nice and helpful every time. Top notch!!!

I've been playing about 10 years. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another one. I could not live without this amp, it is absolutely unreal.

I did compare the amp to a Bogner Shiva and a HotRod 50. I liked this one better overall, especially from a features standpoint. I purchased mine with the Soldano 2x12" Semi-Open Back Cabinet. It came with Eminence Legend speakers. I am in the process of trying some different speaker configurations. But, let me recommend that if you try any of the Soldano amps, use them with various speakers, because at the store, I also plugged it into a Marshall cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30's. This sounded MUCH better than the Eminence Legends. It is probably largely a matter of taste, but speakers will have a HUGE impact on the sound of an amp!!! Know this and get used to it. I will probably end up running 1 V30 and either one Legend or one G12H30, which is a popular config these days.

Anyway, overall I give the amp a 10. It won't be for everyone, but for me it was the best choice. Let me give one last word of advice. I have owned many amps, and I can say without a doubt that the best way to find the best amp for you is to make the trip to the store (no matter how far away) and spend a LOT of time playing on various amps. Do this as many times as you need to until you are REALLY certain youve found your amp. You can read user reviews until you're blue in the face but they won't help much, I promise. I bought a VHT based on HC user reviews once, and I was sorely disappointed. So, get to the store and start playing! And don't be afraid to crank them up!

3 distinct channels,Single EQ, bright switches for each channel. Series/ parallel effects loop. Presence and depth controls. Etc.

Running a McCarty and numerous Andersons through this amp yields unbelievable tones. The CLEAN channel is VERY Fenderish. It is so sweet it sounds like it has reverb. (In a live situation - you will never miss the reverb.) When maxed, the clean channel can get a great edge/pushed blues tone. The CRUNCH channel took the most getting used to (mainly because we've been brainwashed by the larger amp companies as to what good tone is). This channel can go from Plexi/AC30 land to an incredible custom Marshall sound. Punchy and ballsy on all settings. The bright switch on this channel is like having two different amps. As great as the other channels are - the OVERDRIVE channel is the best channel on the amp. Pure SLO overdrive... The most ballsy, ripping tone soaked overdrive in the world. There is no pedal in the world that can reproduce this sound. The harmonics, the sustain, the cutting drive. I love this channel so much that I couldn't reserve it as a lead channel only. I learned a great trick after about a year of using this amp. I use a BOSS GE7 EQ pedal in the effects loop as a lead boost for all channels. The loop has the mix all the way up (serial loop). Use a true bypass loop pedal to add it to/ remove it from the effects loop because otherwise the pedal colors your tone when it's off. The GE7 is set to boost the med/highs and med/lows when engaged. This amp takes to any Tubescreamer type pedal well. By using the TS and the GE7 I have a 4 channel amp with an EVEN lead boost across all channels. Clean (channel 1 only), Edge (channel 1 w/TS), Overdrive (channel 2 only), Distortion (channel 3 only). Both the Overdrive and distortion settings create unique and incredible lead tones. Simplicity and tone for days... It's like having a Fender Twin, A hott-rodded Marshall, and Mesa on steroids (with tone) all in one box.

This thing is built like a tank. HAven't had a problem yet.

Called/ emailed with questions. They always resonded quickly and courteously with valuable information.

I've been playing about 30 years semi professionally. I thinked I've owned almost everyting. Do you remember the day you figured out that your dad really did know more than you? That's what happens with this amp. It's so simple, you second guess everything. Then one day you realize, that Michael probably does know more about amps than anyone else on the planet. He's dedicated his life to the endless pursuit of tone and quality. It took a little while for me to figure out that my perception of tone was wrong. I now realize I have the best tone I've ever heard and it's not generic. This amp is in a class by itself. It is both transparent at times and can beautifully color at others. You can distinctly hear the changes in guitars and playing nuances. This is not a bedroom amp - this thing was designed for live performance. People like different tones, but if there were no endorsement deals, 80% of the rock guitarists in the world would be playing SOLDANOs. If Soldano ever wanted to sell out and sacrife the quality of their products - I think they would be the best selling rock amp in the world. I glad they haven't sold out. I have searched for years for this kind of tone. If you're looking for one amp to do it all - this is the best I've seen. LOVE IT!! Wouldn't trade it for gold... God Bless !

Three channels all tube head plus Soldano 4x12 slant cab. I only feel the need of a good tube reverb, especially for the clean channel which is extremely good but a reverb could add a little more deepness to it just for those dreamy jazzy chords. Crunch and gain channles are perfect at a point that you don't need it !!!Incredible!!

I already wrote a review for this amp. That happened few days after I got it. I was already happy with it, but now that I know it better, I feel the urge to add something more. This amp, for me, gets 10 in every sense. Mike is THE amp guru. I don't really need nothing more from an amp. Maybe just a good tube reverb (as I said before) for the three channels. Nothing more. Talking about the sounds this amp can produce they are UN-BE-LIE-VA-BLE !!! They're just perfect for my style. I play Jazz and shred fusion. This amp gives you an incredible hi gain sound which is a sort of liquid distortion, simply fantastic. It has sustain for days, harmonics to die for, and it allowed me to play every legato run I can imagine. It is one of the best purchase I did in my life. Crunch is ... how do you spell MAGIC??? And the big surprise is the clean sound. No high gain head on the market gives you a better clean sound. In the clean department only some Fenders could have a better clean sound. When I turn on my Decatone I simply can't put the guitar down. It is amazing. I play different guitars, some high end Ibanez, some vintage stuff from Gibson. I couldn't be more happy with an amp. Probably it has been the best choice for me still in the Soldano catalog ... Slo for example is a one trick pony (pony ..????), Lucky 13 does not have all the features of the Decatone, .. I've been lucky. Sometimes I try some other guys's amps, Marshall, Mesas,.... each time something disappoint me in those brands products. This does not happen with Soldano. In my opinion they cannot even be compared. My Decatone is like a Ferrari. That's it.

It is built like a tank, like all Soldano's products, and I expect it to last forever.

All the guys says the best of the Soldano's customer service. I wrote them two emails from Italy in the past and I never had a reply. Can't understand why.

I started playing in 1987 and since then I owned every imaginable amp vailable in Italy (maybe with the only exception of Bogner). To me Soldano is the best. Anyway surely there are some good amps out there (some Mesas, Bogner, some Peaveys) but noone come close this marvel. I love it.

I recently picked up a used Decatone on Ebay. I've looked for these in the past and once i had a chance to grab one for around $1,500 I decided to go for it. It is in great shape and came with a soft cover.
I highly prefer a three channel amp that is controlled by my MIDI effects. Another big plus is the effects loop with dry/wet control.

I primarly use a Jaros custom guitar with Seymour Duncan humbuckers. My backup is a Hamer Archtop Studio again with SD hums.
As has been said, this amp delivers the good on all channels. I am used to having more EQ control per channel, but I really don't miss it with this amp. It is just designed that well!
The clean channel has a great ring and can just start to break up if you max the gain (but I don't), Crunch channel is exactly that with rhe right amount of chunk to is. The lead channel is pure Soldano heaven.

Too new to tell, used it on two gigs so far and practiced quite a bit with it. Seem to be overbuilt like most Soldano gear.

I've taled with Bill (?) at Soldano in the past. I had a n early Atomic combo for practice a few years back and also used a Yamaha T50 combo. I was impressed the the Soldano factory would do work on the Yamaha product that Mike designed.
From all indications Soldano is a top notch outfit!

I've got 25 years under my belt and played in bands more often than not. I wish I had bought this amp earlier when I first considered them. The Decatone is a perfect fit for me. I miss taht third channel anytime I use a two channel amp.
I plan on using an axess-elextronics CFX-4 to control the channel swtiching on this monster.

ALL TUBE three channel 100 watt, factory foot switch for changing channels (uses standard midi cable, cheap to replace if needed), shared EQ (Mike Soldano did a great job of balancing the channels so they work perfectly together. Believe it or not, you won't miss having separate EQ's for each channel), parallel effects loop (adjustable), bright switch on each channel, adjustable speaker load, presence and resonance controls.
Generally speaking, extra "features" (more channels, more EQ's, more effects loops etc., may give greater versatility, but they degrade tone. This amp offers the most versatility without robbing your tone.

I mainly play a Wolfgang through this amp and it's the best combination I've ever heard. I finally found MY sound! This amp really shows the character of each guitar you play through it. The clean channel stays clean even at high volume. The crunch channel is unbelievable (with bright switch on, think Marshall 800 with more gain available and MORE tone). The Overdrive channel has that harmonically rich screaming gain of the SLO.
You can get a good scooped sound if that's what you want, but this amp's midrange is what other's just dream about. Don't be afraid to turn that mid knob. On this amp, it's your friend.
Hey......it goes to 11.

The gorillas from that brown shipping company did their best to destroy this amp before it hit my front porch (the box was all but destroyed). I took the amp to my amp tech and other than some bent transformer brackets, the amp checked out perfect. I've been playing this thing hard for over two years now without a glitch. You'll see people selling other amps saying how the amp was never played at high volume. That's because a lot of other amps use cheap components and crap out when you push them hard. This amp is made to run wide open for as long as you want. Open up a Decatone and look inside. It's all top grade components......... built to last.

I've never had to have any factory service, but they are great about answering emails. Everybody raves about Soldano's customer support.

I've been playing for 25 years and I've owned gear from all the major brands and several "boutique" manufacturers. Nothing else sounds like a Soldano. If it were stolen?.........That aint gonna happen. Well, I'll put it this way. I live in Utah.......... we love the 2nd Ammendment.
I think the best compliment I can give is "I'll NEVER sell this amp!".

Three channels head with a single equalizer, three bright switches, one for channel (usuful) and without the reverb. A little less than what every guitar player may need. It's a little compromise. One single eq for three channels is not that much onestly. Sure if you tweak a littlle bit you can find good sounds anyway due to the extremely overall high quality of this instruments, but it is still a compromise. Moreover I can't understand why Soldano didn't put here a spring reverb. It is a good kind of vibrato that doesn't cost too much and give a sort of completeness to the amp. I think it is a sort of snob attitude. Anyway, features is not what this amp is about. You don't buy a Soldano for the features at this point, but for the quality of the sounds it can produce. These are truly amazing.

Sounds are great, no doubt about it. You can tweak forever on this amp and never meet a bad sound. Each setting seems to be able to show a different side of your playing that you didn't discover before. It is so good it's ridicolous. This head contains a zillion sounds: all you have to do is move a little bit the controls and zap, you find a new amazing guitar sound, bright, dark, closed, opened, brilliant, sad, clean, crunch, hi gain. I try this head with a Fender reverb, the one shaped like an amp head. And obviously with the head's dedicated cabinet, 4x12. That was it. The guitar was a Yamaha Mike Stern Pacifica. Lovely Seymour Duncan pick ups, bad woods. But it worked fine for this test. The amp is so good it defeated the bad woods in the guitar.
Clean channel: absolutly faantastic. One of the very best clean sounds I ever had the pleasure to play through. Extremely consistent as a jazz sound, closed or opened. Perfect articulation and dynamics, astonishing bass response, strings different sounds, all the notes and nuances of the chords are extremely udible, even with a bad wood guitar. The dark jazz sound you can obtain here is so good you seem to play legato even if you play only with your pick. With the bright switch on you have more attack, a more aggressive jazz sound, less meditative, more staccato. Still brilliant sound with great body! If you play clean comping pop arpeggios the sound is clean and bright as crystal. Clean vote 10
Crunch: Really really serious crunch. Extremely mellow, creamy, perfect for rhythmn parts or Jimi Hendrix solo kinda thing. Like Stevie Ray Vaughan on Little wing. These type of things are not my cup of tea, but soon they will become. This crunch sound is too inspiring.
Hi gain lead: here is something marvellous. If you pump up the gain you obtain a lead sound to die for. A kind of modified pumped Marshall with impressive attack and power. High, mids, and lows come out like jewels from this amp. Stopped rhythmn parts, solo phrasing, bends, all come out perfect. The dynamics are magical. If you pump up the mids and take away a little bit of highs and lows you will discover a nice emulation of the Mesa Rectifier. It's one of the limitless possibilities of this amp. You can't stop playing this thing. I definitly love it.
Overall vote is nine and not ten only because I'd like a little more compression on the hi gain sound. I know that you can resolve this problem with a little compressor, but it is simply than TEN would means that I found this amp perfect for my taste. It is but I feel a little less of compression in the hi gain sound. Anyway it really is near perfection for my taste. 9.5

I think it will lasts centuries. It is built extremely well. I love every part of it. The tone knobs are wonderful: it is a joy to operate them. They are very precise, smooth, and silent. They affect the sound deeply. All is perfectly constructed and the parts chosen are the best.

Never dealt with them.

9.5. Almost a perfect amp. It's not very powerful in my opinion. I was expecting more output power from this kind of head, a completly hand made hi gain moster. Instead it is medium power (for what I am concerned). I didn't had the chance to crank it up the volume at five in front of it, five with master volume, with full gain i could play comfortable in front of it. Probably the more you pump the volume, twice the projection grows. It is very quiet, which is a great thing, almost no hiss and fuss, even at hi gain settings. The best thing was finding the unbeatable clean sound of this amp that came completely unexpected to me. So it's almost perfect. A fantastic clean, a lovely creamy crunch, and a moster very personal hi gain sound. I can't ask more to an amp. Just a little bit of gain compression....and probably a reverb. In the end another plus: this head is light, light, light. Easy to move around. A nice surprise. Uh, unfortunatly the price is extremely high, expecially here in Italy. Sure the best always costs a lot. 9.5

Not sure when this amp was made, but I just got it brand new today; the salesman said he had it a couple of months. I just traded a Mesa Boogie Roadking for this beast; and I have to say in all of the years I've been buying, trading,and getting my ass reamed looking for the amp that works the simplest and has the sound, versatility and feel I'm looking for, has finally become a reality and dream come true! This Head has three distinct channels which share the same EQ, (which I have never liked until this Baby came into my life),each channel,(clean, crunch, and overdrive) has it's own bright switches,Pre amp control and channel volume, and there is a master volume,presence, and a very handy depth control which are a global function controls. On the back is an effects loop with a mix control, two speaker outs with an impeadence rotary knob control. This amp is 100 watts, featuring six JJ 6L6GC power amp tubes along with I guess five chinese 12Ax pre-amp tubes. Mine is an Orange color which is reminisent of the British Orange Amp colors.

I play everthing from country to heavy metal and I currently play in a Classic Rock, cover Band and this amp is going to be everything I want it to be for me. Sure there is some noise but nothing you would'nt expect from any amp in the high gain arena, and this amp is'nt only capable of delivering high gain sounds, it has a beautiful clean channel along with a gorgeous crunch channel. This is not a rectifier type of amp, sure you can scoop it if you want but it's more like the modified marshall sound (which I love) with it's own distinct tone.

Don't know yet, I just got it, it appears to be built pretty durable.

I also have no experience with this company yet, but from what I've read, they treat their customers pretty professionally and they sound competent.

I have been playing for 30+ years and I have finally found an amp I really like that is all tube, the Marshall TSL100, which is one I have, has been pretty good but this one is more magical. I also own a LINE 6 Flextone 3 XL which is the coolist one they have produced yet(see my review of that one)As far as the funny, but not funny, question of what I would do if it were lost or stolen( I laugh my ass off at the responses)all I've got to say is, I watch my equipment like a HAWK! and if some uncontrollable situation occurred, oh well, I won't dwell to long on it and just be glad that I have a knowledgable starting point to replace my gear. This amp does'nt need anything more for me, I am REALLY HAPPY with this one!

You know the features, three channels, but shared EQ. Footswitching between channels can cause audible pops. This is the lightest 100W head I've ever owned... and also the quietest!! Even with channel volumes up, this is still a relatively quiet amp. It is not punishingly loud like I've come to expect from other 100W amps - but still loud enough to be heard over the band.

This is a nice amp, but not the holy grail. Cleans are excellent. Crunch is great. Lead is o.k. The main problem is the shared EQ. If you want the Lead channel to be a higher gain version of the Crunch channel - you can't get this out of the amp! The crunch channel is voiced much warmer than the lead channel. Bright switches can compensate a little, but not enough. It will depend on how you want to use the amp, but make no mistake, the crunch and lead channels are completely different animals and are in no way similar - and the global EQ cannot compensate or strike a good balance. You can see that Soldano probably intended for the crunch channel to be used mainly for rhythms and the lead channel for more cutting and present leads... duh. If this is your bag the Decatone will deliver. Aside from this, the Soldano sound has an inherent paper tearing edge to it... which you may or may not like.

Soldano builds stuff really well.

Soldano are great people who will help you out with whatever you need.

I had been looking for a great and simple three channel head for gigging. I don't mind shared EQ, but I prefer crunch and lead to be similar in voicing... which this amp is not. I played one show with this amp and it performed admirably. Ultimately I didn't care that much for the overall tone of the amp. And the difference in tone between the crunch and lead was just too much for me to accept. I have owned many "similar" amps in the past (Marshall 30th, Custom Audio 3+SE, Bogner 100B, etc.). I ultimately decided to gig with the 3+SE in a rack setup. All of those amps are more consistent in tone from channel to channel compared to the Decatone. For a three channel head I would take the Marshall 30th over the Decatone... even though the 30th itself is still not the holy grail!

I purchased this amp from Musician's Friend in early 2000. The box it was in was very dusty like it had been sitting in the warehouse awhile. This is a 3 channel 100 watt tube amp. For each channel there is Gain, Volume, and a bright switch. It has a 3 band EQ which is shared by the 3 channels. I guess having seperate ones would be to much to ask for but I wish I could do a little more tweaking on the different channels. That said the channels do seem to be voiced in such a way that they go together well. Each channel has a bright switch which I use on the Crunch and Overdrive channels. The Normal channels doesn't need it. There are also a Presence and Depth controls. The Presence is for fine tuning the Hi's over all channels which works well. The Depth is something that has just been around a few years but I think we well be seeing more of in the future. It allows you to add or subtract Low end to the sound of the amp. I find this feature very useful on the gig cause I can add cruching lows with it and the Overdrive channel for a tune and turn it back down for the next song which may call for a clean tone. I use the depth sparingly since it can interfear with the bass player. I mean it's that low ..almost like you hooked up a subwoofer. The map has a effects loop with a mix control and a Ohm switch for using different cabs and speaker configuations. I don't use the effects loop much at all cause I never seem to get the effect (most the time a echo or delay device) to work consistently over all 3 channels. If I get the echo just right on the Clean channel when I switch to Crunch it is double what it was on the Clean channel and it's just a echoing mess on the Overdrive channel. I've tried getting this to work in the garage a few times but I just can't seem to figure it out. I'll try again one day. There are 3 buttons on the face of the amp for changing channels that light up Green, Yellow and Red for the 3 different channels. The 3 button foot switch has the same 3 color leds on it so you know what channel your using. The foot switch uses a Midi cable to connect to the amp which is pretty cool cause if it ever breaks you can replace it with any Midi cable. One sort of cool feature is that the amp well only power up on the clean channel so you never have to worry about it coming on in Overdrive and hurting your ears or your speakers. It has a Stand-By switch on the front panel also. Last but not least is a Master Volume which ....well it's the master volume what else can I say about that. I give it a 9 due to the freaky effects loop and no reverb.

I have several Strats which I use, my favorite being a stock 68' I've had since the mid 70's. I have a 92' SRV Strat with the Brazilian Rosewood finger board. A Jimi Woodstock Strat with the guts out of a Eric Clapton Strat in it. Just didn't seem right that Fender made the EC Strat LOUDER then Jimi's so I fixed that. My main "let's go to the gig" guitar on my current gig is a modded Peavey Predator Strat style body with a Warmoth birdseye maple and rosewood neck, Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups, a Schecter Vibrato and a Roland GK-2 pickup for driving a old Roland GR-1 Synth. I looks like a strat but it's not and I didn't want to mount that Roland thing on a good guitar so I've tried to make this one as stage ready as possible. My back up guitar on the gig is a PRS Custom 22 10 top with trem and birds. Along with these guitars I use my home made pedal board with: Samson wireless receiver, Clyde Standard Wah, CS-Deja-Vibe, Distortion Pro, Fulldrive II S-FY, Ultimate Octave, H2O Chorus/Echo, Little Laneli spring reverb, Boss Tu-2 pedal tuner plugged in to the dry output of the H2O so it isn't really in my signal path. All this except the Samson Receiver is powered buy a Voodoo Lab Pedal Rower supply. What can I say I like my Big Box of Crayons. Now on to the amp.

This is bar none the best guitar amp of it's type I have every heard PERIOD! By this type amp I mean 100 watts, Multi-Channel Monsters. I had made up my mind that I needed a 100 watt Marshall again after all this years being a Die Hard Jimi Freak and went about the task of looking for one. I was tring out Marshalls in a shop in Baton Rouge and I was about to buy one when the sellsman suggested I try the Decatone. Church was out Ballgame over. In this one head I found all the tones clean, dirty, bonecrushing brutal that I was looking for. I came home and found that Musicians Friend carried them..even though I had never seen them in there catalog before. But there they were on the web-site no less. I when about ordering one right away. I found a used 4X12 Marshall cab with Vintage 30's to go with it

I was instantly impressed with the clean channel. As other reviews have stated it is very Fenderish...like a Twin. It stays Clean all the why up to 11 that's right 11 with just a hint of breakup if you wack the strings hard. This was a big deal for me cause so many amps these days breakup much to early for me. I mean they are good in the right place but to have a LOUD, BIG, CLEAN Tone is hard to get out of must amps....except a Twin maybe. The channel is very full, warm, round and the Fender high end sparkle is there if you want it. You can hear the notes of each chord very distincly almost as if each string had it's own amp. Being the Jimi head I am I have over the years come to the conclusion that many of his recording have a very clean tone..even the leads. Even those that make your head explode are really clean for example his version of "All Along the Watchtower" those guitars are clean as a whistle but very powerful and strong none the less. Being a old Blues fan also it reminds me of the Big Tones on ol'T-Bone Walker records. I wanted that in a amp and the Decatone did it. This channel has a hard time keeping up with the other 2 so you have to crank the gain to get enough volume out of it but that OK cause it's still CLEAN!

The Crunch is another Spectacular Channel. You could sell this channel buy itself. Opps... I think they do and they call them 59' Bassmans and 100 watt Marshalls. This is great for Classic Rock and Blues. You can set the amount of Breakup and Distortion with the gain and use your guitar volume to control this channel. EQ'd correctly reminds me of old Bassmans and EQ'd different with a little more gain goes right in to Marshall Plexi land. At first you want to crank the gain but I'm finding a lot of usefull tones as I lower the gain and the amp seems to speak a little clearer. I could do a blues/rock gig with channel alone.

I've opened this baby up on a few occasions to change tubes and to have the local amp guru bless it. This guy taught Hartley Peavey how to work on amps back in the late 50's or early 60's. He isn't impressed with all that gain and distortion but he had to admitt the clean channel was to good to be in a head like this. He didn't like the double sided PC board but came to the conclusion that is was the only way to get this much stuff in one amp. He did mention that the PC board was of high quility and was thick and probably well not warp for some time if ever. He was also impressed with the contruction and wiring of the amp. Very neat and professional..better then he seen in any Fender, Marshall or Mesa Boogie. The solder joints are big and strong looking also. I told him that the amp was hand made by one person at the Soldano factory and he said it sure looked that way.

I use this amp a few time a week for the last 2 years. I just changed the power tubes from the stock 6L6 Sovteks that came in it to Phillips short bottle 6L6's from ARS electronics. Had to adjust the bais and Bill Sunt from Soldano gave me the correct voltage to use no problem. It was smokin' with he Sovteks but I think the Phillips made a difference. I also have JAN Phillips NOS 12AX7's..5 of them in the preamp and effect loops section. I use this amp with out a back up even though now that I think about it there is a reissue Twin in the bands equipment truck if it did break down. I have a feelling that the Twin well break down before the Decatone well. I dig the Phillips 6l6's cause they glow Purple heeheeeheee and you can see them thru the grill. I bought a used anvil case for this head and it rides in the truck. Never had a problem with it. The metal corners where stating to tarnish so when I changed the tubes I took each off one at a time and polished them with Blue Majic metal polish and now the are good as new. That is not a fault of the materials it just the fact that i live in a swamp below sea-level and everything rusts down here.

Bill Sunt at Soldano answers my e-mails with in a day. He has been very helpful with guestions about the effects loop, changing tubes, baising, useing a Fender Vibratone cab with the amp. I think Soldano make a product so good that it doesn't need support but it's nice to know that the guy that designed the amp well answer your e-mail or phone call. If it breaks for some reason you have to send it back to them which is a hussle, and things do happen but I think they well work with you on getting your problem solved as best they can.

I've been playing for 30 years. At least 20 of those as a pro or semi pro. I can play Blues, Funk, Soul, R&B, Top40 back when there was something worth playing Classic Rock and Jazz/Fusion. I know a few high dollar county tricks and licks also. If the joint is jumpin' I've done my job. I can shut up and back up a singer or leave a stage a smolding pile of rumble if the gig calls for it.

This amp isn't cheap but for the amount of tones it delivers it is worth it. I would have to carry 3 amps to do what this one does.

I dealy love this amp. Over the years I've owned Marshalls, Fenders, Boogies, Music Mans (the all time sleeper amps) tuck and rolled Kustoms. This is the best high watt amp I have ever owned or probably well ever own. I would somehow replace it if it was lost are stolen. If stolen a Ass Whippin' of Biblical Proportions would be dealt to the poor sucker if I caught him. Hell my wife would kick his ass.

Wish it would fit in the trunk of my 560SL but you can't have everything.

One last thing...this amp sounds so good i get a little sad everytime I have to turn it off....I could stand there and play on it forever.

3 Channels etc etc. Effects loop mix is excellent.
No reverb but hey cant complain about lack of features.

Guitars I'm using are Ibanez RG550 and Carvin DC127T. With the Carvins single coil-taps this amp has a superb clean funky and country sound.
I play every style (badly) this amp kicks butts big time, not only the world famous lead tone but the clean and crunch channels are so well voiced I cant imagine a style of music not catered for. Like me most people go straight to the overdrive channel and whack up the pre-amp gain to 11..big mistake, it sounds horrible BUT turn down the pre to 7 ish, whack up the overdrive volume and listen to this baby, hello Gary Moore etc...from a long way back, let the air move, dont try it quiet in a 8 foot square room and expect top quality tones, like many people have said you have to hear it at gigging volumes, thats what its designed for.
I made this mistake and nearly sold it. If you play quiet get a Rocktron Voodu-valve and tranny power amp.
At first you think its not loud for a 100W but the dials continue to change the volume all the way till 11. Talking of dials ALL yes ALL the controls actually change the sound...amazing.
Sorry Mr Soldano I cant give a 10, nothings perfect.

Been playing 8 years. Listened/tried most things as per normal, this is the best so far. I've kept my Voodu valve as I teach and the students would nt hear my words of wisdom if I powered up the Soldano.
If you check this amp out try it with the 4x12 cab (thats what I've got in sexy snakeskin) you only live once.
If it got stolen I would say "golly gosh" (I'm English) then find the person and give him a damn good trashing..no I'd kick the sh..e out of him, well my wife would.

This amp rocks it big time! Includes 3 channels, (clean,crunch,overdrive. There is no question as to wether it is versatile enough. Can be played for any musical type, no matter how far out it is. It has all features you should expect from an amp in this price range, and nothing is missing, except if you wanted independent EQ for all 3 channels. NOT AN ISSUE AT ALL!!
This amp for me is personally used for in varoius places.
eg-Entertainment centres, large halls, churches, studios, etc, the works.
Can a tube amp sound any better...... probably not.

I use many guitars with this amp. PRS, Ibanez 7 strings, Tele's, etc.
The clean channel is remarkably warm and "speaks" straight away. When plugging noiseless single coiled pickups through this baby it just sang, more so than most amps I have played with, and I should know as I work in the musical instrument retail business.
U can acheive all variety of tones from the clean, and I have used it for funk, rock, jazz, fusion and ambient sounds.
The crunch is my favourite dirty channel as it throws enourmous bottom end gain frequencies out at you, and you achieve that kick-ass dirty chug tone which is pure FAT. Something that is not comparable to most other amps. It holds all tone aswell as being extremely dirty.
The overdrive is very musical and a much harsher dirty tone when the gain is cranked. It also has a slightly brighter tonal charachteristic to it.
You can acheive sounds to please any from of music that you are trying to play with. Absolute GOLD!

100% dependability. I would use it everytime without a care of possible breakdown.
Pure tone everytime, no hassles. I've even dropped it from 6 feet and not broken valves or interior circuitry. Built like a tank ( however, if u drop it, always get it checked out)

N/A

Been playing for many years, used many different amps- Marshall, Peavey, Laney, Roland, Mesa etc.
It is the most reliable amp I've ever used, and has more than enough tone than you'll ever need.

3 footswitchsable channels (clean,overdrive,lead), one eq, depth and presence knobs, f/x loop. The amp has just the right amount of features, everything you need, nothing you don't. Some amps like Diezel have more features, so only the most MIDI intensive players would feel limited, or those that believe you need separate eq's for each channel. Rated at 100W, but that feels a little generous to me, but PLENTY loud enough for any room.

Killer. Unlike most 3-4 channel amps, every channel on this amp is useable. Many 3-4 ch amps have only one or two good channel that are actually good, this amp has 3 exceptional channels. The low end of this amp can be a bit loose on gain channel settings but not in a bad way. The lead channel at the highest gain settings can be a bit buzzy as well. By varying the level of gain you can control this amp well and the somewhat loose low end is not annoying as would be expected. Live the amp rules and any concerns will be gone when you hit that first chord. The amp sounds unique and musical at all settings. Many compliments from people and sound engineers from the clubs I play in NYC. The clean channel is good, but it is very usable. If your band is doing strictly or mostly clean sounds then you might be better looking at a Soldano Lucky 13. If you want a excellent rock amp this is a sure ticket. even at loud volumes the sound is never fatiquing.

So far so good, looks tough.

The best.

Been playing 25 years, play Les Pauls, PRS. these guitars sound good through most amps in this price range, but the Soldano spanks everything else I've tried. I owned bogner shiva and xtc, Diezel VH4, marshall silver jubilee, mesa dual rectifier, and I'm telling you this amp kicks their as?es in sound to dollar value.

This is a follow up to a review I posted 2 yrs ago. All the features have been covered already in the other reviews. Still don't miss the seperate eqs for each channel and still don't think this head is missing anything either.

Still delivering the goods in the tone department and doing it better than ever. Have been running 6L6's as opposed to the stock 5881 and it yielded a bit more headroom on the distortion channels. Great tone across the three channels. Took me a while to get used to the tone control's frequency centers as they are different than most amps. The mid is a low midrange control, but the treble control is a high mid frequency, alot lower than on say a marshall or boogie. Playing around with these controls in conjunction with the presence control is the best bet to dialing in the best sounds ( at least for me). This is probably why this is a very warm sounding amp. No shrill treble frequecies come out of this head. Still amazed with this heads sounds!

AS SOLID AS THEY COME! HANDS DOWN THE BEST BUILT MOST RELIABLE AMP I HAVE EVER OWNED. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT I WOULD EVER HAVE ANY MAJOR PROBS WITH THIS AMP, SAVE FOR THE TUBES.

I said it before, I'll say it again. This company's customer service is LEGENDARY. They take care of you and do it well. No question is stupid and every answer is direct. They have gone well beyond what most company's would do. Hmmm maybe they are just doing it right!!?? Anyway, the best in this catagory.

I've now owned this head for 2 yrs and have played it a ton. Never had a problem and never expect one. The Decatone is a players amp with great sounds and no-frills operation(it aint no rectumfriar). Turn it on, plug in, enjoy and entertain. Can't say I have enjoyed owning a piece of gear as much as this. They aren't cheap, but what good is? Anyway, You can't put a price on tone.......

This is an update of a review I submitted earlier in the year, and will have to pass for a SLO - Decatone comparative review, which I hope might help others that are comparing the two. <p>I had a brief infatuation with the SLO 100 and decided to trade in my trusty Decatone for one (plus a whole lotta cash). This turned out to be a big mistake. For my style of music (BIG QUALIFIER) which is indie punk (Husker Du, Built 2 Spill, Television Luna, etc), the SLO was not a great fit. It didn't nearly have the melting, glassy, slightly edgy "clean" channel that the Decatone has. It's true that the SLO has amazing crunch and grind to it, but way too overpowering for the small clubs I play in NYC with my band (http://www.esthertheband.com), and the clean channel was disappointing. <p>The footswitching flexibility on the Decatone is terrific for my style, as I can easily go from the orange channel crunch to howling feedback on the red channel. The SLO, I'm told, is not really an amp for footswitchers, so it might not be fair to compare the two on that feature. Bottom line, the SLO yields perfect 70's hard rock crunch (Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Maiden, Sabbath, etc), as well as punishing distortion... but the Decatone has a sparkling clean tone, and extreme versatility when I need to get crunch or howl out of it. Basically, I can make it sound like ME, rather than like Warren Haynes or Joe Perry. I think that's the best you can say about any amp. <p>Like any instrument, it's only as good as what you use it for: SLO wasn't a good fit for me, but the Decatone continues (I bought another when I sold the SLO) to be my workhorse amp.

Play a 56 reissue LP Gold Top, a Gibson SG and a Fender Jazzmaster. Amp is perfect for the garagey, beatles-influenced punk I play.

Had one Decatone for 2 years, and NEVER had to replace the tubes. Astounding! Have owned Marshalls in previous years, and seemed like I was replacing tubes 2-4 times per year. No need for a backup with an amp this well built.

I wish every company in America were as committed to delivering and supporting quality product as Michael Soldano's people are. Maybe the economy wouldn't be in such dire straights if... but I digress. I have had numerous occasions to talk shop with the engineers in Seattle, not because the amp had any problems whatsoever, but simply because I enjoy talking to such intelligent people that are so clearly proud of the product of their labor. I remember when Boogie used to be like this, and they should aspire to it.

Owned one for two years, sold it as the result of poor judgment, and bought another on to use for the indefinite future. I have seen some people slag this amp, and even say the Michael himself was personally disappointed with it. Maybe you all of seen similar comments. I find this absolutely puzzling, as I can't really find a flaw in it.

Made in '96 or '97, this amp has a few modifications to it. Besides the Warren Haynes mod (low volume crispness boost which is basically a built in powerbrake) it has SLO-100 transformers in it as well. Not the choke, just the big power transformers.
I play everything from Van Halen to Pink Floyd to Stevie Ray Vaughn to the Allman Brothers, so sonically I think I cover it all. This amp really shines in all areas. Three channels, foot-switching, tube-buffered parallel effects loop, but only one EQ for all three channels. It really isn't that big of a deal though. What ever guitar you put through this amp, it comes out distinctly on all channels. Only if you want to switch from that scooped mids metal tone to something else will you really miss the extra EQs. The only thing I wish it had was the ability to insert other power tubes into it. I'd love to hear this thing with some EL-84's in it. Unfortunately, pulg and play adapters like tone bones and yellow jackets don't jive to well with Soldanos. Too much plate voltage I've been told. Reverb would have been nice too. For what these things cost, you would think they could afford to put in a reverb tank. Especially since the tank unit cost $20. Yes, the metal box with the springs that makes all fenders sound soooo goooood..... But, I digress.
As for applications, I record, play out, and generally do everything in my power to experiment with this amp. It's dead quiet in the studio and on the stage. It will still give you noise from the obvious sources, single coils, "60 cycle hum", and radio stations. It is an amp afterall.
I give it an 8 because when you boil it down, it gives you three extremely good channels with dead quiet foot-switching and a phenominal loop, but that's it. nothing fancy. Supply your own reverb, eq's, and effects.

I use lots of stuff. I have a '62 Fender RI strat from 1986, A Charvel model 650XL, a Nashville Deluxe tele with the Fishman power bridge, and a DeArmmond M-77. I think I can say that I have covered all of the pickup bases. I have fralins in the '62 RI, Jackson actives in the Charvel, the standard tex-mex pickups and the powerbridge in the tele, and the DeArmonnds ROCK. All sound excellent and do exactly what they are expected to through this amp. I can get the M-77 to do AC/DC just as easily as a Brian Setzer/ Jazz thing. The actives in my Charvel sound sterile with the clean stuff and are better suited to processors, but with the two gain channels, they WILL tear the house down. All three channels are extremely different and you must use each accordingly. The single coils suck with the high gain stuff, but that is the way it has always been- not the amp's problem. The clean channel is wonderful. Turn the pre-amp all the way up and it will break up nicely. Turn it down and the channel volume up and you're loud and clear. I can even make this amp sound like a fender twin, I mean EXACTLY. People often describe this channel as "Fender-Like". No, I mean DEAD ON. I use a Rockman Compressor (not a comp/sus, straight up compressor). Set the input gain (on the compressor) to the second or third setting, use the second top boost setting, and turn the compression off (level of 0). I don't even use this unit for it's compression, the top boost and input gain features are ACE!!. Put some reverb on (I use a H&K Replex) and it is AMAZING. At louder levels, maybe back off on the input gain and top boost. The clean channel takes tube screamers very well also. I have yet to put a good fuzz in front of it or a tube driver(chandler not tube works). With a phaser, a compressor, some delay, my ultravibe, and an electric mistress, all of the clean floyd stuff is within my grasp. Breathe, Pigs, Welcome to the Machine, Run Like Hell- no problem. What I can't do is Time, Comfortably Numb, Young Lust, and that stuff. That's why I wish this amp had a Class A option. Gilmore is using a Class A Hiwatt with a fuzz. The third high gain-channel is kind of fuzz-like in my opinion. This is that famous Soldano overdrive. Think "Heavy Fuel" by Dire Straits. That's Mark Knopfler using a SLO-100. It has many qualities and I really haven't messed with fuzzes, so you may not think so. The second channel is marshall all the way. Angus, Eddie, metal, the sky's the limit. It seems like the eq has the most effect on this channel. Scooping the mids and turning up the bass and depth will hurt people. Seriously. Stomp boxes or anything you don't put in the loop do not work well with the second or third channels. They just get lost and make noise and take away from the clarity of the gain. I really have to turn down the volume on my replex or the reverb and delays get tempermental. The tube is really sensitive. I had a H20 as well and the delays weren't nearly as sensitive to the gain changes. Still noisy though. Processors are the way to go with the gain channels.
Also I have experimented with different cabinets. I bought the Soldano cabinet with the X-12000 speakers when I got the head. I have since started making custom cabinets and have run this head through many different sizes, styles, and wattages of cabinets. The Soldano cabinet does the best job of taking advantage of all of the things this amp does. It cleans up well, sounds great distorted, and is closed-backed to give projection. A marshall JCM-800 with 4 12-inch vintage-75's sounded the best with the gain channels, but was nothing special at all with the clean channel. The clean channel with a custom made 4x10 open back with 35-watt jensens was the real winner though. UNBELIEVEABLE. I don't need to do the compressor trick I mentioned earlier, the smaller speakers give that high end that the compressor would have to put into the larger sp

You don't want to know what all this amp went through. Never a problem. Blew a fuse and a power tube (at the same time), replaced them both and not a whimper before or after. Superman himself would be hard pressed to damage this thing.

I bug Soldano all the time and Bill Sundt has contacted me within 24 hours EVERY TIME. When I blew my fuse and tube, about the plug and play tube adapters (Yellow Jackets and tone Bones), tube recommendations, whatever. Unheard of in today's age of the "Fast Buck". A 10 is unfair to these guys, but this thing doesn't go any higher. Never had to get it fixed, but if it is anything major like a blown transformer, you have to send it in to them (Boo-Hoo!). Once again, I hear they are REALLY fast.

I have been playing 13 years and have owned all sorts of amps, SLX's, Plexi's, midi preamps, a ProSonic head (wonderful piece of gear and the only other amp I now own), and if this amp had a class A option, I would marry it. It will NEVER be stolen or lost, so buying it again isn't even an option. I did almost sell this thing though. Shortly after I got it, I really wasn't happy with it and posted it here in the classifieds. NOBODY WANTED IT!!! People bitched because there was a cigarette burn on the top of the tweed finish, and that was it. I took it into the shop and our local amp guru rebiased it and put in EH tubes for everything. OH MY GOD!!! That's all it needed. I almost made the worst mistake of my life because the amp need biasing and better tubes. So learn, listen, and experiment.

This particular amp was made in the year 2000, January, somebody's dog somewhere crapped in the neighbors yard and my amp was made.
Well let me thinks, it amplifies sound, Now if you ain't worth a turd, it amplifies that too. 3 channel, blah, blah, blah...it seems like it is just squeeking in at 60 watts compared to all the other stuff out there but it's all a calculated risk isn't it?
I'm not playing this in my home, through a headphone, or some other wierd thing, I could give a care if it was butter on the toast of music either, I would say that it's really more important if you load up and spend some time in a warm cow dung so you knows life can be cruel and unforgiving.
This amp will make your mistakes stand out. That's why I like it, it's makes my sound more accident prone.

I use it with my guitar, no one else's because it's a real personal thing like wiping your nose or peeing. You just can't let someone pee for you, can you?
If it's important, you must know that an 847 wah will sound shrill with this amp. But it's just another way of doing business isn't it?
It can get noisy, and my B.O. is smelly like a man. I'm an animal so I like to raise the volume and make it sing.

Mine stopped working but the good guys in see-at-tell made sure that it was no fault of theirs and fixed my broken amp in just a few short months. Hats off to them, they are great humans, they have a definate place among the living. Just thinking of that makes me want to go crank up the thing and blow out some cones. I think mine had the problem of non-use, but I'll fix that. I still would not depend on it so I bring a backup, a bigger, louder, scream and throw pillows amp.

Blah, blah, blah...send it to see-at-tell ifin it don't work and when it comes back it will be good as when it went out the door. I think these are good for a year under warranty. You have to pay big bucks to get the SLO, which has a warranty for life.

I've been playing music since 300 B.C. I used to beat on the side of a tree with a bone then go home, eat some dino meat and kiss my girl all over her body. Then I was reborn 15 times and presently, happened to land right smack dab in the middle of the present day. Now I go home and beat on the side of my tree with a bone, eat fast food, and kiss on my girl. That covers how long I've been playing. It's really clean on the board, there ain't no corn-puke-der stuff, just some resistors and caps, wire and knobs, 5881 and 12ax7 tubes, lower plate voltages, monkeys swinging through trees, fish flippin and flappin. Anyway, it's between here and there on account of the cost, but as far as I can tell, it's really what you want. You can buy a 15 watt bow-wow or look high and low and get one without selling your chillin.

Everything is been said elsewhere about that.

I have to admit, that I bought it because of the Amp Farm,
which I use In my Pro Tools Setup.
At that Time I was playing over a Marshall-Amp with my Band,and I was always disappointed with my Sound.When I played alone, I was way too loud to describe, but when the Band
started, I wasn't there at all,just a big mess. And everything else was sounding messy.
At home, for practice, I was fiddling around with all the possible configurations that are possible inside the virtual world,
but I alway got back to this dawmed Soldano SLO100 -Amp Farm-Plug-in,and I said to myself:How can it be,that this ****ing Plug-In is so different to the other ones.I know that the guys at Soldano hate Line-6,because they use the Brand-name without permission,but I have to say,that the Amp Farm somehow urged me to look for a real Soldano, and then I
luckily seen one on ebay in the U.S and got it fortunatly.(The guy I bought It from was very helpful to lead me through the money transfer-journey.At least we found out how to nail it.)
Now the sound itself:
IT IS HEAVEN.
The Clean is really useful.Its warm and present,just there.
I've got the feeling that it really got the right frequencies to be heard.
The Crunch puts tears in my eyes.Why didn't I know before,that It could be so easy to have a good rythm-sound.It is fantastic.
But :
I use the red-channel for rythm too(meaning power-chords), because I am the singer of the the band and so I don't have to play the solos.
You think that's a waste?
If you ever thought, that any of your stomp-boxes can give you a
satisfying BIG DISTORTION SOUND,(that really fills the room),
try to get near to a Soldano Decatone and see.
I don't wanna leave out the obvious Rectifier-Point.
If I could choose I would have both in my setup, but from
my personal taste I think that the Decatone is a bit
warmer.Its just perfectly right.
I read about people,saying that it doesn't work with their Telecasters, or whatever...
It doesn't work with mine either...(Tele-Thinline,Strat)
This thing is made to work with a ROCK- GUITAR.
LES PAUL.!!!!!!
Of course it does a good job on some single-coils...
But that's even more amazin'.....




The Decatone changed it all.

I think that the only thing that can be
broken with this thing are the tubes......

I mailed them about my second hand decatone, about the
required tubes,and got an instant reply from the tech-guy.
Not bad,

I play music since I am 4.
I am very experienced in recording
and producing music.
I play in bands since I am 10 Years old.
Of course there have been times where I was not into
Rock-Music.But....
I love this amp,and I think that it is a classic already,
but I wish everybody could afford it.
If it were stolen I would punish myself with a Marshall till
I find another Decatone......
But:
Why does the overall-rating field correspond with ''value''?
Should I call it expensiv?,or cheap?How many people are related to this product??What do you want to hear.?
I give it a ten from the HEART.

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!

I bought this in aug-99 2k from "musician's friend".Three cannel 100 watt,with decatrol foot swith. In cabinet with 2-12 soldano speakers. Built solid as a brick. A bit tippy on its weels. two side handles make it easy to handle.

Mex-tele with reo grand tall boys, also guild archtop with humbukers.
I've found the sound produced by my old fender-mex picups was very poor sounding,and I changed pickups to the reo grands.
This amp is very fussy about what set up (guitar,pickups,etc.) you run through it, I've tried several guitars on it,and finding the rightsound is difficult-even thought hard about returning it. I was expecting no hum and dissapointed with a hum at higher volumns. Even
so, I've kept the amp.-on the positive side it is voiced to sound surprisingly good on stage, and I'll probably buy gear that the amp
'likes'.



set up sounds good thru it

I expect reliability.

unknown

This amp could be the cornerstone of a exciting sound, but I'm not exactly sure how to get to there from here. My old GallenKruger amp.
(all transistor,with 2-8" speakers) is much more forgiving, and sounds hot, even with inexpensive gear.

This amp was the biggest disappointment I have ever had in all my years of amp purchases. low end flubby, to no guts at all in the headroom department. I would never suggest this amp to anyone!

No head room on the clean channel. 2 channel is typical marshall sound. 3 channel is noisy and has brutal high end sizzle with flubby low end.

Who knows I dumped the piece of #$@! after 1 month.

Never used them, other than to get the feeling that the transformers are not the same ones used in the SLO. No more DeYoung trans only cheap who knows were transformers.

Would not keep one unless is was moded to fix the output and overall sound of the amp. Don't buy it if you think you are going to get a incredible amp!

3 Channels of pure soldano madness!!! nothing, and i mean nothing, sounds as cool as the decatone. i thought my HR-50 was the coolest amp ever, but that was BEFORE i got a decatone! For 2000$, believe me, i shopped around. i tried out EVERY mesa boogie, rivera, fender, marshall, bogner, you name it! i bought a soldano. the other guys might as well give up!

I use it with a PRS mccarty, and every tone you've ever wanted is in this amp, trust me. i play rock, funk, different stuff. this amp sounds awesome!

Soldano has a reputation for being bullet proof. ive had the decatone for 3 monthes now, and no problems yet. i had a soldano HR50 for 3 years, and it was bulletproof. one time i blew a tube, but that was my own fault.

Ive called them a few times. they are very, very nice, friendly, and very helpful. I give them a 9, because it took them 2 monthes to build my head. :)

i could go on and on about how cool this amp is, but instead, ill just tell you. if you play rock, funk, metal, blues, anything except for country, go check one out. cause what do you care what i think about it? its cool. trust me.

Decatone is a 100W all Tube 3 Channel Head With Effects Loop that includes a Wet/Dry Mix Knob. Switchable between 4-8-16 Ohms and of course as with all Classy Soldano Products it is Hand Made in The USA. Each Channel has a Volume and Pre-Amp Knob with a Bright switch. All three channels use the same EQ chain. BUT LISTEN! This is definately not a PROBLEM. As another person said in his post, each channel is voiced so well that there is no large upper end or lower end sound differance when you switch from one channel to another. I have owned the BOGNER Ecstasy 101B and this amp is just as Nice. There are more bells & whistles on the Bogner but ask any player how many times do they reach back in the middle of thier gigs and tweak knobs, buttons or switches???? OF cousre the decatrol fooswitch is also coolc, cause its thier pedal with a standard MIDI cable, if cables gets worn, no prob, just get a new cable not the whoe thing.

I use this amp with a PRS Custom 24, Humbucks of course. I play Classic Old Van Halen, Bowie, To Van Morrison, to Kings X. The amp can suit any range, but in my opinion is best suited for Hard Rock, Alternative, Metal, Blues. The Clean Channel sounds better than the Bogner, because it has a bit more mid range, stays clean. Push the Gain knob more towards 3:00 and you got nice broken Bluesy Feel. Channel 2 is like a Cranked Marshall, the NICEST THING ABOUT THIS AMP is that you can hear & feel the Tubes working NOT Just Crushing the Pre Amp Section. Bogner feels like its just preamp gain no power amp section tone quality or response. The amp is no more noisy than Boogies or Marshalls, My 30th Anniversay is Just as noisy, it is not annoying. Channel 3 Rocks Hard, with a bit more mid range. If you set channel 2 & 3 with the same settings, 3 will still comeout alive! Very Clear, each note is so articulate!! My personal ears give me the feelings that I'm played a HOT RODDED Marshell Super Lead, with Loads of More Character, no Flubbyness or High end squish out! According to Soldano the only Differance between this amp and the SLO are the Transformers, this is said to be the amp that surpasses all Soldano's in terms of its Sonic Variances, in other words the SLO is just a 1 trick Pony! The decatone sounds just as good in my opinion and the SLO! Someone said this amp was voiced to play with a band, No offence but thats a dumb statment. If your Gonna buy an amp your probably gonna play with a band, saying this amp sounds good with a band, says, its sound like crap other wise, and that is false. This amps sounds good at any volume, but as with any tube amp, when you get the power tubes working harder, it sounds that much more sweeter!!

Dont expect any prblems. Its built like a tank. I take it out anywhere with no prblems

Have talked to Sean and Bill they are both very informed guys in terms of the products they sell. Very Polite, Cordial. In fact talking to Sean and him answering my questions, pushed me over the hill to buy the head.

I have been playing since I was 8yrs Old, Iam now 35, have owned Mesa MKIV, Marshall JCM 800's, Marshall 30th Anniversay, Bogners Ecstacy 101b, Mesa MarkIIC+, Yamaha, Fender, Old and New This amp makes me feel like i never have to buy another Head again....Unless Soldano Comes out with another WINNER!

3 footswitchable channels, each with separate gain/master, shared eq. No reverb. Bright switches for each channel. A lot of people complain about not having separate EQ for each channel, but all the channels here are wonderfully balanced that it makes the amp easier to use. Variable effects loop, non-footswitchable. However, I'll give it a 9 because it lacks reverb.

I am playing an Am Std Strat with a DiMarzio Fast Track 2 in the bridge. I also use a Fender Floyd Rose Classic Strat with a Tone Zone in the bridge position. Both guitars sound great though this amp. I don't use any pedals with this amp. I play distorted Ramones-type stuff and this amp is the best thing I've ever played. The clean stays clean even at loud volumes. It sounds like a twin. The Crunch channel is by far the best sounding channel for what I play. It has more gain than any shredder would ever need. With the knobs all at 12:00, this channel has a pervasive mid-range honk. Metalheads/shredders may not like this, but I love it since I don't like metal anyway. You can probably turn down the mids, but I would never do that because I hate the scooped 'teen eq' sound. If you want to sound like that, then get a cheapo solid state amp and a metal zone. This amp is warm an silky. It doesn't screech, but it roars. The lead channel is voiced similarly to the crunch channel but with a little more bite and gain. I use it only for solos.

Too new to evaluate. I'll report back later. Looks sturdy enough though. I don't plan on abusing this thing. I just got an anvil road case for it.

I'll have to wait and see....I don't expect there to be any hassle if a problem should arise. Mike is very customer service oriented. He cares about his reputation.

This amp literally smokes anything I've ever played though, including the Mesa xxx-Rectifiers, and any Marshall. A lot more expensive, but you get what you pay for. This will be the last amp I will ever have to buy because it is truly the holy grail of tone. Kudos Mike Soldano!

The Decatone is 100 watts, three channels. Pretty bare, no bells and whistles. Single EQ stage shared by all three channels. Presence and Depth controls. Decatrol footswitch to switch between channels. Bright switches for each channel, and separate preamp volume controls for each channel. Extremely easy to use. I'd like to have some reverb, but I find I don't really miss it. Parallel FX loop and impedance selector on the back.

I use an Ernie Ball Axis and a '83 Strat. The Axis screams and has gobs of sustain. The Strat is a bit thinner as expected, but the amp has a good bluesy tone w/ the Strat. My cabinet has the 30W Soldano speakers. The clean channel sounds alot like my '65 Twin, but my twin gets lost in the crowd unless miked whereas the Decatone is out in front of everybody. Overdrive and crunch are powerful, but whats amazing is that you don't lose any frequency response, even when you go off into buzzbomb metal land. Overdrive the hell out of this thing and you can still hear the entire chord you are hitting. The amp is really quiet also, minimal circuit noise. The three channels complement each other well since they all go thru the same EQ.

I've had mine about three weeks now. No problems yet (Knock on Wood!!). Built like a tank. Craftsmanship is A1. Pricey, but you get what you pay for.

Soldano worked with me on a custom blue tolex which came out awesome. When they shipped the amp, a cable was missing. They sent it out the next day. They seem to be very customer service oriented. Small company, very responsive.

I've been playing 20 years. Also have a Twin and a Marshall (now up for sale). If I lost the amp I would definitely replace it. I'm sick of complicated amps - I will never trade versatility for ease of use again. You can't get a bad sound out of this amp!! I play straight thru it, just a little analog delay and wah, and I've never sounded better. The days of effects boxes are over!! I tried some of the Fender reissue stuff, and some bigger Marshalls. They're nice, but this amp has a different voice. It's more $$, but you can't put a price on a good time. And I'm having a good time. The part that really sucks is that you can't try this amp out in the store. It actually sounds run-of-the-mill at low volumes. You have to try it with a band behind you. If you're looking for a living room amp, go somewhere else. But if you play out on a regular basis with a band, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Amp has three channels,Effects loop etc..100 watts 4 5881 tubes. 5 12ax7's..All Sovtek.. Check other reviews for details..
The thing that I liked about the amp is that it had three channels,with volume controls for each. Also, it didn't have alot of gimmick options that get in the way.. I really like the Depth control that shapes the low end. Everything that's there is great.Very versatile for my needs.

I mainly play rock..but need a good clean sounds..I need versatility when my band does cover gigs and this amp delivers. For guitars; I use a Strat and PRS Custom 22
The clean channel is very good..I agree it is not as rich as a twin.but like a Twin it will stay clean at very high volumes..This was important for me because I like the clean to be very clean..Unlike most amps that stay clean at low volume and then break up at higher volumes..You can get that sound if you want it. I run the preamp at about 3.
Channel 2..This channel is the main sound of the amp.. All the adjecties you hear about Soldano apply..Very rich and full..It has alot of the balls and atack of a Marshall while having it's own sound.This amp projects great.It is very classy and lacks the thinness of may other high gain amps Some people complian about Soldano's being bright..I don't find that to be the case with this amp.. You can get that sound when using the bright switch on this channel.. It adds more of the slice I've heard other people get with Soldano's.
3; The lead channel takes of where channel 2 leaves off..I use channel3 as a lead boost. If you set the volumes on channels 2 and 3 the same, 3 will be boosted.. They did a great job with this one becasue I think of the Marshall 6100 where the lead channel is COMPLETLELY DIFFERENT than the rythym channel and I had a hard time balancing the two sound wise.
I agree with te other review that said this amp is made to be turned up. It is not incredibly loud for 100 watts but really shines on stage..Not what I would call a bedroom amp.. The amp is pretty quiet.A little bit of noise but what do you expect? Nothing a good noise gate (Like a Boss NS-2) won't fix.
A couple of small things that I don't like; You have to be careful from switching from clean to distrtion..There can be a loud click if you don't finess it a little bit..And I wish the imput for the footswitch was on the left instead of the right.. Who runs their pedalboard right to left? One note about the footswitch; It has an output for a midi cable instead of a cord attached..This is very cool..I HATE when compaines attach a cord to a footswitch..This makes it much easier to break and harder to replace.

I had a problem with first one I had..There was a bad part on the PC board and it went up in smoke.. This sucked becasue it was right before a gig the second day I had the amp.. This is a new model so things go wrong. Soldano's have a reputation for being really well built..I don't except it to be a problem again.

One thing I really like is when you call the company an actual PERSON answers the phone..Sean returned my calls, E-Mail etc and was helpful geting the amp to me.. They were also cool about getting a replacment out to me fast when my first one went up in smoke..Though I am still waiting for the $$ for shipping the first one I returned.

This is the best amp I've owned. I've been playing for 11 years and I've played through EVERYTHING and consider myself discriminating. For the last year, I'd been looking for one amp to use live and hadn't found anything that could cut it..I had a nice Plexi Marshall but couldn't gig with that one sound..Boogie's Trem-O-Verb was ok, Marshall's 6100 had one good sound, and Bogner was way over priced with too many gimmick options and average sound.I also tried the preamp route but never found anything I liked..Too many amps that sounded good at low volume and thined out live when it matters..
The Decatone is kind of pricey but if you care about your sound, who cares? I really feel like this amp makes me play better and plan on holding on to it for a long time.. I would buy another one in a second..

Three channel; clean, rhythm, lead; each has its own gain, but the eq is shared. Each channel has its own bright switch as well. All are foot- switchable. No reverb, which to me is a disappointment, but Soldano was willing to build a reverb into the amp for me :). The volume controls sound best when cranked, and the master for overall adjustment. The three footswitchable channels were what initially attracted me to this amp.

The clean is very nice; not as rich as maybe a boogie or a matchless, but still a silky, clean channel. This isn't so important to me, more important is the distortion; the rhythm channel has a brutal distortion, and you need to crank the amp to appreciate this. It does not sound good at bedroom level, IMHO. But with some volume this channel outdoes most other "rhythm" channels out there. It will not saturate like the 5150, but in return you get punch and clarity. Then, the lead channel goes beyond this for a full out distorted tone that is unlike any I've ever heard; it also does not saturate, but maintains a rich massive distortion that will cut thru your bass and drummer. It has to be heard to be appreciated; and again, you need the amp UP to fully appreciate it.

This is my first Soldano, but looking over the other reviews and after talking at length with Soldano, I believe this isnt much of a worry, this amp is probably as reliable as any out there.

This is the best amplifier company I have ever dealt with, period. Very friendly, willing to listen, returned my calls, etc.

I love this amp, it does it all; if stolen I will buy another without hesitation. I have been playing 25 years, and I have marshalls, mesas, peaveys, etc. They are fine amps, but if you want an amp to cover all the bases, cut through your band, and provide ultimate tonal firepower, look no more.

The Decatone is a three channel 100W all tube mean machine. It has a parralell F/X loop with mix control which doesn't interfer with your main tone. It comes with a footswitch with direct access to each channel. There is a single three band eq. for all three channel which I thought would be a problem, but the channels are voiced so beautifully with great balance that this was not an issue. I use this amp in the studio and live. Killer sound at any volume, but push it and it cranks. And by the way, my Decatone amp and cabs are in red snakeskin. Very cooool!

I play the Decatone though two 2x12 Soldano cabs with his own brand of speakers, but I also tried it through an old Marshall 4x12 with 25W greenbacks and two single 12 cabs with EV's and it's all good. I have some cutom made strat style guitars that I mostly use, but I also tried it with an Anderson classic strat, Gibson SG and Les Paul and all of these guitars sounded great though the Decatone. I placed a TCM2000 F/X in the loop and was very impressed with the way my main tone was not degraded in anyway. You can play anything with this amp,jazz,rock,metal,blues,fusion,country,polka,classical,funk,alternitive. You know what I mean, anything. The clean channel is smooth,warm and punchy. The crunch channel can go from the best cha-chang to balls to the walls chunk-chunk. The overdrive is to kill for. This amp is also quiet with very little background noise.

I havn't had it very long, but Soldano amps have one of the best reputations in the industry. They just don't break. The craftmanship is beautiful. The way these guys back there product, I feel I have no need to worry.

They are like talking to family on the phone(in a good way). Before I purchased the amp, I made some lengthy phone calls to them asking questions about this and that and never once did I feel like an outsider. They sound like they love the product the're selling. I wouldn't feel bad about calling them even with a dumb question.

I've been playing guitar for 26 years and I've played just about every guitar and amp made. The Decatone has changed my life. I've been searching for this sound for over 10 years. It's now my main amp. There is no substitute.

Three channels with adjustable volume and gain for each. Parallel effects loop that works with any floor pedal. (not a +4dbv loop). 100 watts.

If this amp doesn't blow you away. you must be dead.
The clean channel is just like a Fender. Really..I though I was playing a Twin.
The crunch channel has a very tight bass and is punchy just like a good Marshall..but it sounds like nothing like anything I have ever heard. I love the sound of it...Its like a 5150 without the chainsaw buzz. Don't get me wrong, I love my 5150...its a good sound too. This amp goes above with a clean channel that is very clean. You get three channels here also. This amp also sounds great with many speakers unlike the 5150 that has to have a 5150 cabinet to sound right.
This is the best sounding Soldano I have ever heard.
The lead channel has as much gain as a 5150, and still the bass does not flabb out.
Other than the price, this is the amp to have.
I just cannot see shelling out $1800, but then again, its as good as it gets.

The best...The way Mesa Boogie used to be.

If I had the green, I would have one..
Guy Matricciani