Best Sunn tube head?

[thehippie]

I did some searching but I couldn't really find enough information to help me. Im looking for a vintage Sunn tube head. I have heard good things about the Solarus, 200s, 2000s, and Sorado but just dont know which to go for. Also would pairing any of these with a Sunn 410s guitar cab sound good? (btw Im going for the big, fat, distorted, muddy sound like Felix Pappalardi or Jack Bruce if that helps)

[edbass]

The Sorado and 200S are the same 60 watt bass amp, the Solarus is a reverb/tremolo guitar amp that had a few versions, but mostly 40 watts and in a combo configuration.
The 2000S is the "daddy" Sunn tube bass amp, 120 (tube rectified) or 150 watts (SS rectified).

They are similar tonally, it mostly depends on how loud you want to get.
Keep in mind, a lot of the legendary Sunn "loud" has to do with the cabinets, and a lot of the "mud" was in the Gibson mudbuckers and the players hands. The Sunns themselves are fairly clean, hi-fi amps.

You can get tons of Sunn info at the "Unofficial Sunn Forum", plenty of knowledgeable Sunn geeks there.

[thehippie]

hey thanks! I guessing the 2000s would be the best bet...but i do some checking on that forum first.

[johnk_10]

yep. they are all great amps, but IMO, the SS rectified 2000S is the one to get. it sounds almost like the 200S/190B (which i think sound the best) but it has double the power.

[I<34080]

There's a 2000s for sale right now in the classifieds.

[gbarchus]

So I guess you're playing with a Gibson EB-3? Part of Jack's sound back in the Cream days was two Marshall 100 watt heads, four 4X12 cabinets with a couple blown speakers. Sunn amps had a cleaner sound but even the 2000S could easily be pushed into distortion with only 120 watts RMS.

Gale

[D.M.N.]

Originally Posted by edbass

Keep in mind, a lot of the legendary Sunn "loud" has to do with the cabinets, and a lot of the "mud" was in the Gibson mudbuckers and the players hands. The Sunns themselves are fairly clean, hi-fi amps.

^This. The cabinets are a big part of the volume. A 410 guitar cab will NOT cut it with a 2000s, Gibson mudbuckers and trying to get big fat lows.