Soldano SLO-100 Settings Guide
The Soldano SLO-100 (Super Lead Overdrive) is a 100W American high-gain amplifier designed by Mike Soldano and introduced in 1987. It defined the American high-gain amp category — cascaded gain stages producing harmonically complex, sustaining lead tones that influenced a generation of amp designers (Mesa/Boogie, EVH, Peavey). Used by Slash, Eric Clapton (on 24 Nights), Lou Reed, and Warren Haynes. The Clean channel is pristine; the Overdrive channel has two modes (Normal and Crunch) for compressed rhythm and soaring lead.
Used by: Eric Clapton
The best Soldano SLO-100 settings start with: Preamp at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 5/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 6/10, Master at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Blues-Rock (Clapton 24 Nights): Preamp 5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 7/10, Master 5/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Preamp | 6/10 | None → Full |
| Bass | 5/10 | Thin → Thick |
| Mid | 5/10 | Scooped → Forward |
| Treble | 6/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Presence | 6/10 | Smooth → Cutting |
| Master | 5/10 | Off → Loud |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Moderate Preamp for warm, musical overdrive — the SLO-100's Overdrive channel at Preamp 5 produces a harmonically rich overdrive that is distinct from Marshall but equally warm. Clapton used the SLO for his most distorted playing on 24 Nights; Presence at 7 adds the definition that his lead lines required over a full band.
Higher Preamp with elevated Treble and Presence — Slash has used Soldano amps alongside Marshalls. At Preamp 7 the SLO produces the thick, smooth high-gain tone that suits his Les Paul bridge pickup approach. The American gain character is slightly drier than a Marshall Plexi but warmer than a Peavey EVH.
Near-maximum Preamp for lead playing — the SLO-100 at maximum Preamp has extraordinary sustain and compression. Notes bloom slowly and sustain indefinitely. The articulation of chord voicings is reduced at this setting but single-note lead lines sustain with remarkable consistency.
Artist Settings
Documented settings used by professional guitarists on this unit.
Clapton used Soldano SLO-100s during the 24 Nights era — a departure from his usual Fender and Marshall preference. The SLO provided more gain and sustain for the extended improvised sections of the Cream and blues sets. His settings were relatively moderate — not full-gain Soldano territory, but warmer and more driven than a stock Fender Dual Showman.
Also in Our Rig Database
Guitarists who feature this gear in their documented rig — explore their full setup.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The SLO-100's two Overdrive channel modes — Normal and Crunch — are significantly different: Normal is the full-gain, smooth, cascaded American high-gain tone; Crunch is a tighter, slightly more compressed rhythm mode. Many players use Crunch for rhythm and Normal for lead within the same set.
- The SLO-100 is one of the few amplifiers that Soldano himself handwires in Seattle — each unit goes through his personal quality inspection. This contributes to the amp's high retail price (significantly more than a JCM800 new) but also its reputation for consistency and quality.
FAQ
Soldano SLO-100 — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Soldano SLO-100: Preamp at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 5/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 6/10, Master at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Blues-Rock (Clapton 24 Nights): Preamp 5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 7/10, Master 5/10. Moderate Preamp for warm, musical overdrive — the SLO-100's Overdrive channel at Preamp 5 produces a harmonically rich overdrive that is distinct from Marshall but equally warm. Clapton used the SLO for his most distorted playing on 24 Nights; Presence at 7 adds the definition that his lead lines required over a full band.
For Hard Rock (Slash): Preamp 7/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 5/10, Treble 7/10, Presence 7/10, Master 5/10. Higher Preamp with elevated Treble and Presence — Slash has used Soldano amps alongside Marshalls. At Preamp 7 the SLO produces the thick, smooth high-gain tone that suits his Les Paul bridge pickup approach. The American gain character is slightly drier than a Marshall Plexi but warmer than a Peavey EVH.
Preamp: Preamp gain — drives cascaded gain stages (None to Full). Bass: Low-frequency EQ (Thin to Thick). Mid: Midrange EQ (Scooped to Forward). Treble: High-frequency EQ (Dark to Bright). Presence: Power amp presence (Smooth to Cutting). Master: Master volume (Off to Loud)
The SLO-100's two Overdrive channel modes — Normal and Crunch — are significantly different: Normal is the full-gain, smooth, cascaded American high-gain tone; Crunch is a tighter, slightly more compressed rhythm mode. Many players use Crunch for rhythm and Normal for lead within the same set. The SLO-100 is one of the few amplifiers that Soldano himself handwires in Seattle — each unit goes through his personal quality inspection. This contributes to the amp's high retail price (significantly more than a JCM800 new) but also its reputation for consistency and quality.
Eric Clapton settings: Preamp 5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 7/10, Master 5/10. Clapton used Soldano SLO-100s during the 24 Nights era — a departure from his usual Fender and Marshall preference. The SLO provided more gain and sustain for the extended improvised sections of the Cream and blues sets. His settings were relatively moderate — not full-gain Soldano territory, but warmer and more driven than a stock Fender Dual Showman.
Got the Soldano SLO-100? Build the rest of your rig.
Use the Rig Builder to find matching guitars, pedals and cables for your genre and budget.