Re: Soldano Hotrod 25
Yeah, NOT cheap... I wish I could try the zinky. I know you are really impressed with it. Let me ask you, (im sure we've discussed before) how does the gain on the Zink compare that Whitford amp you had? Does the Zinky have the normal EL84 type of dark tone?
The red 120 watt Prosonic that Bruce gave Brad and I was fortunate enough to own for a while was unique and not a fair comparison.
However the production Prosonics are with the triple rec design and the 6L6 power. The velvet was Bruces 2nd design after leaving Fender (MOFO was the #1) and acording to him his next step design wise. the Vevet is smoother and more pleasant on the gain side than the Prosonic but not quite as rich and full on the cleans on the one I have with the 84's. The Zinky Blue Velvet is an absolute killer of an amp ( Probably why folks like Keith Richards, Ron Wood and Billy Gibbons own and play these amps!!) mine sounds unlike any other EL84 amp I have played. If I were to buy another however I would step up to the 50 watt 6L6 version or go to the MOFO for the bigger tone and increased headroom of the 6L6's. One thing Bruce Zinky did well with the Velvets was purposely design an amp for working club style players. These amps are incredibly dynamic, well "voiced" and also amazing sounding from super low volumes up to room filling getting over a drummer levels by design. They are one of those rare amps out there that sound much better in the mix with a full band than they do in the shop.
One of the most mind boggling things for me with my Velvet is the fact that it only has a single tone control and a boost cut mid switch for EQ and I have never missed having full tone controls. I almost passed on the amp when I got an offer to trade for it because of the lack of the normal tone controls on both channels. Would have been one of the worst mistakes i have made in my playing life!
Here is the tread from Jan 2010 when I first traded for this little beast
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?181952-Just-traded-for-a-Zinky-Blue-Velvet
4 years now almost to the day and I am still playing this thing out regularly as my #1 rig!! I have NEVER regretted grabbing this amp and want a 50 watt MOFO head to go with it badly!!
Here she from 2010 is filling the room in the HUGE lobby of a former Hospital unmiced with only a delay wah and Chorus recorded off a camera mic looking down from the floor above.
This is last Summer playing another 2 hour set with the same Birmingham Prayer Furnace mobile ministry unmiced using the same pedal board but this time at super low volume in a tiny storefront Church.
Labor day 2013 unmiced outdoors with my former Church Band same pedal board and running my Blackstar 1/12 cab loaded with a WGS Retro 30 with the internal speaker and I only had the master volume up around 1 oclock and had power to spare. 25 watt Zinky Blue Velvet and new these are a full GRAND under what they want for that Soldano!!
but I think you said you have some high end amps? splawn??
