Tell me about the Soldano Avenger

[DEMENTED]

Does it have more gain than the SLO?, is it voiced like the SLO?
or is it just a SLO?

 

[Braciola]

Originally posted by DEMENTED
Does it have more gain than the SLO?, is it voiced like the SLO?
or is it just a SLO?

A few central Florida forum members just had both amps side by side a couple of weeks ago at our weekly mini tone fest.
IMHO, the SLO has more of an upper mid voicing where as the Avenger has thicker lower mids.
I also found the Avenger to have less of the notorious, sometimes stringent highs of the SLO.
Surprisingly, I think everyone there preferred the Avenger.

 

[cnardone]

My understanding is that the Avenger is the slo gain channel with a different Tranny. You can order it with the SLO tranny if you want.

 

[Braciola]

Originally posted by cnardone
My understanding is that the Avenger is the slo gain channel with a different Tranny. You can order it with the SLO tranny if you want.

Yes, that was my understanding too.
But played side by side, I can tell you they sound quite different.
You can also order it with EL34's (the one we A/B had the 5881's and Mercury Magnetics transformers)

 

[Badger71]

I just saw one recently in the Emporium....if I had the free scratch I'd scoop it up in a heartbeat.

 

[Blueser]

This is largely dependent on the speakers as well. I run my SLO through a THD 2x12 with Fane Alnico blues, which are a tad dark, and it sounds incredibly thick, and manages the top end sizzle of the SLO without robbing it of that delicous top end harmonic complexity. Also my SLO has the depth mod, which adds loads of low end thickness. A perfect match.

I didn't think the Avenger had the same complexity as the SLO. To me it sounded more like a Hot Rod 50, than an SLO, but it was still a great sounding amp. IMO Soldano doesn't get the exposure they deserve on this board. I think my SLO is on of the best amps I have ever played, and I sold my CAA OD100, because I like the SLO much better. With an EQ pedal in front, the SLO's clean channel to scoop some mids, it's cleans are pretty close to the clean channel of the OD100, which is the best of any channel switcher I've heard.

I am very happy with my SLO.

 

[lv]

Originally posted by Braciola
A few central Florida forum members just had both amps side by side a couple of weeks ago at our weekly mini tone fest.
IMHO, the SLO has more of an upper mid voicing where as the Avenger has thicker lower mids.
I also found the Avenger to have less of the notorious, sometimes stringent highs of the SLO.
Surprisingly, I think everyone there preferred the Avenger.

Did the SLO you compared it to have the depth mod?

 

[Braciola]

Originally posted by Lou V
Did the SLO you compared it to have the depth mod?

Hey Lou,
No, it didn't have any mods, so to be fair I made sure I had the Depth vol on the Avenger off when we did the comparison.

 

[lv]

Originally posted by Braciola
Hey Lou,
No, it didn't have any mods, so to be fair I made sure I had the Depth vol on the Avenger off when we did the comparison.

Makes sense Dom. Soldano told me pretty much the same as your review when I asked them the differences.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

I actually A/B ed my Avenger with the SLO tranny to an SLO gain channel with Depth mod and it was close enough for my taste.

 

[DEMENTED]

I was hoping the Avenger sounded better than an SLO, I sold my SLO because of the weird mids and not enough bottom umph. My SLO was all stock from 1991 with no mods, or effects loop.
Would the Avenger have the bottom the SLO was missing?

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Originally posted by DEMENTED
I was hoping the Avenger sounded better than an SLO, I sold my SLO because of the weird mids and not enough bottom umph. My SLO was all stock from 1991 with no mods, or effects loop.
Would the Avenger have the bottom the SLO was missing?

Same as a SLO with Depth mod, more than the unmodded SLO.

 

[MikeyG]

Yeah, I was there ... was really surprised to find that I preferred the OD on the Avenger ... I always prefer the depth-mod SLO to the stock, and from memory, the Avenger did remind me very much of a depth-modded SLO.... IIRC, the depth mod seems to tame the highs a tad, as well as boost the bottom ... but this is just from memory ...

 

[motorhead]

I'm seriously thinking of getting the Avenger (maybe even today if my shop still has one in stock).

The Avenger sounds great and the price is right but:

1) I'm hooked on having an Fx Loop for a Graphic EQ ... should I really care?

2) I can't get a hold of a HotRod XL or XL+. Aside from the obvious differences in specs what's the difference in tone from an Avenger or SLO?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Originally posted by motorhead
I'm seriously thinking of getting the Avenger (maybe even today if my shop still has one in stock).

The Avenger sounds great and the price is right but:

1) I'm hooked on having an Fx Loop for a Graphic EQ ... should I really care?

2) I can't get a hold of a HotRod XL or XL+. Aside from the obvious differences in specs what's the difference in tone from an Avenger or SLO?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You can order the Avenger with a loop...

 

[motorhead]

Originally posted by Ed DeGenaro
You can order the Avenger with a loop...

I figured that I can always have a Loop added afterwards.

What about HR vs. Avenger ..?

... same "difference" as a Marshall 2203 and 2204 ..?

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Originally posted by motorhead
I figured that I can always have a Loop added afterwards.

What about HR vs. Avenger ..?

... same "difference" as a Marshall 2203 and 2204 ..?

Well it should be close enough that said for some reason I never liked the HR. That said Larry McCray has the most bichen tone on his Delta Hurricane CD with an HR50.

BTW, loop can't be added on the Avenger, needs to be order beforehand as far as I kinow.

 

[motorhead]

Originally posted by Ed DeGenaro
Well it should be close enough that said for some reason I never liked the HR. That said Larry McCray has the most bichen tone on his Delta Hurricane CD with an HR50.

BTW, loop can't be added on the Avenger, needs to be order beforehand as far as I know.

Interesting ... that helps, thanks.

I'll give Soldano a call on Monday.