My Mom is a 20 Year Veteran of SUNN

[Mom'sSUNN((O))))]

Hey all,

Mom started at SUNN around 1969. Originally a solder tech, then as a QC tech. I'd love to get one of the amps she worked on, preferably tube. She marked her chassis with her initials. Either JL, JN or JS (don't ask ) What is a ball-park, fair price for a working SUNN tube amp? I'm in Oregon, so one should eventually come up for sale here.

Also,. I just bought a pair of SUNN Model 1 PAs. Originally my plan was to change out the drivers with some Eminence drivers which fit the baffle cut-outs with no modification required. But these are so pristine I wonder if there is any collector value to them in stock form. Everything is perfect except for some minor pitting on the chrome hardware and someone removed the rubber bumpers from the bottom of the cabs, which I can replace. Other than that, there isn't a nick or scratch on them and the drivers are perfect. Any advice on what to do with these? Thx!

[loudthud]

There is some question if the building that Sunn occupied is still standing. I've looked on Google Maps at the address that you find on the back of old Sunn catalogs and it doesn't look anything like I remember. I never worked there but applied for a job once. My sister-in-law worked there answering the phone as a temp but she doesn't remember.

The 12 inch speaker in the Model 1 was only used there and in the 212SR cabinet. It's 16 ohms. Those cabinets aren't worth much unless you can find a buyer. Look on ebay to find the going price for amps. The 120 to 150 Watt amps are getting pretty pricey, $1000 to $2000 or higher. The 40 and 60 Watt amps are lower, especially the guitar amps with tremolo and reverb. Non-working amps and ones where the transformers broke loose can be found cheap.

[Mom'sSUNN((O))))]

There is some question if the building that Sunn occupied is still standing. I've looked on Google Maps at the address that you find on the back of old Sunn catalogs and it doesn't look anything like I remember. I never worked there but applied for a job once. My sister-in-law worked there answering the phone as a temp but she doesn't remember.

The 12 inch speaker in the Model 1 was only used there and in the 212SR cabinet. It's 16 ohms. Those cabinets aren't worth much unless you can find a buyer. Look on ebay to find the going price for amps. The 120 to 150 Watt amps are getting pretty pricey, $1000 to $2000 or higher. The 40 and 60 Watt amps are lower, especially the guitar amps with tremolo and reverb. Non-working amps and ones where the transformers broke loose can be found cheap.

WOW! Pretty sure the first initials ARE my Mom's, not sure about the 2nd set... I'll show them to her when I see her in a few weeks. I'm sure she'll get a real kick out of that!

She was through Tualatin a few years back. She thought the SUNN bldg. was still there, but that other bldgs. were built in front of it. That whole area has changed so much - who knows?

Guess I'll move forward with my original plans and put better drivers in the cabs. I didn't pay much for them anyway, and although the SUNN 12" driver actually sounds pretty good, I'd be afraid it would blow mid-gig with its 40 watt rating. Of course the piezo stinks.

Hey, thanks for the info!

[cooldude666]

This is nuts! I'm pretty sure my 200s has your mom's initials, JS, on the inside. I'll open it up later and snap a picture.

[Mom'sSUNN((O))))]

Great!

This is nuts! I'm pretty sure my 200s has your mom's initials, JS, on the inside. I'll open it up later and snap a picture.

That would be great! I printed out the pix that loudthud posted and gave them to Mom who was really psyched to see them. She actually framed them and hung them up in her bedroom.

Any pix you may have will be added to her collection - thx!

[52 Bill]

Have you asked your mom to share some of her memories of the factory and the employees from back then with you? Or maybe with all of us?

[Mom'sSUNN((O))))]

Have you asked your mom to share some of her memories of the factory and the employees from back then with you? Or maybe with all of us?

Occasionally a band would tour the factory and hand out albums & promo stuff which Mom would dutifully bring home to me. She had no idea who they were - to her they were just "hippies" - but maybe you've heard of The Who & The Grateful Dead, to name 2 off the top of my head. And I think it was Billy Preston who set up on the loading dock and - according to Mom - strangled a Hammond B-3 cranked at full volume through a Sunn PA. She said it was an absolutely wicked, horrifying sound. Sorry I missed it!

And the staff was none too appreciative when "their" amps and speakers would come in for repair after being totally destroyed ala Townsend, Hendrix and everybody else who rammed their guitars through the speakers.

[cooldude666]

wonder how many board members cringed they pictured themselves ramming their headstock through a JBL D140

[Boy Howdy]

Is this one of hers? It's a blue face Sceptre. A bit modded nowadays, but my constant companion.

[gbono]

Looks like mom was working on a Sonaro in May of 1968?

[twang_banger]

Hey all,

Mom started at SUNN around 1969. Originally a solder tech, then as a QC tech. I'd love to get one of the amps she worked on, preferably tube. She marked her chassis with her initials. Either JL, JN or JS (don't ask ) What is a ball-park, fair price for a working SUNN tube amp? I'm in Oregon, so one should eventually come up for sale here.

Also,. I just bought a pair of SUNN Model 1 PAs. Originally my plan was to change out the drivers with some Eminence drivers which fit the baffle cut-outs with no modification required. But these are so pristine I wonder if there is any collector value to them in stock form. Everything is perfect except for some minor pitting on the chrome hardware and someone removed the rubber bumpers from the bottom of the cabs, which I can replace. Other than that, there isn't a nick or scratch on them and the drivers are perfect. Any advice on what to do with these? Thx!

:-)

[gui_tarzan]

This is some of the fun stuff we get to discover about our old toys. Does anyone know who "CAD" or "JK" might have been? One of my amps has both of those initials in red on the chassis.