Description
Description
The Magnatone SL-100 Slash Signature 100 watt, all tube head was developed with Slash to meet the needs of his identifiable and unique style and tone. Voiced loosely on the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine M-80 design that Slash began using during the Guns N Roses 2023 World Tour, the SL-100 takes the M-80 to the next level with the monstrous tone, gain and headroom that Slash requires.
Based on a 100 watt British type circuit, a quartet of EL-34 tubes deliver headroom, clarity and the grind that Slash is known for live and in the studio. The SL-100 pre-amp used four 12AX7/ECC83 tubes that offer two distinct gain modes enabling the player to select between LO and HI gain settings. Modes are accessed via the included footswitch as well as directly on the front control panel.
The LO gain mode is voiced like a vintage Super Lead from the 1960’s with the lows fortified slightly and the icepick highs tamed for today’s music. Using a guitar with humbucker pickups and fully cranked, the low gain control will yield a medium crunch that is quite satisfying in depth and tonal quality.
Rolling off the volume knob on your guitar allows you to easily clean up your tone expanding dynamic range and flexibility. When playing with a guitar that has single coil pickups such as a Strat or Tele, the SL-100 accesses crisp and biting tones without harshness. Think of Jimi playing “Wind Cries Mary” with Superbass type thickness of tone.
The HI gain mode is designed with a cascaded gain pre-amp style reminiscent of the 1980’s modded design that has been finely tuned to optimize the sound for Slash’s humbucker guitars. The gain never clouds the tone of the guitar as all good amps should allow the guitar’s voice to penetrate. Adjusting the treble control allows the highs to be boosted for guitar pick clarity without being overly harsh.
The tone stack has been designed to clean up nicely when rolling back on the volume control on your guitar adding harmonics and range not before found in a Magnatone amp. The SL-100 is effect pedal friendly with the on board effects loop not to mention it handles boost pedals with ease.
The inspiration for Slash to design the SL-100 was not necessarily to be an “Appetite” or SIR #39 type amplifier. The SL-100 is a whole new design that tube amp guru, Obeid Khan developed thru working on multiple modifications based on the Super Fifty-Nine M-80.
The control panel has a simple four band E.Q consists of Treble, Middle, Bass and Presence that allows you to easily dial in your voice. The 100 watt power amp allows the EQ to have dramatic effect, clarity and focus that is paramount in the sound tweaking. Slash likes to play LOUD so turn it up for best results. Low volume settings also benefit from the headroom available, with very wide tonal variations possible. The tube buffered FX loop has been optimized for pedal level operation.
The Master Volume control has been designed to fine tune the power you need without sacrificing any tone. (Explain more here about “post phase inverter, etc?)