Model 10 PA Speakers

[jimbone111]

Hi I'm a newbie and am probably just passing through.

I just acquired a pair of Model 10 PA speakers that were surplus and therefore de-listed from where I work.
Being the "gear-whore" that I am, I just couldn't past them up. Even though I have little or no need for them.

Can anyone tell me about them? Age? Handling Power? Value? Comments of any kind will be welcome.

Thanks , Jim

[Isaac]

I was thinking early 80's, but I saw a post elsewhere that indicates maybe around 79 or 80. At any rate, I'm pretty sure that they were made before Fender bought Sunn in 1985, but I could be wrong.

Vague enough for you?

[Rex B]

Hey !  The model 10 speakers were an existing product when I joined Sunn in 1978, I am guessing they were introduced in about 1974/5, and discontinued around 1980. They were made in the Sunn Speaker Plant in Williamstown, Kentucky. We built our own speakers and (of course) cabinets from the ground up in this plant. It was an awesome facility.

If any of the following is incorrect, please let me know...this is all from 30+ year-old memory. The Model 10 had four Williamstown-built 16 ohm 10" woofers (p/n 81-0116?) in series/parallel and one or two Motorola piezo's. I don't think it had a crossover, the speakers were just run wide open. It was kind of an upgrade to the popular Shure Vocal Master (Vocal Smasher) PA of the 60's. Power handling: If you can get a look at one of the 10's, I think it should have a square magnet assembly, appx 4 inches square. If so, it's a 20 oz magnet, with a 1 1/2" voice coil. These are good for about 50 W each, so the cabinet can handle about 200 W, but was probably rated at 100 W. We were very conservative in our ratings. 

The Model 12 used two 16 ohm 12's (p/n 81-0226 or similar) in parallel and a thread-on 3/4" throat phenolic dome (I think 2" dia) RCF horn driver. (RCF stands for Radio Cine Fortuna, which is a decent loudspeaker manufacturer in Italy. If the RCF driver is not available, a CTS or Heppner driver can be used as a replacement.) Both the Low F and High F horn flares were made of bent 1/4" plywood, covered with white vinyl.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if any of this doesn't jive with what you have.....I brushing off some memory rust here.

Value? Have no idea...

Thx

Rex

[Isaac]

I'm pretty sure they weren't made in 1974 or before. I was quite a Sunn fan in those days, and remember going through the '74 catalog page by page, over and over again. The only product with "Model" in its name was the Model T. PA speakers were the 115SR, 412SR and 410SR.

I also remember using PA speakers with high and low frequency wooden horn flares as you describe, but I think they were called Magnas. That was around '77 or '78. I don't know how long the band had had them, or if they bought them new or used. I do recall installing a crossover for the piezoelectric tweeters myself.

[CLD]

I'm with Isaac. Only catalog I have with the Model 10 is 1979; it's not in my 1975 or 1981 catalogs, which are the two closest ones I have.

My drummer has a pair of Model 15s he uses as a PA when we rehearse in his basement and they are impressive.

[pickinatit]

Here's a link to the 1979 catalog showing a Model 10 (among other things)

http://sunn.ampage.org/site/catalogs/1979/1979catp9.jpg

I have a pair of "model 10" speaker cabs that each have 2  10's in them. They don't look anything like what's shown in the 1979 catalog though.  They look more like the Model 1 & 2 speaker cabs that are shown sitting on top one another in the same catalog page but are clearly labeled as Model 10.

BTW,  This is in the Sunn Museum on this website.

[loudthud]

I have a 1982 catalog that shows a Model 10 with two 12 inch 81-0246, a 50W horn driver 81-0294, and a tweeter 81-5150. It's rated 100W at 8 ohms, measures 36.5 x 24 x 16 and weights 75 lbs. The 12s are in a short horn with the tweeter mounted between them, mid horn across the top. The 1979 catalog (Chris Squire on front) shows the same thing with different cosmetics and lists the woofers as 81-0137. The July 1, 1983 price list shows Model 9 and Model 14 but no Model 10.

[Rex B]

Bingo !!

Thanks guys (and/or girls if you are there). The picture from the catalog helps. I was thinking the cabinet shown on the very far lower right of the 79 picture might have been the Model 10 but nope. Is it a model 4?

Nice job on the p/ns loudthud.... I will look through my old boxes and see what info I can find from my tenure at Sunn. I'll scan and post what I find. Is that catalog from 79 posted anywhere? I think my picture was in one of the catalogs, can't remember the year...I was sitting with Chris Squire and Linda Coghill.

[jimbone111]

Thanks for all the Info guys.

I'm looking at trading them to the guy who own the jam space were my son and his band rehearse.
He has pre-amp I'd like to get my hand on.

I am just happy to pull a fine set on speakers out of a closet were they were left to turn to dust, and let them live again. I hate seeing gear sit around not being used.

Let the gear live it's life loud!!!

Peace, Jimbone