Sunn History

[Soundfur]

For anyone out there who's interested in some Sunn history. I grew up close to the Sunn Factory. I owned a Sunn PA. I think it may have been one of there first. It was called a Beach Boy PA. Also did any of you know that Sunn made Customized Hammond Organs. The first one's were M3s. Later B3s. Our Keyboard player got the last one. Soundfur

[Isaac]

Cool! 

We seen a picture of at least one of the modified organs. There was a Beach Boy PA with extra cabinets sold on ebay last year. I have a smaller Sunn PA, with a 60 watt head and two cabinets with one D130 and a horn in each. Concert PA.

[Soundfur]

The PA amp was made with a dynakit with 4 inputs. The Speakers had 1-15JBL, 1-JBL Mid horn with Crossover, and 1-JBL tweeter with Low, Med, and High Control. Great sound for 1968

[Isaac]

IIRC, the Beach Boys PA had a two cabinets (one on each side) with not one but two 15" JBLs and a JBL bullet tweeter, with the mid horns on top.

[Soundfur]

The 2-15 Cabinet came out after the single 15 Cabinet did, and was taller. It was the Bass Cabinet which was the 15" deep model. Inside that Cabinet was where the Tweeters were.The Horn (JBL - 375 Driver) was in a seperate Box with the Gold colored lens in front. This was placed on top of the Bass Cabinet. In Oregon where I lived, it was named coliseum PA. Approx 1970. 

[Ryan Phelps]

I also grew up near the Sunn factory in the late 60's and early 70's. In high school, we all lusted after Sunn gear. Couldn't care less about Fender, Marshall or Vox at the time. I still have the Sunn catalogs I sent away for back then. Sunn amps were crazy expensive in the day. I remember an older guy in high school (whose parents had $$) got a Sunn guitar amp and we were all WAY impressed. So, about 20 years ago I started buying old Sunn gear....just tube gear and speaker cabs. I was constantly amazed at how cheaply these could be purchased for, especially compared with the escalating prices for Fenders, Marshalls, etc. I was constantly repeating the history of Sunn to anyone who would listen and how Sunn made the king of bass amps back in the day. Then the article by Teagle came out in Vintage Guitar Magazine in 1998. So I guess I felt vindicated.....someone else besides me appreciated these now unappreciated amplifiers. Still, it's taken another DECADE for people to begin to notice. The good news is that these spectacular amps are still incredibly affordable, so I'm not complaining!!! I own WAY too many Sunn amps and cabs (just ask my very understanding wife......"hey they could be rusty Chevys in the back yard!") and have sold too many others including a Sunn Coliseum P.A. head (tube). My current project is a Sunn Studio (tube) P.A. head I'm re-building.....and I have the matching Sunn Studio P.A. cabs with the JBL 15", JBL horn and JBL crossover.....with the covers, no less. Big fun! Thanks for allowing me to share my love for this great gear!

Ryan Phelps

[made by hand]

hey !  there' nothing wrong with rusry chevy's in the yard.....but if they were fords...