Sunn Sorado Head

[Awake77]

Hi guys,

 

There's a 1968 Sunn Sorado head for sale locally in nice shape, for ~$300. It's being listed as 80 watts, so I'm not sure if it's been upgraded or not, and I havent yet had a chance to play through it.

 

I've always been intrigued by old Sunn gear - is this a good price? How do these sound for bass?

[Poltergeist]

they sound purely mean and dirty... if i found one in Portugal i'd snag it faster then Bush dodges from shoes!

[Guttermouth]

you should get it now.

[isaac42]

They were originally rated at 60 watts. It's possible to squeeze 80 out of them, but that's only a 1.25dB difference, so I wouldn't worry about it. Similar heads, such as the Sunn 200S, have been going for around $500, so I think it's a good deal.

[Thumper]

That's a very fair price, assuming it's in working condition and hasn't been modded to death.

[pickinatit]

 

Hi guys, There's a 1968 Sunn Sorado head for sale locally in nice shape, for ~$300. It's being listed as 80 watts, so I'm not sure if it's been upgraded or not, and I havent yet had a chance to play through it. I've always been intrigued by old Sunn gear - is this a good price? How do these sound for bass?

 

 

http://sunn.ampage.org/site/museum/sorado/

 

I agree with Isaac42. And I recently read on the "Unofficial Sunn" website

http://sunn.ampage.org/

that 80 watts is possible out of the 60 watt versions when they are converted to the SS Rectifier (I think that was the explanation).

 

As far as for bass: You will absolutely LOVE the tone you can get. Volume ? Not so much. For home play, rehearsal, recording

(especially recording I think it would probably make great for bass).

[Awake77]

 

http://sunn.ampage.org/site/museum/sorado/ I agree with Isaac42. And I recently read on the "Unofficial Sunn" website http://sunn.ampage.org/ that 80 watts is possible out of the 60 watt versions when they are converted to the SS Rectifier (I think that was the explanation). As far as for bass: You will absolutely LOVE the tone you can get. Volume ? Not so much. For home play, rehearsal, recording (especially recording I think it would probably make great for bass).

 

 

Can it get at least decently loud? I am actually looking for a smaller powered rig, as my Harke HA7000 is just way too much for my needs at the moment. At band practice and the gigs we play - its *never* above 1.

[isaac42]

Of course it can. It depends a lot on what speakers you use. with a 200S cabinet, loaded with two JBL D140F drivers, it'll get pretty loud. With D130F drivers, it'll be even louder, but with less bottom end. A lot of modern drivers are designed to handle more power, whereas the old drivers were designed to get the most out of what power was available.

 

Incidentally, where the volume knob is set doesn't really mean much by itself. For instance, if you have an active bass, you could be putting enough voltage into the input that having the volume control on 1 could still be driving the power amp into clipping. the HA7000 is rated at 2x350w. If you're using all 700w, that would be approximately 10dB more power, and sound about twice as loud, using the same speakers, and assuming that they are EQ'd about the same. So,, if you turn your HA7000 up to 2 or 3, does it get a lot louder? Twice as loud? If so, you'll probably be fine with the Sorado.

[pickinatit]

Sorry, I don't have any experience trying to play a bass for a gig thru an 80 watt tube head. I would think you could get by a rehearsal OK.

As for a gig, the Sunn 200S Bass Amp Head (which I think is a fairly similar head) is listed in the 1968 catalogue at 60 watts and was infamous in it's day as a bass head, although the stars that used them usually played thru numerous heads and cabs.

http://sunn.ampage.org/site/catalogs/1968/100s200s.jpg

 

http://sunn.ampage.org/site/brochures/solarussonaro.jpg

[Awake77]

 

Of course it can. It depends a lot on what speakers you use. with a 200S cabinet, loaded with two JBL D140F drivers, it'll get pretty loud. With D130F drivers, it'll be even louder, but with less bottom end. A lot of modern drivers are designed to handle more power, whereas the old drivers were designed to get the most out of what power was available. Incidentally, where the volume knob is set doesn't really mean much by itself. For instance, if you have an active bass, you could be putting enough voltage into the input that having the volume control on 1 could still be driving the power amp into clipping. the HA7000 is rated at 2x350w. If you're using all 700w, that would be approximately 10dB more power, and sound about twice as loud, using the same speakers, and assuming that they are EQ'd about the same. So,, if you turn your HA7000 up to 2 or 3, does it get a lot louder? Twice as loud? If so, you'll probably be fine with the Sorado.

 

 

I'm actually only using one side of the HA7K into my Mesa Diesel 1x15 or RoadReady 2x10, and 1 is still plenty loud for my band. 2 or 3 puts a big smile on my face but drowns out the PA and the drummer - and yeah I'd say its at least twice as loud.

 

Is the tone from these old Sunn bass heads really as legendary as I've read about? Unfortunately, I've never had a chance to play through one.

[pickinatit]

Tone is so, so subjective a thing....but on a purely tone basis, I don't think that ANYTHING beats Sunn Bass Amps.

[Awake77]

Tone is so, so subjective a thing....but on a purely tone basis, I don't think that ANYTHING beats Sunn Bass Amps.

 

Yep that's what I keep reading I really like my HA7000, and it does sound clean and loud but, I don't know maybe a bit sterile as well? Once I was borrowing a friend's EBS Multicomp compressor and if I cranked the gain a bit I was able to slightly over drive the tube preamp on the HA7K and I loved it - been interested in a tube bass head ever since.