The Soldano Astro-20 Head is a Soldano amplifier. Close alternatives include the Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive and the Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 Head. It pairs well with the Tone City Green Tube and the Bondi Effects Sick As Overdrive.
Soldano Astro-20 Head
Soldano · amplifier
The Soldano Astro-20 is a three-channel 20-watt head, a lower-powered design from the company Mike Soldano founded on the SLO-100, the amplifier that defined high-gain boutique amplification in the late 1980s. At 20 watts the Astro brings that lineage into rooms where an SLO-100 is unusable, and three channels give clean through to high gain. It suits hard rock and metal players wanting Soldano character at practical volume.
- lead
- di
- high gain
- direct recording
- smooth
- soldano character
- metal
- hard rock
Good for
- Live
- Practice
- Studio
Genres the Soldano Astro-20 Head is commonly used in
- Hard Rock
- Metal
- Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Soldano Astro-20 Head
Tone City Green Tube
Tone City
28% matchRun mid-forward into Soldano Astro-20 Head for more high gain on top
Bondi Effects Sick As Overdrive
Bondi Effects
26% matchSoldano Astro-20 Head's high gain fills in what this transparent tone doesn't make on its own
Boss DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion
Boss
25% matchSoldano Astro-20 Head layers high gain onto an already mid-forward signal
DigiTech Drop
Digitech
25% matchInto a transparent tone, Soldano Astro-20 Head brings the high gain it's missing
Xotic BB Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition Pedal
Xotic
24% matchRun Soldano Astro-20 Head into that transparent platform and it finally gets some high gain
Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II
Walrus Audio
24% matchThe Voyager Mk II's silicon clipping boost pushes the Astro-20's own smooth, direct-recording lead gain harder.
Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic
pedal
24% matchThe TS10's big, fat mid-hump pushes the Astro-20's own smooth, direct-recording lead gain into something more vocal.
Browne Amplification Gritador
Browne Amplification
24% matchInto the Astro-20's smooth high-gain lead voice, the Gritador's vocal midrange push adds definition without piling on extra gain.
See all 18 pedals that pair with the Soldano Astro-20 Head →
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive
Soldano
70% similarity“The Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive is a 30-watt, 2-channel head sharing the same fundamental voice as its bigger sibling, the SLO-100”
Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 Head
Mesa Boogie
62% similarityShared character: two_channels, countless_rock_and_metal_players, amp
Soldano Astro-20 Combo
Soldano
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Soldano X88
Soldano
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Soldano Astro-20 Open Back Half Stack 3-Channel 20W
Soldano
92% similaritysimilar tone character
Laney Ironheart IRT-SLS 3-Channel 300W Head
Laney
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Laney Ironheart IRT30-112 1x12 Combo
Laney
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Laney Ironheart Foundry DualRig 65W Head + 2x12 Cab
Laney
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Laney Ironheart Foundry Leadtop 60W Head
Laney
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Laney Ironheart Foundry Dualtop 2-Channel 60W Head
Laney
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander EL84/25 Head
Mesa Boogie
90% similaritysimilar tone character
Marshall Jubilee Head
Marshall
90% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Soldano Astro-20 Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Soldano Astro-20 Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive, the Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 Head, the Soldano Astro-20 Combo.
What pairs well with the Soldano Astro-20 Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Tone City Green Tube, Bondi Effects Sick As Overdrive, Boss DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion — Run mid-forward into Soldano Astro-20 Head for more high gain on top.