Has anyone played both a Polytone and a RE Luna?

[Bouviour]

Hey all,
So unfortunately my view of a perfect jazz guitar amp is my old Polytone Mini-S12L.
I was hoping to pickup another amp which sounds as close as I can to this, as a backup.
Do you think a RE Luna + a 1x8 or 2x8 would cut it?
My other options are a Henriksen Bud Head for 4x the price, or a Milkman/Quilter.
Let me know if you think a RE Luna might be close to what I'm looking for, or if there are any other options?
Thank you!!
-Ben

[Gitterbug]

I've never owned a Polytone. Given how many fundamentally different versions (open/closed, speaker size, circuitry) have existed, I believe there's a range of signature Polytone sounds rather than one.

If you can live without reverb, the TC Electronic BAM200 head, labeled as a bass amp, produces a warm, jazzy tone. I prefer it to my Luna 200R, which is one of the many "IcePower inside" amps on the market today and far more expensive. If you're looking at that size/price category, do not overlook Quilter's offering. The Tone Block 202 is more versatile than the Luna, and the Aviator Cub combo has scored high on this Forum.

As the maker of Toob and Toob Metro ultra-light cabinets, I cannot overemphasize the role of the speaker as the terminal station of the signal chain. I don't hesitate to call the BAM200/Toob 10S or 12S combination Polytone Replacement Therapy.

Expect at least as many opinions as there will be contributors to this thread.

[Freddels]

Raezers Edge has a new amp called the Eclipse that is described as having a Polytone like preamp.

[Fusionshred]

I have played Polytones but several years ago.

Quilter is a different animal. They are much closer tonally to Fenders.

the Little Jazz is in the same camp. The Luna is too. But RE now released the Eclipse in both combo and head format which is supposed to be specifically voiced similarly to a Brute. If you are going for a Polytone sound, I’d look there. Geoff makes great stuff and has stellar customer service!

[skjazz]

I have both in my room currently. The Luna is lighter (especially w/ a Neo speaker) and does the best job of a Polytone impression of the current crop of solid state/Class D stuff. To be fair, I'm an endorser/artist, so I might be biased, but the Luna is like having a reliable Polytone - often a contradiction in terms! DM if you have anything more specific.

[garybaldy]

I still use my MBIII and my Teeny brute.

[Freddels]

I have both in my room currently. The Luna is lighter (especially w/ a Neo speaker) and does the best job of a Polytone impression of the current crop of solid state/Class D stuff. To be fair, I'm an endorser/artist, so I might be biased, but the Luna is like having a reliable Polytone - often a contradiction in terms! DM if you have anything more specific.

Which Luna combo do you have? 8", 10"? Open or closed back?

[vintagelove]

Hey all,
So unfortunately my view of a perfect jazz guitar amp is my old Polytone Mini-S12L.
I was hoping to pickup another amp which sounds as close as I can to this, as a backup.
Do you think a RE Luna + a 1x8 or 2x8 would cut it?
My other options are a Henriksen Bud Head for 4x the price, or a Milkman/Quilter.
Let me know if you think a RE Luna might be close to what I'm looking for, or if there are any other options?
Thank you!!
-Ben

Don't know where you're located, but if you're in the US, I am going to be listing what is probably the best sounding Polytone made, for sale. The S15b. It's the big brother of your amp. I was thinking in the $300 area. If you're interested shoot me a message.

With regard to the other amp, you're not going to find anything made today that sounds, and more importantly FEELS like a polytone. Old slow opamps and power amp make for a forgiving feel much closer to a tube amp than modern lightning fast SS stuff.

Lastly, reliability? These amps are what, 40 years old now? The ones still kicking are tanks, and I doubt the modern amps will last half that long. And unlike those, a polytone can be repaired by practically any half decent tech. There's almost nothing in them. My 2 cents... If you like the Poly sound/feel, get a couple polytones, have them serviced for a couple hundred bucks (preventative maintenance), And you'll be good for a couple more decades.


FWIW, I have 3. They get played alongside my drool worthy vintage high end tube stuff. They are the sound of jazz.

[tramline]

I have a RE Luna 10" combo as well as an old Polytone Mini Brute IV (with the 15" speaker). I've had a couple other little amps (Quilter 101, AER Compact 60), and have played quite a bit on a Henriksen Bud 10. I do think the RE is the most similar to the Polytone of these, but I think that's generally because I've found the RE the easiest to dial in to a balanced, classic jazz clean tone, where as all three of the others to my ear have either a more Fender profile (Quilter) or hifi/DI feel (AER, Henriksen). I wasn't really seeking the Polytone sound with any of these - what I was mostly looking for was something that kind of felt in the neighborhood of an old tube Ampeg in terms of the simplicity of accessing that kind of 50s / 60s straight ahead sound, which the RE does well enough, given the fact that it doesn't have a 15" speaker.

Some of the things that the RE does that really don't sound like the Polytone - the open-back on the 10" really changes the whole playing feel. The Polytone is definitely much more focused and direct because of this, and I have always felt like I had to put it in the right place to really feel comfortable playing it. The open-back on the RE just makes it feel softer to play, and this might not be a good thing for everyone. This Polytone is muddier - its harder to find a sweet spot that maintains that rich character with good clarity. The RE's notch EQ is really nice for this. The RE's reverb is easier to dial in than the Polytone, which to me has always had a pretty small zone of usability between inaudible and soaked; but maybe that's just a problem on mine.

I'd be interested to try the Eclipse - really interesting to see RE so explicitly inspired by Polytone. Guess they think there are enough Polytone people around to make it worthwhile!

[marcwhy]

Mambo Amps were designed with Polytones in mind (and with additional features/tones)!

[garybaldy]

I have a RE Luna 10" combo as well as an old Polytone Mini Brute IV (with the 15" speaker). I've had a couple other little amps (Quilter 101, AER Compact 60), and have played quite a bit on a Henriksen Bud 10. I do think the RE is the most similar to the Polytone of these, but I think that's generally because I've found the RE the easiest to dial in to a balanced, classic jazz clean tone, where as all three of the others to my ear have either a more Fender profile (Quilter) or hifi/DI feel (AER, Henriksen). I wasn't really seeking the Polytone sound with any of these - what I was mostly looking for was something that kind of felt in the neighborhood of an old tube Ampeg in terms of the simplicity of accessing that kind of 50s / 60s straight ahead sound, which the RE does well enough, given the fact that it doesn't have a 15" speaker.

Some of the things that the RE does that really don't sound like the Polytone - the open-back on the 10" really changes the whole playing feel. The Polytone is definitely much more focused and direct because of this, and I have always felt like I had to put it in the right place to really feel comfortable playing it. The open-back on the RE just makes it feel softer to play, and this might not be a good thing for everyone. This Polytone is muddier - its harder to find a sweet spot that maintains that rich character with good clarity. The RE's notch EQ is really nice for this. The RE's reverb is easier to dial in than the Polytone, which to me has always had a pretty small zone of usability between inaudible and soaked; but maybe that's just a problem on mine.

I'd be interested to try the Eclipse - really interesting to see RE so explicitly inspired by Polytone. Guess they think there are enough Polytone people around to make it worthwhile!

Just wondering if anyone uses a Polytone with the back off.

[vintagelove]

Just wondering if anyone uses a Polytone with the back off.

Perhaps with a different cab, but Poly's are filled with pink fluffy insulation. You probably don't want that flying around the room.

They did make a later addition "Taurus" series baby brute with an open back.

[garybaldy]

Perhaps with a different cab, but Poly's are filled with pink fluffy insulation. You probably don't want that flying around the room.

They did make a later addition "Taurus" series baby brute with an open back.

Yes, my 2 have the pink stuff. Anybody keen to experiment could remove it.

[skiboyny]

[Gitterbug]

Bravo!

[Herbie]

I have played Polytones but several years ago.

Quilter is a different animal. They are much closer tonally to Fenders.

the Little Jazz is in the same camp. The Luna is too. But RE now released the Eclipse in both combo and head format which is supposed to be specifically voiced similarly to a Brute. If you are going for a Polytone sound, I’d look there. Geoff makes great stuff and has stellar customer service!

This is so common misunderstanding. Quilter TB202 is close to Fender, if You use it with fenderesque speakers BUT You can dial it to sound close to Polytone, if You use it with polytoneish speakers!

Here I compare shortly my Quilter TB202 in a DIY combo with Eminence Beta 8A with early 1980s Polytone Mini-Brute IV (15" speaker).

Guitar is Gibson ES-175 from 1984.

Playing is sloppy, sorry!