Soldano SLO 30

AlexHunter

For those that don’t know, Mike has closed up shop in Seattle. He’ll be continuing to design amps but Boutique Anp Distribution (who make Friedman, Morgan, Tone King) will be doing the building and distribution.

That means Mike has finally refined the design of the SLO 30.....low powered SLO with reverb and a floor level loop!

In short, I want one. I’m going to buy one.

https://youtu.be/n6pbq3pM768

tekbow

Didn't hear about The reverb, but that amps basically going to be a rejigged HR25 with SLO functionality, i.e. clean/crunch switch, bright switch, depth control and pedal level loop, which the HR25 already has. Plus the "variac'd" OT running 25-30w out of Sov 5881's He's done a couple vids about it from NAMM now.

DrBob

Yeah I want one..

timmysoft

Thats Soldano ruined then 

ICBM

I hope it sounds better than the Astroverb...

AlexHunter

ICBM said:

I hope it sounds better than the Astroverb...

Never tried one @ICBM what’s wrong with it?

tekbow

timmysoft said:

Thats Soldano ruined then 

Because?

ICBM

AlexHunter said:

Never tried one @ICBM what’s wrong with it?

Completely lacking in bottom end even with a speaker upgrade. If you buy one thinking you're going to get anything remotely like an SLO, Hot Rod etc in a more portable package you're going to be very disappointed.

tekbow

ICBM said:

AlexHunter said:

Never tried one @ICBM what’s wrong with it?

Completely lacking in bottom end even with a speaker upgrade. If you buy one thinking you're going to get anything remotely like an SLO, Hot Rod etc in a more portable package you're going to be very disappointed.

True, don't think they were designed to have those levels of gain or saturation.

AlexHunter

I thought it was meant to be just the crunch channel of the SLO with cheaper transformers, EL84s and a reverb tank?

tekbow

AlexHunter said:

I thought it was meant to be just the crunch channel of the SLO with cheaper transformers, EL84s and a reverb tank?

Well, it was the atomic 16 with a reverb tank, but the atomic 16 was basically what you describe. Crunch mode of the normal channel.

Weird thing with both hot rod and SLO that I found anyway. The crunch channel needed some volume, or at least power amp compression to get going.

Anything below 3 or 4 on the MV and the best i got out of either was like a plexi-ish level of drive. Above that and it could do 80's hair metal levels of crunch.

Dunno if that interaction was true of an EL84 power section. Never liked 84's myself.

digitalscream

AlexHunter said:

I thought it was meant to be just the crunch channel of the SLO with cheaper transformers, EL84s and a reverb tank?

Isn't that basically the idea behind the Jet City JCA22H?

CHrisP86

Has anyone done more digging around on this?

It obviously will be the HR25 with the SLO switching options, although I wonder if it will have smaller versions of the SLO DeYoung transformers. A lot of people seem to think that is where the magic is.

Do we know whether Soldano will be more available in the UK going forward? 

Given that the BAD brands tend to be stocked by Andertons, GG, Peach etc it would be great to see Soldano in more shops.

I have already decided that I will buy one of these but could do with the shops that offer 0% finance stocking it! 

digitalscream

Just as a bit of a one-year-later bump...just caught an interview with Mr Soldano on Rick Beato's channel - the SLO 30 is basically the SLO-100 with starved voltage, half the power valves (still using 5881s) and smaller transformers, pretty much like the HR25. 

It's got all of the same changes to the design as the 100W version - a more sensible effects loop, relay switching instead of optoisolators, and DC heaters.

Just looking around, it seems like price expectation should be ~£2399.

If stuff comes off right later this year, I may actually be getting one.

CHrisP86

This is definitely on my radar for this year. 

Think I mentioned it on another thread but Guitar Guitar want £2,199 and were expecting them next month. That might be optimistic...

tekbow

CHrisP86 said:

This is definitely on my radar for this year. 

Think I mentioned it on another thread but Guitar Guitar want £2,199 and were expecting them next month. That might be optimistic...

I know I actually said that I'd be suprised if they came out, but the facebook page is actually teasing them for the beginning of next month, so you never know

tekbow

Also @digitalscream, can you link up the beato vid?

DanR

Pre order price is £2199 and they have 4 on order although that me be 3 left pretty soon.

digitalscream

tekbow said:

Also @digitalscream, can you link up the beato vid?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJ0drGKl2w

DanR said:

Pre order price is £2199 and they have 4 on order although that me be 3 left pretty soon.

I think it's going to be a bit more than that at <edit: other places>, but...COVID-19 has put the mockers on the dates because of the lockdown. We definitely won't know anything until they actually get here.

DanR

When I ordered I was told 10% down and rest on collection so £219.90 was my deposit

The first batch is of 2 expected mid July and then another 2 due later on.

tekbow

digitalscream said:

tekbow said:

Also @digitalscream, can you link up the beato vid?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJ0drGKl2w

DanR said:

Pre order price is £2199 and they have 4 on order although that me be 3 left pretty soon.

I think it's going to be a bit more than that at <edit: other places>, but...COVID-19 has put the mockers on the dates because of the lockdown. We definitely won't know anything until they actually get here.

I'd totally forgotten about that video, he's Basically interviewing the B.A.D lineup.

From what I understand, Peter Arends had a lot of input into designing the updated SLO. I'm guessing from an engineering design and implementation standpoint.