Soldano SLO-100 | One HELL Of An Amplifier

[@snapascrew]

So happy to see Soldano getting all of this publicity again. Well deserved.

[@snapascrew]

Austin Dyer obviously they sent him the amp but they did not pay him. My favorite album tones of all time are Soldano’s. Cheers.

[@richclayton5785]

Finally

[@snapascrew]

joe bannon listen to as daylight dies by killswitch engage or their live dvd “world ablaze” I respectfully disagree. Live dvd is 100% SLO, as daylight died is 50% SLO.

[@bernhardtsen74]

@joe bannon im pretty sure George Lynch used one on his great album Wicked Sensation!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

@joe bannon correct but amazing tone for blues, rock, funk and even country. It would complement my ENGL amp nicely. Not as compressed more open sound.

[@Fugettaboutit]

Wow...I know Soldano's were renown for their distortion, but I was really impressed by the range of Fender-like clean and lightly crunchy tones.

[@onehotrocker99]

Excellent demo Rabea. This is how you demo an amp to show its versatility, using various guitars with single coil and humbucker pick ups, as well as different genres of music. This is how you capture a larger audience of musicians with their varied taste in music while featuring the amp's ability to master the different genres. Well done!

[@angusorvid8840]

Great demo! I've been a fan of the SLO since I first played one here in Los Angeles back in '86. I was at a boutique amp shop in Hollywood and it was pretty much the height of Cali Crunch, which is basically a really hot Marshall kind of sound, EL34 all the way. What I loved about the SLO is just the sheer solidity of the thing. Every tone was gorgeous, and the amp was not overly complex to operate. At the time I owned a Marshall stack and several friends in the shred community were trying to get me to use their amp techs for a mod. I decided I didn't want to get a mod because of all the horror stories I heard. Also, my Marshall was still under warranty and I didn't want to void it, which modding would do. There were difference schools of the Cali tone, by which I mean the post VH/Lynch/Demartini era, so mid to late 80s. The top mod guys in town at the time were Mike Soldano, who built his rep doing great mods for some big names before launching his own line; Jose Arredondo, who did Eddie's amps, as well as Demartini, Jake E. Lee, Mick Mars and many others; Reinhold Bogner who was yet to produce the Ecstasy, although he'd produced the Ecstasy pedal and did amazing mods; Jerry Blaha (he did amazing work on a friend's plexi); and probably the most popular, Lee Jackson of Metaltronix. There are probably other amp experts, but I can't remember them. I don't know of Steve Fryette's rep for mods but he certainly made a name for himself with the VHT (now Fryette) Pitbull. Basically, the 80s was amp paradise. I got to try everything and owned a number of fine amps myself including Boogies. There are many high gain amps to choose from, more than ever before. But what I go for is the quality of the gain. I'm not a big fan of Rectos or Boogie Mark III, IV and Vs. I prefer a brighter, more natural sort of gain, like what you can get from a Soldano or Bogner.

[@untoldguitarist]

No only that, but I have yet to hear any stock Marshall sound as where near as good as a Soldano SLO 100 or even a Hotrod 100+ heads in stock form.

[@larrimos]

Rabea has the best gear reviews on the web. He takes the time to show everything the gear has to offer. He understands it not about his preferences. He says, if this your thing great, if it’s not, here is something else. This isn’t the format to be silly (although I enjoy that content as well) If I had gear to sell and needed a demonstrator this cat would be first choice.

[@slamrahovart9024]

Seriously. If I had my own brand I would want him to be my exclusive first reviewer

[@yarpenzirgin]

You can also listen to his playing for hours. There is just... Something about it, I don't know.

[@steve10358]

Agreed. No weird faces. No bullshit. Just great vids full of application. Really enjoy these.

[@nevusofota]

It’s really not only the best amplifier this is also one of the best demos of a high gain amp. You hit a wide range of genres which shows the amp off well. I think it was great that you didn’t even venture into the overdrive channel until halfway through the video. Great job. Cheers!

[@hybridnoisebloom]

Well said. For a guy like Rabea you think he might just go straight to the gain stage and let it rip. But no. He let it build one piece at a time and did it right. Kudos to him for his thoroughness.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

It's versatility is it's problem. The average player only wants one or two things done well to suit a particular style. This can and is done by many manufacturers. Except for a few recording studio's it is a really unnecessary purchase.

[@Aokitadamitsu]

I love how this amp seems to be able to do almost everything. amazing cleans, the crunch, and the OD takes me back to high school

[@aaronmac7363]

The tone and playing at 15:00 had my jaw on the floor. Holy goddamn smokes that Strat sounds good through basically everything you've ever shown us, but damn it sound glorious through that Soldano!

[@BenEller]

….yeah I need to get one of these.

[@jameslatham2655]

You never disappoint, never. Nobody showcases gear like you do. Well, I haven't found anybody else yet that does. Your fretwork is great and your ear for odd and unique notes is awesome. Just fantastic.

[@voltaspeeder17]

This amp sounds like a million dollar. Absolutely fantastic piece of gear!

[@dkbt1]

Always loved Soldano amps! I remember seeing Gary Moore at the Hammersmith Apollo on the Still Got The Blues tour back in 1990-91(??). He had TWO SLO-100 heads on stage and you could see the tubes glowing from the crowd. It just made for real presence. Ever since then I've wanted a Soldano amp. I, also, have always wanted to play like Gary Moore. Neither of these wants have ever come close to happening! Great demo, Rabea! You're a bloody good guitarist yourself!

[@12breacher82]

That’s an utter monster of an amp. I definitely absolutely will find a way to get the SLO 30. I really loved all the clean and pushed clean settings you demoed; it has way more versatile capabilities than I realized. I’m blown away. As always, I showed up for the review, and fell in love with the playing. I can listen to you jam on a potato for 30 minutes, but an amp like that? All day. Thanks dude.

[@richardcastle7750]

Holy crap, that sounds phenomenal. I saw High On Fire a little while ago - Matt Pike was playing through Soldano heads, the sound was unbelievable.

[@procracker]

There's enough material in a Rabea demo for an album, every time! Amazing spontaneous creativity man!

[@stevewalker6340]

Damn haven't watched a vid of Rabea in a while, he's looking healthy man.

[@1969MARKETING]

was just thinking the same thing. looking fit AF

[@morenogomes6858]

I think he went vegan.

[@realtruenorth]

@@morenogomes6858 vegans can be fat to LOL

[@marlonpotakaharu4117]

He wasn't looking healthy before?

[@morenogomes6858]

@@realtruenorth I'm aware of that, it all depends on what you put into your body.

[@geoffreymarsan8721]

New to this channel but not to the SLO, I felt my blood pressure go down and my body slowly get into sleep mode when I heard that most soothing low gain overdriven sound at 18:10 or so... Such a beauty... I love your Les Paul.

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

Dude, great demo! One hell of an amp for sure but also one hell of a guitar player man! I live here in Seattle Washington and have known Mike Soldano for roughly 30 years. One thing people don't know about Mike is that he's an outrageous hot rod builder! When I first met Mike he had a couple of rides in his garage they were painted in 50s Fender colors and were just beautiful! He was also building guitars as well and they were absolutely stunning but you could tell that his passion was for amplifiers. Me and a friend of mine were honored by Mike to help him develop one of his first 50 watt heads. That was such a cool process and I remember those days as just being hilarious! It was all so incredible to see how that process actually works and how Mike would develop certain areas of the amp for a particular tone. The guy is a friggin genius man Another thing is that the Soldano heads that Mike built for Eric Clapton were not amps that you would get off the showroom floor. They were highly modified for Eric Clapton's needs in an amp. I'm not dissing the amps that we can all buy off the showroom floor because like this demo shows, they're absolutely incredible and so well-built. When you look at the guts of one of these amps and how they're built they're totally a work of art and worth every penny! Again man, great video and you're playing is just is in lockstep with that hundred watt head. You know how to work it brother!✌🎸🎶🔊🤣

[@olagustafsson1264]

Great demo Rabea! I used to own an old one in snakeskin, with the Haynes mod. I so regret selling that one. I’m glad you spent some time on the clean/crunch channel, showcasing how it can do awesome funk, excellent semi-cleans and rock before even using the overdrive channel. It would be worth the money, even without that second channel. The old ones had 5881 power tubes, but noone seems to talk about it, so I thought I’d mention that.

[@SirVicc]

Few amps get legendary status, but Soldano is one, and rightly deserved.

[@MrVishnuu]

This amp valors your Silo pickups in such a great way! It's like all the harmonics are at the right place and together pickups and amp make a perfect sonic space, landscape, texture.. You're a beast of sound! Great ears with a great heart and it feels in your music ✨

[@radio5051]

You must have spent the longest time anyone has ever spent demoing the clean channel of an SLO100, ever...didn’t even know they had one lol

[@Nightdare]

Rule #1 about Soldano: Don't talk about the clean channel!

[@radio5051]

Why not?

[@karabinerstudios]

@@radio5051 it was a Fight Club reference 😁

[@Diax1324]

And it's KILLER! So is the crunch tone. Mark Knopfler somewhat obscurely used one for On Every Street. Mostly on crunch, I believe. Fantastic tones on that album throughout using the Soldano.

[@jdpower6360]

I own a Lucky 13 50 watt. It’s probably the prettiest clean channel of any amp I’ve played. Get one!

[@adrianurrusuno2607]

Soldano: outstanding sounds and timeless design.

[@AuntAlnico4]

😂

[@cflowers69]

Man, the latest Soldano amps are on a roll. The 20 watt version sounds amazing as well.

[@jakestadium]

Finally someone giving a legit demo of the SLO clean channel! Sounds fantastic. A Fender Twin and hot rodded Marshall in 1 box.

[@hybridnoisebloom]

Trust me when I say I don't overuse this adjective--that was absolutely sick. Totally agreed, that is one of the greatest amps I've ever heard. Incredible presence, tons of headroom, lots of gain on tap. It's one of those amps that really sparkles at high volume. You can understand why EVH liked it enough to put it on an album, and why Mick Mars used it for years. I'd love to have one, but I know I'd never be able to really open it up like it should be.

[@robertlevasseur8896]

There is not doubt that the slo shines loud, but I also contend that even at low and mid volumes it's your best choice.

[@officialWWM]

The 30 watt version is your friend.

[@stevenapolitano1056]

Wow! Thanks for the clip! We used to carry the original at the music store I worked at back in the day. This sounds exactly as I remember it. Loved it then, love it now. If I ever replace my rack, this would be the amp.

[@TheMasonator777]

It’s been awhile since a crunch channel gave me goosebumps.

[@kristiandawe85]

That is the best I ever heard bea sound, and I never heard him ever sound anything less than amazing, I think this should be his primary amp, the sound is amazing.

[@BabyThomas]

Imagine hearing it with a cab and in person! The video sounds very nice, but playing it live with a cab is much much better! :)

[@the_grube5782]

That sounds awesome. Cascaded gain stages means it's one gain stage feeding the next one. Each gain stage reshapes (distorts) the waveform (guitar's signal) a little more. That way the the distortion of the signal is changed little by little with each successive stage. For reference, something like a fuzzface pedal that has one transistor is doing a whole lot of distorting.

[@Austenstone118]

Kind of like stacking overdrive pedals?

[@the_grube5782]

@@Austenstone118 Yep

[@Austenstone118]

The Grube cheers for the explanation 😊

[@jorgiewtf]

Man, I was in between the SLO 100 and the new Mesa Boogie Mark VII. I went with the Mesa and I honestly couldn't be happier with my decision as it's beyond amazing. With that being said, as soon as I'm done paying it off, I'm immediately getting this one!

[@AlexGarcia-di4bw]

The thing that's not mentioned much is the feel of playing on a Soldano. Very touch responsive in both clean and gain modes. The distortion doesn't get ugly like many high gain amps if you crank it. Very natural sounding and creamy gain even at lower volumes. Built like a USA made tank as well. Thinking about the 30 watt version as $4k is out of my budget. And they go to 11!! Rock on Mike!! Killer amp...

[@saswatidhar3278]

It's soooo good that the video has been re-uploaded lol

[@patybanana643]

why was re-uped tho?

[@slamrahovart9024]

Like he said, one of the greatest amps you will ever play, but fvk, the price will kill you. I was lucky enough to play a festival that was backlined with a pair of SLO100's, best sounding set I ever played. Went home and looked into getting one and cried

[@MrHaggyy]

It is really suprising how many artists used the SLO. Knopfler-Clapton-B.B. King, Van-Halen-Sum41, Linkin Park-Killswitch Engage ... Most gear is really tailored to a genre or a generation of music. The SLO made it in basically all genres from the late 80 until today. I don't even wonna know how many sound engineers used the SLO to double track bands and either add some body or shimmer to a custom tone.

[@JinxRemoving]

I'm very biased but to me the Les Paul Custom was the best sounding guitar/amp combination here. Incredible.

[@caca_spaniel_1239]

Perfect combo for a stoner/doom metal gig

[@monkeysbum999]

I concur

[@jhc1230]

I totally loved this review! The demo was far beyond what most reviewers do!:) I have been lusting after the SLO 30 for a while now. May as well go ahead and pull the trigger and get it!😱😀❤️

[@madddog6790]

DO IT! I had one on order last year, then spent a month in the hospital and had to cancel due to some costs the insurance didn't cover. About the only thing Soldano I can afford is the SLO mini, which is about 5 ft away from me right now :)

[@ChrisM-ne4bc]

I have to say I'm a vintage Marshall, fender tweed guy...I want those dark dirty bluesy tones. And I like combos But, Wow!! I haven't heard anything sound bad. This is quite literally the Swiss army knife of amps I'm so impressed

[@plugnplaybaby]

damn bro you’re looking really fit and healthy! haven’t seen you in about a decade or so - kudos to you man!

[@matthewf1979]

Cascading gain has been around since the 70’s, the SLO took it up two notches. Literally. Any “Lead” series JMP has cascading gain in the first two stages, Mesa did similar work around the same time.

[@Johnsormani]

I think Mike soldano invented the slo by making a mistake with a preamp tube connection

[@frostyupnorth]

Most entertaining half hour I've spent in a long time. Many thanks man.

[@anirudhchandrashekar4987]

Beautiful review as always. This is the only guitar gear that makes me feel sad that I can't own it because I can't afford it at the moment. Oh man, it's so creamy, growly, and tight all the same time. Owning this would be an absolute dream come true for me!

[@josuastangl7140]

FYI: the reupload now has over 1min of black screen after the outro, which messed up the time markers.

[@BillyE5150]

This is one fine amplifier. One of my hometown favs, Warren Haynes, plays Soldano. Best tone ever.

[@jorge7893]

Oh my god! I’m listening to this with a good pair of headphones and the tone is just amazing 😍 I want one of these bad! Thank you for the awesome review 👏🏻

[@RobUttley]

Damn, do more of these Rabea! I could honestly watch/listen to you demoing amps forever. I've just got a tired little Marshall 10w practise, I bet you could make it sound awesome.

[@takeuchitb007]

Great review on a killer amplifier. Am I the only one who caught that Bryan Adam's riff he played during the crunch channel demo

[@redduketeleman]

I have one of these fantastic amps. Just to say a couple of things. - Due to a lot of the distortion sounds coming from the preamp, you can get a great sound in the house without needing to replace all the windows. - The "cleaqn" channel is very quiet compared to the "overdrive". I use the volume boost on my Boss reverb stomp when switching to the clean channel in order to compensate. I actually thought it was a fault when I first got it but that's how it is. It's a keeper

[@c21delta94]

I think this video will go down and one of the best of all time amp reviews.

[@rockerboy84]

I'm saving for the SLO30 :D . Since I listened to a Soldano live at a Meat Puppets concert, that tone has haunted me for decades... So rich, full of harmonic content! I want that kind of sound.

[@jmacc9876]

Every single sound out of this amp in this review is stellar. An amazing all around amp for everything.

[@echoguitarist]

I played the new SLO-30 the other day for about a half hour and damn if that isn't one of the best amps I've heard in a long, long time.

[@bigdbrew]

Awesome vid as usual! I think we need a part 2 with more playing + an OD pedal

[@5150eruption]

Honestly best demo I have seen for any product. You explained everything didn't rush , awesome video. Just made me subscribe.

[@SamBellGuitar]

Rad! So sick, sounds awesome!

[@alexnismachin]

Congratulations Rabea....the best Soldano SLO 100 review I ever saw!

[@therevolution91]

Your open chords progressions are so melodic, Rabea. ;-)))

[@djencode]

I love that you played a strat in this demo.

[@TheDunateen77]

I very thorough review/demo ect first guy in the UK to give these amps some shine,well done Rab!

[@dallasbrown9376]

Your expression at 21:33 was absolutely priceless !!

[@aaronsmithey4044]

I just got the Synergy Soldano SLO module and I can't be happier! Awesome video! Wish List for sure.This and a Hiwatt.

[@4dmind]

All my brotherly love, Rabea. You're a fun character. I use that head in my studio, but I've never been able to use it as a work horse (only for certain kinds of parts), so I'll learn from this video. Much appreciation for your analysis!

[@richweber5256]

so cool, seeing and hearing you get lost in the magic power that this amp unleashes! I play Marshall Silver Jubilee 100’s and 5150’s, but I think its time I get my hands on one if these! My go to preset on my digital rig on the Kemper Stage is the Soldano SLO, over thousands of other profiles. Killer demo

[@ChristopherOrth]

Thanks for the extensive clean demos of this amp! Especially the funky bit.

[@stuartcurror2893]

I love high gain sound but that clean/crunch les paul sound round the 18:00 mark is incredible

[@geoffreymarsan8721]

Agreed, the best

[@kaiowatribe]

I would like to hear a high gain tone with the strato. I really love the tone of modern rock and metal with single coils

[@MattGarwood777]

Biffy Clyro comes to mind. Wolves of winter is so dynamic and heavy (lot of that gain is Boss pedals, though)

[@PureJadeKid]

Then you would love Nick Johnston's instrumental rock. What a musician! Single coils, high gain, bluesy playing. Check it out!

[@Rluce75]

I have a 920D hot rails pick guard and they are so punchy!

[@dustrider9306]

Cascading gain: Instead of very few tubes (means: amplifying stage, gain stage, etc.) clipping very much, you can design a (preamp) where more gain stages are clipping less, but the clipping (means: overdrive) adds up. You can filter in between stages to shape tonal response (means: texture and sound) even better. This gives more freedom of design and yields to a overall distorted yet musical character of sound (if done in a well thought through manner). Cons: More Preamp Tubes (e.g. 12AX7=ECC83, 12AU7, 12AT7, 7075 and the likes) ergo cost and more possibilities to duck it up (means: get unsatisfying results). There you go, shredders!

[@Vale65ntin]

I'm not the biggest strat guy, but that strat sounded absolutely gorgeous throught the Soldano. Great friggin amp!

[@Colin.W]

Wow, that clean channel! That's what I look for as much as the leads. New competitor on my list..

[@jongregory886]

I’ve been screaming soldano fo years. Only things that have come anywhere close are the jet city or the ampeg lee Jackson models. But they just aren’t the same as that true SLO. Lee Jackson’s are pretty freeking awesome though. So glad to see these are back at it! Very cool!

[@untoldguitarist]

I didn't realize how amazing they were until I heard a SLO in person.

[@julianc.227]

THumbs-up Rabea for a great demo and really nice playing! You've improved a lot as a player. And yeah- this might be the best amp in the world. Love how Mike Soldano voices his amps.

[@Twominutedevotions]

(Plugs in the Les Paul) Me: (wondering why it’s 1990 and I’m on the sunset strip) Those tones just instantly took me there. What an amp.

[@JoePreacherLong]

Good Lord, why are all three voicings the best amp I’ve ever heard? How can this be?

[@o-REDBEARD-o]

just tried the SLO plugin from neural and my life changed. cant wait to try the real deal.

[@bnzboy]

Looking great Rabea!

[@chad_kaya]

I know you probably get this daily, but love the channel man. You’re a monster. 🤘🏽

[@mickhudson]

That amp sounds incredibly good. Such a versatile amp.....

[@jasonhoneman1272]

I bought a half stack today and am so excited to own a Soldano!!!!!

[@duke_pgh3420]

Rabea, great video. Your reviews are the best on the web. Fantastic job

[@senseiofsong]

Was researching tube amps and landed here. Good to see RM in this vid, always have enjoyed him in videos and on Leo Moraccioli's vids too. Nice home studio. This amp sounds amazing, even with the compression of the KZbin video format. I can't see spending 5k on an amp though, in my personal budget. Not that it's not worth it, just that I dont know anyone that can drop 5k on an amp, and then more for a cab. My name isn't Warren DeMartini or George Lynch.

[@ScottGailor]

I always love when the Nuno/Extreme influence bleeds through!

[@yukishredder]

Great video and demo. I could see how much you enjoyed playing through the amp by your passion and expression.I Sat watching with a smile once you started playing 👍

[@kennethjohnson6223]

That's a beautiful custom guitar.... love the Soldano slo... I was thinking about buying one but $4k is a lil bit much being I don't have much time to play nowadays with 5 kids..lol... it's been probably 2 years since I last turned on my old Marshall JCM 900 Dual Reverb 100w with 1960ax and bx cabs... funny I never even played my newest guitar "G&L Rampage" through it before I got so busy with kids. It's also been about 3 yrs since I last cracked open the case of my 2008 Gibson Les Paul Custom Oxblood. I first got into playing when I was 15 during 1980 after being so lucky to be in the right place at the right time... Strings and Things in Memphis, TN as the store owner allowed me to strum Paul Stanley's original Ibanez Iceman while it was on loan for display.. that gave me the spark to play. Couple of weeks later I bought my first guitar 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom wine/gold with chainsaw case inspiration due to "Ace Frehley" fan. I once met Mike Soldano backstage at a Gov't Mule show in Memphis at Gibson Factory lounge probably 15+ yrs ago... back when Mike had black hair and suave dresser... he kind of reminded me of Jeff G of Jurassic Park..haha.. Enjoyed the video and subscribed my friend

[@imgonnagetbanned]

Now that was a wonderfully implemented sneaky Lord of the Rings lick at 19:51

[@mattchurchill]

That LP Custom sounded amazing. Great job 👌

[@SammyFender]

So I guess I have to re-up my original comment??!? Great review!! You’ve done like a thousand amp reviews, so how about a top 7-10 amps? Maybe even top tube and top digital? My list of amps to but is to long. I need to narrow it down to 1 or 3 !!

[@alphamilkrecordings8974]

I don't always like non Fender stratocasters, but when I do, I like that one.

[@duckydrummer6331]

Wow, 2 years ago. Anyway there’s a great interview with Mike Soldano on Tone-Talk. He talks about how he started in the amp biz. How he stumbled on the SLO100 circuitry and all his other amps. Different artists he worked with….EVH, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lou Reed, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, etc. They talk about Messa Boogie copying the SLO100 with their Rectifier amp. It’s like 3hrs long.

[@TheChunkyLad-c5b]

My all time favourite amp. Great vid Bea. You're a legend. Cheers!

[@nickepp4078]

When I figured out how to properly set the FX level (volume).......the amp certainly opened up and came to life. Be sure to have your FX level set to master volume level) .....Volume match. I didn't understand/know of the immense affect this had on the functionality/tone of this amp. made a huge difference.????

[@darwinsaye]

SLO low gain crunch with the bright switch on is one of the greatest amp tones of all time, up there with 60s Plexi edge of breakup tones.

[@davidgangemi3314]

Trying to decide between a Soldano or a Suhr 68 Mk ll. Both are exquisite. But I think the Soldano has it beat. Mainly for the capabilities like 2 channel switching. And the MV is on the front panel. Tone wise,Both amps are a dead heat. I've played a Soldano,but not a Suhr. I found a local dealer who carries the model I want,so we'll see where it goes and how it ends. Stay tuned.

[@metricdeep8856]

"THUMP"! I need and amp with a knob that's labelled THUMP! Rabea, congrats on all your success in life. Well deserved. Cheers.

[@Stefan-Van-der-Pulst]

My Friedman BE 100 DLX has a knob named "thump"....

[@marque1911]

Yep. Id love to try one. Plus that mayo just sound so great and one of the coolest guitars i ever saw.

[@RanulfoKnox]

11:10 clean channel and neck pickup of the mayonaise = Heaven :)

[@mikec3412]

Rabea, that sounds great man!

[@PhuketMyMac]

You're making this amp sounds so perfect. It's hard to resist even at that price tag...

[@andrewhammondt]

"Peacemaker Die" at 27:04 had me grinning like a cat!

[@HunterRouth]

Same. Tremendous.

[@slimvillan]

Superb noodling through a great sounding amp 👌