Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
For Fun: Suppose SUNN came back and...
- Thread starter MEKer
- Start date
I used to have that same cab loaded with JBL D140s. Started out with a Bassman head then got a V4B in '75.
In mid 70s I bought 2 Sunn 2-15 Magna cabs from a guy who quit the band Although 4 ohm and sounded good together under my Acoustic 370 ; frankly they sounded no better individually than my old Kustom I was disappointed and sold them. Sunn 1-18VH on the other hand reveals the breath of Thor
I’m not joking
Someone needs to clone Sunn 1-15 and 18 horn cabs using news & lite construction and sell at affordable price I’d so buy one
Tempted to reverse engineer mine but don’t want to remove mojo
Don’t have an audio comparison reference between original Cerwin / Vega 18s & contemporary neodymium 18s
Sadly, it seems that time is past. Highly doubtful that those gems will ever be reproduced. The industry is moving away from 15's and 18's for bass cabs (save for concert series) and moving to 210's, 410's, 112's, etc. But what a magical time that was. I was glad to be part of that era, and it's been an interesting voyage and I can't imagine what the future has in store.
I am the original owner of a Sunn Beta Bass 1x15 combo. I still have the functioning foot switch. The head is retired, but the cab is at our drummers place where we rehearse. The OEM driver is long gone and replaced with a 15inch Gauss back in the 80's! I know I have a pic of it somewhere, just can't seem to be able to findit right now.
Fishheadjoe
edit - found it... sorry for the sideways view...
Last edited:
1-18 VH is like riding in luxury VS a basicSadly, it seems that time is past. Highly doubtful that those gems will ever be reproduced. The industry is moving away from 15's and 18's for bass cabs (save for concert series) and moving to 210's, 410's, 112's, etc. But what a magical time that was. I was glad to be part of that era, and it's been an interesting voyage and I can't imagine what the future has in store.
Coupled with my 370 head is like blending a ‘Vette with a Cobra
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
In the 70's I had a Cervin Vega 18 with an SVT head. Now that was power!
I had two Sunn 2000S double JBL D-140 cabs during the early 70's, used to use them with a Marshall Major 200 watt tube head, that thing moved so much air you could feel it hitting you in the chest at 20 ft out, used to rattle tables, pictures drinks etc, a bartender at one place we used to play every weekend called us The Big Wind
. One of the little wires that went into the cone pulled out of it from over-excursion and I didn't even realize it until I blew the head up from the mismatched impedance. I had the head a little later than I owned the cabs but I liked my Ampeg a lot better (still do). I also owned a Dynaco Mk-III but used it for one side of a stereo, also had several Dynaco Stereo 70's. (for stereo)Not mine:
Last edited:
Well you slept through It. Conrad was busy building mostly world class low to mid wattage tube guitar amps for the last twenty yrs. there are a lot of them mostly around here in the Northwest. Below, some bass stuff.
IIRC he said this cab has the different speakers in their own enclosures an internal amp. That’s his pre on top.
He also built a number of his modern revisions of his classic bass designs. He built a few of his tube bass preamps, one of which I played and it sounded stellar. Even though he’s taken on a couple of newer projects, he announced his retirement last year and continues to turn down most requests.
You can see how the icon of amplification is doing (quite well thank you) on his FB page.
Here’s most of the bass related pics I just copied off of it. His bass pre paired with a 1000 watt Dclass and those two 115 cabs would be delicious.
IIRC he said this cab has the different speakers in their own enclosures an internal amp. That’s his pre on top.
He also built a number of his modern revisions of his classic bass designs. He built a few of his tube bass preamps, one of which I played and it sounded stellar. Even though he’s taken on a couple of newer projects, he announced his retirement last year and continues to turn down most requests.
You can see how the icon of amplification is doing (quite well thank you) on his FB page.
Here’s most of the bass related pics I just copied off of it. His bass pre paired with a 1000 watt Dclass and those two 115 cabs would be delicious.
Had (2) Sunn 2X15 magma cabs
Although 4 ohms ea which let my 370 have full power ; they sounded no better than my older Kustom CTS 2-15
I sold them
Only cab sounding even close to Sunn 1-18 was a J BL loaded 3-15 Kustom
I contacted Conrad about build plans for 1-18 VH. Said he had no pls s and was a difficult build
that thing moved so much air you could feel it hitting you in the chest at 20 ft out, used to rattle tables, pictures drinks etc, a bartender at one place we used to play every weekend called us The Big Wind
View attachment 3181196
Cool.
Interesting how the grill has that look from hundreds of gigs in smokey rooms. I remember pulling out my precision days after gigging and it smelled like tobacco.
There is not a single place in town that allows smoking now, although as of today cannabis is legal in all of Canada. Things have changed.
