Since acquiring an Astro-20 guitar amplifier by @SoldanoCustomAmps, I've been putting it through its paces in a variety of settings and quickly this amp has become a favorite! With 3 channels, 4 unique gain mode "Galaxies", and 6 built-in impulse responses, this amp is designed to cover everything from pristine cleans to searing high-gain leads. In this video, I'll be demonstrating how I've been using this amp and sampling some sweet soldano tone using my Homage to Leo guitar made by @CpThorntonGuitars.
Soldano pretty much set the standard for high-gain guitar tone back in the late 80's with their classic SLO-100. The Astro-20 has all that classic Soldano DNA but in a lower wattage package with features that meet the needs of modern guitar players, like built in IR's, cabless operation, headphone output, and a redesigned clean channel that is quite impressive! 👉 Drop a comment below with your thoughts—do you think this is the ultimate modern guitar amp?
0:00 - INTRO MUSIC - recorded with Astro-20
1:40 - INTRO - Guitar Solo
2:07 - INTRO - Talking
3:06 - Acquisition Story "Judging an amp by its cover
4:40 - Amp Specs
4:44 - I say "four"
4:56 - The CLEAN Channel
7:24 - GAIN CH 1 - Blue Galaxy
9:05 - GAIN CH 1 - Purple Galaxy
9:48 - GAIN CH 2 - Red Galaxy
10:57 - GAIN CH 1 - Blue Galaxy
11:37 - Channels, Galaxies & the Footswitch
13:00 - Using/managing Impulse Response
13:56 - More about the Galaxies
14:21 - back panel
14:37 - It Cleans Up Well
15:34 - Price & "Wheels" by Brodie Lan
15:57 - Final Thoughts
16:40 - Thanks & Call to Action
Tired of running the same old boxy pentatonic shapes? In this episode of Ray Plays Guitar, Ray Kainz introduces Quantum Pentatonics—a new approach that centers each position around the root note, letting you build the rest of the scale around that root, rather than getting locked into static patterns. This method helps you: *See the fretboard in a more musical and relational way *Train your ear to understand how each note relates to the root *Unlock repeatable, ergonomic micro-shapes that make soloing smoother and more expressive *Break free from traditional 2-notes-per-string limits By zooming in on each root-centric shape, you’ll develop a more intimate connection with the pentatonic scale and bring new life to your phrasing, tone, and improvisation. 🎸 Whether you're a beginner looking to understand the neck or an advanced player looking for new inspiration—this is for you.
