Why Did Fender Buy Sunn?

[James_Jaeger]

I have been a Sunn 2000S owner since about 1974.  Prior to owning my 2000S I owned several Fender amps.  The first was a Bassman and later a Dual Showman (outfitted with Lansing D140F speakers, the exact speakers in the Sunn 2000S). 

The Bassman was under-powered (as was my Sound 202+ and Ampeg B-15 before it), but the Dual Showman had plenty of power.  Unfortunately the cabinet started rattling after about a year, so I sold it (as well as the Bassman) and bought a Sunn 2000S for about $700 (a lot of money back in 1974).  But I have been married to the Sunn 2000S ever since and I'm still using this magnificent amp in a band to this very day.  The 2000S still performs perfectly and does not rattle.  Granted, I had to replace the tubes and one D-140F, and I ran some liquid nails around the inside of the cab to reinforce the seal, but that's about it.

Having been through arguably the best amps Fender ever made for bass yet I migrated to Sunn, my conclusion is Sunn built a better product than Fender.  And I'm not the only one that felt this way at the time: every member of our band sold their amps and bought Sunns as well.  Our lead sold his Fender Showman and bought a Sunn 1200S, the keyboardist sold his Vox and bought a Sunn 1000S and our rhythm guitarist sold his Gibson and bought a Sunn Sceptre. 

So here's my question, did Fender buy up Sunn so it could shut them down?  What's the story?  Anyone know?

James

[HRobert]

James,

I don't think that Fender intentionally bought Sunn to shut them down, but it just happened that way.  Why would a company buy out a fantastic competator, and then relegate it to the trash heap when they could have two outstanding brands on the market?

As I understand it, the new owner of Fender bought out Sunn so that he could have access to the technology of the time, and have a second brand to make $$$$$$$.  However, Fender started to have financial problems and the Sunn line was dropped.  Too bad  as I too am a Sunn fan.  Although I no longer have it, I use to own a 1967 Sentura II with two 2x15 speaker bottoms....2 JBL D-130F speaker in each cab.  It kicked ass for sure.  Last fall I found another 67 Sentura II on eBay and bought it.  Now I'm in the process of building two cabinets like I had with my original amp.  I couldn't find any decent JBL D-130's, which were original issue with te Sentura, so I'm using JBL K-130's.

Rob

[Soundmasterg]

Well the Sunn company that made your 2000S was sold to Hartzell in the early 70's, and they had become a mostly solid state company by the time that Fender had bought them in the mid 80's. I think Fender intended to use them as their PA name brand, but they didn't sell well so they dropped the name.

Greg

[Johnny]

Before Fender dropped the Sunn line they did build some very good bass amps, the 300t and 1200s.

[Isaac]

Not exactly. Fender dropped the Sunn name, then resurrected it for the 300t and 1200S, as well as the new Model T. Then they dropped it again.

[pickinatit]

Before Fender dropped the Sunn line they did build some very good bass amps, the 300t and 1200s.

I agree.  I have the Sunn 1200S (Hybrid, 1200 watts @ 2 ohms, with all the bells and whistles a modern bass amp could want) is a great amp.  I've heard some say that they ruined it when they redesigned it and then put the Fender logo on it, but I don't have any first hand knowledge of the "Fender" version to confirm or deny that.

[Oli]

Hi,

I used the SUNN/Fender 1200S for nearly seven years. It was really a great amp, I played it a lot...till I got a Sorado and changed my mind....so it had to go for a SUNN 350B... Very simple and effective tone control, great sound!

[bonosurf]

Branding is a very strange adventure in marketing - Sunn of the 60-70's was a brand which musicians associated with quality, head room and good cost to value. I believe Fender bought the "brand" to do "something" with it but changing tastes and times eventually killed the brand.

Notice that Acoustic Control Corp. brand has been recently resesitated by Guitar Center but only as a line of bass amplifiers. It's all about timing and money if you ask me.

[loudthud]

One of the products Fender/Sunn made was an 8 channel head sized PA head with a 520W power amp.

[scotzoid]

Just a personal opinion, but I think Sunn's best days were long past well before FMC got a hold of them. Yeah, there were a some later SS Sunns that had their own cult following, but the pure raw tone of the old tube Sunns kinda died off after the Coliseum/Concert models were introduced (with the possible exception of the Model T, but even that was more hybrid as I understand it)...of course, all this is the opinion of a guy who quit shopping for new amps in 1971...

[made by hand]

still feel the holy grail of the mighty sunn line were the years  67 to 70. again , it's just an opinion of a guy that owns 200s's and 2000s's in the time slot.i'am sure there were great amps built after those years by other companies but these ears never heard them...i guess i should of gotten out more....smiles  Bob

[pickinatit]

still feel the holy grail of the mighty sunn line were the years  67 to 70. again , it's just an opinion of a guy that owns 200s's and 2000s's in the time slot.i'am sure there were great amps built after those years by other companies but these ears never heard them...i guess i should of gotten out more....smiles  Bob

No argument from me.  I have a Solarus (40 watt piggy back) and a 2000S.
But I also have a Concert Bass Head  and the Sunn/Fender 1200S Hyrid.
The Solarus (if you want clean w/headroom) and 2000S are both great amps tone wise, no doubt.  But I have to tell you,  the later day hyrid 1200S is a great, well kept secret, killer amp for bass players for both tone AND power.   It's two channels with the Master volume and excellent amounts of gain that can be dialed in make it no slouche for playing guitar thru either.
(Just my opinion).

[EdBass]

still feel the holy grail of the mighty sunn line were the years  67 to 70. again , it's just an opinion of a guy that owns 200s's and 2000s's in the time slot.i'am sure there were great amps built after those years by other companies but these ears never heard them...i guess i should of gotten out more....smiles  Bob

Amen.
Not to say there aren't some good later model pieces, but I think the Sundholm era at Sunn has the same kind of "mojo" as the Leo era at Fender.

[made by hand]

edbass summed it up...when conrad and the boys were building the amps.  well. gee what came after them...i'll give a thumbs up to the model t....hey..i have a 1973 concert bass head which is really loud....but...where's the tubes???  ha !   you guys know what i mean...