Soldano SLO100

This a new SLO purchased in 2009. I believe the amp was manufactured in 2008. I won't bother going over the features of this amp as they have already been covered extensively. This is a stock amp with no mods. Mike Soldano has gone on the record to say that this is his favorite version of the amp...bone stock, the way he originally designed it. It would be nice to have a feature such as a hard bypass foot-switchable loop or the ability to footswitch between the clean and crunch, but none of those things take away from the amp in any way. It more than makes up for any trivial shortcomings with its monsterous tone. I had a Decatone before this and I thought I might miss the depth knob but I don't. The SLO's bass response is so tremendous and focused that I don't even see the need. I use this amp for everything: live, studio, etc. and it excels eveywhere. It has replaced several other amps I was using. Has more than enough power for my needs.

I use a variety of guitars with this amp, mostly Strats and Les Pauls. Every guitar shines through this amp. I play a wide variety of styles and the SLO keeps up with everything I throw at it. I've read comments about the clean being 'bland' and 'two-dimensional' and I personally don't agree. The clean is superb with plenty of chime and depth. The whole band noticed how good all sounds from the amp were when I first brought it to a rehearsal. The overdrive wow factor is a given with this amp but the clean blew us all equally away. I've owned a Fuchs ODS 100 and the SLO comes damn close to it in the clean department...and it beats the ODS for crunch and overdrive tones, IMO. Others may not agree with these statements, but for my needs and styles I play the Soldano gives me more of what I was looking for than the Fuchs did. But the Fuchs is a great amp, don't get me wrong on that. I just didn't bond with it like I have with the SLO.

The noise on the OD channel is minimal for such a high gain monster. I set the OD preamp at about 4 and use a boost for when more gain is needed. The result is that I have almost zero noise issues. The OD channel cleans up like a dream. I can go from a sweet clipping clean to full-on overdrive madness with the twist of a knob. I cover a hell of a lot of ground on the OD channel alone. The Crunch mode has that sweet plexi vibe to it and is very dynamic and responsive. I have to also mention that the amp takes pedals very well...more so than the Decatone and Orange Rockerverb 50 it replaced.

It likes the cabs I use with it...a Bogner 4x12 with 2 G12T75's and 2 Vinatge 30's and a DR Z 'Z-Best' 2x12 with 1 vintage 30 and 1 G12H30. Sounds amazing with both cabs. Where this amp truly shines is when you turn it up and use it live with a band. The tone, presence and focus is just indescribable. It's an experience every time I plug into it. I've always felt that my low end would always seem to 'train wreck' with my bass player's low end frequencies with the end result being mush and mud. The Soldano's low end doesn't fight with my bass player's tone. It sits seperate in the mix in every situation...big and fat and in-your face. Everything just seems to sit better in the mix on stage and at rehearsals with this amp. The whole band notcied this too, not just me. That quality alone is priceless to me and is worth the price of admission. Because my tone doesn't fight the mix to cut through anymore, distracting me, it allows me to play better and with more abandon.

I'm a big Warren Haynes fan for both his playing and tone. There's a good reason this is his go-to amp.

When you buy an SLO, you buy peace of mind. Built to withstand a nuclear blast!

I've dealt with Soldano on a few occasions in the past. Bill and Mike are great and stand behind all of their products. When I leave a message, they CALL BACK! Even though I'm in Canada and it's international long distance. Not my experience with some other boutique amp manufacturers. Soldano is a pleasure to deal with. They value their customers and give great advice.

I've been playing for about 28 years. (Yikes!) I've owned a TON of gear. I sold a Decatone and an Orange Rockerverb 50 for this head and I couldn't be happier. The SLO does everything those two amps did combined but better. I've owned Fuchs, Koch, Marshall, Boogie MK III, IV and roadking, Dr Z's, etc., etc..a LOT of gear. In the end, although all were great amps, the SLO is my number one 'Keeper'. It delivers everything I want it to in spades. I also have a couple of combo amps that I play and will keep those around because the SLO doesn't do small amp or combo tones as well as an actual combo will. But it will do pretty much everything else with tone that leaves you breathless. Worth-every-penny.

This is a new amp 08 i believe and one of twenty combo 2X12. It is loaded, all the mods, de martini, depth and ecerything done to date. I traded a couple amps I could spare. Iv'e had a caswell for years but wanted a combo to carry an all in one. The sound is simply amazing. I consider myself a boutique amp buyer and hard to please. I am pleased. The distortion, clean and crunch are a 10+. The depth helps and the eminence legends are a great match. I use a framptone 3 banger to switch between a matchless independence and an ecstacy classic; I sometimes use a pheonix but the SLO is always in the chain.

I prefer the KT66s for their tone. I have used the power reducer groove tube model 928PR with EL84s for recording a lot. I also run the amp in 60 watt mode with the two outer KT66s pulled and set the ohms at half or 6L6s for 50 watts. This is a more equal match for the thirty watters I switch between. Though the Bogner and the SLO at full Power modes sound awsome and the matchless amps still keep up; believe it or not, they do. I have had no failures. Tubes will eventually blow. That is the nature of the tube, not the amp.

unmatched warrenty, even a transferable warrenty with my used SLO. I have one of the first caswell X99s and it has never needed service, just yearly tube changes. Built rock solid and designed to please the most critical end user. You will probably never have to use the warrenty but if you do, it is perhaps the best in the industry.

I am 45 and began taking lessons at age 5. Guitar is a huge part of my life, it is my Zen. I would pay the full 5 grang plus to replace this amp if it were lost or stolen. To me it is priceless. I love the dimension it adds to my set up. It completes my rig. I no longer have to search for that undescribable component that is missing. I use several amps because I have learned that no one amp can do it all. This one does a great deal and does it quite excellently. It is unmatched, and with it, I finnally have a set up I could wish for no more from. I could be no more pleased than I now am. Soldano, Matchless and Bogner are all fabulous amps and compliment each other to the point that I would not trade what I have for anything else I have ever heard or played. Others have noticed this and made similar comments to me. I am really nobody but one who loves music and tone. Soldano is a trademark and Hallmark of both. thank you Ken Spencer

Not really sure when it was made. Bought used.

I waited over a year before writing this review on it. To make sure I got the "honeymood phase" out of my system.

Up until this amp, I have almost always preferred reverb and effects loops in my amps. I had though bought a few non-reverb no loop amps and liked them, but still missed having those features.

The Soldano has a loop, but I don't like to use it as I hear it degrade the sound and I want all of it. The point is, on the SLO100, I don't miss reverb, and I tried using the loop, but ended up not, and I don't miss it either.

All features are covered, the most I have to add is with sound quality.

This amp is amazing with my Strat, Tele, or Les Paul. I have heard the "common wisdom" that the clean channel is "not the best", but I totally disagree. The clean crunch setting is amazing, and the clean-clean setting also. I can get Hendrixy cleans, smooth, anything with it really. I found after time, I love the clean as much as the amazingly wonderful OD (or lead) channel. Honest!

It fits many music styles, and I am pretty sure I can even improve even more by spending some time looking for speakers. Running through a Marshall cab (4 x 12", think it is called a 1849 or something like that) and it sounds amazing.

After buying it, I did get a few noises when idling, which just turned out to be the V1 preamp (probably shaken up in shipping. Shipped from north of Norway to me in Oslo). I had three spare, and went back and forth, and one of them definitely was head & shoulders above the other two, even it slightly microphonic but not bad, so I used that one. Just saying, V1 has a LOT of influence on the tone/sound of the amp.

The OD is just wonderful. It's just like a wonderful sonic salve to my ears. I had a Deluxe Reverb II that I loved the tone of, but after 20 minutes even at very low volumes my tinnitius was like Niagara Falls....well the SLO it's the opposite. Even at a good deal higher volume, my ears feel fine after playing for hours on it.

It cuts, but is not harsh. Chords are just amazing...so defined you could touch them practically. Touch sensitivity is perfect on this amp.

The thing I probably love most of all, it is just incredibly hard to get a bad tone/sound out of this amp. Honestly, it is no fuss. You can tweak here and there (and I hadn't realized that, about what the person under mentioned about "flat EQ" being tone controls on 2. I just know that I have other amps, and one really expensive one that I have to tweak and tweak, and some days just never hit the tone I want. The SLO just sits there, and I turn it on, I have even just guessed at settings before turning it on, and hear it sound fantastic.

I could go on and on, but seriously, this amp is THE amp for me.
I like and use other amps too, but this is solid, always there, easy to use, easy to carry, and..maybe more than any amp I have owned, the amp WORKS with me to get a good sound.

It was hard to get one here, and I am seriously considering getting another one.

No problems so far. V1 preamp tube, but that wasn't the amps fault.

Been playing 35+ years. Amateur, but serious one!
Have had tons of amps over the years.

If lost I would buy one again, absolutely.
I love the sound of it. I love the ease of use, easy to get great sounds. Love the option for the clean channel. The Master works well. Was worried that I would "need" the mods for playing at lower volumes, but NO WAY...don't need a thing. Mine is stock, and I don't think the mods would give me a beter sound at low or high...

Great 2 channel amp. Where the normal channel can do clean or crunch and the overdrive channel can do anything up to high gain.

This amp sounds great, but you must remember that 5 accross the board eq wise is not flat. Having the amp tone controls on 1 is closest to a flat tone. I run mine at Bass 2, Mids 3, treb 2.5 and presence at 2, this gives a close tone to a bogner ecstacy where its eqs are all at 5.

The mids on this are more upper around the 1.6 khz range so be careful not boosting to much. Tone controls are real interactive. turning down bass for example seems to smooth out mids

Built like a tank

Havent used them

Great amp, its pricey but worth it

A Purple Soldano SLO100, 240Volt Version, ordered through a friend's Music Shop. Waited 3 months for the amp to arrive.

It's the Standard Soldano SLO100, I use it mainly for recording in my "home studio" and am running it on [2] 2x12" 180watt enclosed Speaker Cabinets.

Basic features, but very easy to set-up and find that "sweet spot" in the sound that I've been searching for in many years. I should have bought one earlier.

From "Clean" to "Brilliantly Mean" the Soldano SLO100 is now the "holy grail" of amps in my studio.

Am using the Soldano SLO100 with the following guitars:

1: John Suhr Custom Standard, ASH Body, Koa Top, Flame [Neck], Brazilian Rosewood [Fingerboard] with Locking Sperzel's & 2 Point Style 1055 Tremelo System. John Suhr Single Coils [Neck & Middle]
John Suhr Humbucker [Bridge] 10 ~ 46 Jim Dunlop Strings

1: John Suhr Custom Standard, Basswood Body, Quilted Maple Top, Flame [Neck], Brazilian Rosewood [Fingerboard] with Locking Sperzel's & 2 Point Style 1055 Tremelo System. John Suhr Aldrich Humbuckers [Neck & Bridge] 10 ~ 46 Jim Dunlop Strings

1: PRS Singlecut Tremelo, with Humbuckers & 10 ~ 46 Jim Dunlop Strings.

The Soldano SLO100 covers an exceptionally wide range of musical styles, I'm into 1970's ~ 1990's Classic Hard Rock, you won't find a better amp than the Soldano SLO100, It's made all of my Marshall's totally redundant due to it's "sound".

The Soldano SLO100 has exceptional "clarity" even in it's most saturated overdrive mode. Really excellent sound for guitar solo's, whether "clean" or "mean" it "out performs" any other amp that I've previously owned or played through.

Simply AWESOME !

Have not used the Soldano SLO100 to gig with, it's planted firmly in my home studio.

Like any amplifier, the reliability depends on many factors, especially how the user "treats" the equipment. I expect to get many years of excellent reliability from the Soldano SLO100 based upon the reviews I've read on it.

Have not had to use the Soldano SLO 100 "Customer Support" facility so far, so am unable to comment at this time.

I expect to get many years of excellent service from the Soldano Team, based upon the reviews I've read on it.

I've ordered a 2nd Soldano SLO100 as a result of the 1st one purchased and will dupliacte the set-up of the Soldano SLO100 with another [2] 2x12 180watt enclosed Speaker Cabinets.

Again, the Soldano SLO100 is a simply "AWESOME" amplifier and I'm going to enjoy this set-up for many year to come.

Okay here's the deal...new (07) head right outta the box this week. Standard model, no mods...don't need them.

I play blues, rock, metal occasionally and rarely top 40 stuff. Mostly originals as well.

I give it a 10 for features simply because the experienced player doesn't need any more crap cluttering the tone. Have your soundman put the tone sucking FX through the PA. I plug straight in and get more sounds by just using the crunch and lead channels and the guitar controls then I could hope for. I also use the clean and lead to switch between as well. For me this amp works EXTREMELY well. I have a large collection of vintage Marshalls from 66 on up and the Soldano gives me a nice plexi type tone that cleans up VERY well on both channels provided one understands how the amp works...it works like an old Marshall, yep, that easy to set up.

Mike Soldano has, as it's been stated, created the ultimate 100 watt head if versatility, TONE, reliability and being in control of the aforementioned is paramount to you. It handles ANY gig easily. I usually run the masters at between 3 and 5 depending on the venue and it pumps through a 70 Marshall basketweave straight cab with 25 watt lead cone pre-Rola Celestions which I thing tame it down so it's much more useful then say, v30'S, h30'S, ev'S ETC...The amp is very warm woody and just swirling with harmonics, punch and clarity as no other amp. If you can play and you are a gigging out musician there is no finer tone machine for most styles of music the amp excels at. Don't play surf music with it though ;)

* What kind of sounds can the amp make? How much variety?

Many plexi to hot plexi and believe it or not, the clean is like a smoother tighter JTM 45/Bassman type of tone. Variety is in the hands as is tone.
* Is the clean channel distorted at high volumes? In what settings?

Don't know, like it to stay cleanish but if you lower the preamp knob and raise the master and use a single coil guitar I would say it would stay pretty damned clean..I can cop funk licks on a Strat if that helps.

* How brutal is the distortion?

Is this a real question? If so you must be a kid to ask this...heavy is in the hands. It can get downright NASTY but MUCH more musical than the gain heads out there.

* What guitar and pickup styles are you using it with?

1950's Les Paul/PAF's (52 TO 59 conversion done by Mirabella guitars, 06 Murphy aged 59 RI with real PAF's, The odd Strat, 1957 Les Paul Jr(orig P90),1962 ES335/PAF's, LP Custom with Duncan Distortion/59 set.
* How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?

VERY WELL. Think of me as a cross between Billy Gibbons, Gary Moore, Freddie,BB and Albert King and James Hetfield.

* Is it noisy? On what settings, and in what environments?
No, not at all. The most quiet amp I own, hands down.

* Can you depend on it? Would you use it on a gig without a backup?

No seasoned player goes to a gig without a backup. I would say after owning restoring, modifying and repairing all types of new and vintage amps that he build quality of this amp is beyond the norm. It's built for life.

* Has the amp ever broken down? Because of neglect of regular servicing (as in tubes), or just plain neglect?

Not yet and I don't expect it to. I make sure my amps are always healthy and fresh.

* If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?

VERY nice, helpful and just plain cool. This company epitomizes the good still in the MI industry'

* Ever try and get it repaired? Was the repair done under warranty?

No but I have no fear they will take care of it


* Were you able to findan authorized service center easily?

N/A
* How long is the warranty?

LIFETIME, transferable.

* How long have you been playing?

About 15 years.

What other gear do you own?

1966 Marshall JTM pLEXI 100, 1967 Marshall plexi Super Bass, 2 1968 Marshall plexi Super Lead, 1969 Marshall plexi Lead 50, 1969 Marshall metal panel Super Bass, 70 Super Bass, 71 Super Lead, 81 JCM 800 2203...7 original Marshall 4x12's, basketweaves, one 2o watt loaded stack, 3 25 watt lead cone stacks, one bass cone straight front basketweave.


* If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?

I'd order another in a second


* what do you love about it? What do you hate?

Everything, I hate nothing about it.


* Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you
choose this one?

I've owned both generations or Rectifiers both Trip and Dual, Bogner Ecstasy, Peavey 5150 AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON...I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING and this is the balls. Hands down.

* Anything you wish it had?

Nope.
* Anything else you'd like to share?

In reading these reviews I am amazed people compare this to a 5150...it's nowhere near a comparison, it's a farce. The Soldano is in a league of it's own. It's as much an instrument as any of my guitars.

Well here goes. The first time I saw a soldano, I thought to myself that's one of those 80's metal amps. You know stupid band's like Ratt, posin etc. I have always thought that God blessed me with really good ears. I have owned several different amps like-Matchless (sampson era) Dc-30, amd clubmans. Mesa MarkIV. bogners. Diaz cd-100. Well, let me say a few years ago, I was at a concert with the allman brothers in Live Oak Fl. Well Warren, and Derek were both playing SLO's. I could not believe the tone derek was getting. So, the next week another great guitar slinger from North Florida was also playing a SLO. I told myself the next time I see one, I will try it out. WOW. I could not believe it. Tone for days. The only thing that took alittle time adjusting to was moving from 30 watt's to 100, and let me tell you-it's 100 freaking watts. Funny thing, after playing an SLO for the last year, 100 watts is where this amp needs to be. I would tell anybody to try an SLO. I have been touring for 7 years with a very well know band, and I am here to tell you< there is no way I could live with out my Soldano. I am sold! Take my humble advice-save your money and learn from my mistakes-buy a SLO. The only other amp, which can compete in this catagory and is an all together different animal is my Diaz. The other cool feature is the transferable lifetime warrenty.

GREAT! Soldano, thanks for making a great amp!

Never had one problem out of my SLO for the past year.

Never had to call the the gang at Soldano yet.

I have never scored a amp at 10, and never will. Nothing will ever be perfect(in my humble opinion).

Although only 2 channels, this amp can cover virtually any genre. With the guitar's volume knob or a volume pedal you can get some additional sounds. The FX loop is kind of the downfall with the amp though, due to its placement in the chain and the lack of stomp box compatibility (+4 rack fx level). I am getting a GMajor tomorrow, so we'll see how it does. It is a serial loop which is good though. Couldn't stand the parallel FX loop on my Mesa. Yes, the SLO does share an EQ between the two channels, but surprisingly this doesn't seem to matter to me. I dial in a punchy OD sound and the clean still sounds great.

The clean/crunch channel sounds best IMO on crunch for clean sounds with a lower preamp gain setting. This gives you nice touch sensitive dynamics and slight breakup - more lively. The OD channel is phenomenal...it will sustain for days and if you can play lead guitar, then you will be pleasantly surprised with the liquid tone and great feel. Stock this amp doesn't have enough low end for me unless I can crank it up to about 4 or 5 (which is incredibly loud - louder than I've been able to turn it up just about anywhere). That said, if you get this amp with the depth mod you will probably not have a problem with the amount of low end, unless you're looking for the 3D bass response of an Uberschall or a Triple Rectifier. Highly recommend getting the depth mod on this - it really thickens up the sound at lower volumes as well.
I used to own a Triple Rectifer and sold it after getting the SLO. It can't compare to clarity of the Soldano (you can hear every note on this amp even if the gain is turned to 11!) Some people test drive this amp come away somewhat less impressed than they had hoped. The SLO is an unforgiving amp in terms of showing your technique...at first this made me feel inadequate in my ability, but over time I have learned all the ways that the Mesa was hiding my bad technique and as a result this amp has taken me from intermediate into advanced. This amp also features their patented Kontrolled Clipping which gives you a smoother gain, none of that grainy/harsh stuff and yet still has a great bite which can cut through anything in your band.

Built with waterproof pots. Probably built better than just 99.9 percent of amps out there...wouldn't hesitate to use without a backup. Never broke done on me, other than through using an instrument cable for a speaker cable (my own fault) - see below.

I made a dumb mistake of using an instrument cable as a speaker cable and the amp cut out on me during practice. I was pretty down and decided to call up Soldano. I described the problem and he guided me through a diagnosing process. Turns out all had to do was plug in and out of the FX Loop return jack 5 times and boom the amp worked again, just like normal. Had to replace the fuse that blew, that protected any further damage as well, but that was dirt cheap to do. I have talked to Bill at Soldano about other gear related compatibilities with this amp and have always found his advice very helpful. I really couldn't ask for better customer support. A+

I've been playing for 12 years and this is my favorite amp so far. I am saving up for a Bogner XTC as well and should be satisfied with amp buying for a long time. The Soldano is the benchmark for many modern high gain amplifiers (5150, Mesa Rectifer, etc. were based on its design) and while it's not all that cheap, it is worth the price for an amp of this quality to me. It also comes with a fully transferable lifetime warranty - how many companies offer this? I do wish it had a more friendly FX Loop, but I don't think it's going to be an issue as I'm going with Rack FX and some pedals out front. It is a bright sounding amp which isn't for everyone. If you like darker tones try Bogner. If you do like bright tones and must have 3 channels there's always the Soldano Decatone. I highly recommend this amp if you play lead guitar, as there is pretty much nothing that can touch it in this realm. The clean channel sometimes gets unfairly criticized, but like I said - lower gain setting on the crunch channel sound more than acceptable for a hi-gain amp. If you play heavier rock, definitely get a depth mod on this thing. I don't really use the Warren Haynes mod on this amp, but if you like lower gain settings and more classic rock tones you might dig it, or if you play slide guitar. Not a perfect amp, but pretty close to it for what it was designed to do.

Heaps versatile amp, can pretty much do any genre. I play mainly metal and rock and this thing pulls it off near perfectly. Two channels shared EQ, everyone knows that tho. I would prefer a 3 or even 4 channel amp with independant EQ's because im lazy and cant be bothered to dial in heaps of tones, but over its 2 channels and a couple of good pedals you can cover a wide range of sounds depending on the music you want to play. It's really LOUD.

Through this i use an ibanez s-series prestige with a SD invader in the bridge and various DIY pedals. As i said, with these i can cover a huge range of sounds. The clean channel sounds very good even with my settings for a dirty rhythm tone. Dialing the gain up gets a very nice crunchy sound ideal for classic rock. Hitting the cruch switch goes easilly into hard rock territory. The best part of this amp is the overdrive channel though. Easilly cuts through the mix unlike some other amps i have played through, due to its emphasis on the mids. Chords are always very articulate - you can hear each note ring out and leads scream but are smooth at the same time.

No issues here.

Havn't needed to contact them. They have a good reputation though.

Been playing for 6 years. My first tube amp. I love this thing and would get it again. I only wish it had more channels and independant EQ, however with what it has it gets the closest to that 'sound in my head'.

This is a follow up to my past review. Red head with matching Red Soldano cab. Slave out, effects loop, Warren Haynes, scoop and depth mod.

Since my last review of this amp I have re-tubed it. Putting in KT66 power tubes and JJ High Gain ECC83S'. The re-tube brought this amp to a whole new level. I thought it sounded awesome before now it sounds even more incredible. I purchased my tubes from Doug's Tubes.
If your going to put in new tubes must get them from a reliable tube outfit that tests the tubes. Doug was very helpful. Since I re-tubed this amp my friend's also said the amp sounds even more incredible. I was also using a Boss DD-20 Delay pedal (which will run at a +4 level) but I have since switched to an old Rocktron Intellifex LTD. The Rocktron doesn't seem to color my tone. Even though I hardly use any effects because the amp sounds incredible with out them. This amp is very versitale. I use this in my recording studio. The clean does sound excellent when set right. Crunch sounds awesome and the Overdrive channel is pure heaven. I can do things with amp that were never possible with all the others I have owned. The sustain is incredible.

Built to last a lifetime.

The folk's at Soldano are top notch. Bill Sundt was very helpful. He even help my tech with the rebiasing of the new tubes.

I absolutely love this amp. I have finally found the tone in my head I have been searching for. I have owned Marshall's, Peavey's Crate, Rocktron,ADA,Pod's but none of them compare to the Soldano. I got in alot of trouble with the wife for spending the money I did on this amp but it was worth it. I don't plan on getting rid of this baby. If it were stolen I would hunt do that person down and strap his head to the cabinet and let that person know what a 100 watt all tube amp sound like turn up to eleven.