SLO. Anybody digging this model? Am I missing the point?

iaresee said:
If you haven't seen it before, this the Gov't Mule/Grace Potter Gold Dust Woman that I was listening to when I was thinking a SLO model would be fun to play.

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Warren is using the Diaz amp in this video. He uses the Diaz (and now the Homestead) more than the SLO for most of the sets. Earlier in the Mule years it was all or mostly SLO. The last few times I have been to a Gov't Mule show I stood directly in front of Warren and was surprised how little he used the SLO. Easily 60-70% Homestead. When he switches to the SLO it is a glorious tone!
 
iaresee said:
How do you know that?
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Part of it is being a slightly obsessed fan of Warren, a massive tone geek, conversations with Brian Farmer (RIP) and speaking to Warren himself. Also standing directly in front of Warren's rig for at least 5 shows it's very clear what amp is on when as the amps are quite loud and they hit you in the chest! I always thought the SLO was used the majority of the time but the last 10-15 years Warren has leaned more towards the Diaz/Homestead. SLO obviously for the highest gained tones, but he solos a lot on the other amp more than you would think. Lower to mid gain tones are always non SLO. Early Gov't Mule was almost exclusively SLO and that would be the only amp he used live.
 
I keep trying to vibe with the SLO models and just cannot. Doesn't matter which model, which patch someone has come up with, what parameters I try and tweak, it is just too harsh and does not sound nor react like my head. I've found the ENGL's, the new incarnation of the VHT/Fryette, and the 5153 red to my liking for my metal or heavy patches.
 
AxeManDan said:
Part of it is being a slightly obsessed fan of Warren, a massive tone geek, conversations with Brian Farmer (RIP) and speaking to Warren himself. Also standing directly in front of Warren's rig for at least 5 shows it's very clear what amp is on when as the amps are quite loud and they hit you in the chest! I always thought the SLO was used the majority of the time but the last 10-15 years Warren has leaned more towards the Diaz/Homestead. SLO obviously for the highest gained tones, but he solos a lot on the other amp more than you would think. Lower to mid gain tones are always non SLO. Early Gov't Mule was almost exclusively SLO and that would be the only amp he used live.
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Mule fan here. Yeah you really hear it when he switches to the SLO. I’ve seen them almost every year from 2006.

I’ve tried the SLO model several times and it hasn’t worked for me. I built the SLO lead channel into one of my homebrew amps a long time ago. It wasn’t in there for very long. It wasn’t bad at all, just not my thing. I was always puzzled by Clapton using a SLO. It just didn’t look right. He did the 24 nights record with that rig, and it’s a good sounding album despite him using a well regarded metal amp.
 
skolacki said:
Mule fan here. Yeah you really hear it when he switches to the SLO. I’ve seen them almost every year from 2006.

I’ve tried the SLO model several times and it hasn’t worked for me. I built the SLO lead channel into one of my homebrew amps a long time ago. It wasn’t in there for very long. It wasn’t bad at all, just not my thing. I was always puzzled by Clapton using a SLO. It just didn’t look right. He did the 24 nights record with that rig, and it’s a good sounding album despite him using a well regarded metal amp.
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The implication being a well regarded metal amp can't sound good? ;)
 
One of the best amps around IMO. My friend has one, and I've got a 2018 multi-watt Dual Recto. We had them side by side weekend before the one just gone, and as a pair they just really rock together. I'm on the understanding the the Dual Rectifier preamp is quite similar to the SLO100, but the power sections are markedly different.

Anyway, yeah... the real amp is dope, so are the models. I really like the Neural Soldano and Helix Solo models as well.
 
IronSean said:
The implication being a well regarded metal amp can't sound good? ;)
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It has 3 channels and yes it does a good job at lower gain too. I didn’t know MK used one. The SLO was one of the 1st production high gain amps pushing above what stock Marshalls could do. Probably used by metal and hard rock players more than guys like EC. I’ve always associated it with metal. So I was surprised to see Eric use one.
 
One of the reasons why you can't connect well with the SLO is that it doesn't sound good at low volumes. It sounds harsh and sterile but that's been said before.

The second reason is that in my opinion it is a 90s amplifier that can ALSO do metal well but in my opinion it's more hard rock oriented. The reason that metallers love it so much is due to the fact that it has a high saturation (I call the gain of the SLO "saturation" because the sound of its preamp sounds litterally different to me from that of, say, my Steavens Pouncake, which also perhaps has even more gain) but on the other side it is not super tight. Add that when the voltage gets lower than normal it also becomes saggy.

In fact, to make it sound at its best I prefer not to exceed 4 or 5 gain and obviously push it with an overdrive. It goes best with the Rockaway Archer or with the Klones in general. Another reason is that it is extremely picky about the types of speakers used. With some it sounds really rubbish, with others it seems perfect: I generally like it with the GB but I found an old Soldano cabinet with front loaded V30s which seems to get along quite well...
 
Eh, I get it. They’re hard to dial in, not as easy as a 5150 and without the right cab they just sound weird. I’ve also played real SLO-100’s through Friedman and Marshall cabs, and I have the same issue.

They’re just not my type of amp. I could dial in similar high gain tones on a 5150, ENGL Savage, Cameron CCV etc, WAY faster than I could on an SLO. I have, and it sounds alright, but not worth spending the time on in my workflow.
 
I really dig the SLO models, especially the Lead one. I keep the master around 3 o’clock — loud! — and set my gain to 1.5 and 3.5.

At 1.5, gain is at a good level for southern rock with humbuckers. (Single coil is cleaner still.) Lots of room to play with volume on your guitar and get clean tones. Add overdrives for bigger sounds.

At 3.5, it’s already in Marshall territory. I set the bass lower. It’s a little woofy. But sounds great! Makes everything I record sound better. I tend to think of this sound as picking up where the 59 Plexi leaves off. And once you put a Tube Screamer in front of it, this thing turns into a raging beast, even at this low gain setting.

In my opinion, this is a great model.
 
Habuman said:
I like the combination of the Legacy cabs 4x12 Basketweave G12H30 (RW) and 4x12 Solo V12 (RW) for the Solo 100 Lead. Here are my amp and cab settings:

Gain 4
Bass 3.75
Mid 6
Treble 6
Pres 4.5
Depth 2.75
Master 5
Level -12
Bright On
Sometimes I engage the Amp Input Boost = FAS Boost.

G12H30 - Low cut 95, High Cut 8575, Low Slope 24, High Slope 12
Solo V12 - Low cut 105, High Cut 9750. Low Slope 24, High Slope 24
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Here is the preset (FM3). I have changed out the FAS Boost for the Klone Chiron.
 

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