Grill Cloth From Wendell

[bigobassman]

Recall that Wendell is just down the road from me.  I called and talked with Bill Swank last week.  Nice guy and knows about some of the Sunn material.  I asked about visiting and bringing my old grill cloth with me to look at what would match best.  He invited me to do so.  I'm hoping to make that trip somewhere between Wednesday and Friday, 12/18-12/20, so I'll have the cloth to install over Christmas.  Wendell is closed next week.  So - if there's anything you guys want me to check on for you, just direct me.

[Sunny Boy]

I'd like to know what you find out.  It seems to me that, while it's probably not available anywhere anymore, the old Traynor cloth is about as close as it gets.  Thoughts on that, anyone?

[loudthud]

Sunn grill cloth has all black vertical threads. The horizontal threads are white white silver silver. The Traynor cloth has white silver white silver vertical threads and all black horizontal threads. They look very close from straight on but if you move off to one side, the Traynor cloth looks darker.  Standel used a similar cloth on some of their late 60's solid state amps. I don't have an example to look at.

Greald Weber gets his "nico tweed" cloth from Wendell. He gets it in a wide width so that he can cut three tweed bassman amps across to reduce waiste. Is there an option on how wide the cloth is wolven?

What is the minimum order? Is it square yards or running yards at whatever width the cloth is?

[bigobassman]

My notes from talking with Bill Swank indicate a minimum purchase of 2 yards and runs $22.35 per yard.  There's a $15 fee for cutting the minimum amount.  That puts the cost at about $60.  My notes also indicate that if you buy 5 yards, the $15 cutting fee goes away.  He didn't specify whether square or running, but most experiences that I have with such things is running.  I'll get a clarification on that.  Looks more like Thursday or Friday before I can make the trip.  As you guys know, gotta take care of business first, or else no money for Sunn's and other fun stuff.

[bigobassman]

Spoke with Wendell this morning.  The cloth sells running yard, with the bolt being 72 inches wide.  Confirmed the other info on price and handling fee.  So for approximately $60, you'd get a 72'x72' piece, as I understand it.

[Sunny Boy]

Are you talking about the older style, c. 1966, or the later stuff which looks like Fender cloth?

[bigobassman]

From researching old threads, the Wendell references that were supposed to be correct or near correct, SF700S and FN-5660-21 are more the late 60's / 70's style, with SF being the brand new look and FN being the somewhat aged look.  I've never seen either, so this will be a learning experience for me.  I'm taking the frame with cloth from the cab I bought a couple of weeks ago, which I think is a 69ish.  I'll also take some pics.

[EdBass]

Yes, that all seems correct as I remember it. Except I think it's SF7005 rather than SF700S. And, as of last time I checked the pre 1969 cloth is unobtainium per reasons discussed vaguely in another thread.

[Sunny Boy]

THIS is the stuff I want to know about, if and when anyone gets any great ideas or leads.  Can anyone say when this was used?  I'm thinking pre-'68-'69 maybe, somewhere around there?  And was there anything before this?

[EdBass]

THIS is the stuff I want to know about, if and when anyone gets any great ideas or leads.  Can anyone say when this was used?  I'm thinking pre-'68-'69 maybe, somewhere around there?  And was there anything before this?

I'm pretty sure everyone here knows what cloth you are talking about, almost all of us have mid 60's Sunn gear that need cloth and it's been a common source of discussion/debate here for a decade or more.

Sunn only used two types of grill cloth, what you pictured was used up until '69. The later stuff is available, the early stuff has so far been impossible to obtain, and that's the grill cloth that we have been discussing.

Both Loudthud, myself and now bigobassman have spoken directly with the OEM manufacturer to no avail. In my case at least, even bribery was tried; no dice for some government regulatory issue.
Hopefully Biggo's face to face will have some success!

[Sunny Boy]

Thanks, EdBass.  Just curious, what's the reason for the resistance from the OEM?  Not lucrative enough?

[loudthud]

The person I corrisponded with at Wendell was Hunter Watson. I sent him samples of Sunn and Traynor cloth. I was willing to commit to a custom run of 2500 yards but I couldn't even get them to quote me a price. Mr. Watson told me that he couldn't get anyone interested in doing the run.

Whatever the reason is or might have been, the cloth that Traynor in using now on their re-issues is said to be manufactured by the original OEM. All information says that's Wendell.

[EdBass]

I don't remember exactly, but I seem to remember that it was something to do with current day EPA regulations and the processes involved in the manufacturing of the old cloth.
I mostly remember dismissing the possibility of Wendell doing a run, and it wasn't a fiscal issue as 'Thud's experience would seem to also indicate.

Bill Swank was also who I spoke with, very personable gentleman and seemed truly interested initially.

[Soundmasterg]

I wonder if there is a way for them to make something that looks like the old cloth but is made with methods that work for the EPA? There are a lot of Sunn people, and others who would be interested if they did....

Interesting tidbit to pass on....I am sure many of you have never heard of AIMS amps, but they were an offshoot a couple ex Fender employees started in the late 60's/early 70's. They made Twin Reverb clones that used 6550's....anyway they also used the old style Sunn grille cloth.

Greg