If the long-lasting Soldano SLO-100 is perpetually in your want listing however its price ticket retains you from pulling the set off, its creator now has a sensible various.

Increasing on the unique single-channel SLO Overdrive pedal, the SLO Plus introduces a Regular channel alongside Overdrive, every with devoted controls that permit for detailed tweaking of Preamp achieve and Grasp output. Tone-shaping is courtesy of shared three-band EQ, Presence, and a side-mounted Deep swap for shaping low-end.

The pedal has a sturdy steel housing, tactile management knobs, heavy-duty foot switches, LED indicators, and a 9-volt jack. It’s dressed with clear graphics and labeling, neatly organized inside parts, {and professional} construct high quality.

Working a Les Paul by means of a boutique amp with 6V6s and the Plus set to edge-of-breakup tone produced the thick, sustaining overdrive for which the SLO-100 is thought. With the Overdrive channel’s Preamp (achieve) cranked, you’re rewarded with creamy, saturated overdrive that oozes maintain and harmonics; the Regular channel gives a wealthy, aggressive crunch good for rhythm tones or bluesy leads when its Preamp knob is backed down a contact. Switching to a Telecaster yielded sharp, slicing distortion on the Regular channel and a saturated-but-articulate distortion by means of Overdrive. Adjusting the EQ and Deep swap tailor-made the pedal’s tone for the Telecaster’s brightness or the Les Paul’s darker sounds.

The Plus responds nicely to choosing dynamics and cleaned up properly when rolling off the guitar’s Quantity knob. Channel and bypass switching make it splendid for dwell gigs and the studio.

Highly effective and compact, the SLO Plus delivers usable, clean, traditional crunch or high-gain monster tone, bringing a number of the expertise of a legendary amp proper to your pedalboard. – Charlie Wilkins

This text initially appeared in VG’s March 2025 challenge. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.