polytone amps

[Paul]

i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
have a couple of questions:

where/how can i try/buy a polytone?

what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?

i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...

i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?

i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.

thanks,
Paul

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

Polytones suck.
The electronics are lo grade and so are the speakers used.
Their only good features are that they are small, light, portable and
relatively loud.
They get a fairly decent sound for jazz as long as you don't use too
bright a sound, but are terrible for other styles of music.

[JonD]

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

Polytones suck.
The electronics are lo grade and so are the speakers used.
Their only good features are that they are small, light, portable and
relatively loud.
They get a fairly decent sound for jazz as long as you don't use too
bright a sound, but are terrible for other styles of music.
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT primus DOT ca

Polytones are great.
After playing the field for a few years, I'm back to my Mini Brute IV.
Big speaker, and a great sound.
I'll never use it to play rock. I'll never use it for acoustic
guitar. No amp will do it all.
Apart from the reverb being crap and usually not working anyways, I've
never had an electrical/mechanical problem with mine, which has been
dropped, kicked, flown in improvised packaging, and generally abused
now for about 10 years.
If you can find an old one, get that, but I played a newish Mini Brute
II last year, and loved it.
Plenty of headroom. Great sound for jazz - even contemporary jazz.

As for tone knobs on Semi Hollows...My Sadowsky moves between 3 and 5.
Enough clarity, although sometimes 3 is a bit too dull with a dark
enough tone.

Jon

[David J. Littleboy]

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Paul
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?

The MegaBrute is an 8" speaker amp; very powerful, very portable, and sounds
like s#$t. It sounds fine for single-note stuff, but chords sound like goose
farts on a muggy day. The Henriksen is way better.

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Paul
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?

Wow. You must play incredibly loud...

Post by Joey Goldstein
Polytones suck.

Polytones are great.
<<<<<<<<<<

ROFL.
After playing the field for a few years, I'm back to my Mini Brute IV.
Big speaker, and a great sound.
<<<<<<<<<<<

My impression is that the 12" and 15" Polytone amps are better than the 8"
one.

Also, the "old" models (with soft grillcloth instead of the prison-window
wire mesh of the new models) are a lot less harsh sounding.

Post by Joey Goldstein
Tone knobs.

I leave the tone knob on the guitar alone (no cut), and use the tone
controls on the amp.

[r***@gmail.com]

I've played several different ones and never cared much for the
sound.

I don't know what to recommend. I can't comfortably lift any amp that
I really like.

I've wondered about a keyboard amp or portable PA with some kind of
tube (or tube simulation) based processor in front of it. Anybody
here doing that?

[Stu]

Post by r***@gmail.com
I've played several different ones and never cared much for the
sound.
I don't know what to recommend. I can't comfortably lift any amp that
I really like.
I've wondered about a keyboard amp or portable PA with some kind of
tube (or tube simulation) based processor in front of it.  Anybody
here doing that?

I've tried a few options, the sound I dig the most when using my L5 is
DI via a Radial JDV into the mixer then generally hear thro the
speakers though sometimes a bit of fold back is required. If it's amp
talk well how longs a piece of string! I use an AER compact 60 and
folks have passed good comments. I would say a Fender Blackface Twin
is the holy grail but had too many back problems from carrying
Marshall stacks to even contemplate it as a serious gigging option.

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by JonD

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

Polytones suck.
The electronics are lo grade and so are the speakers used.
Their only good features are that they are small, light, portable and
relatively loud.
They get a fairly decent sound for jazz as long as you don't use too
bright a sound, but are terrible for other styles of music.
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT primus DOT ca

Polytones are great.
After playing the field for a few years, I'm back to my Mini Brute IV.
Big speaker, and a great sound.
I'll never use it to play rock. I'll never use it for acoustic
guitar. No amp will do it all.
Apart from the reverb being crap and usually not working anyways, I've
never had an electrical/mechanical problem with mine, which has been
dropped, kicked, flown in improvised packaging, and generally abused
now for about 10 years.
If you can find an old one, get that, but I played a newish Mini Brute
II last year, and loved it.
Plenty of headroom. Great sound for jazz - even contemporary jazz.
As for tone knobs on Semi Hollows...My Sadowsky moves between 3 and 5.
Enough clarity, although sometimes 3 is a bit too dull with a dark
enough tone.
Jon

IMO If you're after type of sound that a Polytone can give you you're
better off with a small Clarus head and a RE speaker.
Still light and portable. Better tone.
Still a one trick pony.

If you want a decent amp that can work for jazz and a bit for pop and
rock too then look at the Peavey Transtube Bandit.

[r***@gmail.com]

A couple of more thoughts:

1. The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe sounds great, although some say it
doesn't have enough headroom. Heavy, though.

2. I often play rehearsals with a Roland JC55. Sometimes it sounds
great. Other times it sounds harsh.

3. I used to routinely use two amps (coming out of a Boss ME50), the
Roland and a Yamaha JX40. Both pretty light. They complemented each
other nicely. And there are advantages two using two amps in a non PA
situation. It gives you more control over dispersion. It also limits
the max weight of any single lift.I got tired of the hassle, though.

[d***@redstoneaudio.com]

Well, Polytones larger than a Megabrute don't meet my use requirements
cuz they don't sound good to me. However, there are some who have been
using MBII's and IV's so long that they think that's the golden
standard. Can someone say "there's room for personal taste"?

A Megabrute is pretty durn good, but lacks low range for solo gigs,
and certainly ng for 7-string (IMHO). In fact I still have a couple of
Megabrutes, but I replaced the original speaker in one with a special
custom speaker (to my specs-one of several experimental variations)
that is 2.8 ohms and can get a lot more volume before breaking up. On
the rare occasion nowadays that I get a gig, it's in my car/truck for
my backup rig. Haven't found a venue that it wont handle. And plugged
into a decent cab, it's a very good setup.

Does it sound as good as a quality cab with an AI head? Well, no. But
for people who have to ride publc transit, I know of no better.
Someone on here emailed me asking for a way to get more volume out of
his Megabrute, and I have searched and can't find any of the other low
Z experimental 8's. It would be nice if Eminence would make something
like that available-- Just a standard Beta 8 with a low Z winding. The
2.8 ohms works nicely since it can parallel with an 8 ohm cab and not
exceed the spec load on the Polytone amp. A large 8 ohm cab is about
as loud as the 2.8 ohm Megabrute because a speaker has low
efficiency in that small cabinet.

I could never get a decent sound out of the MBII, III, IV or V. If I
get too much time on my hands (LOL), I'll try some out with my
Redstone 10 and 12" speakers. A suggestion for those with a 10"
Minibrute, try the Eminence Beta 10. It would have to be an
improvement. And the match is much, much better than the stock
Polytone spkr. BTW again, I have noticed that in recent Polytones,
the speakers are not of the same quality of earlier ones. I have
extracted the T-S parameters from a relatively new Megabrute that I
have acquired and they are nothing close to what is required for that
application. Earlier speakers were a pretty good match to the
enclosure. (For the Megabrute only...the Minibrutes' spkrs have always
been a huge mismatch to their enclosures).

Oh yeah, just for reference, my main player is a California Benedetto
Bravo.

dave

Post by JonD

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

Polytones suck.
The electronics are lo grade and so are the speakers used.
Their only good features are that they are small, light, portable and
relatively loud.
They get a fairly decent sound for jazz as long as you don't use too
bright a sound, but are terrible for other styles of music.
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT primus DOT ca

Polytones are great.
After playing the field for a few years, I'm back to my Mini Brute IV.
Big speaker, and a great sound.
I'll never use it to play rock. I'll never use it for acoustic
guitar. No amp will do it all.
Apart from the reverb being crap and usually not working anyways, I've
never had an electrical/mechanical problem with mine, which has been
dropped, kicked, flown in improvised packaging, and generally abused
now for about 10 years.
If you can find an old one, get that, but I played a newish Mini Brute
II last year, and loved it.
Plenty of headroom. Great sound for jazz - even contemporary jazz.
As for tone knobs on Semi Hollows...My Sadowsky moves between 3 and 5.
Enough clarity, although sometimes 3 is a bit too dull with a dark
enough tone.
Jon

[Tim McNamara]

However, there are some who have been using MBII's and IV's so long
that they think that's the golden standard. Can someone say "there's
room for personal taste"?

That's often how standards become standards- precedence and persistence.
We think that tube amps sound wonderful and better that transistor amps
because they came first; had transistor amps come first, tube amp makers
would be trying to capture the "real transistor sound" in their products!

I've got a ca. 1978 MBII which I bought used a year or two ago. It
works very well with my carvetop and gives me better control over the
sound that my even older Pro Reverb. Plus the Polytone weighs about 1/4
what the Pro Reverb weighs! However, the bottom end of the Pro Reverb
is better whether that's due to 2 speakers, tubes or what is beyond my
knowledge. Both amps seem a bit fragile, though, and I have long had
doubts about schlepping them around. Plus the Polytone just isn't loud
enough for the few occasions I play with a drummer/keyboard/horns at
outdoor things (have two coming up this summer; the Cube-60 is not only
much louder than my Polytone but it also has more options for running a
line into the PA).

On Friday I bought a used Cube-60 and have been able to fiddle around
with it a bit. It sounds really nice with the carvetop, sound vastly
better than either the Polytone or the Pro Reverb with my nylon-string
Takamine, and sounded just stunning with my Ibanez GB-10. In fact, I
have to reassess my tendency to not use that guitar much- holy moley. I
was floored. It sounded dramatically better than it does with either of
the other two amps.

If I was a professional musician or even a frequently gigging amateur, I
would probably look into options like the Clarus 1R with a Raezer's Edge
or Redstone cabinet, or a Jazzamp or an AER or something. But as a
primarily living room player $1000-1500 worth of amp would be just
vanity and silliness for me.

[Joe Finn]

Post by d***@redstoneaudio.com
Well, Polytones larger than a Megabrute don't meet my use requirements
cuz they don't sound good to me. However, there are some who have been
using MBII's and IV's so long that they think that's the golden
standard. Can someone say "there's room for personal taste"?
A Megabrute is pretty durn good, but lacks low range for solo gigs,
and certainly ng for 7-string (IMHO). In fact I still have a couple of
Megabrutes, but I replaced the original speaker in one with a special
custom speaker (to my specs-one of several experimental variations)
that is 2.8 ohms and can get a lot more volume before breaking up. On
the rare occasion nowadays that I get a gig, it's in my car/truck for
my backup rig. Haven't found a venue that it wont handle. And plugged
into a decent cab, it's a very good setup.
Does it sound as good as a quality cab with an AI head? Well, no. But
for people who have to ride publc transit, I know of no better.
Someone on here emailed me asking for a way to get more volume out of
his Megabrute, and I have searched and can't find any of the other low
Z experimental 8's. It would be nice if Eminence would make something
like that available-- Just a standard Beta 8 with a low Z winding. The
2.8 ohms works nicely since it can parallel with an 8 ohm cab and not
exceed the spec load on the Polytone amp. A large 8 ohm cab is about
as loud as the 2.8 ohm Megabrute because a speaker has low
efficiency in that small cabinet.
I could never get a decent sound out of the MBII, III, IV or V. If I
get too much time on my hands (LOL), I'll try some out with my
Redstone 10 and 12" speakers. A suggestion for those with a 10"
Minibrute, try the Eminence Beta 10. It would have to be an
improvement. And the match is much, much better than the stock
Polytone spkr. BTW again, I have noticed that in recent Polytones,
the speakers are not of the same quality of earlier ones. I have
extracted the T-S parameters from a relatively new Megabrute that I
have acquired and they are nothing close to what is required for that
application. Earlier speakers were a pretty good match to the
enclosure. (For the Megabrute only...the Minibrutes' spkrs have always
been a huge mismatch to their enclosures).

Dave: Thanks for your post. I'm always interested in the opinion of a
technician.

I'm one of those guys who habitually uses a MBII. I play a lot of gigs in
all kinds of different venues. My experience has been that there is more
difference from one room to the next than there is from one amp to the next.
Acoustic environments differ dramatically. Individual rooms vary from one
night to the next depending on the crowd. The technical variations in
loudspeaker design are relatively subtle.

In some rooms the MBII is inadequate; but it's the room, not the amp.

I agree with your point about transit. The MB represents the beat
combination of portability, sound quality, economy and reliability from
where I stand. ...joe

[d***@danadler.com]

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones. I haven't found any
amp that sounds anything remotely like it (and I also own a Clarus/
RE-8 combo). I would recommend the mega-brute. It's small and compact
and has a great variety of sounds for duo gigs. My mega did fry in the
middle of my CD recording session, which was very unfortunate (first
problem it had in 8 years, and quite in line with Murphy's law), but I
ended up getting it fixed and am still using it. Mini Brute is
actually bigger (at least the MBII). I have an old one of those too,
but it's 20 years old so I only dare play it at home. You'd think
someone could replicate the Polytone sound in something more modern
and supported, but I haven't found it yet.

-Dan
http://danadler.com

[t***@gmail.com]

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

[d***@danadler.com]

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

Well, Polytone has not innovated in the last few years, and no one can
seem to figure out their customer support concept. When mine broke
down, I called them to ask where to repair it, and a week later
someone called me back with just ONE name in the NY area - and indeed
he over-charged me because the only other option was to get a new one.
So, I would be very happy to find a replacement amp from a more
customer-centric company, but the truth is I haven't found it yet. But
then again, I'm not really looking :-)

-Dan
http://danadler.com

[unknown]

Post by d***@danadler.com
Well, Polytone has not innovated in the last few years, and no one can
seem to figure out their customer support concept.
-Dan
http://danadler.com

Nor can I Dan. I bought a MB III new c 1982 and although I rarely use
it now, it still works fine - touch wood.

Quite a number of years back I wanted a smaller lighter amp and my
first thoughts turned to Polytone. They used to have a Teeny Brute
model which was the sort of thing I was seeking. So I wrote to them
(old fashioned I know but this was before email really took off) to
ask if they could help with any product details plus the names of
their distributor/dealers in the UK. I couldn't enclose a stamped
addressed envelope not possessing any US stamps but I gave all the
details of my MB III amp - serial, date etc so they would know I was
genuine and not a timewaster.

Never had a reply so went out and bought an AER Compact 60 instead.
Since then I've added another AER 60 (the pair make a good improvised
PA) and when I spotted an AER Alpha at a very good price in a sale
in my local store I had to have that too.

That's three more Polytones I could have bought and didn't because
their failure to reply put me right off the name.

Guy

[M***@gmail.com]

Post by d***@danadler.com

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

Well, Polytone has not innovated in the last few years, and no one can
seem to figure out their customer support concept. When mine broke
down, I called them to ask where to repair it, and a week later
someone called me back with just ONE name in the NY area - and indeed
he over-charged me because the only other option was to get a new one.
So, I would be very happy to find a replacement amp from a more
customer-centric company, but the truth is I haven't found it yet. But
then again, I'm not really looking :-)
-Danhttp://danadler.com

Dan,

Look into the guys that make the JazzKat. I gig with mine (1x8"
speaker) most of the time, leaving my Clarus/RE cabs at home. Light,
sounds good (a little "tubey" when pushed), and their customer service
is a treat.

All the best,

Mark Guest
Jazz Guitar
www.markguest.net
www.cdbaby.com/cd/markguest

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do
without."
Confucius (c.551-479 BC)

[David J. Littleboy]

Post by d***@danadler.com
Well, Polytone has not innovated in the last few years,

Actually, they have. The more recent versions of their amps have a "sonic
circuit", which I assume is a parametric EQ with band width, gain/cut, and
center frequency controls.

http://www.walkin.co.jp/guitars/511202.htm

But there isn't much to innovate in a guitar amp: volume, drive, reverb, and
tone controls and you're done...

[thomas]

Post by David J. Littleboy
But there isn't much to innovate in a guitar amp: volume, drive, reverb, and
tone controls and you're done...

If you could innovate a Fender Twin tone in a twenty pound box, you
could get rich.

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by thomas

Post by David J. Littleboy
But there isn't much to innovate in a guitar amp: volume, drive, reverb, and
tone controls and you're done...

If you could innovate a Fender Twin tone in a twenty pound box, you
could get rich.

Axe-FX (3 lbs ?) + Art SLA1 power amp (13 lbs.) in a 3 space rack
plus speaker and cab of your choice.
With the speaker it'll probably be a bit more than 20 lbs, but so is a
Polytone.

[Marc Why]

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by thomas
If you could innovate a Fender Twin tone in a twenty pound box, you
could get rich.

Axe-FX (3 lbs ?) + Art SLA1 power amp (13 lbs.) in a 3 space rack
plus speaker and cab of your choice.
With the speaker it'll probably be a bit more than 20 lbs, but so is a
Polytone.

Yeah, but I'd also add to the Twin dream -- "affordable." I've heard
great reviews of the Axe-Fx, but when you add up the unit, power amp,
and cab, it's a quite pricey rig.

Marc

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by Marc Why

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by thomas
If you could innovate a Fender Twin tone in a twenty pound box, you
could get rich.

Axe-FX (3 lbs ?) + Art SLA1 power amp (13 lbs.) in a 3 space rack
plus speaker and cab of your choice.
With the speaker it'll probably be a bit more than 20 lbs, but so is a
Polytone.

Yeah, but I'd also add to the Twin dream -- "affordable." I've heard
great reviews of the Axe-Fx, but when you add up the unit, power amp,
and cab, it's a quite pricey rig.
Marc

True.
And you'll probably want a decent MIDI foot-controller too.

[David J. Littleboy]

Post by David J. Littleboy
But there isn't much to innovate in a guitar amp: volume, drive, reverb, and
tone controls and you're done...

If you could innovate a Fender Twin tone in a twenty pound box, you
could get rich.
<<<<<<<<<<<<

It's hard to put two 12" speakers in a 20-pound box<g>.

But, yes. I love the sound of the my L5 through the Fender Twin at one of
the places I play.

[Bob Russell]

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

And so far, nobody's used the expression "nasal honk".
I'm with Dan A., by the way. I think Polytones can sound great for
jazz.

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by Bob Russell

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

And so far, nobody's used the expression "nasal honk".
I'm with Dan A., by the way. I think Polytones can sound great for
jazz.

I think they can sound "OK" "for jazz".
And that's all they can do.
Other amps sound "great" "for jazz" and are either "passable" or "great"
for other types of music too.

[Bob Russell]

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Bob Russell

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

And so far, nobody's used the expression "nasal honk".
I'm with Dan A., by the way. I think Polytones can sound great for
jazz.

I think they can sound "OK" "for jazz".
And that's all they can do.
Other amps sound "great" "for jazz" and are either "passable" or "great"
for other types of music too.
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT primus DOT ca

True; the "OP" is looking for "something" that can "do it all", and I
wouldn't "recommend" Polytones as a "general-purpose" "gigging" "amp".
But I'll sure use a helluva lot of "quotation marks" in that
"disclaimer", just because I have "nothing else" to do "at the
moment".

I had a Bandit Transtube for years, and it did a pretty good job on
most gigs. Not "great", but "pretty good". Also not "light".

[Tone]

Post by Bob Russell

Post by Joey Goldstein

Post by Bob Russell

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones.

How the worm has turned. When I first started posting on this newsgroup
(depressed.guitarists.unanimous) it wasn't a question of whether to
use a Polytone, but rather which Raezor's Edge speaker to run it
through.

And so far, nobody's used the expression "nasal honk".
I'm with Dan A., by the way. I think Polytones can sound great for
jazz.

I think they can sound "OK" "for jazz".
And that's all they can do.
Other amps sound "great" "for jazz" and are either "passable" or "great"
for other types of music too.
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT primus DOT ca

True; the "OP" is looking for "something" that can "do it all", and I
wouldn't "recommend" Polytones as a "general-purpose" "gigging" "amp".
But I'll sure use a helluva lot of "quotation marks" in that
"disclaimer", just because I have "nothing else" to do "at the
moment".
I had a Bandit Transtube for years, and it did a pretty good job on
most gigs. Not "great", but "pretty good". Also not "light".

lol. The funniest man on rmmgj strikes again!

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by d***@danadler.com

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

I know I'm in a minority, but I love Polytones. I haven't found any
amp that sounds anything remotely like it (and I also own a Clarus/
RE-8 combo). I would recommend the mega-brute. It's small and compact
and has a great variety of sounds for duo gigs. My mega did fry in the
middle of my CD recording session, which was very unfortunate (first
problem it had in 8 years, and quite in line with Murphy's law), but I
ended up getting it fixed and am still using it. Mini Brute is
actually bigger (at least the MBII). I have an old one of those too,
but it's 20 years old so I only dare play it at home. You'd think
someone could replicate the Polytone sound in something more modern
and supported, but I haven't found it yet.
-Dan
http://danadler.com

Bah humbug.
:-)

[Tim McNamara]

In article

I have an old one of those too, but it's 20 years old so I only dare
play it at home.

I bought one used, turned out to be ca. 1978-79 or so. I play out with
it at the workshop I go to and the very occasional public playing I do,
but I notice that after a couple of hours the sound starts to change- it
loses volume and "body." I had it checked and everything was within
specs but the tech thought that things may just get hot and start to
change a bit in terms of performance. "It's an old amp," he said with a
shrug.

I like the sound of the Polytone with my archtop a lot, there seems to
me much more scope to adjust the tone than is the case with my only
other amp, an even older Fender Pro Reverb. I haven't been able to get
a sound I like with my electric-acoustic nylon string through the
Polytone, though. I got a nice tone through a Fender Acoustasonic with
my archtop at a friends, and got a nice sound with a similar nylon
string through an Acoustasonic at a guitar store. I might have to look
into that option more (reports of other experiences with Acoustasonic
amps appreciated)

Another option for the OP might be a Roland Cube-60. I've never had a
chance to try one, but by reputation they are quite loud and clean. And
they're pretty cheap.

[nqbqbep]

Post by Paul
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?

The Henriksen is the modern Polytone. Henriksen amps come in two
versions power-wise, the ***@8ohm and the ***@8ohm version. (If
you also use an extension cabinet then the 8ohms become 4ohms, which
means the power will then be 80watt/160 watt respectively). If you use
the 120watt henriksen I doubt that you'll get any distortion at all,
unless you play really, really loud.

For tube amps, besides the Fenders I also recommend checking out the
Peavey Classic.

Post by Paul
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for.

By rolling off the guitar's tone control, you're throwing away a
significant part of your guitar's natural tone. It's better to keep
the guitar tone all the way up, and make any adjustments using the
tone controls of the amp, or a separate eq.

[Tim McNamara]

In article

Post by nqbqbep
By rolling off the guitar's tone control, you're throwing away a
significant part of your guitar's natural tone. It's better to keep
the guitar tone all the way up, and make any adjustments using the
tone controls of the amp, or a separate eq.

And the difference would be..... ?

[o***@hotmail.com]

I have a MiniBrute II (30+ lbs)and a Polytone Mini-Brain with RE 8"
Cab both of which have been great.
My Prefereence is the Head and RE Cab.

Usually for indoor gigs I use my Jazzat amp because it's light and
more convenient than amp+ head when I'm in a hurry.
Bg

[sheetsofsound]

Try a reverb pedal in front of a markbass LMII or LMIII amp.

[M***@gmail.com]

Polytone's weaknesses are evident at higher volumes. I have been using
my modern, but pre-Sonic Circuit MegaBrute a lot lately. It's great at
low volumes and sounds good with floating, HB, and single coil PU's.
Even sounds good with a nylon travel guitar, which surprised me. I had
mine gone through by an amp tech who replaced an under-sized power
transformer and re-soldered the cold solder joints. There are better
amps out there, but Polytone has held there own (and then some) for
quite a while.

I like a medium dark tone, but am usually able to get it by playing
with my fingers (not nails) and not a pick. If you use a pick, try a
*really* heavy one, and pick at about a 45 degree angle to the
strings. I rarely turn my tone control down, as the sound gets muddy
and doesn't travel well/cut through.

All the best,

Mark Guest
Jazz Guitar
www.markguest.net
www.cdbaby.com/cd/markguest

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do
without."
Confucius (c.551-479 BC)

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

[Rick Stone]

As you can see, everybody's got a different opinion.

The reality is that there is NO one perfect amp. I've got a bit of an "amp
farm" and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Let me also state that I'm
really only interested in getting a good "jazz" tone, so whether an amp
performs well in other situations is completely irrelevant to me (if I were
doing other styles of music, my criteria for what constitutes a "good" amp
would undoubtedly be completely different).

AMPS I CURRENTLY OWN AND USE:

Comins 2-10" model - A tube amp, pretty light (neodyn speakers) and pretty
loud (I use it on outdoor gigs and places where I really need to be heard).
About the size of a Fender Deluxe but quite a bit louder, and only a little
heavier than the Polytone.

Polytone Mini-Brute II - I've had this amp since 1988 and it still works
great. No problems other than the reverb pan (and those break on all amps
if you haul them around constantly). I use it on solo, duo and even trio
gigs and it sounds great. Once things escalate to a quartet, I use the
Comins.

Fender Deluxe Reverb - Mine is a silver face (from the late 60s I'm
guessing). I've had it modified quite a bit (took out the tremelo and put
in a midrange and a presence control, put in a 3 spring reverb, changed some
cap values to get a better dark sound). It sounds amazing, but it's an
older amp and somewhat sensitive. I quit taking it to gigs because all the
carrying it around tends to cause things to go south. It sounds great here
at home though.

Fender Vibro Champ - Another silver face from around the same time, in mint
condition. I changed the speaker to a Weber (bigger magnet). It sounds
great, but only 5 watts. It stays in my living room for when I want to play
in there.

Epiphone Valve Jr. (I own two, one combo and one head) - Only 5 watts, so
not really "gigable" but a GREAT little recording amp. I like to put the
amp in a closet with a mike. Nice warm tone at VERY low volume.

Crate Limo - A 50 watt amp with a 10" speaker that runs on a rechargable
battery. This replaced my old Mouse amp (the ones we all used to play the
streets in the 80s and 90s). After Kolbe told me it would cost about $125
to fix my Mouse, I decided it was time to replace it. I haven't used this
thing on any gigs, but it's got 2 channels (including one with an XLR) and
also a set of RCA inputs. It's really designed for street musicians and
buskers, but I've found it to be great for teaching (I don't have to look
for an electrical outlet and can plug my iPod into the RCAs).

OTHER GREAT AMPS I"VE HAD:

Fender Lead 75 - This was a GREAT amp with a 15" speaker. I loved it, but
found it WAY too heavy after moving to a 4th floor walkup in Manhattan, so I
sold it to buy a. . . . . .

POLYTONE Mini-Brute II !!!!! - Got the first one in 1983. It was a real
"gigging" amp. I bought the second one and used this as a backup for a long
time, then sold it to one of my students. As far as I know, he still uses
it.

Modified Fender Bandmaster Reverb: 40 watt bandmaster chasis in a Pro style
1-15" cabinet with a Weber VST speaker, three spring reverb. Sounds good,
and LOUD, but WAY too heavy for me to carry to gigs. I've also got the
original cab for the head. I'm selling it if anyone's interested.

Music Man 1-12 RD 65 - A 65 watt hybrid - Kind of interesting, it had a
solid state pre section, but a tube power amp (exactly the opposite of most
hybrids). It got a nice punchy midrange like the Polytone, but also could
do the bright thing (I used it a lot when I played in groups with B3
organs). It also had an EV speaker and was the HEAVIEST amp I've ever
owned. I used it all through the 90s, but sold it last year.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS:

1) I dislike the reverbs in almost all the amps I've used. I've got several
outboard effects that now handle this function:

Alesis Micro-Verb II - Got it around 1989 and it still works great! This is
the older version of the NanoVerb, and people tell me it sounds better.

Korg Pandora - This is a little pocket size amp simulater, multi-effects,
looper, etc. I really only use a tiny bit of the compression and the spring
reverb simulation (which isn't bad) and the built in tuner. Good for
situations where you're sitting in and might not have that much control over
the amp.

Korg AX3000G - A pedal board that's kind of like the professional version of
the Pandora. It's a lot bigger, but the circuit is quieter. I use it much
the same as the Pandora but also have been experimenting with some of the
other effects. The reverb in this unit sounds nice and clean.

2) Almost all amps sound better when you get them off the floor. If you
don't have an actual amp stand, use a chair or something!

3) In larger venues (like more than 50-75 people) you'll probably want to
mike your amp through the PA or house system when possible. This allows you
to be heard without your stage volume being overly loud (which tends to make
the rest of the band play too loud to compensate). I used to always carry
an SM57 but that required also carrying a stand. If you just hang a
front-addressed microphone over an amp you're ALWAYS miking off-axis and it
sounds terrible (if you see a sound guy trying to mike your amp this way,
make him get a stand!) Sometimes they just don't have a stand (or space on
the stage) to spare for the guitar amp mic, so I recently got this great
Sennheiser e609 that's side address. You can hang it over the amp and the
diaphram faces the speaker naturally. Sounds great and is much lighter and
doesn't require a stand. I highly recommend it!

IN CLOSING:

As you've probably figured out by now, if you play a variety of different
venues or different styles of music, you're probably going to need at least
a couple (or more) different amps. It's all a matter of figuring out what
works and what tradeoffs you're willing to deal with.

Hope this helps.

Musically Yours,
Rick Stone
email: ***@rickstone.com
website: http://www.rickstone.com
Visit me on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/rickstonemusic
Check out my Electronic Press-Kit online at:
http://www.sonicbids.com/rickstone
Check out my recordings at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/jazzand
Watch my videos on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzand

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

[Joe Finn]

Post by Rick Stone
As you can see, everybody's got a different opinion.
The reality is that there is NO one perfect amp. I've got a bit of an
"amp farm" and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Let me also state
that I'm really only interested in getting a good "jazz" tone, so whether
an amp performs well in other situations is completely irrelevant to me
(if I were doing other styles of music, my criteria for what constitutes a
"good" amp would undoubtedly be completely different).
Comins 2-10" model - A tube amp, pretty light (neodyn speakers) and pretty
loud (I use it on outdoor gigs and places where I really need to be
heard). About the size of a Fender Deluxe but quite a bit louder, and only
a little heavier than the Polytone.
Polytone Mini-Brute II - I've had this amp since 1988 and it still works
great. No problems other than the reverb pan (and those break on all amps
if you haul them around constantly). I use it on solo, duo and even trio
gigs and it sounds great. Once things escalate to a quartet, I use the
Comins.
Fender Deluxe Reverb - Mine is a silver face (from the late 60s I'm
guessing). I've had it modified quite a bit (took out the tremelo and put
in a midrange and a presence control, put in a 3 spring reverb, changed
some cap values to get a better dark sound). It sounds amazing, but it's
an older amp and somewhat sensitive. I quit taking it to gigs because all
the carrying it around tends to cause things to go south. It sounds great
here at home though.
Fender Vibro Champ - Another silver face from around the same time, in
mint condition. I changed the speaker to a Weber (bigger magnet). It
sounds great, but only 5 watts. It stays in my living room for when I
want to play in there.
Epiphone Valve Jr. (I own two, one combo and one head) - Only 5 watts, so
not really "gigable" but a GREAT little recording amp. I like to put the
amp in a closet with a mike. Nice warm tone at VERY low volume.
Crate Limo - A 50 watt amp with a 10" speaker that runs on a rechargable
battery. This replaced my old Mouse amp (the ones we all used to play the
streets in the 80s and 90s). After Kolbe told me it would cost about $125
to fix my Mouse, I decided it was time to replace it. I haven't used this
thing on any gigs, but it's got 2 channels (including one with an XLR) and
also a set of RCA inputs. It's really designed for street musicians and
buskers, but I've found it to be great for teaching (I don't have to look
for an electrical outlet and can plug my iPod into the RCAs).
Fender Lead 75 - This was a GREAT amp with a 15" speaker. I loved it, but
found it WAY too heavy after moving to a 4th floor walkup in Manhattan, so
I sold it to buy a. . . . . .
POLYTONE Mini-Brute II !!!!! - Got the first one in 1983. It was a real
"gigging" amp. I bought the second one and used this as a backup for a
long time, then sold it to one of my students. As far as I know, he still
uses it.
Modified Fender Bandmaster Reverb: 40 watt bandmaster chasis in a Pro
style 1-15" cabinet with a Weber VST speaker, three spring reverb. Sounds
good, and LOUD, but WAY too heavy for me to carry to gigs. I've also got
the original cab for the head. I'm selling it if anyone's interested.
Music Man 1-12 RD 65 - A 65 watt hybrid - Kind of interesting, it had a
solid state pre section, but a tube power amp (exactly the opposite of
most hybrids). It got a nice punchy midrange like the Polytone, but also
could do the bright thing (I used it a lot when I played in groups with B3
organs). It also had an EV speaker and was the HEAVIEST amp I've ever
owned. I used it all through the 90s, but sold it last year.
1) I dislike the reverbs in almost all the amps I've used. I've got
Alesis Micro-Verb II - Got it around 1989 and it still works great! This
is the older version of the NanoVerb, and people tell me it sounds better.
Korg Pandora - This is a little pocket size amp simulater, multi-effects,
looper, etc. I really only use a tiny bit of the compression and the
spring reverb simulation (which isn't bad) and the built in tuner. Good
for situations where you're sitting in and might not have that much
control over the amp.
Korg AX3000G - A pedal board that's kind of like the professional version
of the Pandora. It's a lot bigger, but the circuit is quieter. I use it
much the same as the Pandora but also have been experimenting with some of
the other effects. The reverb in this unit sounds nice and clean.
2) Almost all amps sound better when you get them off the floor. If you
don't have an actual amp stand, use a chair or something!
3) In larger venues (like more than 50-75 people) you'll probably want to
mike your amp through the PA or house system when possible. This allows
you to be heard without your stage volume being overly loud (which tends
to make the rest of the band play too loud to compensate). I used to
always carry an SM57 but that required also carrying a stand. If you just
hang a front-addressed microphone over an amp you're ALWAYS miking
off-axis and it sounds terrible (if you see a sound guy trying to mike
your amp this way, make him get a stand!) Sometimes they just don't have
a stand (or space on the stage) to spare for the guitar amp mic, so I
recently got this great Sennheiser e609 that's side address. You can hang
it over the amp and the diaphram faces the speaker naturally. Sounds
great and is much lighter and doesn't require a stand. I highly recommend
it!
As you've probably figured out by now, if you play a variety of different
venues or different styles of music, you're probably going to need at
least a couple (or more) different amps. It's all a matter of figuring
out what works and what tradeoffs you're willing to deal with.
Hope this helps.
Musically Yours,
Rick Stone

Rick: Thanks for the post. My main amp for gigs is a MBII that I bought from
someone on this newsgroup several years ago. It was the best money I ever
spent. That amp has lived in the trunk of my car ever since and has been
100% reliable. The Polytone has actually been through three [yes, three]
cars so it's been better than any of the cars!! If I could figure out how
to put an engine on it I would drive it to work. ....joe

[Rick Stone]

The Polytone has actually been through three [yes, three] cars so it's
been better than any of the cars!! If I could figure out how to put an
engine on it I would drive it to work. ....joe

Why didn't I think of that? And they're probably better for the environment
too! :-)

Musically Yours,
Rick Stone
email: ***@rickstone.com
website: http://www.rickstone.com
Visit me on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/rickstonemusic
Check out my Electronic Press-Kit online at:
http://www.sonicbids.com/rickstone
Check out my recordings at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/jazzand
Watch my videos on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzand

[Marc Why]

Hi Paul,
Do a little searching on this newsgroup -- there are dozens of
discussions about amps for jazz, and many of them are quite
informative (and entertaining!). As you see already, everyone has a
preference, and there are other basics, too, like your budget (which
you didn't mention). Some players here swear by their $3000 boutique
tube amps, and others swear by their Roland Cubes. You asked where to
go to try amps out, but didn't say where you live... If you're in the
Seattle area, check out Sound Island Music -- he specializes in jazz
amps, and you can spend the whole day checking out great amps.

I've owned half a dozen amps, but for me: tube amp by Jim Frenzel (I
play his "Super Deluxe Plus" with reverb -- http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com)
through an EarCandy Cab (http://www.earcandycabs.com).

Happy hunting,

Marc
http://www.myspace.com/marcwhygrop

[Joey Goldstein]

Post by Marc Why
Hi Paul,
Do a little searching on this newsgroup -- there are dozens of
discussions about amps for jazz, and many of them are quite
informative (and entertaining!). As you see already, everyone has a
preference, and there are other basics, too, like your budget (which
you didn't mention). Some players here swear by their $3000 boutique
tube amps, and others swear by their Roland Cubes. You asked where to
go to try amps out, but didn't say where you live... If you're in the
Seattle area, check out Sound Island Music -- he specializes in jazz
amps, and you can spend the whole day checking out great amps.
I've owned half a dozen amps, but for me: tube amp by Jim Frenzel (I
play his "Super Deluxe Plus" with reverb -- http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com)
through an EarCandy Cab (http://www.earcandycabs.com).
Happy hunting,
Marc
http://www.myspace.com/marcwhygrop

These days, the Roland Cubes are a much better option than a Polytone.

[jazzgeetar]

Post by Joey Goldstein
These days, the Roland Cubes are a much better option than a Polytone.

Agree about the Roland Cubes. Good price, very versatile and gets good
cleans in multiple models (JC, Black Panel, Tweed, etc) that can be
used for jazz or as a base for rock with pedals.

-Dan

[David J. Littleboy]

Post by Joey Goldstein
These days, the Roland Cubes are a much better option than a Polytone.

Hmm. My Cube 30 has a cheap thin sound; whereas the MegaBrute sound awfully
good for single-note stuff. For some reason, though, the MegaBrute "chokes"
for the simple 4-note rhythm chording I spend most of my time doing, so the
Cube 30 is better for that (and the Henriksen even better).

[Joe Finn]

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

I've been playing through Polytones for years. Unfortunately they are not
widely available. Dealers are few and far between. Still the amps are very
popular among guitarists. Maybe one of your guitar playing friends will let
you try theirs sometime. You can come over and try mine if you want.

..joe

[invisaman75]

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

Polytone a really good jazz guitar amps. the only thing I question is
the fact that they still use spring reverb. Try to find a used one
with the Sonic Circuit. A Mini Brute with 12 inch the best place to
start.

[Jonathan (Cleve)]

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps...
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting...

Here are the amps I know something about:

Polytone: Never played one; never knowingly heard anybody else play
one whose sound I liked. To my ears, they're overly dark, boxy and
lifeless. But then, there are people here whom I respect who really
like them. Maybe I just haven't heard the right player using the right
model. YMMV.

Peavey Bandit: Nice little amp for cheap. Heard Randy Johnston get an
absolutely gorgeous sound out of one. The Peavey TransTube amps are
very versatile, and you can take them on just about any gig. Even if
you've got a great jazz amp, these are good to have for a backup or
for general business gigs.

Fender Twin: Great amp with plenty of clean headroom for jazz, and
it'll respond nicely to pedals. Russell Malone gets great sound out of
one. You can use it for any kind of music... IF you're man enough to
schlep it. Try to find a nice old silverface if you can.

Clarus/Raezer's Edge setup: Maybe the best pure clean sound out there,
but it's strictly a jazz amp. Clean headroom to burn. If you get the
RE with a tweeter, they're great for acoustic/nylon string guitar too.
There's a guy named Kleinhaut who can really make this setup sing, but
then that's Kleinhaut. Plan on spending upwards of $1,500, and don't
even think about getting funky without some kind of processor.

IE Corus: Similar to the above, but in a combo amp at a slightly lower
price.

Evans: Powerful jazz amp with just a little hint of a funky edge. Nice
amp for rhythm section playing. Great for an organ trio. Not as
pristine as a Clarus or Corus for single/duo gigs, but they cut
through a rhythm section better. These amps work well with pedals and
can get kind of funky if you need them to. A little cheaper than a
Corus.

Roland Cube: Nice, inexpensive amp. I've heard people get very nice
sound with them, although I'm not sure about the rock/funk sound. The
60 watt version is probably the one to go with.

Comins: I heard a guy named Rick Stone get a great sound with one.
Pure clean tube sound. Pricey though.

JazzKat: I heard John Pizzarelli get a very nice sound with one, but
it got a little harsh when the rhythm section really pushed him.
Sheryl Bailey really likes the TomKat, which I think has more power
and a bigger speaker. I'm pretty sure it's a one-trick pony though; I
wouldn't expect to rock out with one. It's a medium priced amp that
might be worth checking out for jazz though.

Wall of Pignoses: The wave of the future! You heard it here
first. :-)

[jazzgeetar]

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps...
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting...

Polytone: Never played one; never knowingly heard anybody else play
one whose sound I liked. To my ears, they're overly dark, boxy and
lifeless. But then, there are people here whom I respect who really
like them. Maybe I just haven't heard the right player using the right
model. YMMV.
Peavey Bandit: Nice little amp for cheap. Heard Randy Johnston get an
absolutely gorgeous sound out of one. The Peavey TransTube amps are
very versatile, and you can take them on just about any gig. Even if
you've got a great jazz amp, these are good to have for a backup or
for general business gigs.
Fender Twin: Great amp with plenty of clean headroom for jazz, and
it'll respond nicely to pedals. Russell Malone gets great sound out of
one. You can use it for any kind of music...  IF you're man enough to
schlep it. Try to find a nice old silverface if you can.
Clarus/Raezer's Edge setup: Maybe the best pure clean sound out there,
but it's strictly a jazz amp. Clean headroom to burn. If you get the
RE with a tweeter, they're great for acoustic/nylon string guitar too.
There's a guy named Kleinhaut who can really make this setup sing, but
then that's Kleinhaut. Plan on spending upwards of $1,500, and don't
even think about getting funky without some kind of processor.
IE Corus: Similar to the above, but in a combo amp at a slightly lower
price.
Evans: Powerful jazz amp with just a little hint of a funky edge. Nice
amp for rhythm section playing. Great for an organ trio. Not as
pristine as a Clarus or Corus for single/duo gigs, but they cut
through a rhythm section better. These amps work well with pedals and
can get kind of funky if you need them to. A little cheaper than a
Corus.
Roland Cube: Nice, inexpensive amp. I've heard people get very nice
sound with them, although I'm not sure about the rock/funk sound. The
60 watt version is probably the one to go with.
Comins: I heard a guy named Rick Stone get a great sound with one.
Pure clean tube sound. Pricey though.
JazzKat: I heard John Pizzarelli get a very nice sound with one, but
it got a little harsh when the rhythm section really pushed him.
Sheryl Bailey really likes the TomKat, which I think has more power
and a bigger speaker. I'm pretty sure it's a one-trick pony though; I
wouldn't expect to rock out with one. It's a medium priced amp that
might be worth checking out for jazz though.
Wall of Pignoses: The wave of the future! You heard it here
first.  :-)

Nice summary of amps!

I played a jazz trio gig this past monday. The first set I played
through an Egnater tube amp and really liked the sound. The 2nd set I
played through a Roland Cube 30. I'm listening back to the recording
of the gig now and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how good
the Cube sounds. Can't really hear much of a difference. I'm
considering of turning back to mainly solid state and getting the new
Cube 80x for the louder gigs. Especially with all the tube issues I've
been having lately. By the way the Tweed setting on the Cube amps make
for a good base for rock tones, especially if you're using pedals. I
don't really care about the distortion models on it.

-Dan

[Jonathan (Cleve)]

Post by jazzgeetar

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps...
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting...

Polytone: Never played one; never knowingly heard anybody else play
one whose sound I liked. To my ears, they're overly dark, boxy and
lifeless. But then, there are people here whom I respect who really
like them. Maybe I just haven't heard the right player using the right
model. YMMV.
Peavey Bandit: Nice little amp for cheap. Heard Randy Johnston get an
absolutely gorgeous sound out of one. The Peavey TransTube amps are
very versatile, and you can take them on just about any gig. Even if
you've got a great jazz amp, these are good to have for a backup or
for general business gigs.
Fender Twin: Great amp with plenty of clean headroom for jazz, and
it'll respond nicely to pedals. Russell Malone gets great sound out of
one. You can use it for any kind of music...  IF you're man enough to
schlep it. Try to find a nice old silverface if you can.
Clarus/Raezer's Edge setup: Maybe the best pure clean sound out there,
but it's strictly a jazz amp. Clean headroom to burn. If you get the
RE with a tweeter, they're great for acoustic/nylon string guitar too.
There's a guy named Kleinhaut who can really make this setup sing, but
then that's Kleinhaut. Plan on spending upwards of $1,500, and don't
even think about getting funky without some kind of processor.
IE Corus: Similar to the above, but in a combo amp at a slightly lower
price.
Evans: Powerful jazz amp with just a little hint of a funky edge. Nice
amp for rhythm section playing. Great for an organ trio. Not as
pristine as a Clarus or Corus for single/duo gigs, but they cut
through a rhythm section better. These amps work well with pedals and
can get kind of funky if you need them to. A little cheaper than a
Corus.
Roland Cube: Nice, inexpensive amp. I've heard people get very nice
sound with them, although I'm not sure about the rock/funk sound. The
60 watt version is probably the one to go with.
Comins: I heard a guy named Rick Stone get a great sound with one.
Pure clean tube sound. Pricey though.
JazzKat: I heard John Pizzarelli get a very nice sound with one, but
it got a little harsh when the rhythm section really pushed him.
Sheryl Bailey really likes the TomKat, which I think has more power
and a bigger speaker. I'm pretty sure it's a one-trick pony though; I
wouldn't expect to rock out with one. It's a medium priced amp that
might be worth checking out for jazz though.
Wall of Pignoses: The wave of the future! You heard it here
first.  :-)

Nice summary of amps!
I played a jazz trio gig this past monday. The first set I played
through an Egnater tube amp and really liked the sound. The 2nd set I
played through a Roland Cube 30. I'm listening back to the recording
of the gig now and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how good
the Cube sounds. Can't really hear much of a difference. I'm
considering of turning back to mainly solid state and getting the new
Cube 80x for the louder gigs. Especially with all the tube issues I've
been having lately. By the way the Tweed setting on the Cube amps make
for a good base for rock tones, especially if you're using pedals. I
don't really care about the distortion models on it.

Interesting. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80x all share the same circuitry
and basically sound the same?

[sheetsofsound]

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)

Post by jazzgeetar

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps...
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting...

Polytone: Never played one; never knowingly heard anybody else play
one whose sound I liked. To my ears, they're overly dark, boxy and
lifeless. But then, there are people here whom I respect who really
like them. Maybe I just haven't heard the right player using the right
model. YMMV.
Peavey Bandit: Nice little amp for cheap. Heard Randy Johnston get an
absolutely gorgeous sound out of one. The Peavey TransTube amps are
very versatile, and you can take them on just about any gig. Even if
you've got a great jazz amp, these are good to have for a backup or
for general business gigs.
Fender Twin: Great amp with plenty of clean headroom for jazz, and
it'll respond nicely to pedals. Russell Malone gets great sound out of
one. You can use it for any kind of music...  IF you're man enough to
schlep it. Try to find a nice old silverface if you can.
Clarus/Raezer's Edge setup: Maybe the best pure clean sound out there,
but it's strictly a jazz amp. Clean headroom to burn. If you get the
RE with a tweeter, they're great for acoustic/nylon string guitar too.
There's a guy named Kleinhaut who can really make this setup sing, but
then that's Kleinhaut. Plan on spending upwards of $1,500, and don't
even think about getting funky without some kind of processor.
IE Corus: Similar to the above, but in a combo amp at a slightly lower
price.
Evans: Powerful jazz amp with just a little hint of a funky edge. Nice
amp for rhythm section playing. Great for an organ trio. Not as
pristine as a Clarus or Corus for single/duo gigs, but they cut
through a rhythm section better. These amps work well with pedals and
can get kind of funky if you need them to. A little cheaper than a
Corus.
Roland Cube: Nice, inexpensive amp. I've heard people get very nice
sound with them, although I'm not sure about the rock/funk sound. The
60 watt version is probably the one to go with.
Comins: I heard a guy named Rick Stone get a great sound with one.
Pure clean tube sound. Pricey though.
JazzKat: I heard John Pizzarelli get a very nice sound with one, but
it got a little harsh when the rhythm section really pushed him.
Sheryl Bailey really likes the TomKat, which I think has more power
and a bigger speaker. I'm pretty sure it's a one-trick pony though; I
wouldn't expect to rock out with one. It's a medium priced amp that
might be worth checking out for jazz though.
Wall of Pignoses: The wave of the future! You heard it here
first.  :-)

Nice summary of amps!
I played a jazz trio gig this past monday. The first set I played
through an Egnater tube amp and really liked the sound. The 2nd set I
played through a Roland Cube 30. I'm listening back to the recording
of the gig now and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how good
the Cube sounds. Can't really hear much of a difference. I'm
considering of turning back to mainly solid state and getting the new
Cube 80x for the louder gigs. Especially with all the tube issues I've
been having lately. By the way the Tweed setting on the Cube amps make
for a good base for rock tones, especially if you're using pedals. I
don't really care about the distortion models on it.

Interesting. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80x all share the same circuitry
and basically sound the same?

and have they fixed the hiss problems that plagued their solid state
amps in years past? The old cube amps were particle board and
extremely heavy for their size. Bollenback used to use a pair of them
in stereo and it sounded great.

[Jonathan (Cleve)]

Post by sheetsofsound

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)

Post by jazzgeetar

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps...
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting...

Polytone: Never played one; never knowingly heard anybody else play
one whose sound I liked. To my ears, they're overly dark, boxy and
lifeless. But then, there are people here whom I respect who really
like them. Maybe I just haven't heard the right player using the right
model. YMMV.
Peavey Bandit: Nice little amp for cheap. Heard Randy Johnston get an
absolutely gorgeous sound out of one. The Peavey TransTube amps are
very versatile, and you can take them on just about any gig. Even if
you've got a great jazz amp, these are good to have for a backup or
for general business gigs.
Fender Twin: Great amp with plenty of clean headroom for jazz, and
it'll respond nicely to pedals. Russell Malone gets great sound out of
one. You can use it for any kind of music...  IF you're man enough to
schlep it. Try to find a nice old silverface if you can.
Clarus/Raezer's Edge setup: Maybe the best pure clean sound out there,
but it's strictly a jazz amp. Clean headroom to burn. If you get the
RE with a tweeter, they're great for acoustic/nylon string guitar too.
There's a guy named Kleinhaut who can really make this setup sing, but
then that's Kleinhaut. Plan on spending upwards of $1,500, and don't
even think about getting funky without some kind of processor.
IE Corus: Similar to the above, but in a combo amp at a slightly lower
price.
Evans: Powerful jazz amp with just a little hint of a funky edge. Nice
amp for rhythm section playing. Great for an organ trio. Not as
pristine as a Clarus or Corus for single/duo gigs, but they cut
through a rhythm section better. These amps work well with pedals and
can get kind of funky if you need them to. A little cheaper than a
Corus.
Roland Cube: Nice, inexpensive amp. I've heard people get very nice
sound with them, although I'm not sure about the rock/funk sound. The
60 watt version is probably the one to go with.
Comins: I heard a guy named Rick Stone get a great sound with one.
Pure clean tube sound. Pricey though.
JazzKat: I heard John Pizzarelli get a very nice sound with one, but
it got a little harsh when the rhythm section really pushed him.
Sheryl Bailey really likes the TomKat, which I think has more power
and a bigger speaker. I'm pretty sure it's a one-trick pony though; I
wouldn't expect to rock out with one. It's a medium priced amp that
might be worth checking out for jazz though.
Wall of Pignoses: The wave of the future! You heard it here
first.  :-)

Nice summary of amps!
I played a jazz trio gig this past monday. The first set I played
through an Egnater tube amp and really liked the sound. The 2nd set I
played through a Roland Cube 30. I'm listening back to the recording
of the gig now and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how good
the Cube sounds. Can't really hear much of a difference. I'm
considering of turning back to mainly solid state and getting the new
Cube 80x for the louder gigs. Especially with all the tube issues I've
been having lately. By the way the Tweed setting on the Cube amps make
for a good base for rock tones, especially if you're using pedals. I
don't really care about the distortion models on it.

Interesting. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80x all share the same circuitry
and basically sound the same?

and have they fixed the hiss problems that plagued their solid state
amps in years past? The old cube amps were particle board and
extremely heavy for their size. Bollenback used to use a pair of them
in stereo and it sounded great.

I can't speak to that. I've heard people use them, but never owned
one. I'm sure someone here can chime in on that though.

[jazzgeetar]

Post by Jonathan (Cleve)
Interesting. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80x all share the same circuitry
and basically sound the same?

Mostly yes. But the new 80x has a new Deluxe Reverb model and also
separated the delay and reverb knobs and added spring/plate reverb
options, delay warm/clear options, and a solo/memory channel. I have
the old 30, as opposed to the 30x.

I don't hear hiss with the Roland Cubes. I use the Black Panel model
mostly. I do also like the Tweeds and JC models though. The only thing
that people seem to notice is a some sort of noise gate thing if
you're in a quiet, good acoustic room.

I'm not saying they're the same thing as a vintage Fender tube amp or
anything, but for the money I think they're very hard to beat, good
grab & go amp that you're not worried about banging around.

-Dan

[Michael L Kankiewicz]

I didn't like mine. I've owned both the 12" and the head. For a
one-dimensional amp like that I much preferred the Evans.

MK

[u***@comcast.net]

Post by Paul
i'm in the market for a new amp, and i've heard a lot of good things
about polytone amps, but i don't really know much about them, so i
where/how can i try/buy a polytone?
what's the difference between all the amps, like mega-brute, mini-
brute 1-5? is the mega brute better than the mini brute? what's the
difference between all the mini-brutes, are some better than others?
i'm looking for one amp that i can use for any type of gig, and
hopefully that i could get some loud volume out of...would a polytone
be good? do pros usually use these type of combo amps for larger
venues, or do they have bigger setups with cabinets/preamps/whatever?
not that i'll be playing large venues anytime soon...
i want something with a clear, warm sound (but not too dark/muddy)
that can produce some volume without distorting..i've tried a
henriksen jazz amp and that was distorting pretty bad... i also want
to try out some of the fender tube amps... any other recommendations?
i'll be using my d'angelico ny-ss...a side question about that: do you
guys usually have to turn your tone all the way down to get a decent
sound (at least out of a semi-hollow)? unless i turn the tone all the
way off i get a grant green type of sound, which is the opposite of
what i'm going for..i'm just trying to figure out if this is usually
the case or if it's just my guitar. but with the tone all the way down
it gets a little too dark/muddy/metheny-ish for my taste. i'm
wondering if it's just my guitar or the amps, etc.
thanks,
Paul

I have 2 Polytones (a mega and a mini-brute). I get the models
confused, because the Mega (sounds huge, doesn't it?) is smaller than
the Mini, although they supposedly have identical circuitry and power
output specs. Having reached that point where the 1st spec I look at
is weight, I use the Mega whenever possible.

Both amps more or less do what they are supposed to do, and they have
been problem-free (if you disregard the fact that most of the glued-on
appointments fell off in the first few months). From what I've read,
problems tend to show up early, and if you get a decent one, it will
last a very long time.

There is one notable exception where some preventative maintenance is
a good idea. If you search around, you'll find lots of complaints
about the reverb dying or getting noisy. This happened to my Mega
shortly after I got it. An electronics geek friend looked at it and
noticed that the 2 wires leading to the reverb unit were extremely
fine and not reinforced or strain relieved. He replaced them in both
amps with much heavier gauge wire and crimp connectors, and the amps
have been problem-free ever since. It's a very easy fix - you won't
have any trouble spotting the reverb unit or the flimsy wires.

One other thing about the Polytones: Both of my amps have the Sonic
Circuit. I's somewhat embarrassed to admit that I don't have a clue
what it does, and I think that one reason I continue to use the PT's
is that one day I'll hope to figure out how to use it and all will be
well. Fortunately, with enough random fiddling they seem to sound OK
(you might get the drift that I'm not extremely discriminating about
these things).

Out of curiosity, have any of you had any positive results with
speaker replacement in either a mega or a mini? And about that Sonic
Circuit....????

[Chickenhead]

Hey, great tip. Thanks UGP!

Post by u***@comcast.net
There is one notable exception where some preventative maintenance is
a good idea. If you search around, you'll find lots of complaints
about the reverb dying or getting noisy. This happened to my Mega
shortly after I got it. An electronics geek friend looked at it and
noticed that the 2 wires leading to the reverb unit were extremely
fine and not reinforced or strain relieved. He replaced them in both
amps with much heavier gauge wire and crimp connectors, and the amps
have been problem-free ever since. It's a very easy fix - you won't
have any trouble spotting the reverb unit or the flimsy wires.

[3***@gmail.com]

On May 4, 1:39 pm, "Chickenhead"

Hey, great tip.  Thanks UGP!

Post by u***@comcast.net
There is one notable exception where some preventative maintenance is
a good idea.  If you search around, you'll find lots of complaints
about the reverb dying or getting noisy.  This happened to my Mega
shortly after I got it.  An electronics geek friend looked at it and
noticed that the 2 wires leading to the reverb unit were extremely
fine and not reinforced or strain relieved.  He replaced them in both
amps with much heavier gauge wire and crimp connectors, and the amps
have been problem-free ever since.  It's a very easy fix - you won't
have any trouble spotting the reverb unit or the flimsy wires.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

so.... are the new polytones about the same tone and quality as the MB
II I bought back in 1979?

[Five Sharp]

I love my Polytone Mini Brute 4 (with the 15" speaker). Haven't found
anything better yet. The Cube 30 sounds pretty bad to my ears (trebly and
tinny) and the Cube 60 acceptable. But it's not a Polytone.

It's all so subjective. One says they suck and the other says they are
great. Go figure. I like mine a lot. Gibson/Polytone is a great combination
for a classic bop sound IMHO.

Anyone who knows Dan Adler's work will know what I am talking about.

Here's mine with a 175. Not unlike Adler's sound (at least I hope).

######

[pmfan57]

Post by Five Sharp
I love my Polytone Mini Brute 4 (with the 15" speaker). Haven't found
anything better yet. The Cube 30 sounds pretty bad to my ears (trebly and
tinny) and the Cube 60 acceptable. But it's not a Polytone.
It's all so subjective. One says they suck and the other says they are
great. Go figure. I like mine a lot. Gibson/Polytone is a great combination
for a classic bop sound IMHO.
Anyone who knows Dan Adler's work will know what I am talking about.
Here's mine with a 175. Not unlike Adler's sound (at least I hope).
http://youtu.be/yet1afKmXeM
######

Dan definitely gets a great sound out of that amp.

[d***@danadler.com]

Post by Five Sharp
I love my Polytone Mini Brute 4 (with the 15" speaker). Haven't found
anything better yet. The Cube 30 sounds pretty bad to my ears (trebly and
tinny) and the Cube 60 acceptable. But it's not a Polytone.
It's all so subjective. One says they suck and the other says they are
great. Go figure. I like mine a lot. Gibson/Polytone is a great combination
for a classic bop sound IMHO.
Anyone who knows Dan Adler's work will know what I am talking about.
Here's mine with a 175. Not unlike Adler's sound (at least I hope).
http://youtu.be/yet1afKmXeM

That sounds great to me - musically and sonically! I'm going to assume
that other thread just got your depressed, 'cause you sure sound
better than ever, and I sure hope you are not serious about slowing
down the pace. You play from the heart and you are making real musical
statements - that's not something to throw away after spending so many
years to get to that point. If one set of musicians disappointed you
I'm sure there are others... and I'm sure there are people with good
musical taste there as well.

-Dan
http://danadler.com

[Joe Finn]

Post by Five Sharp
I love my Polytone Mini Brute 4 (with the 15" speaker). Haven't found
anything better yet. The Cube 30 sounds pretty bad to my ears (trebly and
tinny) and the Cube 60 acceptable. But it's not a Polytone.
It's all so subjective. One says they suck and the other says they are
great. Go figure. I like mine a lot. Gibson/Polytone is a great combination
for a classic bop sound IMHO.
Anyone who knows Dan Adler's work will know what I am talking about.
Here's mine with a 175. Not unlike Adler's sound (at least I hope).
http://youtu.be/yet1afKmXeM

Post by d***@danadler.com
That sounds great to me - musically and sonically! I'm going to assume
that other thread just got your depressed, 'cause you sure sound
better than ever, and I sure hope you are not serious about slowing
down the pace. You play from the heart and you are making real musical
statements - that's not something to throw away after spending so many
years to get to that point. If one set of musicians disappointed you
I'm sure there are others... and I'm sure there are people with good
musical taste there as well.

Is there any limit to the number of things we might decide to get
"disappointed" about? Never surrender to that sort of despair!! Playing from
the heart and making real musical statements is what matters.

Onward! ....joe

[Five Sharp]

Post by Joe Finn
Is there any limit to the number of things we might decide to get
"disappointed" about? Never surrender to that sort of despair!! Playing
from the heart and making real musical statements is what matters.
Onward! ....joe

Thanks Joe.

#####

[Five Sharp]

Post by d***@danadler.com
That sounds great to me - musically and sonically! I'm going to assume

that other thread just got your depressed, 'cause you sure sound
better than ever, and I sure hope you are not serious about slowing
down the pace. You play from the heart and you are making real musical
statements - that's not something to throw away after spending so many
years to get to that point. If one set of musicians disappointed you
I'm sure there are others... and I'm sure there are people with good

Post by d***@danadler.com
musical taste there as well.

Thanks Dan for the encouraging words. Yeah, I am quite bitter and surely
very disappointed with the local jazz scene. I will have to look further for
new musicians and new inspirations but just haven't found the drive to do so
yet.

Regards,

#####

[pmfan57]

Post by d***@danadler.com

Post by d***@danadler.com
That sounds great to me - musically and sonically! I'm going to assume

that other thread just got your depressed, 'cause you sure sound
better than ever, and I sure hope you are not serious about slowing
down the pace. You play from the heart and you are making real musical
statements - that's not something to throw away after spending so many
years to get to that point. If one set of musicians disappointed you
I'm sure there are others... and I'm sure there are people with good

Post by d***@danadler.com
musical taste there as well.

Thanks Dan for the encouraging words. Yeah, I am quite bitter and surely
very disappointed with the local jazz scene. I will have to look further for
new musicians and new inspirations but just haven't found the drive to do so
yet.
Regards,
#####

Next time you come to NYC you can jam with Dan. (And hang with me
too)

[Five Sharp]

Next time you come to NYC you can jam with Dan. (And hang with me too)

That would be great Joe. I have never been to the States yet somehow. How
provincial huh :)

#####

[pmfan57]

Post by Five Sharp

Next time you come to NYC you can jam with Dan.  (And hang with me too)

That would be great Joe. I have never been to the States yet somehow. How
provincial huh :)
#####

But somehow your English is better than ours!

[pmfan57]

Post by pmfan57

Post by Five Sharp

Next time you come to NYC you can jam with Dan.  (And hang with me too)

That would be great Joe. I have never been to the States yet somehow. How
provincial huh :)
#####

But somehow your English is better than ours!

Oh, right. From watching British TV. I forgot. Spam, spam, spam,
spam...

[MQ]

On 4 Mai, 18:01, "Five Sharp" <***@onsbrabantnet.nl> wrote:

I also play through a Polytone Mini Brute 4 15" using an Alesis
Nanoverb as Reverb.
My Guitar is an Ibanez Artist As 200 (or a very cheap Fender Strat..)
and Im very happy with this setup.

Sometimes I play through an old Gallien Krüger 250 ML


Five Sharp, nice playing and sound on that video.

---------------------------------
Michael.