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* EDIT: Up-to-date information is available in Yek's Guide to the Fractal Audio Amplifier Models *
SOLO 100: based on Soldano SLO-100
Mike Soldano doesn’t lack self-confidence: “We make the best guitar amplifiers in the world.” He also believes that tube rectifiers are no good, and that Class A/B is the only way to design any amp.
Famous Soldano players include Eric Clapton, EVH, Steve Vai, Warren Hayes, Ian Thornley (Big Wreck), Prince, Steve Lukather, Gary Moore and Mark Knopfler.
The most famous Soldano amp is the SLO-100 head (Super Lead Overdrive). A SLO has a black metal grill at the front. It comes with 6L6 tubes, has a single input and is rated 100 watts.
Although often linked to hard rock and metal, it's also being used as a blues amp.
Soldano:
It’s a two-channel head: Normal and Overdrive. The Normal channel can be switched between Clean and Crunch.
Manual:
All three sounds have all been modeled. To be honest, I never bothered much with the models of the clean and crunch sounds.
The controls are: Preamp Normal and Preamp Overdrive (gain), Bass, Middle, Treble, Master Normal, Master Overdrive, Presence and a Bright switch on the Normal channel.
There are some popular mods of the real amp. The "Depth" mod increases depth for low-tuned guitars. You can emulate this by increasing Depth in the model. The "Warren Hayes Mod" prevents the amp from getting too bright and harsh at low gain levels. You can emulate this by disabling the Bright switch in the model, but at high MV levels there's no need to do this.
Cliff:
Carol-AnnAmps:
Cliff:
Soldano uses 12" Eminence V12 speakers in its cabinets. We’ve got those as stock cabs: 4x12 Solo V12 (RW).
SOLO 100: based on Soldano SLO-100
Mike Soldano doesn’t lack self-confidence: “We make the best guitar amplifiers in the world.” He also believes that tube rectifiers are no good, and that Class A/B is the only way to design any amp.
Famous Soldano players include Eric Clapton, EVH, Steve Vai, Warren Hayes, Ian Thornley (Big Wreck), Prince, Steve Lukather, Gary Moore and Mark Knopfler.
The most famous Soldano amp is the SLO-100 head (Super Lead Overdrive). A SLO has a black metal grill at the front. It comes with 6L6 tubes, has a single input and is rated 100 watts.
Although often linked to hard rock and metal, it's also being used as a blues amp.
Soldano:
"The 100 Watt SUPER LEAD OVERDRIVE sets not only the standard, but the benchmark, for high-gain tube amp overdrive & distortion.
While setting that standard (we’ve been told) we created a modern classic. Unchanged in over twenty years, the SLO’s remarkable sound, award-winning innovative design, and flawless construction make it simply the finest amplifier money can buy. And the SLO’s tone, construction, and reliability have made it the heart and soul of many of Rock, Metal, and Electric Blues’ most creative and celebrated players. It’s because of this that you’ve been hearing the SLO 100 on your favorite records since 1987. From Clapton to Van Halen, from Warren DeMartini to Lou Reed – and from you to Mike Soldano himself, the SLO is simply the player’s choice.
The SLO-100 offers two channels, Normal and Overdrive, each with independent Preamp gain and Master Volume controls. A footswitch is also provided for effortless noise-free switching between the two channels. The Normal channel has a Bright switch and a Clean / Crunch gain selector switch. Standard features include a tube-buffered effects loop and a slave output. Bass, Middle, Treble, and Presence controls provide the tone shaping.”
It’s a two-channel head: Normal and Overdrive. The Normal channel can be switched between Clean and Crunch.
Manual:
"The gain is cut, providing full, clean, undistorted warmth, which is incredibly responsive and alive. When switched to crunch, the Normal channel responds with higher gain and a tough, metal edged crunch."
All three sounds have all been modeled. To be honest, I never bothered much with the models of the clean and crunch sounds.
The controls are: Preamp Normal and Preamp Overdrive (gain), Bass, Middle, Treble, Master Normal, Master Overdrive, Presence and a Bright switch on the Normal channel.
Personally I like to run the Master high (7) on the Lead model, keep Input Drive real low (2) and increase the mids. This results in a very meaty solid rock tone, that makes high push-ups really thick and cut through.
There are some popular mods of the real amp. The "Depth" mod increases depth for low-tuned guitars. You can emulate this by increasing Depth in the model. The "Warren Hayes Mod" prevents the amp from getting too bright and harsh at low gain levels. You can emulate this by disabling the Bright switch in the model, but at high MV levels there's no need to do this.
Cliff:
"Many people find SLOs too bright. The "Warren Haynes" mod is a popular mod to reduce the brightness.”
(talking about the Depth control): "Mine doesn't have the depth mod but I used the values from the schematic I have and I believe the schematic is correct."
Carol-AnnAmps:
"The secret of the SLO is the arch enemy of most you guys, volume. It has to be run hard with less preamp gain. It transforms into a gorgeous amp like that. It was designed as a large stage/stadium amp. Cue Warren Haynes. Running one at your local pub is going to give results that are very thin and buzzy. I would imagine the best tones from the axe model will probably be achieved by increasing the master and backing off the preamp, just like the real deal."
Cliff: "Yup, this is why the MV defaults to a higher setting than other MV amps."
Cliff: "Yup, this is why the MV defaults to a higher setting than other MV amps."
Cliff:
"The SLO-100 is the loudest amp I've ever used. It feels like there's a small nuclear explosion going off inside when ever you hit a power chord. It's a wicked amp but not something I would recommend for anything but large gigs. If you like the SLO-100 model you might want to try the Recto models too. It's not widely known but the Rectifier preamp is a derivative of the SLO-100. Some minor changes but the basic topology is identical.”
“I have a really good SLO-100. An original black faceplate version. Pristine condition. That amp was one of the primary amps used in the G2 modeling development. It was by studying that and a really nice JCM-800 that I finally figured out the secret to cathode follower."
"Those amps are all designed to get their character from power amp distortion. If you don't push the power amp all you are hearing is the preamp which is voiced to be trebly. The power amp then compresses the highs and the sound gets fatter."
"SLOs are brittle at low volumes. When you crank them up it smooths out. The problems is at cranked volumes they can kill small animals."
"The key to an SLO100 is to run the MV high so that the mids thicken up. Otherwise it's a shrill mess. In certain contexts with the right IR it can be a cool sound."
"Note that the knobs on '5' on the Axe-Fx correspond to '6' on an SLO because they go to 11. 'Noon' on an SLO isn't actually the knobs at half-way. The range of the knobs is like 8:00 to 6:00 as opposed to 7:00 to 5:00. They're biased clockwise."
"Another caveat when comparing amps: many times the knobs aren't "centered". IOW if you put the Treble knob at noon it isn't actually at 50%. You can see this by turning the knob all the way down and all the way up. It may not be symmetrical. This happens when the pots don't have a flat spot and/or the pot is rotated within the mounting hole. Or in the case of an SLO100 it is intentional. On an SLO100 all the way down is around 8:00 and all the way up is 6:00 so 50% is around 1:00 not noon."
Soldano uses 12" Eminence V12 speakers in its cabinets. We’ve got those as stock cabs: 4x12 Solo V12 (RW).
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