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The SUNN Story

#102
Arthur U. Poon said:
I'm glad you resurrected this thread! I didn't catch it when it was active. Lots of cool history about Sunn and nice photos of Sunn rigs.
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Yeah. I'm surprised this amp doesn't have its own megathread considering it's one of the best amps ever created (IMO, YMMV etc). I just want to be able to discuss tone and settings with other 300T owners. :)
 
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#103
Linnin said:
I love SUNN Model T's! I never owned one because I could never afford one, but I've heard them live in bar bands and they cook! :cool:
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I owned a Model T for years. I used it for bass into a pair of 215 cabs. It was an Earthshaker. It seemed to have one sound and one sound only. Slightly overdriven and incredibly thick. I later played it into a 410. Pretty much the same sound but with a tighter, less rumbly bottom. Weighed a ton. Sounded like it weighed a ton. Volume was never a problem as long as you were going for LOUD. That amp head was a pawn shop buy. I payed $200 for it. I sold it for $300. Wish I had it to sell today.
 
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#105
The only Sunn amp I tried was a solid state model. I believe it was a Beta model. It was a very cool head, and very loud.

I've never seen any local players use s Sunn amp. Granted, my area is kind of podunk. I've always wanted to play through a vintage Sunn tube amp. And the 300T looks very, very nice as well.
 
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#106
Resurrected from a 1960's friend's cellar. Recapped, repaired and a new set of SED 6550s.
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#109
First rehearsal with the band and the 300T yesterday. We also took the time to rearrange all the instruments in the room, for better space physically and sonically. Needless to say, the Sunn performed beyond expectations. If there's a better bass amp in the world, I don't know what it is. It adds that magical kind of shimmer and sheen to the tone that I just haven't heard from non-tube amps. Something about the power passing through the tube filaments just makes the tone so sweet!

Notes rang with a power, heft and authority that was otherworldly - even in higher registers. Much thanks to the built in compressor, no doubt. I'm extremely satisfied with the amp. Best amp ever built, IMO.
 

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#110
edbass said:
The 150 watts is a little misleading. That was the factory rating on a SS rectified 2000S, and the rating on the tube rectified version was 120. To save typing time, I've quoted a post that I wrote a couple of years ago that gives a better explanation;
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amazing you always bring out something very interesting.. but know im even more confused knob at 3 -- i reaharse about at 4
 
#113
In 1968 when I was a Junior in high school, The Kingsmen came through Muncie, Indiana on one of their early tours. Norm was using that early 200s with a Cherry Red Gibson EBO. It was a loud, gritty and focused amp that sounded huge in comparison to the Fender Bassman the other Bands were using. The following year Blood, Sweat, and Tears came to town JT Fielder played through a Guild Quantim (X) Thunderbass . Right around that same time The Association performed at Emens Auditorium using Jordan Amps. The Kinks and The Who played the Delaware County Fair using Vox Super Beatles and Three Dog Night hit the stage at Emens with Bruce Amps. Great music, good times, and amps of all different sizes and makes.

P.S. Entwistle may have been using a Sunn.
 
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#116
D.M.N. said:
Does anyone have any idea what that little splitter box at the amp's input is/called? I'd like to get my hands on one for when I'm running two amps with a single output bass.


Also, this is the first time I ever noticed Noel's bass has lollipop tuners on it. As far as I know, it was a 1964, and it doesn't have a bound neck, but I can't find any pictures of it without lollipops, so I wonder what's up with that. Guess he just switched them, or they were switched when he bought it.

View attachment 2266265
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My Fender Jazz looked identical to Noel's it was a 1966 with lollypop tuners, the neck was pencil thin, and incredibly fast my bass as I remember it did have the white binding strips though.
 
#117
Ric Vice said:
In 1968 when I was a Junior in high school, The Kingsmen came through Muncie, Indiana on one of their early tours. Norm was using that early 200s with a Cherry Red Gibson EBO. It was a loud, gritty and focused amp that sounded huge in comparison to the Fender Bassman the other Bands were using. The following year Blood, Sweat, and Tears came to town JT Fielder played through a Guild Quantim (X) Thunderbass . Right around that same time The Association performed at Emens Auditorium using Jordan Amps. The Kinks and The Who played the Delaware County Fair using Vox Super Beatles and Three Dog Night hit the stage at Emens with Bruce Amps. Great music, good times, and amps of all different sizes and makes.

P.S. Entwistle may have been using a Sunn.
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Early? Their big moment was the end of '63 thru '65-ish; by 1968, with advent of The Beatles, folk rock, and eventually psychedelia, they were yesterday's news. Entwistle? There's no question...
John Entwistle Gear: 1967-1968 | John Entwistle Bass Gear | Whotabs
 
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