Author Topic: Sunn 2000s design changes  (Read 3174 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline rumblethump

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 60
Sunn 2000s design changes
« on: December 06, 1999, 02:13:00 pm »
Thanks to the great pictures here, it now appears that my Sunn 2000s is 69 model.  I noticed that the 68 model
has more tubes.  I was wondering why the design change?
Any advantages??
A World without music would be WRONG!

Offline Ryan Phelps

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 341
Sunn 2000s design changes
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 1999, 12:02:00 am »
: Thanks to the great pictures here, it now appears that my Sunn 2000s is 69 model.  I noticed that the 68 model
: has more tubes.  I was wondering why the design change?
: Any advantages??


Offline Ryan Phelps

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 341
Sunn 2000s design changes
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 1999, 12:11:00 am »
: Thanks to the great pictures here, it now appears that my Sunn 2000s is 69 model.  I noticed that the 68 model
: has more tubes.  I was wondering why the design change?
: Any advantages??

I'm only going by the photos on this web-site, but her goes. The 1969 2000S does not have the two GZ34 rectifier tubes that the 1968 model has. It must have used diodes for rectification (changes the AC voltage to DC). Tube rectifiers tend to "sag" when the amp is pushed hard and the voltage output to the amp drops slightly. This helps give Fenders the famous "brown" sound.....great for guitar but lousy for bass. That's why the 1968 2000S use TWO rectifier tubes, to decrease "sag" and keep the amp clean at high volumes. Diodes don't suffer from sag and are less expensive than tubes and their required 5 volt transformer tap.
Ryan


Offline mike

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 127
Sunn 2000s design changes
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 1999, 12:42:00 am »
: Thanks to the great pictures here, it now appears that my Sunn 2000s is 69 model.  I noticed that the 68 model
: has more tubes.  I was wondering why the design change?
: Any advantages??

Well, it's just an example of design evolution--earlier amps utilize tube rectifiers, then a switch was made to solid state versions in early '69, as far as I can tell,in conjunction with the switch in grille cloth patterns.  A rectifier circuit has to do with regulating current rather than with amplification of the signal, but it still has a bit of an effect on the sound. An amp with a s.s. rectifier will sound "tighter", notes will be a bit more articulate because the power being called upon by the amp every time it gets voltage from a guitar is controlled in a more efficient manner. Tubes in this capacity, due to their own inherit nature, will "sag" notes, make them kinda mushy, which is actually great for alot of guitar/distortion situations--overdriven guitar notes will "bloom" and sing.  Bass, however, is another story.  Due to the nature of producing large low frequency waves, ya gotta have alot of power, and alot of control over that power. If you're spitting out a bunch of Rocco and Jaco-style 16th notes, you want the amp to keep up with that kind of an on/off/on/off power surge.  Now, on the earlier 2000s, there are two GZ-34 rectifier tubes(same as in a Vox AC30) which reflect that essentially the 2000s is twice the amp that a 200s is(which only employed one GZ34).        


Offline rumblethump

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 60
Sunn 2000s design changes
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 1999, 07:23:00 am »
Mike, Ryan, Thanks for the info.  I REALLY appreciate your help.  
A World without music would be WRONG!