Soldano Hot Rod 50

I bought it from a friend in 1999 who had it in a rack unit. It was originally in a combo cab that he bought in 1990 (brand new) but as he got more famous installed it in a rack and sold the original cab. It was in the period when Mesa Triple Rec's were all the rage and that is what he replaced it with.
Back when I bought it I used her primarily as my "crunch and nasty amp". (my clean sounds came from either a '66 Bassman AA165 circuitry or a '67 Showman) Yeah: I'm old!!! Now on to what features it has: If you are reading this you already know what she has: 6 knobs : Gain, Treble , Middle ,Bass Presence,Volume, not necessarely in that order. ( I use the gain Knob as more of a volume control than vice a versa.)
I now mainly play in a contempory Christian band.
Oh yeah, she has plenty of power since I'm a firm believer of miking my cabs and letting the sound guy do the job.

I'm a Gibson Guy first but I also really like Fender Tele's since they only have two pickups and I can modify them much like the '72 Deluxe and Custom Tele's. For me, two pickups are plenty and if you train your pinky finger to roll off the volume and tone controls you have the best of both worlds.
Now for pickups, my faves as of right now are: Gibson--490R and 498T's. (these are only on my Gibson's). As for the Tele's and my much modded Strat which only has two pickups Tele style--(see what Prince is playing these days) are either Kinmans or Lollars.
Now on to what she sounds like : It is all up to you! For me I control my guitar's amplitude and distortion by my volume and tone controls. This amp depending on if you plug in to the high gain or low gain settings always has an amazing articulate tone. (I do however rely on my Fender amps for my cleans). This like all tube amps cleans up by means of you volume and tone cone controls on your guitar.
The bottom line: is you can play still play 9th 13th or whatever obtuse chords and still get the definition betweeen each string. They don't muddy up like so many amps will. Awesome!

Before I bought it my friend NEVER had a problem with it outside of a tube change. I have only owned it for (OMG 10 years)and have played thru it more times than I can count until a couple of years ago when due to sloppy handling by people and friends that caused the pre-amp tube sockets to loosen where I had to wiggle the tubes to get contact to fire up. Now I had a small tour coming up at the time and needed another 50 watt head to take her place and opted on a Marshall 2266 Vintage Modern (another amazing amp) to take the place of the Soldano so it went into mothballs for a couple of years. (see below)

On 9-25-2009 I emailed "tech@soldano.com" and described what was going on with the amp and within a few minutes received a reply from Bill Sundt regarding my problem and what it may cost to get the amp back in shape which was more than fair IMHO.
On 9/29/09 I shipped the amp via Fed -Ex from Texas to Seattle and emailed Mr.Sundt on 10/2/09 asking if the amp had arrived.
On 10/03/09 I received a reply via email that the amp was repaired to spec (new preamp sockets and re-tensioned power amp sockets) and what kinds of tubes had been put in and how to bias them in the future. Bill even went in depth as to where to bias my new power tube of choice which is a KT 66 (big brother to a 6L6 GC). but to give the tubes they put in a fighting chance.
All I can say is: In my 42 years of playing, I have NEVER dealt with a company as friendly as they are and have had the turn-around for repairs like they have been (I must add Andy Marshall to this list since I own a THD Bivalve and when I called them for info, Andy was the on who answered the phone AND recommended some different tubes to try in the Bi-Valve

Again, over 40 years but I am still learning!!!!!
Lost-----No!!!! Stolen?----As a Christian I would only hope it was stolen to buy food for your family and not drugs,--- I have had many great pieces of equipment stolen over the years and To whoever you are who stolet hem please realize--- You are forgiven if you accept our Lord into your life, other wise I will adhere to the writings of Romans 12:20.

I don't know what year it was made, I bought in 2006 used. The Hot Rod 50 sounds incredible!! 50 watts is just enough power for most venues. It is a single channel amp with no reverb. If you work with both inputs high/low you can dial in a ton of sounds. You can't get a fender clean sound but a fender can get the overdrive sound the hot rod does! You can dial in a good clean sound not great but I didn't buy if for a clean sound. Over all this amp is great, I had people at every gig complement me on my sound, great feeling! It can be a versatile amp with some effects and spending time dialing in the gain. It is not a versatile as a Mesa Road King, but a great amp!

Sound quality is GREAT! I sold this amp a few months ago and hated to see it go, but I play in a top 40 band and I have to get to many different sounds. That is the only draw back to this amp. If you need a great sounding rock amp go with a Soldano! I use 3 guitars to gig with, PRS, Les Paul and a strat. The Hot Rod sounded great with all of them! You won't be disappointed! No noise at all. It has a clean channel sorta.. you have to dial it in with the high/low inputs and change the pre amp section, but it sounds great! The distortion is simply one of the best, just ask all the "Guitar Hero's"{not the game} that have used them in the studio. Yes I sold it but I will buy another one in the future.

Work horse! Never had a problem. I bought this of eBay and recieved it Friday afternoon and used it Fri/Sat night. I hauled this thing to over 50 gigs for a year and half and never worried about it. It never let me down!! Never had a back up, you don't have to worried about it with a Soldano! Replaced the tubes once.

Never had a problem!

20+ years of playing, professional playing for the last 10. I have a ton of gear, to much to list. Like I said I sold it but hated to see it go and I will by another one in the future. I love the distortion on it! I don't like the fact that is has no reverb, a little dry on the leads and needs a better clean sound. I bought the Hot Rod 50 because I played it at a recording studio and fell in love with it. I have owned Marshall, Mesa, and many others and the Soldano for a rock sound is one of the best! If you need a extremely versatile amp check out the Mesa Road King, that is what I bought when I sold the Soldano, but I still miss my Hot Rod 50!

The perfect amp simple perfection!even better than marshall got 3 band e.q. , master, preamp,hig/low input.And effects loop and speaker out and a nifty ohm selector.

I love it it beats marshalls and fenders!! Did i mention i'm a fender freak to!After i bought this i'm selling my line6.

built like a tank.

i emailed soldano and got a email back from Michael Soldano himself!!

I would kill the bastard who stole this amp; its my life!!

Versatile enough for everything I do. Rock, old school punk, blues, and some experimental stuff.

Rocks my socks off!

Never had a problem.

Emailed me back within a week.

I'd cry if I lost it, then buy another.

My Hot Rod 50 is a very old model (serial # 0028) and I believe it was originally purchased in 1992. Soldano's are all tube, hand wired, point to point amps.

For me, this amp is everything I need. It only has one channel (high and low input) but the amp is so responsive that all I really need is a tube screamer and the volume controls on my pickups. Your choice of pre and power tubes can make this amp sound almost however you want it to. It has an effects loop (apparently tube driven), though I haven't used it yet.

I play many small to medium sized clubs, and this thing has plenty of power for those situations.

I'm in an original band playing progressive rock with some added crunch. We've been compared to Queen, Yes, and Coheed. We do a lot of dual lead guitar work (think Scorpions or Boston).

I'm using a neck thru Carvin SC-90 with a Gibson 57+ in the bridge and a Duncan Antiquity in the neck. From there I run -->Ernie Ball Volume Pedal -->Analog Man modded Boss SD-1 --> Ibanez AD-9 Analog Delay -->Soldano Hot Rod 50 -->Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab

The distortion on this head is possibly the crunchiest and clearest I've ever heard in person. With the preamp gain at 2 and the master at 7 or higher, I get a very vintage crunch very similar to AC/DC (not a fan of the music...but their tone is amazing). Throw an overdrive on and the amp has enough thump to hurt your chest. It has a LOT of presence and I never have a hard time hearing myself over our other guitar players Mesa Single Rec.

Switch to the neck pickup and roll the volume back a little bit and I get a rich semi-clean tone. Plugged into the high input, even with the gain at 2 and pickup volume down, it doesn't quite completely clean up. I find this sound very useful for our style because it gives my clean a little bit extra sustain and it sounds crystal clear in the mix. I haven't messed around with the low gain input much because I mostly bought this amp for the amazing distortion. I would assume the amp would clean up quite a bit in low.

Another cool thing about this amp is it's sensitivity to tube changes. I bought the amp used with original tubes (15 years old) and had to replace all of them so I did some swapping around in the preamp section. I'm using 3 JJ ECC83's and a Groove Tube 12AX7-M (Mullard Reissue) in the V2 position and that seemed to clean up my tone a little more than just 4 JJ's. I threw in a pair of Tung Sol 5881 Reissues and the tone was just awesome.

Well, it's 15 years old and I received it in almost perfect condition (besides some minor tolex rips). As far as I know, there's never been any work done on it and the stock tubes still sounded good...that's impressive.

I've been told the only way to break a Soldano is by soaking it in water or dropping it down a flight of stairs.

Soldano is a very small company, so when you call them you actually talk to one of the 3 amp builders not just some foreign moron hired for "customer support". I've contacted them a few times and always gotten very helpful information.

I've been playing guitar for somewhere around 8 years. I've played through a few Fender's and a JCM900 SLX in the past, and those aren't even in the same class as the Soldano.

The only complaint I have so far is that it doesn't mask any of my sloppy playing (crap)...though that's nothing to complain about really. Hopefully it'll just make me a better player.

I purchased this amp back in mid 1997. This amp is a single channel amp with a high and low gain inputs. It has a series effect loop. I use only the high gain input. I roll back my guitar volume for cleaner tones. I play mainly hard rock.

The sound that this amp produces is absolutely amazing. This amp was made before the xl mod. The range of the tone controls are the best that I have seen on an amp. I play it through a VHT 4-12 speaker cabinet loaded with Celestion vintage 30 speakers. I would not get the mod. This amp teamed with this cabinet has all the bass I ever need. I recently added a Keeley katana boost pedal for a lead boost which really makes it sing. My main guitar I use is a Gibson SG.

Soldano products are built like a tank. This amp fell off my cabinet once, didn't faze it. I have not had any problems with it since I bought it 10 years ago, other than relacing tubes.

I tried to contact them through e-mail one time, never heard back from them. It was just a question about when should the coupling and electolytic compacitors be replaced. I expected a reply because of experinces other people have had with them. I was greatly disapointed about it.

I have been playing for around 20 years. I have a 10 watt single ended class a amp that I built myself (4 gain stages). Keeley katana, Keeley compressor, dunlop wylde wah, mxr noise gate, chorus, reverb and delay rackmount unit and a boss TU-12 tuner. If the soldano was ever stolen or lost I would definatly replace it with another soldano amp. (there the best!)

One Channel, like the Hot Rod 50, but a Custom 100 watt 4 6L6 version.

I bought this Amp from a friend. I usually stay away from Master Volume amps. Not this one! The Overdrive on this amp is amazing but a little too much all of the time. So I set the Master at 5, 6 or 7 & use the Preamp for my volume control. It turns this amp into a Malcolm Young Dream. And then I can use my Stompbox for solo's. When you crank the Master Volume your pushing the Power section & not the Preamp section so you get Huge Punchy Tone with more controlled Gain.
I plan to record soon with it & I won't take one pedal into the session.
I wish I would have bought one of these 10 years ago.

It's solid!

Nice folks at Soldano.

I lucked out getting this amp. I took it apart to clean it up & it's the most solid piece of Tube Amp machinery I've ever seen. My LP & LP Jr. sound killer through this amp. I've gone through far too many amps in the past 5 years. I found out that many amps sound very good, but don't take you to 100% satisfaction. Usually about 80 to 90%. No amp is perfect. This Amp gets me to 95% all of the time. That's all I can ask for. I wish more Amp companies would focus a little more on 1 channel amps. This amp is amazing & even with the Gain cranked it's transparent. Although this amps not a Hot Rod 50, it should help you make your mind up if you're looking into a Soldano.

If you want the Punch of a Hiwatt or Bandmaster & the Gain of JCM800 with much better Overdrive, then this is your amp. I know it's mine.

At the price I got this amp I wish I could give it an Eleven!

If memory serves I bought this amp new in 1993 after my Marshall JCM800 was stolen from a studio I was recording at... I intended to purchase another used JCM800 until a music store salesman (who knew the style I played) suggested I try the Soldano. I played it side by side with the Marshall and was BLOWN AWAY by the difference! I almost died when I saw the price tag though! I decided to pass on the Soldano. So, the salesman said "take it for a week and if you don't like it bring it back"... I took it to a rehearsal and was told "...if I return the amp I'm out of the band"!!! Feature-wise it does exactly what I want - HEAVY!!! I use it with a Marshall 1960 4x12 cab - just plug straight into the amp without pedals - set the gain to 6.5 and enjoy the ride!

I've been using this thing in clubs since '93 and everynight either or both the soundman and guitar players from other bands will comment on how amazing this thing sounds! Guitar players in bands we have played with before quite often ask if they can use my rig when they play with us!

I've never done a thing to this beauty and it still sounds and looks WICKED! It has travelled thousands of miles without a road case in all temperatures and gone from one extreme to another and been shared by as many as five bands in a night on many nights and it still keeps on ticking! I bought a replacement set of tubes about 10 years ago but haven't had to use them yet!!!

Never had a need for customer support...

I wouldn't even consider anything else for the music I play! I'd be F*#@!$g pissed if is was ever lost or stolen!

My amp was made late '91 (SN - 0211). I play all kinds of stuff from classic rock to my all-original extreme metal band's music. Pretty much a straight forward amp: 50w, all tube, effects loop, single channel. That's about it. Cool, huh! Too much crap can get in the way of pure tone, in my opinion. 50w is plenty of power for anyone if they are using their amp properly. I kind of wish I would have held out for the SLO (Ch switching), but funds were somewhat limited at the time.

I play on a bunch of different guitars from custom ESP strats to EMG-loaded Gibson '58-style Vs. I like the fact that most of the reviewers here know a bit more than on some of the other threads. This amp is truly amazing! I got this amp mainly to be different. It seems that EVERYBODY is using the PRS/Mesa combination. Boring. Mesas are really overrated! I work in a repair shop, so not only do I get to try out many different amps, but I get to repair a bunch of CRAP, also! We've seen our fair share of Mesas,Peaveys, Marshalls etc. Soldano rules! No mud, no harsh noise, just pure badass-ness! Super quiet and responsive, even at high gain settings. This amp compresses a lot, however; so don't try backing off the volume to clean up the signal at high gain. I use this amp through a Marshall 1960A w/Vintage 30s. I enjoy the constant compliments & the always present question, "dude, what kind of amp IS that?" My HR-50 has many a Mesa convert to it's credit! Every guitar I own sounds unique through this amp, so I dont have to tweak out the controls much to go between styles. Just change guitars and attack, & a completely different sound emerges!

These things are built like bomb shelters!!! 'Nuff said!

Bought used, so no warranty. I e-mailed them for info(year & fx loop question) and got back an immediate response! Don't think I would need a warranty; these are among the best built amps out there.

I've been playin for 20 years, and have owned all kinda stuff. 4 Marshalls, 2 Laney GH series(great for the $$), 5150, Ampeg etc. Soldano kills 'em all! The only thing I would replace it with is a Soldano SLO. About my only complaint is the fx loop, which only operates w/+10 db rack-type effects units. If anyone says, "you can't get enough distortion from these things", just tell 'em to shut up! There is more than enough gain than anybody needs(mine is set at 6 of 11). Great sound & snakeskin tolex to boot! How different & badass is that?! Best straight-forward rock machine ever built...period!

I'm not sure what year mine is. The features are very limited, but to be honest, if you wanted an amp with a lot of features, you wouldn't buy the HR-50. It's a one channel amp that sounds amazing on its own. If you need more than that, don't buy it. If you only need one channel, you have found heavan with this one. It also has a "low" input, so if you really need a good clean or blues (with the pre-amp maxed) tone in the studio, you've got it. But you can't A/B between them live, so don't even think of that. If you absolutely need two channells, buy the HR-50+.

I'm using it with a Gibson SG standard, and a Gibson SG 1961 re-issue. I had heard complaints that there isn't enough gain on these amps, but these come from people who are either accidentaly plugged into the low input, or have no clue what good tone is. Believe me, the distorted sounds you get out of this amp are amazing. And I mean amazing in the "every note still clear yet still totally heavy" way. If you like the crap distortion that a Peavy XXX will give you...or if you think that the treble knob should always be on 10, with no bass, and you don't know how to play your guitar, and have no clue what live sound is all about, don't buy this amp. If you want something heavy that emphasizes your playing and makes you stand out onstage (no crappy wall-of-sound here, thank god), this is perfect for you. I'm in a heavy band, and have found an aMAZING tone with the pre-amp (gain) at about 3 or 4, with the volume higher than usual. But ALL the knobs go to 11. Literally. Yeah.

I haven't dealt witht he low input much, but when I tried it out, it sounded very, very quality.

I have to give this a 10. I owned a Mesa Dual Rectifier for a year or two, and one day with my HR-50 gave me the sound I was trying to tweak out of the Mesa for over 12 months.

I have only had this amp for a few weeks. I prefer to gig with backup tubes, for safety reasons, but I have always done that.

Never used it. Heard the support was fantastic. Even Soldano himself will get on the phone with you.

I've been playing guitar for 8-10 years, and using tube heads for the last 2 or three. I've played through a Marshall JCM 900 and a Mesa Dual, and this Soldano destroys them. It's just such a quality tone, you won't believe it. If it were stolen, or lost, I'd cry for a long time, and then go find a new one.

The only drawback is the fact that it only has one channel, which may be insufficient for some players. Luckily they made the HR-50+, and I could see myself, someday, upgrading to one of those. But for the next few years, this thing gives me everything I want.

Second Hand and in show room condition I almost wet my pants not that it has hapened in a while;-)
HI & LO gain inputs, Usual aray of dials. preamp gain bass, mid ,trebble, presencs and master volume (Think old Marshall JCM 800 Layout)but it goes up to 11 literally! ;-)
No channel switching.
No Reverb Who Cares!!!!
Will Suit lo tech players down to the ground no need for a lot if any fx to get good sounds.

Absolute space age ray gun like distortion, sounds like the pure crackle of electricity. And TONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! not too saturated but hot and percussive it will not hide sloppy playing. Without a doubt my fave amp. Played through a marshall 2x12 cab i can get some amazing sounds out of it the tonal range and diversity is realy inspiring as a player. I'm comparing this against a peavey 5150 2x12 combo that I own and it is just head and shoulders above most marshalls and boogies that i've played. You can get all of the blues and country tones you will ever need out of the clean channel but the high gain is where its at for me. Strat, LesPaul, SG, PRS etc. keeps the tone of the instrument yet somehow makes it shine, sing twang quack or scream which ever you prefer.

Built like a tank with a sense of style.
Its all valve with quality wiring.
Spare valves always make sence but have had no problems.
Just f**kin' get one if you have any sense.

Bought second hand but never needed to contact but all others seem to say about the best that you could hope for.

If it were stolen I would track the person down and do something rather unpleasant to them then sell their bodily organs on the blackmarket and buy a new one. If lost get really paranoid that somebody up there didn't like me for something that I must have did in a past life. Ha Ha
Just f**kin' get one already especially second hand as these are built to last.

Well lets see... its a pretty straight forward amp. you have your preamp setting, bass, midds, treble, vol, presence. and a low and high imput. an a/b channel switcher will not work to go between the low and high imputs.
my particular hot rod 50 was made in 92 and recently has been recoverd with orange tolex ( looks real sharp ). its a single channel but it has the 2 imputs, it has an effects loop. this amp make the loudest 50 watts i've ever heard, it smashes on mesa/boogie and marshalls. this thing out proformed a 100 watt marshall ...oh yeah, all the knobs go to 11... (thats one louder, hahahaha)

...ITS GOT NUTTZ... this amp cranks. it sounds better than any amp i've ever heard. its highs are a bit harsh at times but u can always turn the treble down, i find myself play with treble on 4. this amp is built to play metal and rock, played through the right speakers and you'll never go back. i play through this kinda strange cab but its just a kicker, if i toast it i'll just toss it. but even on this bootsy cab it rocks. very versitle. heres a rating based on the sound. bass=10 midds=10 highs=7.5
this amp could be call bright, as the highs are real damn loud.

this thing is built like a tank. i dropped it one time and it was fine, a tube fell out but it still worked (never roll a cab on carpet). i would gig this thing with out a back up. also this thing doesn't eat tubes like some amps i've had, tubes can last about a year in this thing with constant playing.

all the guys at soldano are helpful, they reply to e-mails and phone calls. if you wanna talk to them call them, they get like 1,000,000,000 e-mails every day and like 50 calls so if you want some one on one time calling is the way to go.

i play metal, rock, classic rock, blues, classical, and i'd say that this amp is best for metal-rock also moderate blues. this isn't a cheap head but its worth every penny. from the moment you set eyes on your own soldano you know its going to kick ass. on a scale form 1-10 this thing gets an 11. woot

Made in 1992. Single ch. 50w head. High input/low input. Unfortunately you can only use one at a time so you can't A/B it. I'm strictly using the high input through an A/B and another amp for clean.

I play orig. progressive rock/metal & can't use a single ch. amp.
My pedals sounded awful through the loop so i'm connecting them throught the front.

Mostly playing an Epiphone LP. High input jack, preamp on 10 or 11, bass around 6.5, mid around 10, treble 10 or 11, presence 9.5. The presence controls the treble a lot more than the ones i've had on Boogies.

Soldanos make the best crunch tones i've ever heard. Even w/preamp on 11 dissonant chords sound tight. Arpeggiated chords ring thru clearer than any Boogie i've heard.

I'm using it thru a Boogie cab w/25w greenbacks. Low wattage rated speakers always sound better for distortion tones.

Have only had it a short while but Soldanos have a great rep from what others have said. Plus mine is 12 yrs old & is flawless.

Been playing for 22+ yrs. If I ever tour I'd get a Decatone for its versatility & not having to haul around as much equip.
It looks cool & sounds great. Wish it had a better fx loop & perhaps a spring reverb.

Pretty basic single channel 50watt head with low and high inputs. I have heard that the HR50+ does have problems with volume differentials etween the two channels.

I'm using this head with a Soldano 4X12 cab with vintage 30's and I get some great rock and blues tones. The presence and treble knobs are tricky (very responsive). Using a strat can sound really thin unless you crank the mids and back the treble and presence to about 5. The sounds can be awesome with a strat or very 80's metal with a humbucker. Practice your technique, this kind of gain sounds great but doesn't hide much. Nu metal heads might as well forget it. No dark Recto tones here.

Tank like.

Customer support couldn't be better. Bill or Mike himself can help you if you have any questions or issues.

I use this head with either a Strat with Texas Specials, or an ESP prototype with Duncan Humbuckers. This is a great amp for recording or the kind of player that doesn't need many sounds. The tone is special though. It's creamy and classy. The best compliment I've gotten regarding this head sums up my review. The guy said "Man, your sound is so clear and defined!"

This is adn addition to my report directly below. I failed to mention two critical facts. One is that the tubes, both power and pre have been changed to JJ electronics which are so much more musical than the stock tubes soldano put in the head. It's hard to imajine why the head wouldn't come with the JJ's. Second is the cab i'm using is a soldano 4x12 with 2 celection vintage 30's and 2 greenbacks. The jj tubes and this cabinet are a key to the tone i'm getting, which is not to take away from the soldano head, it's still the main tone machine. rock on ...........

see other reviews

Using a prs mccarty with stock pickups, only effect is a boss sd-1 overdrive pedal with level cranked and gain low. My ideal sound is vivian campbell's as heard on the first Dio record. I've had this head for over a year and have been happy, buying it after selling a marshall slash jubilee which i also liked but it sounded like everyone else out there. Anyway, I was playing the soldano through the high sensitivity input and was happy with the tones, but only needed gain settings past six for leads (yes i still play lead!). But WOOOWW after a year i finally decided to mess with the low input and it is the tone i was looking for when used with the pedal in front. I highly recommend using the low input with pedal combo. I found that i needed to crank the mid and treble controls. My fav settings are bass 6, mid 11, treb 11, pres 6 and pre 11. Master as high as possible of course. The low inpup seems to give a more organic, complex and airy tone than the high input channel and to me just sounds more 'vintage marshall' with a twist. Why take a chance on finding and maintaining a marshall jcm or plexi (a good one - they are hit and miss in my experience)? What a great amp. Makes me want to play like no other amp has. Totally inspiring. Thanks mike.

i've been at it for 15 yrs. and my favorite tones are michael schenker, angus, dave meniketti (y&t), vivian campbell, jimmy page.

I was told when I called Soldano that the amp was made in '93 so it does not have the XL mod. This amp replaced a Marshall 6100 LM that was a pain in my ass (intermittent <sp?> problem). I play hard, fast rock and this amp works very well in my band. It's 2 channels - high gain/low gain input. No switching. I don't bother with the low channel in the band but the low input has a nice sound. I am amazed at the level of variety you can get between the pre-amp, eq, and presence knobs. Much more variation than the Marshall had. I haven't used the effects loop yet. It is plenty loud, and I've never turned it past 6 (it goes to 11) at a live show. This sucker is smaller and lighter than a Marshall. It's a 50 watt amp so there are half as many tubes to replace when they go bad. This amp is about as simple and straight forward as it gets. It's the most versatile single channel amp I know of. The eq actually works!!

I use a Gibson Les Paul Junior with a P-90. It's very quite and feeds back only when you want it to. The distortion is a clean distortion. You can still hear each string ring out when the distortion is turned up. It's got a "chimey" sound to it. If you are a sloppy player this amp will not hide your inability. Don't but this amp if you want a good clean channel. Just forget about it. If you want a reliable, light, low maintenance, distortion loving workhouse, this is it.

I do not use a back but I bring 2 extra power tubes wherever I go. No problems thus far, and no indication I will have any.

Not worried about support. This amp is built so well and has such simple schematics that a good tech could find a problem quickly.

I've been playing for 15 years. I've owned a valvestate Marshall combo, a 6100 LM Marshall, and not the Soldano. A big jump in tone quality each time. If it was lost I'd buy another one on ebay. I love that it's light and small. If I had the money I would own 10 of them. I am done with the channel switching dance.

I believe this amp is a early model serial number 00229. It is a single channel amp with tube buffered effects loop. Very simple to use. Nothing crazy preamp,bass,mid,treble,master, and presence controls. Although only having a few features it packs alot of sound. The fact that it only has one channel doesn't bother me because I turn my volume down and the amp is cranked all the time.

The sound is like god. I have tried alot of amps and nothing beats this amp. I play in a alternative rock in an original band. I use a varity of guitars including a Hamer Califorian, Ibanez Reb Beach model, Peavey Wolfgang, Jackson Soloist and it makes all of them sound amazing. I also run a TC G-major and they work great together. If you are looking for that old loud Marshall sound look no further. It sounds way better than any of the new Marshalls.

I recently took it to the shop to have it checked over and found out almost every soldering connection was broke. But it still worked anyway. The repair guy said it was from years of vibration. Other than that new tubes. Thats it.

Never had to call it always works.

I have had a fender,boogie(which broke in a month),Ampeg,marshall,crate and many others. This is the first amp I have owned that I am completely satisfied. Don't waste your money on other amps buy soldano.

a great sound ist the best feature ...

It rocks - I'm playing in a AC/DC Coverband. I'm using the amp/cabinet - Comination HR50/Marshall 1960 A with a low gain setting (4-5) in the High-Input, the EQ Setting is
Gain 4 - Bass 10 - Middle 4 - Treble 4 - Volume between 4 an 6 - Presence 5. My nr1 guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Jr. with a single P90, also some other Les Pauls sounds great with the amp.

No gig without this amp. Never.
No problems ever ..

i don't know, never needed.

anyway, there is no way for me to playing electric guitar without this amp. thank you MIKE SOLDANO for this amp !

There aren't that many features. a 3 band EQ, low and high gain input jacks, single channel with master volume. no frills.

The high gain side is a mean nasty grind that anyone will love. The low gain side is a nice thick tone that is very pleasing to the ears also. My problem arises because this amp is a single channel and i like to have a clean tone as well as a distorted tone. I use it live many different ways...it is my main amp, and depending on the gig i'll sometimes leave it on the low gain said and use a FullTone Distortion PRO for distortion...other times i'll leave it on the high gain side and try to roll the gain off with my volume knob. This method doesn't work well with my Les Paul, but seems to work better with a Carvin guitar i sometimes use. I am about ready to trade this amp in on the 2 channel version, and I think i'm going to pick up a 100 watt version instead. When i run effects through the loop, i lose too much volume. In small clubs with a large audience, i've had this amp on a 4x12 cabinet, with the master volume at 7 or 8, and the preamp at 5, and if i turned up anymore i would start losing my tone...and this is only when i'm using the effects loop. i find the power to be adaquate otherwise. If this amp had two channels, and a reverb option, i would be 100% happy with the amp. the tone is wonderful. It sounds different from the current modern rock trend of using Mesa Boogies. Boogies are wonderful amps, but i'm burned out on that sound since so many new bands are using them. I am going to be a Soldano user for a long time...i've just gotta go get a nicer model.

Rock solid. Never needed anything but new tubes.
I've also noticed that it runs MUCH cooler than my Marshall. Maybe because its open for ventilation in the front and back. This makes it nice to look at a glance and see both power tubes glowing.

never needed it.

I'd recomend this amp to anyone looking for serious profession tone for an affordable price, if they don't mind having only one channel.

This is an addition to an earlier review I did on 11/15/2002. (It should be below the review that is below this review.)

This amp comes stock with Sovtek 5881's and sovtek 12ax7s. That was a little too much gain, not enough warmth for me. So I bought some Sovtek 6l6s (a little sharper, higher output). For preamp tubes, I have from left to right 2 Electro Harmonix 12ax7s, a Groove Tubes 12at7 (lower output, took down the gain to a reasonable level, so it didn't have the overwhelming preamp driven sound), and another Electro Harmonix 12ax7. I recommend this setting to any of you who want to warm the amp up and get rid of a little bit of excess gain, I still run the preamp between 4 and 6 MAX, but it sounds better now. ALSO - Soldano tends to have the amps biased relatively cold, so I put the bias in the higher end of the proper bracket. Sounds WAY warmer, smoother, and better. Do this if you haven't already. That is all.

I called Soldano, talked to the first guy to answer the phone, and he gave me all the tube recommendations and info I could have wanted. They're awesome.

1993 Hot Rod 50.

To expannd on my review from a while back.
I would like to mention that the Hot Rod 50's clean tone is also very nice.It can be glassy or full or just plain ffatt.The EQ section is, as mentioned, very versitile thanks to Soldano's attention to tonal details.The treble and presence are probably the more extreem shapers while the bass and mids are more like older amp style Eq.IE; they don't change much on their own but their interaction with the other settings is what gives these setting their magic.
The preamp settings also change the EQing in that as you roll the preamp towards 11 the bass and mids fill out nicely as the signal compresses.This can all be changed slightly with the use of different preamp tubes.

As I said before, I love this amp and I am truely happy with all the tones I get.I have done a lot of experimentation with EQ, preamp, power amp tube types and brands. As it is out of the box it can do most anything but by changing the preamp tubes you can tame this thing down a bit and by changing the power amp tubes you can alter the voicing/clipping.It wont do Fender of Vox to a tee but it will get close.What it does best is the hallowed vintage Marshall and ofcoarse the Soldano super gain is there at it's best.
As mentioned in an earlier review, don't do mods to this amp if your not completely competent at amp build and design.Mike Soldano and his team of elite amp guru's have done a impeccable job with this and all their amps and such.Talk to them first before doing any and all mods.
I use the Soldano Supercharger GTO in conjuntion with this amp as a second channel.
I read a interview with Soldano that mentioned that the GTO was more like the Hot Rod 50's preamp than the SLO.Then again the Hot Rod is based on the SLO.Either way it mates up with the preamp circuit perfectly, sounding more like an integral part of the amp rather than a floor effect.

Not sure what year the amp was made. Early to mid 90s, I don't know. This is amp is perfect for me. I believe in the unparalleled excellence of single channel amps. No extra crap or components you don't need like new JCMs. For a single channel amp, it's perfect. Preamp, Bass, Mid, Treble, Master, Presence. Boom.

I use a 1978 Gibson "The Paul" or any other Les Paul I can get my hands on. I use a Classic 57+ Plus (PAF) in the bridge and some stock gibson in the neck. This thing is awesome. I still have to screw around with some tubes: I've got Svetlana 6l6's and some 12at7s in there now. Trying to get some new tubes that will warm it up a little more and take down the ridiculous amounts of gain you can get if you want. I keep my preamp between four and five generally on this amp, where as on a jcm 800 2204 I'd have it around 7 for the same sound.

Anyways, what I really like about this amp's sound is its articulation and smoothness. It's the most articulate, clear amp I've ever played. It is silent when I'm not playing. It's an extremely warm sound as well (only to be made better with different/new tubes). You hear every note from top to bottom at all times, and you can really dial up a great mid rangey crunch sound, as well as any other rock and roll sound you'd want.

This amp rocks.
And it's friggin' stylish.

So far no problems. I have read many, many things describing it's EXTREMELY good construction. I have never heard anybody say otherwise, and I have had no problems whatsoever to report.

I am going to call Mike Soldano to ask him what he recommends for tubes to warm it up and take down the gain, as I've said I'd like to do. Rumor has it that speaking to him is not only possible, but that he's very friendly. My understanding is that Soldano's customer support is nearly legendary.

I've been playing for about 5 years now. I love guitar amplifiers. I also love this amp. I have played many Marshall JCM 800s (2204s and 2203s only!), a few oranges, a few boogies, and this amp is and should be included in the list with these excellent amplifiers. I would advocate that if you are reading this, you buy the Soldano Hot Rod 50. They're an extremely economical purchase considering the great tone you get. The amp really sings, it's quite warm, it's quite versatile, it's nice looking, and it's quiet.

What the hell else do you want?

I wish it was two channel, but I can cope.

I have used hundreds of guitar and pickup combinations through this little monster. I used to think it was great, and I played it in all tone and gain settings. I set it one way for a month after tweaking it for an hour, and then another way...you know. But eventually I got sick of the sound, and sold and got a Lucky 13.
Soldanos sometimes up and hum for no reason, because they are set up hot. Like it's name, it's a Hot Rod. It had tons of distortion which would compress to an unbearable degree if you maxed it. I set my gain at 4.

Great dependable amp.

I have been playing 20 years. If stolen, I'd miss it a little and then get something else. It was good for a year or two, but then I grew tired of it's tone. It was a tone upgrade from my Boogie, nah, it was about the same, only a little different.

The amp was build in 92. I bought in May 2002. It has a single channel, 50w. 4x 12ax7 and 2x6l6. It has no features such as channel switching.

I play a Vigier excalibur. Mostly I play lead solos. It isn't noisy at all. The sounds it produces are very hot and warm distorions. From low to high gain; this distortion is just what I need.

I have tesla 12ax7 tubes and svetlana 6l6 powertubes in it, which make it sound a little better. I have a little problem with the high input , sometimes it doesn't work. But I'm shure it can be fixed.

I play 12 years now. I use it with a Roland Jazz-chorus 160 to do the claen stuff. I would by it again if I lost. I like the sound of it, it enables me to play a lot better. I think I will buy a 2x12 soldano box also. It is the first tube amp that I have and I think I won't need any other. I like this amp, good construction, quality sound.