Sunn 2x15 Cab ID help.

[Michedelic]

Oh nice!!! I have some crackling in the speakers but I think it's more due to oxidation on all the connections.

Here's the backs of mine.
View attachment 7157450View attachment 7157457

I don't think "oxidation on connections" would come into play…are they soldered or or the slip on bayonet/tab style? If soldered, there might be a cold solder(where there's been a crack in the connection). More than likely there's been some damage to the driver. Did you check for cone rub by gently pushing down on the cone?

 

[Michedelic]

Here is the ancient Sunn Forum site, it has passed through a few hands through the decades, but is still active(barely). However, while not complete, it does contain all sorts of info…

The sunn Forum - Index

The sunn Forum - Index

forum.sunnstillshines.online

Q & A

Q & A

forum.sunnstillshines.online

 

[Milo Spleen]

I had an Orion cabinet with CTS drivers in 1977, but I have no idea how old it was when I bought it for $200

 

[Wesley R]

That would be Hartzel, and anything manufactured after 1970, which that cab certainly is, would be of that era. As I mentioned earlier, all the trim/hardware/design of that particular cab was what I remember of their product in the final years of their ownership.

During the install of a new telephone system at Hartzel I saw some Sunn emblems and advertisements on a wall. I talked with an admin lady about, and told me not to mention it, as it was a very sore subject.

 

[agedhorse]

During the install of a new telephone system at Hartzel I saw some Sunn emblems and advertisements on a wall. I talked with an admin lady about, and told me not to mention it, as it was a very sore subject.

I bet...

 

[D.M.N.]

That's probably mid-80s, probably 84 or 85, right around the time of the Enforcer amp. That's the last iteration of the Sunn logo as far as I'm aware, after the version with the rounded corners and outlines. Sunns glory days were pretty long gone by that point, only ever really see that iteration of the logo on some monitors and PA gear.

 

[voosies]

So I just picked this up today. Searches around the web for an equivalent are not showing anything. As you can see it's labeled with the original ID tag on the back but has the "updated" font on the front. It's loaded with Sunn 145's.

Is this some weird transition model?


View attachment 7157084View attachment 7157085

This cab is either from 1984 or 1985. It's 100% stock, logo and all. It's made of MDF, those plastic corners were referred to as "kleenex box corners" since Sunn's design team pitched the idea by cutting off the edges of a tissue box and putting them on something to model it. This is not modified

 

[voosies]

Oh nice!!! I have some crackling in the speakers but I think it's more due to oxidation on all the connections.

Here's the backs of mine.
View attachment 7157450View attachment 7157457

You may be able to find a date code on the speaker magnets! Should be 4 numbers, like "2485"

 

[voosies]

With that plastic edging, I'd say it's from the last gasp period of the original company's run, long, long after Conrad Sundholm sold it to the Hartzell conglomerate; early 80's? I poked around for pics but all I could find were a couple of PA cabs…
View attachment 7157344View attachment 7157345

Well into the 'pie plate' grill era, a sad time of attrition for the brand. Construction-wise, from what I can see, it pretty much follows the design of the original early 70's 215-B with the grey sparkle grillcloth, except for that thicker divider in the port…
View attachment 7157350View attachment 7157351
…which was a totally different internal design from the same sized 200s cab that came before it.

Is yours all plywood?

Everything with those plastic corners is MDF construction. They were used from 1984-1985 after Sunn's main factory shut down.

 

[voosies]

This is the closest example I can find that sold on Reverb a while back. Same "plastic" covering, casters on the side and larger space between the drivers. Even the baffle divider looks thicker on this one.
Best guess is mine was some parts bin special when the company was sold. I'd love to see the baffle construction of the one below.

View attachment 7157227

This is the same type of cab (215B) bur somewhat earlier, probably 1983, before the main factory shut down. This is a plywood version, the one OP has is MDF judging by the plastic edges

 

[voosies]

That's not a stock Sunn 215B, it's either been heavily modified or it's a copy build of the original. The driver spacing and port separator are not the way I have seen in any Sunn factory cabinet... then there are those abysmal looking (IMO) DJ style grilles.

You're wrong. It is a stock 215B, but extremely late. 1984/1985. The last couple of years before Hartzell sold Sunn to Fender. They went with MDF construction to cut costs

 

[voosies]

The Orion cabs and preamp heads were only made for one singular year, 1969!

I had an Orion cabinet with CTS drivers in 1977, but I have no idea how old it was when I bought it for $200

 

[voosies]

That's probably mid-80s, probably 84 or 85, right around the time of the Enforcer amp. That's the last iteration of the Sunn logo as far as I'm aware, after the version with the rounded corners and outlines. Sunns glory days were pretty long gone by that point, only ever really see that iteration of the logo on some monitors and PA gear.

This is correct

 

[voosies]

That's probably mid-80s, probably 84 or 85, right around the time of the Enforcer amp. That's the last iteration of the Sunn logo as far as I'm aware, after the version with the rounded corners and outlines. Sunns glory days were pretty long gone by that point, only ever really see that iteration of the logo on some monitors and PA gear.

They used this logo version on pretty much everything but it doesn't seem liek there was a rhyme or reason to what got it or the regular badge. I have an Enforcer 4x12 with this logo. I've seen Enforcer amps, SB160/SB200s, Stinger 20s/60s, PA gear, Coliseum 300s, and other cabs with this logo

 

[claudel]

I used to love my Sunns, bought a new 200S + 2x15 JBL cab that had the best harmonic complexity

I restored a 2000S head ( Not personally, just paid the bill ) that someone stored in a barn that had been eaten by rats.

A friend ( guy who restored the 2000s) had one of the big 2000s 2x15 cabs that someone defaced by stencilling "J.H. Exp" all over it.

Not sure what that was all about... ;^)

 

[Michedelic]

I used to love my Sunns, bought a new 200S + 2x15 JBL cab that had the best harmonic complexity

I restored a 2000S head ( Not personally, just paid the bill ) that someone stored in a barn that had been eaten by rats.

A friend ( guy who restored the 2000s) had one of the big 2000s 2x15 cabs that someone defaced by stencilling "J.H. Exp" all over it.

Not sure what that was all about... ;^)

Years ago, I went to check out an older 100s head(60 watts, 24" wide, original woven grill cloth)for sale, which was paired with a slightly later Coliseum 4x12(Marshall style with the Fender-like grill pattern).

The guy selling it said that it belonged to his recently deceased father, and didn't know anything about it(dad's name stenciled on the back). Plugged in a guitar, I expected it to be loud, but it was really loud. I looked in the back, and found four KT88 power tubes where there should have only been two. I quickly deduced that it was some sort of prototype, based on the early 120 watt tube 'Coliseum' PA head that was crammed into the 24" wide case used for the dual power tubes heads. Bought the rig(at a fair price), went home, did some research. The earlier Sunn tube guitar heads actually work great for bass as well.

The guy's dad played in a band of young unknown kids(along with a guitarist, Kent Henry, who later went on to Steppenwolf)organized by Buck Munger, Sunn's PR/artist relations person. There was a notable photo of Munger and Hendrix looking at the Sunn gear he talked the Experience into using. This band would play at events, like teen fairs, expos, dances, etc, with an entire Sunn backline and PA, promoting Sunn equipment. Munger also managed a British singer(who was anything but), Screaming Lord Sutch, who had come to L.A. after his career had fizzled out in the U.K. He was a novelty act, a sort of proto-Alice Cooper(but based on Screamin' Jay Hawkins).

Munger got Sutch a record deal, and not only were the members of the promo band, such as the amp seller's bass playing dad, Martin, utilized in the sessions, but also high profile Brits coming through town(told that the recordings were just demos)…Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Noel Redding among them. However…in spite of all that, the resulting album has been considered one of the worst rock albums of that era, due to Sutch's "vocals", which were more like a growl, and the substandard material.

While I have no verifiable proof, circumstantial evidence points to the amp that I now own as being the one used on at least part of the album. Perhaps Redding, who was familiar with Sunn gear(and at the time no longer with Hendrix) played through it, who knows? The head, although labeled as a 100s, was definitely a forerunner of the 1000s model, which was finally issued in a 30" wide case(they finally figured out that four KT88 tubes generated too much heat in a cramped smaller box), plus there's pre-amp/line out jacks not seen on any models of that time period. I'd guess that this was given to the promo band to use instead of a sellable bit of product. Even if it wasn't used on that album(a dubious honor anyway), it's still a rare prototype. So I got that going for me.

 

[agedhorse]

You're wrong. It is a stock 215B, but extremely late. 1984/1985. The last couple of years before Hartzell sold Sunn to Fender. They went with MDF construction to cut costs

It's possible that I am misremembering, but during a fleeting moment when Fender was considering reviving the Sunn brand I looked at a lot of documentation and pictures of past product while researching so that I could understand the history in context.

The plastic edge trim and DJ pie plate style grilles were used on some of their PA products, both pre and post Fender. I never saw it used on any of the bass cabinets.

One thing that's possible is that it was a prototype for an SPL concept PA cabinet using that styling, or it was a prototype/concept build for a bass cabinet, but I don't recall it ever being a production model.

On the subject of concept builds or prototypes, this occurs at most companies. Many of these end up getting sold or given away, sometimes to endorsers. I have a whole set of shelves with concept pieces that ended up going a different direction. Even though they look like production models in how they are fabricated, they are in fact one-offs (or 4-5 pieces). Some are quite unique too

 

[voosies]

It's possible that I am misremembering, but during a fleeting moment when Fender was considering reviving the Sunn brand I looked at a lot of documentation and pictures of past product while researching so that I could understand the history in context.

The plastic edge trim and DJ pie plate style grilles were used on some of their PA products, both pre and post Fender. I never saw it used on any of the bass cabinets.

One thing that's possible is that it was a prototype for an SPL concept PA cabinet using that styling, or it was a prototype/concept build for a bass cabinet, but I don't recall it ever being a production model.

On the subject of concept builds or prototypes, this occurs at most companies. Many of these end up getting sold or given away, sometimes to endorsers. I have a whole set of shelves with concept pieces that ended up going a different direction. Even though they look like production models in how they are fabricated, they are in fact one-offs (or 4-5 pieces). Some are quite unique too

The only time Fender used the plastic trim is to use up old stock left over from Hartzell era Sunn, they kept making a few of the amps until they ran out of stock. I've seen a Fender era SB-160 but that's about it. They didn't make Enforcers or Stagemasters or anything. This isn't a one off, many of these cabs exist, it isn't a prototype either. This is an actual bass cab, through and through. They were sold with the Coliseum 300 amps, alongside the SPL8028 1x12/1x18 cabs. I have catalog pictures but not with this logo, the silver badge. This is the same cab as the 70s/earlier 80s 215Bs, just made of MDF and with different cosmetics

 

[voosies]

It's possible that I am misremembering, but during a fleeting moment when Fender was considering reviving the Sunn brand I looked at a lot of documentation and pictures of past product while researching so that I could understand the history in context.

The plastic edge trim and DJ pie plate style grilles were used on some of their PA products, both pre and post Fender. I never saw it used on any of the bass cabinets.

One thing that's possible is that it was a prototype for an SPL concept PA cabinet using that styling, or it was a prototype/concept build for a bass cabinet, but I don't recall it ever being a production model.

On the subject of concept builds or prototypes, this occurs at most companies. Many of these end up getting sold or given away, sometimes to endorsers. I have a whole set of shelves with concept pieces that ended up going a different direction. Even though they look like production models in how they are fabricated, they are in fact one-offs (or 4-5 pieces). Some are quite unique too

 

[agedhorse]

I know for sure Fender used the material on the PA cabinets.

I know for sure there were very few (if any) of those bass cabinets sold, and the ones in the ad don't have any port divider shown.

I stand by my opinion based on my experience with the brand. You don't have to agree with me.