Can anything replace a Polytone?

[shamil]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice from people who have experience with jazz amps.

I’m about to buy a dedicated amp for jazz guitar, but I’m having a hard time deciding. My budget is limited, so I want to make the right choice. The idea is to leave the amp at the jazz club where I regularly play, so I don’t have to carry one back and forth every time.

The guitar tones I love the most are players like Jonathan Kreisberg and Kurt Rosenwinkel. I know both of them have used Polytone amps, and I’ve always wanted to own one and experience that sound for myself at least once.

At the same time, I’m a bit worried that I may be idealizing the Polytone sound. When I listen to YouTube demos, the results are all over the place—some sound incredible, while others sound nothing like the warm tones I’m after. I realize that many recordings probably involve EQ, effects, studio processing, or simply different guitars and players.

My goal is a warm, mellow, singing jazz tone with strong mids, dark but still articulate, without harsh or piercing highs. I mostly play straight-ahead jazz in small clubs with a drummer, upright bass, and piano. I don’t need huge volume, but I do need enough clean headroom so my guitar sits well in the mix and isn’t buried by the band.

The amps I’m currently considering are:

Polytone Mini-Brute
Henriksen JazzAmp (110/112/310/312)
AER
DV Mark Little Jazz
Mambo (if anyone has experience with it)

If you were in my position today, with a limited budget and looking specifically for that warm, classic jazz sound, which amp would you choose and why?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who have owned or played both a Polytone and one of the more modern alternatives. Does a Polytone still have something unique that newer amps don’t, or have modern designs essentially caught up?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

[frabarmus]

I own both a Polytone Megabrute and a DV Mark Little Jazz and both of them deliver the classic, warm, woody, clean jazz-tone.

[Little Jay]

I think the Henriksen amps are definitely based on the Polytone-sound and are in the same camp.

Here I am using my Henriksen Blu6 on a jamsession last week (ignore the big Behringer amp on the stage, it was not used):

[Bob_Ross]

I have owned a Polytone MiniBrute III since 1980. Very reliable workhorse. It has never let me down

...except sonically. I honestly cannot comprehend how other guitarists talk about -- and, even weirder, seek out -- "the Polytone sound" because to my ears, the Polytone MiniBrute is devoid of any character. It's neutral to a fault.

I mean, I get why a jazz guitarist might gravitate towards an amp that doesn't contribute anything that might obscure the character of their favorite instrument. I also get why a jazz guitarist would prefer to carry a MiniBrute to a gig rather than haul around a Twin Reverb, and can even understand making a compromise tone-wise for that convenience.

But specifically seeking out that sound?!?! It baffles me.

fwiw ever since getting an Acoustic Image head (which I use through an old Altec-Lansing 12" speaker in a Flite Sound cabinet), my Polytone stays at home. The AI sounds much nicer...without imparting any overt character or masking the qualities of the instrument I'm playing through it.

(I realize that recomendation doesn't help OP, since AI amps are no longer made/supported.)

[Freddels]

You might also want to check out Phil Jones Bass. He has two little amps that seem to be very affordable and sound very good.
The BG-80 Double 4 Plus 90 watt (11 lbs) and the X4C Nanobass 35 watt (5 lbs).
Both can be powered with a powerbank battery via usb C.

[GuyBoden]

Valeton GP-5 with Polytone NAM file

Alto 410 active Speaker


Alto 410 Active Speaker Dimensions: 18.2” x 11.2” x 11.0” (462 x 284 x 279 mm)

[shamil]

Valeton GP-5 with Polytone NAM file

Alto 410 active Speaker


Alto 410 Active Speaker Dimensions: 18.2” x 11.2” x 11.0” (462 x 284 x 279 mm)

It would be great to hear how it sounds

[garybaldy]

I have a MBIII (15") and a Teeny (10").
I've been using the III quite a bit recently for DB and its handy to use for guitar. The Teeny is currently at the back of the cupboard!
The III is quite excellent with my Gibsons - 175, L5CES and L7 with a DeArmond. Sometimes I think I could use a tad of reverb (I have the old Marshall silver pedal) but if I do it's almost off.
The III wasn't working when I bought it in the early 90s but my late friend got it running pretty quicky. I've never had an issue with it since - and that is a lot of gigs!

[Stringswinger]

I think the Henriksen amps are definitely based on the Polytone-sound and are in the same camp.

+1

IMO, Henriksen is the way to go.

Polytones are long in the tooth and every extant example is a problem waiting to happen.

Acoustic Image heads combined with a Raezer's Edge cabinet got you into Polytone territory, but every Acoustic Image head is a potential paperweight seeing as the power supplys for these amps are no longer made and like Polytone, the company is out of business.

AER makes a fine amp for use with piezo pickups, but with magnetic pickups, the sound is not great.

I have never owned a Mambo or DV Mark, so I cannot comment on those. But I will throw this out there: There are quite a few top level jazz guitarists playing Henriksens (Bruce Forman, Jimmy Bruno etc.). How many top level jazz guitarists are using Mambos or DV Marks?

[garybaldy]

Polytones are long in the tooth and every extant example is a problem waiting to happen.

No doubt, but, to be fair, I've been waiting over 30 years.

[John A.]

+1

IMO, Henriksen is the way to go.

Polytones are long in the tooth and every extant example is a problem waiting to happen.

Acoustic Image heads combined with a Raezer's Edge cabinet got you into Polytone territory, but every Acoustic Image head is a potential paperweight seeing as the power supplys for these amps are no longer made and like Polytone, the company is out of business.

AER makes a fine amp for use with piezo pickups, but with magnetic pickups, the sound is not great.

I have never owned a Mambo or DV Mark, so I cannot comment on those. But I will throw this out there: There are quite a few top level jazz guitarists playing Henriksens (Bruce Forman, Jimmy Bruno etc.). How many top level jazz guitarists are using Mambos or DV Marks?

The DV Mark LJ is a pretty common sight on bandstands around here (NYC), and I know a bunch of people who have them. Not sure if that meets your definition of "top-level," though. I think they sound more like a Polytone than a Henriksen Blu or Bud does, and they're much less expensive.