Sonnyjr.com - Products

Sonny Jr. Four-Ten Product Specs/Options

Height: 23 inches
Width: 22.5 inches
Depth: 9.5 – 10.5 inches top to bottom
Weight: 52 pounds
Handle: Extra thick sturdy leather
Covering: Uniquely lacquered and sealed tweed
Cabinet: Finger jointed pine as original
Cover (optional): Thickly padded foam Tuki cover
Circuit: Point-to-point wired with bias pot added; line out to PA feature
Harp Tube Lineup: 5U4 6L6 6L6 Harp-friendly preamp setup, variable setups
Fully detailed manual for dialing in your mic and headroom
Guitar Tube Lineup: 5AR4 6L6 6L6 12AX7 12AX7 12AY7
Speakers: Weber P10Q, Eminence Ceramic
Watts: 40 full watts
Resistors: Carbon Composition, carbon film
Capacitors: Filter: Atom Sprague; Coupling: Astron and similar quality paper in oil
Transformers: Power 8087: Output 45249, choke, copied to exact Triad specs, reverse wound output, paper bobbin, interleaved

The Sonny Jr. Four-Ten is designed and built to the specs of the 50’s high powered tweed amplifiers. You will appreciate the improvements we’ve made to the design of some of the best amps ever built.

The original yellow Astron capacitors that come in the original tweeds are vulnerable to heat, moisture and the elements, causing them to leak voltage and stray out of acceptable tolerance parameters over time. I’ve tested countless yellow Astron capacitors on a Sencore LC103 Capacitor Analyzer, and virtually every one was way out of acceptable range.

A unique feature of our amplifier is the use of NOS military spec paper-in-oil Astron capacitors for the tone circuit. They are paper that is infused with oil, and then hermetically sealed in a time capsule shell. None of them have leaked over their 40 year shelf life, and probably never will leak for the life of the amp. We have done extensive testing side by side with many other amps that use Orange Drop or Mallory capacitors, and the difference is clear-- the paper in oil have more tone and warmth.

I have rescued many original tweed amps that had been sent to companies that use these Orange Drop capacitors. No one liked the tone they produced, which is why they ended up at my shop. All of our customers have been extremely happy with the result of our modification. They express that it has a “warm richness of tone with more life” as their description of the difference. Along with carbon comp resistors, a bias pot for dialing in the power tubes’ idling current, and our custom designed interleaved output transformers, we have the truest tone in the business. All built right here in the good ol’ USA, no outsourcing to Asia and China.

The amplifier will be set up with this tube configuration; GZ34 rectifier, matched pair of 6L6/5881’s, 12AX7, 12AX7, 12AY7. I am making every effort to continue to obtain NOS American tubes for our preamps, which have the highest quality and proven durability of all tubes. I chose to keep our amplifier at modern voltage for increased wattage. We run 450 volts to the plates, which is essentially a 10% increase in line voltage from the 1950s, which was maybe 110 volts out of the wall on a good day.

Since many venues are increasingly larger with a need for a bit of extra volume, we have adjusted our speaker setup to handle this extra kick. When one bridges the channels for added thickness, a Fender with a Marshall influence can be heard. This kicks it up yet another notch, as now the bright volume comes into play as an interactive part of the equation.

We offer the option of two Weber P10Q alnico speakers and two 75 watt Eminence ceramic speakers for a huge bottom end along with good rip. This is a great combination for harp, as well as being excellent for guitar. We can use all Weber P10Q speakers if the customer requests. Some companies are using reissue Jensen P10R’s. However, based on customer feedback and our own testing, they just don’t cut the mustard.

Every aspect of our amplifier makes it the highest quality, most unique boutique amplifier on the market today. The reviews full of high praise continue to come in. Of course we enjoy working with pro players who want to endorse our product, but our mainstay has always been the weekend musician who has longed for THAT TONE. Our customer thanks and appreciation continue to inspire us to maintain our high standards of quality. I have built my company from the ground up on a strong reputation for only producing the best, for nothing else will do. I look forward to helping you find that sound you always searched for.