Best Recorded and Live Soldano Tones

[Humbug]

Check the threads I’ve made on the best tones for each of those amps. 5150 and Recto have been at the forefront of various new genres and countless massive albums. If that somehow makes them worse, then I’m all ears.

If we’re being honest too, both amps added or improved features too. 5150 added a resonance control and fixed the goofy fx loop. Recto pushed forwards on properly distinct channels, switchable tube rectifier, global MV, and eventually a better clean channel.

I don't really have an opinion as to which is the better sounding amp, but I will say that the SLO is (or was, at least) infinitely better built, and that the 5150 and Recto's position in the "market" probably has more to do with availability and/or marketing than anything.

 

[Stone]

Well they all sound amazing I love all amps, well most amps, at least the one ive used in my Fractal FM9

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I don't really have an opinion as to which is the better sounding amp, but I will say that the SLO is (or was, at least) infinitely better built, and that the 5150 and Recto's position in the "market" probably has more to do with availability and/or marketing than anything.

SLO is definitely built better, but it wasn’t a “mass production” amp like the other two were designed to be. History has shown even with the build problems with Recto’s and 5150’s, in the grand scheme of things it’s a relatively small trade off. There’s loads of them out there still blasting away and sounding killer, they’re good enough to be road and studio worthy.

And as we know, well built doesn’t mean anything sound wise. Most of these bands using other amps would easily have had access to Soldano’s if they wanted to use them - there’s plenty out there in studios and backline companies and I’m sure Mike would have been happy to get them in the hands of massive bands. Even if you take the fact that there’s a much smaller number of Soldano’s in the world, IMO, there are still disproportionately few examples of them sounding amazing out there.

I’m saying that as someone who’s (probably) favourite tone of all time was an SLO - I just can’t think of many others that sound that good. Takes zero effort to name iconic Recto and 5150 tones

 

[la szum]

More like who didn’t use them
Clapton
Knofler
Lynch
Demartini
Gilmour
Mick Mars
Lukather
Vivian Campbell
Matthias Jabs

Huh? You say that so matter of factly.

Who among that group has their most identifiable tones associated with a Soldano, though??

 

[mk5]

I’m am convinced Satriani used an SLO on Cryin’ off The Extremist. The lead tone sounds dead on.

 

[norminal]

I’m am convinced Satriani used an SLO on Cryin’ off The Extremist. The lead tone sounds dead on.

Cryin’ was a Zoom 9002.

 

[mk5]

Ha! Fooled me

 

[norminal]

Ha! Fooled me

What’s crazy is that I was using a Zoom 9000 at the time that album was released but never put the two together until Joe revealed it. I played the hell out of that album too.

 

[mk5]

Man me too! I didn’t have a zoom, but I did have a DS-1

What about Summer Song? I am pretty sure some knucklehead on Rig Talk was adamant that was a Cameron modded Marshall.

 

[norminal]

What about Summer Song? I am pretty sure some knucklehead on Rig Talk was adamant that was a Cameron modded Marshall.

To my ears, Summer Song sounds like the SLO. Especially during the solos when he’s hitting the harmonics.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Yep. SLO on Summer Song.

 

[riffy]

Summer Song sounds like a 5150 to my ears.

 

[FuzzyAce]

What’s crazy is that I was using a Zoom 9000 at the time that album was released but never put the two together until Joe revealed it. I played the hell out of that album too.

Do you know the rest of the signal chain, sounds like it ends up into a mic'd cab?

 

[norminal]

Do you know the rest of the signal chain, sounds like it ends up into a mic'd cab?

Cryin’? I believe it was straight out of the Zoom 9002 into the board.

 

[mk5]

Cryin’? I believe it was straight out of the Zoom 9002 into the board.

I saw some vids on YT and yup, that seems about like it. I have a mini SLO that I noticed got quite close as I played that a few weeks back

 

[6CA7-A]