Soldano
23Also known as: Soldano Custom Amplification
UnclaimedFounded in 1986 by Michael Soldano in Los Angeles, California, Soldano Custom Amplification is widely credited with launching the boutique guitar amplifier market. Mike Soldano's journey began in the late 1970s building guitars and modifying amps, eventually leading to his prototype amplifier nicknamed "Mr. Science" — a piece of plywood loaded with electronic components that would evolve into t...
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in Guitar Amplifier Heads Rank
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in Guitar Preamps Rank
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in Guitar Preamps Rank
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$2,699.98
$5,499.99
Founded in 1986 by Michael Soldano in Los Angeles, California, Soldano Custom Amplification is widely credited with launching the boutique guitar amplifier market. Mike Soldano's journey began in the late 1970s building guitars and modifying amps, eventually leading to his prototype amplifier nicknamed "Mr. Science" — a piece of plywood loaded with electronic components that would evolve into the legendary SLO-100. Officially released in 1987, the SLO-100 quickly earned a reputation as one of the definitive high-gain tube amplifiers and attracted players like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Lou Reed, Eddie Van Halen, and Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard.
The SLO-100's cascading gain structure and tight, articulate overdrive influenced an entire generation of amp builders and helped define the sound of rock and metal in the late 1980s and 1990s. Eddie Van Halen notably used an SLO-100 and drew on its design when developing his Peavey 5150 signature amp. The company's lineup has expanded to include the SLO-30, the Astro-20 combo, the rack-mounted X88-IR preamp, matching speaker cabinets, and the SLO Pedal, which distills the SLO-100's preamp voicing into a stompbox format.
Every Soldano tube amplifier is hand-built in the USA. After Mike Soldano announced his retirement from amp building in 2018, the company was acquired by Boutique Amps Distribution in 2019, with Soldano remaining on board as a designer. The brand continues to operate out of its base in the United States, offering both production models and custom shop builds.
Soldano has 37 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Guitar Amplifier Heads, Guitar Amplifier Cabinets, and Overdrive Effects Pedals. Their gear is featured by 113 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Pop. Notable users include Matt Pike, Jun Senoue, and Richard Zven Kruspe. Most Soldano products sit firmly in the high-end, boutique range.
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