The Soldano SLO is a Soldano preamp pedal, currently around $119.99. Close alternatives include the Orange Micro Terror and the Ceriatone 2202H. It pairs well with the Keeley Halo and the MXR M83.
Soldano SLO
Soldano · pedal
The Soldano SLO pedal captures the preamp circuit of the legendary Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive amplifier, designed by Mike Soldano in Seattle in 1987. The SLO-100 amp is one of the most celebrated high-gain amplifiers in history, used by Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Lou Reed, Steve Kimock, and countless rock guitarists for its unique tight low end, singing mids, and articulate high-gain voice. The pedal format delivers the SLO preamp character directly into any amp.
What stands out
“The Soldano SLO pedal delivers legendary SLO-100 high-gain character at Soldano USA quality for rock and metal players who want the most celebrated high-gain amp circuit from Mike Soldano himself”
— from the community notes
“Use-case wise it suits high-gain rock, blues-rock, and classic rock players who want SLO character at Soldano quality”
— from the community notes
“The pedal format delivers the SLO preamp character directly into any amp”
— from the listing
“the soldano slo pedal captures the preamp circuit of the legendary soldano slo-100 super lead overdrive amplifier”
— from the listing
“Tight low end and articulate high-gain mids”
— from the reviews
- high gain
- rock
- lead
- low end
- mids
- articulate
- tight
Good for
- Live
- Silent Recording
- Studio
Price updated Oct 25, 2026
Genres the Soldano SLO is commonly used in
- Rock
- Classic Rock
- Blues Rock
- Metal
- Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Soldano SLO
Keeley Halo
Keeley
35% matchRun the Halo's ambient stereo delay into the SLO's tight, articulate preamp gain and the echoes pick up real harmonic content. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
MXR M83
MXR
33% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run the M83's lush chorus-flanger blend after the SLO's tight, articulate preamp gain and the modulation has real harmonic meat to work through.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
JHS Colour Box V2
JHS Pedals
32% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)
JHS Colour Box V2 pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost
Fjord Fuzz Fjaer Spring Reverb
Fjord Fuzz
31% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Fjord Fuzz Fjaer Spring Reverb layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost
Blackstar
30% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → high gain)
Push the SLO's tight, articulate preamp gain with the Dept. 10's own tube-driven clean boost and it opens up without losing focus.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
30% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Soldano SLO pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Comes earlier in the signal chain
T-Rex Tremonti Phaser
T Rex
28% matchSoldano SLO's own high gain character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
TC Electronic Triple Flashback Delay
TC Electronic
28% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep TC Electronic Triple Flashback Delay after Soldano SLO in the signal chain, clear of Soldano SLO's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Cheaper alternatives
Boutique & premium upgrades
Friedman JEL-50
Friedman
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Marshall JCM900 2100
Marshall
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
ENGL Marty Friedman Inferno E766
Engl
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Marshall 1987 50-Watt Plexi
Marshall
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Suhr Shiba Drive
Suhr
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Diezel Zerrer 2-Channel Preamp
Diezel
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Orange Micro Terror
Orange
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Ceriatone 2202H
Ceriatone
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Ceriatone JTM45/100
Ceriatone
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Ceriatone British Style 2525
Ceriatone
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Ceriatone British Style Plexi50 Lead
Ceriatone
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
See all alternatives to the Soldano SLO (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Soldano SLO?+
The closest matches in character are the Orange Micro Terror, the Ceriatone 2202H, the Ceriatone JTM45/100. Budget picks: MXR Super Badass Distortion, Marshall Guv'nor. Boutique upgrades: Friedman JEL-50, Marshall JCM900 2100, ENGL Marty Friedman Inferno E766.
What pairs well with the Soldano SLO?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Keeley Halo, MXR M83, JHS Colour Box V2 — Run the Halo's ambient stereo delay into the SLO's tight, articulate preamp gain and the echoes pick up real harmonic content. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp).
How much does the Soldano SLO cost?+
Around $119.99 (live listing price, updated Oct 25, 2026).