Author Topic: Ok..Need the full story, full-er story?? or ?? Sunn Enforcer "Uncle Ted's" Amp?  (Read 19554 times)

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Offline sunn-tanned

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I still have many unanswered question relating to the "Enforcer".

I currently own two and I will say they are amazing. I'm looking for a cab to match just for the sake of it.

Questions:
> What was Sunn's objective when designing this model?
> Was this REALLY used by as well as a Ted Nugent fav? If so I have never seen any documentation of such.
> What speakers were used in the 300W cab?

Any other related info is appreciated!

Offline madaradio

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Here's someone selling an empty cab
http://cleveland.backpage.com/MusicEquipForSale/sunn_4x12_enforcer_series_slant_cab_empty_250_00/classifieds/ViewAd?oid=1174678

There's a few other articles to read if you search google.

Offline loudthud

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A couple of years ago there was a full stack at Zoo Music in Dallas. It's probably still there.

Offline sunn-tanned

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Thanks for the info!

Still looking...Who knows the full "Ted Nugent" relationship??

Offline sunn-tanned

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bump...still looking for information on the Enforcer.
 
Also there is NOTHING in the museum??  :-o


 :? 


 :cry:

Offline biltmore

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The museum needs some SERIOUS work.

Offline madaradio

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i have a combo and am also curious. 

Ted comes up and hunts in my city every year and a friend of a friend is his guide.  It didn't happen this year, but my friend was suppose to interview him.  I told him to ask about the enforcer.  Next year we may have some answers.

If we are allowed to post to the museum I can add some info/pics for the combo version.

Offline tacklebox455

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I still have many unanswered question relating to the "Enforcer".

I currently own two and I will say they are amazing. I'm looking for a cab to match just for the sake of it.

Questions:
> What was Sunn's objective when designing this model?
> Was this REALLY used by as well as a Ted Nugent fav? If so I have never seen any documentation of such.
> What speakers were used in the 300W cab?

Any other related info is appreciated!

ted got tired of the marshall heads and didnt want to mod 1 out he wanted a signature head with his tone in mind,thus comes sunn dont know why he chose sunn but good choice anyway ted told sunn what he wanted even tube type and controls as well as the name, ted liked the amp but then came the buyout and for those who dont know ted doesnt really care for fender in any shape or form or at least at that time i do know he still has 1 head that i know of and a cab and that he used a sunn enforcer rig for about 2 months before the fender buyout.

i hope this helped this is all i know and it comes from a friend that was a roadie for ted back in the day.
1975 Sunn model T
2007Crate Blue voodoo BV 120(mercury magnetics upgraded)
Randall RT 503
Jet City JCA 22H
Creepy fingers harakiri superfuzz
Creepy fingers doomidrive
Earthbound Audio supercollider
Malekko Plus Ultra 213

Offline sunn-tanned

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Great info.....thanks!
I'm about to own a third one for my collection... :wink:

Now I'm curious what serial numbers depict early and late models as I understand there was a mod offered to eliminate cross talk between channels on the early models.

I still have many unanswered question relating to the "Enforcer".

I currently own two and I will say they are amazing. I'm looking for a cab to match just for the sake of it.

Questions:
> What was Sunn's objective when designing this model?
> Was this REALLY used by as well as a Ted Nugent fav? If so I have never seen any documentation of such.
> What speakers were used in the 300W cab?

Any other related info is appreciated!

ted got tired of the marshall heads and didnt want to mod 1 out he wanted a signature head with his tone in mind,thus comes sunn dont know why he chose sunn but good choice anyway ted told sunn what he wanted even tube type and controls as well as the name, ted liked the amp but then came the buyout and for those who dont know ted doesnt really care for fender in any shape or form or at least at that time i do know he still has 1 head that i know of and a cab and that he used a sunn enforcer rig for about 2 months before the fender buyout.

i hope this helped this is all i know and it comes from a friend that was a roadie for ted back in the day.

Offline doomedfuzz

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I own the head from Zoo Music in Dallas, the cabs have been gone for years. It is one really sick sounding amp - if you play stoner rock or doom. I find little else that its good for lol. Since I play in a stoner rock band, it is perfect for that. Enforcers really need a specific cab style and speaker wattage to get the full force of them out. I tried probably 5-6 cabs (Orange, Marshall, Mesa) and an old Sunn cab which worked the best. I promptly blew 2 of the original Transducer speakers and had to have them rebuilt. I'd say minimum of 75 watt speakers are needed to get the most out of it. I tried some 25 watt Greenbacks in a cab and even the Vintage 30s in my Orange and just not loud enough.

The uncle Ted connection best as I can remember. The Enforcer was not built specifically as Ted's signature amp, however there were a few (I believe that number to be 4) that were covered in Camo tolex and labeled as "Sunn Predators" that went to Ted and he used those as his amps for a while and honestly, I don't see how - they don't sound anything like Ted does or did. He endorsed Sunn for a little while in the early/mid 80s. I think two were given away in contests back in 1983/1984 if I recall. I did a ton of research when I got mine a couple of years back but now I've forgotten a lot of what I learned. I might be a little off on that but its close to accurate.

Will H who used to post here, was an engineer for Sunn and designed the Enforcer. He wrote me a nice email about them a while back. We discussed the rumor that Channel A was supposed to be based on a Fender Twin and Channel B on a Marshall JCM800. Here was his response (I am editing this a bit, I don't really like to post people's private comments fully in public, even though there is nothing bad or negative, just something I don't like to do out of respect):

Will: The rumor is basically true, though the circuits are not exact copies. The intent was to be able to provide the range of sound you could get out of Marshall and Fender amps. Marshall amps have a small output transformer which is prone to blowing. But that small transformer also does something called saturation, which provides a unique sound that the Enforcer doesn't do to nearly the same degree (all transformers are inherently non-linear, but when they enter saturation, they distort much more). But that saturation is also responsible for reliability problems on the Marshall's. I spec'ed the output transformer to handle 200 Watts of power, which is what you might get with a square wave. What that does is give the amp a volume you will rarely get out of another amp with 6L6s in the output.

That being said, I love my Enforcer, it is the meanest, nastiest sounding amp I own and I'll never sell it. I'd love to get another as a backup. It is closer in tone to an old Orange or Matamp than a Marshall or Fender, but not quite as pissed off sounding as a Matamp GTO for instance. Super, super fuzzed out with the gain cranked. I can hardly get a clean tone at a loud volume with it - the cleans are gritty at best. Mine has been fully gone through by my tech - he said it was a well designed, well built and really cool amp.

The channel switching is odd on them and I had my tech build me a footswitch out of a generic 2 button Marshall style switch. Works like a champ. Total cost to mod the switch $12 lol! Here is the schematic for the mod: http://www.pwrage.com/enforcer

Mine:





With its evil twin!
« Last Edit: January 05, 2011, 02:04:33 pm by doomedfuzz »

Offline sunn-tanned

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That's some great information also  :-)

Have you ever found out what the price was these sold for new?

As far as speaker cabs I haven't tried all the ones I own, I do have a an old Marshall with 80 watters that might sound really good and also one with 65's.

Offline tacklebox455

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i have never played one but i would love to! anyone close to me in alabama maybe we could do a meet up and i'll bring my modl t and you bring the enforcer?.
1975 Sunn model T
2007Crate Blue voodoo BV 120(mercury magnetics upgraded)
Randall RT 503
Jet City JCA 22H
Creepy fingers harakiri superfuzz
Creepy fingers doomidrive
Earthbound Audio supercollider
Malekko Plus Ultra 213

Offline doomedfuzz

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I still have many unanswered question relating to the "Enforcer".

I currently own two and I will say they are amazing. I'm looking for a cab to match just for the sake of it.

Questions:
> What was Sunn's objective when designing this model?
> Was this REALLY used by as well as a Ted Nugent fav? If so I have never seen any documentation of such.
> What speakers were used in the 300W cab?

Any other related info is appreciated!

Mine just does the fuzz thing really, really well, I was wondering if mine was an anomaly or if others get the same kind of tone out of them? How do yours sound? I can dial in a pretty convincing 80s thrash tone by scooping the mids but I don't really ever play like that. Cleans at a high volume, forget it!

There was a fully loaded original Enforcer cab on ebay maybe 3-4 months ago - was over priced (I think $500) plus shipping and I think it was in California. To Texas, that would have been a fortune! They do sound pretty good with Marshall cabs, just make sure you 75 watt speakers in it.

Offline sunn-tanned

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I'ts been a while since I've used them and I plan to again shortly so I will let you know! From what I remember they can produce an quality overdriven sound which isn't like most Sunns are made to do, probably more so than my Model T's, for sure more than the Sorado, 190, etc..

Yes I noticed the Enforcer cab on ebay also and thought it was a bit much w/shipping to invest in. I should take a couple Mesa oversize heavy monsters and load them with some good 80's....he he  :wink:





Mine just does the fuzz thing really, really well, I was wondering if mine was an anomaly or if others get the same kind of tone out of them? How do yours sound? I can dial in a pretty convincing 80s thrash tone by scooping the mids but I don't really ever play like that. Cleans at a high volume, forget it!

There was a fully loaded original Enforcer cab on ebay maybe 3-4 months ago - was over priced (I think $500) plus shipping and I think it was in California. To Texas, that would have been a fortune! They do sound pretty good with Marshall cabs, just make sure you 75 watt speakers in it.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2011, 02:23:17 pm by sunn-tanned »