# Sunn > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sunn > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sunn.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunn > Source revision: 1294201841 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Musical instrument amplifiers For other uses, see [Sunn (disambiguation)](/source/Sunn_(disambiguation)). This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Sunn" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Sunn Musical Equipment Corporation Formerly Sunn Musical Equipment Company Type Private Industry Musical instrument amplification Founder Conrad Sundholm Norm Sundholm Headquarters Chicago Products Instrument amplifiers Owner Fender (1985–2002) Sunn Musical Equipment Corporation (2023–present) **Sunn** (stylized in all lowercase as **sunn**) is a brand of musical [instrument amplifiers](/source/Instrument_amplifier) based in [Tualatin, Oregon](/source/Tualatin%2C_Oregon), United States. ## History In early 1963, [the Kingsmen](/source/The_Kingsmen), a band based in [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland%2C_Oregon), became known for their hit version of the song "[Louie, Louie](/source/Louie%2C_Louie)". After its hit single, the band soon embarked on a 50-state national tour. Because the band was used to playing small [hops](/source/Sock_Hop) and school dances, many of the members found themselves ill-equipped with the amplifiers that they were currently using. Bassist Norm Sundholm discovered that his bass amp was not nearly powerful enough to play larger [concert halls](/source/Concert_hall). Sundholm enlisted the help of his brother Conrad to help solve his problem. By 1964, the Sundholm brothers had designed a high-powered concert bass amplifier. The early Sunn amplifiers relied heavily on [tube amplifiers](/source/Tube_amplifier) designed by David Hafler and preamps sold by the Dynaco Hi-fi company, with many of the first units actually containing power amplifier chassis sold by Dynaco (models MKII, MKIII, MKIV) as well as modified Dyna PAS1 preamplifiers. By 1965, the demand for Sundholm's amplifiers had increased to the point where the family garage could no longer be used as the manufacturing facility. At this point the Sunn amplifiers still relied on the Dyna power amp circuitry, reworked to fit Sunn's own chassis but still employing Dyna produced and branded transformers and the same electronic design. Thus, the **Sunn Musical Equipment Company** was founded. Throughout the original Sunn Amplifier line they employed Dynaco designed and built transformers (up to the 120 watt MK VI transformer set) and Hafler based power amp designs until Sunn stopped producing the original line of tube amplifiers in favor of the [solid-state](/source/Solid-state_electronics) Concert and Coliseum models. Later Sunn produced the electronically unrelated Model T tube amps.[1] [Fender](/source/Fender_Musical_Instruments_Corporation) acquired Sunn in 1985, relocating operations from Tualatin to [Lake Oswego](/source/Lake_Oswego).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The stated intent was to both revitalize the Sunn amplifier lines and to produce some Fender-branded models as well, which included the Standard Series (Princeton Chorus and Ultra/Ultimate Chorus, both solid-state) and M-80 Series, and are identified as USA-made amplifiers with an "LO"-prefix serial number.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Fender shut down the Sunn operation in 2002.[1] In 2023 a group of experienced music and electronics industry executives licensed the rights to build Sunn branded products and formed the **Sunn Musical Equipment Corporation**. The team includes executives from Mission Engineering, Bose, Fender, Charvel, Yamaha, Intel, Hastings and HP, as well as an advisory team made up of former Sunn engineers, designers and management.[1][2] ## In popular culture The band [Sunn O)))](/source/Sunn_O)))) was named after the company. The band’s name includes a modified typographic representation of the Sunn logo. ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) ["Sunn o))) Amplifiers: Home of the legendary brand"](http://www.sunnamps.com/p20043601/). *Sunn Amplification*. Retrieved September 24, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "Mission Engineering, Fender Bring Back Sunn Amplifiers". *Music Inc*. October 2023. p. 24. ## External links - [Sunn Support](http://www.sunnamps.com/) – official website - [Conrad Sundholm Interview](https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/conrad-sundholm) at [NAMM Oral History Library](/source/NAMM_Oral_History_Program) (2016) - [Norm Sundholm Interview](https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/norm-sundholm) NAMM Oral History Library (2019) v t e Sunn O))) Stephen O'Malley Greg Anderson Attila Csihar Tos Nieuwenhuizen Steve Moore Hildur Guðnadóttir Anthony Pateras Studio albums ØØ Void Flight of the Behemoth White1 White2 Black One Monoliths & Dimensions Kannon Life Metal Pyroclasts Sunn O))) Collaborative albums Altar (with Boris) Terrestrials (with Ulver) Soused (with Scott Walker) Other releases The Grimmrobe Demos Oracle Dømkirke Related articles Sunn O))) discography List of songs recorded by Sunn O))) Earth Boris Burial Chamber Trio Burning Witch Khanate KTL Goatsnake Gravetemple Thorr's Hammer Sunn amps Southern Lord Records Scott Walker v t e Fender Musical Instruments Corporation Key figures Leo Fender Doc Kauffman Freddie Tavares Bill Carson Forrest White George Fullerton Dale Hyatt Paul Rivera Don Randall Bill Schultz Roger Rossmeisl Brands Bigsby Charvel Jackson Squier Tacoma Heartfield Amplifiers Bandmaster Bandmaster Reverb Bassman Blues Junior Bronco Champ Concert Deluxe Deluxe Reverb Harvard Hot Rod Deluxe Hot Rod DeVille Princeton Princeton Reverb Pro Pro Reverb Showman Super Super Reverb Tremolux Twin Vibrasonic Vibro Champ Vibrosonic Reverb Vibroverb White Amp Series American Deluxe Series California Series Lead Series Hardware Noiseless Pickups Wide Range Fender vibrato systems Related topics List of products Fender Custom Shop Fender Japan Fender Reverb Unit Rhodes piano Gretsch Gretsch Drums Lace Sensor PreSonus Notion Studio One Starcaster by Fender Category Commons --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sunn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.