Sunn Solos IIA

I bought this amp new back in 1973 or so. I still have the lifetime warranty card. The Sunn replaced a blackface Fender Bandmaster with 2 - 12" JBL D120 imitations from Rat Shack and Vox Berkely II that even used together were underpowered for the 60s when nobody I knew was micing amps through a PA. I sold it to my brother around 1983 because it was just not versatile enough for the effects-laden pop music I was playing at the time. It has since returned to me after my brother's recent passing. It's a very loud solid state 125 watt amp with independant clean and reverb tremelo channels. As stated below Channel 1 has vol., bass, mid., treble, treble boost switch. Channel 2 has vol., bass, mid., treble, tremelo depth, tremelo rate, reverb, treble boost switch, distortion switch. The back panel has Pre-amp out, power amp in, external speaker jack, footswitch jacks for tremelo/reverb on/off, and distortion/volume boost on/off, and a dual footswitch. This amp came factory equipped with 2 JBL D120 speakers.

The built in distortion sounded as good as the Fuzz Face I'd been using with the combined Fender Vox rig but this amp really needed a master volume because the difference in volume between clean and distortion was huge. That required me to adjust the amp volume when switching from clean to distortion in live performance, and that's just not acceptable to me anymore. An effects loop would be nice, and there is simply no comparison between the Sunn's solid state distortion to the 100 watt Boogie MK IIB that replaced it. I was even more jazzed about replacing the Sunn with the awesome sound and versatility of the Boogie than I had been when the powerful Sunn replaced the Fender and Vox.

I used it with my '68 Telecaster for rock, fusion, and later with my '72 L5-CES for mainstream jazz. It has an excellent clean sound even at high volume. The distortion while good for it's day is brutal in a bad way by modern standards; simply cheesy compared to my all-tube Boogie and Rivera amps. And the amp has too much hiss at idle for me when the distortion is switched on.

This amp sounds great with my L5 but is bigger than a Twin Reverb and just as heavy. My tiny 200 watt Evans AE-200 jazz amp only weighs 30 lbs and sounds almost as good for the 2 jazz bands I play in today. However my Boogie is smaller and sounds better clean if I want to use something that heavy. This amp is also simply no comparison to the vesatility of my Rivera Sedona I use for contemporary Christian Worship at church with acoustic, and electric guitars. I am rating the Sunn fairly high for an excellent clean sound with the JBL D120s.

I had it fixed 3 times over a 2-3 year period under the lifetime warranty for a power supply problem that rendered the amp inoperable. No problems after the last repair. I don't think I'd bring a backup for the the types of music I play today.

When Sunn was still in business their authorized repair network was extensive and the lifetime warranty was unbeatable. There was a local cat with a factory authorized repair shop right around the corner from where I lived.

I've been playing for over 40 years. I own a fully-loaded 100 watt Mesa Boogie MKIIB, a 60 watt Rivera Sedona (fabulous for acoustic & clean or overdriven/distorted electric), and a tiny 200 watt Evans AE-200 jazz amp designed specifically for archtop guitars. I really like the Sunn's clean sound but don't play surf so I wouldn't use the tremelo. I chose this amp for it's power, the clean and distortion sounds, JBLs, solid construction, and the Sunn name back in 1973. By today's standards it sounds excellent clean but the distortion just can't compare to modern tube amp designs. I wish it had a built-in roadie if I was going to use it to play jazz dates. It's value to me today is primarily sentimental for a brother I've lost, and those JBLs are awesome. If it were stolen I'd cry, but not replace it.

I have had this amp since 74 or 75 when I bought it used. It was my first true guitar amplifier. It has served me very well during all the various phases of music I've been through in the 25 years since. It has covered rock, blues, hard rock, country, dance, wedding etc..., and is still being used today. Features include: Solid state, 2 independent channels (Channel 1 - vol., bass, mid., treble, treble boost switch. Channel 2 - vol., bass, mid., treble, tremelo depth, tremelo rate, reverb, treble boost switch, distortion switch). Pre-amp out, power amp in, external speaker jack, footswitch jacks for tremelo/reverb on/off, and distortion/volume boost on/off. The footswitch disappeared and if anyone out there has one or knows the internal wiring configuration of the footswitch, please contact me at jrguitar@usa.net. On/off power switch, polarity switch (both on the front panel), and a circuit breaker on the back panel. Two original Sunn 12" speakers, both of which I've had to repair the surrounds.

I use a 76 Gibson Explorer(2 humbuckers), a 97 Amer Std Strat(3 single coils), and a 70's vintage Memphis ES345 copy(2 humbuckers). Presently, I'm playing in a band of other old guys doing blues and plain old R&R. Effects are either a Danelectro Daddy-O Overdrive or a BOSS SD-1 SuperOverdrive, followed by an original MXR MicroAmp for boosting solos. With this set-up, I can cover all tones required and boost above the band for leads. It is not at all noisy in either channel, with or without effects. Plenty of headroom for any venue I'll ever play, and with the pedals, I can practice in the house without disturbing anyone. My sons also use it now: one plays bass, the other heavy metal. Their buddies are suffering from serious chunk envy. The built in distortion is more like mild overdrive and I rarely if ever use it. The reverb works well and is fully adjustable, but I rarely use it either. The tremelo, or vibrato, is great and I use it on some old CCR tunes. Believe it or not, some young guys at a gig asked if it was a tube amp. It's all personal preference, and for me, this amp works best. I'm sure 25 years have biased my opinion, but I go with what works. Never heard any complaints or negative comments on the amp or my sound.

100% reliable. Has never let me down, has never had a problem. As previously mentioned, both speaker surrounds have been repaired, but those dry rot after awhile anyway.

Fender has no archives of any Sunn products, other than the new Model T, which isn't really the same amp anyway. I tried contacting them for information on the footswitch. It may be hard for some to believe, but at one time, Sunn was one of the amps you had to have if you wanted to run with the big dogs.

I've been playing since 1971. At present, I also have a Peavey Blazer 158 for rehearsals, and a 66 Showman which only gets used in the basement. Not practical for gigs, very tempermental. I have a GK 250ML that my youngest son uses as a bass amp. In 1984 it was fine, also very portable for the wedding band gigs. If lost or stolen, I would be crushed. Don't think I could find another, and it does have some sentimental value. Of course there are many newer, great sounding amps available. It is very heavy but it's built to last. The cabinet is NOT particle board, but all 3/4" plywood. Even the speaker baffle.

A solid-state combo amp from the early 1970s from what I understand, loaded with 2 12" speakers. It apes in many ways the style and function of the Fender Twin Reverb, including the spring reverb, weight, and tremolo circuit, and clocks in at 120 watts or so. It also has an attempt at a built-in distortion circuit, but it isn't particularly versatile in that department and is more like an overdrive than a modern distortion. It comes equipped with the standard speaker out jack for an extension cabinet.

The clean channel is very crisp, loud, and warm for an amplifier, and the bright input lives up to its name, whereas the vibrato channel has a throaty warble that confuses most small furry animals.

What it does have are (a) casters, nice given it's about 85 lbs., (b) an effects loop in the back, very nice footswitching capacity (1 each, for tremolo on/off, reverb on/off, distortion on/off, and a switchable boost), (c) a convenience outlet for other effects, and (d) a switchable polarity switch, which is a very nice thing indeed for a solid state amp to kill annoying hum. Instead of a fuse, it uses a circuit breaker, which again I give kudos to Sunn for thinking ahead and freeing me from the worry of "where did I put those fuses" in a real-world environment.

Much like a real Twin Reverb, it gets very, very loud, and stays very, very clean at obscene volume, but it doesn't have tube issues or reliability problems I'd be concerned about on a Fender. As far as power goes, this thing goes well above and beyond the call of duty for any venue I'd ever consider reasonably playing.

The sound for the unit very favorably compared to a silverface Twin Reverb that was present in the same shop; if anything, it was much more versatile off the shelf than the Twin in accomplishing a variety of clean sounds, versus the instantly identifiable Fender sound. The Sunn does this quite well as well, and meshes very convincingly with my existing Fender amps.

Where my caveats begin are in the 'distortion' circuit; if anything, it seems to attempt to mimic natural tube overdrive. It is nowhere near the screaming metallic distortion of modern solid state amps, which will make some people applaud and others whine. Still, as a base for effects use, the clean channels will accomodate any distortion you could ever want.

It is in the clean category that the unit shines; it produces a very warm and organic sound that is light years above the SS-amp sounds of Peavey or Crate, and I have no complaints there whatsoever.

In the vibrato arena, the amp also is surprisingly good, although utilizing the vibrato does substantially reduce the volume of the amp. The vibrato channel appears to have about half the functional volume of the clean, which isn't a big deal given that both clean and vibrato sections of the amp can be run simultaneously without concern. The loss in volume is well worth the deep, beautiful vibrato the thing produces, from a stock Fender or Vox to realms beyond. It goes anywhere from very, very slow (slower than anyone would ever need in a musical context) to an insane stutter. I had not thought I'd meet an amp whose vibrato would make me as happy as stock Fender units, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised.

With my MIM Strat, the sounds of the various pickup configurations ring true, and bring out the treble positions very well. With my LP copy, it again echoes the sound of the guitar and allows the particular sound of the humbuckers to show through nicely. No complaints with either here, and the clean headroom is such that it doesn't distort any earlier with the LP copy than with the Strat.

It has survived the ravages of between 25 and 30 years of use, and still has the original speakers which sound rather good. The light on the front still works, the footswitches as well, and the cabinet is only lightly dinged. Whoever built this had a clue.

Considering I use this in tandem with a Fender Deluxe 112, if it for some reason it fails I'm still well into the realm of producing loud noise, although I don't anticipate it doing so.

I doubt that the current manifestation of Sunn (owned by Fender) would acknowledge this amp's existence. Should it ever fail, I have a very attractive coffee table and extension cabinet.

For $200, this thing blows away the current Fender Stage 160 (which seems to be its closest competition in the SS arena) for volume, presence, and tone, and has as an added bonus a tremolo circuit. It's close enough to a real Twin for my liking, with extra sounds I'm still working on discovering.

Sounds pretty good. Mine could use a little fine tuning in the electronics department. The switches are a little dirty and they make some noise. The reverb and the tremelo are nice.

I have never played out with it but it is a solid piece of equipment. You definitely need the casters on the bottom or you'll end up with that hernia that ain't going away.

I have no I idea who owns sunn or if they still exist. This amp was given to me a couple of years ago.

If anyone else has a Sunn Solos IIa amp please give me some help on the specs. I don't have any information on the amp other than inspected 1974, T.M. Also I have a serial number on the back. I don't have the original speakers, they got pretty trashed right after I got it.