Sunn Beta Bass=300 watts???

MOTORHEADBANGER · #1 04-02-2010, 12:25 PM

I found a Sunn Beta Bass head with an old Sunn 4x12 bass cabinet at a local guitar shop, and I was quite confused when I found out that they had it marked as a 300 watt head, and when I took a peek at the back of the head it had a rating of 300 watts on it. I thought the Beta Bass was only 100 watts. Can anyone clarify my confusion here?

T-Bird · #2 04-02-2010, 01:10 PM

Hi.

The 300w is most probably the draw, is it next to the voltage rating?

Regards
Sam

MOTORHEADBANGER · #3 04-02-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

The 300w is most probably the draw, is it next to the voltage rating?

Regards
Sam

I don't remember. I think so.

johnk_10 · #4 04-02-2010, 02:11 PM

yes, the 300 watts is what it draws out of the AC outlet in your wall. not the wattage output power of the amp, which is IIRC 100 watts.

lofreq64 · #5 04-02-2010, 04:50 PM

The Sunn Beta Bass was the first new amp I owned (and by far the worst sounding to me). It's a 100 watt head.

raybone · #6 04-02-2010, 05:05 PM

Yeah i have a Sunn Beta bass 2X15 combo. Its 100 watts, but is really loud when cranked. Volume is a little low when kept clean, but turn up the drive and it just explodes. The 4X12 cab sounds cool. Is it a bass cab? If you dont like head/cab combo, some guitar player would probably love it. I sometimes let guitar dudes play through my Beta bass, it sounds pretty good to me, but i like my guitar bassy anyway.

Zooberwerx · #7 04-02-2010, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lofreq64

The Sunn Beta Bass was the first new amp I owned (and by far the worst sounding to me). It's a 100 watt head.

First good amp I ever owned. Bought it in '79 (I even remember the Chris Squire "cut the crap" advertisement) from Panny's Music in Mt. Pleasant, PA. Had a really funky switching pedal, as well. Lots of background noise / hiss but...hey....it read Sunn on the front. I do still own a Sunn M300 (?) active microphone which, after 30 years, blows the doors off anything else.

Riis

MOTORHEADBANGER · #8 04-03-2010, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raybone

Yeah i have a Sunn Beta bass 2X15 combo. Its 100 watts, but is really loud when cranked. Volume is a little low when kept clean, but turn up the drive and it just explodes. The 4X12 cab sounds cool. Is it a bass cab? If you dont like head/cab combo, some guitar player would probably love it. I sometimes let guitar dudes play through my Beta bass, it sounds pretty good to me, but i like my guitar bassy anyway.

It is a bass cab. I don't exactly recall, but am about certain that it was an old Sunn 4x12L cab.

Basseyfrog · #9 04-06-2010, 10:21 AM

Hello there. Yes you are right the SUNN BETA was only a combo. I use to own one and had to sale it. One of the bigger mistake I have ever done. The tone was of it own. No other amp sounded so sweet. Ok it was not a great amp to gig with if you needed a lot of power but for venues with a good PA system it was the ideal amp. Evn better if you played a guitar through it it sounded better than a Marshall. So there you have it. Peace.

edbass · #10 04-06-2010, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basseyfrog

Hello there. Yes you are right the SUNN BETA was only a combo. I use to own one and had to sale it. One of the bigger mistake I have ever done. The tone was of it own. No other amp sounded so sweet. Ok it was not a great amp to gig with if you needed a lot of power but for venues with a good PA system it was the ideal amp. Evn better if you played a guitar through it it sounded better than a Marshall. So there you have it. Peace.

The Sunn Beta series (both Beta Lead and Beta Bass) were available in a combo or as just head unit.