History of the brand name "Sunn"

[Conrad Sundholm]

For what it is worth, thought some of you would be interested in how we came up with the name Sunn.  Norm and I were discussing this one day in my living room along with Barry Curtis, the M-3 (Hammond) organ player for the Kingsmen.  We were contemplating different names and thename idea of "sun" was given.  But then we decided that there would be a conflict with the Sun Automotive test equipment people.  So Barry Curtis suggested "just add an n".  Norm and I looked at each other, shrugged and said yea, OK.  And that was it.  The original name of the company was Sunn Amplifier Company and was later changed to Sunn Musical Equipment Co. to give us greater lattitude in the Market.  When we made application for a registered trade mark for "Sunn"  the closet possible conflict was "Bunn" - the people who make commercial grade coffee makers.  

Conrad Sundholm

[sunn]

Did you have any part in the making of the symbol?

[Conrad Sundholm]

: Did you have any part in the making of the symbol?

We hired Bob Selby's graphic design firm to come up with a contemporary logo.  They submitted several different designs that we didn't accept.  He then came back with the logo that became the distinctive mark that is being used even now.  The minute we saw it, we knew that was it!  Bob Selby was later hired full time to head up our in-house advertising agency - named Kinetic Design.  They were responsible for all of the printed material and advertising in the media.  There was some pretty cool stuff like the Jimi Hendrix pictures etc..

Conrad

[sunn]

Speaking of Jimi Hendrix, I have an old black and white poster of him playing guitar. On the bottom it says "ever felt the sound of the Jimi Hendrix Experience? Feb 14, 1968 the Jimi Hendrix Experience experienced the sound of Sunn. They new use Sunn amplifiers and sound systems exclusively."

Whats the story behind this?

Thanks again!

[Conrad Sundholm]

We had a national promotional office at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood headed by Buck Munger.  He was responsible for signing groups and obtaining promotional endorsement contracts.  Photographers were then sent out to take the photo's and Bob Selby, our graphics guru then designed the posters and literature that you've seen with the big name artists during that period.
Conrad

[freepuppies]

: We had a national promotional office at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood headed by Buck Munger.  He was responsible for signing groups and obtaining promotional endorsement contracts.  Photographers were then sent out to take the photo's and Bob Selby, our graphics guru then designed the posters and literature that you've seen with the big name artists during that period.
: Conrad

Is that the same Buck Munger who published "2 Louies" a Portland, OR, music monthly in the '80s?
If you are completely obsessed with the history of Sunn you could probably find him pretty easy.