Solid State Guitar Amp Forum | DIY Guitar Amplifiers

Solid State Amplifiers => Amplifier Discussion => Topic started by: PoorOtis on May 08, 2013, 11:58:42 PM

Title: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: PoorOtis on May 08, 2013, 11:58:42 PM
I remember Sunn Tube amp from back in the days..but I do not recall them making a SS amp! They were expensive back then..found a Sunn Beta Lead Guitar Amp..100watt combo thats SS! What do you think??
Buy it ...or pass? (this Muthas Loud!!)
Thanks.
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: Enzo on May 09, 2013, 12:11:02 AM
Sunn made a bunch of SS models.

What condition?
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: PoorOtis on May 09, 2013, 07:56:48 AM
Its in very good shape for a older amp. 7.5 or 8 out of 10. Don't know its age tho....
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: Roly on May 09, 2013, 09:48:22 AM
Quote from: PoorOtisBuy it ...or pass?

Well how poor is PoorOtis?  Can you afford it?  That's the real question.  {or perhaps, is SWMBO going to kill you, or indulge you?}   8|
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: Enzo on May 09, 2013, 10:32:35 AM
I leave the age to the amp fans.  To me the condition is far more important.
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: joecool85 on May 09, 2013, 10:52:04 AM
I'd buy it if you can afford it and need it - no point buying it if you've got no use for it.  I've only heard good things about them.
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: J M Fahey on May 09, 2013, 08:10:26 PM
I'm dying to know what
QuoteSWMBO
means in plain English  8)

I bet it's some weird ANZAC lingo for which there's no correct translation.

Ok, I'll go watch some Mad Max and Gallipoli reruns, maybe somebody mentions it  :lmao:
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: PoorOtis on May 09, 2013, 08:45:38 PM
I asked the question in order to get a answer or opinions...
Not to learn a New Language!

Yes..I Can Afford Many Things!
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: Roly on May 09, 2013, 10:57:11 PM
SWMBO - She Who Must Be Obeyed

It originated here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She:_A_History_of_Adventure), but was popularised by Rumpole of the Bailey who would refer to his wife Hilda (the daughter of a judge, and who thought Rumpole had failed to live up to expectations) as "She Who Must Be Obeyed", being one of his many literary allusions.

This was a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer, starring the late Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole.  Rumpole is an untidy, ageing London barrister with one glass eye who defends in criminal cases.  Rumpole is by parts opinionated and set in his ways, portly, something of a sot, and curmudgeonly.  A down-at-heel barrister who spouts Wordsworth to himself and is famed among colleagues for his battered hat and general slovenliness.
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: J M Fahey on May 09, 2013, 11:52:49 PM
Quote from: PoorOtis on May 09, 2013, 08:45:38 PM
I asked the question in order to get a answer or opinions...
Not to learn a New Language!

Yes..I Can Afford Many Things!

You got answers: buy it if
1) you can afford it ,
2) it's in good condition and
3) you have some use for it.

to which I add:
4) Sunns were well made and, as you noticed, LOUD, which in my book is a good thing.
Does it count as "buy it"? .... You bet. :tu:

As of the matter of Languages, people post here from all over the World ... literally ... so don't be surprised by that.

A small price to be paid to share the *only* specifically dedicated SS Guitar Forum in the World .... how's that?  :dbtu:
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: Loudthud on May 11, 2013, 09:14:44 PM
The Sunn Beta amps are liked by some, some people can't live without them, especially the preamp only version. The amp uses CMOS for distortion and JFET channel switching. You'll need a footswitch to toggle between the channels or you can play through both at the same time. There is a clone footswitch or I can post a schematic (PM me). Speakers in the combos were nothing special.

Problems: There is a rare IC that manages the channel switching logic. Hard to find if you need one. I designed a little piggyback fix it that's an issue. The biggest issue is there are many 2uF non-polar electrolytic caps in the preamp. Replace them all! The voltage regulators for the preamp run hot, could use a heatsink or mount on chassis. That's the most common failure, amp won't make a sound when they go.

The old Sunn Forum is down and I don't think it's comming back. It's a shame, there was a lot of good info there. :(
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: markorock37 on May 12, 2013, 01:44:58 PM
I have a Sunn Stage Lead, best sounding SS amp I have!
Title: Re: Sunn..Solid State??
Post by: Loudthud on May 13, 2013, 04:59:52 PM
An attempt is being made to restore the old Sunn forum. At least I'm not getting the Page Not Found error when I go there. I can't login, but it's something  :)

Link: http://sunnforum.ampage.org/index.php