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Does anyone recognize this Sunn 215 Cab

Zoomie

Zoomie

Supporting Member
Jan 26, 2012
2,347
949
East Tennessee
#1
Saw this on CL dirt cheap. Allegedly original. Can anyone tell me anything about it? I have been sorting through search this morning with no luck.

Mid seventies? Specs?

Thanks in advance !

sun215.png
 
#6
A huge thanks everyone. I verified that the cab is fully functional. Those are JBL's which I am assuming are orginal spec. Fully functional with no tears in speakers.

The cab is in fact slot-ported, for lack of a better term.

Tolex looks like its 30-40 years old, worn but no excessive tears. Grill cloth is worn as well but not in tatters.

225.00 so I snagged it. Will pick it up tonight.

Woohoo. Havent played through twin 15's in 30 years. Really looking forward to it, as an option.

I sure hope I can get some warmth and bottom out of this thing. :hiding:
 
#7
Learned some more for anyone that cares. This is either a 215S, 215M, or 215V. There may be others. Can't be JBL's unless cab was orginally custom ordered that way. Sunn stopped using JBL's as standards prior to 72.

Squinting at the pics, it appears that cones dont math JBL's either. These look like the cones with the interior circles/holes in them. I remember seeing them back in the day but can't remember for the life of me who produced them.

You would think I could at least wait until tonight to read the sticker off of the speakers, but nooooo. I can't stand the suspense.
 
#8
Those drivers are the old low-end CTS or Eminence or whatever everyone was using way back then as their standard driver. They got used in many manufacturer's cabs. Not too bad as long as you don't ask a lot of them. Nice score on the cab, btw. Even empty, it's worth what you paid.
 
#9
Craig, thanks. About the time I was notified of your response, I found a picture of the CTS'.

OK, so these are boat anchors. I'll haven to find something to replace them.

We dont play loud at rehearsal but I dont want to kill another cabinet in one week. I hate to point fingers, but I know a guy, that knows a guy, that looks an aweful lot like me, that wasnt paying attention last night when he plugged in his 4 ohm 210 in to the 1000 watt Bridged connection. He then placed the volume in the exact spot for a 500 watts driving an 8ohm speaker.

It sounded really good for the first minute and a half for the first song. I...........I mean HE, specifically remembers thinking that the little 210 was really pumping...........right before it peed the bed.
 
#10
Ouch. Smelly.

As long as we're sharing stories of dumb-ass, it took me half an hour to start my mower this spring. I always store engines properly, they always start on one pull in May. Not this time. It was dragging like crazy when I pulled the starter rope. Smooth, but dragging. So... I flooded the cylinder with motor oil, checked for debris under the deck, everything. Then I found it: the bungee I keep in place to defeat the emergency stop had broken after about 15 years. (I was working against brake drag.) Next step: Look sheepishly around to make sure no neighbors have witnessed any of this.

Enjoy your cab!
 
#12
If those are the old square magnet CTS speakers, they are not bad speakers. Maybe limited to 150 watts a piece, but they do have thick top plates and overhung coils for decent excursion. Those may be the Sunn branded "SPL" speakers, which were essentially JBL knockoffs. Cast frame, huge magnets and large diameter (3" IIRC) voice coils. I had one a while back and it sounded great until I dropped the cabinet and the magnet shifted, causing the coil to rub.
 
#13
These are good speakers that are pretty forgiving of cab size . Good power handling and xmas so they'll move some air and have decent mids .

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Also Kappalite 3015s would work and save a lot of weight but are very pricy .

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#14
Nice find man, I just picked one of these up off Washington DC Craigslist for $280. Considering I sold an Ampeg Classic 4x10 for $350 to fund the purchase, and this thing KILLS the Ampeg both tonally and volume-wise, I'm happy with my purchase. Hope you are too!

And +1 to these being popular in the stoner rock gang. If you decide to flip it, drop by The Stoner Doom Bassist Thread and let them know and I bet someone local would take it off your hands.
 
#15
Around 1976, I bought a pair of used Sunn Magnas [2-X15M]. I liked that the cabs were rated @ 4 ohms; sounded OK..nothing more. I sold them a couple of years later; same price as when I purchased them. When I compared their sound to my 1971 Kustom 200 2x15 CTS cab, they sounded identical which was disappointing.

In late 1979, I bought a used Sunn 1-18vh, which is a folded horn variant powered with a 4 ohm 18" Cerwin/ Vega. It sounds so beautiful, although heavy to transport. As anyone who knows me will atest: I am a huge Acoustic Control user; Vintage as well as the G C Acoustic; can't afford Acoustic USA equipment...YET... [i digress].. I firmly believe that the Sunn folded horn out performs the Acoustic 301..in my opinon... with no loss of highs up to high D#, no issues with hearing the horn on stage and cetainly no issues with audience hearing it.

Thanks for letting this old man ramble.. anyhow.. I AM GLAD I SOLD MY PAIR OF MAGNAS...and I WILL NEVER SELL MY 1-18VH.
 
#16
A huge thanks to everyone.

As you (collectively speculated), the cab is a 215S aka containing "2 15" Sunn Tranducers"

160 Watts at 4 Ohms.

The cabinet turned out to be in great shape. No torn tolex. Some staining which appears to removable with a damp wash cloth. Grill cloth has a single pencil sized tear.

It doesn't creak. Nary a buzz. No wiggly casters. I couldnt get the front grill off without risking damage, Perhaps the wood swelled.

I plugged in a BX500 real quick. Just turned it up enough to rattle the nearby snare chain.

I was surprized with it's mids. Sound is more than tolerable for rehearsals.

This thing hasnt been abused and doesnt appear to have been gigged. None of the normal scuffing or corner issues.

I won't let the Kilo anywhere near it. I am even afraid that the BX500 may be too much.

I think I'll play through it for a practice or two just for fun. And then take a look at some optional drivers.
 
#17
Hey , if it works and sounds good I'd just use it like it is . Worry about changing speakers if it starts to distort or break up a bunch . The speakers I listed above would work but if it ain't broke why fix it ?

Great looking cab by the way , Sunn built really nice cabs back then .
 

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