Honestly, they all sounded fairly similar to me (in headphones at least) in the "mix" but out of the mix you could hear the intricacies much better. The Germino and SLO popped the most for me - although all amps didn't seem to be level matched and as you know, once we hear something louder, we often think "better."
Man, your videos are so easy to understand, so easy to enjoy, besides your ability as a musician you have gift as a teacher, never gets tedious or anything, really really good stuff!
Until I watched all the clips back to back, I thought you were just re-amping the same track. Then I realized you were playing the same riff for each amp. That really shows your consistency in playing riffs. You session monster you :)
They all sound awesome. Similar but there's subtle differences in the flavor. It shines through when he combines all 3. Now I get his reasons. Thanks Pete!
If anyone asks, "what do you need all those amps for?", they're watching the wrong f*cking RUclips channel. They can go learn to make glitter tumblers.
Holy moley, that is an awesome piece you've put together for this demo. In the end, all the amps sound fantastic... I don't know that I could pick a favourite.
Loved the Top Hat's high end. The SLO's gravelly texture compared with the others' more sandy texture was readily apparent in the soloed track. The triple-tracked sound was (of course) the real standout. Thanks for the comparison using amps and talent that us mere mortals can only dream of possessing!
I was amazed by how open, big, but still clear the TopHat sounded, definitely one of my favourites for shure. The Germino, though, it's got that raunchy, tight, in your face VH1esque sound. Pair it with the SLO and you're good. Damn, I love amps and so do you Pete, I can really tell haha
Modded Germino all the way...gain, snap and articulation without the low sting fizz. I've always been a fan of extra filtering in 4 input 100 watters, both SB and SL with their fast attack... The Laboga was interesting as well.
With quality head phones I can see why the pt100 is your main squeeze. All of them sound incredible. Your knowledge and experience puts your credibility off the scale. Beutiful office and monster riffs I just absolutely love this channel. Don't worry about camera quality your an absolute authority on this subject! Many thanks for saving your subscribers time and money...💪🎸👂💣✌👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I actually use two amps all the time, usually one wet and one dry but even when they're both dry I feel it fills out the the sound more. You hit it on the head when you said they complement each other and make up for the tones that the other doesn't have. Again thanks🎸
One of my first really good amps, I had one of the first made! Back when they came with american made 6L6’s from the factory! I wish I could remember what happened to it I have no memory of selling it
Great stuff Pete! All I can say is that this video tells me I made the right decision with the PT-100se. What an amp! I still love mine after all these years. Great video, stay healthy out there.
Fantastic, thanks Pete. Fascinating to hear the differences and how, when combined, they can compliment eachother. That tone in the last track was enormous!
For that riff I would choose the Soldano followed by the Germino. They all work though. (Edit: the triple track is genius and shows off the character of each amp wonderfully; huge sound).
I play an SLO 30 so I'm perhaps a little biased but for me they're close to the perfect all around amp. They're so harmonically rich and dense but at the same time they're unbelievably dynamic and sensitive. You can literally "clean up" the amp by just picking lightly, and or roll back your guitar volume and it is just so expressive and emotive. Truly a joy to play at low to medium gain as well. So yeah the Soldano wins for me.
Sweet...fun to watch/hear that tour. I think Mark Knopfler has been using a Soldano for years now, I only say that because most don't use Knopfler and a hi-gain amp in the same sentence; it just goes to show, Soldano isn't just for hi-gain purposes, something to be said if a guy like Knopfler is using it for Knopfler sounds. And adversely: I've recently heard 6L6 tubes getting saturated on an attenuated old Fender Deluxe and it sounded absolutely amazing. All tube path like a Plexi and also a non-master volume amp, so similar in those regards, but had that Fender warmth to it...without that attenuator it would have been impossible to be in the same room with it. But, damn, sounded so good.
Loved them all, the Tophat and Garmino are my two favorites, I also have the Tophat Emplexador and just love it, especially blended with my Bogner Ubershall, great sounds ! Thanks Pete loved the video !
As weird it might seem, I’m surprised I dug the PT-100 second to the Soldano. The mere presence of the SLO was just unfair to these other amps LOL! The Germino really did remind me of Steve Vai’s José-modded Marshall, too!
That Germino sounds crazy good! Also the blended tones where crushing I love to use multiple amps as well for my sound just adds more spectrum and girthyness
I liked the Top Hat and the Germino most because I like Marshalls and mids but I can see why the Soldano might be handy too. It did sound great. The PT100 was nice and tight and still had the nice mids as well. All great amps there.
I liked the PT 100 and Germino. Its just when he hammers the e string, you can hear that clear dropped D blurp blurp blurp - its tight but got the perfect grind
Awesome video Pete 😎🤘 They all sounded cool but to me the Jose Modded Germino sounded the best, all raw & aggressive Marshall tone 👌😎 Makes me wanna mod my 82 JMP 2204 with a Jose mod 👍It did sound huge with them blended 👍 Mick Mars is one those guys who blends amps, I believe in his touring rack he has a modded Marshall JCM 800 which he says he uses that for the midrange, a SLO 100 for just the overall gain & saturation & then finish it of with a Rivera Knucklehead for that huge low end thump 👍 A really cool way of doing it, obiously all the super expensive high end rack stuff helps, but that's a different story 😅
Wow...great comparison Pete. They all sound awesome. The Synergy Savage module is really attractive to me though. Definitely considering going for one.
All the amps sounded great , but the standout for me was the TopHat !! Maybe all that old vintage glass ??? who knows right . Great guitar nerd video for sure . Awesome Stuff Pete !!!!
Soldano for the win!!! I love a little sponge to my grind. I would definitely like a little more bottom end. Combinding them was the best. This is where Modelers kick butt. They allow for easy sampling of different combinations. I love adding a super reverb to a heavy sound amp to get clean definition spongeliness with monster grin. PT you are the best buddy I really appreciate your reviews and insights.
Very cool Pete. I believe Mick Mars is another one of those players who used 6 or 7 different amp heads to get his massive tone when tracking. Of course...it's nice to have that many hi gain/boutique type of amps to select from if you got the $$$$$$$!!
Big grain vs. fine grain sound - I like to use the analogy of a hot-rodded 70s muscle car vs. a Lamborghini. Both sound awesome but have a totally different growl. Thanks for the comparison! As always on your channel super fun to watch and informative.
If you ever get the chance check out the Trace Elliot Speed Twin 100. Right up your alley. Bought it cheap with only an iPhone to test it with. Still not bored with it yet. Top Hat my fave too.
My favorite standalone amp from your demonstrations was the Jose/Friedman modded Germino, hands down... that really tight, mids-focused sound is just killer to my ears. But when you did the blend of three amps at the end, that tone was HUGE!! Hard to beat that!!
Love the heavy riff in this one. Killer amps, and great video. I'm wanting to add some amps to my collection for mixing purposes, and really enjoyed hearing what you had to say!
Regarding the Germino, and the ability to blend the channels without jumping them. I used to gig with an old Marshall JMP 50 back in the eighties and nineties. I don't know if it was faulty, maybe it was but, I would always plug into just channel II (Normal) but be able to blend in a bit of real sizzle from channel I without jumping. Just blending in a bit of that made a huge difference to the tone, and feel of the amp. The amp just seemed to come alive, notes popped right out, full of harmonic content, and it just seemed to make it an easier, and more fluid playing experience.
Wow Pete. You were right to be excited about that new camera. I can really tell the improvement in image quality. Good thinking on that. Glad you updated a different kind of gear ;-)
I love this series. I think this info is applicable to people who use a Pod Go/HX Stomp/Helix, conceptually. Sometimes the music is so good, I get totally distracted, but I'd say that's a good problem.
Thank you Pete for another great video. I would love to see an Amps in the Zone episode about the difference between setting up an amp in the room versus setting one up for recording. I often find that I need to compromise a certain amount of my comfort zone when recording (in my case using a modeler) because a mix requires different aspects of tone than when I am setting up a tone through my guitar cabs in the room. That means far less gain, bass, and a generally more narrow EQ to fit in a mix, especially a dense one. I notice that there is no real disparity between live videos of your tone (ie a video that includes room sound) and your recorded tone. Is it that your comfort zone tonally naturally fits into a mix or did you have to compromise and your ears adjusted? I find that I'm adjusting my ears and it has greatly influenced how I hear my own sound now. Anyhow, thank you again for the content and I wish you well.
Top hat and Soldano are my favorites
Surprised how much I really liked the Top Hat. It was a bit darker sounding but I really dig it!
I think I preferred the Top Hat over the rest
My favorite too
Agreed, chewy, meaty, but still clear though seemingly boosted in the lower mids. My favorite as well.
Sounds huge with the amps blended in! On its own the Soldano was definitely above the others.
The SLO100 sounds most harmonically rich, punchy and clear to my ears. Love that amp. The blended mix is sweet! 👍
Pete, your ability to play a riff with consistent tone and technique, not to mention timbre and timing, is amazing.
Thanks!!
Really liked the Laboga and Soldano. Stood out to me!
solo them separately make all the difference to me how you show and explain everything makes your vids the best thanks for showing us
Honestly, they all sounded fairly similar to me (in headphones at least) in the "mix" but out of the mix you could hear the intricacies much better. The Germino and SLO popped the most for me - although all amps didn't seem to be level matched and as you know, once we hear something louder, we often think "better."
I liked the Germino and Soldano the best in different ways. I don't think there's a bad sound in the bunch.
Thanks Pete. Hope you have a great day.
1. Germino. 2. PT 100W. 3. TopHat. I like a little darker with sweet midrange. Great video Pete!
This is exactly what I thought too.
Man, your videos are so easy to understand, so easy to enjoy, besides your ability as a musician you have gift as a teacher, never gets tedious or anything, really really good stuff!
Thank you Sam!
Man, Soldanos always have such a visceral snarl to the sound that just makes me all excited inside like a kid
I like them all! I can see why Pete keeps them all even if the difference is subtle. That was fun listening. Thanks Pete!
That SLO, man...sheesh...just awesome.
Until I watched all the clips back to back, I thought you were just re-amping the same track. Then I realized you were playing the same riff for each amp. That really shows your consistency in playing riffs. You session monster you :)
They all sound awesome. Similar but there's subtle differences in the flavor. It shines through when he combines all 3. Now I get his reasons. Thanks Pete!
If anyone asks, "what do you need all those amps for?", they're watching the wrong f*cking RUclips channel. They can go learn to make glitter tumblers.
Haha!!! Glitter Tumblers!!
Nice one.... although, i do like the glitter tumblers, too... 😉
“Why all the hair? Why all the pearls? Why anything!?”
Solo’d amp time stamps
PT100 12:37
PT15 12:52
Engl Savage Synergy 13:10
LaBoga Solo 13:28
Top Hat Emplexador 13:47
Germino 14:05
Soldano 14:22
Love the Germino
THAT SOLDANO!!! Loved those ever since hearing Black Francis of Pixies use one live. Such a great sound. Great video!
If i'd had all those amps with cabinets, the whole city would be marching with pitchforks and torches, screaming and banging on my door.
Holy moley, that is an awesome piece you've put together for this demo. In the end, all the amps sound fantastic... I don't know that I could pick a favourite.
I loved the PT-100 and the Germino.
Best demos on youtube!
Loved the Top Hat's high end. The SLO's gravelly texture compared with the others' more sandy texture was readily apparent in the soloed track. The triple-tracked sound was (of course) the real standout. Thanks for the comparison using amps and talent that us mere mortals can only dream of possessing!
Thanks Pete that was very informative,and all of the amps had their own unique flavor. Nice Riffs too.
I was amazed by how open, big, but still clear the TopHat sounded, definitely one of my favourites for shure. The Germino, though, it's got that raunchy, tight, in your face VH1esque sound. Pair it with the SLO and you're good.
Damn, I love amps and so do you Pete, I can really tell haha
The labago and germino were very percussive. Love them both.
Modded Germino all the way...gain, snap and articulation without the low sting fizz. I've always been a fan of extra filtering in 4 input 100 watters, both SB and SL with their fast attack... The Laboga was interesting as well.
Love this series🙂
Came for sounds, replayed for the riffs as always 👍👍👍👍
Great video Pete, that Germino and Soldano really stood out to my ears but all great sounding amps!
+1
Love that riff!!!!
With quality head phones I can see why the pt100 is your main squeeze. All of them sound incredible. Your knowledge and experience puts your credibility off the scale. Beutiful office and monster riffs I just absolutely love this channel. Don't worry about camera quality your an absolute authority on this subject! Many thanks for saving your subscribers time and money...💪🎸👂💣✌👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I actually use two amps all the time, usually one wet and one dry but even when they're both dry I feel it fills out the the sound more. You hit it on the head when you said they complement each other and make up for the tones that the other doesn't have. Again thanks🎸
Perfect Blend! Picked the best ones to blend for my ears... Awesome stuff once again. Would like to hear a block letter 5150 added someday
One of my first really good amps, I had one of the first made! Back when they came with american made 6L6’s from the factory! I wish I could remember what happened to it I have no memory of selling it
Great stuff Pete! All I can say is that this video tells me I made the right decision with the PT-100se. What an amp! I still love mine after all these years. Great video, stay healthy out there.
Laboga has some interesting grainy texture in sound, really dig it.
Fantastic, thanks Pete. Fascinating to hear the differences and how, when combined, they can compliment eachother. That tone in the last track was enormous!
Love type of video. Thought the laboga and tophat were surprisingly chunky. Awesome
For that riff I would choose the Soldano followed by the Germino. They all work though. (Edit: the triple track is genius and shows off the character of each amp wonderfully; huge sound).
Top Hat - sounds SO good!
Very cool video! I think my favourite was the Top Hat. Love that full bodied sound.
Germino for the win! Had no idea... Thank you Pete!
I play an SLO 30 so I'm perhaps a little biased but for me they're close to the perfect all around amp. They're so harmonically rich and dense but at the same time they're unbelievably dynamic and sensitive. You can literally "clean up" the amp by just picking lightly, and or roll back your guitar volume and it is just so expressive and emotive. Truly a joy to play at low to medium gain as well. So yeah the Soldano wins for me.
Amps are great and all that jazz,but my good man that's some damn good riffage.
Germino, Top Hat and SLO
Sweet...fun to watch/hear that tour. I think Mark Knopfler has been using a Soldano for years now, I only say that because most don't use Knopfler and a hi-gain amp in the same sentence; it just goes to show, Soldano isn't just for hi-gain purposes, something to be said if a guy like Knopfler is using it for Knopfler sounds.
And adversely: I've recently heard 6L6 tubes getting saturated on an attenuated old Fender Deluxe and it sounded absolutely amazing. All tube path like a Plexi and also a non-master volume amp, so similar in those regards, but had that Fender warmth to it...without that attenuator it would have been impossible to be in the same room with it. But, damn, sounded so good.
Loved them all, the Tophat and Garmino are my two favorites, I also have the Tophat Emplexador and just love it, especially blended with my Bogner Ubershall, great sounds ! Thanks Pete loved the video !
Still yet to try a Soldano. I don't play high gain all that much. I really like the way they sound. I really want to try one...
Love your videos man - you have a great way of describing tone in such an articulate way for all of us tube amp nerds. They all sound great!
As weird it might seem, I’m surprised I dug the PT-100 second to the Soldano. The mere presence of the SLO was just unfair to these other amps LOL!
The Germino really did remind me of Steve Vai’s José-modded Marshall, too!
That Germino sounds crazy good!
Also the blended tones where crushing
I love to use multiple amps as well for my sound just adds more spectrum and girthyness
You're the first other person I've heard talk about big and small grain gain before I'm quite excited about it
That Modern Switch on the TopHat actually switches in a JCM800 cold biased stage. Basically it makes the Plexi-like preamp into a JCM800 type preamp.
Seems like more gain than an 800 though? Maybe just the way Brian tweaks it.
Thats freaking bad ass!!! THANK YOU!!
PT 100 AND SOLDANO
I liked the 15 watt amp - way more than I thought I would. Maybe something in the circuit or smaller iron but it sounds awesome.
I liked the Top Hat and the Germino most because I like Marshalls and mids but I can see why the Soldano might be handy too. It did sound great. The PT100 was nice and tight and still had the nice mids as well. All great amps there.
I liked the PT 100 and Germino. Its just when he hammers the e string, you can hear that clear dropped D blurp blurp blurp - its tight but got the perfect grind
Love that germino
They all sound great! That's a fantastic collection, I can't imagine a more fun room to be in. I don't think I'd ever leave LOL!
BTW, does Dave still do mods for the general public?
Awesome. The PT15 sounds great to me.
I liked them all. Great tones out of all of them.
Great job Pete, I learned sooo much. There are subtle tones but they all sounded great! Killer tone when all mixed...awesome A+
Thanks!!
Awesome video Pete 😎🤘 They all sounded cool but to me the Jose Modded Germino sounded the best, all raw & aggressive Marshall tone 👌😎 Makes me wanna mod my 82 JMP 2204 with a Jose mod 👍It did sound huge with them blended 👍 Mick Mars is one those guys who blends amps, I believe in his touring rack he has a modded Marshall JCM 800 which he says he uses that for the midrange, a SLO 100 for just the overall gain & saturation & then finish it of with a Rivera Knucklehead for that huge low end thump 👍 A really cool way of doing it, obiously all the super expensive high end rack stuff helps, but that's a different story 😅
Thankyou for all your great videos, no EVH 5150 lll 50 watt high gain on this video
I like they you got a little giddy talking about Rush.......I do the same
With Soldano using 6L6's I always thought of the SLO 100 as more of a hot-rodded Fender. 6L6's are good for a tight, punchy headroom tho...
Wow...great comparison Pete. They all sound awesome. The Synergy Savage module is really attractive to me though. Definitely considering going for one.
PT15, Soldano, Laboga. They sound killer but I'm biased i like loose sounding amps. And am a Soldano owner. Great job Pete.
You Rock Pete!
All the amps sounded great , but the standout for me was the TopHat !! Maybe all that old vintage glass ??? who knows right .
Great guitar nerd video for sure . Awesome Stuff Pete !!!!
They're all AWESOME amplifiers & I have to say that your PT 100 is basically the best of everything!
Pete I think we need a little more time with that Germino....That amp is just off the charts....
That Germino sounds killer
exactly what i needed. thank you for the effort of recording and demonstrating.
really nice.
Greetingz,
Mariusz
Soldano for the win!!! I love a little sponge to my grind. I would definitely like a little more bottom end. Combinding them was the best. This is where Modelers kick butt. They allow for easy sampling of different combinations. I love adding a super reverb to a heavy sound amp to get clean definition spongeliness with monster grin. PT you are the best buddy I really appreciate your reviews and insights.
Very cool Pete. I believe Mick Mars is another one of those players who used 6 or 7 different amp heads to get his massive tone when tracking. Of course...it's nice to have that many hi gain/boutique type of amps to select from if you got the $$$$$$$!!
The SLO sounds SO thick! Love the midrange on those amps. PT100 was great too. Great video Pete! More stuff like this please!
Big grain vs. fine grain sound - I like to use the analogy of a hot-rodded 70s muscle car vs. a Lamborghini. Both sound awesome but have a totally different growl. Thanks for the comparison! As always on your channel super fun to watch and informative.
Thank you Pete !! This video is so amazing
If you ever get the chance check out the Trace Elliot Speed Twin 100. Right up your alley. Bought it cheap with only an iPhone to test it with. Still not bored with it yet. Top Hat my fave too.
the Top Hat was a great blast from the past to hear again.
That Top Hat sounds amazing!
OMG that Germino is da bomb!!
My favorite standalone amp from your demonstrations was the Jose/Friedman modded Germino, hands down... that really tight, mids-focused sound is just killer to my ears. But when you did the blend of three amps at the end, that tone was HUGE!! Hard to beat that!!
the Soldano sounds grrrreat. I like the Germino and that Loboga surprised me.
all were great
Love the heavy riff in this one. Killer amps, and great video. I'm wanting to add some amps to my collection for mixing purposes, and really enjoyed hearing what you had to say!
Crikey! That blended version was amazing - my favourite amps were PT100, Germino and laboga! Thought I would have liked the SLO more!
Really cool video and loved hearing the different tones. Killer lick, as well. Awesome content as always Pete!!
I fucking love the amps in the zone series. The one with the super reverb might be the best tone I’ve ever heard.
That amp was really lovely.
@@PeteThorn I honestly struggle to imagine a better cleanish tone. It’s just superb.
Yup! That and a good ac30 and you will never need more clean ever
That was fun! Great stuff and a proper way to demo. Kudos!
I have that emplexador and it sounds amazing
Jaw dropped by the soldano. WOW
Regarding the Germino, and the ability to blend the channels without jumping them. I used to gig with an old Marshall JMP 50 back in the eighties and nineties. I don't know if it was faulty, maybe it was but, I would always plug into just channel II (Normal) but be able to blend in a bit of real sizzle from channel I without jumping. Just blending in a bit of that made a huge difference to the tone, and feel of the amp. The amp just seemed to come alive, notes popped right out, full of harmonic content, and it just seemed to make it an easier, and more fluid playing experience.
Wow Pete. You were right to be excited about that new camera. I can really tell the improvement in image quality. Good thinking on that. Glad you updated a different kind of gear ;-)
I didn’t actually get it yet! Just used lots of contrast. New camera soon
They all sound great, but there's something about the PT15. I don't what it is, but it sounds so clear.
I dig the tune just as much as the amp comparisons! Such a great song writer man. Longtime viewer of you channel. Always great to watch and learn👍
I love this series. I think this info is applicable to people who use a Pod Go/HX Stomp/Helix, conceptually. Sometimes the music is so good, I get totally distracted, but I'd say that's a good problem.
Oh yeah! You can totally do this by creating presets with two different amplifiers. More complex tones
Thank you Pete for another great video. I would love to see an Amps in the Zone episode about the difference between setting up an amp in the room versus setting one up for recording. I often find that I need to compromise a certain amount of my comfort zone when recording (in my case using a modeler) because a mix requires different aspects of tone than when I am setting up a tone through my guitar cabs in the room. That means far less gain, bass, and a generally more narrow EQ to fit in a mix, especially a dense one. I notice that there is no real disparity between live videos of your tone (ie a video that includes room sound) and your recorded tone. Is it that your comfort zone tonally naturally fits into a mix or did you have to compromise and your ears adjusted? I find that I'm adjusting my ears and it has greatly influenced how I hear my own sound now. Anyhow, thank you again for the content and I wish you well.