Author Topic: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions  (Read 9298 times)

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Offline Ezpeezy

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2021, 08:41:16 am »
The link has expired but I have it saved in pdf form if you would like to PM me

Offline tboy

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #15 on: May 22, 2021, 03:12:01 pm »
Can you post the link that you are referring to? Thanks

The actual site disappeared from the web long ago, but here's what's left of it on the Internet Archive:

https://web.archive.org/web/20190731063422/http://www.angelfire.com/blog/sunnmodelt/
« Last Edit: May 23, 2021, 03:04:33 pm by tboy »
-tb

Offline Orion

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2021, 10:05:03 am »
I've been looking for this site for sometime now. Thank you for sharing.
1x Model T Reissue
1x Model T Second Generation
1x Model T First Generation
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Feng Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Original Sunn Alnico Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 (Vertical / Staggered) Original Sunn Ceramic Speakers

Offline Isaac

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #17 on: May 24, 2021, 10:53:25 am »
The actual site disappeared from the web long ago, but here's what's left of it on the Internet Archive:

https://web.archive.org/web/20190731063422/http://www.angelfire.com/blog/sunnmodelt/
Oh, now you've gone and done it! I'll be lost in Model T la la land for hours!
Isaac

Offline Isaac

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #18 on: May 24, 2021, 11:56:47 am »
Okay, I'm back.

It was fun, reviewing what he did to his 2G Model T.

I am primarily a bass player, so my needs were different than his. I did the master volume mod (page 5) and the mid boost mod (page 7). Those sufficed to make my Model T a killer bass amp. Which reminds me that I need to find out why my T is popping its circuit breaker. One of these days...
Isaac

Offline tboy

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Joe Arthur's Sunn Model T Site
« Reply #19 on: May 28, 2021, 02:20:45 pm »
For some time I've been meaning to grab a copy of Joe's old site and make it available here. Now it's done:

https://joearthur.sunnstillshines.online/

-tb

Offline Isaac

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2021, 10:47:24 am »
You are a god amongst men!
Isaac

Offline Ezpeezy

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #21 on: May 30, 2021, 10:23:56 am »
Yep that's the blog. I had all of the mods done in stages. My 2g model t now sounds awesome with my heavy gain pedals. I can't for the life of me figure out why it didn't get along with gain pedals in stock form. Lots of people get great pedal tones with their stock model t's but I couldn't. Weird...the only reason that I can think of is that I found my amp in a wet murky basement...anyone out there think that this could have aided in the degradation of parts in the amp, making the tone suffer?

Offline Orion

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Re: Joe Arthur's Sunn Model T Site
« Reply #22 on: June 25, 2021, 02:35:24 pm »
For some time I've been meaning to grab a copy of Joe's old site and make it available here. Now it's done:

https://joearthur.sunnstillshines.online/

I?ve tried looking at this website a few times over the last week. Are you having issues with your host? I cannot connect to any of the pages here. Thanks
1x Model T Reissue
1x Model T Second Generation
1x Model T First Generation
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Feng Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Original Sunn Alnico Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 (Vertical / Staggered) Original Sunn Ceramic Speakers

Offline Orion

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #23 on: June 25, 2021, 09:43:10 pm »
I am seriously considering having my amp tech work on some of these mods with my second generation. I have a first generation and I agree there is a big leap in tone qualities from the first to the second. Has anyone tried these modifications? If so, does your second generation modded now so closer to the first generation and how so?
1x Model T Reissue
1x Model T Second Generation
1x Model T First Generation
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Feng Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Original Sunn Alnico Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 (Vertical / Staggered) Original Sunn Ceramic Speakers

Offline Isaac

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #24 on: June 29, 2021, 10:00:59 am »
As noted above, I have done a couple of the mods on my 2G, and I think it sounds much better. I've never had a 1G, so I can't compare them.
Isaac

Offline Orion

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #25 on: July 02, 2021, 05:37:36 pm »
Can you describe a little bit more detail on the sound comparison before and after the mud? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
1x Model T Reissue
1x Model T Second Generation
1x Model T First Generation
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Feng Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 Original Sunn Alnico Speakers
1x 1970's Sunn 4x12 (Vertical / Staggered) Original Sunn Ceramic Speakers

Offline Isaac

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #26 on: July 02, 2021, 06:12:08 pm »
It's as described in Joe's notes.

First thing I noticed was that turning the master volume up past 8 caused the volume to go down rather than up. Mod 1, cutting the white/blue wire eliminated that.

Next was that there was always a midrange bump in the response. I prefer a predominantly flat response, and I just couldn't get it. Mod 2 eliminates the "always on" boost. I can still get the midrange boost if I want it, but now it goes away when I turn the midrange control to zero.

My T is one of the earliest 2G units. Still has the silver centers on the knobs instead of red. I haven't ever traced out the circuitry to determine what kind of tone controls I have. Given that it has the midrange selection switch, it's reasonable to think that it has the Baxandall tone circuit, but it's possible that it has the original tone stack. Either way, I generally prefer all the tone controls at zero. It seems to me that I get the flattest response that way.

Best I can do as far as describing the tone is that, before the mods, it sounded honky or squawky, the result of the midrange boost. That's gone, post-mod. I don't think the master volume mod changed the tone; it simply made the amp respond the way I think an amp should respond. Now, post-mod, the response is pretty flat. I rarely drive it into overdrive, but, even clean, it has a fair amount of harmonic distortion, which gives it a full, fat sound rather than a squeaky clean, hi-fi sound.
Isaac

Offline Ezpeezy

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Re: Sunn Model T 2nd Gen. Mod questions
« Reply #27 on: August 17, 2021, 11:56:54 am »
I am seriously considering having my amp tech work on some of these mods with my second generation. I have a first generation and I agree there is a big leap in tone qualities from the first to the second. Has anyone tried these modifications? If so, does your second generation modded now so closer to the first generation and how so?

OP here...I have a 1st & 2nd gen. When I got the 2g it was bone stock and I was shocked at how it sounded compared to the 1g. Fwiw, I use both amps on guitar with fuzz to get deep saturated doom tones. The 1g was plug and play right when I got it and sounded epic with every pedal I threw at it. The 2g sounded choked, congested and didn't have the deep tones I was wanting. I then had the mid switch mod done and it was a little better. Then I went ahead with the tone control mods. It now sounds deeper and takes pedals way better. Still sounds different from the 1g, but I thought that was a good thing. I would say that the 2g is still more mid pushed than the 1g after the mods. Also, there is more gain post mods.

One thing that took me by surprise is the master volume on the 2g now needs to be turned up a little more to achieve the same volume as the 1g. Pre mods, they both had the same volume at the same spot on the master control. I confirmed this was normal as it is written in Joe's manual that moving the tone controls to a different spot in the preamp makes the master volume behave a little different.

Hope this helps!