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.

Mint 1990 Soldano SLO 100 in Boa tolex with KT 66 power tubes (makes the amp sound even bigger and fatter than 6L6's) and NOS Chinese preamp tubes (and believe me preamp tubes make a huge difference in the sound of this amp!) 2 user channels, with 2 modes (wish these were footswitchable as does everone else) on the normal channel being clean or crunch with a bright switch for this channel as well.
The second channel is high gain for soloing but it is articulate enough for chords and any rythem playing as well! Effects loop, slave out, and (toggle switch) bypassable depth mod. The amp has more than enough power especially when you go over the 5 mark on the dials but it just gets better from that point. This is my only amp right now and I have had it approx. 1 year and it is not a one trick pony otherwise it would have been gone long ago as I have GAS (Gear aquisition syndrome) or SATS (serial amp trader syndrome)there have been moments of doubt but you just plug into it later and that feeling goes away..I play 60's 70's 80's 90's and some new hard rock, blues etc...The Soldano cover's it all you just have to learn how to work with it.

The clean channel on the SLO can be crystal clean especially with single coils with the bright switch on and my TC chorus think John Sykes whitesnake type clean! With the bright switch off the clean sound is warmer and rounder sounding still very nice. The clean channel will break up faster with a bridge Humbucker and does have more and more hair the higher you set the channel gain level I stay at about 7 which gives me the best of both worlds with tons of headroom.

The crunch channel on the SLO is that and more if you turn the gain down you can get awesome blues gain sounds, if you go to 6 or 7 nice kinda plexi vibe, turn it up from there and you can get classic rock to metal sounds.

The overdrive channel on SLO is or should be IMHO be the benchmark for all lead channels it still makes me smile everyday. The gain is more than enough for me at 7 or under anything over that is like going to plaid. Very rich harmonic's, sustain, articulation, and the sound swallows the practise room whole no matter what.

The Depth mod I have installed is the Soldano version but with some revisions by myself and my amp tech. I changed the cap value as the one suggested by Soldano was to dark and a little muffled or muddy.
They say use a 1M cap I found the .680 to be clearer with the same depth effect. I installed a bypass switch to put the circuit to stock because with the depth mod turn to 0 it still lost the sweetness of this amp stock. Having this mod is great for when I need a very heavy low end grind, but I prefer the amp stock as it sounds much better, you have to play it to understand.

I use the SLO with my Tom Anderson Drop Top with HSS, Bogner UberKab (with Soldano logo HEHE!) X pattern with Celestions 2 G12H30's and 2 G12M25's, some effects pedals and thats all I need.

Haven't had any issues it seems to be perfect, fully dependable would use it without a backup.

I have spoken with Mike and Bill both are great to deal with, always very helpful with questions I have. No warranty center in Canada. Lifetime transferable warranty who do you know offers that...

I have been playing 20+ years, I have owned many many amps Marshall's, Mesa's, Splawns, Bogner's, Demeter and on and on even 4 other Soldano HOT Rod plus 50's and 100's! I kept going back to Soldano so I figured 5th times a charm I bought the SLO finally and I am very happy with this amp, I don't think there is much out there that would be better for me. If it were lost or stolen I would find you..use your imagination HEHE! The only other amp I see myself buying would be a Fender Vibro King to A/B with the Soldano.

2005 SLO100 Red Head, Warren Haynes mod, scoop mod and depth mod.
This amp is very versatile. I use mainly in my recording studio. I am also using a THD HotPlate and Soldano Cab. I am also using a Boss DD-20 delay in the loop.

The SLO is by far the best amp I have ever played thru. I have played or owned just about everything. It smokes the 5150. I have the Warren Haynes mod,scoop mod and depth mod. I really like the scoop mod. I can get all kinds of sounds with this amp. I am also using a Boss Giga Delay in the loop. This pedal works perfectly with this amp mainly because it can be set to run at +4, which what the loop runs at. I acn't say enough about this amp. It is very tight and responsive. I plat mostly Hard Rock with USA and import BC Rich's, Esp's, Ibanez's and Schecter's. The BC's and the ESP seem to sound the best. I even like the clean channel. Solo's have never sounded so good.

I would have to say excellent (haven't had it to long) but it should be considering it has a lifetime warrenty.

Don't know myself. But have their great.

I have been playing for over 20 years and have had my share of amps and preamps (Crate,5150II,Marshall,ADA,Rocktron) you name it I've either had it or played it. This amp smokes them all. The head and cab are both RED. It looks almost as good as it sounds and It looks damn awesome. My tone has never sounded so good. If were stolen I would I would replace it the next day. Then I would hunt down who stole it strap his head to the cab and crank it to 11 till his ears bleed. The tone is unbleavable. If you can afford this anp buy, if you can't find a way. You won't regret it. I will have mine till the day I die.

just a stock slo....

the amp sounds great... however .. i have had alot of tube problems with it... I play all kinds of music and the amp sounds outstanding.. but like I said.. I am not very happy with it right now..

not well!!! everyone always says how their soldano rocks!! but mine has some issues.. haha ... after owning the amp for 4 years.. i love it.. but I have to put new tubes in every 4 months.. I have taken it to different techs and they haven't found any problems.. but every time I call soldano its the same asshole tech who says.. its just a tube falure... !!! come on!!! so .. a few weeks ago.. I talked to mike soldano.. he was extremly nice about the situation and understanding.. and was telling me how he knows something has to be wrong because he has people who go for years without changing tubes.. so I told him my tech would call him and we could all talk about some issues and try to trouble shoot the problem.. .. and if that didn't work I will mail it back to the factory.. so.. we do all of this.. fix the amp.. and 2 weeks later.. 2 power tubes lite up.. another tube problem... I call soldano again.. and get the same asshole tech.. said its just a tube failure it happens all the time.. i explain the situation.. and how i had the conversation with mike.. and he said .. its not uncommen to replace tubes in amps 4 times a year!!!!! what!!!!! and i told him I was going to send it back.. and he didn't want me to!! he said.. "i guess you can if you want but theirs prob. nothing wrong with it"!!! so.... do you think he will even try to look at it.... i have over 5 grand wrapped in this amp.. and they are trying to be like this with me!! .. if they don't fix this problem... i will never never play this amp on a stage again.. let alone tour with it!! over priced for the pleasure i get!!!

read above.... mike soldano rocks... the other guy i am not so sure about!!

going somewhere else... after 4 years of crap!!! but it does sound good when it works..

I have been waiting a long time for the chance to submit this review... My brand new (3/2006) SLO is fully loaded with all the mods (Warren Haynes, Scoop, Depth Control) in the limited edition black chassis and black covering. I bought it brand new last week.

After about 20 years playing Mesa Mark III's and IV's I began to yearn for a different tone. I was looking for something smoother and less feature-laden, but with the reliability and the "sounds good at any venue/volume" quality of the Mesas. After you realize that there is a reason why the greats all play through this amp it becomes a simple reality that this is the amp to own.

3 channels (2 footswitchable), fx loop, WH mod (lo-gain treble cut), Scoop mod (normal channel EQ shaping), Depth Control (a must for any amp - bass resonance control), no reverb, no nonsense. It comes with a pedal for channel switching and that's pretty much about it.

I wish the loop was switchable, but not a huge issue. My Rotosphere doesn't sound 100% through it, but I'm still trying to figure that out, but basically another non-issue. My other effects sound great through the loop and the front. Some call this amp boring, but, for me, this amp is perfect. You just set the amp for the best possible tone and you can work everything else out. The tone is that good.

You can use this amp in the bedroom and still get a great tone. Of course it soudns better on 2 and up, but the point is you don't have to crank it to get a more than playable tone. I will definitley use this at gigs as people say it really cuts through well.

I am mainly using PRS' with stock pickups and Les Paul R9's and an R8 with stock BurstBuckers. I play Classic Rock (Kansas, Floyd, Heart, AC/DC, Rush, Kiss), anything 80's, and newer stuff like Gov't Mule along with Metal. It suits all of these surprisingly well. It is not noisy at all. I use the gain sparingly with an overdrive pedal in front just to add a bit of grind on the top, but I am finding myself not having to rely on the overdrive pedal because the SLO is so great on its own. The pedal now adds a fourth channel almost.

The claen channel is as good or better than any clean I've heard before. It is usable for anything from funk to country (with the scoop switch on). There is enough variety in this amp to accomplish anything. I think people are starting to confuse variety with footswitching capability. Yes, there are hundreds of tones in this amp, but you have to tweak them by hand and you cannot access all of them via a footswitch. If you can get past that your problems are over.

The Overdrive channel is pure goodness. Thick, but not bassy. Cutting, but not harsh or brittle. Middy, but not boxey. It sounds perfect. You can get a wide variety of dostorted tones from a good Allman Bros to Anthrax. It is all there.

I'm assuming I can depend on it. I was trying it out the other night when it arrived and the volume was surging every few seconds. My heart dropped before I tried a different cable and that turned out to be the problem. I guess my other amps weren't sensitive enough to ever surface that problem. I would use it without backup.

I emailed them about the mod definitions because their web site is so horribly undermanaged. They never replied. I didn't try calling. I know they aren't exactly brimming with personnel, but that is why I bought this amp.... because the quality is still there. I would hope that if I had a servicable problem under the warranty that I would be able to get a hold of someone.

I have been playing for 23 years and own a few other Mesas still. I would try and get another one if given the opportunity. I now truly feel there is nothing left to buy. I'm tonally content. After buying amps with too many features or too few I've finally found my perfect amp. You can do metal with it, but you don't have to.

this is an amp that some may feel lacks in features for a 3-4000$ amp.im glad soldano decided to only issue the s.l.o with a fx loop and slave as a standard mod. this amp doesnt need a third chanel. i can go from a gorgeous clean to a s.r.v sound, to all out rock, just with my volume control, then switch to the other chanel,and the into the overdrive mode. what the hell woul a third chanel do???
this is a 2004 model. its my second one.i sold the last one because of $$$ troubles.
i play in 2 bands. a punk band and a radio rock band. this amp does both easy.

here is the majik. while i am primarly a les paul player, i find that this amp really shines with a strat. i re discovered my 62 american re issue with this amp. the single coil sound is just so wide open on the s.l.o .no crazy mind frying high end, just clean sparkling grind. and on the lead chanel its pure heaven. with the articulation being just right.on a les paul , this amp is deadly. page tones are easily acheived,as well as metal tones, however i feel that while the s.l.o has all the gain you want, it doesnt really have that scooped limp bizcuit boogie rectifier tone, wich is great. this amp would do more of an aggressive slayer tone better. this amp has the ability to cut through anything. it has a majik equation of ingredients that allow tha mids to slice through at any setting. the amp is very touch sensitive and responds well to volume button adjustments.i honestly feel that this amp is one of the few that deserves the mistique it creates. there is nothing like it.

i havent had any problems yet. but its been only 6 months.upon inspection of the inside , you feel that you probably wouldnt have any anyway.

i have phoned soldano and spoke to both bill and mike several times. both are always eager to talk gear. ive asked the most redundant questions, and some very ligit ones. both were answered with total clarity and with the feeling that they acctualy cared about my verbal meanderings. ive met mike soldano, and he's a great guy. loves to talk. he singed the back of this amp i am reviewing.

ive been playing 25 years. i own 4 amps that i feel are prime examples of their era. i have a stock 74 marshall 100 watt super leadMKII, i have a 82 2203 jcm 800, i have a bad cat hot cat 100, and this s.l.o.
this is an amp that i would do anything to get back if it were lost. i love its tone ,the look, the prestige. i would say that the s.l.o and the bad cat are my faves, but the s.l.o would beat out the bad cat in number of times played. it easier to use. but i wouldnt say it s better sounding . both sound different.

Think mine was made in '92 This amp is quite versatile for lots of styles of music for me. Its maybe not going to suit a die-hard Fender twin clean player tho'.. they are welcome to buy a twin..! Features have all been stated. This amp has wonderful Blues tones as well as Fabulous Rock/Heavy rock tones. You must always have a great sound in your head, or you will NEVER get a great tone .. no matter what you use. Features are minimal, but this baby does not need many bells and whistles... The biggest feature is its GREAT TONE...!!

I use this amp with two L series Strats ('63+ '64) a Reissue USA Strat, A '71 Les Paul, and 2 MUSIC MAN Luke guitars as well as a '62 tele Custom.. (depending on what type of gig i do) I use it through a Marshall Vintage 4/12 w/ 25 watters, or a Soldano 212 with Vintage 30s. I play it mainly to do Covers. I have nailed a great SRV tone.. it is unbelievably close.. the gains are not too high tho' (5-7 on the crunch, and 3 on the Lead channel. Having the LUKE guitar allows me a genuine Lukather tone with the Soldano SLO 100..I saw him use two here...! now that, IS a great tone. Luke is one of the Best on the PLANET..!! All these sounds are simply spine tingling... I love this amp. It had EL34's in it and I'm leavin' them in there... I Cannot believe ANYONE but a moron would can this Amp...

Never had a problem... I think they need to be looked at around once a year by a great tech to keep it serviced and you shouldn't have a problem. I play around 3 nights per week.

I sent a fax to Soldano before I had a computer, and Had reply within 2 days...Very helpful, And I live in Melbourne, Australia.
Luckily I have the services of Tim Evans In Chelsea Victoria,to look after my gear.. He is about the best Guitar Amp technician here in Australia.

I have Two Labsystems Cage amps( hand built 30 watt class A, and 50 watt A/B)which are GREAT amps for beautiful vintage jangly breakup...!!!(See reviews...) and an old '76 Marshall, and a Mesa dual rectifier. The mesa is great for heavy rock, no doubt,but its not as sweet as the SLO, and does not have the overall best tone from bottom to top, the bottom is a bit ,'false'..but that is partly what gives you the Foo fighters/ Nickelback sound..The Mesa is great with Humbuckers, not so good with Vintage Single Coils.. The Soldano SLO 100 is a credit to its designer/ builder. This amp suits someone who loves good Hot Marshall vintage like tone. Marshall these days, have TOTALLY lost the plot. Soldano...?? LOVE IT... LOVE IT...!!

2002 Model, Extremely Versatile amp, My Amp Quest is Over, Just truly an amazing amp, 2 channel amp, with crunh and brightness switches. Shared EQ in Boith Channels which may be an issue for some but not for me, it's easy to work around that, My Head is stock with no extras on it and IMHO its better the more stuff that touches the circuit the higher chances you have for problems...The Clean channel was important to me and was my primary concern as I do lots of covers and top 40 stuff, The clean channel turned out to be extremely useful,..you can do the funk thing very well..just set the proper pre-amp level an leave it there..it is very,very fenderish type clean...I am very happy with that, the clean on this amp is way better then on my previous HR50+XL heads... The Overdrive Channel is outrageous, and surpassed my liking over and over, Before getting this amp, I was going to go with a Bogner Extacy Classic, which was more money but the tone is very,very similar...but will not cut threw the mix well...This is not the case with the SLO100, I am happy I did not get that amp, and I went down this route, from my previous experience with the soldano products, I had a twin setup with 2 HR50+XL heads, while soldano claims in there ads that the circuit is identical in both models which may be the case I am not an electrical engineer...the SLO100 in my ears was way past both of those amps in the overdrive dept, just sounded very full bodied ,& thick and just makes you want to rip all day long...I had considered doing this change along time ago and always procrastinated..THAT WAS A BIG MISTAKE.

I amp using a USA SCHECTER custom shop telecaster, A Jackson/charvel San Dimas re-issue IV. A Epiphone Les Paul that had all of its guts changed, and a 1982 Stock Fender Strat....The amp is not noisy at all, and does not shriek unlike my old 5150. I am running in the fx Loop a Korg SDD 3300, a Roland SVR-3030, I can dial in any kind of tone with this amp, It can go from lush clean to an extremely aggressive and out of control distrortion, It has lots of Headroom and more punch then you may possibly need..I can dial in scorpions tone easy, nail Gary More sound to the T...You can do a whole set of classic Jazz Standards on thr clean tone..and just go crazy on set 2 with just a stomp on the channel select switch...this amp will blow you away, if you are practicing at home, It maybe somewhat loud as in order to get the good taste of this amp you would probably run it on 2. The amp is 100 watts and is very,very powerfull, I doubt that you will ever go past 6 in live setting as it will start drowning evrything and everyone and they will throw you out of the club. I have used this amp amp with ruby 6l6 tubes on it, as well as old Sylvania 6l6 Tubes........It's so hard to describe this amp, as I have nothing negative to say about it..It blows me away everytime I use it.

in the last 7 years of using soldano products I have never had an amp break down on me, other then regular tubes getting changed.

I have spoken to these people in several times with both models, the support the offer is prestige and excellent, they will never try to sell you anything or recommend that is not necessary, The Warranty is the Best in the Business, on this Model (SLO100) it's lifetime and transferable..You can not get better then that.

I have been playing since 81-82, If someone would rip off this amp, and I would nab him, I would do jail time, I have owned lots of amps in this time, 73 Twin Reverb, 86 Marshall JCM800, Peavey 5150 first series, 69 Fender Bassman, 71 Traynor head, 86 Fender Super Champ (This is the only amp that I actually wish I still had kept.....If you can find one of these pocket rockets, grab it right away) , 85 Boogie MKIIC+, Soldano Hr50+XL . With this amp I can dial tones very,very close to the previous heads I owned, but I don't need 2 heads onstage with an A/B switch....... You pay for what you get, this amp is a keeper. I will never sell this head, tone search is over. Only problem these are very hard to find up in the Canadian great white north, and when you do, you will definately get a big hole in your wallet....I will recommend this amp to anyone

I will admit that the features are limited, but it is sold as a Lead Over Drive unit which it is. If Soldano could have added one more feature, I'd pick reverb. My unit is a combo which I wish it was a head/stack, maybe someday I'll put the head in a new case and buy the cabinets.

I replaced the second position tube with a RCA NOS 12AT7 instead of the 12AX7 tube and that tamed the down the overdrive to my liking. I must say, turn the Overdrive Preamp knob to 11, hit a note and go have lunch, it will still be playing when you get back. I've read some bad reviews and I will say, I had trouble when I first bought my SLO. I have a Les Paul Custom Premium Plus and a Strat Ultra deluxe. After a lot of thinking it was the amp, I found that my strat was creating a 60 hz hum on my SLO, which it didn't have with my Red Knob "The Twin" Fender. I did some work on the guitar and life was good again. I can't imagine an amp with a better Overdrive sound.

I've had it for two years with out a problem. No reason to complain.

When I first bought the amp I e-mail Soldano and received several emails back with suggestions. That's where I got the tip to replace the 2nd tube with a 12AT7. I bought a foot switch and received it promptly. I deal with maintenance of computerized manufacturing equipment for a living and Soldano's crew helped when needed. They were as good as any of the vendors I deal with.

Overall it's a 10 for me. I've played in a few bands around the Portland Oregon area. I played with a couple guys that use Line 6 amps. One night one of the Line 6 amps died and our lead Guitarist plugged into my Fender "The Twin". After that night he has offered to buy my Fender many times which I've said no. After getting and playing my SLO, I'd sale the Fender before the SLO. Although I plan to keep both. I've been playing for 30 years and I like those quite moments when the kids and wife go shopping, then I crank it up and let it rip, you know those quite moments.

2005 model. The amps versatility is there for me. Play a rock, blues, funk, country. This amp covers what I need. No complaints from band members or audience. I get compliments from both on the tone. Not planning on getting the depth or any other mods. Ordered mine with the effect loop I've heard so many bitching about lately. Works fine for me. What the hell is this bullshit about sucking tone, and touch sensitity issues with this loop? I agree with the last poster that Soldano would not be selling amps with this loop if they were that bad. This thing is plenty loud for me. Not too many features. Just right for me.

I'm so tired of people bitching about the clean channel. Some people just like to bitch. You want Fender Twin clean, buy a god damn Fender Twin and shut the fuck up you fucking idiots. This amp was made to rock anyway you fucking morons. The OD channel is the shit. This is one of the few amps I own that sets up well for me just about anywhere. Ofcourse, I don't play in churchs or old folks homes. And, I sure as hell didn't spend this kind of money on any amp to play it in the bedroom. If that's all somebody else bought it for they have fucking rocks and shit for brains. And to the dickweed that said it's no better than a 5150, check with your doctor or psychiatrist. You need serious help. Go get laid. Maybe it will improve your attitude.

Don't anticipate probs at all. Built like a brick shithouse.

Have not had to deal with them yet. Have heard only good about them.

I've got a Mesa MKIV, and VHT UL CL 100. Both great amps, but different. Can't imagine wanting anything else for a while. I'm in tone heaven right now. Too cool.

Truly amazed at the ignorance of the last post.....2005 model. Versatile, not really. More of a one trick pony. I play rock and metal in a cover band.
Effects Loop, well, I will get to that later.....No you are a one trick pony. Lottttttttttts of people including my self find more than one sound from this amp. Learn how to turn the knobs, and listen. Maybe you should have bought a hearing aid instead of the SLO. Get a life.

The previous poster needs to pull his head out of his ass. The loops fine. It wasn't made for cheap bullshit stompboxes or bargain basement rack gear. If it was that bad, Soldano would not be seeling as many of these amps with this loop. Takes away from touch sensitivity? Again bullshit.

The best.

Don't need them yet. Both of mine have worked flawlessly for the past 10 years. They answered what few questions I had right away.

Love these amps. Most reasonable and experienced players that have them do. Never fails some punk will post bullshit on these because they haven't a clue. The 5150 better tha this? Makes me laugh. I think the last poster just wanted to run down the ratings.

2005 model. Versatile, not really. More of a one trick pony. I play rock and metal in a cover band.
Effects Loop, well, I will get to that later.

The SLO is a very nice amp but its shortfalls were just too much for me. The problems I had were mainly with the loop.
When using the loop bad things happened.
First, the tone took a hit with touch sensitivity. I have heard all of the solutions and reasons for a poorly made loop (all loops color the tone, don't use the loop, you have to set it up right, etc...)
Second the levels were just too hot, I know, use an intellifex or G-Major. I tried the G-Major and it did not help any. It still killed a bit of touch sensitivity and tone.
Third, it had too little bottom end. I know, get the depth mod done and use a 4X12. Right?!? Buy expensive amps then pay for mods to cover up the shortcoming.
Fourth, there is a volume disparity when using the loop. The lead was much louder than the clean.
Fifth, when using the loop when you changed channels there was delay and volume swell when going from lead to clean. How can you play live with this???
Postive: It does cut the mix well, the cleans are usable, the lead tone is very nice.

Built awesomely clean. Perfect in build quality.

Great Customer Support. Helpful and friendly! They are very nice folks.

I have been playing for 16 years and I have had over 20 high end amps. This one is near the bottom of the pile.
After 15 years of history the SLO should be more refined. For the 3K price tag all of the mods should be standard. The cleans is just ok. Good enough for rock.
This could be a great amp, but it is really a one trick pony. The Peavey 5150 is just as good and $2300 less.
IMO!

I'll keep this simple , as you already know the details if you are reading this. Simply said, after 18+ years of playing and spending thousands of dollars searching for my tone, this $3000+ amp was worth every penny. My most recent amp was a triple channel Marshall JCM2000 TSL100. Yes, lots of features and magic buttons, but a distorted tone that sounded like a wet fart and a bees nest. This amp has two channels, ,,,and what more do you need than one awesome dirty channel and one awesome clean channel. Some bash the clean channel, but with all of the options on this amp, I find that the clean is just as good as my 2000 marshall was,,,,,and the distortion,,,,there is no better in the universe. I use this with a TC electronics G major, ,,which has a relay that switches between clean and dirty so seamlessly that it turns this head into a midi preamp.

Contrary to what I've read,,,I find that the clean channel is so immaculate and clean,,,,it is awesome. Add a little chorus and delay,,,,and it is acoustic heaven. I keep the bright and crunch switches off cuz I want a very clean sound for this channel. And the OD channel. Put it this way,,,nothing on this earth compares. I've had a lot of gear....ADA preamps, Carvin and Peavey power amps, Peavey 5150 amps, Marshall 900, 600, and 2000 series amps, ,,,,ART preamps, Sovtek amps, Crate amps, ........my last amp was a soldano hot rod 50+,,,and it made me regret ever using my Marshall TSL in the first place (all of my band members said it was soo fuzzy). Now, this SLO blows the hot rod away,,,and I can not even fathom a better overdrive sound.

Built like a tank,,,,it is very heavy,,,and compared to the cheap build materials of my Marshalls ( oh geez, glued on gold plating, cheap bubble gum wrapper knobs, jacks that would get loose after two weeks, transformers from a cereal box, tubes mounted to sockets connected to spider webs, etc). Oh it is very noticable. Oh yeah,,,,LIFETIME WARRANTY..

I talk to them A LOT. First about my hot rod 50, now about my SLO. They never rush me off the phone, and will chat for a long time about amps and tone. So cool . Bill and Mike,,,,,thank you, thank you, thank you......for being so cool and down to earth and for building the best amps on earth. I'm no Warren Demartini or EVH, ,,yet they give you as much attention as if you were a famous rock star.

Like I said,,,,,my last amp E V E R !!!! Listen to Van Halen's for unlawful carnal knowledge album,,, Ratt albums, Lynch albums, Scorpions albums, Bon Jovi, etc etc. Find the best sounding albums and see what amps they used to record them. 5150 my butt. Eddie never used that amp on for unlawful........ This amp is expensive, but is an end to a lifelong quest for tone. You can play this amp at bedroom volumes and still sound like a dream. Built with the finest components and then some. Mike Soldano.......what an unbelievable contribution you made to guitar music.

had for about 3 years...i play in a rock cover band...this thing is pretty loud for sure..has some great features for dialiojg in a tone you want..

i use a Custom 24 PRS...sounds great for rock...clean channel is lacking juts a bit...the distortion in one of the best for sure...top 5

no problems except the logo cracked in half for some reason...they said i had to buy a new one for $20...kind of crazy since i juts bought this thing for almost $3000

they have one crappy customer support...i have bee nreading allot of reviews and this is the only place where need help in ...it is kind of like they think their s*** doesnt stink or something...pretty lame...like i said i paid almost $3000 new for this thing and they wont replace a $20 SOLDANO logo for me...pretty sad

it is a cool amp for rock...clean is only o.k.... customer service sucks thats why the low score

Follow up review. I like it more as time goes on.

I have read some folks that slam the effects loop. For me, it's just fine. I use a Lex MPX 1. I love how the PCM-60 patch sounds with this amp. Tight and not too watery. I'd really like to try an old design remote tube driven reverb for grins.

Solid as a rock! If your techo, take the chassis out and look at that craftmanship. BITCHIN!!........for today is doesn't get much better!

Bill Sundt is the MAN!! He always makes time to answer the most obscure product questions. He seems to really love what he does. It shows. No doubt.

I'm looking for a back up. Not because I'm afraid it will fail, but because I don't know what I what do I something did happen to number one. I really lean heavy on my number one. I could fix it myself. But, it's nice to have immediate redundancy. As far as tube options, I think the 5881's are just fine. Hey, they worked great in B-52 auto pilots. They are really tough units. I know some will disagree. But, that's cool. Everyone has a right to speak their mind. That makes things interesting. I hope Mike makes these things as long as possible. Sorry to gush. I've blown so much money over the years buying and selling. This amp is a keeper for me. Sure it's not a Dumble, or Two Rock..... or anything else. If it was, it wouldn't be what it is.It is what it is, and that's just fine for me. Kudos to Soldano. THEY DEFINITELY BUILD AMPS THAT ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a follow up review after 14 years of use. I originally bought the SLO-100 new in the summer of 1991 at the Rock Block in Nashville, TN for $1960. It came equipped with 4 5881 power tubes, a Sovtek 12ax7LPS in V1, and Chinese 12ax7's in the other positions. I have used the amp extensively in 14 years, and would estimate that I have put over 3500 hours playing time on it. There has never been a malfunction, not even once.

Originally, the amp sounded bright on the overdrive channel. The clean/crunch channel has always had a wonderful bluesy tone when cranked up to about 6 or so, and works very well with a variety of overdrives, notably the Kendrick Buffalo Pfuz, and lately the Lovepedal Eternity.

I have had some work done to "tame the beast." I wanted to get a warmer, calmer overdrive sound suitable for classic rock and blues rock. The first step was to get the Warren Haynes "fat switch." The fat switch simply cuts highs, and therefore reveals the burning mids which distinguish the SLO-100's basic character. The fat switch is definitely worth getting.

Next, I swapped the 5881 power tubes for Groove Tube KT66HP power tubes. The KT66HP is fatter in the mids and lows, and takes some of the highs out as well. I am very happy with the tone. Its warm, fat and really greezy. I also put a Groove Tubes 12ax7M in V1. The Sovtek sounds pretty good, but it has a bright type of attack, and the GT is more focused and clear on the articulation. Putting 2 12ax7M's in V1 and V2 seemed a little too smooth, but it could be worth checking out again with some additional eq tweaking. Definitely worth checking into.

The speakers early on were Soldano X12000's in a Mesa Boogie 412 half back. Those were replaced with V30s, and the open half of the cabinet was closed to limit the bright radiance of the cabinet. Another worthwhile (and inexpensive) move.

The amp is really deep and the mids are absolutely burning. The tone is like black velvet: smooth and articulate, with a bit of a glow to the high end. Its not nearly as bright as before. The lows are very tight and clear.

With a Les Paul, I like to set the overdrive to 5, with the bass @ 7, mids @ 4, treble @ 7, and the presence off. I use treble bleed circuits on the guitar, and will turn the volume to 5 for rhythym, and wind up to 10 for leads. Its a wonderful sound.

With a Strat, I set the mids to 6 and the rest is the same. Sometimes I use the Pfuz on the clean/crunch channel for leads with the Strat. Lately, I have used the overdrive @ 3 to 4, and then used the Lovepedal Eternity for leads. Another nice way to get a great tone.

The clean channel can also be dialed back. With the gain set at about 4.5-5 I get a distinct Byrds-esque type of tone with the Strat. That was quite a surprise.

14 years.
3500+ hours.
No problems.
Its incredibly reliable, and very consistent.

Bill and Mike at Soldano in Seattle are great guys. Easy to talk with. They go out of their way to please the customer. I have nothing but good things to say about them.

The Soldano SLO-100 is a great amp. There are myriad tones simply by adjusting the eq and gain. The amp is not tweaky, but it is interesting to explore the possibilities. Through the years that I've played this, I have noticed several other amps in the vicinity fall apart for various reasons. I tend to think myself that the extra money for the SLO-100 is more than justified when I consider the time and money and frustration that goes into unreliable gear. There are other good amps out there, and it all depends on what you're looking for. But, for me and some other players, this is an awesome amp.

Made in 2002. This is a no frills red head. No mods. Fx loop and slave out. I use this with either a Bogner straight 412 or Marshall 1960TV or sometimes both. Sometimes none of it.

All my guitars are Strats with different pickup configurations, and they all sound great thru this amp/cab(s) combination. I play indie rock and some covers. The clean channel is very sweet, particularly with some compression--I recommend a Barber Tone Press--for extra sustain. Very good for getting that Lowell George slide sound. Pretty good break-up on the clean channel, and I find I'm using it more often. However, the SLO gain channel is the reason otherwise rational people will part with large chunks of hard-earned dollars. There may be some debate out there about whether or not that particular tone is worth the money, and maybe for some people it is not. For a lot of highly talented and famous guitarists out there, the SLO is a great amp at any price. One can get thick crunchy tones, woman tones, brown sound, grunge, vintage, and the hi-gain SLO sound and all of it sounds great. Caveat 1: I haven't played this amp through a huge variety of cabs, and some of them may not match up all that well--The Bogner cab sounds amazingly good. Caveat 2: If you're like me, you've played a lot of tube amps, and you know the best of them have "off days" when you wonder why you bothered turning them on in the first place. Simply turn off your amp and pour yourself a tall glass of Wild Turkey on ice. Drink it and think happy thoughts--like sheep and fresh little candies. Now turn your amp on again. There, sounds a lot better doesn't it. Caveat 3: This works with a lot of amps, but not with the Peavey Transformer line. Draining the entire bottle and turning up to 11 may seem like a good idea, but it is not. I don't care if you do have shiny pants and a mullet.

Never any problems...I use a Hot Rod 50 as a back-up.

Lifetime transferrable warranty. Bill and Mike are great on the phone if you need to talk to them about your amp.

Picking since 1970. I currently use the Soldano amps only. Over the last 5 years I've owned lots of amps--I like my current rig very much, though schlepping them around is not the most pleasant thing in the world. No one holds a gun to my head and tells me I have to march all this stuff to a show, but maybe that would help. I'll have to look into that.

This is a 1992 model. Features 2 channels with 2 modes in the first channel(Clean and crunch). It does pristine clean, medium crunch and all out overdrive. It seems to have a bluesy feel to it. The crunch mode is like a CRANKED Hiwatt -Very glassy and dynamic in a good way. Mine had an effects loop and slave out. It has 4, 8 and 16 ohm selector. It is all tube. Four 5881 output tubes(Military version of the 6L6), and five 12AX7 preamp tubes. This amp served my use for about 7 years. I have never owned an amp for this long. I used it for rock, jazz, funk, fusion, and blues. This is an OUTSTANDING amplifier. I used it at home only. It was a very loud amp, but sounded fantastic at any volumes.

I used this amp with Les Pauls, Ernie Ball, Strats, PRS, and Teles. This amps only "Flawed" noise is the clean channel at low volume settings. I really don't know how to explain it other than it is a bleed over of the lead channel. It is no bother though. The cleans stay clean. The amp is a pure masterpiece. The overdrive will not do Korn or Limp Bizkit dead on. However, it will do MANY other tones that I like better. It is an astounding amp. I will say after owning a Mesa Boogie Dual Rec, Bogner Ecstasy, Diezel Herbert, Bruno Super100, Two-Rock Opal, Matchless DC30, Matchless Clubman, and too many others to list, NOTHING touches the Soldano SLO 100's defenition and clarity at ANY setting or volume. I miss that amp more than any other amp I have ever had for that reason alone. My only issue with the amp was the voicing of the overdrive channel. It was very aggressive and not smooth. EQ settings are able to make this better or worse.

NO PROBLEMS EVER with this amp. PERIOD. I would tour the world without a backup. This amp is truly a workhorse.

Soldano was ALWAYS helpful and polite. They always answered my questions. I sent it to them twice in the 7 years I owned it for a once over. It had a clean bill of health both times. The amp comes with a lifetime transferrable warranty. This is unheard of in other amps. This is a legendary company with outstanding products.

I no longer own the amp, but I will buy another one when I get the money. I loved the amp for it's clarity and that it worked with humbuckers and single coils. It had a large bottom and intense punch. I have never heard or felt this much punch in any other amp. If is a very true sound compared to Bogner, Boogie, Marshall, Diezel, etc.. Soldano has set a very high mark and I believe that no other amp even comes close.

Soldano SLO-100 (2002 model)

Features explained by all the other great reviews on this page. My intention is to try and explain what I can about the sonic differences between the SLO-100 and the Decatone. Some of you out there may be wondering of getting one of these monsters. Up until recently I have used the Decatone and were quite satisfied with it. However, when I came across the SLO-100 the hunt for the perfect tone ended.

I play mostly rock with a little mix of everything, blues, country, folk etc.

I use a Fender strat fitted with "Texas specials" pups.

The first thing you will notice with both the SLO and the Decatone, is their ability to play the real sound of your instrument. Every little grain in the woods can be heard, and the articulation and attack of every note are simply amazing.

Clean channel: The Decatone has a great clean with the midrange reduced and the lows and highs extended to make it more like a Fender type tone. The SLO clean channel has a more flat response.

Crunch/Overdrive channels: This is, in my opinion, where the SLO beats the Decatone. The sound of the SLO is much more defined and smoother. The Decatone is a lot brighter while the SLO has more midrange.

The two-channel SLO has a clean/crunch switch on the "Normal" channel. The Decatone has divided this "Normal" channel into seperate "Clean" and "Crunch" channels, making it a three channel amp.

I feel the SLO is much easier to control and use. It's not hard to dial the tones you desire. Especially getting that clean tone with just a tad of distortion and up to the dirty blues. Switching to overdrive, makes the tones get that keen edge to them with an amazing sustain. I can't say much about the very high gain settings since I never use them and are not really into that stuff.

I never had any problems with Soldano amps. I have owned three different models. Astroverb 16, Decatone and SLO-100. All have worked flawlessly and never failed in any way. I have never even blown a tube. I would easily go to a gig without a backup.

I have sent e-mails to the company many times. They ALWAYS answer within 48 hours, and always help you with the smallest problems and the most stupid questions.

I can without a doubt recommend both the Decatone and the SLO-100 to everybody. They will last longer than you live if you treat them normal. The Decatone is cheaper than the SLO and will work well enough for most rockers. I loved it while I had it.

The SLO-100 has a better sound, and the transferable lifetime guarantee makes it a winner.

This is a follow up review. Before I go on too much of a rant, I just want to say what a shame there has to be those sour reviews on this amp. What the hell, and what can I say? Free speech, and open opinions in all flavors concerning this unit. Everybody has a right to their opinion even if we don't all agree. After reading all the reviews on this unit, I just got to laugh at some of the things and wonder what on earth could some people be thinking? Like!!!!!!!@#?&*?:

A Tube Screamer in front of this thing? REALLY? Go get your hearing checked, go snag a Peavy Bandit, or Crate or some other cheap piece of crap and plug one in front of it and learn how to play in the first place. Spend the money that you would have spent on the SLO on a high tech hearing aid. Surely we are talking about some serious brain damage here!

Sounds like, er...no doesn't sound like a Fender, Marshall, or what the hell ever new or vintage piece of shit amp amp you want to compare it to. No vintage vibe whatsoever? OFCOURSE IT DOESN'T SOUND VINTAGE YOU BONE HEAD!!!!!! IT'S NOT VINTAGE!! VINTAGE IS VINTAGE AND NOT NEW. TALK ABOUT OVERATED. IV'E PLAYED THROUGH PLENTY OF THOSE WORN OUT AS PIECES OF SHIT WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, AND SOLD ALL OF THEM. DO YOU THINK IF THEY WERE REALLY THAT GREAT TO BEGIN WITH THEY MIGHT STILL BE MAKING THEM? AND OF COURSE IT'S NOT WHATEVER THE HELL ELSE YOU WANT TO COMPARE IT TO. IF YOU ARE A COLLECTOR GREAT,BUT ALOT OF US LIKE TO PLAY WHAT WE BUY AND AREN'T INTERESTED IN SOME ANTIQUE PIECE OF SHIT THAT BELONGS IN THE SMITHSONIAN. TOO SIMPLE FOR YOU? NOT ENOUGH OPTIONS? GET A LIFE!!! ALOT OF US LIKE TO PLAY MUSIC NOT TWIDDLE KNOBS ALL DAY. MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ASTRONAUT INSTEAD OF A GUITAR PLAYER. GO BUY YOURSELF A SPACE SHUTTLE. WEAK EFFECTS LOOP MY ASS!!!! INSTEAD OF PLUGGING YOUR PIECE OF SHIT STOMP BOX IN THE LOOP, PLUG IT UP YOUR ASS INSTEAD!! ANYONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO KNOW MOST CRAPPY FLOOR EFFECTS WON'T WORK VERY WELL IN A SERIES LOOP???? WHERE DID YOU GET THAT LOBOTOMY AT?

The majority of reviewers give it high marks. Ofcourse if you don't agree with the majority than they must be full of it and don't know what the hell they are talking about. To the minority of people that slammed this amp, I really hope that someday I can be as half as smart as you all. I guess I am just so hopeless to hype something up so much. I know how you hate hype.

If I hear anymore bullshit about tubes I'm going to barf. Somebody told me Eric Johnson can hear the difference in batteries in his VINTAGE (DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE? DID I SAY VINTAGE?)EFFECTS? Forgive me my Echoplex that I just paid twice as much for as my SLO just screwed up. As soon as the audience that pays to hear my music tells me they are concerned about those kind of things, I'll start to be concerned with them as well.

Good enough. Read the other reviews.

S/N 001370. Bought it off Ebay. Play rock, blues, and country with an edge. Read the recent reviews for standard features. This one came with an effects loop and slave out. Looks like these options were put in when it was made. Glad to have em'. I had to put them in myself in the last one I had. This amp is just what I want as far as features. Much simpler, and much much better made than my Mesa MKIV. Ofcourse the SLO is a lot more money. I play out and at home with this amp. Has plenty of power for me. I had one of these before and sold it. Was the stupidest thing I ever did. I could never find another amp I liked as much as this one. I use all the features this amp has.

I only have one guitar right now which is an Anderson Classic, with Texas Specials. The sound of this amp suits me for anything I want to play. For as much gain as this thing has it's pretty quiet for me. For the sounds I have in my head, this amp gets them all. I really dig the mid range punch this thing has. Clean or overdriven, it will cut through anything for me. This amp probably won't give you that bright, thin glass shattering, clean that some some may like. If that's what you like, there's nothing wrong with that. You probably won't get it from this amp. I never tried to get that sound from this amp. I don't like that sound anyway (although my MKIV will blow you down with that tone if that's what you're into). The clean is clean enough for me, and breaks up nicely when pushed. The gain channel gives me all the rich singing tone I want without mush, or screetch. For me it's quite the smooth drive that's tasty, and easy on my ears. Not like an ice pick. As has been said before, tight articulate-hear-every-note clean, or overdriven. This thing has got soul. It's alive to my ears. The distortion is brutal enough for me. It's not the VHT, or Rectifier type brutal. But here again, that' not the sound I'm after. If that's what your after, than maybe this amp's not for you.

From owning one of these before, I can't see it breaking anytime soon. If you have ever had one of these things apart, and looked at the way it's built you know what I'm saying when I say this thing is built solid. Real pretty craftsmanship. Simple, and solid. Sealed pots, porcelin (sorry if I spelled that wrong) tube sockets, beefy circuit board with clean parts layout, super neat wiring, the best components. For me it doesn't get any better. And man I'm here to tell you, I have had a lot of amps apart in my time for repairs and mods. Tubes? What can I say there are good, and bad. I like the sound of this amp so much right now, I don't care what's in it right now. I kept Sovtec 5881's and 12ax7a's in the last one I had, and had pretty good luck with them. I know some people hate em'. They (pwr tubes)always lasted well for me, and managed to stay biased without much drift. Never had probs with the preamp tubes.

I have dealt them in the past. I always talked to Bill Sundt. Nice guy. Really sharp. I understand the SLO-100 has a lifetime xferable warranty. I don't think everything is covered. I need to check with them. As well made as these things are, I can't see it breaking anytime soon. But it it does, and it's something I can't handle, I'll send it to the factory.

Playing 25 years. Also own a Mesa MKIV (it's a good amp too well worth what I paid for it), and Lexicon MPX-1. I would eventually like to buy another just to have. Today, there's so many good amps out there. I believe there is no one best amp out there. I love my Mesa, and would not dream of selling it. But you know, I always ask myself "How many guitars, and amps do I need?" I have bought and sold so many. As old as I am, it would be stupid for me to have more than a couple. But man I sure missed my SLO-100. And I'm glad I finnaly got one again. We will be togather until death does us part. I know that sounds ridiculous.

This review is for a May 2004 SLO 100, bought new in December, 2004. Let me begin by saying I do not gig for a living, I do not teach guitar for a living, and I have no relationship with Soldano or any OTHER manufacturer for that matter. I'm an Airline Captain, but appreciate the best quality I can find, and this SLO 100 is by itself in that category. Let me also say, I have owned several Soldano amps in the past too, but for hi gain, nothing compares.

The SLO is a 100 watt class AB tube amp using Sovtek 5881's in the power amp section and 12AX7's in the preamp section. It is a 2 channel amp with master and gain for each channel. It has a shared eq and presence control but the clean side has a bright, and a clean/crunch switch for it. It has a really good +4db effects loop, slave out, impedence selector for 4, 8, or 16, channel selector, and best thing is the layout of all the above. If you run a big pedal board like I do, it's nice to have all the inputs/sends/returns etc. on the same side of the amp. In this case it is on the left rear side of the amp. Great for using a ready made snake from your pedal board.

I ordered mine from Pete's Amps in Valdosta, Georgia, like I've always done in the past. His service is superlative. This amp was in stock, black, and exactly like I wanted, NO MODS DONE. If you want the Warren Haynes mod or depth scoop, knock yourself out, I wanted nothing to do with affecting this amps change in original tone. It is PERFECT right out of the box, and with me being a perfectionist, that is hard to say.

I find the reviews on this site about the SLO's clean side a little misgiving. No amp other than maybe a 60's Fender/or Dumble has a fabulous clean channel, other than the Lucky 13 from Soldano, but I own one too like I said earlier, and I can't see a major difference in clean gliss etc.. between the Lucky 13 and my SLO, and both are 100 watters. Ths SLO is very clean for me especially in a live setting.

No, this isn't my first boutique amp that I've owned or played intensely. That list includes a 71' Marshall 100 watt super tremolo, Acoustics, Lab Series, THD, Bad Cat Mini Cat, Trem Cat, Cub II, and Hot Cat 30R, Bogner Uberschaul, XTC, Shiva, and Metropolis, SMF, Star, Rivera, and a host of others.

I use this amp at home and can gig with it if I choose, but let's face reality, this amp needs volume but NOT like an old Marshall which is either off or on 10. I do use a Hot Plate heat sink with this amp in either 4 or 8 db attenuation which does the trick. Then it purrs but doesn't break glass at unbelievable volumes.

Ok, it isn't a Dumble clean or an Uberschaul dirty, both of those are one trick ponies, but it is by far the finest amp I've ever touched or played. I've been left speechless with this one. Just to make sure it stays perfect even though it is incredibly well made, I'm buying road case for it. I can't imagine not playing with this one.

I'm a Skynyrd, Velvet Revolver but not all of the heavier stuff, Gov't Mule, Frank Marino kinda guy on the humbucker side, but on the clean side, I'm an SRV, Trower, and Jimi kinda guy. I own several vintage to new or custiomized Fender Strats and Gibson Les Pauls. I use a custom pedal board I made housing Fulltone, SIB, Ibanez, Peterson, and Ernie Ball boutique effects. Amp is very quiet.

The overdrive channel is something that unless you've heard it, you have no idea what it sounds like. It is amazing and can do it all. I was told I'd probably never give up the clean my Lucky 13 amp has, but I've already boxed it and selling it as we speak. Tremendous amp and incredibly versatile, but for crystal clean I have a small Bad Cat, and for overdrive, it has to be this SLO.

Built better than any amp I've seen incorporating a lifetime transferable warranty except for transformers and tubes. I can't imagine it ever breaking.

Mike Soldano and Bill Sundt are very available if you need. Sure, they are busy making great amps but will get back to you just give them a couple of days.

I've played on and off for 28 years, but fly for a living. I'd freak if ever stolen and would buy another one immediately to replace it. If I had to choose one tiny thing it had, that might be a foot switchable option for the clean/crunch switch, but that is splitting hairs folks, just flip the switch for crying out loud, and rock on.

Expensive amp, but once you buy an SLO 100, your search for the best "TONE" will be over. Nothing compares.

Basic features, two channels effects loop and EQ. No big deal, less is more in the amp world.

All kinds of mod are available for the amp. In my opinion, an amp this pricy (new) should receive any and all updates free, or better yet, be designed properly from the start. I know that is many times impossible, but $3000 as a baseline is way too much already if the amp needs mods to sound truly high end. That's why I waited to find a used SLO, so I didn't get too pissed off about having a boatload of cash wrapped up in one amp.

I play classic rock, heavy metal and some blues. This amp is actually pretty flexible. You can get a really cool sounding searing lead tone or just a nice crunch. Clean isn't too bad considering the monster that lurks within. All that or anything in between. Very midrangey!

If you dial the preamp gain much beyond 3, it loses it's articulation and sounds some what compressed. I tried JJs and Svets which help quite a bit, but still the character of the high preamp gain is still present in which to say the notes seem to lose definition. I think the best tone in this amp is to crank the master with minimum pre on the lead channel and let your pick attack dictate when the amp overdrives .... basically let your fingers bring out the tone just like you would do on a Marshall super lead.

Compared to my early Mesa DR, the Mesa has more attack and is much more crisp sounding, but it can get slightly more buzzy with the pre cranked way up compared to the SLO..... who with the same setting, just compresses the hell out of the tone. Its a toss up, both amps have their strong points. The SLO has a way better clean than the DR.

Built like a tank. Excellent attention to detail. Michael followed the tried and proven method of flying leads off the pots and chassis mounted tube sockets. Simple and neat looking. The only thing better is probably a Hylite era Hiwatt DR. Probably could play it for years with no probs.

Never had a problem, so no comment.

I've been playing 18 years. I have a 74 Marshall superlead, a JTM45 reissue, a 93 Mesa DR, a 71 and an early 81 Hiwatt DR103, a Hiwatt clone-Sound City amp, a few Voxs amps, Ampeg bass amp and I think that is it. Guitars... my favorite is a newer USA Tele with a fat neck. I have a 84 LP Custom, a 03 SG, 90 MIJ 62 reissue Strat, 2 Ernie Ball Axis, Fender Pbass and some acoustics.

Yeah, the SLO isn't a bad amp. It is fun to play around with and has it's place, but my old Sound City just stomps it in the tone dept. The Hiwatts too, especially the 71 has such a warm even tonal balance, you just don't realize how good until you compare amp to amp through a common cab. Of course the older amps have to be crank and attenuated to get that nice lead tone. Preamp gain just isn't the same as power tube distortion, but it is fun to play around with just for something different. Another plus is you don't blow your hearing out with a SLO quite as fast, although it is a pretty loud amp.

If it got stolen, I would probably go out and check the new Mesa Stilettos out if I wanted another high gain amp. I would certainly consider another SLO too for the right price.

Over all, it is a good amp for what it is. I love the tone from the 70s amps when the power tubes did the talking, but the SLO style amps are cool because you can still get a good sound and good sustain at a low volume. I put a few NOS Mullards in the pre and finished em off with JJ ECC83s tubes! Wow ! what a nice change in tone. Sovteks are crap and I have no idea why they come standard in a $3000+ amp ??

Anyway, Cheers !

I own a 2004 with modifications. And this is meant to be a review free of DRAMA. Unlike many reviews offered on this website. Here goes. VERSATILITY. The SLO 100, in my opinion is made to SOUND great. As many may know or believe, to add features increases the chance of sound being tainted. I believe this to be true having owned a Bogner Ecstasy and multiple Marshall products. The SLO 100 has two channels, but they share preamplification settings. The EQ just has to do. And I think that it does. It gives you bare bones for the ability to change drive or volume levels save independent clean and overdriven volumes. But I think anyone can make it work. It's about priorities on stage. In the studio it roars, has great flexibility, and loves to have it's picture taken. And that #1 priority certainly represents itself live. It offers an FX loop, but it has high standards. I think that it only works with +4 FX. -10 for me resulted in a slight loss of volume, but loads of high end was taken and was too crippling. If it is going to hurt the tone only slightly, you will most likely hear it very well. So unlike me who found out the hard way; if you are looking to buy it... but also use Delay and Reverb live, you'll need a serious processor or rack. The SLO packs a mean punch. Physical. Only serious equipment can interact with it's levels. I use it live and in the studio. Haven't tried Diezel yet unfortunately. But for me, anything else will have to measure up to the SLO.
It is certainly loud enough for any venue. More cabs might help improve coverage on big stages, but my single 4X12 is plenty in clubs/universities.
TONE. It has a mouth and vocal chords. I'm sure that sounds a little...dramatic. But truth be told, you'll never be able to recreate it through blends of other gear. I feel that certain amps can be referred too. Enough to create the same emotional reaction that the amps of influence did. But Soldano has harnessed a so far immortal voice. And the SLO is probably the most well heard.
Tight humping low end. Quick enough to be tight, but not immediate and ruining the 3D image.
Flexible throaty mids. But you need to be careful with the Treble and Presence. They have great impact on how the mids sit.
I can only try to give you a taste of how much attitude this head has.
In the world of competitive tone, this head has the pink mohawk. But it also has intelligence superceding other competitors. It covers a wide spectrum. Climbing from sorrow, evil and manipulation, it can reach heights of incredible joy and optimism. It amplifies what and more importantly, how you play. If you hurt, it will cry for you.

Right now I'm playing a Gibson Les Paul, and a Fender Telecaster.
The music I write is predominantly heavy, groove oriented patterns. Coupled with eccentric clean passages most usually laced with either sorrow, or learning.
The SLO has a flexible enough "clean" channel that I can ride it live through the set and cover all of my needs. The overdirve channel allows me countless paths to achieve the energy I need to convey. Plus it's ability to cut through the din makes solo concentration easy to achieve.
It's only noisy when you make it look in the mirror through your guitar. About three feet at live volumes is all you get unless you have a bypass.
The clean channel distorts. Not a cleaniac's amplifier. But it can be incredibly relaxed and smoothe. From my perspective, any clean track ever recorded could be replaced with the SLO, and the recording would probably benefit.
The distortion isn't buzz saw, but I think of it as switch blade. Classic... yet dense. Certainly enough to represent great power.

Soldano pride themselves in the reliability and housing of their product. It's military. No really. I have to really want to hurt this amp to cause failure. And if I succeed, something tells me a paper middle finger is going to pop up as a last remark from somewhere in the chassis.
I can't afford a back up. But I'm not BIG time yet. If ever I can I will. But my ease of conscience is only due to this head's structure and reliability.
It has not broken yet. And I do not expect the mortal parts to go soon save the tubes. It's really relaxed. You can hear it's pulse. Though always ready to go over the edge, it breaks no sweat.

I bought mine on ebay. Thinking that the FX Loop was always stock, I was bummed when I recieved it and had to have it installed for more $$. The heads that are special ordered only have an FX loop if specified. While having the install done, the service and support was unbelievable. Bill is an amazing man for those who are new to the product. The warranty is lifelong save the transformer. And they represent their product.

I've said enough.

Well, after approx 11 years use, I have to make a short review of the SLO.
After reading the last review below, I just had to laugh. Seems like this guy has gone totally wrong with his SLO. A "Tube-screamer" for leads when using a SLO is IMHO a waste. The SLO needs to be cranked a bit to sound its best. When You "know" this amp, its capable of KILLER tones.
The features are well covered from other posts, a simple yet very versatile amp. For my playing style, all I need.
I play in three diff. bands, a blues band, a "classic rock" band, and a metal band. The SLO covers all styles great.
I've got two SLO's, a '92 and a '99. Yep, that says a lot. I really like this amp compared to a LOT out there.
It gets a 9 for features, but if it had a crunch & lead boost it would be a def. 10.
No amp is "perfect".

I'm using mostly LP's, and from time to time strats.
LP's: 59'Historics with Tom Holmes 450/455, and orig PAF's, a '68 LP and a 1980 LP Heritage 80 with Lindy Fralins, and my main LP, a 1970 LPC with Duncan Custom in the bridge. The SLO tranfers all the guitars diff. tones excellent. Change to another pup, and You'll hear it instantly. Plug in a strat, and You'll have strat-tones in spades.
Clean-ch:
I've never used the clean-ch that much of the SLO, but the clean is good. You can even max it for a nice warm breakup tone. Compared to say a BF Fender Super, Matchless DC-30/JJ-30, Bruno Coowtipper etc, the SLO clean-ch is not "that great". But good enough for a "high-gain" amp. IMO, better than my long gone Bogner XTC and Ubers clean-ch's, which were cool enough.
Crunch ch:
A great crunch, from slighly break-up to AC/DC and old VH. I love this ch. For some blues gigs, I used this ch alone, and just used the guitarvolume for leads.
Lead-ch:
What can I say? The industry std, Fat, fat, fat. It cuts great within the band-mix. I've never played an amp with fatter mids than the SLO, it growls.
Beeing an old Marshall-guy, it's all I could ever dream of reg. a "hot-rodded" old Marshall. Exellent string to string definition, and this amp stays CLEAR even with the most gained-out tones.
This ch covers groovy ZZ-Top, VH to Pantera tones.
Or....smooth Warren Haynes tones are easy on tap.

I've had both my SLO modded with the WH-mod, which takes away some topend "sizzle" on the lead ch. IMO, You also loose a tiny bit gain with the WH-mod engaged (I have a switch on the backside of the amp). This mod is not a "must", I use the SLO more or less witout it. But, cool to have it if You "need it".
I've also another mod with both SLO's, a fixed bass-boost (sim. as a depth-mod). This mod gives the amp(s) just the "right" added bottom end. I feel the SLO is a tiny bit thin on the lower reg. without it.

What's always real cool, is to hear the SLO through a PA. It find its place easy in the mix, and what "might" seem like an amp which could use more bottom end, all questions just dissapeared. It barks through a PA, and usually (in my experience), no need for any eq on the board. Let the bass-player handle the extreme bottom end.
Hehehe, regarding "bottom-end", I could never that good tone with my Uber or old Dual&Triple Rects.
Same goes with recording, it records great!
I could go on "forever" comparing it with other amps, all I can say:
The SLO gets a SOLID 10.
(Despite the clean-ch, which would get a 7 if I used it).

It's built to last. Transferable lifetime warranty. Take a look inside, and You'll see that the amp would not have any issue with reliability. I've used the SLO many years, without ANY problems whatsoever.
I can not say that very thing for a couple of other well-known manufacturers out there.
The SLO has always delivered killer tones. And I think it will last "forever" if not run over by a truck or something.

Every time I've been in contact with Soldano, I've got great customer support. They stand behind their products 100%, real nice and knowledable people.
My questions have been related to diff. tubes and mods, and they've been very helpful.

The SLO is a bit "finchy" about the "right" tubes and speakers. I've used Svets EL-34's, and the NOS Sylvania tubes for the "best" tones.
I tried out some KT-66's which were nice. Sort of a mix between the EL-34 and 6l6, big headroom and more power. But I felt they were too "clean". I like the power-section to break up more, without being "insane" loud. The stock 5881's were to hard&glassy, but they have a tight good bottom end.
For my taste that is.
This amp can sound good to GREAT. IMO, it depends on the right match with tubes / speakers. I've found old GB's (G12H30's or 25W's) to be the best. Old 412 Marshall or Bogner cabs, are a very good match.
IMO, even better than Soldanos own 412's. I still use a straight Soldano 412 with old GB's on the top, and Matchless-mod V-30's on the bottom. Sounds good, but still, Marshall/Bogner beats it.
I sold off my slant Soldano 412, a bit "thin" compared to the above cabs. Hmmm, then again it was great for small stages. And it's very easy to transport. The straight Soldano 412 has a bit more bass, and sounds fuller. Its a keeper.

I've been playing approx 29 years, and I've never been "that" pleased with any other amp. I've been through many great amps, including a couple which I still miss, like the Bogner XTC or a BadCat BlackCat. I actually sold off my XTC amp to get another SLO. No regrets, but I "wish" I could have kept them all. Heheh, I'm not "that" rich.

My old Marshalls been collecting dust some time, but I use a '69 Marshall 50W JMP with the SLO for some rock-gigs. A great combination.
For the heavier stuff, I use two SLO's or one SLO running with a BadCat HotCat-100. This is the best two-amp combo I've used "so far".
The SLO's great cut and fat mids combined with a very greasy&woody tone from the BadCat sounds IMO KILLER.

No need to list "all" my amps, but a Mathless Phoenix 35 is my "no-1" for the blues gigs. A Matchless JJ-30 is at home, too great to sell off. Etc.... Anyway the SLO is still "it", and that's the amp I grab when just going for it.
If I lost the SLO, I would def. get another, have the mods done, and get rolling again. I can't really find something to "hate" about it, I'm just that pleased. And I have been for a looong time. Some know I have said a lot about the SLO on the HCAF. I'm happy to know that one amp actually can "do it all".

Anyway, the SLO is not the amp for everyone. Spend some time with it. It needs to be played a little "loud" to open it up, and to get the best tone. Its not a "bedroom-wanking" amp, the power-section needs to be cranked a bit to have it "bark & growl". Still, I use it sometime at home also, and yep, nice tones.
Btw, I use only a BuddaWah with the SLO , no other fx's. This amp does not IMO need any fx to "clutter" its great tone.
Last, I "hate" to give 10's. No product is 100% perfect, still I feel the SLO truly deserves it. Hype? Nope, just a stellar amp still going strong after 16 - 17 years.
Real cool!!!

Well, it's pretty simple to use but I find it very limited. I wish there was at least a reverb.

This is where I have a problem. I bought this amp because I like the sound that Warren Haynes gets but he must have a much different setup than I do. I use Tube Screamers for my gain and very little of the built in gain from the amp. The amp is very crusty sounding yet at the same time way too midrangy. It's almost like missing the right spectrum of sound frequencies. No EQ helped with it. I don't mean to offend anyone who has had good results with this... I'm glad for you. However, when I compare it to my 1965 Fender Twin or my Mesa Boogie Nomad 100 through the same cabinets, it just doesn't sound pleasant to me at all. I think that it is way overpriced. I have decided to sell it since I can't stand to plug into it anymore. If anyone might be interested in buying a used SLO-100 my email is TreyPhanDobbs@aol.com. After this glowing review, I'm sure that I'm hurting my chances of selling it but I want to be honest. Nothing about this amp sounds anything like the tone that I want. Period.

It's built great and I doubt you would ever have a problem. I just changed the power tubes to try and get a better tone, and it just got worse. Oh well.

I've never really dealt with them.

Like I said, I don't mean to offend anyone who loves this amp, but I can't stand it. I would love to sell it. I wish I had saved the money and bought two better amps instead.

2 CHANNELS.MANUFACTURED I BELEIVE IN 1988. MINE HAS LOOP BUT I PREFER THE SLAVE FOR DRY SOUND AND EFFECTS. GOOD FOR ALL VENUES. PLENTY LOUD.

I USE FENDER AND GIBSON HUMBUCKERS AND SINGLE COILS.( ACTIVE AND PASSIVE) WORKS WITH THEM ALL.SOME NOISE ON VERY HIGH GAIN BUT NOT ANY WORSE THAN ANY OTHER HIGH GAIN AMP. DISTORTION CHANNEL SMOKES, CLEAN CHANNEL NOT PRISTINE BUT CLEAN ENOUGH IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I'VE BEEN USING THIS AMP SINCE 1994 AND THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAPPENED IS I BLEW A FUSE TWICE AND OF COURSE SEVERAL RE-TUBES.

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AAA. BILL IS VERY HELPFULL. I HAVE A LIFETIME TRANSFERABLE WARRENTY BUT IT DON'T LOOK LIKE I'M GOING TO NEED IT.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING PROFFESIONAL FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN ALL KINDS OF PROJECTS. FROM JAZZ TO BLUES TO ROCK AND HEAVY METAL AND THIS AMP HAS SHINED ON ALL STYLES. I OWNED ALL KINDS OF MARSHALLS AND FENDERS AND OTHERS AND THIS AMP KILLS THEM. SOMETIMES I WISH IT HAD A SPRING REVERB BUT I GUESS THAT WOULD EFFECT THE TONE. IF LOST OR STOLDEN I WOULD BE OUT A COUPLE OF GRAND FOR A REPLACEMENT.

I'm starting to get really pissed off with some of the reviews. I have spent a lot of time playing around on a fully-modded, and on a non-modded, slo, and I thought it was the best amp ever. I don't want to hear any of that bullshit about the clean channel sounding thin or flat, play with the knobs. If you still don't like it, buy a fucking equilizer. The crunch channels carries enough "umph!" to keep any bright distortion fan happy. It isn't for nu-metal, but those people don't deserve anything other than a Crate, anyway.
P.S. Learn to spell Wylde, dumbass.

I wrote a review down there somewhere. I cant help but want to come back and comment after I read and hear so much hype and bullshit in so many different places. Im not a bedroom jammer. So everyone knows where Im comming from. Last year I played 190 dates. Ive been paid to record many tracks. Heres an update. Im still using my Soldano when called for but not because its in any way my ultimate tone. Not close.

#1 - The clean channel is nothing special. Thats right. Its not bad in any way. But Im going to scream if I hear one more person somewhere tell me the Soldano clean is like a Fender. Ugh!! I can tell that most people would find it an addequate clean sound. Some would feel its just fine. But many would, and do, hate it. Especially players who are used to nice, dynamic, touch responsive clean sounds. Not here. What is here is a great clean channel for a high gain channel switching amp. Its a clean sound for when most of your music is heavy. I never thought that Clapton or Knopflers tone through a Soldano was that great at all. Dont be fooled just because their good players. If you really listen you can hear just how thin and sterile that clean sound is compared to when either of them use a Marshall or a Fender. But if you want that sound its here. Like they say be carefull what you wish for.

#2 The crunch or lead channel in no way sounds like a Plexi or other marshall. This amps gain sounds are reminiscent of modded marshalls, but in no way do they sound like Marshalls. I own many marshalls. Not the new stuff. I have a few JMPs, a Superbass and a 2203. They sound different. Period. You want Tom Morello, Zakk Wyldd or anyone who usses a JCM800, get a JCM800. Their much cheaper. This amp cleans up resonably well with the volume knob for a high gain amp (despite whove used them and the hype these things are saturated high gain amps.) The gain has this really present bite to the high end. Its got this really metallic, thin bite especially with alot of gain. You can really hear it on the lower strings. This amp can sound very thin. I would say that comes hand in hand with having an amp this saturated and still this tight. It is tight. If you want the opposite of a Dual Recto when you chug a muted power chord on the low strings this is it.

Describing just what the gain sounds like is difficult. Im not a big Aerosmith fan at all but I was listening to that Big Ones CD a while back. I was curious because one song reminded me so much of my Soldano. I went home and looked it up and sure enough, Joe Perry and the other guy used Soldano all over the album that song is from. The song is #1 on the Big Ones CD. If you listen you'll get a great idea of what the Soldano sound is. That song is such a good example that the first time I heard the song, without knowing, I said thats got to be a Soldano. It has that metallic bite to the notes especially when you play open notes on the low strings. You can hear this real well. Listen to that song.

I would say the eq is totally balanced and clear. It doesnt have that creamy midrange like many british amps. It can and does cut. It cuts well for this much gain. No sound man should ever say he has a problem getting a nice clean and clear sound from it. Id never call the amp muddy. Its very bright and present. But it has no vintage vibe. Not in any way. My personal belief is if your into cleaner or overdriven sounds, and your used to amps of that type or have good ears, you will ultimately not be pleased with this amp. If you like Nu-metal I dont think youll be into this amp either. Its much to thin, bright and tight. I usually dime the bass (since this amp is so thin and tight the bass on 10 will not fart out or be "too" much) and thats something I never do on any amp. I leave the treble at noon and the presence low. This tone stack is not that interactive with the tone. Its more like a stereo eq. I believe thats because the tone controls come after the preamp and before the output s

Two foot-switchable channels with separate gain & master volume controls. The Bass-Mid-Treble tone stack is shared by both channels. It also has a +4 dBu effects loop, which may be too hot for some gear.

The clean channel sounds pretty flat - I would appreciate a bit more mid scoop, as Fenders offer. The overdrive channel sounds similar to vintage Marshalls at low gain settings, but gets an overwhelming amount of presence as the gain is increased.

Built well, with quality components. However it is a bit finicky about preamp tubes. The first stage (V1) requires a low noise tube like a 7025, or equivalent low noise 12AX7. The overdrive stages (V2) require a durable 12AX7 that can tolerate the 350V plate voltage on V2b, referenced to its cathode.

Excellent support with very fast response - one of the best in the business.

I've been playing guitar for many years, and I'm also an Electrical Engineer.

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One thing that really surprised me about this amp is how close the SLO's overdrive channel circuit is to the "Orange-Normal" channel on the Mesa Dual Rectifier. The key difference being that the Mesa has a presence pad circuit on the Master Volume pot. This filters out the 'fizz' or 'insect-like' presence that is produced by the cascading gain stages. Adding this to the SLO makes the overdrive sound much better & more useful to me. The presence pad consists of a 22k-ohm resistor, coming off the Overdrive Master pot, in series with a 0.003uF cap to ground. You can download both the SLO & DR schematics for reference at: http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/tom/schematics.htm

Also, consider reducing or removing the 120pF treble-boost cap on the clean/crunch channel's second stage. This cap comes after V1a and is in parallel with a 2.2M-ohm resistor. It adds a treble peak to the clean/crunch channel. I found that changing it to 39pF works well to offset miller capacitance without adding any peak in the response. Or simply remove it for a darker sound.

Both of these mods are simple & very effective. They are also easy to reverse. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY MODS UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO DO SO - TUBE AMPS CONTAIN LETHAL VOLTAGES!!!
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I submitted a review of the SLO years go. I've had mine since winter 90-91. I still love this amp. For 14 years it's provided consistent amazing tones, especially in the crunch to lead/overdrive modes. No problems at all.

Today I was in a boutique music stored and played Bogner, Diezel, Peavey XXXX (not very boutique), Dr Z, Victoria, and a few others and I am sooooooo glad I have my SLO. Nothing comes close to it. Granted the SLO can't do things other amps can but when it comes to tube overdrive with harmonics, tightness, sustain, clarity, and relative transparentnesss where you can here the tonal differences of all your guitars and your playing nuances, well, it's pure joy.

And for those who say the lead channel is too fizzy or bright, play with the controls. Try mid and treble at position 1-2 (not oclock but position or knob value), prescence to taste, bass cranked, and slowly increase mids and treble to taste.

And with my stat I get pure Eric Johnson overdrive tones. I can't play as well as Eric but... And with the right cab and guitar you get pretty darn close to EVH but so much of Eddie's tone is his hands and not the gear.

Mine was a 2002 in purple tolex with none of the mods. I'm completely baffled by the high ratings for features on this amp. The features are pretty limited. Two channels, Clean and Overdrive, with the Clean having the Crunch switch. A pretty weak effects loop. No reverb, though to be honest the amp has such a great natural decay to it you don't need reverb. Also, the knobs go to 11, which is the coolest feature ever, though it has no bearing on how it operates of course. It's got features, but it's no 10.

Played with an Ibanez RG-570, ESP M-350, and Epiphone Les Paul which has practically no stock parts in it any more. I tried it with the 6L6s and the KT-88s. I also ran in both 100W mode and with two tubes pulled for a 50W mode.

Much like features, I'm not really following the mega-high marks in Sound Quality here. I will admit that the clean and distorted channels were pretty good, but a real let-down. Neither one could do anything that my Rect-O-Verb head couldn't do. The Crunch channel is laughable it's so useless and the versatility is non-existent.

It wasn't noisy, and the distortion was really nice, but that's about all it had going for it.

Seemed like I could use it as a bulldozer without scratching it.

Never dealt with them.

I thought this amp would balance out my tone. I already have a Rect-O-Verb which has tremoendous versatility and thought the SLO would give me the more "Marshally" tones the Mesa couldn't do. Wrong. Every sound on the SLO could be duplicated exactly on the Mesa by modifying the EQ, which mostly meant flattening it to where it was doing nothing (the SLO's EQ section seemed to have zero effect unless dialed completely out or at 11).

I want to stress that it's got a pretty good tone in there, but it is, after all's said and done, *A* good tone. And that good tone was nothing I couldn't already get. I've since sold it, it was a real let-down.

1996 production. Rare "Chrome Crocodile" tolex. Completely stock with the tube buffered effects loop and slave out. 2 channel head. I give the features rating of 8 based on the fact that I wish it had seperate EQ's for each channel (not that it really needs it, but I like that on an amp) and an option for a reverb. Other wise perfect amp.

I would like to start off by saying that I just received this SLO today and after tweaking and playing it with my band for a 2 hour rehersal, I would like to give some preliminary feelings about the amp. We play original music in the styles of Queensryche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Metallica, Alice in Chains, etc. We also play covers in the same style of music. I played a Hamer USA Californian loaded with an EMG SA single coil at the neck and an EMG 81 HB at the bridge plugged straight into the amp. The amp was plugged into an open back cab loaded with 2 Celestion Vintage 30's and then at home into a pair of Randall closed back cabinets with 2 Randall Jaguar speakers in each. I can't wait until I can plug it into my pair of Mesa Recto 4x12 cabinets with Celstion Vintage 30's. My initial findings are the same as some other reviews here. It is probably the most "honest" amp I have ever heard or played. By this I mean that you will know exactly what your guitar and playing truely sound like with no coloration by the amp. I have many other amps (Mesa Boogie Dual Recto, Mesa Trem-o-verb, Tri-axis, Simul 2:90, Simul 395, Marshal Jubille 2550, Marshall 9100, Randall RG80, Bogner/Hafler Triple Giant, etc.) and you expect and get a certain sound out of them. The Marshall sounds like your guitar through a Marshall, the same with the Mesa amps and the Randall, but the SLO doesn't add any color other than the tone settings you dial in to your taste. If you are just getting into playing guitar and don't have your chops down, don't buy this amp now, wait until you are a solid player. It will put all your weaknesses out there for all to hear. But if you are a good player, you will love how it picks up every detail of your playing. The clean channel has gotten some bad press here, but I find it to be very useful. Crystal clean, clear and full with alot of pressence. Some would probably like it a little warmer and the Warren Hayes mod would fix that. It may also have to do with what pickups others have used, but it worked well for me. The overdrive channel is to die for and is what makes this amp great. The tube cascading circuit that Soldano uses works great. The tone stays true and clear and the sustain is awesome. Chunky and well defined are what you get, not muddy or flabby. I could dial in most off the sounds from my other amps, except for that true Mesa Recto thrash low end. But that is not what this amp is about. The tone controls do work well. I've heard the term "sterile" used here to describe this amp and I disagree. I think some people just think that if an amp doesn't mold or twist their guitar into something it's not then they say it's "sterile", I say it's "honest". You want an amp that makes all your guitars have that heavy scooped mid thrash sound? Then buy a Mesa Dual Recto (no bashing on Mesa here, I love mine for that sound, that's why I own one). If you have to get a certain tone (Marshall, Mesa, Rivera, etc.), then by that amp for that tone. But if you think your amp isn't getting all your style and playing abilities out front in the band, get the SLO. Nothing sounds like it.

Just got it, but as said many times before, "Built like a tank with military grade components". Lifetime transferable warranty. What else could be said?

I've only emailed Soldano technical once to ask a few questions and got a responce the next day.

I've been playing guitar 22 years and have played and heard many amps out there. This is really a great amp. It took me a long time to decide to get one and I'm sorry I waited so long. I do play alot of rack gear also which is in another league of sound, but for a straight amp and guitar sound, you really can't beat it.

2003 model. 3 channels although you can on ly footswitch between 2. Effects loop, slave out, depth mod, warren haynes mod, scoop mod. features 4 NOS phillips tubes top shelf(400 for the quad!) 5 12ax7's (more phillips)

I tried this amp with NUmetal..forget about it. It is very raspy If your into motley crue's tone this might be for you. I'm into John Sykes, Neal Schon, Lukather, Early VH, Zakk Wylde. These tones aren't there. I'm used to a stereo triaxis rig w/ a TC2290 and a lexicon PCM80..so my clean sound Is the ultimate(think whitesnake)..The slo sound pretty damn lame compared to it. Simply sterile and way too bright..The stereo rig is swirling, alive, lush 3d. The SLO crunch channel can be described in 1 word worthless. no wonder you can only switch between 2 of the 3 channels with a footswitch. Imagine mick mars' tone with his gain on 2!(crap). The lead(overdrive) channel has a lot of buzzy gain but has next to no compression..and small amounts of sustain. All the eq knobs really work..I konow because I tried all of them to try to get a good sound! The depth mod is a knob with a cheesy sticker label that says depth. It really works(it only took soldano 15 years to add some bass to the most overhyped amp on the planet. The warren haynes and scoop mods are pretty lame..w.h. mod cuts some of the excessive treble this amp produces(It shouldn't even be a mod) The scoop mod knocks a little of the mids out.(whatever) You have to crank the amp to even tell those 2 mods are even doing something! The amp isn't noisy I play it on 10 for an hour. I hear the lame excuse about overhyped marshalls and others having to be on 10 to sound good. Crap sounds like loud crap when you turn it up. I tried a huge variety of tubes from 40 a quad to 400..Not much difference. This amp reminded me at times of whitesnake w/o compression/sustain.

The amp was mint..They have a lifetime warranty

Great people

I started playing 16 years ago. I have 19 guitars(PRS, old Les Pauls, 62 strat, Fernandes sustainers, Ibanez rg's etc.) A marshall jcm 800, Diezel Herbert, Triaxis/simul 290, Mesa MK3, Fender vibro champ, crate blue voodoo, crate gx15. If the slo were stolen I would have only been upset because of the cost. I would never buy another soldano product..If this is the flagship Why in the hell would I want to hear the cheap stuff? The mark 3 destroys this amp. The triaxis/simul 290 is so superior it's not even funny. The Herbert is like comparing a arion delay to a lexicon pcm 80

Born in 1991, this SLO was the first one bought by Joe Satriani. I bought it used at a local big chain music store. They gave me a screaming deal. It came with GT 6L6 tubes, and ECC83's, has the effects loop, Fender and Warren Haynes Mods, done after the fact from the Soldano factory. Perfect shape, not a scratch on this baby. I'll give it a 9, because I own 2 Bogner Shiva's that have been modded to use the boost feature as a solo switch. Much more versatile.

I use Andersons, Les Pauls and Strats. Because my gigging amp of choice is the Bogner Shiva Head with verb and 6L6 tubes, I'll compare the 2. Firt of all, I must say that for a HIGH GAIN AMP, I have yet to hear an amp with more harmonics and sustain. Mesa Dual rectifiers have more gain, but it is a fizzy quality that I personally do not care for. The SLO is brighter and has more gain on tap than my Shivas, but less thump and fatness. I don't like the sound better, it's just different. For what it does, the SLO is unbeatable...although I will probably stick with the Shiva as my main gigging rig because of its ease of use in the versatility dept. I don't use so much gain anymore, so the extra gain is not as much of a bonus to me like it would be for a metal player. I'm more of a classic rock guy, who needs the ability to go from clean, to crunch to a lead tone all with my feet. The Shiva modded does it with ease. If I compared the two without the Shiva mod, I would give them an equal rating, just different. The SLO's sounds are excellent. Without the Fender mod, its clean tone is sterile, but with it it is quite good, but not as good as the shiva. The Lead tone of the SLO is a bit better because it is brighter. All this is subject to my personal taste, but that is what I hear. Outstanding tone.

Built like a tank, best parts money can buy. Mike Soldano is the cream of the crop, and his amps are outstanding. Eats tubes about every year, but that is to to the hot rodded design. Can't get that sound without it, so no knocks there. Open one up, and you will see the beautiful wiring. The Shiva is the same, although the Soldano has thye best parts, teflon coated wiring, custom Deyoung Transformers, and a much better effects loop than the Shiva.

Outstanding. This is not my first, I had to sell my others due to financial hardship. In all of my dealings with them, Sean, Bill, and Mike are the best. Wonderful people, very helpful and friendly. Mike himself built me a Surfbox ( the last one of 100 ) and Bill and Sean were great as well.

Fantastic value. Even new for 3K, it's worth every penny. You get what you pay for. The Shiva is 1K less, but the custom parts justify the price differential.

Tha SLO has only one outstanding feature. It does everything it was designed to do very..very well, and if anything was added to it, it could very well compromise what it has. Of course in a perfect world, a third channel would be nice. A clone of the crunch channel would do me fine.

Mainly Gibsons (humbuckers), occasionally strats. If you want to know what your guitar "really" sounds like, plug into one of these. Their true character, or lack of, will be layed bare. Every pickup position, volume and tone tweak is obvious from squeaky clean through to heavy overdrive. It should be said that I am, or rather was (almost), a total vintage snob. Driven there by necessity really after spending the last 20 odd years, and countless dollars searching for a decent multi channel amp. Sure they sounded good at lower volumes (though some didn't), but put them in a gig situation, where you're relying on your backline to project and it was usually disappointing. Obviously, and dare I say, luckily for the big amp manufacturers, good sound reinforcement through the PA can make an amp sound much bigger, but you're still stuck with it's inherent tone for better or (usually again) for worse. A good vintage amp however IMO, has a much larger "scale" sound straight up. It's like they project with a bit of weight behind them, fuller, firmer and further. Only trouble with them is they're not always versatile enough, and often they need to be deafeningly loud to get the tone you want. Enter the Soldano SLO. Soldano's are pretty rare in Australia, so when a used one came up for sale at a music store a couple of hundred miles from my home, I just had to have a look. I'd heard the hype surrounding them and I admired some of the guys that use them, but in reality I just wanted to dislike in the flesh what is considered, the best of it's breed. No preamp driven channel switcher was gonna impress me. Well needless to say it did. The overdrive channel is simply as good as it gets. Big, bold, clearly defined and unmistakenly all tube. Sure it's bright and bitey, but that's exactly what a rock amp should be and unlike an amp which is being driven by an overdrive pedal, the bottom end doesn't drop out and leave a gaping hole in the mix, which IMO even the best pedals are guilty of. The crunch channel is also a gem. It's kind of pointless making comparisoms to other amps, but somehow necessary so here goes. Definately a Marshall players amp for sure, but very much with a sound all it's own. I liken it to preferring a cover version of a song to the original. Dynamic, defined and very classy, cleaning up beautifully from the guitar's volume control. Another trait common to good vintage amps, and generally lacking on high gain examples. Which brings me to another point. The old power tube versus preamp tube debate. Before this amp I was firmly entrenched in the "power tube distortion is best" camp, and while I still love my old "crank em hard" amps, the SLO has this way of just looking at you and patiently explaining the facts. After all you can't have a high gain amp without high gain, and that comes from the preamp tubes. I think the trick is to get the right balance between the preamp and the power amp, and I think Soldano got it right on the money. In fact, if you experiment with power tubes, which I recommend you do to fine tune your sound, you'll realize just how much they contribute to the SLO's sound, even at lower volumes, which incidently, still sound pretty full. The clean mode of channel one does the "bouncy" Fender thing pretty well IMO, but you'd have to run it through an open back cab loaded with old Jensens and maybe through a tube reverb, to fully exploit it, and that's not what this amp is really about. Suffice to say, the Soldano is a hell of a lot closer to sounding like a Fender Twin than a Fender Twin will ever come to sounding like a Soldano. The clean sound that I like in the SLO is the lower gain settings in the crunch mode. You can get a big bold "Hiwatt" clean easily in this mode, but you'd have to forego your true crunch setting for it, which is why a clone of this mode, becoming a third channel would be great. But like I said, not if it compromises anythin

I really can't imagine this amp ever letting me down. Foolhardy optimism perhaps, but it's just so well made. You turn it on and there's a dull click that echoes through the chassis that somehow fills me with confidence. The design and layout of the whole amp, inside and out, is so understated that you can almost overlook the amazing workmanship and thought that has obviously been put into it. I've got a 1973 DR103 Hiwatt. Pretty much the benchmark in quality, and the Soldano is definately in the same league. Sure it's PCB, but unmistakenly hand made and uncompromising in every way. I just love the way they've never changed the design since day one, so you don't get any of this "Oh the pre so and so date models are the ones to use". I carry spare tubes and fuses. Reckon I'm safe.. Oh and a Sovtek Midget 50 cos it fits in anywhwere.

The Soldano shop must be around 10,000 miles from where I live, and their service is better than my local music store, which I could hit with a rock (and probably should).
Absolutely second to none, even though I bought my amp used.

I've been playing around 25 years. Have lot's of old amps. Marshalls, Fenders, Hiwatt. Wouldn't swap them for anything. Had lot's of newer stuff too. They're mostly gone. Try everything I can, just out of curiosity. I don't get moved too often by modern gear. Soldano was exception. Really couldn't afford it at the time, but I had to have it. Thankfully I'm irresponsible, and my wife's tolerant.
If it was lost or stolen I would have to replace it for sure. Have to track down another used one though. Wife's not that tolerant.
If you're a player like me that needs a good tone to play at your best, and the aggresive, but oh so refined nature of this amp suits your tastes, I believe you'll be in awe of the SLO. If you're a player that can sound good playing a bamboo Indonesian Strat through a transistor radio you'll be less in awe.. but your audience will be.

My SLO is built in '94, if your reading this review you probably know what Soldano is all about "Amplifiers Built To Rock" depending on your skill the SLO is very versatile, my style is Classical Jazz Rock,
Progressive Fusion Pop! Two Channel w/Foot Switch, Effects loop etc.
The SLO is used in recording studios, live performances in various
venues, simple Pure Tube Tone with great Articulation!

My main guitar is a PRS Custom 22 Artist w/Dragon II pickups. The
tone through the SLO is wide & focus, fat and tight in the lows with a great highend that doesn't screech, sweet mid-tone! By manipulation of the pick it can be smooth to aggressive! for me I really love the amp with 6L6WXT+ power tubes you can bias from -54 to -56(colder), and 12AX7C9 preamps. Through my Soldano 2x12 cabinet and Celestion Vintage 30 spkrs the Clean tone is really nice, if I back off the volume to 9, it's more mellow for jazz type tones, or keep the clean channel on with my TS-808 for a very cool blues tone, or switch to the crunch (ch-1) and the OD pedal with the PRS tone on 2nd or 4th position and you'll get a great mid-power blues tone. Switching to
CH-2 the Overdrive is what Soldano is all about. The tone is somewhere around Lynch-Vai-Holdsworth Smooth..... and even on
11(overdrive) you can hear as everyone else, Every Note!

Every technician will say "Built like a Tank" but with Soldano it's True! My experience has been with my Bogner XTC-C, VHT Pittbull CLX,
both are fine amps! but the SLO goes further! the other two amps have a number of negitives, many options that you'll never use because they tend to sound so close, even when you record it's negligible.
My amp is 10yrs old and it's perfect, what a great amp should be.

I've dealt with Soldano for many years and they are the PRO's! Speaking with Mike is cool as he has worked with so many Pro guitarists, being a guitar player himself he knows exactly what your talking about regarding equipment. Bill has answered every question that I've every had, quickly. Turn around time is fast.

The SLO is an amp that's been used by many pro's over the years, EVH, Vai, Lynch, Clapton, Moore it goes on and on. Many artists have a large amount of amps for creative expressions! There is NO One amp does all! I've own wonderful Fenders with Great clean tone that the SLO would fall short in but with a great guitar to start off with you can get a nice balance! The Overdrive is where it's at! I've own many
modified Marshall's (Jose Arrenondo, Lee Jackson) the better of the rest etc. The SLO reminds me of some of the greatist Marshall Plexi's
with additional high-gain modifications and the best components that are cleaner and clearer. When you open it up at around 5 and so on, it takes on a life, all it's own(power tubes etc.) and every note can be heard! You can hide your inabilities in many of the others! many amps are loud but don't have that something special! If you have an SLO set up correctly with bias, tubes, spkers & cab along with a great guitar you'll be pleased with great tone, Definitely for the Artist! From Hype I had once sold my earlier SLO for a Bogner XTC-C
which was No where near as Awesome as the SLO!!! Mike Soldano believes in his product to give a lifetime warranty (transferable) to as many people that would own it! MANY Amp Builders only give an lifetime warranty to the Original owner! For an amp that has been around the world and chosen more for Tone and Reliability, it's understandable why more professionals have it, Awesome Tone and a Great Tool!

Stock with the Haynes MOD

This review is after 3 years and well over 300 gigs and recording 4 CD's.

Used mostly with Les Pauls and LP style guitars. Various Vintage/boutique FX. Various vintage style cabs.

Despite all the hype about this amp and voodoo about players whove used them all your getting is another decent amp, no better or worse then most good amps that cost alot more or alot less. Im not talking about amps youd buy in Sam Ash or Guitar Center. I would never buy an amp from a chain store 99% of the time. Only strings. With few exceptions those stores carry amps for the kiddies/newbies. This amp is suited for certain things, and for others its just OK.

Considering the price of some boutique amps and vintage amps this isnt an expensive amp either. Its more midpriced when you look at the whole picture. Ive paid alot more for an amp, new and vintage.

Heres some of my truths:

#1- the clean channel sounds NOTHING like a fender or vox or any other famouse clean sounds. At best Id consider it a decent sounding later JCM800 marshall clean channel or just a decent clean channel to get you buy when your mostly using the drive. I own a 67 Deluxe and its not even ballpark. My 72 HiWatt floors this amp. But its passable when your not going for clean in the majority of your playing. At least a tradition clean tone. This amp is all about the gain. I have a 2 amp setup for large, important gigs. I would never use it in the studio. Still its better then many 2-channel-high-gain amps' clean channels. The Bogner XTC clean channel is much better. Much more 3d and dynamic. For a high gain 2+ channel amp anyway. Your style and sound is your own thing but in a traditional sense this is not a great clean channel. Just OK. Decent. I wont even rate it for the clean channel since thats more about flexability. Probably an afterthought. This amps all about the drive channel.

#2 - This gain does not sound like a marshall. Its got the Marshall vibe but Ive owned almost every marshall out there. This is distinctly different from every marshall. Its probably closest to a modded JCM 800 with the really biting top but its still different. Its not modern marshall or mesa in any way. Marshalls, while having a biting top, still have a punchy tone and a deeper throatier tone. More midrange definition.

If you like classic rock, EVH brown sound, EJs tone, Jimis tone, your not gonna get that tone. You can capture the vibe through your technique (Ive seen an awesome guitar player sound like Jimi playing a F&*@ing Dual Recto! it was all his amazing technique) but those tone types are not what this amplifier's about even if it was intended to be. Most of those tones are about power tube saturation and the tone and dynamics that go with it. This is about preamp tube distortion done in a tastefull way.

This may not be a mesa or modern marshall but its still a preamp-tube-gain amp. Its one of the better ones Ive played. The overall tone is a little thin. Its very present in the high end. I think its lacking somewhat in the midrange "body" frequencies, but it has its own sound in that way. Older marshalls have more body, a deeper sound while still having a treble bite. This amps tone seems to me to have no strong character. That by itself may be the amps character. That its crystal clear and has a very even flat EQ. Its not strong in the bass or mids. It is very present in the highs but not like the trebles are boosted. Its just even and clear and cutting. It does cut through well for a high gain amp. The chord clarity with gain is decent but not like a good vintage amp. The chords are a little mushy but still clear. Moreso then most modern preamp buzz garbage amps. As always you cant just dial the inherent tone out with EQ either. Its just gonna eq frequencies that sit on top of the tone like a radio. The basic tone cant be dialed out. Only tweaked to fit a room or sound.

One good thing is the gain is very tight. The break up and responce of the gain when you palm

Emails answered in a day or 2. Transferable lifetime warranty. What more can you expect?

All in all I find this amp to be just a very good amp. Nothing ground shaking. Its a great amp to use if your trying to cover pop/rock songs from the 60's through modern times when a decent gain sound will be more important then clean. It cleans up decent with the volume knob so if your a player with good technique you should be able to get the 3 main sounds you need to cover 95% of songs. That being clean sounds, drive/blues/crunch sounds, and harder higher gain/lead sounds. Theres many ways to do that. You can set up a clean sound and a high gain sound and just back off the volume in the high gain drive channel for bluesier/crunchier stuff. Or you can set up your clean sound, dial in a blues crunch sound in the drive channel and use a gain boosting OD pedal to boost the drive over the top with high gain lead sounds. Or you can have your clean and high gain channels and use an OD pedal on the normal/clean channel for a bluesy sound. If you have the technique that should give you enouph to work with to sound great covering all but the most extreme sounds.

My overall main beef with this amp is just its lack of character. It has no strong or unique voicing. Just a flat, even, strait ahead drive that can be a little too thin and biting. Harsh at times.

People who give this thing all 10's to me dont have a clue. AN amp is just a part of the chain like the guitar and it cant do everything. I dont even think its the best amp at what its doing. I think many people need to stop listening to hype and actually go and try lots of amps and not just read about them. So taking everything into consideration Ill give this thing an 8. Really Id like to give it a 7.5. Nothing is a 10. You cant say thiers nothing better unless youve tried everything and that would take a lifetime.

Mine is a 2002 SLO-100. I wish I had ordered it without the loop, as I run a 3-way system. It has the Haynes mod and the depth mod, both of which I recommend. I agree with other posters that I wish it had the ability to footswitch between the clean and crunch. The button is on the front, so I dont know why they couldn't transfer it to a footswitch (but who know, I'm not a guitar tech). The amp is plenty loud unless you crystal clear - which it can't (and shouldn't) do. Mine has the standard 6L6 power tubes. I've heard them with KT6, and much prefer the tight bottom end of the 6L6. KT6's in this amp sound kind of mushy to me, and less clear on both high end and low end. If you like a very straight forward amp, this one can't be beat. A monkey could dial in a great tone (and probably a few non-primates as well).

I'm 35 and finally attained a position in life where I could afford whatever I wanted. Frankly, I wanted the best, because I earned it. In my search for the perfect amp (notice I didn't say the "only" amp, because no amp can do it all) I listend to them all - Bogner, Mesa, VHT, Peavey, Bedrock, Matchless (and his new company), Marshall, Carvin, HiWatt - and nothing can beat the sound of the Soldano. The SLO is very clear and punchy on the low end, not the buzzsaw tone you'll get from a Bogner and the like. It really can't do Rectifier scooped sounds out of the box, but I'm sure the right tubes and perhaps an EQ in the loop could come close. (If you want that, go for the Soldano Avenger). The other thing that simply amazes me about the SLO is that it can still sound awesome at very low levels.

I play my SLO with a 1982 Les Paul Custom, a 1969 Telecaster, a 1966 Strat, a G&L Strat, and a Floral Ibanez Jem. I think running pickups that are too hot through this amp really detracts from the tone of the amp - and besides that, you simply don't need it. If you need more gain than what the SLO can give out, what you really need is more practice. This amp will not allow you to play trash guitar and cover your mistakes with harmonically clipped noise. It will bropadcast your errors to the world. The reward is that every properly played note will sing and sustain and have tone for days. It will make you a better player faster than anything else will.

Not quite sure what to say about this. A dealer that I trust the most assures me that the Soldano is a tank. Soldano has a life-time transferable warranty, so I guess they're not worried, which is about the best sign a company offered. Still, my dealer had one cut out while showing it to me, and not I noticed mine might need a little tap on the top to get the full volume to kick in. Frankly, though, I blame that on a tube. These things are hand wired, so there is always room for human error. But because of that, any problem is easily fixed.

Call Soldano for yourself. A real person will answer by the third ring and answer any question you have about your amp, and probably any other metaphysical questions you may be pondering about the meaning of good tone.

When you're ready for the best, and want to give your ears a break from the death-metal tone of the minute, go for the SLO-100. This amp is the amp of choice for any number of 80's metal bands, but don't forget that it is also a mainstay for Clapton and other cleaner acts. It still amazes me how an amp with so few "options" can be made to sound so unique to such a diverse number of styles. It is a quality that you can't find in many of the other amps out there.

Pretty much stated above, its not a control board for a rocket ship nor is it the 2 tone knobs on your guitar. Very well layed out.

Im using a Jackson SL-2H mahogany body with mahogany n/t. With EMG 81/85 pups. This thing sounds incredible you can tell its got the Marshall background, but it has its own voice. The amp is more of a hi-midranged amp with the tone controls all set to 12:00(flat) and for those of you who think you can't get any low end, you must have to turn up your hearing aids a bit more! The amp is so responsive, to every little picking technique, and finger movement. The amp has more than enough gain on tap, and with the gain cranked and the guitar volume down aroud 1 1/2 you get great srv tones. All the controls on the amp are very responsive, no need to crank the knobs half way around to get a noticable tone difference, tiny increments will do enough to make a tone difference. The clean is by far the best clean i have ever heard next to a 66' twin reverb, but thats a fender thing. and if your looking for that fender clean, BUY A FENDER!. I can get the clean to sparkle and shimmer and then get it to be very rich and deep, 3d like. you can also get a great rock n'roll tone just by cranking the preamp on the clean channel. The amp beautifull at low volumes, (room volumes) but wait till you crank, it it will sound amazing. This is a very honest amp if you suck, it'll emphasize it, and because of that this amp has made me work on my technique nad style, overall making me a better player. This amp is perfect for large and small venues, and will fit right into the mix when you want it, and cut right through the mix if you want it. Playing leads on this thing is a pleasure very aggresive sound but creamy, if that makes any sence. If you play just 2 notes, and play them right this amp will make those two notes sound like youve played a whole song. Oh and speaking of noise at high volumes, if you are running effects pedals into the amp the 2 grounds will make noise, easily fixed by removing the one ground and or adding batteries instead of a power sourece. becarefull not remove both grounds or else it can cause electracal shock even deadly shocks. Noise can also depend on pickups, cords, amp placement, and power supply, mine makes slight noise, but not noticable, and what amp doesn't make noise???

You could drop this thing off a ten story bulding TWICE and still go on a full year tour. of course you have to change tubes.

Mike is great talked to him over the phone lots, great guy.

Every body has different opinions on the ideal tone, well this amp is MY holy grail of tone! Very expensive this is worth all the gold and silver in the world

And every time i play it, i get goose bumps.

Time to Jamm

Straight forward. Shared EQ. Not a problem for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. If you want tons of features get a Line 6 and sound horrible.

I play Rock/fusion a la Tony Macalpine, George Lynch,etc.
It has a refined distortion with its own character. The ampn is very honest and as others have said "If you can't play don't even bother with this amp as it will make you sound worse than you are." This si the best sounding amp I have ever owned. I have owned basically every amp out there and nothing comes close period. If you want the best buy this amp and don't waste your time with anything else.(MESA,MARSHALL,BOGNER). If you still think a Mesa or Marshall sound better than this amp after you play one, go out and sell your guitar because you are tone deaf and can't play anyways.

Basically you could drop it out of a plane and it would still work without a problem.

Lifetime warranty... think about it.
Call Soldano anytime and you will talk to someone who actually designed the damn thing. THE BEST!!!

I have been playing for 25 years. I own or have owned just about everything out there. This is the best amp I have ever heard...
What else is there to say??? If I lost it I would buy another one in a heartbeat. They are so good I own 4. By the way, Mesa Rectifiers and any Marshalls are pieces of shit compared to this amp... Maybe I am a little biased...

This is a 1990 model I purchased in 1996. It has standard features, slave out, effects loop, 2 channel switching, plus an extra channel that you can access only by a toggle switch on the amp face, this
switch splits the first channel clean/crunch.
I play in a cover band playing 60's to current day stuff. Everything from dance funk country blues to heavy stuff. The main problem I have is going from a full shred sound to clean, you need to turn around and spin knobs a lot to dial in the right sound. This is because of only having two channels. It loses points here, 3 channels would be the fix!

My main axe is a 91 musicman EVH, my other is a 87 GM5T Steinberger. Between these 2 I can get just about any sound I need. The Musicman rips, it is absolutely awesome with this amp. This is the basic guitar sound on Van Halens F.U.C.K. cd. I use my steinberger for glassy clean sounds.
The best thing about this amp is that the frequencies are right where they should be. The bass thuds but is tight, and the trebble cuts pefect. There is no mucking around dialing knobs, just plug in and play. If you need more mid, just add more, perfect. It's like the sound is there but you just have to tune it to your taste. This is the way an amp should sound. I find the shared eq works well and have no problem with it. This amp is about a loud as any 100w amp and doesn't reach it's potential until it's cranked. Which can be a problem in small clubs. The overdrive sounds from this amp are full of tone, and almost clean sounding yet they will still peel the wallpaper off. Make no mistake this is a thoroghbred rock amp, as far as sound goes it is AWESOME!

This amp is 13 years old and hasn't failed since I've owned it (8 years).

N/A

I,ve been playing 25 years. I've owned heaps of marshall amps, the soldano slo is a marshall sound, only 10X better. My rating may be bias due to the fact that I love this sound.
My only issue is the versatility. 3 channels would fix it. I would like to check out the soldano 3 channel Decatone, I have heard these are pretty good, but have a different sound to the slo.
This amp does what an amp should, when you play you can hear the tone from yor strings ringing. Others may not agree but I love this amp.

The amp is straight to the point, clean/crunch, overdrive, high, mid, low, and a pressence knob. It lacks a lot of the features that help sell the more popular amps of today. However I find that appealing. This amp simply features incredible sound. My only beef is that there is no easy way to switch between the clean and crunch sound. I rarely play with a totally clean tone so it really isn't a big deal. But it would be nice.

The SLO 100 is an amazing sounding amp. I love the "pushed" sound or the "just" distorted tone the amp is able to achieve. It's bright and a tad dirty. For leads, the overdrive channel is brilliant. It sears through anything else going on in the band, and at the same time it never sticks it's head too far out. The sounds of the amp and the tones it creates flow so perfectly with whatever kind of music the band is playing. I have found that this amp is very resonsive to my guitar's internal volume. I roll the volume down and get a great overdrive tone (tube screamer). Push it up a bit, lean my head back, and enjoy oceans of "controlled" gain. The amp is never out of control. To me, this is very important.

I too consulted Kenny at solid body guitar. Prior to buying this amp he assured me it is the most reliable amp on the face of the earth. As mentioned in previous reviews, life time transferable warrenty. I never worry about this amp...and that is soooo very important.

Never had to deal with them. However, if that time comes, I'm confident that they will be the very best.

I've been playing guitar for over 10 years. In those 10 years I was always searching for simple and affordable ways to improve my sound. The POD, distortion pedals, proccessors, you name it...I tried it. I finally came to a realization. If I was to buy the best sounding amp, I would never have to search for another easy answer to my tone problems again. As we all know those easy and cheap answers are always only temporary. Buy a great guitar, buy a great wah pedal, and buy a soldano SLO 100. Because that is truely all anyone could ever need. If you live in minnesota, go talk to kenny!

One channel KT66 Custom SLO. I believe the amp was made in 2001. I attained the amp from Kenny at solidbodyguitar.com (Highly recommended)He really knows his stuff. We tested many different preamp tubes in the amp - going with the best that made me happy- what great service!
Having a one channel SLO100 is what I wanted. Its more punchy and lively because you don't have the other channel. The SLO clean channel has never been a fave of mine anyway- although I hear some heavy weight rockers in the past have used the clean channel exclusively- hitting it hard with the right FX!
The KT66 tubes are more on fire than the standard issue 6L6's. But both sound awesome. (I own a stock 2 channel SLO as well)

I have owned many amps (and still do) and the Soldano has always been the best live amp. It cuts thru the mix well and yet is still extremely smooth. (my soundman agrees with all I am telling you here too!- it's his favorite amp I've owned as well)
No matter how you dial in the SLO it always sounds great.
I didn't think it was a METAL amp until me and one of my "Metal" students dialed in a killer metal tone. I was surprised that it sounded so good this way!! - I had never been able to get it to pump like a Mesa Dual Rectifier for the Metallica type sound... but we got it. And I think it killed the Mesa Rectifier in pure tone. (The Mesa's never cut it live for me anyway- always get buried in the mix)
I still consider this amp to be more of a Rock amp than a Metal amp, but it can be dialed in, and with a way more cutting, punchy tone than the typical Mesa amps all the rage these days.

Only problem I've ever had on the Soldano SLO amps was the burning out of a few "Blue" on/off light lamps. Sean at Soldano says the bulbs are available at Radio Shack. (Lamp type #47 6.3 volts.150mA) I carry a few spares to gigs now. ( as well as extra tubes and fuses to gigs at all times)

The best. All emails answered -Lifetime transferable warranty. The best warranty for the best amp company period.
If you need help/ advise on tubes or anything I highly recommend talking with Kenny at solidbodyguitar.com a #1 Soldano dealer.

Don't mess around and waste your time- Buy the best and you will be rewarded for a lifetime.

Mine was created Dec 12, 2002. I'm going to keep this short, because the other reviews are on line. My typical style ranges from SRV to EVH, but a nice clean is important for me too. I do wish that the clean and crunch channels were separated, but the range of tones you can get out of the SLO are simply amazing. What also amazes me if that for a 100 watt head, this thing is still the best sounding basement amp I have ever heard. I can still have gobs of tone w/o waking the kid up. Mind has the Haynes and depth mod. I like the depth mod, but I always leave the bright option on. I suppose if I played a tele it might be a nice option to kill some highs.

I honestly have not heard a better amp. I started playing way before the grunge era, and this amp really appeals to me. It is not a recto or 5150, but with a little tweaking I suppose you can get close. The amp is very responsive to your guitar's volume. For anything less than metal, the crunch channel is a thing of beauty.

Like the previous poster (whose review is excellent), I also don't see how people can compare this amp to a Marshall. A MODIFIED Marshall yes, but a stock Marshall or even a stock plexi -- no way.

I think the Lifetime warranty says it all. It's a tank.

If you have a question about a soldano, whoever picks up the phone will have an answer immediately. No hold, no waiting, no idiots. They rock.

PRICE. Here is my only beef about Soldano. This amp is expensive, and worth every penny, but I FREAKING HATE companies that price fix. In most other businesses antitrust would prevent it, but somehow in our business they get away with it. If a dealer sells a Boogie or a Soldano too low, they risk getting the line yanked. One dealer told me that this prevent "cheapening" of the product, but I think that is total BS. I purchased my SLO from out of state to avoid tax, and because my local dealer couldn't come down a hundred bucks to compensate, he lost the sale. I broke the bank to buy this thing, and $100 still means a lot to me.

Nothing compares to this amp. I don't think I could afford another one soon, so if anyone tried to steal it they better get ready to rumble.

This is an addition toMy Initial review about the Rackmount Soldano SLO-100R(Rackmount ) Amplifier Head.
I spoke with Bill Sundt-Chief Engineer @SOLDANO via phone on Monday of this week(12/2/2002)
and asked several dozen Questions regarding the SLO-100R series amplifiers.
I Told him the serial # of My Amp(#931014)and he verified that it was Built for and ordered by Dan Spitz of "ANTHRAX".
He supplied me with a Signed Letter & Copy of the Logbook manufacturing Data and Serial # chart that shows Dan Spitz took delivery of Serial #s 931014 and 931015 in 1993 which were ordered thru Sam Ash Music on 48th Street in NYC.

He(Bill Sundt) took the Time & Effort out of his busy day to give me information I asked for on tube socket assignment,Design and Maintenance,production numbers(as provided on My serial # chart and factoryLog Page showing the Amps that Dan Spitz ordered) and other technical data necessary.He again commented on how rare and limited in numbers the Rackmount SLO-100R heads were.

This kind of Customer Service and Relations is standard for SOLDANO-and I wanted to thank Bill Sundt for providing mewith usefull information regarding the production and porigin of this amplifier.

I also neglected to mention in my review below that the SLO-100R Rackmount unit has a cooling fan mounted on it's ZINC plated chassis facing the power tubes and draws cool air in thru the front of the perforated Metal Grill.
Bill Sundt is the man who provided me with the specs and identification of the chassis material and plated nature which is polished to a chrome like shine.
I was gonna guess Stainless Steel-but I was informed it's Zinc Plated on Both sides.
I also examined the underside of the chassis and the Components such as capacitors,Resistors and component arrangement which was Like examining the inside of a NASA Rocket.
The entire unit is all point to point wired and meticulous in construction and assembly.
Neat Silver soldered connections and Military Spec Parts and components are all evident.The sealed pots were all numbered sequentially-and the Chassis is signed By Mike Soldano as well.
This amp is a work of art that impresses me with more and more tones than I could have imagined.
I was also informed that the input stage tube(1st tube in line after the input jack for the instrument)shares it's 2nd gain stage with the # 2 Tube.The two gain stages(Clean/Crunch & Lead) are interactive.
Raising the Gain on the 1st dial for the Crunch channel Gain past 12:00 has a direct effect on the Lead channel characteristics.
There is NO Need to run the crunch gain past 12:00 or at the very most 1:00 on the dial.
It's there in Spades!
The tube layout is as follows:
1st Tube is the input gain stage and the second stage acts in conjunction with the lead channel stage as well.
2nd Tube is the overdrive Stage(Lead channel).
3rd Tube is the FX Loop Tube.
4th Tube is for the Tone Controls.
5th Tube is for the Phase Inverter/Power Section.
I'm running ALL NOS Chinese Tubes in the SLO-100R and the same in My Standard size SLO-100 head.(these tubes are several years old and rate at least 850 to 950 on a tube tester meter).

I still cant believe I've Got this Rackmount head.It's that good!

Built To Rock.......and Rock It Does.
This thing is Built like a Missile Silo.

Again my thanks and appreciation go out to Mr. Bill Sundt /Chief Engineer @SOLDANO Custom Amplification for his patience and Kindness in helping me out.

If you Find One....BUY IT!
Theres one on E-bay now for $3,000 and it's worth EVERY penny.
Maybe I can hit the lottery over the week-end before the auction ends.

This is a Soldano Rackmount SLO-100.This particular model is VERY Rare and there are NOT alot of them made or in circulation.
I was told that Less than 70 Rackmount SLO-100s were made but I am in the process of verifying that w/Soldano tomorrow.
this unit is serial # 93xxxx(very Low #).I am not sure if the rackmount units were numbered differently,but I have seen others that are higher in individual digits after the initial first two numbers(which indicate manufacture year).This unit has an anodized Violet/Purple Faceplate that is Very Cool(like all the preamps they make).It's 4 rack spaces high,has 8 adjustment knobs for Bass,Treble,Middle,Presence and TWO Master Volumes for each channel and Individual Gain Knobs for each channel as well.
A Bright Switch for the Clean/Crunch channel-and another switch to designate which type of gain curve you'd like to assign to the 1st channel as well(either Clean or Crunch).The Two channels(Clean/Crunch and Lead) are footswitchable via a footswitch jaqck in the rear of the amplifier.Standby/Power toggles,a Blue Jeweled Power indicator light and Big Chrome Handles complete the front face of this unit-along with a black Mesh Steel Grill and the SOLDANO Logo.
The rear of the amplifier has a Slave Out jack(1/4") w/Level-Trim Knob,an Effects Loop(Paralell)-with NO Send or Return level adjustment,an Impedance selector for 4/8/16 ohms,Two Speakewr jack outputs,1and 5 amp Fast Blow Fuse sockets and a Hard wired power cord.
The all Steel Chassis is kinda "Zinc Plated"looking.....it probably IS Zinc plated or some form of Stainless.Very Industrial looking and solid in appearance.This Amplifier has DeYoung Transformers(The FINEST Audio Amplifier Transformer there is)a small fan that is mounted in the rear to cool the Four(4) Power tubes and Five(5) preamp tubes.I am using 6L6 JJs in the power section and Chinese 12AX7s(that I have bought in lots of 100 From Custom Audio Electronics) in the Preamp section.This amplifier has a solid state rectifier in it.ALL the Preamp tubes have shields on them.Stock the Soldano SLOs come loaded with Sovteks(YUCK),but I HATE those tubes and I usually load My Bogners,VHT 2150s,Custom Audio and Soldano Amps with Svetlanas or JJs in the Power section and Chinese 12AX7 Preamp tubes in the Preamps(duh)or Driver & phase inverter slots(in the VHT 2150 Poweramps).
The Solid Point to Point Workmanship and Build Quality on The SOLDANO SLO is a work of Art!The components are simply THE BEST that They can find and use.(same for Bradshaw and Bogner)
Obviously this amp is only 2 channels-but that doesnt limit this unit to covering alot of sonic ground and tone(s).I wish it had a Level and send /Return Pots for the FX Loop-but I may have Mike Soldano or Bill Sundt Mod it for me shortly @ the factory.I personally just use the 1stchannel as a crunch Channel and the Lead channel as (obviously) the lead channel.It can really cover pretty much all the sonic territory in between clean and SCREAM with the proper manipulation of the Guitar Volume knob.While this amplifier shares the same EQ with the clean/Crunh and Lead channels the amplifier itself is SO well designed and Voiced that a seperate EQ for both channels isnt needed.The variable tones that come outta this Beast are Crazy versatile.I have this amp in a 20 space Mesa Shock Rack.I am using the slave Out of it into a Lexicon PCM 90 and into a
VHT 2150 Poweramp for my "Wet"tones.The FX Loop isnt being used.I akm running the SLO-100 into Two(2) Mesa armored Straight 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestrion G12-75s at 4 Ohms.The SOLDANO Speaker outputs on the rear of the head are being run into TWO(2) Bogner 4x12 Straight cabinets w/Celestions.This amplifier without the slave VHT and FX unit is VERY Loud,but Very pleasing to the ears.The Smooth early gain is hypnotising-and when it's above 12:00 on the preamp gain dial it's absolutely Punishing.I was skeptical at first before Buying an SLO since I already Own a

I am using mostly USA Jackson Custom Shop King V's,a few USA Charvels and a pair of Gibson Historic Korina Explorers and a Flying V.
The bulk of my USA Jacksons are equipped with EMG 81/85s and a EMG
PA-2 Preamp system.
The other Jacksons and USA Charvels are loaded with Seymour Duncan JBs,Custom/Customs and 59s.
The Gibsons are loaded with the stock PAF re-issues.
The Tones that the SLO coaxes from these axes and pickup combinations are Great to GREATER.
The SLO has an uncanny ability to really make any instrument shine in the Overdrive and Metal scenario type tones I use most.This amp suits my style of playing and technique very well.
Very similar to my Bogner and Custom Audio Preamps thru VHT 2150s.
The articulation and Heaviness from the SLO seems to be clear and focused in all spectrums.Bass frequencys thru the SLO are tight and focused as well...More so than My Bogner 101-b.
The "hiss" and noise thru the SLO even on wicked Gain settings is Quieter than my Bogner too.Almost as quiet as My Bradshaw/CAE Preamps.But in all honesty,I am NOT running the gain on the SLOs past 2:00(barely).If you are an accomplished player the SLO Rackmount AND standard head can put out almost an infinite variety of tones to please you.
It's only a 2 channel head,but those 2 channels cover MORE sonic ground than Most 3 and 4 channel amps and preamps.The Clean channel isnt a Fender Twin Reverb clean.
It wasnt meant to be and it wont reach that PARTICULAR SUMMIT FOR THE CLEAN FENDER CROWD.
It wasnt designed to be a Fender-nor was it designed to emulate the Fender clean tones.It WILL do a decent clean and a very dynamic pushed clean tone.I Love the way it reacts to picking pressure and attack.
It isnt a Jazz amplifier and I doubt the designer(Mike Soldano) wanted it to react like a Jazz amp.When you PUSH-and I mean PUSH the Volume of the clean channel,it reacts in an organic and smooth overdriven character.it will do clean tones Good enough for me.i am NOT a fan of the Fender amplifier line either -so I am happy w/the SLO in the clean arena.
Fender lovers wont like the clean channel and will compare it to a Twin or Super.Thats silly.It's an SLO and it was designed to Rock Out.Different strokes fer Different Folks.The Overdrive,and Distortion Settings are where the SLO has few peers if any.Articulate and Clearly Voiced Distortion is where this amp really shines.The distortion can go from creamy to SCREAMY with a Ton of Definition and Presence.Distortion is a very Individual nuance to different people.Some guitarsits NEED tons of distortion and "fizzy" overdrive.If you are looking for a fuzzbox type Mesa Overdrive-the SOLDANO isnt for you.The SLO has a refined and "Organic" overdrive that exceeds the fuzzy and murky types of Distortion in other Amps(Mesa,Marshall,etc...).Notes are clear and defined while having a saturated Crisp Voicing.NO Mud here at all.....It's ALL clearly hearable.
If you are a player who uses the other types of Distortion mentioned you WONT be happy with the Soldano.It will NOT mask your technique and mistakes.It will ACCENTUATE your mistakes and make you actually hear the notes you are playing.Overdrive and unintellgable muddy tone are 2 different things.The SLO has a Clear and THICK overdrive that the other amps mentioned arent made for.
The EQ spectrum runs the gamut from mild scooped (but with Clear Tonal structure) to the Midrange soaked Blistering Overdrive that many guitarists are looking for.The Palm Muted Chugging and Choke Hold Double stop Metal type riffs Spring from this amp like cats on a hot tin roof(LOL)...it can Do THE Metal Tones that you want-only with Definition and clarity that the other amp companys wish they could emulate.
Classic Rock and Blues players will also dig the lower gain settings and harmonics galore that this amp can produce.
I know of many players who have sent thier SLO amps to have the SRV mod done to them at Soldano.I personally dont need that"Mod " b

The SLO has a Transferrable Lifetime Warranty excluding Tubes and Transformers.
That pretty much sums it up as far as how they believe in their products.I happen to own 2 SLO Soldano's so a backup is available to me should I ever need it in a pinch.Would I gig w/out a backup for the SLO.?
*If I had to take a cab to the gig Yes.Since I dont need to take a cab I always carry a backup amplifier on the road.But I would play with this amp by itself if space and travel restrictions were a deciding factor.Just bring spare tubes,fuses and a amplifier tool kit for emergencys and yer covered.Preventative maintenance can save your ass in a pinch so be smart:Proper Preperation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.my SLOs have NEVER broken down or blown a fuse.They have delivered time after time Live and in Rehearsal.The Standard SLO Head I have(not the rackmount review here) has logged many a mile on the road and in a road case on a Bus and Truck.It has delivered the goods 100% all the time.I see nO reason why the rackmount SLo with proper maintenance and care shouldn't do the same for Many years to come.
If you neglect this amplifier you are a Jerk and dont deserveto own it....(in answer to the review outline Question:(did you subject it to just plain neglect?)
What a Dumb ass question.

I have dealt with SOLDANO in the past.they are 10s ALL the way across the board.From answering questions via e-mail to calling them on the phone on a monday Morning @9:30 a.m. West coast time.
Never needed a repair or Waranty service on mine.I have seen a few friends need a warranty claim for little stuff and it was handled Immediately and swiftly with NO Charge.They even got Free t-shirts for it.
ALL Soldano service is done at the Factory in Seattle -so there is NO other place to have warranty service done.(in response to yet another Dumb ass review outline question).
The Warranty for the SLO,X-88R Preamp,X-99 Soldano Caswell Preamp and Surf Box Reverb unit is for the Lifetime of the Amps Owner(and it's transferrable to 2nd and 3rd owners as well).In other words: you could be the 5th owner of said SLO or other unit and the warranty is still for the Lifetime of that Unit or You.

Been Playing about 22 years now.I own a few(many)other Neat amps like the Full sized Soldano SLO-100 head,Soldano SP-77 preamp,
Bogners 101-B Ecstacy head and Fish Preamps,Custom Audio Electronics/Bradshaw 3+ and 3+SE Preamps,VHT 2150 and 2100 Poweramps,Mesa Armored Straight and Bogner Straight 4x12 cabinets,a Bogner 2x12 cabinet,Mesa 20 Space shock racks and Bradshaw RSB Switching Systems.The SLO-100ranks right up there with the rest of the gear I own and love.Even more so in certain applications.
I really Dig the performance & tone from the SLO and I wouldnt hesitate to reccomend it to anyone else looking for a unique yet simple 2 channel amplifier .
Yes there are lots of multi-channel amplifiers on the market that are adept at creating more tones and setings.
But there are Only a few GREAT amplifiers that are capable of making History and Great Tone.The Soldano SLO-100 is one of them.
I havent compared the SLO to any of the other amps I have played or now own because the SLO is a Unique enough tool for me to utilise in a real world Gigging and recording scenario without hesitation.
It's a plug in and Play amplifier.If you need to fiddle all day w/knobs,switches and settings then you DONT need an SLO.

*In Response to the (stupid)review question: What would you do if it were Stolen...?
I always watch my gear on the road and at venues,clubs,bars,and whatever Rat Hole I am playing in at any given time.
It WONT Get stolen.
*If someone was STUPID enough to try and Steal it-
They'd end Up in traction,in the hospital or permanently missing.

The SLO is expensive -Yes,but Worth EVERY dollar that you'll pay for it.Good Work is NOT Cheap-Cheap Work is NOT Good.
Soldano is Good Work at a Price you Wont haggle over after hearing it.

Mine has only the loop option. Its stock other then that.

I so completely agree with the person who made the last 2 posts. This amp is Marshall all the way. The best of Marshall with a modern high gain edge. Its one of the clearest smoothest distortions Ive heard. The thing about presence is so true. This amp just sits perfectly in the mix with this larger then life sound. Its like in your face but not harsh or annoying. When your playing rhythm it fills in the mix even if your the only guitarist in the band and when you go into a solo it just is so there. Almost like it gets louder but it doesnt.

The notes definitly are rounder and the attack is softer then a marshall even one with a "Soldano" mod. Its just so smooth. When pounding chords on the lower registers and palm muting it just is the tightest and chunkiest sound. Not flabby or buzz city. Those of you who dont like the Dual Rectifier for that reason will find this amp to be the other end of the spectrum as far as modern amp overdrive. Even though like Marshall and unlike Mesa its tone is more in the high end, I still think its very percussive. The one thing I do like about the Dual Rectifier is that when you back off the guitar volume you get this very chunky percusive sound. The SLO does get close to that sound. not all the way though but for an amp with this kind of tone it does the percusive thing very well.

A few things Ive also found that are great. When the tubes warm up after about and hour or 2 theres a very noticable change in the tone. Theres much more of a trebly edge or bite to it. Not brittle but very nice. And as other reviewers have said when the gain is turned up I swear all notes ring out evenly. Alot of amps Ive played I had a problem that when I would play something like an interval or a chord or octave one note always dominated or one kind of sat back and was harder to hear. Single notes tended to disappear in a smush of distortion. Not so with the SLO. Its really true.

This thing is dead silent too. When your guitar volume is on, it, of coarse, depends on your pickups, type of guitar, pedals, cables etc... I run this with buckers to a volume and wah pedal then strait to the input.

The clean channel is great. I would say its fairly close to fender since thats the cliche everyone goes to for rating clean channels. If anything Id compare this clean channel a little more to an early Marshall JCM800's low input channel. Kind of glassy and compresses well. The 2 channels can sound very similar too which is very interesting. When you turn the crunch on and the gain on the normal channel is all the way up, its a very similar drive to the overdrive channel on 4 or so. When the drive channel's gain is turned all the way down it sounds very close to the clean channel. Its like it starts with the clean and just keeps overdriving the same tone even into the next channel. Rolling off the volume on the OD channel is VERY usefull though. Ive found that even with the gain as high as 6 or 7, which is alot of gain on an SLO, when you back off the guitar volume its just like turning the gain down on the amp. It stays bright and can get very clean. I think it may be for the same reason the normal and drive channels can sound so similar.

Ive been waiting for a few months so I could give a real review of this amp. Ive played it in at least 25 different venues so far. Another great thing about this amp, it sounds consistent in every room! Theres always a difference in EQ becouse of the ambience and materials that the sound reverberates off of but this amp sounds surprisingly similar every night. Again this has not been true of other amps. And Im talking about all the best of the other major or classic amp names and models. Tube amps in general seem to be very touchy. one day they could sound one way and another day sound differently. Even in the same room. I still hear it with this amp but its way closer to being the same evry time I turn it on.

Ive been playing since I was 15 and that was 12 years ago. Im currently getting the funds to purchase a backup. Perhaps with all the mods this time. I cant really say I dislike anything about this amp. Theres plenty of things I think It cant do (like the really old vintage fender crunch and class A vintage sounds to name 2) but no amp can do everything. Those that try dont come close. Ive always felt one good tone is much better then 100 half-assed tones. this one excels at a great modern-high-gain marshall sound.

I hate to sound like a novice by saying this but my live performance is much better with this amp then alot of others. And I think its alot to do with hearing myself so crisply and clearly. It has nothing to do with monitors either. Ive always gotten plenty of guitar through my stage monitor. Monitors will only give you another angle to hear an amp that sounds mushy live so its not always a question of monitor setups.

I really love this amp. Simple as that. Its not easy to try one out if youve never had a chance. You really have to know the tone your after and rely on reviews and recordings. Im not completely sure of Soldanos return policys. The transferable lifetime warrinty is amazing.

I wrote the previouse review. After reading some of the other reviews of Soldano Amps, Ive decided to add one more thing.

This is in regaurds to all the different reviewers who talked about Class A or wishing this amp could have a class A switch.

Ive effectivly turned my Soldano into what Mesa Calls a Simul-Class amp. Thats were 2 power tubes are regular power tubes biased for EL34 or 6L6, whatever you like, and the other 2 are a Pure Class-A EL84 power section. Its actually very easy.

When I bought my Soldano, it had a half power switch on it already. I think the factory will add one for like $50 or $75. Thats were they add a switch that cuts a pair of power tubes. Either the inside 2 or outside 2. On mine the outside tubes are turned off when the switch is set for half power.

Now THD has a product called a Yellow Jacket Converter. What it does is plug into the existing tube socket of a 6L6, EL34, etc... and then you can plug an EL84 tube (As used in a Vox AC30) into that. It will then turn the amps power section into pure class-a power. You can use the YJ's on only 2 of the 4 tubes in a 100 watt amp if you want. Or you can buy 4 YJ's and run your amp with 4 class a EL84's like an AC30. Its like $90 for a pair of YJ's I think.

What I chose to do is put the YJ's on the inside tube pair. That way when the half power switch is engaged, only the 2 EL84 tubes are on giving me about 15W of Class A power. Then when I flick the switch back to full power, both the EL84's and the 6L6's are on for about 60W of power. This effectivly turns this amp into a Simul-Class amp.

Check out THD's website for info on it. This setup is great for me. It reduces the overall volume of the amp when on full since I never need that much volume and the tubes are wide open at a lower volume. Having 2 EL84's going along with the 6L6's doesnt change the origional tone as much as you may think either. Then when I want to go for that Class A VOX-y tone, I put it on the Class A mode. Class A power sounds MUCH louder also. You may think running the Class A mode for 15W isnt alot, but it sure as hell is loud enouph.

Ive never asked but Im sure Soldano would do an actuall Simul-Class mod for the right price. But I like doing it this way. I can use the Yellow Jackets in my other amps that use 6L6 Tubes and if I choose not to go for that setup one day, I can just take the YJ's out and plug the regular 6L6's back in. That way I tke no risk of having a different amp than I origionaly purchased if my taste changes, plus, Im not risking hurting any resale value.

Just thought Id share with those that dont know and may want this feature.

The features arent too numerouse but just right for a good live workhorse. FX Loop. 2-Channel + Switching. Slave out. Etc.. I think Mine is a 94. Its still like new though. For an amp this expensive everyone should start thinking about roadcases.

I generally always use it with LP type guitar setups. 2 Humbuckers. Etc.. I do use strats on occasion.

Ill start with things Ive noticed about the all around tone. Im basically using this amp the way most other people do. As my live workhorse sparing my older marshalls from road abuse and sparing me from thier unreliability on the road tonewise. The tone of this amp seems to me to be all about the preamp. Ive read articles that Soldano set out to build an amp out of top components that has a tone similair to a cranked plexi but much more reliable and usable live as far as volume is concerned. It seems to me thats why he chose to use 6L6's in the power section. Thier a very strait forward power tube as opposed to EL34's which change dynamics, touch and tone very strongly and uniquely. Not saying this amp doesnt have those things. I think the top quality output transformer and components achieve this just as much as tube type. But if the general tone is formed by the signal path and preamp section, then you would want a more linear tube to amplify the sound and not do anything too radical. It does achieve this but the differences in signal components and tubes set the tone very distinctly apart from Marshall. I still think I hear the Marshall heritage in there moreso then anything else but (and you can read about this on the Soldano webpage) thiers many things Soldano chose to do differently then marshall like the certain types of components that give it its unique flaver.

My Marshalls (all plexis and one 2203) are very bright and biting. The pick attack is sharp and tight. My SLO has a smoother and softer attack by comparison. Intervals are clear and articulate yet fast legato notes tend to run into each other more. When palm muting lower strings the attack is so much softer and has more of a bloom, if that mkes any sense. In this way it kind of reminds me in a small way of a Mesa MarkIIC+. The amp is very bright though. The amount of gain as people have said is endless. I tend to use less gain though. Even with harder music it tends to lose note definition. Heavy music is a playing style. More gain doesnt=heavey.

I whole heartedly agree that shared normal and overdrive EQ controls is not an issue. They are voiced perfectly so that you go into a room, make your minor changes to the eq for that room and it works great on both channels.

Like I said before the touch responce is still very present in this amp and Im sure its due to the top quality output transormer more then anything. You people that use reissue plexis and arent happy with them try replacing the O/P Tranny and choke with Mercury magnetics trannys and see if it isnt night and day. Its a great thing becouse the more dynamic and touch responsive an amp is the more unique each individual person will sound playing through it.

Also, of coarse, speaker cabs have alot to do with it. If your complaining about not enouph bass or "chug" and your runing the head through an open back mesa cab with EV speakers well then Id tell you you have alot to learn. I use variouse 4X12 with different celestians.

Just to address one thing said by a previouse reviewer in regaurds to this amp never being able to do SRV. Maybe his ears are much more particular then mine but I know Im one of the most scrutinouse anal people out there and I really thought when playing my rhthym guitar players strat with Texas specials through my origional TS9 into the crunch channel set on just a little bit of crunch, it got me very close. As a matter of fact, everyone who was there thought it was the SRV sound. Maybe not reproducing the exact studio sound but SRV himself played many different riggs in his career and it always sounded like him. Moral: like everyone says tone is one part guitar, one part amp, and the rest is heart and soul and FINGERS. It sounds like something old people always say or people say just becouse they hear it everywere but it is so true. I cant tell you how differen

I would depend on it moreso then a Marshall and probably a little less then a mesa. In my experience with the things ive done to Mesa's they have ALWAYS worked reguardless. I have had occasional small wierd things go on with the SLO but all in all I feel very safe. What makes me feel safer buying, selling and using the SLO more then anything else Ive purchased in my life, is the transferable lifetime warranty. Great.

I honestly have barely used the customer support. Ive emailed them a total of 2 times with questions and both time I got a descriptive answer the next day.

Ive been playing for a long time. Im a professional and have worked with great players. Im not going to put how long becouse I feel its not always relevent since Ive known people whove played for 20 years and didnt know shit and Ive known young guys who could play thier ass off and know what theyre talkin about. I also think alot of reviewers are lying. I barely see 2 or 3 years and I think thats the majority of people on these reviews.

Ive owned everything most people have heard of and more they havent. I have a particular tone thats me and Ive spent alota time working towards it. I really like the SLO though. Im always looking and after 4 years of using them havent found anything better suited for me for live playing. Since I gave it an 8 for Features, Sound, and Reliability, I guess that averages to an 8 overall.

My SLO was made in 1991 and has the DeYoung Transformers. I has 2 channels and a clean/crunch switch on the clean channel. It has a tube buffered fx loop and you can get basically anything you want modded from the Soldano factory. I use the crunch mode on the clean for cleaner parts with the preamp down and the master up. In clean mode, it just isn't loud enough. But overall, the amp has more than enough power to play any size show.

The amp is the definitive hot-rodded Marshall sound. Sounds almost identical to Van Halen's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge sound. You hear every little nuance of your playing and its punchy as hell! I have yet to hear a better sounding amp. I use this amp mainly for metal and hard rock. It does the job perfectly. Some people say that the amp sounds a little harsh at low volumes and they are somewhat right, but the master volume eliminates that at around 3 or so. It has more than enough gain so there's no need to dime it. Just back off the gain a little and crank the master. Overall, one of the all time great amps.

Its made with the highest quality parts available and I've opened it up to verify that. Metal film resistors, teflon insulated wiring, sealed control pots, orange drop caps, the works! It comes with a lifetime warranty thats transferrable to each owner not including tubes or transformers. It was made to last a lifetime in music. I've emailed Soldano several times on bias adjustments and things like that and they have been nothing but prompt and eager to answer all of my questions. Soldanos were built to last-I got mine a few months ago and it still had the original preamp and power tubes from 1991! Soldano is the benchmark in excellent customer service.

See above.

I've been playing for 11 years now and this amp it what I've been looking for all along. I love the clarity of the sound and the punchiness when playing muted chords or notes. I have yet to play a better sounding amp. Its a little pricey, but the attention to detail in the workmanship and the sound justifies that. You definitely get what you pay for! I've had Marshalls and have heard many other amps but this one just has IT. I got a killer deal on it as well and I recommend people buying it used considering the warranty.

Two channel amp. Clean and dirty, and that is all you'll ever need. My Slo100 has a couple of factory mods which makes it more versatile than stock. For me it has the features I need. 100w/50w swtich, a switch that scoops the clean channel, and the depth knob. These controls allow for more control of the sound, however none of them are super dramatic (maybe good, maybe not). there is also an effects loop. And of course a easy knob to switch ohms (16,8,4) to match your cabs. Honestly all the features you could want. the most important of all is the real tube power.
I laugh when I see all these companies out there selling people things they don't need in amps. Hundreds of sounds, tuners built in, etc, etc. You need one clean sound and one dirty, and they both have to have your signature.

Three basic sounds clean, crunch, and dirty on two channels. Wow! the tone! I recorded some songs with a vintage plexi head and this amp can get that sound and much much more. The amp has a tone all its own, a warm metallic vibe. Hit a few chords and you'll know why so many pros use it. The sound can be raunchy as you want, but it seems to excel in that 80's metal sound (Dokken, White Lion, Ratt, some halen). This doesn't mean that modern players can't use it. It seems that guitarist that can really play like this amp, but beware the distortion even when maxed allows you to hear what your playing, unlike other hi-gain amps that you can't tell what's going on. If you're a good player then this amp will reward you , if you like gain to cover your lack of skills then this amp will sacrifice you and make you sound foolish all the while laughing, daring you to play it!
The clean channel is good, not great, but gets the job done.
The clean channel with a little delay/reverb will most likely satisfy most. The dirtyu channel sounds great with nothing on it dry, raunchy , ball bustin', rock and roll.
I play PRS cust 22, LP Classic, G&L S-500. Each guitar sounds unique, the amp brings out each of the guitars best character.

Looks solid! No issues yet. But they are quick to answer via email any question.

Lifetime Warranty, no matter if your the original purchaser or not. That's a 10 in my book

Excellent value considering the lifetime warranty and the TONE! Enough features to satisfy most players. A very honest amplifier. Certainly not for beginners, but a very good choice for the better players. a 9 b/c it is very pricey.

PERFECT NUMBER OF FEATURES . NOT TOO MANY TO KILL YOUR TONE BUT ENOUGH TO DO WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS . TWO CHANNELS WITH SHARED EQ . I WAS ONCE OF THE BELIEF THAT THE SHARED EQ THING WAS QUITE LAME BUT I SOON REALIZED THAT IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE . SHORTER DISTANCE-MORE TONE!!! SIGNAL TRAVELS THROUGH POTS AND CIRCUITS WHETHER THEY'RE ENGAGED OR NOT . HOW MANY PEOPLE USE A 50 FOOT GUITAR CABLE? SAME CONCEPT I THINK . THE MORE NONSENSE YOU SEND YOUR SIGNAL THROUGH , THE WORSE IT GETS . BOGNER , AS I UNDERSTAND RECENTLY REISSUED THE XTC CLASSIC . WHICH IS THE SAME AS THE ONE FROM YEARS AGO WITHOUT ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES TO GET IN THE WAY .

THIS THING IS JUST AWESOME . I REALLY CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT . AND FROM ME THAT'S HUGE! BECAUSE TO BE HONEST I USED TO THINK THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST SOUNDING HEADS EVER!! I JUST COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT AT ALL . I PLAYED ONE THAT WAS ON DISPLAY AT A WELL KNOWN AND HEAVILY VISITED GUITAR MANUFACTURER HERE IN NYC AND THOUGHT , "WHAT'S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT?" I VERY RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD BEEN THERE FOR YEARS AND WAS NOT WELL MAINTAINED (OLD TUBES , ETC.) A FRIEND OF MINE FROM UPSTATE NY RAVED ABOUT HIS AND I THOUGHT HE WAS NUTS . HE BROUGHT IT DOWN TO ME AND I FREAKED!!! TOLD HIM IF WAS EVER TO SELL IT HE WOULD HAVE TO LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY . A FEW WEEKS LATER-IT WAS MINE . VERY SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT ANOTHER .
I PLAY MOSTLY ROCK . THOUGH THE CLEAN IS AMAZING .
IT'S GREATEST ASSET IS LIVE . IT CUTS LIKE NO OTHER AMP I'VE HEARD . IT HAS THIS MIDRANGEY KIND OF GRINDING THING THAT JUST SLICES THROUGH A MIX . NO MUDDY BOTTOM END , NO HARSH TOP END . VERY SMOOTH AND MUSICAL . ONE OF IT'S BEST FEATURES IS HOW RESPONSIVE IT IS . CLEANS UP WITH THE GUITAR VOLUME REAL WELL . FOOTSWITCHING LIVE CAN BE A REAL DRAG SOMETIMES (LESS IS MORE) SO FOR ME THIS IS WORTH IT'S WEIGHT IN GOLD . FOR ROCK AND CAN'T THINK OF ANY AMP BETTER . I'VE USED DUAL RECTO'S , BOGNERS , TRIAXIS /2:90 . NOTHING COMES CLOSE TO THIS IN TERMS OF REAL TONE .

HAVEN'T HAD THEM REAL LONG . SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY , BUT APPEARS TO BE BUILT PERFECTLY . I BOUGHT TWO IN CASE THERE IS EVER A PROBLEM BUT THEY OFFER A TRANSFERABLE LIFETIME WARRANTY . DON'T THINK ANYONE ELSE DOES THAT . SOLDANO PUT IT BEST WHEN THEY SAID , "WE WARRANTY OUR AMPS , NOT THE PLAYER"

SO FAR THEY HAVE ALL BEEN GREAT . SUPER HELPFUL .

IN A WORD-PERFECT! FOR ME THIS THING IS JUST GREAT . IT'S MUSICAL , FULL OF TONE AND LETS YOUR FINGERS DO THE WORK . IT'S AN HONEST AMP .
IF IT EVER GOT STOLEN I'D GET ANOTHER AS SOON AS I GOT TO PRISON FOR HAVING THE GUY WHO STOLE BEAT INTO A COMA . (just kidding of coarse!)
REALLY , ITS A BEAUTIFUL AMP . A REAL JEM .

This is a standard two channel setup- clean and overdrive channels, and there are "bright" and "crunch" switches for the clean channel. Each channel has its own pre and post gain settings, but both channels share the same eq's. Presence setting. No reverb, but there is an FX loop (no volume setting in loop, but it's already a nice line level). Slave out with level. Handy impedence knob on the back; just twist it to 4, 8, or 16 ohms to match your cabinet.

So 7 out of 10. You can find amps with more options, but anyone who thinks they need more than two killer sounds (with an assortment of FX, of course) is wrong.

I've never played an amp before that sounded good (nay, sounded great) no matter where I turned the knobs...

I play mostly Maiden/Priest flavored metal (playing an Ibanez JS)which ventures from heavy thrash to classic rock (usually a strat), but I've also played funk and jazz live with this amp. I probably wouldn't recommend this as a jazz amp, but it was responsive and pleasant none the less. For the funk, it had that killer clean rhythm spank (I was using a strat) that I couldn't get out of the venue's new Fender amps. For rock and metal...

There is no better sound for rock or metal. Maybe for the heaviest scoopy thrash sound you would want an amp with a more radical mid-scoop, but this amp will sound every bit as heavy as Priest's Painkiller. I'm using medium output humbuckers, and I usually set my over drive gain at about 7.5 for metal. Unbelievable. Muted chugging is ballsy and defined, even the most complex sustained chords are distinguished, and the lead tones are, again, unbelievable.

I never miss the reverb. I always used to love reverb because it would smooth out my sound. I put a nice TCElectronic reverp in the fx loop and after a while decided that it just watered down that beautiful tone.

I also don't mind the shared EQ's. Mike Soldano has done such an amazing job voicing these channels that never ONCE have I been inclined to change my settings between channels once I am set for a particular room (in other amps with shared EQ's, switching usually makes me want to stop the song and spin the knobs).

I've had this amp for over two years, it's been moved a lot and played a lot. Not one problem of the slightest degree. The thing's built like a damn tank; all heavy guage steel frame inside the wood cabinet, and all the pots feel as tight and smooth as the day I got it (new).

I've never had a problem, never contacted the company. However, this amp has a lifetime transferrable warranty. That's right, even if you buy one on eBay, if it stops working, Soldano will fix it. Period.

I've been playing seriously for about 5 years and gigging for 4 of those. I have owned several other amps including Fender, Crate, Carvin, Ampeg and Peavey, and I've worked extensively with Marshalls and Boogies. None even hold a candle to the awesomeness of my Soldano. If this amp were lost or stolen, I would get a new one (or commit ritual suicide). I've given this amp a nine because it's EXPENSIVE.

In most every guitar player's life, there comes a moment when he hears his ultimate guitar tone, and his heart stops and all brain function ceases save the auditory section, which sweeps him away into a state of euphoria. His knees weaken and he feels an intense urge to drop to his knees in front of the speaker cabinet and lean back until his head is on the grillcloth, just listening to the sheer majesty of sonic perfection and let his guitar sing to the amplifier and let the amplifier sing to the guitar until the room seems to explode in ecstacy...

That happens to me every time I turn this amp on.

FEATURES: See below. I love simple to use great sounding amps. This is the benchmark for all amp manufacturers.

2 channels, treble, mid, bass, presence, bright switch, clean/crunch switch, separate preamp gain master for each of the two channels. Fx loop, master slave. I got the rackmount head which has a purple faceplate and two big chrome bars on the front. Ch switching with footswitch.

This amp has more power than you'll ever need.

It's versatile albeit you can only have two sounds to footswitch. However, the channels are quite touch sensitive to guitar volume control and your pick attack. Great for country and funk clean, unbelievable for classic rock crunch, and superb shredding and metal tones are all in the SLO.

I have a slew of guitars but my #1 is a Sadowsky strat (alder+maple board) with Kinman AVn Blues pickups.

It is the finest amp you can buy, IMHO. I bought it ten years ago and love it to death. Even after buying it in 1990, every time I plug in I get a huge smile and complete tonal satisfaction.

As above, great for all styles. Super quiet with great S/N ratio. Sustain for days with incredible sweet harmonics and overtones; unrivaled clarity; rhythm chunk to die for...simply tonal nirvana. The best crunch and lead tones I've ever heard from an amp. The clean tones are excellent but the seduction lies in crunch and lead modes.

I bought the SLO-100 from Soldano around 1990-91. I've had no problems with it in this or the previous millenium!

Despite being a small yet world famous company they answered my questions or comments via e-mail within one or two days.

This is an expensive head. If it were damaged or destroyed I'd be very, very upset and would bite the financial bullet and buy it again. It's pricey but on the other hand, several thousand dollars divided by 11 years of incredible, mind blowing tone day after day, night after night is really quite a bargain.

The head is 2 years old, I bought it used. Footswitchable between clean/crunch channel(operated by a toggle switch) and the overdrive channel. It has separate gain knobs for the clean/crunch and overdrive channels. Bass, mid, treble, presence and master volumes for each respective channel. There is also a bright/normal toggle switch for the clean/crunch channel. I can get a depth control and the Warren Haynes mod added for $100. The depth control is like a presence for the low end. I also have the effects loop, which works very quietly and nicely.

Let me start off by saying I am the most critical, discriminating, picky, and hard to please SOB when it comes to tone. I have played professionally, on the road and in studio's, for over 40 years. I have played Jazz, Fusion, Pop, Rock, Metal, R&B, Funk, World, Blues, Country, Country Western, Disco(please forgive me), Punk, Alternative, ...etc. It is very quiet when not being played. I play various high-end/custom single coil and humbucker equipped guitars through it, they all sound great. Every guitar produces its own unique sound and character. Now for a breakdown of the channels...

The CLEAN channel on the normal setting is warm, rich and smooth with great articulation. It's playing dynamics are also great. It is more than adequate for any clean sound I need. It doesn't have the bite of a Fender, nor the bell-like ring of a Vox, but remains smooth and clean even at very high volumes. When on the bright setting, it does brighten up the sound, has more bite, and sounds nice and crisp. The sustain is very good. I am very discriminating and critical about my tone, and am usually harsh in my opinions...but even so, I would give the clean channel an 8.5, I am more than pleased with it.

The CRUNCH channel is absolutely incredible. I can get excellent AC/DC tones out of it. In fact, I can get anything from a nice Angus Young sound, to Allman Brothers, to SRV. It has great articulation and dynamics, very harmonic and complex. It has slight overdrive with the gain anywhere less than 4, and often I use it for my clean channel, and simply dig in hard to make it overdrive. above 4 or 5 it really starts to crunch, and above 6 or 7 it is overdrive heaven. The overdrive is smooth, rich, and powerful all at once. It has wonderful definition. It has a very powerful feel and tight, TIGHT response. I wish it had a bit more bottom end, but that can easily be remedied by the aforementioned depth control. It actually feels like the notes are jumping off the fretboard. They can be smooth and silky, or harsh and brutal, depending on the level of attack. I would give this channel a definite 10.

The OVERDRIVE channel is an absolute masterpiece. The sustain is absolutely amazing. The articulation, harmonics and definition are truly beyond compare. You can get a really high gain Van Halen, Vai or Johnson sound, or a nice smooth growl out of it. The sound of this channel truly excels. The tone is out of this world. Eddie Van Halen recorded almost the entire For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album with an SLO100 (and we all know how picky he is about his tone). Words cannot justify the sound of this channel. The only amplifier I have heard that might compare is a Diezel ($4000+). I would give this channel a definite 10 also.

In conclusion, this amplifier is versatile enough for country, jazz, blues, rock, funk, r&b...anything at all. It is Clapton, Haynes, and Knopfler's live amp of choice. See overall rating for other amps I've played.

The SLO100 is built like a tank. It has a lifetime guarantee on everything but the transformers (2 massive transformers). I am completely confident in the SLO100's reliability.

I have emailed and called the tech guys at Soldano repeatedly. They are always courteous and to the point. They have been very willing to answer any and every question I've had. They have even told me their materials cost that go into the amp.

I've been playing for quite some time, I'm an old guy. I would sell anything necessary to replace this if it was stolen. I love everything about it. I have played Naylor's, Bogner's, Budda's, Matchless(overpriced), Mesa Boogie, Top Hat, Victoria, Wisetone, Clark, Tone King, Marshall, Fender, Alessandro (exceptional amps), Dr. Z(also exceptional) and almost anything else you can name. I have many vintage guitars and amplifiers of all kinds from the past 40 years, so I know what sounds good. I played the SLO100 next to a Bogner ecstacy, matchless Dc30 and chieftain, various Marshall's, Naylor's, and Mesa Boogie's (Dual and Triple rectifier's, Tremoverb, Mark III), and none of them compared. Sure the clean sounded better on the Matchless and Bogner, but neither had the crunch or overdrive of the Soldano. Although I do like some Mesa Boogie's, and they do have their place in modern rock, the ONLY advantage they have over an SLO100 is that bottom end chug. The SLO100 is far superior to them in clean/crunch and overdriven tone. The SLO100 has far better definition, clarity and playing dynamics. You can find a used SLO100 for about $2300. I truly believe this is one of the best amplifiers ever built and will one day be a classic by which many others are measured. I would encourage younger players in their teens and 20's to seriously check into a SOLDANO SLO100. Don't play an amp just because Blink 182, Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Creed, or Linkin Park is playing it. Invest in an amplifier that will stand the test of time, and the changing of your musical preferences. The truly great guitar players with very discriminating tastes (Eddie Van Halen, Mark Knopfler, Warren Haynes, Eric Clapton, Richie Sambora, Lou Reed, George Lynch, Ted Nugent, Joe Satriani, Peter Frampton, Dicki Betts)love this amplifier, and while I will never be as skilled or talented as these guys, I love it too. This is truly among the finest of amplifiers today (Bruno, Alessandro, Dumble, Diezel, SOLDANO). I'm just an old guy who will always love to play pure, fire-breathing rock and roll, and though this amp does much much more than that...it does that EXCEEDINGLY well.

ONE SET OF EQ, SEPERATE PREAMP CONTROLS FOR LEAD & RYTHM CHANNEL. CRUNCH SWITCH FOR THE CLEAN CHANNEL, XL-MOD FOR CLEAN CHANNEL WHICH CUTS THE MIDS AND MAKES THE AMP SOUND DEEP ON THE CLEAN SIDE (LIKE A FENDER TWIN). THIS AMP ALSO HAS THE DEPTH CONTROL(FOR RESONANCE)& WARREN HAYNES MOD WHICH IS A BRIGHT SWITCH FOR THE CLEAN CHANNEL. THIS AMP HAS EVERY FEATURE AVAILABLE FROM SOLDANO. ALSO HAS LINE OUT, FOOTSWITCH AND TUBE BUFFERED EFFECTS LOOP. ONLY DOWNSIDE TO AMP IS THE SHARING OF TONE CONTROLS. USE PHILLIPS 6L6 WGB'S(SMALLBOTTLE) AND Ei 12AX7'S OR GE12AX7'S. I CALLED SOLDANO AND THEY MADE THE AMP BASED ON THE PHILLIPS 6L6 WGB TUBES!!!!

6L6 HEAVEN. YOU CAN GET A CLEAN SOUND FROM SLO'S. THE AMP SOUNDS CHESTY AND IN YOUR FACE. HEALTHY IS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. IT CUTS THRU THE MIX WHEN PLAYING W/ OTHERS AND WHEN RECORDINIG IT SOUNDS AWESOME. IT HAS ENOUGH GAIN AND THE YOU CAN GO FROM CLAPTON TO EDDIE VAN HALEN W/ THE FLIP OF FOOTSWITCH. VERY PROFESSIONAL PIECE OF GEAR.

HAND MADE AND BUILT W/ LIFETIME WARRANTY. WHAT MORE CAN YOU EXPECT. I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR 3 MONTHS.

THE SERVICE IS GREAT AND TECH SUPPORT IS AWESOME. VERY HELPFUL. NO OTHER SOLDANO AMP EVEN COMES CLOSE. JUST LOOK AT THE USER LIST AND SEE FOR YOURSELF @ WWW.SOLDANO.COM !!

AN EXCELLENT AMP MADE FOR HOME USER'S TO THE PRO'S. PRICEY BUT WORTH IT IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT AND/OR BUY IT USED. CUTS THRU THE MIX AND NEEDS LITTLE EQ TO THE BOARD. JUST AN AWESOME PIECE OF GEAR.

As in addition to my last response...this amp kicks ass...i play jackson soloist and rhodes both with humbuckers, fender relic strat with vintage pups, and wayne charvel rock legend (still on order)with humbuckers...sounds excellent, chords and notes have crystal definition

i like the overdrive channel, clean is excellent, but to get midrange "crunch" i just lower the volume slightly on my axe and it covers the ground well enough

so far so good

Extremely fast emails, prompt cust. serv. and tech response is clear and understandable

I thought that i was going to have a problem with my tone degrading thru the seriala effects loop, but it doesnt seem to be a problem, i use the rocktron repliflex for effects and channel switching and it works like a charm

I tried one out in a local studio so I don't own the SLO-100 YET!!! It's two channel head, amazing clean, heavy overdrive...100 watts is enough power don't you think? series FX loop (not the best and a modification to parallel is big bux)...just wish it had a separate EQ for the clean channel only to distinguish it more...other than that I'm waiting to get mine...She gets this rating only because of the shared EQ

I played through it with my Jackson Soloist Custom with Dimarzio Humbuckers and Floyd Rose, also with my '57 Relic Strat with vintage pickups. I play metal, rock n roll, blues, jazz or whatever suits my ears...I dialed in different tones for different styles...she does it all...The overdrive channel is insane with gain...The clean channel is almost like a fender but not there (no amp maker can reproduce the fender clean)...the clean channel has a featured bright switch for the highs, and a crunch switch for getting that slightly overdriven "dirty" midrange tone...but the problem with that is that the volume goes considerably high once the crunch is activated...Bass string chug is really good...solos come out really nice and defined...and when playing chords, each note in the cord is clearly defined...a tight definitive amp that would definitely make your playing stand out...I inquired about mods and different tube arrangements...the mods are unnecessary unless you really prefer them...for tubes, I'm going with Philips power tubes and chinese preamps (I was told that the heavy tone gets real tight with that combo)

I heard that Soldano amps have been dropped, kicked, pissed on, been through floods, and still survived after after a good drying out and dusting...I'll have to see for myself when i get mine...

I emailed Soldano tech support and they responded the next day and answered every single damn question...so I'm impressed! Better than mesa boogie

I can't wait for mine to arrive. I'm playing 15 years, going to use my Rocktron Repliflex thru the loop and the Fulltone Clyde Wah on the input...I currently use a Boogie Mk IV with a BBE 482 in the loop but she is going once i get the SLO-100 (how else am I to finance this expensive lady?) The Boogie is great but I'm tired of bells n whistles...simplicity is what im after...with the Repliflex channel switching feature, i can change channels and have whichever effects i want on demand with the single tap on my MidiMate controller...no more switching systems, midi octopus, tap dancing and all that bullS**t...2 guitars, amp and 4x12, small rack with stage board is good enuff...I will be content when i have her for all my playing needs

My SLO is the second SLO combo off the line, with a C2 in the serial number. I bought it from the second owner. The original owner ordered it from the NAMM show in '97 with the following factory additions: chicken head knobs, custom cane grill cloth, 2 Naylor speakers, and black boa tolex. Since there's only been about a dozen SLO combos made to date, this one is probably the most unique cats of the litter. All the standard SLO features are in this amp, so I don't have to bore you with all of that stuff. For a 2 channel 2x12 amp, it has all the goodies I need.

Currently I use a DC standard with a Rio at the bridge and a Warmoth Strat that's absolutely beat to hell. Both guitars just sound unreal through this amp. I like to set up the clean channel with the CRUNCH engaged, but with the gain at about 40%. The LEAD channel gets as high as 70%. Too much over that and the tone gets out of the realm for my blues band. Don't get me wrong, this amp will leave others in the dust in terms of over-the-top distortion. But I like to run it to where it's just starting to purr. My guitars have a good deal of natural sustain, so I really don't have to rely on the amp for that. When the Master Volumes are brought up to about 7.5-8, all I can say is keep your mouth open because the differences in sound pressure levels might pop your ear drums. The Naylor speakers have a sound all their own, especially when the amp is working harder than normal. No other combo I've ever heard sounds like this animal.

Reliability? Soldano invented the word. Has anybody, ANYBODY, ever said that these amps were otherwise? Enough said.

Soldano's reputation is unequaled in the industry. This group of people in Seattle are simply the best.

I've been playing for over 20 years. Aside from my Bassman piggyback rig that was modified by a Soldano employee in the 80's, this is one of the best amps I've ever played through. It would take me a while to assemble the cash again if it ever got stolen, but I wouldn't hesitate. Instead of blowing your hard earned dough on many so-so amps, do yourself a favor and spend it on one damn good one. I used to buy and sell at least 6 amps a year to find the tone I wanted. Since I bought this hombre, I haven't bought one amp since. In fact, I've been selling off everything because it just isn't being used anymore. This combo new costs as much as the industry's benchmark combos: beatup '59 bassman, Matchless DC30, Diaz, etc. But this is amp is worth it.

Very Simple. Clean/Crunch and GAIN volumes and Gain Controls, Presence, and Bass Mid Treble. Effects Loop and Slave output. Very Basic Layout. I would prefer this amp with the Decatone features and seperate EQ. I've spoken with Sean Ballou at Soldano and heard that a stereo version is in the works.

Hands down the best rock amp available. I've owned them all Marshalls, Boogies, and others none even come close. I had a full blown rack for years using the Soldano X-99 pre-amp with a Marshall power amp the Eventide and all the fixings, but it was time to step out of the over processed 80's tone. I picked up a SLO100 and the sound is unbelievable. Yeah it Costs I traded in a JCM800, JCM900, Soldano X-99, and a Custom made Gibson SG plus $1000. It was worth it, I've played this amp side by side with Plexi's, Bogners, and Rectifiers and there is no tone out there to compete with the SLO. All I have for effect is the incredible Soldano SurfBox reverb/tremello unit, Morley Wah pedal, MXR Phase 90, and the Line6 delay unit. Put it this way I've never heard a tone I would rather have.

Lifetime warranty that you'll probably never use. That scratchy noise you get from dust in other amps dials id non existent because the SLO has sealed pots that can't get dust in them. I've had my guitar tech drop this head to the ground when placing it on top of a full stack and it started right up and screamed with no problems.

Sean and Bill are great. I first heard the Soldano Surfox at a Ratt concert and called Soldano the next day about it. The SurfBox is a limited run of 100 units signed by Mike Soldano and they had shipped them all. Sean knew I wanted one spent the day contacting their dealers and found me the only one left for sale in the country; How's that for customer support.

Hands down best amp, best tone, best service, best reliability.

The SLO 100 was manufactured in '92 (s/n 92852) in there Hollywood Calif. Location, before moving to Seattle, WA. The versatile sounds are great!!! if you want an Awesome Distortion to Clean sound this is a great amp for it. It has two channels, Clean & Crunch(or Super Lead), and foot switchable "noiseless"!!! Great Series EFX Loop.
It would be nice if it had a Mute on the foot switch box, Because I perform out alot and it would be nice during tuning or changing guitars. I use the amp for live performances, Studio Sessions, Recordings, and its wonderful to be able to play at 3:00am in my house with out bothering anyone, lower than the volume on a TV, but still have the GREAT Volume at Stage levels(master around "9"). A lot of other amps don't have the same control, or the need to push out at least 20w or nothing? 0-to-in your face! but live is where its at! you'll hear that wonderful sound of the Power Tubes(5881), along with the 12AX7's. It doesn't have thousands of push-pull bottons or factory settings, (No Modeling CRAP!) more for the Artist.

The Guitar of my choice, PRS Custom 22, with Dragon II pick-ups, Mahogany body & neck/rosewood board, sound AWESOME! if you use more of a mid-output PU's you can really pull out more tones, because if you use a high output PU and high Gain there is a sort of forced out sound, that at even lower levels sound forced. I've used Duncan's and Dimarzio's everyone of them and everything on Earth, including custom made PU's. My style of playing is: Classical Jazz Rock, Progressive Fusion Pop, and the amp covers it all great. The amp has the very best componants, if you take a look or have a Electronic Technician look at it they'll tell you. In the Distortion area at full Gain you'll hear what its all about, (if it's your style) Eddie Van Halen has used a stock SLO(dark blue head) for the last Few Albums, During an interview with Producer Andy Johns(Hendrex, Zep, Stones etc.) had mentioned that Eddie couldn't get his Signature Marshall's to work, so he used a single Head for rhythm & leads, from what Andy said he's always liked Soldano's but never worked with one amp for both rhythm and lead, but it made Eddie happy and that was the most important thing, anyway there is a long user list of performers. The Clean channel at times can be slightly overdriven but if you reduce the volume on your guitar from 10 to 7, you'll get a very nice Fender like tone(w/brite switch off). The Crunch Distortion channel is AWESOME!!!, if you are into Really Heavy Metal, this amp might not be your thing! you might want to try the Hot Rod 100+XL, to me it sounds more Metal! but with the SLO 100 has more of a Audiophile greatness to it, sound, feeling, emotion its all great!

I've had this head for 3yrs now and haven't had one problem with it!!!
I can't say the same for the Bogner 101b, VHT Pittbull Classic, Mesa Boogie Dual Rec., I can only speak of them for my own experience of ownership, I've owned Modified Marshall's(Bogner, Arrendondo, Jackson) that we're nice, but always one thing or another seem to break down. I know of a friend that has a SLO that was under water for a week when there studio was flooded and after a little time to let it dry out, the amp sounded fine, it also flew down a flight of metal stairs and on to the ground from two stories up(what luck)?
and other than a power tube shaken loose it was fine. Hope that never happens to mine.

If you were to call, ask for "Sean" he is the greatist he has a lot of knowledge, and for Technical information ask for Bill, other than that the amp has a transferable Life time warrenty. The amp can be serviced at almost any location with a repair Technician!

I've been playing for over 20yrs, and I've had about every Guitar, Amp, Rack Efx, Pedals, Monster cable 500's, on and on I don't want to waste your time reading this. If stolen or lost, I would have to get another!!!, I Love the sound and the simple operation, when I play live or at a studio session the last thing I want to think about is Equipment, and with the Soldano Super Lead Overdrive, you'll have total Confidence. I was on the road for over 10yrs as a support act in arena's and forums recorded three Albums, over 2000 professional commercials, and a Equipment need to know person anyway, if your looking and serious about a Professional Amplifier, Soldano is TOP of the Boutique Tree! believe me every other amp Manufacture has taken the SLO apart to find out what he uses, and sure Mike Soldano was inspired by Marshall and Fender(as Marshall's were copies of Fender Bassman) in the early days but listen to those amps you'll hear the Soldano differance!

The features of this amp are very simple. It's a 100 Watt head with 2 4X12 speaker cabs. It runs 5 12AX7 preamp tubes, and 4 Sovtek 5881/6L6 power tubes. I had mine custom made which Soldano was very receptive to. I had the "depth control" added which gives ultra-low end boost. It's the opposite of what presence does. I added what they refer to as the Warren DiMartini Mod which boosts the mid range on the clean channel. It gives you the option of having your clean channel sounding like a super warm Marshall, something I never heard a Marshall sound like. I had the Warren Haynes Mod added for a little crisper boost in the lower setting range of the overdrive channel.

I am using a custom strat I had built from Warmoth. It has a birdseye maple neck, ash body, original Floyd Rose, Grover keys, Seymour Duncan Gibson Vintage reissue PAF humbucker, Seymour Duncan stacked humbuckers in the middle and neck positions.

As far as settings, I prefer both extremes of the sound continuum. I like a clean, punchy sound that eventually turns into rich singing distortion. My custom SLO delivers just that. Sometimes I'm in the mood for clipping on the clean. I dial it. Sometimes I am more reflective and want a true clean channel, I dial it up. This amp definitely meets my moods. That's a mark of a good unit.

One of the features that has repeatedly sold me on Soldano amps is that they are very stable. You dial them up and they stay there sonically. I remember trying to dial up Marshalls and the like and the very next day the sound wasn't quite the same. I was told by friends and colleagues that that was just one of the drawbacks of playing through tube amplifiers--and I bought into it. NOT THIS AMP!
THIS AMP STAYS WHERE YOU PUT IT.

The distortion characteristics of the SLO-100 are unbeatable. The sound really growls if you want it to. The sound basically commands authority. I have played with other musicians at functions and the sound just stomps.

Additionally, I have never played an amp with such distortion that maintains a chord's voicing. This amp delivers that. You can play a nine chord with the gain set at 9 and still hear all of the notes. They are distorted, but you can pick out the color.

This amp is incredibly reliable. I rely on it solely with the exception of some backup tubes. I have yet to have any kind of failure.

Customer support is unbeatable. I have called with various questions ranging from purchasing new tubes, having an existing Decatone remodified, to having my current SLO-100 custom made. They were very polite, and considerate of my needs. They hit their timelines when they gave you a date of delivery.

I have been playing for 15 years. I own my SLO-100, my custom strat, an Ovation Elite accoustic/electric. This ia all I need. I used to have all kinds of gadgets and effects. Now I rely simply on the tone of the guitar/amp combination. I do own recording gear for the purposes of recording.

If I had to do it all over again, I would only sidestep all of the other amps I have bought through the years and go straight to the SLO-100.

I did have one item on the wish list for this amp. This amp is not beyond maybe a feature or two...I wish it had a third channel. Soldano said they would build it! But let's face it, the standard ones are pricey enough. I think I would just buy another SLO to get the other channel.

As far as bang for the buck, this amp is an investment in your tone. The price is high, but so are the stakes in your sound. Music is sound. Your sound is a direct reflection on your music. I only speak for myself when I say I didn't mind paying the premium. Every time I crank it up I go "DAMN that sounds bitchin'!!!!" That makes it easier to depart from the money... In the end, it's still a lot of money so this category gets a 7.

2-channel 100 watts 5881 powetubes 12ax7 preamp tubes.You dont buy this amplifier for bells 'n whistles-you buy it for the ultimate tone!!If you cant get your sound between the clean crunch lead settings or changing tubes or outboard gear-GIVE IT UP!!!Solid foundation!Okay its not as flexible as other competitors so hence the "7"

The SLO-100 is of course the modern benchmark for tone.Without it and its popularity I'd have to play a marshall or mesa boogie-or in otherwords either a single channel british amp or parallel mode american amplifier that because of its gain cofiguration(mark series)only allows one great sound(not good).If it wasnt for Michaeal Soldano's leadership and single handed creation of the so called "botique" amplifier market,we would not have the choice that we have today in gear.There would be no JCM-900's(certainly not any DSL or TSL's) no "RECTIFIER" series no 5150(there maybe an exception here for Mr.Van Halen)and there certainly wouldnt be any other competition to produce creative innovative products-and line 6 products would be missing one of its best simulations!


Axeman you chose to place a "6" in the sound category when obviously you needed to place it in the features category or overall category!!!!(you even explain that) egregious fuck-up my friend-blasphemy!!You are not worthy!

It's the SLO-100 even on its worst days its miles above anything else!

Knowledgable friendly INTERESTED staff will take your call and will do what it takes to resolve your problem

8 you say? after ranting and raving why would I give this awesome product only an 8-Well I know roughly how much it costs to produce this amp Vs.consumer price-you do inevitably pay a premium for "NAME" all things considered of course.This is a purchase you would never outgrow or regret-unless it bankrupts you or causes a divorce-but then again.....

Mine is about 5 years old. Got it used, through EBay. Two channels (clean can be switched to crunch, but still only two channels). No manual switching controls, no reverb. Tone controls are shared between channels. Plenty of power. I've used it for small clubs to outside venues. Never had any problems. It is built very well, with the best materials available, but you are going to pay through your teeth for one of these (I'm not convinced it's worth the money).

I used it with Fenders (strat and tele, both w/stock pickups) and Gibson style guitars (i.e. heavy solid-bodies w/hubuckers). This amp is made for that killer distortion sound, and it works very well for that. It has a tone of it's own, which is cool, but if you're looking for an amp capable of a wide range of sounds (like a Mesa/Boogie or a modelling amp - and I don't especially care for that 'processed' sound), then I would look elsewhere. In short, if you're always playing with heavy distortion this MAY be the amp for you. If your style requires tonal versitility, check out some others (especially when you can buy 5 Johnson modelling amps for the price of one of these!!!!!). Rating for that 'Soldano' distortion sound is 10 of course, but realize there are other amps out there for a lot less money that can produce this same(!) tone.

Never had any problems, other than changing out tubes. I read in another review about this amp being more reliable than any other amps. While I've never had any problems with it, I have to say that I think Mesa/Boogies are built just as tough and equally reliable, if not MORE so. In fact, my Mesa/Boogie just took a 6' drop onto solid concrete with no ill effects (other than a few scratches on the cabinet and me having a near heart attack). I'm not sure if my SLO, or ANY other amp, would take that as easily.

Never tried or had the need to. Supposedly a lifetime warranty.

I've ben playing for over 20 years now. I also play bass, sax, and piano, and have been playing all since Jr. high school or earlier. I think I have a pretty good ear for tone (been told so on many occasions). Soldano makes a very, very reliable product which is engineered extremely well. For what it is. What I mean by that is to me, this is simply a glorified Marshall clone. I have played with/through a wide, wide variety of guitars and amps(solid-state, tube&solid state vartieties, and all tube: Line6, Peavey, Fender, Gibson, Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, Trace-Elliot, Gallien-Kruger, and more. This amp is not my favorite, but definitely not my least favorite. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely cry, but only because of how much I paid for it. I bought it on recommendations and because of all the hype. I've used it for almost a year now, and to me it just isn't versitile enough and definitely not worth all the $ they want for one. One good thing is that these seem to be retaining their value pretty well, as I do plan on selling it before too long and getting a Mesa/Boogie Mark 4 again. The Mark 4 offers all the tones this SLO can produce plus another whole WORLD of tones the SLO can't even touch, with 3 completely separate channels and separate tone controls for each channel, plus all the tube/biasing combinations you could ever possibly ask for just by flipping switches (talk about tonal variations)! Boogies just seem to ooooze tone and definition no matter if you select clean, crunch, or full-on, harmonic-laced distortion. Just my humble opinion : )

slo-100 head and matching 4x12 (purple) cabinet. the amp was made in 1992. the amp has 2 channels, effects loop and the warren haynes mod. this amp is plenty versitile enough for my styles of music (blues, rock, jazz). i owned a 3 channel amp for a while and didn't really like it. i like the idea of stepping on a single switch to toggle back and fourth between 2 channels. i played a jcm900 2 channel amp for 9 years... but really got tired of the maintenance and upkeep. the scratchy pots had to be constantly maintained and it seemed the amp was never really too consistant in tone. the jcm900 had reverb... but i really don't miss it because i didn't use it that much. as far as power, the slo-100 has more freeking headroom than anything i've ever played thru... yet keeps it's tone no matter what lever you're playing. i don't know who could ever use more headroom than this thing has. i can't use it much past 3 or 4... so there's plenty of power. i've read other reviews that claim this amp is a "1 trick pony"... but i don't think so. it has 2 channels and i knew what i was getting when i bought it. plus, the clean channel has a clean/crunch setting. i figure if i need any effects (including reverb) that i'll buy them as needed.

i mostly use les pauls... but occasionally use a strat with fat 50's and an ibanez tube screamer. i owned a soldano decatone 3 channel amp for a while and it was VERY picky out the pickups... but the slo-100 doesn't seem to be at all. my stock les paul pickups sound great as well as the 75 les paul with dimarzio super distortions. the strat sounds great as well... especially thru the clean channel. my marshall had this ennoying mid-range "clip" that this amp seems to NOT have. the amp is very quiet on both the clean and overdrive channels... but if you turn the overdrive preamp way up (and i don't know who could use THAT much distortion) it gets a little noisy... but i never get the distortion up that high. there's as much distortion with the preamp around 3 as there was with my jcm900. if you tame the distortion it is very nice... but if you crank it too high you lose individual string definition. but, once again... i don't know who would use THAT much distortion. there's more than enough at the lower preamp settings.

haven't really had the amp long enough to comment on the reliability. i got it used in a trade for some other equipment. from everything i've read... i'm not really worried about the reliability. it seems to have held up nicely since 1992. i know i used my marshall for 9 years and beat the crap out of it... and if it held up (with proper maintenance) i see no reason why this amp shouldn't! i know it's hand built with the finest parts available... which is why i wanted it. so, i can't really rate this part... i just haven't owned it long enough... but i'm not at all worried about it.

i've dealt with soldano customer support before on questions dealing with my decatone as well as the slo-100... they are simply great. they worked hard to answer all my questions. never tryed to get the amp repaired but, after spending hours on the phone with these guys wouldn't be worried at all about sending my amp in for repairs with them. i think there is a lifetime transferrable warranty on this amp.

i've been playing for 25 years and have played thru a whole bunch of amps... and i'll tell you... amp is great. if lost or stolen i would cry first... then try my best to replace it. don't really care for the purple color... but that's about it. i would not complain if it had reverb... but like i said earlier... i don't really use it that much and consider that more an "after market effect". i really wanted this amp (and glad i could work a trade on it) because of the reviews i've read and the components used and the fact that it was "hand built" like the old marshalls. once i got the amp... it did not let me down. it was all i expected and then some. i am personally very proud to own it. although... it is pricey... but you get what you pay for.

Dual footswitchable channels, crunch and lead. 100W, 4-6L6, 4-8-16 ohm rear speaker jacks. Tube buffered effects loop. Shared bass-mid-treble controls, seperate gain for each channel. Absolutely
noiseless channel switching. presence per channel. I did the "Warren
Haynes" treble roll-off mod and another mod that added a *little* more
lowend, both with the help of rmmg people and Soldano. Pretty no-frills format. Wish it had reverb. There certainly is room for a
reverb tank in the chassis.

Crushing lead tone. Very good control, even at very high gain on the
lead channel. The crunch channel is again nice, good control, but
both channels suffer slightly from being much too "tight". Great
straight-ahead high gain sound that definitely never gets muddy. I
found it had a upper-mid "sizzle" that was impossible to dial out even
with mods to roll of the treble or even offset by modding the feedback
circuit to add lowend. This tended to get pretty annoying after a
while. It's a great amp but is a one trick pony.
I like what Soldano is about, and they are very helpful with mods,
but I got tired of trying to get more low end out of it.
It's a great amp for playing very fast technical lead playing, not
very versatile. In recording situations, the lead tone gets lost
in the mix unless the mids are cranked and the amp is cranked also,
but then you're just adding to the mayhem and getting that darn
upper-mid sizzle in spades. Installing SOVTEK 5881's helped.
Also, using a straight Vintage 30 4x12 or a 150W Celestion Sidewinder
( the Sidewinder's lower mid spike along with high end rolloff puts some meat in the SLO tone)were the only cabs that worked for me with that amp. Overall tone tends to become transparent in a heavy mix.
I would say an agressive tone but not a strong one. Channel switching
was completely noiseless, very nice. Effects loop very stable, never
clipped any of my effects. One complaint on the FX loop is that a
volume pedal (Ernie Ball) causes a serious lowend roll off when the
volume is kicked back even slightly from full. This made it tough to negotiate during a gig.

Top of the heap. Banged it carrying at full pace into a door jamb, it got rained on briefly transporting it to a space, the usual stuff. It never went down. Never used a backup. Never noisy.
From working inside it, it is true, it is built like a tank. nothing
should every go wrong with this amp aside from tubes wearing out.

Again, top of the heap. They are very straightforward about what
the amp is and isn't, and I talked to another SLO owner who actually
sent his head in with an EQ in the FX loop set to the way he wanted
the amp to sound, and Soldano made it sound that way.
( begs the question why not just buy the amp you're trying to get
it to sound like, but maybe that wouldn't be as reliable...)

Althouth the format, layout, support, warranty is all there, it did
not satisfy my tone preferences deeply enough. Great platform, and although I love a good agressive tone, that is mostly all this amp excells at. All that said, a joy to play lead on. I bought it because
it really does excell at high gain, but I grew to want more than that.
Not very versatile. Impossible to dial out icepick sizzle in
treble range on either channel.

a relatively simple amp .great for almost any tone you're looking for. in my opinion the more features an amp has the more headaches you have. I own a rehearsal studio and have almost had every make of amp new and vintage and the slo-100 is probably the perfect balance of sound, clean,distorted, new or old. it has everything you need and nothing you don't.

i've used telecasters, les pauls, paul reed smiths and mosrites with this amp and the SLO brought out each of the guitars characteristics brilliantly as a good amp should. i play mainly garage-y punk rock and our songs range from slow 60's girl group to full on wall of sound phil spector punk and the amp does it all.

we rehearse 3 times a week and play out an average of twice a month. it's never failed however I always have a back up because that's just the smart thing to do.

never dealt with em. when your amp works well and sound good why call?

been playing steadily for about 10 years and have played through a 69 marshall (great amp but not as versitile or brutal), JCM-900 (no good clean sound),JCM 800 (too middle of the road),marshall 50/100 (convertable from 50-100watts but had no defining character and not reliable), VOX AC-30 top-boost( a tempermental bitch of an amp that sounds great when it's not in the shop), mesa trem-o-verb (the swiss army amp that has so many features that they line-up to break down, also the kind of amp that sounds good but has so many things in the pathway of the tone that the sound is never consistent) peavey classic 50 (nice sound package for the $, clean, distortion and reverb but designed like crap, I had one that failed and burned a hole the size of a golf ball in the circuit board!), 66 fender super reverb (great amp but not loud enough and no distortion) and many more not really worth mentioning. the slo-100 is probably the best amp i've owned. if you want effects go buy 'em your amp should be a component onto itself it also makes your equipment easier to service and last longer this way.

1992-SLO A versatile amp for All Rock. Great for Electric Blues (SRV)On the Clean-crunch channel. Two channel amp Overdrive Good but a little to much feedback. Needs more bottom end.

Jackson and Les paul The amp works well for rock could be better. more bottom end. The clean channel breaks up at high volume. The distortion is good. Only one sound.

Very Reliability

This company is a 10 in customer support. For service you have to sent it back to the company (Washington-State)to bad. Life time warranty does not cover the tranformers or tubes.

If this amp was stolen I might look in to getting something else Been playing for 20 years I have owned many amps. The SLO is a very good amp but not as versatile as some other brands, Bogner Fantastic but BIG $... VHT Great and at a good price you should really look in to this amp. Egm, Hiwatt good amps and 2203,2204 Older Marshalls. The SLO could be the best amp in the world but stock needs improvement.

Made in the 90ies. Knopfler's and Clapton's favorite machine. I have spent all the money I could to get a second-hand one, and sold all my medium-quality hardware for that. Lived 2 years without any electric guitar to put on it because of money!!! But here is the reward : the very best amp in the world. Very versatile. I wish it had a built-in reverb. I don't have the fx loop (don't need it anyway).

I play a vintage Strat from the 70ies ; I can get very powerful clean/ distorted sounds. Except ACDC Gibson SG sound, you can get whatever you want with this "duo". The clean sound is a lot better than any stuff from Mashall. So what's the use of playing a LP on a Marshall except getting a fat overdrive ??? A good amp makes the distorsion for you.

Built like a tank. I have fixed a little problem : even though it is made to play very loudly, the grilles were vibrating. With small pieces of paper I could actually "lock" them. Very small detail... I admit I play loudly ;-)

I think there is no problem, except that the only advice they gave me for the reverb was to buy a Soldano effect box!!!! Not very smart, is it???

My SLO is a 1992 100 watt head. Has 4-NOS Philips 6L6's and 5-GT Chinese pre-amp tubes. It has two channels with shared EQ controls and a slave out. The amp has a series effects loop which is the only weak part of the amp in my opinion. My head has the "Warren Haynes Mod" which is a bright switch for the OD channel. When activated, it shaves off a little high end which makes the amp sound "rounder", especially in lower gain settings.

I play mostly PAF equipped humbucker guitars and a few strat styles. The SLO's second channel (OD Channel) is truly incredible, it retains string definition and clarity at all gain levels. The sustain and warmth are really amazing!! With the way I set up the OD channel, the SLO sounds a lot like like Gary Moore and EVH, but this channel can cover many other types of OD tones as well. The Clean/Crunch channel is OK, just not as inspiring to me as the second channel. The amp sounds great without any effects whatsoever! Note: Make sure you have the best tubes possible because this head sounds incredible with some tubes and just pretty good with others!

Built like a tank, never broken down and I would use it anywhere without a backup! Very reliable!

They performed the haynes mod for me and answered all of my tube questions. Very professional and customer friendly. Bill was especially kind and thoughtful!

The SLO would get a 10 but the effects loop problem and the lack of a great clean channel bring it down to an 8! The loop will only work well with a high end verb/delay unit. I detest most of those so I am playing dry right now. That's OK because the amp sounds so good that I don't even miss my echoplex!!! Again, the OD channel is very inspiring and just sounds incredible! This head compliments my Bogner perfectly.

New from Musicians Friend. The only thing I wish it had was a channel selector switch on the amp, preferably on the front panel. The footswitch is a common shorting type, so just about any will do, my old Mesa foot switch works. Here's a tip: if you need access to the clean channel but have forgotten your footswitch, you can make the amp switch channels by wiring a common phone plug from hot to ground and plugging this into the footswitch jack. This is "shorted" and will turn on the clean channel. Unplug for overdrive. This work for old Fenders to turn on the tremolo effect (uses a RCA plug though). Having shared EQ does not bother me. They are voiced incredibly well. Has heavy duty Sovtek 5881's that run very cool. Don't know what the plate voltage is yet but don't really care.

I'm using a 60's (Japan) Strat (customized) with Fat 50's pickups for mainly blues and rock leaning towards the "classic" side of things and this amp really sounds incredible. I've been using it with a Marshall 2x12 1936 cab with the stock speakers and it sounds great so far. I haven't had a chance to really crank it up yet. I just received the amp so I will post a follow up review in a month or so after I've got a feel for it. The sound is not harsh in my opinion and is very creamy and dynamic as it responds well to pick attack, even in high gain mode, and definition is unreal! I really can't see myself using the overdrive gain past 5 or 6. Around 3 to 4 is plenty for me so far. The clean and crunch sounds wounderful and very even. I own a couple of vintage Fenders and the clean sounds are comparable in my humble opinion. I like SLO better than my Marshall DSL 50 (also a very nice amp, but not in this league). The amp has plenty of power. The custom transformers are very large, so the head is fairly heavy, as it should be! I can tell a lot of money went to those transformers. All components are top quality and is one of the reasons this amp sounds so professional. It really doesn't get any better than this unless you're partial to a magic vintage or vintage circuit amp like a Victoria. Amp is very quiet with no idle noise, but does have some hiss at high gain settings, no way around this because it would affect the tone. Noise gate it if it bothers you during recording. I've been using a Line 6 POD for recording demos in my apartment and it has been a real pleasant surprise. Everyone needs a POD, even if you don't play guitar! They're just cool. POD's Soldano sounds are very nice with some outboard reverb/delay.

The amp is impecable. It should be for the price. Worth the $, especially when you'll probably spend money on several amps and then aren't satisfied (ok, that's what I did, I could saved my self lots-o-money). Go ahead and buy the best now, whether it's a Bogner or Matchless, Victoria, or vintage. See what the pros use and if you like the sound, buy that amp - very simple (if you can save the money)! LIFETIME warranty. Had a small problem when I took it out of the box - I noticed a rattle that sounded like a loose part. I slid the chassis out and a small nut/washer had vibrated loose from the circuit board retainers - no big deal, I just put it back on. Probably should've had a lock washers on 'em. I'll comment on reliability next review.

I've talked with them, very friendly.

Been playing close to 30 yrs. If it were stolen I play my Peavey Classic 50 410 -hey these Peaveys are very very nice for the money! Great for blues and rock, country, jazz - until I saved the money to buy another SLO. Hey, I hope y'all have a great day!

Bought new this year. 2 channel, separate volume/drive for each channel, one set of eqs. Channel switching from clean->OD or from rhythm->OD. Effects loop, serial. Gave it an 8 because of the shared eq.

I play mostly hard rock, Ed is king. I really like the 5150, and since this amp was part of the inspiration for that amp I wanted to give it a look. I use mostly axis/wolfgang guitars, occasionally LP. The positives for this amp are: its brutal distortion, you could not ask for more, although it does get noisy with the preamp much above 6 or 7. The clean is actually quite nice, as is the rhythm (crunch) which will get you a throaty medium gain AC/DC tone. The amp articulates excellently, although I would have to say the 5150 does the high gain articulation a bit better. The notes seem to leap off the fretboard with this amp, a very aggressive tone, very punchy. You can't really roll off the guitar volume on the OD and get much else, but with the crunch channel you can, ie go from a medium marshally OD to a respectable clean with the guitar volume. And the clean alone is again very good, not up to boutique amp standards, but of course the last thing you'd do is buy this amp for the clean. The OD tone itself is quite rich, very liquid and expressive while maintaining punch and articulation. There is a buzziness to the OD, which I have found present in ALL high gain punchy amps; other amps will get a high gain without that buzziness to the tone, but it seems you have to sacrifice aggressiveness and punch. For awhile I found that buzziness in high gain amps a negative, now I accept it as necessary for a good OD tone. Now, the negatives: the amp has a very bright high end to it that, to me, was difficult to dial out. I know that this high end bite is desirable by some, but for me I prefer a smoother upper end that doesn't pierce so much. I ran the treble on 3-5, the presence 0, mid 2 or 3, bass 6 to 7,and there was still a considerable amount of high end ice. Also, the bass response is a tad weak, I wish it had a resonance control. The amp is clearly designed to accentuate the upper end, which again is desired by some, but it's not to my taste. The 5150 has none of that high end bite and you can dial in some serious low end on that amp, for comparison. I should say I tested the amp through cabs with greenbacks, 30s, EVs, and sheffields, as well as with several guitars. Finally the big negative is the effect loop; it will not work with ordinary stomp boxes, the signal is degraded significantly. I ordered a $600 Rocktron Intelliflex, and this worked quite well. But it was surprising that such an expensive amp requires expensive gear to just get some delay or reverb. I ended up sending the amp and Rocktron back because of these factors. In summary, the amp is somewhat versatile, not as much as a true 3 channel amp, has voracious OD, decent clean and crunch, articulates and punches excellently, has a rich expressive tone, but has a significant high end iciness and a troublesome effects loop. I suppose the "Warren Haynes" mod might get rid of that high end, but I didn't want to risk it, not being able to return the amp once it was altered. I have also heard of people having the effect loop altered to act in parallel fashion.

Didn't keep it long, but looking at it it looks like it could have survived a war.

I have contacted soldano in the past and they had been helpful, but I called them about the effects loop and the guy I spoke with seemed indifferent at best, finally recommended the Rocktron unit which did work, but he didn't seem overly eager to help. I might have just called on a bad day, I've always heard they are very friendly and helpful.

Been playing >30 years, currently in a 70s/80s/90s cover band, have tried most every amp available (website is www.go.to/rockdox). I would recommend at least looking into this amp if you want serious high gain with tone, need a little versatility, don't mind/prefer the high end bite sound, and either play dry or don't mind coughing up an extra $600+ for an effects unit.

paid $2,200 used


I play in a metal/rapcore band I've found my amp to be extremely versatileand rugged. The amp has been dropped, kicked, water spilt in it. NEVER A PROBLEM !!!

I use 2 PRS guitars one ce bolt on w/HFS p/u's one swamp ash special
I do have a noise prob. I'm not sure what it's from something I'm working on

I beat the sh*t out of it

My SLO was made in '89. I like amps that have as few features as possible: keep it simple. I have owned just about every "switch-blade" amp made, some with more knobs and buttons than the space shuttle; and none of them came close to the simplicity of this amp. I now buy amps for one thing, tone, and this amp has just unreal tone.

Soldano started tweaking Marshalls in Hollywood in the mid 80's, and I have heard a couple of those heads...just dripping with distortion. The SLO is no different. TONE, CLARITY, DEFINITION. This is an extremely honest amp. If you play badly, it sounds like a polished turd. But if you have your chops tight, then you will be rewarded with amazing guitar sounds. This amp is so sensitive and dynamic, it is truly a joy to play through. This goes for all 3 modes: clean, crunch, and lead. You can't find a bad sound in this amp.

Only the best components are used in this amp. Soldano is truly in a class by itself in terms of the over-engineering this amp. If I was ever lucky enough to play on the road and make a living at it, I would never need a backup if I had this amp with me. Can't say that for my Marshalls and Boogies....fragile amps.

The SLO is guaranteed for life, period. No other amp company can make that claim. I have heard that Bruce Eganter will work on his pre-Rocktron gear for nothing, which is very cool. I think he and Mike Soldano are the only two guys in the industry willing to stand behind their products without fail.

Best amp purchase I've ever made. Every now and then, the used amp market will dip down, and I highly recommend that you buy an SLO when the used prices come down a bit. Right now they're up, because Soldano is currently back-ordered 6 months for SLO's. After 10 years, the demand for this amp is still off the scale...what does that tell you?

I play fussion, hard rock, and blues. This amp is very well suited for all of these styles. This amp sounds great at both practice volume and high volume levels. In my opinion the main feature of this amp is it's great tone. The amp is pretty basic in terms of controls. It has two channels with a common EQ, effects loop, bright and crunch switches on channel one. I was very surprised that it didn't have reverb. I don't know why Michael left that out. I've placed a Rocktron Intelliflex in the effects loop to add reverb, delay, chorus, or combinations of these. The Roctron unit works very well with this amp.
Even though the controls are basic, I'm going to rate this a 10 because the bottom line to me is how the amp sounds. It's clearly a 10 in sound quality.

I've played this amp with a Strat. with suhr pickups and a Parker Classic. Both guitars produced really great tones.
I'm extremely pleased with the tones that I'm able to obtain from this amp. I feel it came with an extra bonus because I originally purchased it for it's great sounding overdrive channel. After playing it for a while, I have to say that the clean channel is also equally as good.
The clean channel is fender clean with tons of headroom. I've been able to obtain a very full array of tones from this amp.

It's built like a tank so I'm assuming it should be very reliable. Marine plywood, military grade pots, very high grade transformers, etc. No pressed saw dust cabinet constuction in this baby.

I spent a lot of time asking questions about this amp both via email and over the phone. I was probably a pain in the ass to Soldano. I'm very particular about my tone.
The amp comes with a transferable life time warranty.

I'm extremely pleased with the tones that I'm able to obtain from this amp. I feel it came with an extra bonus because I originally purchased it for it's great sounding overdrive channel. After playing it for a week, I have to say that the clean channel is also equally as good. I'm also very impressed with the construction and road-worthiness of the amp. I've been playing guitar for over 25 years and have owned quite a few different amps over the years. This one is clearly the best one I've ever owned. I feel Soldano produces the best sounding and best made guitar amps in the world.

Mfr date of 1989 on chassis. Very good sounds for Rock, Blues, or Metal. Solid punchy clean sound, although the clean sound of this amp may not satisfy jazz, or country players. Two channels, clean, with crunch, and overdrive. Fairly quiet for an amp with this much gain. Factory offers series effect loop option. This unit did not have a loop. I successfully installed a single 12ax7 parallel loop in it myself. Plenty of power. I use this amp everywhere. To the dismay of country bands I have subbed in as guitar player, I have even used it for country gigs. This amp was made to rock. Good rock sounds from crunch to torch.

Tom Anderson Classics with Fralins, PRS Custom with Duncan Alnico Pro II's. No, its not a Fender Twin. If you want that type of clean, buy that type of amp, don't be stupid enough to expect that kind of sound out of this amp, and publicly wine about it when you can't get that kind of sound out of it. The ultimate distortion machine. After all, this is what this amp is famous for. Unique definition even at very distorted settings. If you can't find your metal tone from this amp, takeup another instrument, or maybe get your hearing checked.

This amp is built very, very well. Just like any other tube amp, as long as you keep good tubes in it, and don't do anything stupid to it like bias the power tubes wrong, or have it full power, and forget to hook up a speaker load to it, should give good service. I use Svetlana 6L6's in it with good results. Sean at Soldano says the Svets don't last in this amp. I say this is bull shit. I use it with out a back up, and have for a long, long time. In two years of heavy use this amp has never broken down on me.

The Soldano tech dept is OK. They seem a little anal about what they do. I am an engineer and do my own repairs, so Idon't know first hand how good there tech service is. However, Bill Sundt seems like the guy to talk to. I don't think Sean at Soldano is very knowledgeable. Supposedly, the unit has a lifetime warranty, as long as it hasn't been modded by anyone else but Soldano. But, with the exception of a effects loop, it shouldn't need any mods.

Been playing for about 10 years. I would definitely buy it again. I love the clean and distorted sounds. This amp is very well made and should last a lifetime with reasonable care. If your not a tech, let Soldano work on it if you need repairs.

My amp was made in 1993. It is a simple-to-operate channel switching amp with a 100 watt output section w/5881 tubes. Mine has the optional FX loop. This is a very loud amp, more power than I really need. The tone controls have a wide range for a lot of tone shaping control. Too bad it doesn't have dedicated tone controls for each channel like the Slodano X88 preamp.

I use a bunch of different guitars with low output pickups. My main axes are a '63 Strat, '58 Historic LP flametop, and a '80's San Dimas Charvel. I play a variety of styles, though I mainly use this amp for the harder rock stuff and some blues. The overdrive is very smooth, not as gravel-toned as a Mesa Dual Rectifier. It has more drive than any sane person needs. It has a tight low end like a 100 watt Marshall with a similar midrange tonality. You can get decent clean tones, too. The overdrive is where the amp really shines, though. I've used Boogies for years, and have grown tired of the flubby low end and nasal midrange they have, so this is exactly what I've been looking for in a high gain amp.

I had to peek inside after I got it home. It looks very well built, with high quality components used throughout. The overdrive master volume control is very touchy, but the company says it is supposed to be that way. Better built innards than a Bogner Ecstasy, at around the same $$$. Soldano SLO-100's have a good reputation for reliability, and I can see why.

The company replyed to my email, so nothing bad to say. Transferrable lifetime warranty!!! Who else has that?

I've been playing for 17 years, I've owned a lot of high-end amps that have not lived up to expectations, or have been undependable. The Soldano is rock solid and delivers the kind of tone I have been looking for. These are really expensive new, so buying a used one is a more economical choice. I've been looking for a used one for a while, but since there is no Soldano dealers in our state, used ones are hard to find. I have played through Bogners, but I like this amp better, and it is easier to operate for a low-tech guy like me. Overall, a good choice for a non-rocket scientist guitarist. Just plug in, twiddle the knobs, and go! I'll hang on to this one for a long time! I've been using a Soldano pre-amp for a few years, and has been very reliable, too. If you have a chance to get one for under $1500, grab it!

Versatile enough for my needs,Classic tones along with new alternative sounds. This is a 2 channel, channel switching unit. Effects Loop works great...Low Noise! I wish the channel switching was MIDI so I could change channels along with my Alesis Quadraverb. I play Club gigs (250 people or so) 100 watts is plenty of power. I run my SLO thru a Marshall 4x12 loaded with25 watt greenbacks.

Guitars: ESP Kamikaze, Hamer Standard(Explorer) Pickups: Duncan George Lynch Screamin Demon in both. Music Style: New Rock/alternative such as Stone Temple Pilots/ Dishwalla/Tonic/Collective Soul/ also classic Cheap Trick
Amp is not noisy, I run cabs at 16 ohms, so I can crank master Volume up to about 5 or 6 with killing anybody. Distortion is "creamy and brown" not real harsh...

Use for 2 years with no problems. Im not using a backup now.

I called them once about how to slave this amp with a Marshall, guy was cool and helpful. I guess this particular amp was one of the first Mike Soldano built, very low serial number, amp is built in a Rack. Supposedly this was Mike's amp at one time? Lifetime warranty...This thing is a tank!

Rate it a 10...Id replace it if It was stolen. Ive owned Marshall JCM900, JCM800... and this Soldano is alot better! I also have owned 2 of the Soldano HR50... great amps too!!!
These amps are the BEST! I dont know if Id spend the big bucks for a new one, but Id search the earth for a used one!!!

This is the one to have people! I wish I had the cash to buy one! I have used them in live applications. I had to rent one though 6 times!! IT IS KILLER FOR LIVE PROFESSIONAL USE! My marshallas are in a class way below this tone monster. Also, this amp cuts through like no other. I am in the process of selling some of my prized guitars to finially get one!

What can I say- JUST LISTEN TO CLAPTON, KNOFLER, GARY MOORE, WARREN HAYNES>>> THE LIST IS ENDLESS FOR USERS!!!

I have had the use of SEVERAL ones in concert! NOT ONE PROBLEM FOR MY TECH!

NOT APPLICABLE TO ME

IF YOU WANT THE BEST- THIS IS IT!

Two channels, with footswitch access only. Two preamp gain controls, treble,mid,bass, and presence... two masters. Tube buffered EFX loop, variable slave line output. Impedance switching (4,8,16). Clean/crunch switch and bright switch for the clean channel. Minimal features, and its very easy to get a good sound within the first minute of operation. This is very important to me... so many amps seem complicated in the extreme, and take hours to get ONE decent tone out of. Not the case with the SLO. Its not an amp for people seeking to have a zillion footswitchable options... you can preset two GREAT tones, or then dial in several hundred more. I wish it had channel switching from the front pannel... thats my only feature complaint. I was interested in finding an amp which would allow me to create MY own unique tone(s) and this is the one. I tried the Bogner Ecstasy, Matchless, Kendrick, old Fender, old Marshall... shopped for several months, and just kept coming back to this one.

I play with two custom Warmoths, one with 3 single coils (texas specials)and the other with humbuckers (dimarzio) and this amp totally translates what these two guitars are about. It doesnt homogenize the sound (aka rockman or some other generic processo-unit) and certainly doesnt sound like solid state rack junk. I am a huge TUBE fan and this rig delivers. The overdrive channel is of course the industry standard, and now that I have one I see why. But over looked seems to be the clean channel. You can set it up with just the right amount of gain so that light picking yields clean (bone clean) tone... increasing the pick force takes it to slight break up... and slamming will create a very musical crunch. Of note on this... once a crunch chord is played, you can than pick additional notes more lightly underneath it while that chord is sustaining, and those notes will come out clean... almost like a "sustain pedal" effect or somesuch. The clean channel, when combined with my BF Fender Dual Showman produces the most lush and warm clean tone I have yet played with. The overdrive channel gets all the hype, dont overlook the nuances available from the clean side... its really usable.

Lifetime warranty, it breaks... they fix it... period. Of special note to me are the compnents used, nothing best the best choice for reliability and tone in each area... custom wound transformers, precision pots, teflon wire, even the knobs are first rate. One other note... the unit I have was a factory demo model, which had been the unit Mike Soldano sent to UL labs for CE testing. UL was unable to fry the transformers on their own and had to call Mike for the info as to how to make them fail under test. UL ultimately toasted them... but had to enquire "where did you get those transformers" ? Customer service was excellent, and Sean at the factory worked hard with me to find a way of making my "dream amp" a reality... my unit is rebuilt (post transformer explosion) and carries a full warranty as a new amp would. Built like a rock and intended not to fail... UL couldnt do it, could you ? Its the last amp I would ever "have" to buy.

Excellent... Sean cut me a screaming deal on this rebuilt unit, answered all my questions. Since I live near Ballard, Dave at Music 6000 was able to arrange a visit to the factory. Great people, and just seeing SRV's tweed halfstck was fun in itself. Claptons silver snakeskin full stack is there as well. Big fun.

I've been playing for 25 years. This amp, combined with my 1978 Marshall JMP and my 1966 BF Fender (via A-B-C footswitching) give me every tone I have ever wanted. The SLO is a perfect "basecoat" amp... it blends with anything, and doesn fight harmonically with other amps. If you pile a tone on top of it, it brings out the best in that tone. Amazing. Oh... and its PURPLE. I give it a nine only because they're kinda spendy... but at one point or another you have to ask yourself if you're worth the best ?

2 channels (accessable only via foot-switch), all-tube amp effects loop shared eq controls crunch option for clean channel bright switch 100 watts ohm selector switch
There are only a few features that I miss with this amp. Seperate eq's for the two channels would be nice, as well as seperate or even shared reverb. I can't understand why so many high-end amp manufacturers don't pay attention to this detail. Also, I would love to see an exact copy of this amp in a 50-watt version. Most of the time 100 watts is too much. An amp always sounds better as it is turned up, and even one as tricked out as the SLO100 is no exception; it's just really tough to get to that level without breaking some windows and eardrums.

I typically use the SLO-100 with a custom bolt-on or neck-thru Jackson Telly and a Marsall 4X12 cab loaded with Celestions. I prefer the 70 watt speakers as opposed to the vintage ones because they seem to better suited to handle the power, gain, and bottom-end of an amp like this. I think that the 30's work better in a situation where you need the synergy between a cranked Marshall and the lower power speakers; both break up to get the sounds that are already built in to a boutique amp like the SLO100. Also, all of my guitars have higher-output pick-ups (i.e. Duncan Distortion, Duncan Custom) to facilitate saturated lead and rhythm tones. I don't expect any amp to provide more than a couple of distinct sounds with a lot of personality. My two main requirements are a crisp clean sound with usable headroom and a high-gain channel for lead and distored rhythm. This amp absolutely provides both. The clean channel isn't astounding, but it is more than acceptable in most situations, especially if you are playing hard rock/metal. The lead channel has a very distinct, raw, over-the-top tone that is a great starting point to shape any rock guitar tone or level of distortion/overdrive that you can imagine. There is a little hiss, but a certain amount is to be expected in a high-gain amp, and I have never found one that could get around it. In any case, to me it's not a big deal and what the amp delivers more than compensates for it.

I've owned the amp for two years and never had a single problem with it. I don't gig on a regular basis, but it has seen a fair amount of use in rehearsal and practice. The thing seems to be built like a tank.

I have called the company several times and they were always polite, informative, and very open to any questions.

Like the ads say-These amps are built to rock! The SLO-100 is definitely not a one-trick pony, but it may not satisfy players who are looking for an amp to provide an abundance of sounds. I want to make it clear, however, that I don't mean this as a negative comment. In my opinion, you have to know what you want sound-wise and build your rig from that point. As I stated earlier, I look for killer high-gain sounds and a decent clean sound, and I will gladly pay to have a few great tones as opposed to several mediocre ones. The SLO100 is very live-sounding with lots of presence, and has been used on some excellent sounding projects- Lynch Mob's debut, and Ratt's Reach for the Sky are two that come to mind. Listen to these and the credentials of this amp will become obvious. As my final comment, however, I would like to say that this is one of the best amps out there, even considering the hefty price. I would definitely buy it again.

Two Channels, clean and crunch. FX loop, slave out. It has a "crunch" switch on the rhythm channel as well as a "bright" switch for the rhythm channel. Gives a little versatility for the clean mode. My particular amp has what is known as the "Warren Haynes" mod on it. It gives the lead channel a little more wallop. It is almost more of a bright cut than a "deep" switch. Accents the lower frequencies. It is only noticible at HIGH volume when the power amp is pumping. It is super loud and more than enough for any mortal being. I like the fact that it is bare-bones without the "bells & whistles."

I use early 80's Charvel and Jackson guitars with Seymour Duncan JB pickups exclusively. I play classic to hard rock to metal to blues. It will do all of the above. The distortion is plenty for Megadeth type chunk to smooth George Lynch type distortion. It also can play delicate lines in the clean mode. Clean channel is crystal clean, no breakup. I only use clean and distortion and have no need for a half-ass third channel. I am very tone conscious. I want to be able to hear the nuances of each guitar I play. This amp could almost be considered hi-fi of guitar-amp world. It translates what the guitar is telling it perfectly. Many amps these days saturate and thin your sound out so much, you sometimes can't tell whether you're playing a '59 Les Paul or a Plywoodcaster. I use NO effects whatsoever, I like to hear the guitar's tone, not a bunch of circuits. I bought this amp to get the Gary Moore "Blues Alive" sound and that is what I got!

I have never had a problem nor an indication of a problem with this amp...

Every time I have called in I talk to a guy named Sean who designs and builds amps. It is a small hand-built philosophy company and he is AWESOME! Even to little 'ol non-rockstar me, he has spent time answering questions and talking shop. He even tells stories about what stars are using "Yeah I did Warren DiMartini's amp" "We are doing Clapton's amps in the shop here." GREAT SERVICE. I almost don't want them to grow so it stays the same.

I have had it for about 6 months and will never ever ever sell it. If it got stolen, I would scour the earth for another one. It gives me exactly what I want and look for in guitar amps. It has the kick-ass snake-skin tolex and looks cool also. I use the amp with an 80's Marshall 4x12 with 65Watters. V25's and 30's don't give me the bottom end I need. These amps are ridiculously expensive but they are worth every penny!!!

2 channel amp (normal and overdrive) effects loop all tube (5881 power, 12ax7 preamp) crunch & bright switches 100 watts...can produce a huge array of tones that are simply beutiful

I use 2 strats (one with antiquity, the other w/ aps 2), and a Les Paul Deluxe (Pearly Gates in bridge position)... The clean channel produces really beautiful tones in the fender category, nice overdrive around 7 on on the preamp, very silky... the overdrive channel is unreal! setting OD preamp around 1 or 2 gives a smooth breakup w/ a clear high end/tight bass... very much like maybe the allman bros. (w/ treble turned up), or jeff beck (a little more gain with strat)... Turning up the gain gets quickly into ZZ territory (ie. around 4.5 to 6 on the o.d. preamp)... Beyond that is pure mayhem (it goes up to 11)... Kontrolled Klipping circuit keeps it all clear and stable, the tone is always there... bass is loose- feeling. Treble and presence controls can be quite penetrating, so I usually have treble at about 5-6 and presence around 2-3... The amp crushes anything for heavy sound... no kidding!

No problems... has unlimited lifetime warranty... Soldano people are easy to talk with,

No particular needs for cst srvc... but the guys were a lot of fun to talk to.

I have been playing guitar 25 years. Ive played every studio in Memphis, regional clubs, trips to Nashville to record labels, etc.,etc. I will never sell this amp. It is indispensable. It has become like a part of me. I might get a Kendrick, but simply because it would compliment the Soldano so well, tweed twang and el-cruncho deluxe! Get one if you can, spend the time to find the tones... it can be a little overwhelming at first,especially if you are used to just playing with ordinary gear (like I had been)... The tones have just got a serious vibe anywhere you dial them in...

I bought this amp in order to get EVH's "Brown Sound" and it delivers! The crunch channel delivers the gain I need (but with more hum than I expected). I haven't used the clean channel....too boring. The effects loop was noisy with my Digitech RP-10. I put all my effects after miking the amp and that works better for me.

I wanted a screaming amp for hard rock rhythm guitar...and the SLO-100 delivers. I've been using the amp with a Soldano 4x12 loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, and it's given me the crunchy tube tone I've read about, but had trouble finding. I did compare the SLO-100 to the Hot Rod series of Amps. They sounded almost identical to me, but I was willing to pay more for the quality of the SLO.

Reliability was very important to me, and I don't ever worry about the amp. The quality of components and construction appears to be extremely high. I never worry about the amp's reliability because it appears to be "over engineered".

Nothing has gone wrong with the amp, but I did call the factory on a number of occasions to ask for advice. You can always talk to someone live at Soldano who cares, and is knowledgable. No voicemail! I am dissappointed that they don't have a web site yet. For a $3,000 amp, the "manual" is a joke. It is a two page description of the features....that's it.

Definitely consider this amp if you need a heavy, crunchy tube tone, and like to play LOUD. It is definitely worth the money if you feel passionate about buying the best quality products (Rolex, Mercedes Benz, etc). I suspect other amps could have gotten close to the SLO-100 tone, but if the Scorpions and EVH used it, then I had to have it.

For one thing it has the most beautiful clean and crunch tone I ever heard. Very addicting. If you kick in channel two then extra gain occurs and the sonic pressure is incredible. It is very responsive to your playing and you can go from extra clean to crunch heaven just by changin' the pick attack. So even if you got only two cannel you just need two with the SLO-100. It has cannel switching you gotta pay effects loop. The tone is very "American" and notes come out cleanly and separate even with super saturated tones.

From classic rock to blues to jazz to heavy metal...you name it! It can do'em all. It suits every little nuance of your playin effortlessly. No noisy. It lacks just a little sustain but this is nearly unnoticeable at high volume settings.

I hope it can outlive me. I dunno for the moment.

I dunno for the moment

I don't know if I would buy it again cause it is a hell of a bunch o' money. It was a rash act. It is better to ask if I would buy it again in different conditions...but I love that tone and its dinamic feel. I wish it had more features for the price I paid.