Soldano X88R - Lead preset

Verified · 86/100 confidence. Complete schematic. All component values readable. Parameters derived directly from the circuit.

The X88R is Soldano’s three-channel all-tube rack preamp, developed in 1988 at a rack builder’s request so a touring session player could replace a rack of amp heads used only as preamps. A shared input stage splits into Clean, Crunch and Lead channels, each with its own gain, Treble/Bass/Mid stack and master; Clean and Crunch have bright switches, and the Lead uses the SLO-100's cascaded, cold-clipped stages. Opto-isolators select the channel into a common recovery stage and cathode-follower output. It became a cornerstone of the late-1980s studio rack era.

• Introduced: 1988
• Made in: USA
• Channels: 3

Known for: Steve Lukather, Peter Frampton, Warren DeMartini, Michael Landau, Lou Reed, Lee Ritenour, Warren Cuccurullo.

Tags: american, preamp, high-gain, multi-channel.

Schematic-derived preset files for 16 Fractal and Line 6 modelers: Axe-Fx II/XL/XL+, Axe-Fx III, FM3, FM9, and the full Helix family (Floor, LT, Rack, HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL, Native).

Gridleak extracts amp parameters from original circuit schematics using AI vision — component values, gain staging, tone stack topology, tube types — then generates native preset files for every supported modeler. Every extraction is scored 0–100 and the score is published.