Sunn 200S, What's it worth?

[GrecoVee]

What do you bass players think of this head?
What's it worth?
All tube,`70's I belive or at least early`80's,..from the info. I found, they were suppose to come with KT88's but this one was loaded with 6L6's.
Will be taking it to my amp tech soon so he'll let me know what's goin' on with it.
Real basic controls, Vol., Bass and Treble with one low and one high boost switches. Two speaker outs, one 4 ohm, one 8 ohm
Massive low end, even with the two 6l6's. Tried it out at the music store I got it from thru a Harke 1x15 cab.
Thanks Guys!

[AdmiralB]

$300-$600, depending upon condition.

If the tube chart says "KT88" it's a '69 or earlier. If it says "6550" it's a '69 or later. If it has a tube rectifier, it's earlier than about '72. Some of the last models with rectifier sockets came from the factory with plug-in SS rectifier modules.

These have big problems with filter cap voltages...on today's wall supplies, they have about 560V on the plates (that's with a GZ34), and the filter cap is only rated to 525. Since they use one multisection can for all the filtering, you have to get creative when you replace.

They sound great for bass, and pretty good for guitar too. They don't make a lot of power, however (~60W).

[GrecoVee]

Thanks for the info. guy!
This one has the GZ34. It also has a 12AX7, 6AN8A and the two 6L6's, does that make this earlier than a`72? It's in excellent condition. Got it for around $450. Couldn't see a tube chart on the inside of the head box anywhere. It must be inside the chassy. My amp tech will check it out once he gets to it.
He did tell me that he was pretty sure that the earlier ones did not have the "Low' and "High" boost switches. I plan on using it for bass and will have 6550's or KT88's installed, which ever one will work best.
I'll let my tech know about the filter cap voltages. Thanks again!

[AdmiralB]

In this case, "early" would be pre-'67 or so. I've owned four or five of them, the oldest was a '67 and it had the switches.

The tube chart is/was paper and was on the inside of the cab, usually on the left side as you look in the back.

What does the grillcloth look like? If it looks like blackface Fender, rotated 90 degrees, it's '70 or later.

Does the Sunn badge have the little "registered" mark after the logo? If not, it's mid-69 or earlier.

[GrecoVee]

I belive it is later than`70 probally closer to`80 it has the gray cloth on front with the little silver lines running thur it. Does look like Fender cloth tuned 90 degrees.
The Sunn logo has the small "R" after the logo.
One more thing, it has plastic rocker switches for the polarity, standby, and On/Off. I'm sure this would have to make it a later`70's because like with Ampeg V2's V4's V4B's etc., they had metal switches up until the mid/late`70's when they switched over to plastic but I'm just making a guess on the switches on this Sunn.

[AdmiralB]

No, yours is probably a '70. There should be a date inside the chassis, usually written in blue grease pencil.

In '71-'72 the name changed to "190L" for lead amps and "190B" for bass. And the rectifier tube was long gone by '72.

They always had plastic rockers, as far back as '66 at least.

[GrecoVee]

Thanks for the further info. Admiral!:AOK

[GrecoVee]

Just got this head back from my amp tech, he put in a new set of 6550's and updated and changed a few components and now it F'in ROCKS!!! This head has the best low end of any of the vintage tube bass heads I own or have owned in the past! No wonder Noel Reading used these back in the day to keep up with Jimi! LOL!:D