What do ya'll know about the SUNN 2000S?

[JTE]

Man, I have fond memories (vicariously) of Sunn 2000s amps. When I first got into music, two of my friends who were bassists each had one, with the 2x15 Sunn cabs loaded with JBLs... Roger's band (high school kids in 1972) were doing the entire first side of The Allman Bros. live album, they'd do a 45-minute set of Yes songs, Sly & The Family Stone, the only band I've ever seen do "Grey Seal" and "Funeral For a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding", and were working up "Thick As A Brick" at one time... Curt was a HS junior and playing regularly with the local state university Jazz band because he was the only guy in the area who could read the parts, swing, walk, and solo on traditional jazz AND understand and play that new "fusion" stuff that was around. Curt was the one in town who said that Chris Squire's stuff was too easy and played the first Stanley Clarke I ever heard. He's the one who came to one of my very first gigs to encourage me, and wrote two things on a napkin- which changed my musical life. He wrote "Heavy Weather by Weather Report" and "Jaco Pastorious"..

They roomed together for a while, and on occasion Roger would use BOTH of the Sunns, playing his Rik 4001 in stereo. Awesome, simply awesome.

John

 

[JoshuaTSP]

A tweeter. I think the Big Bertha has a tweeter, doesn't it?

It does, but I never use it.

I'll PM you.

Cool, thanks.

 

[KramerBassFan]

Man, those are massive transformers in that 2000S!

No, the 2000S transformers are regular size.

Its just that newer transformers are undersized.

 

[koobie]

There are some true Sunn-o-philes here, but the true Sunn geeks live...

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Dig around and you will get more info on vintage Sunn than you'll know what to do with!

Thanks!

 

[Ric5]

Here's me playing my 68 Ric through a Sunn 2000s in the early 70s.

 

[edbass]

Here's me playing my 68 Ric through a Sunn 2000s in the early 70s.

Brother, that outfit is just too funny! Tell me you have knee boots on.
I give you credit for posting it though. I sure don't have the huevos to post a stage picture of myself from that era!

 

[sledz]

Excuse me, is there anyone going to sell 2000s head?

 

[D.M.N.]

No, probably not.

 

[shoot-r]

As has been said, big, heavy, with great sound.
My first "real" bass amp.
It was brand new along with a couple of JBL loaded 200S cabinets.
Bummer was, only had it a few weeks when problems started.
Kept blowing drivers and then a few weeks later the head went up in smoke.
Traded it in for a SVT and two 810 cabinets.

 

[JxBass]

I had a 200S / 2x15 cab that I purchased brand new way back when. Unbelievably, I didn't care for the tone and traded it in. It's at the top of my "ones that got away" list.

 

[lowphatbass]

I would love to have a 2000s. I was lucky enough to score a '67 200s off CL w/ the original 2x15 cab for a steal. It was bone stock, in fact it still had the original Gold Lion power tubes going strong!
With that amp it really is all about the matching cabs, they're a magic combination. I did a live soundstage video recording the other day and put my 200s on top of their Ampeg 8x10, there was a bit more break-up then I wanted and that JBL magic just wasn't there...still sounded cool though. Luckily we were DI-ing as well. I suspect a 2000s would have been a hell of a lot cleaner!

 

[chicago_mike]

Dynaco / Hammond transformers from back in the day were just Monsters!! I think the 2000S used the Dynaco 120 output tranny. Not in UL mode.

Great amp. My dad had one and used a Moog 3 band Parametric eq as the preamp. Used a JBL 2x15 scoop and was LOUD!!!!

 

[bassclef112]

I've had a '69 1000S since the mid 70's, which is the guitar version and otherwise identical (well, except for the vibrato control).

4-6550's and it's the loudest 120 watts I've heard. Even with the guitar preamp it sounds great. It is certainly an armload to carry - I want to meet the knucklehead that decided one standard Fender amp handle was enough for it.....

Several years ago I was lucky enough to come across an original NOS replacement transformer. This thing will be running for another 50 years at least!

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[BassNeo]

Well this just followed me home from a gig. It sounds every bit as nice as my Fender studio. I'm going to give it a once over and see what the gizzards look like before I commit to the purchase and sleep on the couch for a week.. Maybe two. But it's like camping so it's cool!

 

[GreyBeard]

Back in the 70's I played trumpet and trombone in 2 different bands that the bass players had a 2000S. In both bands the players paired the head with 2x200S cabinets. That is 4 X JBL D140 15"s !!!! Huge Fat tube tone. I've seen some pictures from Woodstock where there were 3 2000S amps stacked on top of each other. The 2000S was the king until the Acoustic 360 came out. Anyway, have you thought about what speakers you are wanting to pair it with?

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I think the power rating on Sunns is way underrated.
One thing to know about all tube amps is never,
never power it up without a speaker connected to it.

 

[mpdd]

my sound for the 90s
grabber>sunn 2000s>marshall ibs 115 with a sidewinder
i loved the 2000s for that kind of bassy late 60s/early 70s big bottom tubey tone
never would have gotten rid of that head if my parents would have just stored it when i moved to NY

 

[chadds]

Very Hifi sounding. Capable of clear lows and highs with fat mids. Also capable of distorted Mountain tone.

 

[Ric5]

Brother, that outfit is just too funny! Tell me you have knee boots on.
I give you credit for posting it though. I sure don't have the huevos to post a stage picture of myself from that era!

I was emulating Ian Anderson From Jethro Tull ...Yes I did wear knee boots with that outfit.

Here I am wearing the same pants later ... well not really ...

 

[spellcaster]

Love my 1970 2000s. With the match D140 loaded cab it is pure magic.

I found it as NOS a few years ago. Belonged to a music store that went out of business and had been kept in storage since.

Here's a link to photos I took of it the day I brought it home.
NOS SUNN 2000s by Nick Syracuse | Photobucket