Conrad Amps -

[mratcliffe]

I know this is a Sunn Board and I have many posts. Especialy about the Sonaro's.
(I have a 1970 Sonaro with matching 1X15 and it's awsome with my P-Bass, KT88 instead of 6550).

The last time I started a Thread about Conrad's new Amps I got quite a stir. Please, I would like to avoid all of that.

However, I am now a very, very proud owner of Conrad's Blues Jammer. If you want to know about these amps first hand, I would be more than happy to share my experience with you. Please email me directly at mark.ratcliffe@emersonprocess.com.

I am not in it for advertisemet or hype. But after my share of Sunns, Marshalls, Fenders and Modeling Units, I think I have found the tone I was looking for as far as my choice of Guitar amps

We have all got to give credit where true credit it due!

[JoeArthur]

I'm sure I'll hear about it...

But am I the only one that thinks it is somewhat ironic (nicest word I could think of at the moment) that the current claim to fame for Conrad is building $2K clone amps of one of his competitors dating to roughly a decade before he started Sunn?

Maybe it's appropriate - after all Fender hasn't been able to build a successful Sunn amp.
 

[Soundmasterg]

I'm sure you're right.....

The Blues Jammer than Conrad is making isn't really very much of a clone......it shares an output section to a certain extent with a Supro Thunderbolt but everything else in the amp is different and is his own design. The construction methods in the amp are far superior to what Supro did back int he day too. He spent a lot of time and effort coming up with something that would satisfy the locals at the blues jam we both go to, and it seems others are liking what he has come up with now too. Its a unique amp that is well suited to small clubs and puts him in the same group as Victoria, Dr. Z, etc.

Everyone else makes clones of older amps these days so I don't see why its a problem if Conrad joins in to the game. Its better than sitting around at home and watching tv all day long like my grandpa used to do before he passed!

Greg

[JoeArthur]

Thank you Greg - you have perfect timing!!

[sundhy]

The circuit in the Blues Jammer is NOT the Supro circuit and therefore is NOT a clone of the Supro.  Since Joe claimed it is a clone, maybe he could tell us what clone it is. 

Conrad Sundholm   

[Iron Mtn]

Conrad, if requested could you custom make a Model T "clone" if an order was put in?

[sundhy]

Hi Iron Mt.,
I don't feel this forum is the proper place to discus business so I would suggest you contact me via email.

Conrad Sundholm

[Iron Mtn]

My bad. Consider it done sir........

[mratcliffe]

Joe, I am curious as to what type of guitar amp and tone you prefer. That would help me understand some of your comments.

Over the years I have tried Bassmans (re-issues only), Blackface Vibrolux, Black Face reverb deluxe, band master, Music Man, Sunns, modeling units and a few Marshalls.

I'm not trying to brag, it was just that I could never find what I was looking for my guitars (Tele and Les Paul). The closest is my 93 Blues-Deville. I took a gamble and, yea paid the price. But at least I don't have to look anymore. That's what I wanted to share.

From now on I'll stick to subjects of Sunn amplifiers only when posting to this particular board.

Mark

[Soundmasterg]

From now on I'll stick to subjects of Sunn amplifiers only when posting to this particular board.

Perhaps this board could benefit from an "others" section to discuss things other than Sunn, but as far as I know, Joe seems to be the only one who has had issues with discussing things other than Sunn here? Tboy hasn't said anything one way or the other about it, and since he runs the site, he should have the final say in my opinion.

Keep posting what you like to post unless Tboy brings up something to contradict it.

Greg

[EdBass]

Let's face it, tube audio isn't exactly cutting edge technology. There probably hasn't been anything truly groundbreaking circuit wise in any of our lifetimes. I believe Jim Marshall originally copied Leo Fenders designs, and before that Leo originally got most of his circuits from pre-war Westinghouse schematics.

Maybe I'm just nostalgic, but I figure anything Mr. Sundholm personally builds is a classic. Just like anything Jim Marshall, or Leo Fender personally built/would build is a classic. These before mentioned guys, and of course others; Dave Reeves, Dick Denney, Adolph Rickenbacker, and numerous others, are the original architects of musical instrument amplification as we now know it.
All building variations of very basic amp circuits, but each adding individual flavor to get the "ultimate tone" (or possibly to cut production costs, etc.), which by its very nature is as personal as someone’s taste in food, or the opposite sex, or the same sex, or whatever.

It's all about the mojo as far as I can tell.

[Soundmasterg]

Well said Ed!

There are some things that have greatly improved tube technology in our lifetimes but they would probably mainly be due to adding solid state things in to an otherwise tube circuit to improve one function or another. Look to Kevin O' Connor's power scaling in some of those Reeves amps and others for an example.

I don't want to leave the impression that Mr. Sundholm is building clones because he most certainly is not. Some of the design elements in some of his amps are similar to others that have gone before, but taken as a whole, his amps are their own animal, and he builds many models besides the Blues Jammer which are completely different from each other and have different target customers intended for them as a result. He's really a great guy with a passion for tubes and good sound just like the rest of us, and happens to have the history of Sunn to fall back on, and the free time to devote to building something that makes himself and his customers happy. Whats wrong with that?

Greg

[JoeArthur]

This is amazing.

Conrad claims he ain't building clones and wants me to prove how his clones is clones.

Gred claims that Conrad clones are better than other clones. And in the previous thread claims that he is the primary guiding force behind this amp that Conrad would not have been able to build without his help.

Conrad then claims that this isn't the place for marketing, but yet there is continued marketing.

Let me put it this way.

Conrad: your Sunn amps were necessary at the time they were introduced because they didn't have the distortions of other amp manufacturers at the time - answer True or False?

Conrad: Did you need Greg's help in any way, shape or form in designing these fender clones? True or False?

Some of us do know what is going on here.

So the last true or false question is - Do you want us to ignore it and pretend that your goal is in our best interest?

True or false?

[JoeArthur]

Let's face it, tube audio isn't exactly cutting edge technology. There probably hasn't been anything truly groundbreaking circuit wise in any of our lifetimes. I believe Jim Marshall originally copied Leo Fenders designs, and before that Leo originally got most of his circuits from pre-war Westinghouse schematics.

Maybe I'm just nostalgic, but I figure anything Mr. Sundholm personally builds is a classic. Just like anything Jim Marshall, or Leo Fender personally built/would build is a classic. These before mentioned guys, and of course others; Dave Reeves, Dick Denney, Adolph Rickenbacker, and numerous others, are the original architects of musical instrument amplification as we now know it.
All building variations of very basic amp circuits, but each adding individual flavor to get the "ultimate tone" (or possibly to cut production costs, etc.), which by its very nature is as personal as someone’s taste in food, or the opposite sex, or the same sex, or whatever.

It's all about the mojo as far as I can tell.

p.s. Thank you Ed.