sunn 200s

[earmight]

im wondering how to run two amps at the same time but dont really know where to start....i have always just ran through one head and one cab but im currently needing way more.
i have a Sunn 200s
and a Laney Pro Tube 50.
what i am wondering is if there is a way i can play through both amps at the same time, 
and use the gain and tone from my Laney through the  power of my sunn...
ultimately i would like to be powering a total of four, 4x12 cabinets...

im a little timid as far as just winging it and trying this out because i dont want to fuck anything up.
i love both amps and they both sound amazing but i just need alot of power.
im wondering if running through two amps will get the job done.
 is this called "piggy backing" the amps? thoughts? ideas?
 i cant seem to find anybody who can offer any suggestions
thanks.

[rick.heil]

If you wanted the really cheap and easy solution, you could do one of two things:

1) Get a pedal that lets you play through two amps at once, something like this except not triple but double.

2)Take a line out from the Laney if it has one and put it to the input of the Sunn (maybe).


To bypass the preamp of the Sunn, you would probably have to do some wiring and install another jack.  One of the more senior members will give you advice on that, they know way more about it than me.

I personally would just go for the pedal, you could even build your own pretty cheap if you're handy with a soldering iron.

[EdBass]

im wondering how to run two amps at the same time but dont really know where to start....i have always just ran through one head and one cab but im currently needing way more.
i have a Sunn 200s
and a Laney Pro Tube 50.
what i am wondering is if there is a way i can play through both amps at the same time, 
and use the gain and tone from my Laney through the  power of my sunn...
ultimately i would like to be powering a total of four, 4x12 cabinets...

im a little timid as far as just winging it and trying this out because i dont want to fuck anything up.
i love both amps and they both sound amazing but i just need alot of power.
im wondering if running through two amps will get the job done.
 is this called "piggy backing" the amps? thoughts? ideas?
 i cant seem to find anybody who can offer any suggestions
thanks.

Here's a suggestion;
If for some reason you feel the need for making your ears bleed, quit messing around with 50 watt amps; hook up a Sunn 1000 series amp, a Hiwatt DR201, or a Marshall Major to your four 4 X 12's and be done with it.
On the realistic side...
What are you trying to accomplish?
FYI, no pro players ever play at such ridiculous stage SPL's, not since the advent of modern PA systems anyway.

[Johann]

you can use the line out from the laney, but what the sunn produces won't be crunchy or anything like the laney's tone, it will probably just be clean bottom end heavy tone.


I run my Model T with my JCM 900 all the time, I don't really do it for the volume so much as the tone, but you certainly could get volume from it.

[Robbie Nuke]

Anytime your in a band with a drummer using drum sticks, you will need an amp rated 100 WRMS or greater. A 50 Watt amp might get you buy if your drummer uses brushes and your in a jazz trio/quartet. If you insist on trying to use 2x50 Watt amps, you should get an A/B box (see your local music store). An A/B box is good to have around (like spare cables), and try to get a quality one. Some of the newer ones have quite switching (nice feature).

Putting pre-amp out/power amp in jacks in your Sunn is rather easy to do if you have a schematic and some skills with soldering. If you decide to drill additional holes in the chassis, remove tubes first! Otherwise, try to get your local amp tech to do it for $25-$50 (be sure to use Switchcraft jacks, not the crap from Radio Shack. Get 'em yourself on-line if you have to then give 'em to your tech).

[EdBass]

Anytime your in a band with a drummer using drum sticks, you will need an amp rated 100 WRMS or greater.

Hmmm... I must have been absent the day they taught that rule in stage volume class.
Somebody better tell all those pro guys using 2 X 6L6 fenders on stage about this!

A 50 Watt amp might get you buy if your drummer uses brushes and your in a jazz trio/quartet. If you insist on trying to use 2x50 Watt amps, you should get an A/B box (see your local music store). An A/B box is good to have around (like spare cables), and try to get a quality one. Some of the newer ones have quite switching (nice feature).

Wouldn't two 50 watt amps effect the on stage guitar SPL in a similar fashion to one 100 watt amp, if it were using the same speaker compliment as the two 50's combined?

For guitar, 50 tube watts should be sufficient with the loudest drummer. With sticks.

[JoeArthur]

Anytime your in a band with a drummer using drum sticks, you will need an amp rated 100 WRMS or greater.

Hmmm... I must have been absent the day they taught that rule in stage volume class.
Somebody better tell all those pro guys using 2 X 6L6 fenders on stage about this!

A 50 Watt amp might get you buy if your drummer uses brushes and your in a jazz trio/quartet. If you insist on trying to use 2x50 Watt amps, you should get an A/B box (see your local music store). An A/B box is good to have around (like spare cables), and try to get a quality one. Some of the newer ones have quite switching (nice feature).

Wouldn't two 50 watt amps effect the on stage guitar SPL in a similar fashion to one 100 watt amp, if it were using the same speaker compliment as the two 50's combined?

For guitar, 50 tube watts should be sufficient with the loudest drummer. With sticks.

Heck, I played bass for several years in a group using a stock Bassman 10 (50 watts rms advertised), where not only the drummer used sticks, but so did the timable player - and the guitar player was using a 100 watt Ampeg VT-22. And we had horns.

I was always being told to turn down!!

BTW, there is no difference between tube watts and any other watts.

20 watts is more than enough for guitar - assuming a decent speaker.

[earmight]

"What are you trying to accomplish?
FYI, no pro players ever play at such ridiculous stage SPL's, not since the advent of modern PA systems anyway."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
haha...the term "PRO" just sorta humors me....
 it makes me feel kinda like im walking into a guitar center(does anyone ever get that feeling???)...hmmm anyways....somtimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

i'll be the first to admit im not a  "PRO"...in fact im pioneering new emotions.
 correct me if im wrong but alot of the bands in the 60's and 70's(in my opinion) were loud and raw as hell...giving a new meaning to the term "rock and roll" and offering not just the best music for decades to come but also...  volume...
 granted bands such as Black Sabbath, The Who, Deep Purple, Cactus, Blue Cheer, Cream, Captain Beyond blah blah blah were probably what we may now call "Pro"  but from what i gather they were also extremely....um, how should i say it?.....Loud.

 i've seen several pictures and videos  of pete townshend from the who...playing not just one, but never less than TWO Sunn 100s/200s powering not just one, but never less than two Sunn 2x15 cabs...and im not sure i may be mistaken but those models are 60 watts....much like the one i own.....to be perfectly blunt with you, out here in the fields that is  ultimately  what i would like to have a set up like in a round' about way....considering im not going to use two sunns...im going to use a sunn and a laney...and instead of both of em' being 60watts...one is 50. the other is 60....here i sit all wet behind the ears thinking there is some cheap ass way to get 110 watts outta the deal....i guess not?

now, please dont get me wrong...im no "pro"...and i sure as hell dont want to be the next Pete Townshend....or Tony Iommi...or Angus Young...etc....

but im keen on the idea of how they had their amps set up...
and i wonder if they rehearsed anything like they played live....loud?
because after all its not just the power chords we're strumming here....its our TONE.

as for making my eardrums bleed.......no. thats why we wear earplugs. i want the people i am playing for to have their eardrums bleed....and with enough alcohol involved im sure they wont mind.....if anything they'll think its some very PRO  rock and roll.

also...seeing as my band is only a two piece....guitar and drums....were kinda trying to make up for alot seeing as we dont have any bass or another guitarist , we're not trying to accomplish any whatever-the-hell-the-radio-is-juicin'-bullshit...or anything else that is coming out in the late and great "music industry"  these days that may be crucified as "PRO"...just loud simple whiskey soaked rock and roll....

in a simple and humble way i was just wondering how i can play my guitar through two heads and four cabinets without screwing anything up.....

ugh...anyways...i guess in the long run its all gonna be  trial by fire....
i'll just "PLUG IN AND PLAY" and wish for the best.....
cheers.
 im sure even the "PRO's" had their influences......

[rick.heil]

If you're just simply looking to play through two amps, the box I mentioned or any A/B/Y box (you can get them cheap from online music stores) will let you do that.  However, that assumes that you would be playing with both tones.  If you really want to have just the Laney tone, maybe look into getting a slave amp?

[EdBass]

In the olden days, PA systems were in their infancy any largely, if not exclusively, used for vocals. Guitar players needed to use stage volume as FOH volume, and needed big power on stage so people could hear them in the back of the room.
This would probably explain why Townsend is as deaf as a post.
The same is not true today, still loud and raw maybe, but powered more like a huge home stereo system instead of the days of yore scenarios about Sabbath this and Deep Purple that.
The reason I reference pro players is because touring pros can use any gear they want. The bottom line is the the sound, not the budget.
Sometimes I don't like the sound they get, but it's not because they compromised on gear.
If you see a wall of JCM's on stage nowdays, the odds are they are empty and probably made of balsa wood.
Could they afford 15 full stacks? You betcha, but if they tried to actually use them they would be commiting "suicide by sound man".
By the way, I like Guitar Center. Price wise, they are like the Walmart of gear. You should probably know what you want before you go in though, or you may end up walking out with what they want to sell rather than what you really need.

[earmight]

cool...thanks for the advice...i'll check out the a/b box...im sure it'll sound pretty good getting the crunch of the laney and the bottom end of the sunn....all mixed and mushed together like a big trip-a-delic drip-a-licious volume rush to the dome.......haha.

on the other hand....since both amps have two inputs....i wonder how it would end up if i were to plug a short little cable into the Input jack labled "HI" from the Laney into the input jack labled "2" on the sunn and from that point plugged my guitar into input jack "1" into the sunn???

keeping in mind im running all of the juicy wah and volume and all the good ol' pedals along with the deal....
 
would the a/b box effect the tone and or strike/give-take relationship of the output from my guitar pickup in a negative way? considering it is a passive pickup??? how does this get along with the a/b box???

cheers!

[rick.heil]

Plugging two inputs together would give you nothing.  If you wanted to hook the Laney into the Sunn, you would need a "Line Out" jack.  HI and LOW refer to the signal strength, for bass usually active pickups are HI and passive are LOW.  Not sure how the "1" and "2" jacks on the Sunns work.

The A/B box, if passive, might affect your tone slightly.

[Oli]

hi,

i got an old sorado (200S). i use a solid state reciver instead of the GZ 34. it gives the amp more headroom, it is easy to install.  a friend of  mine uses a pedal, works great, u can use the tone of the two amps. maybe u can check out an other box aswell.

200s power: i run the amp with two sunn/fender 4X10" (410H) boxes (daisy chained).we have a real "loud" drummer, the guitarman got an old marshall and we got an b3 in the band. but still, the sorado is far "loud" enough! for real big open air stages it's great to have a bigger amp for the basstone itsself. 

anyway: be careful with your ears. i've seen many professional bassplayers ( t.m. stevens etc.) and they were quite close to deaf!   

greetings

oli