COMPLETE Soldano SLO Overdrive

[Hexjibber]

This sounds great and I am total SLO fanboy so would love to see what's going on here. I realise there are some other SLO type projects out there, that recent tube based GTO project for one but apart from that this is the first time I've seen one actually from Soldano themselves. Some of the YT demos sound pretty sweet.

 

[Bucksears]

Yep.
In the B.A.D. family, so hopefully this isn’t far off.

 

[music6000]

 

[music6000]

This sounds great and I am total SLO fanboy so would love to see what's going on here. I realise there are some other SLO type projects out there, that recent tube based GTO project for one but apart from that this is the first time I've seen one actually from Soldano themselves. Some of the YT demos sound pretty sweet.

Soldano released the huge Supercharger G.T.O tube Pedal way back, Gain Tone Output!
Sushi Box Black Eye is the wicked 9v converted to 240v powered Tube version.

 

[vigilante398]

Fellow Soldano fanboy here, I just ordered one. I'm not planning to release a project for it or anything, but @Robert is welcome to take a look when I'm done with it.

I thought about paying the extra $30 for a limited-edition anodized purple one, but I don't really want to wait an extra month for it.

 

[music6000]

Fellow Soldano fanboy here, I just ordered one. I'm not planning to release a project for it or anything, but @Robert is welcome to take a look when I'm done with it.

I thought about paying the extra $30 for a limited-edition anodized purple one, but I don't really want to wait an extra month for it.

Here's a Limited Edition!!!
Sorry, It has SOLD on it!:

 

[vigilante398]

Aaaannnnd it just shipped. I'll post gutshots and impressions when it shows up.

 

[temol]

Aaannnd we have a picture of the pcb.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/soldano-slo-pedal.2408658/page-14#post-35810431

 

[music6000]

Aaannnd we have a picture of the pcb.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/soldano-slo-pedal.2408658/page-14#post-35810431

Aaannd that's why we do what we do, Thru Hole just looks Better!!!

 

[Bucksears]

So, it’s somewhat clear that it’s not JFET-based, but IC and clipping diodes like the Friedmans?

 

[Robert]

Aaannnd we have a picture of the pcb.

Well, we have more than that...

 

[Robert]

So, it’s somewhat clear that it’s not JFET-based, but IC and clipping diodes like the Friedmans?

It is indeed opamp based. I fully expected a modified Friedman circuit but it's not.

I have a feeling this one was designed by Wampler, just looking at the PCB layout, component selection, and the yellow putty on the 1/4" jacks.

 

[temol]

Well, we have more than that...

View attachment 35418

As for now most of us can only stare at the pictures of the pcb

 

[Haz]

Wampler had a SLOstortion so evolution on that?

 

[ADAOCE]

I absolutely love my Tyrian and it seems like it’s a similar pedal. Do you guys think it’s worth building the SLO?

 

[Robert]

Wampler had a SLOstortion so evolution on that?

Nah, that one looks like a completely different circuit.

This one is all opamp with diode clipping in one stage and a Treble, Mid, Bass tone stack similar in structure to the original Soldano amp.

 

[vigilante398]

Well, we have more than that...

View attachment 35418

I was going to offer to send you mine when I was done with it, but it looks like you don't need it

Mine showed up yesterday, and I spent a couple minutes playing around with it (after poking around the insides, of course). It sounds pretty good, the tonestack is responsive and you can dial in a nice array of tones, but the overall gain structure just feels like too much gain to me. With gain set to 3 it feels as heavy as I would ever need it. The response over the sweep of the gain pot feels weird as well, after about 4 or so it doesn't feel like more gain, it just feels like more saturated gain, if that makes sense. So I would say the overall sound is good, but it will probably go into my trophy case rather than my actual pedalboard.

Anway, my opinion based on 2 minutes of playing with it.

 

[Robert]

One thing I'd like to add in regards to the build quality of these....

The pots are splined shaft and someone decided to force one of the knobs on, crushing the shaft in the process.

The knob was clearly not seated properly and wobbled when turned. Definitely shouldn't have been shipped in this condition.

 

[vigilante398]

One thing I'd like to add in regards to the build quality of these....

The pots are splined shaft and someone decided to force one of the knobs on, crushing the shaft in the process.

The knob was clearly not seated properly and wobbled when turned. Definitely shouldn't have been shipped in this condition.

One thing I'll add to the build quality of these, it feels like they were built absolutely as cheaply as possible Aside from the rugged bent-steel aluminum enclosure, it feels like just about every possible cost cutting measure that could have been taken was taken. Based on their wording of "assembled in USA", I'm assuming the bulk of the parts (including pre-assembled PCB) came from Asia and were assembled at BAD.

 

[Robert]

Yes. I bitched about that the entire time I took it apart. (and reassembled)

The entire pedal weighs about as much as a 3PDT footswitch.