Props to Soldano

lynchfan6 · #1 12-29-2007, 11:28 PM

Are there many people here playing Soldano's? I just got through playing my Jem7vwh into my SLO100,,,,,,,and I just have to say,,,,what an amp company Soldano is. The sound this head puts out,,,,it leaves me speechless every time I plug in. And the build quality on this thing....wow! I was a Marshall player for years, but since getting my SLO, I just don't think I'll ever need another amp. I know there are a lot of great amp companies out there,,,and Soldano surely is ranked at the top with the best of them. I've been playing for twenty years, own a lot of high end guitars, and have gone through a lot of amplification. And I'm telling you, I've got a permanent smile on my face like never before when plugged into this amp,,,,and it even makes my guitars that much more special. So let's hear from the Soldano owners.

bammbamm · #2 12-30-2007, 12:12 AM

I like 'em, don't own one, but every one I've played, I've liked.

waylay00 · #3 12-30-2007, 01:49 AM

Soldanos and Splawns are the best amps out there IMO for the Marshall deal.

microdmitry · #4 12-30-2007, 02:04 AM

BTW, both 5150 and Mesa Recto are based on the SLO with a few changes. I bet I could mod a Recto to sound like a SLO, give or take.

rgr · #5 12-31-2007, 04:57 PM

Might be able to mod one, but they don't sound like Soldanos stock, even though I've heard the same thing about them being based on Soldanos. I've had a Soldano HR50+ and a Single Recto, I'll take a Soldano any day over a Recto for sound and quality.

**jono** · #6 12-31-2007, 05:00 PM

I used to have an SLO. It was just too damn loud for the UK scene where you can happily gig with a 50W 2x12 combo.

Sentimental musings would cause me to say "Best sounding amp I ever heard"

microdmitry · #7 01-01-2008, 04:59 AM

Speaking of SLOs, if you have a bit of a background in electronics, Weber sells a $680 kit out of which you can make a head. It won't be exactly the same (output transformer is different), but I bet it will be pretty darn close. One of those days, I'll buy the kit and make one.

bammbamm · #8 01-01-2008, 11:36 AM

Who sells that kit?
I've been toying with building one, I just never could decide on a kit to build.

Scali · #9 01-01-2008, 12:34 PM

Yea, Soldano basically started with hotrodding Marshalls, mostly Plexis and early JCM800s.
Bogner did the same. Later they both started building their own complete amps based on their modded Marshall designs. Soldano and Bogner are the most popular and wellknown 'modded Marshalls', I suppose.
Indeed, the Mesa Recto and Peavey 5150 are more or less clones of these hotrodded Marshall designs. I myself have had a Marshall 6101, which is also a cousin of this design.

microdmitry · #10 01-01-2008, 02:30 PM

http://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_weber.htm

Scroll all the way down. Halle is Dubmle, Heather is pretty much SLO. It's not the exact same circuit (to avoid getting sued I suppose), but the schematic is widely available on the internet. Those guys have Marshall and Fender kits also. You get everything you need except flux, wire and solder. The top level site is http://www.tedweber.com/.

That said, it's not a simple amp to build and if you've never built anything I suggest to build an amp with fewer tubes first (unless you like oscillation, hum, or pieces of filtering capacitor flying in your face). Fender Champ would be a good starting option.

rgr · #11 01-01-2008, 06:36 PM

Also on that page, the Java is a Trainwreck clone and a much easier build that the Halle or Heather. I thought about building a 50W Heather, he said it would be no problem, they would substitute a 50W transformer. I may do it some day, but I like the simplicity of the Java too.

toshiro · #12 01-02-2008, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microdmitry

BTW, both 5150 and Mesa Recto are based on the SLO with a few changes. I bet I could mod a Recto to sound like a SLO, give or take.

You might be able to get one of the first 500 Rectos made to sound like an SLO, but they moved even farther away after that point.

Probably have better luck modding an old Yamaha T100 into an SLO, since that was designed by Mike.

microdmitry · #13 01-02-2008, 05:18 AM

No, actually the schematic is very similar. Take out the tube rectifiers, replace some caps and resistors, disable most of the controls and you should be able to get pretty darn close on the gain channel. I looked at the schematics (Dual Recto and SLO) just now and I think it shouldn't be much work. In fact one could mod a recto into a "super SLO", with two different voicings in the gain channel.

toshiro · #14 01-02-2008, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microdmitry

No, actually the schematic is very similar. Take out the tube rectifiers, replace some caps and resistors, disable most of the controls and you should be able to get pretty darn close on the gain channel. I looked at the schematics (Dual Recto and SLO) just now and I think it shouldn't be much work. In fact one could mod a recto into a "super SLO", with two different voicings in the gain channel.

Good luck then, I wouldn't want to mess around that much with the power stage(ie removing the tube rectifier circuit). The T100's are still closer, it's like a choke and a couple values.

BTW: Which revision schematic Recto are you looking at?

Scali · #15 01-02-2008, 07:04 AM

Doesn't the Dual Rectifier already have both solid-state and tube rectifiers? In fact, wasn't that the reason it's called Dual Rectifier? Because you can choose between tube and solid-state rectification?