Sunn Sorado Question

[jerzeejeff]

Hi folks!  I just joined the site and I bought a great Sunn Sorado head and matching cabinet about a year ago.  I'm an acoustic player and have used it as a PA  with pretty good success.  I'm curious whether or not this amp was a pre-Fender Sunn, and I've also poked around trying to date it.   I bought it from the original owner who said he bought it in 73.  It's an incredibly bright sound for a bass amp and I love everything about it except the weight.

I'm now playing a bluesy, rockabilly, style and and totally amazed by how truly it reproduces sound.  Is there a catalog in line that I could check out specs on?  The previous owner told me the speakers are JBL 15's but I haven't opened up the cabinet (theres @ 40 screws holding the back panel on)

Thanx! for any help.  jerzeejeff

[NsubUlysses]

Hi Jeff. That is surely pre-fender buyout. I believe Fender bought Sunn in the early 90s and that amp was probably made between 1965 and 1970. A more educated person can say more!

[CLD]

Check the catalog thread on this forum to find the specs

The Sorado was made at least through 1971. I have one with an inspection date in February and just missed out on buying one with a December inspection.

[Isaac]

Hi Jeff. That is surely pre-fender buyout. I believe Fender bought Sunn in the early 90s and that amp was probably made between 1965 and 1970. A more educated person can say more!

It's not only pre-Fender, it's pre-Hartzell.

jerzeejeff, the early Sunn amps were very high fidelity. In fact, they were so much so that they were never as big a hit with guitar players, who like their tone colored and distorted, as they were with bass players, who like a more accurate reproduction. That explains why it also works well as a PA.

[scotzoid]

+100 on everything said so far, the Sorado was one of the last survivors of the original Conrad Sundholm designs. My Sorado rig has served me faithfully since April 1971, with only 2 re-tube/re-cap jobs in the interim. You're right, they are incredibly clean & bright for a bass amp, in fact I have been using a 412 Sceptre cab for bass because I found the 215 cab surprisingly "toppy", the 4 12s give me better mids overall.

I question whether the original owner really bought it in '73, by '72 Sorado & its identical siblings had been re-badged as "190B" for the heads, but that wouldn't be the first time one of us old guys misremembered exact dates from that era    But whatever, enjoy your acquisition, & welcome to the Sunn fanatic club!