Help me choose which Sunn tube head to get

[OneWayPunk]

I'm doing a gear trade and I have a choice between 2 Sunn tube heads.

There is the Sunn 190L, 80 watts. From what I can find this one is a 200s with trem and reverb.

Or the Sunn 350B, 135 watts? I'm not sure of the wattage on this one, but I hear it's basically a 2000s with a different name


So which would you recommend, the 190L or the 350B?

I currently play a 70 watt Gibson Titan or a 200 watt Sound City. I'm looking to downsize from the Sound City, it weighs a ton and I don't ever use all of that volume.

[MAMMOTHvolume]

wanna sell me the soundcity? ;p

why not try both and see which you like most

[OneWayPunk]

Originally Posted by MAMMOTHvolume

wanna sell me the soundcity?

HA well then the trade wouldn't go off so well as he wants the Sound City.

I'm leaning towards the 350B since it has a bit more power, although I don't know if I'll save much weight...

[spellcaster]

My vote is for the 350B. I have one and love it!!! Mine puts out 160 watts after a recap and Kt88's

[Mojo-Man]

I'll take the 190L.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by spellcaster

Nice cabs. Didn't know they made those as 1x15s. Only seen the 2x15.

[OneWayPunk]

Originally Posted by spellcaster

My vote is for the 350B. I have one and love it!!! Mine puts out 160 watts after a recap and Kt88's

Man, that thing is wide...kinda like my Gibson is.

I am going to play them both, but I'm thinking it will be the 350B. I already have a head in the same wattage range as the 190L.

[spellcaster]

Nice cabs. Didn't know they made those as 1x15s. Only seen the 2x15.[/quote]

Yeah it took me many years to find these. I still have a 2x15 but I'm really feeling the 1x15's are they way to go. All very manageable when you need to load solo.

[garmenteros]

That head is extremely wide, it looks really clean.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by spellcaster

I still have a 2x15 but I'm really feeling the 1x15's are they way to go. All very manageable when you need to load solo.

+1

OT: how do the indie 15"s compare to the 2x15 (soundwise)? I have a 215S, and the front baffle is cracked a bit here and there. I was thinking of recutting a new baffle for it, but I'm tempted to just reverse-engineer the 215S and make some 1x15s like those. But man that huge port on the 215 pumps up the bass.

I used to have a rule where I wouldn't buy any cabs that I couldn't hump solo, but I've begun to break that rule of late.

OP: The 350B head is crazy wide... like 29" if it's the same form factor as the 2000s. Also, the wattage ratings for those Sunns were conservative. I'm sure you'll be surprised how much it whomps.

[Sartori]

I'd go with the 350B.

[edbass]

Originally Posted by OneWayPunk

I'm doing a gear trade and I have a choice between 2 Sunn tube heads.

There is the Sunn 190L, 80 watts. From what I can find this one is a 200s with trem and reverb.

Or the Sunn 350B, 135 watts? I'm not sure of the wattage on this one, but I hear it's basically a 2000s with a different name

The 190L is the guitar version of the 190B, which are in essence SS rectifed 100S and 200S respectively.
The 350B is more than basically a 2000S, it's identical to the later SS rectified 2000S, factory rated @ 150 watts.

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

+1
OT: how do the indie 15"s compare to the 2x15 (soundwise)? I have a 215S, and the front baffle is cracked a bit here and there. I was thinking of recutting a new baffle for it, but I'm tempted to just reverse-engineer the 215S and make some 1x15s like those. But man that huge port on the 215 pumps up the bass.

IMO the characteristics are very similar; it is pretty much half of a 215S in all respects. I use the older 200S ported Sunn "I40" 115 loaded with a K140for small venues and for reference when I'm testing amps.



Not exactly like the 115S's (or maybe 115M's or 115V's) spellcaster's using, the 115 that the 115S,M,V's replaced as the 215S,M,V's replaced the 200S.
Of course neither cab is available new, and if I should find any of them floating around used I'd be on them like a duck on a June bug.

There is a very similar 115 currently available new, though.

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

I used to have a rule where I wouldn't buy any cabs that I couldn't hump solo, but I've begun to break that rule of late.

Just one of those sacrifices we make for tone...

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

OP: The 350B head is crazy wide... like 29" if it's the same form factor as the 2000s. Also, the wattage ratings for those Sunns were conservative. I'm sure you'll be surprised how much it whomps.

Actually it's worse; the 350B is 30" wide, and while it can be a little awkward, it does indeed bring the thunder.

[spellcaster]

Yeah, I really like the looks and specs of the Reeves amps and cabs and I'd guess if you loaded one with a vintage JBL they would sound perfect with the Sunn heads. I like my Sunn singles big time...but I still could not part with my 2x15 D140 loaded cab. Without a proper A-B test, I feel there is just something a hair sweeter with that combo. But when using the higher watts the K's are where it's at.

Ed, since the port is angled a little differnt on the Sonic cabs then the later version 1x15's, Do you think that might have any effect on the overall response?

[edbass]

Originally Posted by spellcaster

Yeah, I really like the looks and specs of the Reeves amps and cabs and I'd guess if you loaded one with a vintage JBL they would sound perfect with the Sunn heads. I like my Sunn singles big time...but I still could not part with my 2x15 D140 loaded cab. Without a proper A-B test, I feel there is just something a hair sweeter with that combo. But when using the higher watts the K's are where it's at.

Ed, since the port is angled a little differnt on the Sonic cabs then the later version 1x15's, Do you think that might have any effect on the overall response?

There is no doubt that a 2 X D140 Sunn cab is one sweet sounding cab, but as you mentioned the K's are more versatile with higher power. I've had D's get a little flabby when you push them, but I think they are a little smoother and richer/warmer than the K's are, but it's a subtle difference at best IMO.
That said, overall I actually prefer the K series in most applications personally; I always keep a pair of 2000S cabs loaded with D's, but I generally use ones with K's on the rare occasions I'm feeling froggy enough to wrestle with 2000S cabs.

I love my Sunn amps, but truthfully my "go-to" is a 215S loaded with EVM15L's paired with a Reeves C225. The cab can deliver huge SPL's without flinching, is extremely articulate, and the tighter bottom pairs well with the C225's massive bottom end characteristics, well balanced overall with a nice punchy "chest thumper" effect.
It sounds a little strange in the context of this being the age of Class D transistor amps, but the Reeves/EV rig is sort of my "portable" big power, easy to schlep rig.

I wish I could speak from experience about the subtleties between a Sonic I40 and an 115S, but alas I don't own an 115S for comparison. I have 200S and 215S cabs, and have swapped out drivers multiple times over the years, and IMO the 200S moves more air than the 215S, a little deeper response. More of that pant flapping effect.
Since the Sonic I40 is half of a 200S, and a 115S is half of a 215S, I would assume that the differences between them are similar, but can't confirm it.

But. I'm afraid I've wandered pretty far from OneWayPunk's original post, so...

Get the 350B; it's one of the all time iconic bass amps.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by OneWayPunk

I'm looking to downsize from the Sound City, it weighs a ton and I don't ever use all of that volume.

You do realize that having said this that you're surely going to need all the SC 200W and more at a future gig?

Murphy does get in the way like that.