mystery vintage half stack

[Empty Pockets]

So i have this thing:

Its a Univox 1051 head and Sunn Beta 402 cab. I don't know much about them except that they sound great. Anybody have a good resource for this kind of gear?

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Should be a good sounding amp..deos it have two channels that can be jumpered..probably not.
I'd sell that head and Grab a 70'S Sunn Solid State Guitar head for that cabinet, that would be incredible! Way greater than the Univox head.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

I know a little.

What do you want to know?

That head is late 60's, maybe early 70's.

If memory serves they have 3 12AX7's and 4 6L6 power tubes...despite that fact that they look very much like Sunn amps of the same era they don't sound like 'em.

The cab is a 4x12 and is likely a solid overall build but I seem to remember them being rated at a lowish wattage for a 4x12 cab...they likely have square magnet eminence drivers in them but I think the whole cab is rated at something like 60 watts total or something.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Do you know what the Univox circuit is similar to? It has a huge, growling tone cranked up that is pretty awesome...and it loves pedals.

Tried jumping the inputs...the volume knobs started interacting in a weird way.

And the Sunn cab says 100 watts...which, yeah, seems low for a 4x12...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Do you know what the Univox circuit is similar to? It has a huge, growling tone cranked up that is pretty awesome...and it loves pedals.

Tried jumping the inputs...the volume knobs started interacting in a weird way.

And the Sunn cab says 100 watts...which, yeah, seems low for a 4x12...

It might say 100 watts on the cab and there is a chance it is but I think those drivers are more like 15-20 watts a pop...

Anyway...those Univox amps were sort of like a lot of things but never just like anything...

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Agreed that they are common Eminence Square Ceramic magnet speakers.
Tommy Bolin used two Sound City Cabs. with those speakers ( of course with a vintage Hiwatt) and got some great tone.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Dig it.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Agreed that they are common Eminence Square Ceramic magnet speakers.
Tommy Bolin used two Sound City Cabs. with those speakers ( of course with a vintage Hiwatt) and got some great tone.

I'm not making a positive statement on the speakers...I'm stating my assumption based on my knowledge.

Also, those square magnet Eminence came in several forms.

While we're at it, and I'm asking because I've never seen it in print, where did you ready that Bolins SC cabs were the American versions??

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

^ http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...6oymAg&usg=AFQjCNHAm2kYdkUHZac-NDSy5fJiwqxZWA

Here it says Dallas Arbiter Speakers ( which may have been Eminence?)..But I read someplace where (some of) his cabinets had the Emi Squarebacks, and there were also pics.. I'll try and find it..think it may have been on the Sound City page.

Edit-Found This;

http://www.soundcitysite.com/sc_webpages/photo_page_14.htm

EDit- And heres where I found this . One person here near the top of the page says Bolin used Squarebacks, and the other further the page towards the end says they were Fanes. Theres lots of pics..can you tell just by looking? He sued two Hiwatt heads and 4 Sound City Cabinets it says..

http://www.treblebooster.net/bolin.html

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

All those Sound City cabs look the same because the cabs are the same...

After being imported to the US for just over a year they decided to cut costs so they were shipped empty and filled with Eminence drivers in the US, this saved on shipping costs since the Fane drivers were so heavy. At some point, maybe when the speaker change was made, maybe before maybe after they started shipping the cabs with no backs and MDF backs were put on in the US.

So the cabs are the same but a, sold in the US Sound City cab has an MDF back and square back Eminence speakers and a sold in the UK Sound City cab has a solid back and Fane drivers.

Since he was from the States he might very well have used US sold cabs but I've never seen proof either way.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Wow so this has turned into an informative thread for anybody with questions about Sound City cabs. Guess i'll just continue wondering about my gear.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-Jeff-B...059?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2311a1cdfb

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-UNIVOX...052?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35bbeb84dc

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-UNI...138?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4602faf9f2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Uni...229?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc56d483d

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Wow so this has turned into an informative thread for anybody with questions about Sound City cabs. Guess i'll just continue wondering about my gear.

What do you want to know?

I'm almost positive you'll open it up and find old square mag Eminince speakers...

You said it's listed as a 100 watt cab.

It's a Sunn Cab...the Beta stuff is late 70's, early 80's in age...it was likely sold with a Sunn beta head which is a solid state Sunn amp...

Not much to tell really.

If you open it up and get me the numbers from the speakers I can tell you how old they are and who made them.

I'm guessing it's a part ply part MDF cab...

Not much to it besides that,

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Im more interested in this head. One guy says its basically a Bassman clone with more knobs like a Sunn Model T... but you're saying it's not?

Just angling for an informative thread instead of another gloaty NAD thread any info is appreciated.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Im more interested in this head. One guy says its basically a Bassman clone with more knobs like a Sunn Model T... but you're saying it's not?

Just angling for an informative thread instead of another gloaty NAD thread any info is appreciated.

I don't have a schematic but I do know that those Sunn looking Univox amps only look like Sunn amps...

I've played thru a few as well as a few Sunns and the Sunn sound is not in there.

A quick look at a schematic of your amp shows that it is not a Bassman clone either.

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

This is the kinda rig that inspires me, quirky, rare, cheap, and a lil ugly. I have the next incarnation Univox head,

to me it has the quick note jump of a Hiwatt, with the mid snarl of a Marshall. Likes a Y-cable between the inputs. I LOVE mine, it is a 1246B, head I have owned two and they both sounded fab. If you ever get bored of it let me know.... Never played the earlier incarnations, but I imagine it would be pretty similiar. This pic is not mine, but you get the idea....

This is a tune I did with mine.... http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=8965867&q=hi&newref=1

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

I'll vouch for the blue Uni's being really cool, a little crunch when cranked, likes pedals, don't know how that matches up to what you've got there though. Does it have trem/vibrato or anything?

I know a kid that has a Beta cab just like that. I was gonna buy it, still might, but I've already got two Kustom vented 4x12's and all the speaks need swapped out for me to put it to use. Def all ply, and def Emi square backs, but I was thinking they're 50w speakers. Maybe there's a difference between the reg 402 and a 402 lead (this one is a lead cab, says so on the back). I've seen some dudes say they like those speakers a lot, but it is the interwebs.

The cab went with the Beta head, which was 100w SS, bass and lead versions. Buzzo still uses one.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

Wow. I would feel like a true OG hardcore punk rock stoner if i had a Beta Lead and matching cab....hahaha

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

See? I'm never wrong. Didn't I say that to begin with?( only you dont want the 'Beta head', you want either a Sunn Solid State "Concert" or Coliseum".
The 'Beta' stuff, like your cabinet, is allright, but the earlier Concert/ Coliseum stuff is cool-er and more what the Stoner/Drone guys like.

Now the really old Crap like I got, is sort of passe', but with the original HI-Fi "Dynaco" 60 watt transformers,and from what I've seen, most of them do NOT have them, its still my favorite.

That said, the Sunn Model "T" is cream of the Crop, but it doesnt have Dynacos either. The Circuit is way more refined though.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: mystery vintage half stack

The only reason the Betas aren't more popular is because they were only 100w, the Coliseums were way louder.. only reason, not because they sound better.

The real Model T, not that rebadged Fender, is the amp of all amps.

EP, you still rocking this thing? Did you ever find any more out about that amp? I'm wondering how much it has in common with the Blue Uni like Kevlar posted.