Sunn Solarus

$949.50 Price Tier: High-end

4.5 (6)

3 Reviews

This product is Vintage or Discontinued

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Page last updated Jun 04, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 1 store. Prices updated June 4, 2026.

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Reviews

Price

$949.50 4 available Used

View Deal

Average Price: $950

High-end/Boutique

$300

$801+

Price Tier

In the Guitar Amplifier Heads category, Sunn Solarus is priced in the High-end/Boutique range. This premium gear is built to very high standards and offers premium features.

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

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The Sunn Solarus amplifier head reverberates with the rich history and iconic tones that have captured the hearts of guitarists for decades. Originally crafted in the late '60s, this amp head has been reimagined to blend vintage warmth with modern reliability, making it an excellent choice for both studio sessions and live performances. Known for its distinctive all-tube circuitry, the Solarus provides a warm, articulate sound that excels in a variety of genres from rock to blues.

What sets the Sunn Solarus apart is its ability to deliver a remarkable clean tone with plenty of headroom, while also being able to transition into a crunchy overdrive when pushed. This versatility makes it an appealing option for musicians seeking a dynamic range of sounds. The amp head features two channels—normal and bright—offering tonal flexibility to suit your playing style. With its robust construction and user-friendly controls, the Solarus is built to endure the rigors of touring without compromising on performance.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a passionate hobbyist, the Sunn Solarus is designed to meet the demands of any guitarist looking for an amp that stands the test of time while offering a classic sonic footprint.

Key Features:

All-tube circuitry for warm, authentic tones
Two channels: Normal and Bright
High headroom for clear, clean tones
Crunchy overdrive capability when driven hard
Robust construction for durability on the road
Ideal for a range of genres, from rock to blues

Product specs

Brand	Sunn
Model	Solarus 60-Watt Guitar Amp Head
Finish	Silverface
Year	1970s
Categories	Guitar Heads
Built-In Effects	Built-In Effects
Direct Output	No Direct Output
Effects Loop	No Effects Loop
Electronics	Tube
Impedance	8 ohms
Number of Channels	2 Channels
Number of Inputs	4 Inputs
Output Power (Watts)	60
Power Tube Type	EL34
Reverb	Spring Reverb

FAQs

What kind of music genres is the Sunn Solarus amp head suitable for?: The Sunn Solarus, with its 60-watt tube power and spring reverb, is ideal for rock, blues, and psychedelic genres, offering rich, warm tones and powerful distortion that can cut through a mix.
Does the Sunn Solarus amp head have built-in effects?: Yes, the Sunn Solarus features built-in spring reverb, which adds depth and space to your guitar sound, enhancing its versatility for various music styles.
How many channels does the Sunn Solarus guitar amp head have?: The Sunn Solarus amp head has two channels, allowing for easy switching between different tones and sound settings during performances.
What type of power tubes does the Sunn Solarus use?: The Sunn Solarus utilizes EL34 power tubes, known for their dynamic response and classic British-style tone, making it suitable for a wide range of musical applications.
Is the Sunn Solarus amp head compatible with effects pedals?: While the Sunn Solarus does not have an effects loop, it can still be used effectively with effects pedals placed in front of the amp, allowing for creative sound shaping.

Videos

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GuitarGear1

Sunn Solarus Demonstration

GuitarGear1

When is an Amp Worth Fixing? | Sunn Solarus & Gibson Hawk

Psionic Audio

Sunn Solarus Playthrough/Tweaking

Acrylic Recording

DOOM with a 1969 Sunn Solarus

The Gunter Collection

Sunn Solarus Demo

Brad B

Sunn Solarus - 1971 - TCA Mod

Achell Suez

Reviews

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PROS

Unique Fender-inspired preamp design
Features both tremolo and spring reverb
Extraordinary transient response with 70-80 watts clean headroom
Bass tones tighten with EL34 tube modification
Excellent platform for pedals due to huge bandwidth
Produces bold, clean tones louder and cleaner than Twin Reverb
Capable of producing nice overdrive tones at high volumes
Distinctive in its power and clarity, likened to America's Hiwatt

CONS

Requires rare, out of production 7199 tube or modification for 6AN8 tube
Reverb may excessively brighten tone
Switchable mid boost can muddy tone
May be too loud for some settings, causes audience discomfort at optimal levels

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Sunn Solarus.

Features and functionality

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The Sunn Solarus has a polarity switch, which can be used to reduce hum in club settings.
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The amp makes a great pedal platform due to its clean channel with high headroom, but can achieve a sludgy breakup when cranked to 10.
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The reverb feature on the Sunn Solarus alters the EQ, which can affect tone shaping significantly.
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Setup and maintenance

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Early models often require upgrades to a three-prong cable and removal of the "death cap" for safety.
Source
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Some capacitors in older Sunn Solarus amps may be undervalued for modern 125-volt outlets, requiring attention during servicing.
Source

Comparisons

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Unlike Fender amps, Sunn Solarus uses EL34 tubes, resulting in distinct tonal differences, especially in low-end response.
Source

Use cases and applications

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Without a master volume, achieving a dirty amp tone requires cranking the volume, making it less suitable for low-volume dirty sounds.
Source
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Pairing the Sunn Solarus with a DS-1 pedal helps achieve classic 90s alternative rock tones.
Source

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4.5 out of 5

Based on 3 Reviews and 6 Ratings

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1 star

jimmarchi1

41010

over 10 years ago

holy mother of loud

The Sunn amps are real mutts form a design perspective. Everyone knows the Sunn Model T, America's first attempt at a high gain design, but Sunn was cranking out more vintage featured amplifiers (particularly bass amps) for a long time before attempting to innovate too heavily. Like most of tis cousins the Solarus has a Fender inspired preamp. It has the global 2 band EQ of a tweed era Bandmaster, Pro or Super, but the implementation of the EQ and gain stages is more blackface in nature. The power section of the Solarus is a vintage Hifi affair based around the old Dynaco ST70 featuring dual 6550 output tubes pushing a good 70 to 80 watts of clean headroom with extraordinary transient response (though Sunn rated them conservatively at 60 watts RMS). You can cut the power on these amps by modifying them to accept EL34 tubes. The bass will tighten and the headroom will decrease making them sound a bit Hiwatty. That said, they make such a bold statement stock that I would personally leave well enough alone if I ever owned another one.

The Solarus is one of Sunn's few guitar models and like its cousin the Scepter (still not sure what the difference between these 2 really is) it features tremolo and spring reverb in the Fender style that sound pretty decent. this is a wonderful platform for pedals as it has huge bandwidth and monstrous headroom. If you can stand the SPL the Solarus can produce some nice overdrive tones once you start driving the PI and output stage. The biggest fault of this amp is that it uses the Dynaco PI circuit which, while a wonderful design, requires a rare, out of production 7199 tube or needs to be modded to accept the slightly more common 6AN8 tube. I believe electroharmoix has reissued the 6AN8, but I do not know if its up to snuff as this tube contains a hi mu preamp pentode similar to the EF86 and 5879, and for reasons that escape me no one can make decent current production EF86.

Still a real sleeper and a great amp in the mold of the twin reverb... only bolder and cleaner. Sunns are like America's answer to Hiwatt. This amp will make you very uncomfortable if you don't wear ear plugs and will cause the audience to back up a few feet if you can get her turned up to the sweet spot for optimal clean tone. Pushed into overdrive she holds her own with a 100 watt Superlead and is an effective device for killing bratty children without leaving fingerprints on their bodies. Too much amp for most people, but still a mighty offering from one of America's best and least respected manufacturers.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist Keyboardist

Genres:

Electronic Orchestra Alternative rock

casey_daniel_melligan

over 5 years ago

Incredible

My only gripe about this amp is that the reverb on these old Sunn's reaaaaaallly brighten your tone, and the switchable mid boost muddies it up too much to be a fix for this. Otherwise an amazing powerhouse.

jimmarchi1

41010

5 years ago over 5 years ago

these amps are very easy to mod if you're not thrilled with it...

jlp97

almost 7 years ago

CLEAN

Cristal clear clean tone and a good pedal platform.

Artist usage

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Stephen O'Malley

Guitarist

Sunn O)))

Verified via Promusic

"We did a few duo shows last year, and in one of those shows, we had an extended backline that involved four full stacks each, three Ampeg stacks each, a half stack, a Sunn half stack with a vintage Sunn cabinet, a 50-watt vintage Sunn – like a Sonaro and Solarus – and a Fender Twin on the very outside wings. "