The double tracked soldano was one of the best guitar tones i've ever heard.

That Slo 30 is ridiculous. One of the best smaller amps Ive heard for maintaining that clarity, and bottom end/thump and depth. Just wow.

The "Soldano Song" with those chugs and chords sounded very nice. Killer video and guitar tones, as always!

The Soldano SLO 30 is definitely a "Bucket List" amp!!

Double-tracking these amps is where all the magic begins.

Finally someone who tells it like it is. These lunchbox and low wattage amps turn to compressed mush trying to play with a hard hitting metal drummer and heavy bass player. The thump, clarity and thickness of 50w / 100w amps is why they exist. Anything sounds good on a close mic'd recording, and KZfaqr's trying to convince people they are equal by comparing close mic'd recordings are not only kidding everyone else ....... but also themselves.

Wow, thanks for much for addressing my question in a video! What a treat! I remember you did reply to my comment with a great reply, but it's extra cool that you took the time to make this video and show some comparisons... and I love the creepy scream voice over you gave me comment, haha. Your explanations were very clear, and I agree that the differences in tone are pretty small in the recordings you did. I really had to listen intently to hear differences between the small and large amps in the video, and I guess the fact that I had to listen so intently to find them demonstrates just how close they are. I was pretty hard to tell the difference between the JCM800s, maybe a little, and the Slo seemed marginally more obvious with the 100W having just slightly more low end dynamics I could hear, but I really had to focus hard to compare, and I doubt I could hear any difference at all in a recorded band mix. I think that's a real testament to how great the low wattage amps are. I think the differences for me (beyond volume/headroom), is that when I stand in front of my speaker cab, there's this "girth" that I hear and feel with larger amps that aren't as present with my smaller amps. I'm personally less concerned about headroom as I amp about feeling and hear that hugeness that comes with larger amps, even at lower volumes (not sure if that makes sense). To be specific, I have been comparing my 20W Friedman JJ Jr with my 100W Orange Rockerverb MKii, and while the Friedman doesn't sound like a "small amp", when I play the Rockerverb, I do notice a distinctive "hugeness" compared to the JJ Jr. even at the same volumes, played through the same cab. Saying that, I do not like either more than the other, I absolutely love my JJ Jr. and I don't feel like it's lacking in any way for my purposes, but I also do love my 100W for the sheer "girth" of the sound it produces. Also great points about not needing to crank larger amps live, allowing them to hit their sweet spot without needing to push them beyond that point just to keep up... That's something I hadn't considered before. Thanks again for addressing this in a video. I think it's very helpful, because there are so many large and low wattage amps out there now, that it can be tricky for people to know what they should be going for.

Really cool video! The SLO-30 sounds so massive!

Bro that jcm800 studio does amazingly well. Also your playing bro. The amps are nothing without the player. You bring these things alive

This video was just plain AWESOME! Thanks man I’m speechless those tones are epic Rock on 🤟🏻

Love the playing!😊

Awesome man! Sounded great, again!

That thing about good master volumes is key. I’ve got a Friedman BE100DLX and I can play it in my apartment without any issues. Then I can take it to band practice/shows and really open it up without changing the tone all that much. I had a Rockerverb 100 MKiii that had a similar setup. I could get that amp to be quieter at apartment levels than my dark terror and Jim Root terror. It’s such a great time to be a guitar player with all these companies figuring out ways to play super quiet and super loud with the same piece of gear.

Man I love my amps. The feel of my triple rectifier running through a four 12 cabinet is amazing.

Fantastic video as always!

For me, it’s about the feel. The feel of a high power/high headroom amp through a closed back 4x12 is something that cannot be replicated by a small amp.

Wow if I didn't see the images change on the slo playthroughs I may not have noticed the switch at all. Great job Soldano

Monster tones. SLO30 sounds great.

I’m currently using a Sunn Sentura II for shows, I love the headroom ! But I’m looking forward to get a Quilter 202 for touring. Love the content, cheers from Mexico.

Amazing video. How anyone could ever conflate Marshall and Soldano has never played 'em both. Both great, both very different.

Dude...i just want to commend you on your impeccable taste in guitars and amps 😂 love your setup man!

Zach, you make all of these amps sound insanely good - from your playing to the engineering. I use your videos as references for dialing in tones on my HX Stomp because your tones are so on point. Thanks for all that you do man. The SLO 30 in particular sounded scary good - I even preferred it to the SLO 100 on a few of the riffs. The small amps definitely keep up for recording, but there is a certain headroom and hugeness that you get from the 100 watters. That difference is negligible for most of us, though - I'd personally be more concerned with headroom and stage volume needs above all.

Awesome video man 🤘

I really can't believe how great the SLO 30 sounds!

I actually prefer the tones of the smaller amps. They both seem to have more hi-mids/presence and more saturation/fullness than their big brothers

Killer content man! Tones are unbelievable! I’m not sure if the riffs for the Soldano section were original pieces? But very close to stuff I’ve written. Either we’re on a similar brainwave or I’ve subconsciously plagiarized someone’s music lol either way awesome stuff dude 🤘😁

Yes, its all about headroom. I found that out when some guy compared a Mesa Triple Rectifier, or whatever it was, to a smaller 20 watt version., and the sound difference was remarkable. Engineers define sound as being twice as loud when there is 10 times the power. 10 watt amp to sound twice as loud needs 100 watts.

Do you see kids do you know what the best thing to take away from this video is. Is that real dudes with big boy amps Actually get together with other musicians and play in bands. Which is what makes Zach so Awesome and well-rounded. He’s a real world dude who knows how to actually utilize all of this stuff for its intended purpose. Kudos to you man awesome

Wow I went and checked out the links you posted and the prices of these things are outrageous. For a reissue Marshall near 4K I remember back in the day we could buy these things for $400 on the used Market LOL

Nice comparison. Through a mic they are really close. Wonder if combining the Soldano 30 and the studio Marshall would be loud enough in a band context. Love stereo rigs.

For Song Writing Amp Sims. But for recorded material and live 100 watt amp. I recently got a Marshall JVM 410H 100W and I was pleasantly surprised because I thought it wouldn't have enough gain. Great variety of tones.

Very nice. Youre right. Its the context. Nice tunes and great Video! Team 100!;)

I play through a Peavey 6505 plus 120 watt head into a EVH 2x12 at rehearsals and live. Its like driving a V8. At home I play Neural DSP SLO and its sounds great. Like you said, just use the right tool for the occasion.

My Friedman Small Box 50 watt head is a LOUD 50 watts, plus it has the best master volume I have ever come across in a tube amp. It will easily get over a loud drummer and band, while also sounding amazing and still fun to play at extremely low volume levels. I have had a lot of amps over the years including 100 watt heads, but the Friedman Small Box gets the trophy for what I am looking for in an amp. Two fantastically voiced and very versatile channels. The loop is perfect also. I have had it since 2014 and it ended my days of constantly flipping amp. Many times loosing money in the process. I told Dave Friedman that my wife should send him Christmas cards. 🙂

Ha, I was looking for that as I have the SLO30 - so no need for me to get the 100 :) Thank you!

Really impressive what Mike did with that 30watter. It really punches above its weight class and is extremely hard to tell apart from the big boy. It does a far better job than the 20W Marshall I think but that sounded very good as well. It's the only amp I've kinda had a hankering for but its just to spendy and hard for me to justify the cost. I have a V:25 and it simply can't punch and stay tight and focused like my MKIV but that's simply the nature of EL84s for the most part where the SLO30 uses 6L6s, and that's why it sounds so close to the 100.

What is the song you play with the Soldanos? Great tone as allways, great explanation

Completely agree about the 100 watt amps. People don’t know what they’re missing! Not even considering volume, its the size, headroom, punch and power of the sound that is missed.

Even in the studio with loadbox and IRs you can feel and hear the difference between 100W and 20W amps.

Nothing against the smaller amps, but I prefer 100w Marshalls and multiple 4x12s. I only play at home but I have glorious tone all the time.

Best Hard-Rock tones on KZfaq 🤘

I have a Fryette PS100 that lets me boost or lower my smaller wattage heads without out loosing the sound. Just got the Friedman Pink Taco V2, and extremly impressed. It will rattle windows plugged into my Marshall SC212 Cab without the PS100.

100 has that headroom, SOUNDS amazing

My 20W Mini Jubilee, 25W Peavey Bravo and 20W Friedman Pink Taco are all plenty loud enough for a band practice. Much lighter to carry compared to my Bogner GF SL and JMP 2204.

Would be interesting to see what you could do with the new solid state SLO Mini. Rabea managed to get it sound pretty close to the SLO100 in his video. I don’t think it would be too far away at all if it was run through the fx return of one of the bigger SLO’s so it would be going through a tube power section rather than it’s own solid state power section. Anyway… looking forward to this video later!

Dude your tone in the beginning of the video with that green fender reminds me chevelle niratias album

Your neighbors must really love you.

Great video Zach… the jcms feels so close (not as the bone do’s video show)

Killer tones!!

Zach- great stuff man.. Would you agree that the SLO -100 has a tiny bit more focus to it especially with the single note stuff? I am assuming the 30w uses EL84's. To me they sound a little warmer/ rounder sounding. Either way- they both sound great...! Thanks..

I only play at home now and sold my amps for plugins. That lasted about 6 months before I lost my mind and had to buy another tube amp.

Great video. I'm thinking about getting a JCM 800 or something like that to pair as a stereo amp with my AC30TB/6. I've had limited experience getting to play that amp, but was obviously impressed with the complex distorted tones. Does it work well with overdrives and delays in the front set to a clean-ish setting?

Woww, the SLO 30 sounded very very similar to the 100 version (95-98% perhaps?). As for the marshall I think the tone and the punch is different though it is still remain similar

It's either the full 100 watt amps or plug ins for me. I've tried a 6505mh and it just didn't do it for me. Bought the 6505+ and there it was. I could not believe how close the SLO 100 and 30 were. Amazing.

Versatility of the SLO is severely underrated. With the depth knob alone you can go between more Marshallesque tones to something demonstrated in this video. I used an amp closely based on this circuit for years live with a cover band, handling pop/funk all the way up to metal. What the SLO does not natively do is early Pantera transistor amp or extreme vintage tones.

A trick I use on higher-wattage amps with a Master Volume (PPIMV): crank the MV up all the way, and use the preamp volume to control your overall amp volume. This opens up the power section and sounds great (more dynamic), especially at lower volumes.

Damn! That Slo 30... whaaat a beast

The 20w vs 100w Marshalls sound quite different. The 100w has clearer and more extended lows and highs, and the 20w sounds like there's a bit more prominence and compression in the mids and lower mids. Not unlike the difference between a 4x12 cab vs small combo amp cab. They both sound good, but different. The Soldanos sounded more or less identical. Nice work, Soldano!

Man the SLO100 sounds so good! What a monster. But yeah, it's about using the right tool for the job. If I want to play guitar all night I don't think I'd be staying married playing a Mesa Mark V into my 4x12. Amplitube and headphones for that. Come to think of it I don't know when I'd have a use for a 20 watt version.

I have both 20w and 100w JCM 800 and i prefer the fullness of the 100w over the 20w for recording and live when it's doable. For small gig I bring the 20w. I am curious of what is your fav setting on the 100w JCM800? Keep doing great videos 😉🔥

To my ears the soldanos sound very close to each other, amazing. The little Marshall had more gain and mid focus? The big Marshall sounds open and huge. Nicely done!

50 watts minimum , with loud drummer the master only need to go half way , retaining headroom punch and articulation . Mesa 50 50 , ENGL and diezel power amp have good volume taper. Cab placement matters, I always prefer 2x12 or 1x12 placed on top of backline , unblocked pointing towards the crowd.

Ironically, I'm more likely to use the larger amps at home and the smaller amps gigging. I don't have to move the big bulky amps around in small venues if they're just for at-home use. The smaller, lighter amps are easier to load-in and load-out and are usually cheaper, so you can worry a little bit less about some punter spilling their beer on it. The differences in tone are just not as important come gig time compared to in the studio. As long as the amp has enough headroom on stage then all is good. I like the victory amps and the EVH 5150 50 Watt for this kind of thing.

On a recording I'd take either. Live, give me the 100 watts. You should think about doing some Tonex captures. Great sounds here.

I went with a quad cortex and studio monitors at home, and a Seymour Duncan power stage 700 and a cab on stage

Man, that double tracked Soldano tone is killer! What riff were you playing around 7:13?

I've had several smaller low Watt combo amps and a few 100 Watt amps. I still have the 100 Watt amps. Oh, and a Captor X. The little ones are sweet, but they just can't hang.

absolutely bigger heads. Always. Even though I play at home now, the big heads have a better reaction to speakers, more oomph, bottom end, richness. Fryette powerstation has become the best piece of equipment I have ever owned.

That guitar is growing on me.

DAMN. Amazing tones! The comparisons were too close to matter for me. So, if you 'need' the cranked 100w to keep up with your drummer, you have a drummer problem. LOL.

its good that he plays chords not lead so we can actually hear it . where does the gain come from on soldanos ? just the pre amp or could you get 70s rock sound with it ?

100 Watters are going by the wayside in local music scenes. The reality is that no one is playing venues that require the power that only a 100W can deliver, and if they are, the venue will 100% have a good FOH and mike the amps. 30-50w seems to be the sweet spot for gigging (and recording) these days.

Yeah, I prefer big 100 watt amps as well. Headroom is SOOOO important, especially if you want to run a fairly clean amp/channel and use pedals for OD/distortion. “Amp-in-a-box” pedals benefit big time on that headroom and can give the huge, fat sound your after. Also, I shy away from most EL84 amps. They just always have a choked feel and just get muffled-sounding when cranked. I think the Marshall Studio Series amps benefit from still using EL34s and are better representations of their big brothers, even if they still lack the headroom.

Can you do a vid comparing the Sc20 with the Slo 30. I have the Slo 30 but think I want to add something British/el34ish

Interesting, the smaller amps sound better in the recording. I guess that's perfect for us bedroom guys.

Yes bigger is better. The lunch box heads will make your ears ring plenty but the big iron a 100w head has will punch and fill the sound more effectively!

Wow interesting! there is definitely a difference between the 100 and 20 watt, a natural fatness that the 100w has. Not much or any? (Would have to spectrum anlyze it :) from the 100 to the 30W. I have had them all, even a 15w 5150 and to MY ear, it all goes "south :)" past 30w. Just got the 30w Laney LA30 and holy molly is LOUD! not meant to have headroom on this one, but still, SO loud. However, I do think the sweet spot power amp/pre amp distortion would be 50w. A 100w power amp does not break up until when!? till your ears are bleeding! In general I think there is no "better", it depends what you are going for, how "soon you want the power amp to break up" type of tone or not. Dope video as always!

The Mids of 800\20w i like even more here, but i agree of 100w headroom, and i love low punch "oldschool" type guitar tone - Meshuggah 95, Pantera, Metallica B.A.

Great review! I've had many amps over the years, from 5w Laney, 20w Marshall combos to 100w Marshall stacks, 60w Peavey combos, up to 200w Mesa Boogie Strategy 500 rig. Latest rig is the 100w Mesa Badlander. Killer punch cannot be replaced with smaller wattage amps. More power means more 'balls' no matter what volume. These days, modeler amps are taking over the scene but a 'real' amp is the valve (tube) amps that draw real voltage power to deliver real sound air moving power, not transistor amps that are only good for low volume bedroom practice. Transistor amps downfall is if they fail (short out) then it's bye bye amplifier as they're aren't worth repairing the motherboards. Buying and trying amplifiers is expensive and over the years I've personally always been a 100w player, as you say, it's the power and potential power you have not necessarily the loudness that probably isn't utilised so much unless arena playing etc.

Smaller amps always sound a bit...smaller. If you want full chunk, you need the 100w versions. I have both but prefer the 100w by a big margin, especially when in the room with them. Great video!

Yes, the end

I prefer playing 100 watts at home. They just sound bigger and better. I’m actually more likely to gig one of my 2 50 watt heads, as they both have significantly smaller headshells. That’s about as low wattage as I am willing to go, as most lunch box heads are el84 based and fall about at volume. I know there are a few 6l6 and el34 lunchbox heads, but they are honestly over the top loud, as well…so may as well go for the 100.

I agree...almost always prefer 100 watt with good master volume. I have nothing against small amps or modelers, but imo the sterile tones people prefer today have nothing that punch you in the chest. I grew up playing with the amp and the amp pushing back. That interplay was half the magic.

Other than my combo amp, I only run 💯s through speaker cabinets. The Friedman BE-100 Deluxe has a great system volume and the Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-100 basically has a built in attenuator so they both are into a 4X12 cabinet. (The Mesa is {2} 2X12s stacked) The Marshall JVM410H is into a 2X12 with an attenuator to help push a bit harder to open things up. The Mezzabarba Trinity was a little too loud through my old slant 4X12 with how I’ve got it dialed so I’ve ordered a Mezz vertical 2X12.

I practice with a regular live drum and band with a 5W blackstar at around 50% volume... Never had issues not being loud enough :o also never played a venue that would require something louder than my 5w amp that didn't have a PA. I get the feel thing, but if money is a factor there is just no reason to spend so much on a big amp+cab.

To me the difference is undeniable in the room. I love my 50 watt JVM but compared to my 90watt Mark V there is a solidity that can’t be replaced.

Since I like playing in bands like Hum and Failure, I opt for the more-is-more model: 100 watt FTW.

It is great!! Can you introduce what the fender guitar model is? it looks so cool.

God those Soldanos are heavenly

If the point is to get a lot of headroom, then i guess the easiest solution is to go with an class d and preamps/pedals/modelers. The whole argument about distorting the power section (which sounds bad if like big chords and definition) can be simulated quite easily in the front end with an extra pedal or a modeler.

You have some amazing gear dude....that Friedman b.e.deluxe... wow. Id give my truck to own that amp.....I just might do that! Hey man, can u get a hold of the new pink taco mk2 20 watt head for a demo???? Love to hear you demo it. I want that amp...lol

Hi Sir, what cab and speakers do you use?

Yes.

I only have big amps (fender bassman 100, sunn beta lead, traynor ygl-3, peavey vtm 120) i recently disvoverd that using the master volume all the way up soundfantastc; more armonics. In the past I usuallyusetweak the amp wite pre amp at 7 or 10 and the mater volume at 2 or3.

The SLOs sounded HUGE! what song were you playing? Great riffing!

Great vid, thanks man! Could it be that you are using low watt speakers like greenbacks? My sc20h sounds noticeably louder when plugged into t75s loaded cab compared to a greenbacks loaded cab.

I hear your argument. And appreciate all the nuances. However. Big amp make crush. My desert island amp head is a rockerverb 100mk3. For my experience. Perfection made sound. Xoxo awesome video

I've owned amps of all wattages and I've arrived at preferring a 100 watt head through a 4x12...even in my house. YMMV

That jazzmaster is awesome what is the full model on that? Ill have to snag one

So what i would like to know is if any small amp will cope with the drummer like PRS MT 15?If not does it mean they are created for recording at home and for nothing else?