The Mezzabarbas basically ARE dead-on SLO clones with veeerry small tweaks (according to the schems floating around at SLOclone forums).
This is also what I hear when listening to YT vids.
I respectfully disagree, as an owner of an SLO 100, a Mezza trinity, skill 30 and Mzero OD. Those tweaks are far bigger than very small.
I find the Soldano has more saturation at lower gain settings, and all of the Mezza stuff to have gobs more gain on tap than the SLO. The SLO is the choice for 80s rock/metal on down, the Mezza stuff picks up where that leaves off throughout the most high gain tones you can imagine.
FWIW, Pierangelo LOVES the SLO and you are correct it shares the same pedigree as the SLO, but the differences are just too great to call them dead on clones.
I’m definitely nowhere near an amp builder and wouldn’t know the difference between an amp schematic or a lightbulb one, but the same has been said about the dual rectifier which to me also sounds light years apart from an SLO as well. I dont get it. If they’re built the same, I’m not going to pretend to know why they sound so different.
At any rate, to the OP, it’s a great amp built by a great company. Pierangelo and JP are gentlemen. This matters to me when picking gear, maybe I’m weird. Good team and good roster of players. Eric Steckel has his own model amp now (he borrowed my Mzero for a few local dates around here) and Howie oh god I forget his last name but he goes out with Winger, Nelson and a few other 80s throwbacks plays them, too. Joel Hoekstra has one as well, although last I heard it was in David Coverdale’s studio out west. Not sure how much if at all he has used it.
Just a tip I found out the hard way: do NOT hot swap anything out of the FX loop, you’ll blow the fuse. With that amp I power down before plugging anything in or out of the loop, as I chewed thru a few fuses this way. Standby may be acceptable too, ask them.