So I just found a Sunn in the corner/ stereo rigs

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colimofsmoke

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a while back there was a gear fest at Empty Bottle. Emperor Cabs http://www.emperorcabs.com/ had a big display of their cabs and upcoming heads, along with some stuff for sale. They had a Sunn Concert Lead head for $200. I used to have one of these, and never liked it. maybe it was the terrible cheapo ibanez guitar I had at the time, dunno. I was kind of slamming on the head, saying about it being a shitty solid state, etc. and the guy from Emperor says, "those things hold their own, man." Ok, whatever dude.

well, today, I found a Sunn Concert Lead half stack with original Sunn 412 cab (no idea what speakers) in a corner in storage in our studio. (you wouldnt believe the things I've found in storage here. Moogs, Fender Bassman cabs, Rhodes Pianos, Roland Space Echo, etc.). I'm recording and have been wanting to get another amp in the studio to maybe diversify the sound so everything isn't my VHT. I plugged it in, everything's working. Hmm, Ok, doesnt sound half bad. maybe a little bright. a couple minutes dialing things in, and hey, that's actually pretty good (meanwhile fighting my deeply entrenched anti-solid state feelings). well, hey, screw it, let's stereo-rig this thing with my VHT. Couple minutes later and...


HOLY BALLS!! :rock: :rock: :rock: :shocked:

Jesus H!! I don't know what the deal is, if it's just stereo, or the way these two amps happen to complement each other, but HOLY HELL. SO HUGE and MEAN. I can't believe a SS amp has any part in this recipe for total brutalizing destruction. yeesh! at any rate, I've completely comfirmed that a stereo rig is the way I need to go. and meanwhile, no one's using this Sunn... :rock: :gethim: :cheers:

TIA
 
the who used to be sunn endorsers back in the day. a friend of mine dug his old sunn head out of a storage barn where it had been sitting for years. plugged it in and it fired right up. he still plays through it now and then but it's too loud for the neighbors. it's a 100 watt head. i think it's got 6550's in it. man.. finding a sunn just takes me back in time.. that's all.
 
Once you go stereo, it's real hard to go back.
The Sunn is likely cleaner sounding than the VHT right? Like, less gain, more headroom I mean...
That is what's probably giving you that goliath like sound.
 
yep, them and some others. I would love to have a Model T, but its 120 watts sounds more like 200 to get the crunch.


edit: about the comment above d-rocks
 
D-Rock":1tl4unbu said:
Once you go stereo, it's real hard to go back.
The Sunn is likely cleaner sounding than the VHT right? Like, less gain, more headroom I mean...
That is what's probably giving you that goliath like sound.
Click to expand...


yeah, it's more crunchy than gainy. The VHT almost sounds fizzy by comparison.


curious, are you saying that layering gainy sound on top of a sound with more clean headroom makes for a bigger overall sound?
 
sales people always used to say " these amps have fet's and sound just like tube amps.. but they're more reliable". fet's don't fizz and sizzle like most ss stuff.
sunn's have lots of balls. if you've ever had the chance to play one of their nmv tube heads loud enough to drive it into power tube saturation you'd be using sign language too. :thumbsup:
 
i have... and i am indeed partially deaf in the ear i tend to keep towards my amp.

felt the same way about my late 60's Ampeg VT-22. thing was just too goddamn loud. sounded so good tho.
 
i had a v-4 and before that a sound city 120. same problem. "say what?" :lol: :LOL: before that it was a standel with a matching ss pre amp and a powered 4x12 cab.
 
Isn't the Concert just like a single channel Beta Lead? It's a great for sludge or doom stuff. Melvins - 'nuff said.
 
colimofsmoke":3io3njra said:
D-Rock":3io3njra said:
Once you go stereo, it's real hard to go back.
The Sunn is likely cleaner sounding than the VHT right? Like, less gain, more headroom I mean...
That is what's probably giving you that goliath like sound.
Click to expand...


yeah, it's more crunchy than gainy. The VHT almost sounds fizzy by comparison.


curious, are you saying that layering gainy sound on top of a sound with more clean headroom makes for a bigger overall sound?
Click to expand...

I believe so. I do this sometimes. Running my modded head(though I don't run the gain very high) together with a stock one set a a bit cleaner. It sounds huge. Maybe not for super tight riffing, but for big massive sound it's hard to beat.
 
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