Sunn Solarus

[colin]

The Sunn love here is quite evident, so I would imagine that I can get some good advice.

There's a '71 Sunn Solarus head and matching 2x12 cab on my local craigslist. I emailed the guy asking about tubes, caps and general functionality He tells me that it has no footswitch, tubes are good but he didn't say anything about caps, so I assume they are original and could probably use replacement. He said that the tremolo doesn't work until the knob is turned to 4 and that it hums because the ground broke off the plug (but he has a replacement plug he hasn't put on it).

He also says that it has replacement speakers (Eminence Red Coat Governors) and that when he got it all the pots crackled and the volume would cut out if the bass was turned above 4, but those issues have been supposedly been rectified. He says that the issues with the tremolo (which I'm not too concerned about) and the broken ground on the plug already existed then but he didn't have the money to fix everything.

So assuming I like the amp, what should I pay? He doesn't have an asking price, he's taking offers for it as well as a few guitars before he's supposedly leaving the country. In my initial email asking about its general condition I offered $500, he countered by saying that when he'd listed it for sale/trade a few months ago he was offered over $800.

My gut feeling is to not go over $700 (even doing that I'd have to sell either my Deluxe Reverb RI or my Mesa DC-2). Are there any other questions I should ask before trying it out?

Here's the only pic of it I have from his craigslist ad:

[Holy Schnikes]

$800 is WAAAAAYYYY TOO MUCH. $500-$600 range is the most I'd spend along with figuring out what kind of maintenance it's gonna require.

For reference, I recently saw a clean, fully serviced/fully functional Solarus and matching 6x12 sell for $800 locally

[grindonomicon]

The used cab with the Gov's is worth @ $200, at best. $100 for two used mid-line Em spkrs, $100 for the box.

No way the head is worth +$500-600 without it being completely gone over, refurbed, and retubed by a top notch tech. An old bandmate was going to sell his, I think it was the Solarus - 50 watt tube bass head, to get a Sound City another friend was/is selling. His was refurbed, in excellent cond., he gigs or was gigging with it very regular. And still wasn't asking that much for the head. With shipping.

If he was offered $800 with the technical issues, he would have taken it. I call bullshit on that. Someone prob offered $800 via e-mail all excited to GET A SUNN O))). Then when they went to look at it, found out about the problems, and left w/o lowering the offer.

[charles]

I wouldn't pay nearly as much as I would buying something that needed repairs, unless I was exactly sure I knew how much it would be to get it fixed. $500 is pretty reasonable considering it could cost quite a bit to get it fixed.

[Jero]

Your offer was fair, not knowing truly what condition the amp is in. I'd give no more than $650 for the pair, unless everything was 100%.

[MEC]

I Think your offer of $500 was fair as well.
These types of heads sell regularly on ebay in the $350-$450 range.
Without the original speakers the cab is just a cab.
The head will probably cost over $100 to get in full working order.
I bought a fully functioning '68 Sunn Sorado in good cosmetic shape with a road case for $420 shipped about 6 months ago on ebay.
If you play it and it sounds good maybe offer $600.

[benjuro]

Obviously if you're serious about it, check it out and hear it in person before committing to a price. I once drove halfway across the state to meet a guy with a "like new Thunderbird" that had a seriously bowed neck, all hardware corroded beyond recognition, and CRACKS in the wood of both the neck AND the body. The money we'd talked about was based on his description, and there was no way it was appropriate for what he had.
Anytime I walk into a used tube amp, I factor in another $100-$150 just to have it thoroughly gone through...and if those problems he admitted to have already been corrected, great, but who did it? If it was a reputable repairman, he might have a receipt...if he did it himself, is he qualified? The combination of known issues, non-orig speakers and red flags definitely suggest your offer is more than fair...it's not egay, it's c-list...when you walk away after giving up your $$$, you're stuck with the amp and little or no recourse if it turns out to be a turd.

[retinal orbita]

In my initial email asking about its general condition I offered $500, he countered by saying that when he'd listed it for sale/trade a few months ago he was offered over $800.

You could counter with "well no one actually paid you 800 for it, did they?"

[rfurtkamp]

Doubt replacing the plug is going to fix the hum issue to be honest. It's a basket of troubles based on the description.

And yea, way high, way way high.

He's asking Fender Bassman prices for the thing, and as much as I like a nice Sunn, the market price doesn't agree.

[colin]

I should update this, I passed on the amp. Never even went to check it out, ran into some car troubles so I decided that a new amp simply wasn't something I need right now.

[theavondon]

I should update this, I passed on the amp. Never even went to check it out, ran into some car troubles so I decided that a new amp simply wasn't something I need right now.

Unusually wise decision for an ILF-er.

[theavondon]

next thing you'll be telling me is that some of us have self control / can ignore their gear acquisition manias.

[grindonomicon]

^ + ^^ =

[thelonelyweeblo]

I was reading this thread today because I found a Solarus 2x12 combo on GC's used website for $549.99. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I'm thinking about it. Thinking about it hard.

[theavondon]

I was reading this thread today because I found a Solarus 2x12 combo on GC's used website for $549.99. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I'm thinking about it. Thinking about it hard.

GET IT, GET THAT RIGHT NOW.