Marshall 48-month Special Financing*

Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive 30-watt Tube Head - Snake Skin with Metal Grille

30-watt, 2-channel Guitar Tube Amplifier Head with Bright and Clean/Crunch Switches, Independent Preamp Gain/Master Volume Controls, 3-band EQ with Presence/Depth Controls, Tube-buffered Effects Loop, Slave Output, and 4/8/16-ohm Selectable Impedance - Snake Skin with Metal Grille
Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive 30-watt Tube Head - Snake Skin with Metal Grille
$3,099.00
36 months
Special Financing – Last Day
$87/month with 36 month financing*
See all payment options

Backordered - More On The Way!

We expect more from Soldano in just a few weeks. Order today to reserve yours now, risk-free. Estimated by December 30.

Notify me when in stock
Add to Cart
Sales engineer photo
Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

What is a Sales Engineer?
Sweetwater Gear Exchange

Have one to sell?
Check out Sweetwater's Gear Exchange!
Learn More

Complete Your Order
Product Image - This Item - Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive 30-watt Tube Head - Snake Skin with Metal Grille
Soldano
SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive 30-watt Tube Head - Snake Skin with Metal Grille
$3,099.00
+
+
=
Buy all:
OR
Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive 30-watt Tube Head - Snake Skin with Metal Grille
Backordered - More On The Way! Notify me
$3,099.00
Add to Cart
Add to list
Most Popular Accessories & Related Items
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

A 30-watt Version of Soldano’s Famed SLO-100

Soldano’s SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive packs the fabled SLO-100’s tone and features into a studio-friendly, 30-watt package. Far more than a mere high-gain tube amplifier head (although it excels at that), this fire-breather’s cascading-gain preamp design churns out a thick, juicy sizzle that lends itself to everything from whiskey-soaked electric blues to red-hot jazz fusion to tooth-rattling metal. What’s more, the Super Lead Overdrive’s dynamic sensitivity is on a par with any boutique-voiced amp that dares to challenge it. There’s plenty of tone-shaping onboard this 30-watt, 2-channel amp head, plus independent preamp gain and master volume controls for achieving harmonic saturation at bedroom-friendly sound levels. You also get a tube-buffered effects loop for your pedals, while a variable slave output enables effortless DI-ing. Beyond that, a rotary impedance selector allows you to pair the SLO-30 with a multitude of speaker cabinets. Soldano’s Super Lead Overdrive is built from top-shelf, military-grade components for the ultimate in durability. Countless world-class guitarists swear by the Super Lead Overdrive. Now, thanks to the SLO-30, you can experience that sound for yourself. And you can do it without violating noise ordinances.

Cascading-gain preamp design equals rich, harmonically saturated gain

The Super Lead Overdrive is renowned for its rich, harmonically saturated gain and super-responsive touch dynamics, and it was everywhere in the late 1980s and early 1990s — Eddie Van Halen on For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Journeyman-era Eric Clapton, and just about everything Mark Knopfler has done since 1987 are but a few examples. In fact, a complete list of SLO users reads like a who’s who of world-famous guitarists — Lou Reed, Vivian Campbell, George Lynch, Gary Moore, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and a number of guitarists here at Sweetwater — the list goes on and on. And how does the SLO achieve this glorious sound? It all starts with four cascading stages of 12AX7-driven preamp gain. Your signal then travels through a tone stack that’s derived from a modified American-style amp. Finally, a 30-watt, 6L6-fueled output section delivers classic SLO tone at levels that won’t peel paint. If you’ve never experienced Soldano’s Super Lead Overdrive, plug in — you’ll never look back!

2 footswitchable channels cover rock, metal, contemporary blues, and more

No matter what kind of tone you’re trying to dial in — rock, metal, contemporary blues — the Soldano SLO-30 can achieve it. This tube amplifier head’s Normal channel yields crystalline cleans that can be honed to a razor’s edge with the channel’s Bright switch or dragged through the dirt with its Crunch switch. The SLO-30’s Overdrive channel delivers a super-thick sound that’s framed by a scorching, high-octane sizzle. Back off the gain and you’ll experience an inspiring blues-tinged sound with unbelievable touch sensitivity. Crank up the gain and you’ll unleash absolute brutality. Both channels share Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, and Depth controls that supply loads of tone-shaping power. And a footswitch is provided for effortless, noise-free switching between channels.

Pro-level features make integration with the rest of your guitar rig a breeze

The SLO-30 is jam-packed with the same pro-level features as its bigger brother. Its tube-buffered effects loop enables you to use it with your favorite effects pedals. Its slave control is an adjustable low-level output taken from the amp’s output transformer that enables you to route your signal straight to a PA or recording rig. Pro tip: this isn’t a load box — make sure you have a speaker or dummy load plugged into the amp while you’re DI-ing! The SLO-30 also boasts a rotary Impedance selector switch that accommodates 4-, 8-, or 16-ohm speaker cabinets.

Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive Amp Head Features:

  • 30W, 2-channel all-tube guitar amplifier head with cascading-gain preamp design
  • Packs the same tone and features at the fabled SLO-100 into a studio-friendly 30W package
  • Versatile tone lends itself equally well to rock, metal, and contemporary blues
  • Dynamic sensitivity hangs right in there with low-gain, boutique-voiced amplifiers
  • Normal channel yields crystalline cleans that can be honed with Bright and Crunch switches
  • Overdrive channel delivers a super-thick sound that’s framed by a scorching, high-octane sizzle
  • Independent preamp gain and master volume controls for achieving harmonically saturated tones at manageable levels
  • Both channels share Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, and Depth controls that supply loads of tone-shaping power
  • Included footswitch provides effortless, noise-free switching between channels
  • Tube-buffered effects loop for integrating your favorite effects pedals
  • Variable slave output enables effortless DI-ing
  • Rotary Impedance selector switch that accommodates 4-, 8-, or 16-ohm speaker cabinets
  • Built from top-shelf, military-grade components for the ultimate in durability

Resources

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • Type: Tube, Handwired
  • Number of Channels: 2
  • Output Power: 30W
  • Preamp Tubes: 5 x 12AX7
  • Power Tubes: 2 x 6L6
  • EQ: 3-band EQ, Presence, Depth
  • Inputs: 1 x 1/4"
  • Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (4/8/16 ohms), 1 x 1/4" (variable line out)
  • Effects Loop: Tube buffered
  • Footswitch I/O: 1 x 1/4" (channel)
  • Footswitch Included: Yes, 1-button footswitch
  • Bias Type: Adjustable Fixed
  • Construction Material: Snake Skin with Metal Grille
  • Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Height: 9.62" (with feet)
  • Width: 19"
  • Depth: 9.75"
  • Weight: 30 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: SLO-30-SNK

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation

Reviews

Rated 5/5
The Heavyweight Champion of High Gain Tubeness
I've owned them all, I was the first kid on the block to have a Marshall stack back in the 80s.
I owned a slo 100 but sold it years ago.. Always regretted it, but it was just too much..
I own Marshalls, Plexi, Jubilee & JCM 800, Mesa Rectifier & 5150 along with my much used Kemper.
This slo 30 is Heaven in a small package. Period. The end. No really, give one a shot & you'll justify the cost.
Cleans CHECK
Mids CHECK
High Gain It's a Soldano!!
If you can afford it do it, you'll never be sorry.
Music background: TrasH RocK KinG
Rated 5/5
Soldano Slo-30!
Absolutely Love the amp! Clean Channel is good, Crunch Channel is good, Overdrive is well.....Soldano! Loop works great, don't need near as much noise suppression as I have needed with a gob of other amps as the noise floor is very low for such huge amounts of gain. Plenty loud enough for band use as well. playing it through an Avatar Oversized 2x12 with a Vintage 30 and G12H30 Anniversary with the cab vertical and the G12H on top. Ordered a custom upright slant 2X12 Mojotone cab in matching Snakeskin, black grill cloth, white piping to match. Only negative is the Clean Crunch Channel are not footswitch selectable, and the volume difference which is just about 1 full number of adjustment on the volume knob. I will use pedals for some crunch stuff but am comfortable making the switch at the amp for tunes now that I know how much to adjust for. Clean channel accepts pedals very well
Rated 5/5
Never thought I'd finally find what I've been looking for
I bought this nearly four years ago so now have probably a couple hundred gigs and countless rehearsals and hours of practices. I'm not a professional but have over 30 years of experience regularly playing local bars with a few large outdoor gigs every summer to large audiences through professional sound systems. Over the years I've pretty much used about every type of amp: all kinds of Marshalls. Dr Z's. A vintage '65 Fender Showman. other fenders. Mesa Boogies, etc. Used an Axe FX for a couple years and was using a Helix when I, just missing a good old amp thing, bought this. We play mostly classic rock so this lower wattage version of one of the best amps of that genre seemed perfect. And it has not disappointed. What surprised me was that a great match it was with the Helix. I. use the four cable method using the helix as an effects board and to change channels in the amp. The volume knob on the helix is programmed to operate in the effects loop so it's basically a master volume. I can turn it down to almost bedroom level to make a sound guy happy and it sounds remarkably good through the PA and he can just kick me some back in my monitor if I need to hear myself. (I have all my old Helix packages for back up should my Soldano ever let me down but so far it's been a rock. It's travelled many hundreds of miles bouncing around in the bands trailer in nothing but a padded cover.)

What has surrprised me is the quality of the clean channel. Really big and bold. I wish I could switch to the crunch channel via footswitch but for medium/low gain I use a "pedal" in the helix. It works really well since I can jump to a preset say, for U2 or Metallica, which uses unique effects or settings and jump back to something more normal.

I know that's an expensive rig combined but it's a long time in the making and sell everything else. (You could use any multi effect device).

The gain channel is just, well, the best for that type of sound. Period.

Like so many of us, I've been constantly tweaking, perpetually unsatisfied. Yet here I am almost four years in and I haven't changed a thing. A couple years ago I made my own "snake" with a few guitar cables color coding the ends and the inputs on the amp and the helix so set up with the four cable (five if you include the channel switcher) is a snap. Never thought I'd be here. The new 20 watt Astro tempts me with the idea of being able to use all three channels through midi which I know the helix is capable of. But for the first time, I am just stopping here. This is it.
Music background: 30+ years semi-professional solo and cover bands
Rated 5/5
Thick Tone
I had this for a while and liked it, but the other night I connected to the front through an MXR 10 band EQ, set with the highs and gain just a bump above zero, amp overdrive gain on 2, yes 2, and the volume on freaking one into a 4xV30 cab. OMG… I was standing right in front of the cab and was enveloped by sound so thick and rich that it felt like I could swim in it. I have never experienced anything like that before with my gear, and have a lot of it (GAS… you know). Didn't need no steenking FX, either - the amp alone was glorious. I'll try it again to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Rated 4/5
Love it
I knew that this amp was awesome, as I also have the 100w version.For having 2 channels it's deceptively versatile. Between the clean & crunch toggle on the clean & the overall range of channel 2 you're going to be able to dial in sounds you'll enjoy. Get one if you can you won't be disappointed