Sunn 118MH

[66tele]

It's been a long time since my last post! I was scanning Craigslist this last week and came across an ad for an empty 18" bin. Well, when I opened the ad, the picture was clearly of a it Sunn 118MH cab! I could tell by the curved plywood horn and the distinctive metal corners.
The best part is that the owner was giving it away for free! Long story short.......I picked it up and it was in reasonably good condition.....one caster socket was missing, along with all the casters, rubber feet, badge and the handles. Still it was solid, with an intact access panel and screws.
So, other than bragging about my find.......do any of you know what handles were used on these? I can't find a photo showing the handles. Did they use the typical flat, plastic handles on these? Any recommendations on 18" drivers? Are these a tight fit like the 215S cabinets? I'm imagining what this cab will sound like with my 2000S! Thanks for your replies!

66tele

[Isaac]

I used to have two of them (I think they were 118VH), and I don't recall mine having any handles at all. Just casters on the back and feet on the bottom.

[66tele]

Thanks for the info Issac. On an unrelated note, I've been posting to this site since the late 1990's. But since the server crash a few years ago, my login didn't register. So now I am a "junior member"! I guess that should make me feel young! But I've been collecting and restoring Sunn tube amps for over 20 years (and lusting for them since high school in the late 60's / early 70's!

66tele

[loudthud]

I have a pair of 118VH cabinets identified by the name on the speaker jack plate. Apparently the difference between the 118VH and 118MH is the Vega speaker in the former and Magna speaker in the latter. In the 1974 catalog only the MH is mentioned and no words on speaker choices. In the 1979 catalog the cabinet is called 118RH. The measurements are somewhat confusing. Mine is 26 (inches) wide, 32 high (without feet) and 24 deep. Some catalogs say 34 inches high (possibly including castors), some say 24 inches wide. My cabinets have Sunn branded pocket handles on the side.

[66tele]

Thanks Loudthud! My cabinet is 26" wide x 24" deep x 32" high without casters. It came with surface-mounted replacement handles (metal, spring-loaded, flip-up, D-handles) but there is no cut-out in the side panels for recessed pocket handles. I don't see any exposed screw holes, so perhaps my version did not come with handles at all? Or perhaps another version of these replacement handles (they do not look original).
The caster sockets appear original and are mounted to the removeable access panel. I see screw holes, presumably for tall rubber feet on the top (?) of the cabinet (opposite the caster sockets) and on one side (the rubber feet are all missing).

[loudthud]

I spoke too soon. Upon closer examination the cabinet I was looking at is actually a 118BH. It has a Magna speaker. The second cabinet is marked 118RH. Looking closer you can see where the R was actually made by editing the BH artwork. Both of these cabinets have the plastic badge with the yellowish (O)) which might have been red when made.

I have a couple of other cabinets I can look at in storage.

[loudthud]

The cabs in storage are 118VH. They have the metal (R) type badges and no handles.

[66tele]

Thanks for all your research Loudthud! The rear badge on my cabinet is missing, however it does have the typical, black recessed jack cup (like all of my bass and guitar cabs have), rather than a recessed badge with integral jacks. That, coupled with the lack of cutouts for handles, makes me think this is an earlier cabinet......perhaps it was a 118MH or 118VH.

66tele

[CLD]

I always wanted a pair of VH cabs. I think that'd sound better than the 118V stack, especially with the Coliseum Bass.

Had a 118BH for a few years but it was just too big (i.e., awkard size) for me to haul around. Sure sounded great, though!

 

[sturoc]

To compliment your freebie:
I just picked up, for FREE, in Exc cond. a Sunn 184 Magna 18" 300 watt speaker from a fellow bass player that had it in an old Ampeg cab. It was laying around his garage for 10 years since he pulled it from that Ampeg cab !
It will have a new home (cab)  soon !