Soldano X88-IR Review – The Holy Grail with IKEA Spirit!

Hello there and welcome back to yet another guitar preamp article! This time we will look at possibly the best of the best, the holy grail guitar preamp on the planet, the Soldano X88-IR!

If you are a guitar gear addict, chances are you have been expecting this as the legendary amp builder, Soldano already announced this preamp a year ago! Since then I have been waiting for this as I believe this product format should be the future for guitar recording systems!

If you are a regular visitor, you already know that I mentioned this multiple times in my previous preamp articles such as the ENGL E570 review article. I still believe that a real piece of gear will be always better than a fully digital solution in terms of the feel under the fingers.

However, since rack preamps disappeared from the market a long time ago, most amp builders did not want to invest in this niche. The solution would be getting a tube preamp of your choice and an IR loader. I used my ENGL E570 along with my ENGL Cabloader for a long time and it was a huge upgrade from using only software amps.

I think Soldano has just made the right decision to bring back a legendary preamp with these modern appointments, and it will probably influence the market in the long run. When I saw the Soldano X88-IR released, I couldn’t resist but get myself one! (Someone send help! :D) Now I’d like to share my detailed review with you.

As we always do, we will have a look at the Soldano company history, some detailed and original photos of the product, a no-talking demo video as well as my detailed Soldano X88-IR review!

About Soldano

For some, life is a pursuit of tangible, yet elusive goals. Some people strive to transform their fantasies into dreams and those dreams into reality. For Mike Soldano, life has been a journey to create the ultimate guitar tone—a sound so deep, resonant, and musical that it could earn its own place in the Smithsonian as an emblem of rock ‘n’ roll history. Mike Soldano’s journey—a lifelong pursuit of perfection in sound—is rooted in his passion for the classic guitar tone.

Guitar legends like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Dickey Betts, Lou Reed, and Matthias Jabs have become dedicated fans of Mike’s amplifiers. Stevie Ray Vaughan himself requested a custom SLO-100 from Mike. Ask any guitarist fortunate enough to play a Soldano amp, and they’ll tell you the same thing: a Soldano amp is more than an amplifier—it’s an instrument in its own right, a means of liberation.

The journey began with Mike’s first prototype, Mr. Science. This initial amplifier was a simple piece of plywood with various electronic components attached, marking the start of Mike’s “Quest for Tone.” Today, this early prototype, signed with tone markings by musicians like Mark Knopfler and Peter Frampton, remains a prized part of Mike’s personal collection.  

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Mike didn’t even begin playing guitar, much less building them, until he was 21. Growing up in Seattle, he was captivated by the guitar solo in “Badge,” a Clapton classic. Listening to it, he knew he had to play the guitar himself.

His father handed him a classical guitar, but Mike couldn’t make it cry or scream the way he’d imagined, so he shifted his energy to another passion—building high-performance cars. This early love for cars honed his craftsmanship, attention to detail, and design excellence, skills he would later apply to his amplifier business.

Peering inside a Soldano amp is like looking under the hood of a Formula One car. Mike sources only top-quality components, including aircraft-grade materials and handmade transformers, which he assembles with no compromises. His goal: achieve a perfect balance of performance, functionality, and visual appeal.

With a background in Industrial Arts, Mike initially worked on building guitars, which eventually led him to design his first amplifiers. He bought his first amp, a Fender Bassman replica, which unfortunately had a habit of breaking down.

Lacking the funds to repair it professionally, Mike taught himself how to fix it, igniting his love for amp design. “When you don’t have any money, you can become clever,” Mike says, and it was this ingenuity that fueled his passion.

By 1977, Mike had opened his first guitar-building shop in Seattle. As he gigged around town, his dissatisfaction with the sound of even the best amps on the market grew. Despite investing in high-end amplifiers, they never quite met his vision. So, he began modifying amps himself, ultimately creating Mr. Science.

This prototype embodied Mike’s “Holy Grail” pursuit of the ultimate rock guitar amplifier. He experimented with channels, switching mechanisms, and gain until he found the perfect formula.

In 1982, the first Soldano amp was born. Mike then relocated to San Francisco to work at Stars Guitars, gaining experience and refining his approach before eventually returning to Seattle with his new business partner, Bill Sundt.

In 1985, local musicians started to take notice of his amps, asking Mike to replicate his distinctive sound for them. Starting in his parent’s basement, he built three initial amps and decided to take a leap of faith by heading to Los Angeles. Though his first trip didn’t lead to immediate success, Mike was determined. He sold his house, left his job, and moved to LA, ready to chase his dream.

Setting up shop in a former bordello, Mike’s first year was challenging, as he took on any work to make ends meet. It was a test of persistence, a quality that defines Mike’s journey.

His dedication paid off when he returned to LA after a discouraging holiday and found messages from industry icons like Lou Reed, Mike Landau, and Vivian Campbell. By 1988, guitar legends like Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler were ordering his amps, and his company had a six-month waiting list.

Today, Soldano amplifiers are celebrated worldwide, used on prestigious stages and in elite recording studios, a testament to Mike Soldano’s relentless Quest for Tone.

The Original X88R

The Soldano X88R was revered by guitar players worldwide as the ultimate rack-mounted tube preamp. Known for its inspiring Soldano tone and its eye-catching purple anodized panel, the X88R has become one of the most coveted pieces of vintage equipment, used by renowned musicians such as Peter Frampton, Warren DeMartini, Michael Landau, Steve Lukather, Lou Reed, and Lee Ritenour.

Now, the new X88-IR continues this legacy, preserving Soldano’s iconic tone while incorporating modern features designed to meet the demands of today’s professional players. To truly appreciate the innovation behind the X88-IR, let’s take a look at its origins.

The concept for a three-channel Soldano rack-mounted guitar preamp originated with Bob Bradshaw, a rack builder for some of the most famous names in music. Mike Soldano reflects, “If not for Bradshaw’s request, the X88R would never have happened. I’m grateful to Bob for his idea and his trust in me to bring it to life.” Here’s how it all began:

In 1987, Steve Lukather started using the new Soldano SLO-100 heads. Bob Bradshaw, who built Steve’s rack system and managed it on tour, wanted a more efficient solution for achieving Steve’s diverse sounds.  

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While visiting Bradshaw’s shop in North Hollywood, Mike and Bob discussed the challenges of transporting multiple amps just to achieve Steve’s desired tones. Steve’s complex wet-dry-wet setup also required heavy dummy loads to capture a low-level “slave” signal from the power amp to feed into the effects—resulting in extra strain, cost, and logistical effort as the large rig took up valuable truck space and required additional crew labour.

Both agreed that relying on SLO-100 heads just to achieve a rack-friendly 0dB output signal was inefficient, especially when the SLO’s innovative cascading gain structure already delivered the essential Soldano tone through its preamp section.

Bob proposed that Mike create an all-tube preamp with three independent channels—clean, crunch, and overdrive—that could integrate seamlessly with his switching systems and eliminate the need for the bulky gear. Once complete, Bob installed the preamp in Steve’s rack. The results were transformative, and an iconic piece of gear was born.

By the summer of 1988, Soldano released a production model of this preamp, with the first unit purchased by Warren Cucurullo. The X88R set a new standard as the first professional stand-alone guitar preamp, redefining what rack-mounted tone could be.

Soldano X88-IR

Soldano X88-IR brings us the same, legendary DNA of Soldano X88 in the same format, but with modern features and improvements that guitar players have been demanding since its inception!

X88-IR features three channels with separate Preamp Levels, 3-Band EQ, Output Level and Bright Switch. The original X88R had still three channels but was limited to Clean, Crunch and Overdrive.

With the X88-IR, you have Clean and two identical Crunch/Overdrive channels so you can three distinct sounds using different settings and a combination of the switches.

Channel 1 – Clean

The legendary clean channel on the X88 now comes with a two-position Normal/Altered mode. The Normal mode is a Fender-inspired clean tone while the Altered mode offers a boosted clean for edge-of-breakup tones. This Altered mode is also known as the SRV mode.

According to Mike Soldano, SRV’s version of SLO-100 would feature this mode and now we have it with the new X88-IR! The Normal mode is indicated by the Green LED on the right-hand side while the Altered mode is by the Yellow LED.

Channel 2 & 3 – Crunch/Overdrive

Both channels 2 and 3 are identical, featuring a Fat Switch, a Bright switch and a selectable Crunch/Overdrive mode. This allows you to customize channels 2/3 to your liking. You can select one Crunch and one Overdrive channel, two Crunch Channels or two Overdrive Channels.

In Crunch Mode, the corresponding channel 2/3 select button will illuminate Purple. In Overdrive Mode, the corresponding channel 2/3 select button will illuminate Red.

Soldano X88-IR Features

Channel Presets

Channel Select MIDI Store

Each of the three channels features an illuminated channel select switch. Press and hold any of the channels select switches to MIDI store a preset. The X88-IR preamp accepts external MIDI switchers and controllers, giving you up to 128 user-created presets with real-time Control Changes. You can assign and organize your presets right from the front panel or with the included Soldano Editor Software.  

Universal Voltage

Mike Soldano designed the X88-IR to work seamlessly anywhere in the world with the help of a voltage selector switch found on the back panel. When travelling or moving to a different country and want to take the X88-IR with you, just select the right voltage, replace the mains fuse with the correct rating (see manual for safety precautions) and you’re ready to go!

Phantom Power

The X88-IR includes a back-panel Phantom Power jack which can be used to power MIDI controllers.

Global Control – Master Section

The Master section includes a global Master Level Control, Headphone Output jack and Headphone Level Control. The X88-IR offers stereo operation with ¼” Main Outputs, Balanced XLR Outputs with a Ground Lift and Level Switch and Stereo Loop with a Mono Send and Stereo Return as well as a Loop Level switch.

Assignable Per Channel / Mode Impulse Responses

Impulse response cabinet simulation is an essential tool for modern guitarists. The X88-IR offers six onboard IR slots to choose from. Each expertly recorded IR can be assigned to each channel/mode independently, ensuring you get the perfect tone and speaker response, whether running direct onstage, recording, or utilizing the amp’s headphone output for silent at-home practice. You can bypass the IRs using the provided Bypass switch. Add and manage your own IRs using the included Soldano Editor Software powered by Synergy.

Power Amp Modeling

As the power amp is a key factor for a truly dynamic and authentic tone, the X88-IR provides an AI-captured power amp model simulation based on a 120W 6L6 power amp. This dynamic stereo power amp simulation, coupled with the onboard ultra-low latency cabinet Impulse Responses delivers a studio-grade direct solution.

Soldano Editor Software – Expanded Features

The Soldano Editor Software features an intuitive user interface, allowing you to easily select the channels, the channel mode, the different IRs for all three channels, load and organize your IR library, and save up to 128 MIDI presets.

Soldano Editor Software

The Editor Software offers additional features which are assignable to each channel/mode including Low-Pass and High-Pass Filters, Power Amp three-position Depth Switch, and Power Amp three-position Presence Switch. Soldano’s Editor Software is available on the official Soldano website for Win and MacOS platforms.  

Let’s have a look at the entire tech specs of Soldano X88-IR below. I also prepared a no-talking demo video for you to listen to and see how all these channels, modes and settings in the software affect the sound of this preamp.

Soldano X88-IR Tech Specs

Soldano X88-IR Sound Demo

As you may have been already aware, the product launch for X88-IR did happen quite a while ago and all the well-known YouTubers posted their paid promotion videos. As these dudes are professionals, they all sounded great to me and helped me justify my purchase. However, you never know until you try it for yourself.

I was actually planning to release a demo video back in October/November 2024, however, the supply date was shifted a couple of times and couldn’t do it! I also had to send the first unit back to Thomann and wait for some more weeks to get the new unit. So tons of delay from my side!

And yes, I did purchase it twice and return it twice. Read on for the brutally honest review below!

For this video, I used 5 guitars including my Fender American Standard Stratocaster, Ibanez AR300, Ibanez Rg565, FGN Boundary Odyssey and Epiphone SG Custom.

The guitar parts were already recorded loops in my Boss RC-5 Looper pedal and I basically sent these loops back to the Soldano X88-IR while sometimes adding Boss SD-1 or Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini to boost the front end of the preamp.

These signals all went into my RME Babyface PRO FS and were recorded in Reaper. While listening to these loops and altering the tones with front panel switches as well as the settings in the software, I used my Genelec 8020 monitors and added Lexicon PCM Native Bundle reverb. That’s all!

Soldano X88-IR Review

When I first found out that Soldano X88-IR was coming up, I was really impressed by the concept and already got G.A.S.’ed and started making plans for getting one for myself.

As you may know from my blog, I have been trying a lot of guitar gear and always looking for the “one” product that may help me focus on my playing more rather than keeping me interested in gear! 🙂 I’m sure you guys know this feeling.  

I was considering Soldano X88-IR to be a replacement for my current rig which consists of Marshall amps, booster, overdrive pedals and reactive loads with impulse responses. So I thought maybe I could use Soldano preamp instead of heads and reactive loads.

Once I noticed the listing on Thomann, I immediately ordered one even though it wasn’t in stock. Unfortunately, the delivery date was shifted further and further for a couple of weeks due to the supplier’s constant delivery date updates. Eventually, I got my package and was really pumped out about this already!

The Soldano X88-IR comes in a very sturdy box with simple box content including the preamp, a USB cable, a power cable and the manual. The unit is protected by the thick foams on both sides and they simply placed the cables next to those “compartments”.

After carefully opening the box and documenting these moments for this post, I started unwrapping the cover of the preamp and immediately noticed something! The bottom chassis was pretty loose and I could push it upwards with a slight finger pressure.

Even though it’s not easy to take a photo of it, it is still visible in the next photo. Please pay attention to the bottom chassis here and notice the slight bend. I know it’s not easy to see. In order to document that and report it back to Thomann and Soldano, I recorded a short clip and added it to the demo video I have just shared above.

I was concerned as this could have happened during transport, however, there was no visible damage on any of the boxes. Then I started investigating the unit even more carefully. The first visible thing was this minor visual issue as photographed below.

You may think I’m being extremely picky about these, but especially on an extremely sweet and sharp-looking purple colour, this was striking too much! 🙂

Being a former MI professional and guitar tester, I have built an occupational disease that causes me to inspect everything in extreme detail. I hope you like this side of my professional approach which I have been also documenting here! 🙂

And of course, this is not an issue that one should be crying about. As I mentioned, I was more concerned with the loose bottom chassis rather than this tiny paint issue.

Now before we switch to the next section, please go back to the Packaging Front Panel image above and let me know if you notice anything. The knob positions were all around the place out of the box and it gave me the impression of someone was urgently testing this and packing it.

Again, for sure, it’s not a problem. However, I didn’t like the first impression at all! While you are discovering these and making assumptions, you tend to look into the product more carefully. I spotted lots of fingerprints and marks that I easily wiped off with a cloth. But it kind of justified my assumptions. This particular product was packed in a hurry.

By the way, these visual issues were the same on both units I received. However I believe my feedback helped them look into things more carefully which I will be proving in the next sections.

Next, I inspected the manual and found it way less exciting than it should have been for an almost 3000EUR, boutique, legendary guitar preamp! I mean, as one of the most respected amp companies out there and reissuing a legendary product, I would expect a colourful manual with a bit of history and visuals in it.

Sounds

As mentioned in the features section, Soldano X88-IR offers a pretty standard layout with 4 different flavours in total: Normal Clean, Altered Clean, Crunch and Overdrive.

With the bright and fat switches along with the impulse responses and digital power amp controls, you can have a wide variety of sounds at your disposal ready to be recorded directly into your DAW.

I really enjoyed the sounds and found myself playing this preamp a lot. Of course, this is just a tube preamp with a digital power amp and speaker cabinet making this an almost complete solution.

But please bear in mind that you may always need your pedalboard, to boost these circuits with various pedals and add effects to the signal chain so it’s more usable.

The biggest issue with the Soldano X88-IR preamp is that it sounds too sweet and can only provide these tamed sounds with a very narrow EQ range. I can easily consider myself a beginner in tone shaping and never claim that I know what I’m doing with guitar gear. My lack of experience has caused me to dial piercing tones with many gears that I owned so far.

However, what I did to the EQ section on this preamp, I couldn’t make it sound biting and piercing. It sounds so tame in every mode and every channel in my opinion.

This may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on where you are looking at this situation, right? Personally, I found myself going back to my Marshalls as they always provide that crunch and bite easily with any of my instruments.  

Since I had to report the bottom chassis issue and the visual problem, I made some videos and took some photos to contact both Thomann and Soldano. Fortunately, Soldano acknowledged these issues and especially for the bottom chassis issue, they openly said unacceptable! I liked this approach and appreciated it.

After I sent the preamp back to Thomann, Thomann informed me that the new stock would be here for 3-4 weeks or so. I kind of got detached from this preamp and asked for a refund instead of a replacement.

The 2nd Soldano X88-IR – Even Worse?

You have already guessed it, right? I couldn’t resist but I placed another order a month later. Yes, I was able to justify this huge purchase even though I wasn’t doing pretty good financially. As you know, guitar players can get the G.A.S. and justify anything anytime! 🙂

This time, even though it was in stock, it took a long time due to the Christmas period as the couriers were pretty much fully booked with all the orders coming in.

Eventually, I got my 2nd Soldano preamp! This time, the box was in a worse state. The label came in as in the below photo without any visible damage to the box which got me triggered again! 🙂 And just before I unboxed it, I decided to record a video. You can check out the unboxing part at the end of the demo video I have shared in this article as well.

I quickly checked the bottom chassis issue again and voila! It was pretty good, no issues were detected! However, I was very surprised by the sound of the parts which were roaming free in the nylon package!

Guess where these belong to? Check out the next image! Main Output and Return Jacks were roaming free in the nylon package which cost almost 3000EUR!

This time, there was no problem with the unit apart from the IKEA-style product offering :).

And they even took my first feedback and started painting the rack ears which had issues out of the factory! Proud MI professional here! 🙂

However, when I reported these issues and shared the unboxing video, Soldano customer care reacted a bit defensively this time. They told me this is not how the products leave the factory. Well, it’s exactly how this just happened. I don’t understand why they couldn’t handle this part.

When I checked the other jacks on the back plate, I noticed most of them were very loose. I assume these were hand-tightened only, again in a rush. Otherwise, someone would do the final checks, tighten these bolts and wipe the unit before they pack it, right?

I think this is very embarrassing for such a huge brand name and I strongly believe they will never make this mistake again. Before I end my review here, I’d like to share the last photo for this article here.

As you can see, they clearly state that the sticker placed outside of the box ensures you have a warranty while you may need to assemble some parts on your own.

Come on Soldano and especially B.A.D. company. This is ridiculous, remove the label from the package, add this onto the unit itself with this warning message and also please ship in one place.

Their reaction actually made me question my purchasing decision and I was able to stop justifying this immediately. I really did not want to fund such companies and I returned the second Soldano preamp back to Thomann and got my money back. Instead, I got myself a lovely Marshall sV20H that roars!  

Thomann has been the best as always and helped me through all these issues I have stated in this article. It’s clear why Thomann is the best company out there, protecting its customers at all times!

Where to Buy Soldano X88-IR?

As the hype is fading out, the Soldano X88-IR is in stock at every shop I checked. Just before I got my refund, I noticed Thomann had to increase the price from 2790EUR to 2859EUR.

I see this pattern with a lot of other items listed on Thomann’s website. Possibly there have been cost increases for shipping, imports and maybe even manufacturing so be prepared to pay more in the near future. You can absolutely buy one from Thomann (if you can justify it) at the moment with the increased price.

Check out Soldano X88-IR on Thomann here

You can also check out listings on Reverb.com. There are already sellers listing brand new X88-IRs so maybe you will find a better offer. You never know!

Check out Reverb.com for Soldano X88-IR for sale!

I still recommend you try one for yourself and see if my opinions on this preamp are legit or not. I’m pretty sure you will not have these issues as these have been reported back to the company and they will be way more careful with these “minor” issues and take their jobs more seriously.

I hope you find this Soldano X88-IR review article honest and insightful! Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me so far! I will hopefully see you in the next review here!

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