Heres my honest opinion... if I was a great metal player & I plugged this pedal into a good clean amp, then into a load box with my favourite IRs, then recorded it into Logic & spent a bit of time in post production tweaking it, I reckon I could get it to sound very similar to the SLO. In our videos we don't use any post production techniques to change what you hear. I guess theres no right or wrong way to record a guitar, but we always do our best to show you what stuff sounds like without rolling it in glitter!! (this comment is from Lee)
You did great in both videos. It seems some people want the reassurance of having the pedal connected directly to the power amp section of the Soldano amp will sound just about the same as the whole amp itself. That is an interesting theory, but what's the point of getting that reassurance over RU-vid audio!? To just to go out and buy the pedal and still connect it to a different amp altogether (either in the front or the FX loop)? If people don't have the real Soldano amp then using the pedal with the amp section of a different amp will most certainly sound different to a Soldano, and if they have the real Soldano then why even buy the pedal at all? You've got the answer directly from Soldano, they recommend using it as a pedal in front of a clean amp. I don't see the point of debate here. Cheers!
Two demos were great, agree with Pete who is gonna buy this pedal a build a setup around it that's nonsense. In the end it needs a lot of twicking, pedal sounds good but not as good as a 4 ground amp what a surprise 😅
@@andon5150 Kristian Kohle proved in a very short time that it isn't made to be a preamp, it really did not sound great that way compared to a clean amp.
Precisely, and truth be told, that's not a bad thing either. A big reason a lot of guitar players use pedals in the first place is to "take their sound" with them when using backline amplifiers. "Amp in a box" pedals are there to give you a "flavor" of a particular amplifier. It's just a matter of the rig. I love the JHS Morning Glory(which is based on a Marshall Blues Breaker) and the Revv G3 for example. Do they sound like an actual marshall bluesbreaker or Revv Generator? Doubt it. They just sound really good and get the job done. Amp distortion always remains supreme, but if you accept pedals for what they are, you won't be shuffling through the next "big" overdrive that comes out practically every month.
@@0megalul309 Thank you for mentioning the transformer part, the transformer and voltage are huge components of how the amplifier sounds. Some diodes and transistors sound amazing, but they have their own thing going on. The unrealistic expectation just leads to folks developing GAS.
The Fender and Katana were by far the best, besides the SLO. You guys do a great job because sound tests are so subjective, and you're right, tons of different artists use Soldano.
Not on the Metal loop.. The plexi style marshall had all kinds of junk noise but the JCM took it quite nicely. Personally don't play metal but if I did and were starting out I'd look for a cheap 2nd hand JCM that gets all kind of disrespect and exists out there in droves. Supro does "all this" for less scratch anyways. Btw LOVE Katanas. Just in my case , don't need one. If I did I'd buy one.
@@bhazhatlindi8049 It's the same eq and gain settings across all amps in their demo, as they switch between them, which they pointed out. All you'd have to do is tailor the eq and gain for the metal tones for the Fender and Katana. I haven't been impressed with any of the reviews of that pedal so far, but I don't need it.
Genuinely the most interesting watch for ages. All your videos are great, but the attention to detail here to prove a point really sets this apart. Clearly a pain in the neck to do but all the hard work has really paid off. Love the channel, keep it up guys!
Don't take the roastings to heart - Opinions are just that, opinions. You chaps do a great job of covering gear. This is all about making music and having fun FFS!!!!! By the way - Couldn't believe it, but the Katana sounded the best with the pedal i.m.o.!! Also, #GAYFORMAYER..... Really? 😆
The pedal sounds great through the front of a clean amp like the Fender and surprisingly the Katana!- its fantastic for the $ , thank you guys for doing this , and in the future PLEASE do the pedal demos like this through the different amps, that was awesome
An amazing dedication to giving people a transparent, honesty try and an amazing response to criticism. Hearing Lee admit that he's received a lot of criticism for not knowing how to wield a "metal pedal" or get a "proper" metal tone is fresh, it's humility in an industry and pursuit drowning in ego. I had my own mind made up on the pedal vs. amp already but watched the whole video to see a team of people doing their best to achieve the impossible of making everyone happy on RU-vid. Great show, gents.
I know you guys sell this stuff and are driving traffic to your store, but I massively appreciate your passion, skill, humanity and opinions. As a huge cynic of social media, influencers, etc. Your videos are one of the few reasons I even have RU-vid on my phone. Thanks for this video, it's great to see how much you care about this stuff.
I think the biggest problem that people have had with this pedal is the name... If they named it anything else at all everyone would be raving about it but because they've named it after the SLO people's expectations have gone through the roof
Solid point. Then they wouldn't be comparing it to one of the greatest amps of all time, instead they would just be saying look at this cool pedal from the makers Soldano. But I think so Donna was trying to capitalize on their name and success of their previous product.
Dang if you have to redo videos to makes sure you’re showing the most perfect forensic examination of products utilizing the most accurate of sonic examples to appease all and insure that all variables have been covered it’s gonna be a long ride. Like my long sentence. That would just mean more videos for me to watch and a lot of work for you all. All in good fun though!
I think you nailed the point with the Fender and Katana demo. A pedal like this is always going to give it's "best" performance when going into a really clean amp, otherwise it's fighting against the tonal chracteristics of the preamp. It's all somewhat academic anyway, as once it's in a mix, any subtleties or nuances are going to get lost. Good video though.
I admire how much you try to show what's what. So valuable to hear all about gear every day that you can't just buy every day making the paths more clear. Thanks guys.
I don't care about all these toxic comments and people.... All those "experts" thinking, they could explain you guys something about guitars, amps or pedals... All I do here is enjoying your videos and looking forward to every single one of it. Love your work, don't listen to all idiots on the internet, have fun here and enjoy your job in this huge playground for music lovers, what Andertons is. You don't nee to justify for anything you show us in your videos, I'm happy for everything you demonstrate to us. Greetings from Germany, I need to visit you on your lovely island some day :P
GREAT video you guys! I liked the combination with the Katana and the Fender amp the best. But the video is really great, I loved this experimenting all these different options.
@@TheCyberMantis aaaaand it's not 1500 worth of parts anyway. Halve that and you're in the ballpark, the rest is name, clout, hype and just straight up black magic, you know, pure profit!!
@@JohnWiku I was trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. We have seen supply-chain issues and price increases over the past couple of years, so the parts are more expensive than they used to be.
The guys comment that has led to the creation fo this video stuck out to me as well. According to Soldano you guys did the right thing and if you really want to know how a piece of gear sounds, try it out in a store or buy and return if not liked. That said props for taking the time to reply to the criticism.
Solid state is actually beneficial for metal rhythm playing. You want less dynamics and more solid consistent output of your notes. And solid state is good at that
Solid state power amps are probably more dynamic than tube amps overall, because they don't really give at all. Part of the reason people like tube amps is that they squish nicely when you crank them up.
I have a thought about comment sections... I find myself watching youtube channels for years and starting to feel like I'm watching old friends. The great thing about youtube is most channels leave in little mistakes, and jokes and it makes you feel like you know the people presenting. I think the trouble is that sometimes we viewers talk to youtubers in the same manner we would talk to a friend having a conversation over a beer. We make jokes and use sarcasm as if we've been hanging out for years, but we haven't. It just sounds like sarcastic and petty complaints. I'd like to think that maybe most of the negative comments are just people acting over-familiar toward people they really like. I think I've done it.
While I never thought the first video was bad, nor do I think this is a preamp pedal than it is an amp in a box, this video was much better in the sense that multiple amps were used to try out the pedal :)
I love how you guys do product reviews. Way to go doing a double take on this pedal. You went above and beyond. 👏 I do think that Pete wearing leather pants and Captain wearing spandex would have altered the tone of the pedal just a bit. 😄
You shouldn’t have to work that hard to get the sound of the amp it’s EXCLUSIVELY made to mimic. It sounds like a Line 6 POD trying to do metal sounds.
I think this is a good precedent to test gear on multiple amps and maybe you should keep this setup for it as it will give people a better idea of how gear sounds through different setups.
Amp is exactly how Lee described....much brighter and open...pedal into return darker muffled tone.. however.... adjusting the pedals parameters should be able to tune them much closer
As I read the comments on the last video, I thought "man... you are sitting home, bashing on people you don't know and think of yourself as the biggest experts..." Great of Lee and Pete for revisiting, taking things seriously and being so humble and modest while doing it! Not many people would have had such greatness against those unnecessary comments. Lee and Pete: this was a absolute great gesture of you! My honest and deep respects for that!
I'll have to go and see that comment section... I watched the vid when it first posted but I think I missed the controversy. That's what clicking the bell does for ya lol.
"Great of Lee and Pete for revisiting, taking things seriously and being so humble and modest" 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂From his first comment, Pete's sulky arrogance and passive aggressive bile is palpable.
@@strings2wood I thought about that. On one hand you're right: he was angry... but I think he had the right to be. He was a touring musician and is basically a better guitar player than 95% of us. But some of us told him (some of them very aggressive) "you did all wrong, you don't have any clue, bla bla". How would you react to this? I would be furios. And yet he tried to swallow and be modest about it. That's what I think is a very great ability and shows a great character.
All of those amps can give a dam fine and completely workable tone for pretty much any genre. Especially in a pinch. The typical player, no matter the level of fame and notoriety, could play a live gig through a completely different amp and, by the time the pedal board and individual technique takes hold, the audience would never know the difference. Most people understandably have their favorites and that in itself gives a level of satisfaction and confidence. Some are downright snobbish and idiotic about it and piss and moan and bitch and cry if they are asked to play through something else. They'll start making excuses and badmouthing before they've ever got the strap over their head. Pedals like this are a good way, for people willing to be rational, to have a less expensive option, much smaller sized backup, etc. But, as we all should realize by now, controversy is irresistible to most people and therefore drives word of mouth brand chatter, youtube views and, ultimately and most importantly, sales.
Oops! (Secretary) Ring ring... "Lee, I've got some geezer from Soldano on the phone saying their gonna pull their gear from you if you don't do a re-make of the pedal review". (Lee) "Oh shit. Tell him I'm busy shooting a pedal review..... no, tell him I'm ill, no tell him I'm selling the business, no, shit, wait, get me accounts on the phone now" Pause.... "Accounts" (Lee) " How much gear have we soldanoed this year, quick" (Accounts) "Soldanoed, sorry" (Lee) "how much efin Soldano products have we sold this year" (Accounts) "err.............4.3million plus another 1.6 in stock and 785k in guaranteed forward orders" (Lee, thinking Oh f**k) "Tracey, tell him I'm busy shooting a remake of the video we put out last week. Say we were demoing the wrong pedal by mistake" Good to see A REALLY SLICK MUSIC RETAIL OUTLET COMPLETELY ON TOP OF THEIR GAME.
I think it's fair to say it's just a soldano flavoured overdrive pedal after all that - phew --- think you did a grand job testing it fairly ... Soldano should make it more obvious that it's not an amp-in-a-box... That said - I'm kinda sad you didn't run it into a cabclone > miku --- made it go BWAAAAMP , extend middle finger to camera > and then run that Rick Astley video😉
The katana sounded the best with the pedal into the effects loop because unless you use a specific channel of the amp, it has 0 characteristic and it’s more so designed as a pedal platform.
It will naturally sound best going through the Katana because it's a "transistor" amp, and therefore not adding the "colour" of tubes that have been running for quite a while and the added distortion that you get from a tube - (valve....I lived in NY for too long!) - amp even set clean as the tubes themselves will compress and break up because that's what they do when they get hot.
I must confess to having some thoughts on the previous video, but this shows that putting the pedal in front of a clean amp seems to make more sense. Thanks for posting this follow up!
_Great_ effort guys! Going forward though, can you reserve the f-bombs for when you drop an amp on your foot, instead of in a video title? Society is already way too coarse. Looks like a nice pedal for a clean amp!
Isi it me, or the guys look and sound like they REALLY didn't want to do this video, but had to do this beacuse of the comments? I know this feeeling, I've been in three meetings this afternoon I didn't want to be in.
I didn't read the comments of the last video on this and was wondering if I was the only one that thought this sounded like crap. And you're all right..still terrible
It wasn’t current metal that made the SLO famous. It just happens to also work for it. Pete makes the great point that running the pedal into the FX in makes that the only option you have. It isn’t very realistic. The pedal is intended to go into the front end of the amp, clearly, to give a semblance of the SLO tone… as you pointed out, for people who don’t have a Soldano to start with. It isn’t a SLO and will never sound exactly like one. Why would anyone pay thousands for the amp if a pedal at a fraction of that would cover it? Thanks for being open to testing your follower’s comments but, as usual, you were closer to right than wrong.
I purchased the soldano pedal . My style is jazz fusion ,funk ,r and b ,blues, rock ,latin. I use mulltipul amps and guitars. Each pedal used reacts differently to each rig used. Over all its a great pedal.
Remember... The SLO was designed as a Plexi emulator. It does glorious low-gain tones. I'd really like to hear how this pedal handles edge of breakup tones,
The issue is all the shills saying the pedal sounds like an SLO channel and I haven't heard a single demo done that does. In fact, after 2 o'clock on the gain, it sounds like shit to me
You guys did the video just fine. The pedal doesn’t sound like the amp. Not really close. There are several good pedals that mimick amps, but this isn’t one of them.
Not a metalhead but I really loved this video. Thank you very much for taking the time to do it! I agree it sounded best in front of the Katana and the Deluxe. EDIT: The non-metal tone at the end sounded killer through all the amps.
This pedal paired with a Two Note Cab M+ would be a very intriguing pairing because it seems like Soldano voiced this pedal to precede a bright, scooped clean EQ stage like a typical Fender. The Cab M+ as a preamp setting that simulates a silverface Bassman preamp. Not that you are looking to do another video - but this could be interesting for someone to do showing the "fly-rig" and "ampless" capabilities of the SLO pedal into an industry standard IR loader.
You did fine in the last video and did fine in this one if they didn’t like your results they can check out one of the many other videos featuring this pedal.
I had no issues myself with your 1st Soldano pedal demo. Been watching you guys for many years. Probably my favourite RU-vid channel. Honestly though I just don't think it's a very good pedal expensive or not. Think we are all just expecting it to be great. 👍🤘
While most of the commenters were wrong, the fact you did this video is awesome, just to hear how this pedal works in multiple scenarios! Definitely keen to buy it now.
I trust Anderton’s to text equipment the way I would test equipment as an end user. Grab as few guitars, amps, and pedals available off the shelf, plug them in, and start playing. This is the entire point of their videos! They are discovering the gear with us with a bit of editing to save time. That’s their whole schtick.
Lee and Pete, as someone who knows the metal community there nothing you will do that will please them, they will bitch about everything and probably never had the intentions of buying this pedal. Great video as always, but that pedal sucks imo.
Exactly. Way too much drama involved with this pedal and it still sounds boxy and very much like a pedal. Why? For comparison sakes my Friedman Smallbox and Dirty Shirley pedals are turn key. I turn them on, no fiddling and they sound killer and splitting hair different to what they’re trying to emulate.
I always appreciate your videos. The thought and effort each of you put in, behind the scenes or in front of the camera, I find both informative and entertaining. (Not to mention the money invested in your review studio). Every video may not be to my personal preference but I still yet can find appreciation for what you have put forth for RU-vid, the guitar industry, and we who choose to watch. I am not the only one, as you have over 800,000 subscribers!! Congratulations!! As a watcher and reader of the comments, I tend to take criticisms by someone with barely over 1,000 subscribers with a grain of salt. Another great video and hats off to all involved!!!
Well you could argue there still is a lot of Rock DNA in a classic Metal tone. That's why you got all those homies wanting to plug a Tubescreamer into a Peavey 5150 Van Halen amp. After watching the whole thing I am on the verge of ordering a Katana now. For my son of course. Only for my son.
Well done colleagues. The pedal is very good, it's just not as responsive as the ibanez tube screamer or boss sd1, but it's very eloquent, after all, it's a Soldano. And don't expect it to sound like a $5,000 piece of equipment. Everyone has to find their own sound. Thanks to Andertons.
@@walkinginthedarkness4540 Agreed. Most on that list were Metal, not Canibal Corpse style, but still Metal. I wonder how that artist listing can possibly be seen as not including Metal players?
Wasn't it Paul Reed Smith that said "World wide every body trusts you because you are honest with your opinions" Nothing could be truer. Keep up the great work you do on RU-vid.
nice review! I've seen the first one too... I would like to share my opinion from SV20h, which I own too. maybe the way you guys set it, doesn't make that much sense for this purpose :) if you have the channels jumped, you should set the high treble to about 1, max 2 and normal to max 3~4 to try to achieve the cleanest sound possible on it. With everything at noon, it's already distorted. None surprise the katana had the closest and best sound, clean channel, no tube distortion from pre if pushed, so the pedal pairs better with it. I'm still curious to hear how the SV20H on the cleanest config possible would sound with the SLO pedal. :) Thanks again for the video! Cheers
Great second video, guys. Probably should have reset the settings from that extreme fx return setting before going into the front end of all those amps, but apart from that, spot on. There is no “best” way to use or even demo a pedal. Pedals (and amps, guitars etc) are like paints and brushes. Telling someone they’re using them wrong is like telling Picasso that a face doesn’t look like that… Edit: oh, I shot my load too early. No issues with the extreme settings. You did it on purpose. So mark that part of my comment as bs 😂 The rest still stands.
People. Some of the comments and the forums. This thing about using a “modeler” in the EL of an amp has become the most common thing to say and do amongst Drs, Lawyers and Accountants.
Just go into the clean Soldano input. 😉 I did that with the SLO 100 and a Shredmaster in the 90s and the sound was so close to the overdrive channel, it was frightening. I am not kidding you!
Unlike most, I will straight up say that you two gave this pedal more than a fair shake. Indeed, I will go so far as to say that you highlighted the uses and limitations of the pedal beautifully. I appreciate the work and diligence. Well done, gentlemen. Well done, indeed
Thanks for having the humility to make this video, guys. I would only say that to get the best result with the Marshalls, you need to use the lower gain inputs. Otherwise it's too thin and trebly and you don't have enough headroom to let the pedal breathe. I know this from experience; I own both those amps and I run them clean with a Keeley El Rey Dorado as my main drive pedal and it sounds phenomenal. And I'm from a long background of high-gain, 120w amps with no pedals - Peavy Triple XXX, Laney IronHeart etc.
I think what happened in the last video was that you guys had quite a few people hoping that pedal would get them 95% of the way to a real Soldano SLO who were disappointed and taking it out on you.
Don't try to please people, because you can't please everyone, especially commenters. They're the hardest people to please. Just do what sounds right. It got close, but this was basically a great advertisement for the real SLO, and I'm fine with that 👍
Now, finally… you’ve done it. With the help of this expertly executed chug chug comparison video, Mark Knopfler will definitively be able to figure out wether he can sell his SLOs and replace them with this pedal. Excellent!
It is still better to just buy a real Soldano. To me none of the samples satisfied me. I did notice the gain should have been turned down some because it seems some of the amps were clipping. Now I wish you would do a SLO 30 and SLO 100 comparison. Thanks guys for doing the video.
John Sykes made White Snake amazing he used a Mesa Boogie Tune Amp and was the riff and lick Vibrato Master he is one of my inspirations Whitesnake only sounded good and made hits in the Studio with him check out Blue Murder as well that's John Sykes band Rock On sounds cool
