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Charlie Musselwhite - Geyserville, CA
www.charliemusselwhite.com
The Cruncher is AMAZING! The tone is amazing! The notes just JUMP out. I just barely hit a note and it’s propelled outwardlike a rocket. It’s as if I’m freeing the notes and they are flying out.
I say the Cruncher offers terrific response to a harp player and that response allows you to play so freely that it’s like magic. I can’t explain what if feels like to suddenly have so much freedom. It has to be experienced to fully understand what I mean. The Cruncher plays like a finely tuned Italian race car that charges ahead with the slightest tap of the gas. The Cruncher is just plain HOT!
Besides the wonderful fat big hot tone, the Cruncher is beautiful to behold with the custom lacquer finish cabinet. Take a look inside and the wiring and the circuitry are a thing of beauty–-way above and beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. You know you’re looking at an intelligent labor of love that is built to play the blues.
And to top it off, Gary Onofrio is a great guy who understands blues and the blues harmonica and its players. He is extremely helpful and sympathetic. I can’t imagine any harp player not being overjoyed with the sound and the quality of the Cruncher.
I was so proud and so happy and so confident with The Cruncher at the recent Blowout. Every night I got great comments on my tone and how it stood out. I've never felt this good about an amp in my life!!! Thanks a million. I look forward to a great touring season with it this year. |
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Gary Smith
I have been playing blues harp through tube amps for 40 years. Out of the literally hundreds of amps I have used, one occasionally will have that special quality of tone and presence that inspires me to play my best and most soulful. Everyone who has heard me play through the Sonny Jr. Cruncher has been impressed and moved by its sound.
I recently debuted the Cruncher at JJ's Blues Club here in town......got many curious and blown-away harp fans. Dave, the sound guy of some years at the club, was floored. He said it was the best tone he ever mixed and concluded, "this one's got the magic!!"
I am proud and enthusiastic to be endorsing this great line of amps! |
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Pierre Lacocque & Mississippi Heat– Chicago, IL
Delmark Recording Artist
www.mississippiheat.net
I have been playing with the CRUNCHER for a couple of months now. I took it on the road to places like Buffalo, NY; Mishawaka, IN; and Lawrenceville, PA; as well as within the Chicago area where my band hails from. Everywhere I perform, I meet harp players drooling about the tone I get out of that wonderful amplifier. Even my band mates have commented on how awesome the CRUNCHER sounds. While I have always enjoyed playing through my Fender Bassman and Fender Super-Reverb amplifiers in the past, I must say that the CRUNCHER brings on an even sweeter dimension.
You get an amp that sounds like it came out from the 1950’s….warm and fat tone even at the lowest of volumes. I get virtually NO feedback to speak of. Even when adding reverb and delay. This amp has a unique LINE-OUT option which can be connected directly to a PA system. This amplification process remains faithful to the actual speakers output! I have tried Line-Outs from other amps before – especially the Fender Super Champ (from the early 1980’s) – and I repeatedly noticed that the harp tone and overall tube sounds were never faithfully duplicated. Not true with the CRUNCHER. It is simply an amazing amplifier.
I have found THE ultimate and most versatile amplifier. Never thought I would ever find one that could recreate Little Walter sounds. Yet here it is. I recommend it without reservation! |
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Mark Hummel, Oakland, CA
http://www.markhummel.com
Since purchasing my Sonny Jr. Cruncher, I have felt inspired to play my harp through it like no other amp I own. I'd even put it up against my favorite, the ‘59 Bassman. The warmness of tone, edge and bite--when needed--make this amp a must for harp players who enjoy the classic Chicago blues harp sound. I'd say that it's closer to Little Walt's sound then anything I can think of. It makes all my harp mics sound great too! |

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Kim Wilson
“This is the best amp out of the box”
In 1996 this custom built single 12” Sonny Jr #1 was presented to Kim Wilson, which he used exclusively on My Blues. From reports I get, he still uses it to record or play smaller venues. Thank you, Kim for being one of the original Sonny Jr. supporters! |
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Sugar Ray Norcia
endorsement:
I have learned
through years of experience, that playing the harp too hard through an
amp that doesn’t respond to your efforts does very little to improve
your technique and overall sound. The Sonny Jr. Four Ten produces a pure
quality of tone and volume that is rich, heavy and fat, which enables me
to hear and feel the nuances and subtleties of my playing, and in
turn gives me more freedom to play creatively. This exciting and
versatile amp inspires me and my band on each and every gig.
Contact: sugarharp@cox.net
Order Sugar Ray
and the Bluetones newest CD, My Life, My Friends, My Music where he uses
the
Sonny Jr 410 exclusively!!
Email
Ray for information about his performing schedule. |
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Westside Andy
endorsement:
Beautifully
crafted, the Sonny Jr. 410 is an extremely versatile amp with Big, Fat
and Rich tone right out of the box. A privilege to own, Sonny has done
his homework. Look no further because this is the ONE! Customer support
is A+!
“Westside” Andy
Lindermann
www.westsideandy.com
andy@westsideandy.com |
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Mitch Kashmar
endorsement:
West coast harp monster.
I played
through the Sonny Jr Four-Ten amplifier once at a festival in Europe:
outdoors, high hollow stage, fast band changes, no time for a sound
check, alongside Supers and Twins. I’m a real skeptic and I love my old
Fenders, so I was surprised to discover that it not only cut the
mustard, but truly sounded fabulous. What I first noticed was the full
range of response to the high and low registers of the harp; it was so
fat down in the low end of the chromatic harmonica that there was
chicken grease running and dripping off the stage!! I saw and listened
to Sonny recount his obsessive pursuit of only the absolute best
components for his amp, and after playing through it myself, I believe!
This just might be an amp that, like the vintage Fenders of the 50’s and
60’s, will actually go up in value through the years.
Mitch Kashmar
Contact: Mitch Kashmar@aol.com
Current CDs out for
Mitch: Nickels and Dimes, Wake Up & Worry |
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Paul Lamb endorsement:
Fighting a losing battle but having a lot of
fun trying to win
SONNY TERRY 1911-1986
Harp players are always fighting battles with
amps but with the Sonny Jr. Four-Ten amplifier, you will
have a whole lot of fun and you will win, believe me.
It's a fantastic amp, has a full fat tone and
from the highs to the lows, responds to me in every way.
A must for all blues harp players.
Paul Lamb
Contact:
paul@drath.freeserve.co.uk |
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Peter Nande - Copenhagen, Denmark endorsement:
I’ve used a bunch of “harp amps” but the Cruncher is the best money I ever spent on an amp! The amp tone is killer with great breakup. It sounds super with/without tongue blocking and it’s possible to dial in the amp or set up the tube combinations so that it's perfect for your own special tone and taste.
As with all amps…you have to be able play and have a good tone to make it work. But I must admit this amp makes it easier because when you play softly it sounds sweet and mellow and when you play real hard you can get it to sound like a thunderous beast! Yes….Sonny has really done his homework to A++++ this time, and brought all of his harp amp knowledge into this thing.
Peter Nande - Copenhagen, Denmark
nande@nande.dk
www.nande.dk
www.myspace.com/peternande (concert schedule) |
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Ian Collard endorsement:
The Sonny Jr. Cruncher is easily the best harp amp I've played
through. Although it has been built with smaller venues in mind, I have
used it at outdoor festivals using a combination of micing, the line-out
feature and some foldback and had no trouble hearing myself above loud
bands. The tone is closer to the classic greasy 50's Chicago sound than
I've ever had before on any of the amps I've played through. It is ultra
responsive enabling soft playing to jump right out at you with sounding
full and rich.
It looks great too with a dark tint in the tweed and
great attention to detail. I had this amp shipped to Australia and it arrived fast with no problems
at all. The follow-up customer service from Sonny Jr. has been second
to none. I wish I could have had an amp like this available to me when I started
playing so that I didn't have to go through all of the time I have
consumed buying, selling and trying out amps over the last 25 years of
my playing career.
Ian Collard - Victoria,
Australia |
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Mike Crandall – North Stonington, CT
To purchase CDs “Black Rain” and “Just Livin’ the Blues” or to inquire about upcoming gigs
Email: mikecrandallblues@sbcglobal.net, Cell (860) 460-1991
I recently purchased a Sonny Jr. 410 amplifier. I’ve gone through many vintage amps over the last 20 years, trying to find one that has consistency and monster tone. My new Sonny Jr. amp more than delivers on this front. In fact, it has exceeded my expectations. I play a lot of chromatic and, in addition to generating a big fat sound, it also has a warm tone important to this type of playing.
The first time I used it, my guitar player commented that it was the best tone he’d ever heard from me……and we’ve been playing together for nearly two decades. I highly recommend this amp for serious harmonica players or those who want to be. I was so impressed that I am now going to purchase the smaller “Cruncher” amp too. |
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David Barrett’s endorsement:
I have used and
recommended Sonny Jr. Custom Amplifiers to students and friends for over
six years now and have always been happy with the service, high quality of
components (custom and rebuilds), and the over-all care that Sonny
puts into providing the best product possible. His Four-Ten is the best
stage amp I’ve ever played through and I am tickled to own one. The amp
sounds great at all volumes and really delivers the tone I strive to
achieve on stage and in the studio. Hats off to Sonny for the last amp
I’ll ever need to buy.
I just got
back from the School of the Blues Student Concert and I used the new Cruncher you just sent. The students sounded great through the
amp... I think the amp is a winner. It was loud enough and everyone,
even the lesser-experienced players, had great tone. Andy Just sat in as
well and he sounded great. Congrats on the new design!
David Barrett
President,
Harmonica Masterclass Co.
Founder: School
of the Blues
“Leader in Blues
Harmonica Education”
www.harmonicamasterclass.com
Phone:
1-877-427-7252 / Fax: 408-224-2938 |
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Joe Mancuso – Albuquerque, NM
Los Albuquerque Blues Connection
jman5279@msn.com
I have had my Sonny Jr. Four-Ten about two years now. After 30 years and a couple dozen amps I finally found "The Amp"! Heavy lows, powerful mids, and glistening highs!
I have used my amp on small gigs, medium gigs and large festivals. This amp immediately brought me up a notch as far as quality and recognition!
I have had no problems whatsoever playing one - four gigs a week whether In town, out of town, or out of state. Everyone also notices how good it looks.
Thanks Gary! |
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Mike Stevens – Ontario, Canada
www.mikestevensmusic.com
mikestevensmusic@gmail.com
I ordered the Cruncher based on my experience with the Four-Ten, which I love. I had not played one yet but I trust Gary's reputation for building great harp amps. I also picked up a Turner shell loaded with a very hot CR element.
The first plug and play was in the studio. I was immediately impressed with how explosive this combination is. It’s exactly like my very favorite tiny amp only loud enough to actually use in many live situations. It has tons of really useful bottom end and a sound that you feel in your chest and in the room.
I'm home for Christmas so I took the amp/mic combination out to sit in with a band that I recently produced a recording for. These guys play insanely loud….very melody-driven songs with quirky arrangements. In other words, it was not a blues gig.
This amp was amazing! I had all the clarity and volume but most importantly, size of the individual notes I played. It’s always a great feeling to have that horn-like size to individual notes so that melodies were really convincing and sounded right even at a crazy volume. I would recommend propping up the amp up on a chair so it doesn't couple with the floor.
I really love this amp! It’s not a one trick pony, but really a beautiful instrument. |
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