# Soldano SLO Mini



## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Finally, a Soldano I can afford 😂









NAMM 2022: Soldano launches adorable mini version of its SLO amplifier


NAMM 2022: Soldano has launched a mini, solid-state version of its acclaimed Super Lead Overdrive amplifier.




guitar.com





Spent most of the morning watching reviews and from what I've heard so far I'm definitely interested. I've been happy with my Neural DSP Soldano plugin but I think this would be much more fun to play with.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Ok just ordered one from Stang Guitars in Edmonton after watching Rabea and Leon Todd's reviews:


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## m7flat5 (Nov 4, 2014)

Okay, but beware that the Mini is solid state.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

m7flat5 said:


> Okay, but beware that the Mini is solid state.


Yep I'm fully aware. The SLO 30 is still on my bucket list and may be one of two tube amps that I would still like to own one day (a Two Rock would probably be the other). 

Switched from owning a couple tube amps to a Quilter Aviator Mach 3 as my main amp earlier this year so I'm definitely not averse to solid state amps or modellers.


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## m7flat5 (Nov 4, 2014)

Xevyn said:


> Yep I'm fully aware. The SLO 30 is still on my bucket list and may be one of two tube amps that I would still like to own one day (a Two Rock would probably be the other).


I love my Two Rock Jet 35. It is plenty light enough, and has a lot of power to boot.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

These Boutique Amps Distribution mini heads seem to all be pretty darned good for for the cash.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Rollin Hand said:


> These Boutique Amps Distribution mini heads seem to all be pretty darned good for for the cash.


Definitely agree...even if they are just glorified pedals in a box, the price tag isn't bad and is in the boutique pedal price range if not less.

Plus you get the fx loop and can hook it up directly to a cab which you can't do with a pedal.

I know there are quite a few who are thumbing their nose down on these mini amps but I just think back 20-30 years ago and how my younger self would have killed for gear like this.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Xevyn said:


> Definitely agree...even if they are just glorified pedals in a box, the price tag isn't bad and is in the boutique pedal price range if not less.
> 
> Plus you get the fx loop and can hook it up directly to a cab which you can't do with a pedal.
> 
> I know there are quite a few who are thumbing their nose down on these mini amps but I just think back 20-30 years ago and how my younger self would have killed for gear like this.


Totally. Great amps for young players too. Lower wattage, none of the "vagaries" of tubes, and they do sound decent in a variety of styles. If I hadn't just bought a HX Stomp XL...


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

I watched three SLO Mini videos last night (all these videos were released yesterday)

Pete Thorn
Phillip McKnight
Ryan Bruce (Fluff)
Sounds like a great high gain amp. I think it's also $50 US cheaper than the Friedman Mini. I may be interested.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Looks like they are all currently on sale at Sweetwater:











Damnit...just realized that I could have saved about $20-30 if I ordered from Sweetwater (assuming 6% duty and taxes included) instead.


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

Xevyn said:


> Looks like they are all currently on sale at Sweetwater:
> 
> View attachment 420188
> 
> ...


I'd rather order from Canada and pay the extra $30. I just checked the Soldano site and it mentioned all their amps are made in the USA, so this one must also be. I knew the tube amps were made in the US though.

Looking forward to your review of the SLO Mini!


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

The Bogner Mini amp is supposedly made in the USA as well according to CME's site so I would hope that the Soldano is as well:











I'm definitely looking forward to comparing the mini with my Neural DSP SLO 100 plugin.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Kinda why I bought a Quarterhorse with the switches built-in


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

There's 1 at Stang, can't imagine it lasts the weekend. SOLDANO SLO MINI - 30 WATT GUITAR AMPLIFIER HEAD


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

keto said:


> There's 1 at Stang, can't imagine it lasts the weekend. SOLDANO SLO MINI - 30 WATT GUITAR AMPLIFIER HEAD


I guess they had a few as I ordered one yesterday and it's enroute to me and hopefully should arrive sometime next week 🤞


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Xevyn said:


> I guess they had a few as I ordered one yesterday and it's enroute to me and hopefully should arrive sometime next week 🤞


You're probably right, I bet they come in a box of (?) 6 or something, most retailers could eat that.


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## madhermit (Dec 31, 2017)

The Guitar Shop in the GTA has the first three amps (Diezel, Friedman, Bogner) on sale for $325. Not the new Soldano though.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

My SLO Mini finally arrived tonight and had a chance to plug it in and play for a few mins. I have to say that like many of the reviews have said...this tiny thing can get loud. 

I know this amp doesn't have a clean channel but with my strat and 16 ohm 2x12 cab with Neo creambacks I am surprisingly able to get some pretty decent cleans. 

I haven't had a chance to compare it with the Neural plugin yet and probably won't have a chance to compare them until the weekend but so far I like what I hear.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

So just one word of caution for those interested in these. The user guide states that they don't support load boxes and on TGP a few users of these mini amps have found that using these with certain reactive load boxes will cause the amp to go into protection mode and shut down. (There shouldn't really be a need to use a load box since the master seems to work very well)

But I did try it with a Captor X and it works fine but that seems to be due to the fact that Two Notes had some foresight into how the grounding is done in certain SS amps:






Can I use a Torpedo product with a transistor amplifier ?







support.two-notes.com


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

Xevyn said:


> My SLO Mini finally arrived tonight and had a chance to plug it in and play for a few mins. I have to say that like many of the reviews have said...this tiny thing can get loud.
> 
> I know this amp doesn't have a clean channel but with my strat and 16 ohm 2x12 cab with Neo creambacks I am surprisingly able to get some pretty decent cleans.
> 
> I haven't had a chance to compare it with the Neural plugin yet and probably won't have a chance to compare them until the weekend but so far I like what I hear.


Are you able to play it with a humbucking guitar with some hard rock/metal tones?


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Dru Edwards said:


> Are you able to play it with a humbucking guitar with some hard rock/metal tones?


Oh hell yeah! 

Sneaked in a few mins before starting work this morning and cranked the gain up and then tried my CE24 semi hollow and Squier superstrat and both sounded great and then I realized I was still on crunch mode 🤣

Flipped the switch to Overdrive mode and then switched to my SG and LP Traditional and I was a happy camper! Sounds better than anything I could ever get with any clean platform amp and my Revv G3 pedal or any other pedal combos I've tried.


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

Xevyn said:


> Oh hell yeah!
> 
> Sneaked in a few mins before starting work this morning and cranked the gain up and then tried my CE24 semi hollow and Squier superstrat and both sounded great and then I realized I was still on crunch mode 🤣
> 
> Flipped the switch to Overdrive mode and then switched to my SG and LP Traditional and I was a happy camper! Sounds better than anything I could ever get with any clean platform amp and my Revv G3 pedal or any other pedal combos I've tried.


That's great! It's a SLO, it better sound good with gain .


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

I always thought the Revv G3 is a really good distortion pedal (and I still do) that could get you high gain while still sounding musical but after playing both the Neural DSP Soldano plugin and this SLO mini it just doesn't have the same oomph that both of these have. This just makes me dream about what the real SLO-30 or SLO-100 would sound like in person and makes me want to get the tube versions even more.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Ok I finally had a chance to compare the amp to the Neural DSP plugin.

Went from the "Send" on the amp to my interface and used the same cab from the Neural plugin (with the Neural amp turned off along with all the Neural pedals) for the comparison. Both are very close but if I had to choose one, I think the Neural plugin sounds a slight tad better and is a little bit more flexible since it has the clean channel as well.

That said, I would still recommend this amp to someone who is looking for the following:

An amp with the Soldano sound in a small form factor and sounds decent at low volume levels
A small amp with an FX loop where you can use the return of the FX loop to leverage its power section (i.e. use other preamp pedals to plug into the return on the amp)
Someone who wants to plug into a cab directly without using plugins

If you already have the Neural plugin and an existing amp with an FX loop then you probably can skip it since you can use the out on your interface to the return on your existing amp to play through your cab - unless you want it for the novelty and/or for portability and small gigs.

Techncially, I fall into that latter group but I may still end up keeping it since it's nice to be able to plugin and just play into my cab without having to run a cable across to where my amp and cab are. And since I am on the computer for the majority of the week for work it's nice to not have to look at a computer screen while playing/practising.


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