Modding a SLO100...YEAH, I DID!!

Рет қаралды 7,626

2 жыл бұрын

Here I show an approach for modding an amp like this to get a different gain characteristic from it. Simple two position switch (no drilling) moves the amp from stock to mod.
headfirst.amplification@gmail.com
headfirstamplification.com
headfirst.amplification
groups/225949122469679
headfirst_amplification
0:00 Play in
2:13 Intro
3:12 A/B Loop test - Stock
4:05 A/B Loop test - HF mod
4:57 Approach to modding a SLO100
5:29 Schematic and mod approach

Пікірлер: 79

@joshk5686 2 жыл бұрын

That mod really sounds like adding a really good transparent overdrive that tightens up the amp sound and gives you more gain in the right frequencies.

@kennethguevara2674 2 жыл бұрын

I was hesitant to modify my SLO 30 but after I heard yours I went for it. To start upgraded to 6L6 ECG tubes bias to 46ma, change 1 of the 2 V30 to a G12t-75, change R9 ( 2.2k) from pin 3 V1a to 0.68uf/1k, and coupling cap C13 (0.022uf) coming from V2b pin 6 to 0.007uf. Can achieve Marshall/Masa/Soldano sound with more control, definition and less fluff.

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

Good stuff

@majic12 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds totally sick!!! Awesome job, Jason!

@KE8UYV 2 жыл бұрын

Jason... That sounds like the tone I've had in my head! I built an SLO clone a few months ago, but I will try this mod out and see how it works with my ears. Thank you!

@johnmarshall3903 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds really good Jason, great job as usual!

@DJ33 2 жыл бұрын

Very very nice. Great mod, and great explanation on how you got it. Thanks J

@TavaresProject 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds tighter and removes some of the low end rumble. Very nice!

@BlakeC27 2 жыл бұрын

Nice one Jason. That's the only way to mod an amp in my opinion; reversible and non-invasive. Especially one high-end or vintage amps. Having a good ear, which you clearly do, as well as the technical nous helps also.

@geraldrauch1701 2 жыл бұрын

oh yeah brother, the mod sounded awesome!!! loved the vid and just subbed...cheers!!!

@TheAxe4Ever 2 жыл бұрын

Came to hear the difference between stock and your awesome mod to an already killer amp. Stayed for Jason’s solid, tasty guitar playing!

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@megatoneamps 2 жыл бұрын

Modded mine today with a 2.2K and .68 bypass cap, with a 220K grid shunt resistor and had great results. Thanks!

@madjack4691 2 жыл бұрын

Let the 39k put a capacitor in parallel (47n or 220n) et voila! 👍 When you try, let me know!

@jcugnoni 2 жыл бұрын

Playing with cathode biasing (resistor and caps) and coupling caps is my preferred way of tuning the gain structure. It is quite incredible how a single component like a cathode cap can change the response of an amp. I did a similar mod in my diy SLO preamp, I have added a 3 way switch to go from 39k no cap to 6.8k (close to JCM800 10k) and 2.7k with 0.68uf cap (Modded Marshall). Also added a pad as you did. It gives me different distortion characters and I like it !

@marcopanza1011 6 ай бұрын

@HeadfirstAmplification Hi to everyone and Hi Jason...I did a mod, a very easy one, to my SLO 100 mk2 amp which was awesome sounding but for my tastes I wanted more attack and definition...so I put a 100pF cerami disc brigh cap on the Overdrive ch. gain pot; this increased the value of the already present on the PCB Overdrive channel bright cap from 1nF (1000 pF) to 1100 pF....little difference in value but huuuuge difference in sound....while retaining the original SLO tone...much much more attack on picked stuff and palm muting stuff, even on neck pickup; much much more definition; much more clarity; much much better sound at low volumes, even at bedroom volumes...also, you now can set the gain to 8 or over without it becoming flubby on bass (while before you could set it max at 7 to preserve it from becoming flubby on bass strings)....and is a very reversible mod, the type of mods I like...I play hard rock/metal stuff and I highly recommend this mod...I would never turn back....pratically it is like having a very good boost turned on in front of the amp....obviously the normal channel remains unaltered by the mod. kzfaq.infoEp5dCEcTNVE?feature=shared

@charvelshredder Жыл бұрын

That mod sounds killer! I do think that folks that say a stock SLO is fizzy or sterile don’t know how to set it up or just have poor technique & crank the gain to compensate. It really comes down to the players hands & the way the amp is set. Listen to any great player & they sound good through everything they play on.

@danielsaturnino5715 2 жыл бұрын

I love it. Thanks for sharing

@RDamps 2 жыл бұрын

You naughty boy!!! Love it

@MALAKOCH Ай бұрын

Nice mod 😃 You kinda made it like the Channel 3 of the Diezel VH4 (same principle regarding the schematic).

@jayteesgear 2 жыл бұрын

Both for the win! Wayyy nice mod though. First thing to go when tracking is low end baby 🤟🏻🎸

@ianlahaye9476 2 жыл бұрын

Ugh, Jason. Flawless.

@LucasMastropasqua Ай бұрын

Sounds great Jason!!! Actually working on a Jet City modded to SLO spec and looking to make it more unique so I’m experimenting with using the 2nd half of V1 that’s normally the crunch channel, as a 5th gain stage. Just working out how each need to be biased and filtered to give it a nice balance of punch, articulation, grind, or as I call it giving it “sharp teeth that don’t hurt your ear holes” lol

@HeadfirstAmps Ай бұрын

It’s a delicate balance!

@DeathCapAmplification 2 жыл бұрын

Nice 👍🏻. Thanks for sharing

@dnd820 Жыл бұрын

IMHO, it does sound better with the mod. I have a new SLO 100 and would love to have this mod done

@marcopanza1011 6 ай бұрын

one mod, a very easy one, you can try is to put a 100pF ceramic disc bright cap on the overdrive gain pot (I'm talking about the new SLO 100)...this increases the value of the already present overdrive bright cap which is 1nF (1000 pF) to 1100 pF...little difference in value, huuuuge difference in sound...the distortion becomes waaaay more defined, way mooore attack and clarity ...and..differently from stock...you can set the gain above 7 without the sound getting any flubby or fuzzy and the amp also sounds wayyyy wayyyy better at bedroom room levels....it retains all the attack and clarity...and all these even when palm muting on the neck pickup... I did this mod to my SLO 100 mk2 and i would never turn back...I highly recommend it...just 2 minute of work with the solder...done....you can put it even on a switch...and is a very reversible mod...you don't like it? you unsolder the bright cap. Stop. And the amp is bone stock again.

@DIESELPGDOG 2 жыл бұрын

outstanding brutal but beautiful thank you

@glenn3914 Жыл бұрын

omg, that sounds 100 times better than the stock slo, i always thought they sounded a little toobassy and nasally, ...yours sounds much more articulate,...great job

@HeadfirstAmps Жыл бұрын

Thanks man. Yeah they can get really bloated right.

@LordFingers1 2 жыл бұрын

Knaggs are awesome with Les Paul style bridge. Guitar sounds great.

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

Modern classics aren’t they.

@nathanokeefe9169 Жыл бұрын

awesome!

@mr.dampmods8518 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Monster , i m the only one that prefers it stock ahah , it s too bright to my tastes but more marshall for sure , great job like always !!

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks….Sorry to disappoint but the stock was modded too, haha….to be identical to the original SLO. It’s no secret that the new ones are not the same as the old, circuit wise…

@mr.dampmods8518 2 жыл бұрын

@@HeadfirstAmps ah i never liked the soldano slo 100 but yours sound fantastic !!!!!

@mr.dampmods8518 2 жыл бұрын

@@HeadfirstAmps i like the " stock " better congrats for your mods Monster

@Mark70609 Жыл бұрын

@@HeadfirstAmps what is the difference between the old and new ones. Which one is better?

@thomasstankiewicz9730 Жыл бұрын

How different is it circuit wise? Good or bad thing?

@jamesprice6381 Жыл бұрын

Thru the grapevine LONG ago, i read where earlier SLO'S take the pickoff point AFTER the coupling cap, and R/C on first stage of OD for CLEAN channel..That is why im sure they sound a tad sweeter maybe in old days?

@mookytc 2 жыл бұрын

🔥🔥🔥

@jimmycardinale7382 2 жыл бұрын

Your Mod is killer....

@shredgd5 2 жыл бұрын

I like your modded tone better!

@harryanderson7282 2 жыл бұрын

Soldano ought to make that mod stock on their amps, because I honestly think that mod improves the amp's tone.

@nicktunk6773 2 жыл бұрын

3:14 Stock SLO 4:04 Headfirst Modded SLO

@nicktunk6773 2 жыл бұрын

3:18 Solo stock SLO 4:11 HF Modded SLO

@notasilicaanimus Жыл бұрын

What is the difference between the stock circuits of the old and new SLO's, apart from the depth mod and position of the loop? Some people claim that they sound identical, but presumably that's not the case.

@JPDESS Жыл бұрын

Hi, Mike Soldano explained why he used 39k as cold clipper in a tone talk episode (with Friedman Huzansky).

@jessemuscato 2 жыл бұрын

Oh yea

@dnd820 Жыл бұрын

where can I get the schematic for this mod and how $?

@Rolf_D 2 жыл бұрын

Great Sound! Do you have the Stock Humbuckers in the Knaggs Guitar? SD Candy Humbucker!?

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

Stock SD Saturday Night Specials

@algor8541 5 ай бұрын

Could you please reveal the values for this mod? It sounds killer! Thanks for all the info on the channel!

@JackieMac5150 3 ай бұрын

Where do i attach alligator clip on slo100?

@aquilarossa5191 2 жыл бұрын

SLO 100. The ultimate [can of bees] tone. Lol. Tight as low end in the wound strings, but that Soldano fizz where the kerrang should be always gets me. It's the sound though and lots of folks like it.

@geezberry8889 Жыл бұрын

jason, i have a slo build that uses only one triode on V1 (no clean channel) have you ever tried running v1 in parallel? what was the result? It is supposed to be quieter but i dont know what else it does. I do know you need to halve some of the values (cathode caps and resistors)

@HeadfirstAmps Жыл бұрын

I’ve not tried it in a SLO but it is in the Marshall Vintage Modern that Ive worked on. Sounds ok. Slightly more gain than a single stage

@garyslash7552 2 жыл бұрын

Great Job, Jason (as always). But: Who on earth would buy an amplifier for this much money, just to find out that he isn't happy with the sound and have it moddified??? Why not buy an amp that you really like to start with?

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

IDK but, #1 the new ones don’t sound as good as the old ones (but can be made so they are like I did to this one). #2, we’ll it’s on a switch so it’s selectable.

@garyslash7552 2 жыл бұрын

@@HeadfirstAmps Please don't get me wrong, Jason. I am not critizising your work! I have never played an old SLO 100, but I sure don't like the new SLO 30 - that's why I didn't buy it. But this exactly is my point: There are numerous fantasic amps on the market (amongst them your own company headfirst) that one can choose from. I just can't understand why a guitarist would buy an expensive amp that he/she is not 100% happy with. Cheers

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think you really know what any piece of gear will be like until you own it and use it. Trying amps in music stores is not a fair representation. So you buy it and then figure out whether you like it or not I think..

@Skoora Жыл бұрын

If a simple, non invasive mod gets it to exactly what you want it’s a no brainer. No amp is perfect but if that 4K amp is 95% there and the mod makes it 99% and the mod costs no more than changing a pickup in a guitar or trying a new quad of tubes or changing your speakers, what’s the difference? I do think when an amp costs a lot we respond to it psychologically a lot different than an inexpensive amp in how it satisfies us. Now, I’m talking about subtle tweaks. I do agree with you if the amp is re-worked in a big way. People buy $5000 Wizards and then after band and recording contexts might wish the mids (or whatever) were a little different after using it for a while. $7 in parts and 30 minutes might make it finally feel like it was worth the 5K. Personally I get amazing tones out of Laney Pro Tube 50 and a pedal, that rival any high gainer (Marshall based) I’ve ever tried and it cost me $375 8 years ago. I find when I get a good deal on an amp I can live with a fare bit and get my tweaks through external devices and speaker choices. I’m not into Marshall mods for more gain. I’ve always missed the OG tone (which disappears) and there’s too many good pedals to lose your OG tone in the process.

@tyisdead8234 2 жыл бұрын

Love it Jase. Hey if you can have a crack. Why not? Haha

@Sol7Studios Жыл бұрын

Would this work on the Soldano Reverb-O-Sonic?

@HeadfirstAmps Жыл бұрын

not sure - I'd need to check the schematic

@BillDerBerg Жыл бұрын

should turn one into a four input plexi

@mattw7579 2 жыл бұрын

Does this affect the crunch channel as well? That’s the one I’d like to mod

@HeadfirstAmps 2 жыл бұрын

No, but I did mod that too to "Marshall-ish" it.

@robertlevasseur8896 10 ай бұрын

would love to hear that@@HeadfirstAmps

@PlexiHead 5 ай бұрын

Mod values please.....👍😁

@CROiga 2 жыл бұрын

Is it just me that likes better the original sound? BTW,... great explanation of the mod....

@artsal Жыл бұрын

What guitar model and color please 🙏

@HeadfirstAmps Жыл бұрын

It’s a Knaggs Eric Steckel signature. Trans blue or something they call it.

@artsal Жыл бұрын

@@HeadfirstAmps thanks

@ratt669 Жыл бұрын

It just added a lot a high frequencies and diminished the mids. To me it's not a gain.

@marvelharris9540 2 жыл бұрын

mod sounds better than stock actually... less woofy and bloated on the lower registers

@RozsaAmplificationLLC 2 жыл бұрын

I think every SLO-100 should be modded! I HATE the tone of them. They sound "sterile" and if you hit a cord, they choke out early! Funny, this amp sounds more "fizzy" than the one's I've played or built. But then again, always listened to SLO's live and not thru headphones, which I am now. Given the fizz, I'd probably roll some off of the top end also. The Boogies are a direct rip off of the SLO, except for ONE part....reducing the 39k to 10k and making it not so cold. Yeah, mods to start off of is voicing it right, extending the length of time the notes ring out, and roll off some of that fizz to start with. Don't really care for the Boogie tone either! It's like the both have something going on, but fall short imo.