**Cruncher Owner Memo**
Check the tube lineup in your Cruncher. If you do not have the GZ34 Copper Can Rectifier (far left tube–facing the back of the amp) in your Cruncher, please notify Sonny Jr. via email.
The Cruncher Harp Amp – $1550
The Cruncher is one of the best selling mid-size harp amps on the market today, and has more pro endorsers than any other amp.
We took the Four-Ten and made modifications to create a perfect 35 watt amplifier for the smallest to largest venues. As with any Sonny Jr. amplifier, you have the variety, options, and ability to dial in any microphone or room configuration. With the uniquely designed true speaker-sounding line out, you can achieve the sound you want in the house. For large venues, use the line-out in one channel AND mic the 12” speaker through another channel for a tremendous, full, thick tone that works with you, not against you. An over-sized beefy output transformer plus a blend of one heavy duty Weber 12” P12Q speaker plus two different custom 8” speakers gives this amp tons of bottom, yet with a bite that will take your leg off, and extends to all corners of any room.
We were the first company using the tone-monster NOS paper-in-oil capacitors in our circuit…….far better than the stock orange drops and mallories used by almost every other builder. Every aspect of packing a punch into a smaller frame went into this amplifier. Our unique custom lacquer coating with four coats of a deep tint finished with four coats of a glossy hard shell clear coat separates the quality of our amps from any other company.
Specifications:
Output: bench tested at 35 Watts
Dimensions: 22.5″(W) x 20″(H) x 9.5″(D)
Weight: 42 lbs.
Included: one extra preamp tube, patch cable for bridging, comprehensive color-illustrated manual
Price- $1550 plus shipping
The Cruncher prompted the great Charlie Musselwhite to say, “This is the best amplifier I have ever played in my life”. High praise indeed from one of the most highly decorated bluesmen in the business!
At only 42 lbs. and a compact 22.5″(W) x 20″(H) x 9.5″(D), the Cruncher just explodes with raw tone and projection at the lightest touch of the harp. Or, you can lean into it without fear of it feeding back and have the true Little Walter dynamics he was so famous for. The tone controls are user friendly which allows even more projection into the house, and you will definitely hear yourself on stage. The amp is set up stock with the option of going up or down one tube gain with only the tube on the far right to swap. It literally plays itself right out of the box. That hair is there if you want it along with a clean crisp note or a chord. It has maximum tone and projection with options for more gain or more distortion by just changing one tube. With the line out feature, you could literally fill a large venue with sound.
There are bass, middle and treble controls. The presence frequency was internally set at “4″ in the circuit to shorten the chassis for this compact amplifier. The ability to bridge both channels, normal and bright, gives the amp a whole unique quality of its own. This now allows both the Normal and Bright volume controls to be interactive, with the Bright 2 input having a larger resistor across the input to give it that nastier sound for crystals, or really any mic. All of these tweaks are described in a detailed color manual along with personal customer service as a part of the package.
You still must bring your game to the table. However, this amplifier will permit a beginner to professional player to get the best they possibly can out of the amp. The versatility is there with two tube subs–one for higher gain, one for lower–and any microphone or room can be dialed in. The bridging feature, fully described in the extensive color manual, gives you yet more options.
Options
Padded Tuki cover, matched Groove tubes, custom mics
In Summary
My endorsers are just some of the more than ONE THOUSAND satisfied customers in the past 16 years of business. Zero issues with any of the original amp owners in all these years, thanks to great engineers and builders. My reputation for personal customer service speaks for itself in the reviews.
As a professional harp player for over 35 years, I understand that each of you has your favorite microphone and the way you like to set your tone controls. Part of my customer service is to help you get the best tone possible, whether it means playing over the phone for a tip or two, how to mic the amp live, or to supply you with the best possible vintage microphone.
I use Groove Tube matched and graded GE-style power tubes (in stock). Should you need to change power tubes, you can order a new pair with the same grade and not have to worry about rebiasing the amp.
Please note that I offer a two-year, non-transferable warranty ONLY to the original purchaser of the amp. See the link for pricing, lead time, and any related ordering questions. All emails to sonnytone@aol.com are answered promptly, or you may call me at 203-230-8839 before 7pm EST.
Contact hours: 9:00AM – 7:00PM EST
Sincerely,