Need info on Soldano Hot Rod 50 Plus

[Ward]

Hey guys,

I'm good friends with the local music store owner, and he knows I'm a high gain guy. He mentioned that he has a Soldano Hot Rod 50 Plus that he thinks a friend of his wants to sell.

I've always had Marshalls, but have always wanted to get something with more of the American sound to go alongside my British Marshall sound. Not sure if something with 6L6s will get me there, but that's what I've had in mind. I was thinking Mesa, but have never had the opportunity to try one. I believe Soldanos were originally modified Mesas, but I don't know if it is a similar sound.

So in general I'm wondering what your thoughts on Soldano and the Hot Rod 50 Plus are. I have heard build quality is stellar, but is it a sound more in line with Mesa than Marshall, or is it a different animal completely? Any descriptions would be appreciated. If it is available for sale I will try it out before buying, but before I bother the guy I wanted to know if it is at all what I'm looking for.

Also wondering if anyone knows ballpark prices on these used. Completed auctions on eBay don't paint much of a picture. I don't want to end up losing money if I decide not to keep it. I'm not looking to steal this thing or flip it, but I also don't want to overpay for something I don't really need.

Thanks for any replies...

[Cygnus X1]

You would be fine at 1K ro 1,200 clean condition.
I like them, but you'd really have to try it to see if it fits your style.
To me it's neither Mesa or Marshall.
OK, closer to a Marshall JCM800 with gain mods.

Good flipping material if you don't like it.

[Ward]

Thanks Cyg.

Not sure if it will happen, but at least now I have a ballpark of what might be a fair price. As with any amp, I'll have to hear it myself to find out if it's right for me, but it sounds like it might be worth looking into ...

[markD]

i used to have an SLO100, i actually prefer the HR50+. it is gainy, smooth, and great for lead playing. i find it kind of similar to having a smooth fuzz face type of sound....

[Cygnus X1]

Yeah, I have to qualify what I meant about "modded JCM800".
The gain structure is similar, but the tonal characteristic is different.
To me it's difficult to get a good clean out of many modern Marshall amps.
The Soldanos have a better clean tone IMO.

I have a bad habit of referring to my own studies and building experiences but
in my opinion the key is building a good-to-great clean amp and then build gain
on top of that.

[neilli]

I had one back in the UK, and yeah, it's definitely more Marshall than Mesa. I don't consider the HR50+ to be a 'High Gain' amp, especially by modern standards..

[Ward]

Thanks all.

If it's Marshallish, not modern high gain, and $1K range I won't bother with it. I'm really not looking for another head right now anyway.

If he says a crazy low number, I'll look into it

[roodyrocker]

I own a SLO 100 not the HR 50. Sound wise I never thought of either of them as a Mesa sound. And yes, Soldano stuff is built very nice! I'm not sure about the HR 50 but I know on the SLO 100 it has a lifetime transferable warranty! You can't beat that. The SLO 100 uses DeYoung transformers which are unique to that amp. Over on the Soldano forum many HR owners still lust for the SLO so if possible I say go for the SLO instead. However there is a huge jump in price but damn is it a fine sounding amp!

[Ward]

Thanks Rudy.

I'm not in the market for the SLO, but I have heard they are killer.

This Hot Rod is actually the only Soldano I've ever seen in this neck of the woods, that's why it got my interest.

But I'm definitely not looking to spend SLO money for a third head that I don't need

[roodyrocker]

Thanks Rudy.

I'm not in the market for the SLO, but I have heard they are killer.

This Hot Rod is actually the only Soldano I've ever seen in this neck of the woods, that's why it got my interest.

But I'm definitely not looking to spend SLO money for a third head that I don't need

Understandable. I guess the main points I was trying to make is that Soldanos have a trasferable lifetime warranty which is very cool and many who get a HR 50+ eventually end up spending the money on a SLO anyway. Since when do we buy amp heads based on need anyway? We have GAS for this stuff just like for guitars

[mjtripper]

Understandable. I guess the main points I was trying to make is that Soldanos have a trasferable lifetime warranty which is very cool and many who get a HR 50+ eventually end up spending the money on a SLO anyway. Since when do we buy amp heads based on need anyway? We have GAS for this stuff just like for guitars

Only the slo has the transferable lifetime warranty, the rest are just the standard. I love the soldano sound myself and there are a ton of tweaks/mods you can do to them if you want to change the voicing a little. If it has the depth option that makes a big difference for a lot of people looking for modern tones. The older ones have mercury magnetic tranny sets, except the slo which is deyoung as already stated by somebody, but the newer ones have onetics which are much closer to the deyoungs. I would also say they are closer to a modded marshall than a mesa. Soldano speakers are quite dark so if you play it through a bright speaker you might be shocked at how much high end is in there.

[Ward]

Since when do we buy amp heads based on need anyway? We have GAS for this stuff just like for guitars

So true.

My budget is keeping my GAS in check right now though. So unless this thing is a steal, I must fight the urge.

[Ward]

I would also say they are closer to a modded marshall than a mesa. Soldano speakers are quite dark so if you play it through a bright speaker you might be shocked at how much high end is in there.

There is no Soldano cab with the head, but if I do end up trying it, I'll make sure to try it through all 3 of my 4x12s. Thanks for the heads up!

[chrisolson]

This is an amp you definitely want to try first. I had lusted after these for years. I finally got to play one, and I was very much underwhelmed. I've been spoiled by some other great amps, but Soldano was always the "modeler amp of choice" for me. I didn't care for the HR. it was a bit too fizzy and stiff.

If I want a Marshall that sounds more Mesa-ish, the JVM series are great amps for a much more modern thing.

[mjtripper]

I had a similar experience with marshall, I had always wanted a hot rodded marshall and when I finally got to play a couple it was like 'that's it?' Then I played a soldano and it was the 'marshall' tone I was hearing, but I do like bright stiff amps. I don't actually have a soldano anymore but rather a clone based on the sloclone project that I like better because I've tweaked it to fit me better, mainly the clean channel. I always encourage everybody to try out every amp they can get their hands on because you never know what will do it for you. So many amp, so little time/money