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Some guys just get stuck in 1978, I guess. Here is a time capsule late-70s Polytone Mini Brute IV that I found I couldn't resist. I didn't need it. I already have too many Polytone amps, as it is. However, it is the first one of the second series* of cosmetics of the Polytone amps that I have seen that wasn't roached out...so...
The amp sounds great with both my Heritage Super Eagle and my Nash S-57 Strat (what I've run through it, so far). Loads of bass response on hand on this amp. Bass knob on 10 o'clock is about right in my music room.
The thick vinyl cover for the amp will keep the soft, black amp covering looking as new. Otherwise, this series of Polytones tends to look beat in short order.
*(1) first series ('68-'early-70s)--hard, bumpy black Tolex covering; silver-gray grill cloth; rectangular metal Polytone label top front (later the grill became black foam with squares); (2) second series (about '74-'80)--soft, black covering; white/gray baffle with no grill cloth/exposed speaker(s); rectangular metal Polytone label on lower right of baffle; (3) third series ('80-'84)--black diamond-pleated Tolex covering; foam grill with diamond design; chrome cast Polytone logo on upper left of grill; control panel is black chrome, instead of chrome used on previous models; (4) fourth series ('85-'90?)--black, grained Tolex covering; black grill cloth--not foam; plastic "P" Polytone logo on lower left of grill; first amps to have "mid" knob; (5) fifth series ('91-'98?)--blue grained Tolex covering with stackable corners; metal grill; long, plastic Polytone label across lower edge of baffle; amps have master volume and second preamp with edge control; (6) sixth series ('99-death of founder Tommy Gumina in 2013)--black Tolex with stackable corners; metal grill; long, plastic Polytone label on lower baffle; amps have two preamps, second with "sonic" circuit.
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04-19-2016 07:11 PM
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Here are the different series.
From the beginning: a late 60s amp, an early 70s amp, a late 70s MB, an early 80s Baby Brute, a mid-80s Baby/Taurus, a 90s Mega Brute, an early 2000s Mini Brute--sorry, it's a 90s amp, too.
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Greentone really knows his Polytones.
my first amp was a Princeton Reverb I bought off the rack, second was a Polytone Mini Brute.
I bought a huge behemoth of a Polytone a few years ago because it seemed like a great deal.
It was a model 275-300 iirc., never seen one before. a huge cabinet w/1-12 X 1-15 and a head in a suitcase.
it never worked right and took me forever to sell.
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great infos here!
Maybe you can help me dating and evaluating my Minibrute IV with this front panel... ?
Sooner or later I'm going to swap it for a more modern type, but would like to make a reasonable offer from start.
thanks
Enrico
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GT, polygons are cool. I just got my first one and I love it. Solid, loud and it has that signature tone.
Good luck with yours. It's really nice.
JD
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One simply can not have too many polytones...
Btw, that is the cleanest of that series I've seen as well. It's odd, the classic diamond tolex ones are usually in mint condition, while that series are usually pretty roughed up. Odd right?
Enjoy!!!
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I've seen the ones with the foam exposed and thought a protective grill was missing, hm! Now I know...
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I had one just like this. I bought it new and it was my first decent amp. I like to describe its look as a sixth grader's art project -- all foam and felt. What the hell were they thinking??? A least they sound great. Play it in good health.
Originally Posted by Greentone
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6th grader's art project! Perfect description!
e_del: you have a mid-80s Mini Brute.
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Here are my two Baby Brutes, either different models or from different generations.
Last edited by lawson-stone; 04-21-2016 at 03:48 PM.
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Lawson,
Yours are, IMO, the very best of all of the Polytones. I was at a big, vintage guitar show about ten years ago, or so. One guy who makes some very nice guitars was demonstrating his instruments through one just like your amp on the right. I had been a Baby Brute owner since the mid-80s, but I offered the guy stupid money for the amp. (It sounded fantastic.) He said that the amp simply wasn't for sale at any price. I told him that I understood.
Electronically, both of your amps are identical. It comes down to which cabinet you prefer, i.e., open or closed back. I like the closed-back amp, but I wanted to have one with the open back, too. Joe Pass sounded great in that 1994 video through one.
Aside: it looks like Herb Ellis and Joe Pass are coming over to do a recital in your office--with those guitars and those amps. :-)
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Don't I wish! Channeling those two would be a trip.
The one on the right does have a couple flaws, so I got it somewhat cheaply (not much!). The control panel is canted inward on the right side. Also, when I turn up the reverb it hums. I'm sure the latter is fixable, but I'm not too confident noodling around inside an amp. Replacing a speaker I could probably do, but mucking around a reverb tank I don't know.
And I really don't know why the control panel is off-kilter. I looked inside and didn't see any signs of strain or breakage.
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Actually there is one minor difference. The distortion channel on the closed-back amp has both a gain and an EQ setting, the open-back has only distortion gain. Originally Posted by Greentone
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Joe, Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
You know I'm sure, that a Polytone was De Rigueur as the Jazz amp in the 80's, mine was
exchanged + £10 for a new Vibrolux. but I regret moving it on. Next week when I get the
car back,hopefully, from the bodyshop, i am visiting my pal who has a Polytone for sale.
I doubt that i'll come back emptyhanded.
Cheers
Alan.
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Congratulations, Greentone, enjoy it in good health!
I've never owned or even tried a Polytone; any hints on those I should
keep and eye open for, those I should avoid?
Like I've got the means for this, sheeesh!
Thank you.
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The Mini Brute II was sold in large numbers and is the "Twin Reverb" of the bunch. It is 90 watts into a single 12" speaker. It followed the cosmetic changes I described above. It is a good amp to get.
The IV is like it but has a 15" speaker. The only ones that are less desirable are the sixth series that sport the "Sonic" circuit. They sound a little sterile.
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Great amps here! Congrats! Nice to see that PT's are still relevant amps.
I have a Polytone MB IV, with 15" speaker. Surprisingly good, even at the low volumes, not boomy at all.
Are the differences between 15", 12", 10" and 8" speakers significant? I have been toying with an idea of making a smaller enclosure with smaller speaker for the amp. But can't decide which one.
And now there is the open back option too! Oh my how dazing and confusing!
(And I did not yet mention the option of makin the new cab wedged like Mambo...)
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When I went to get my first Polytone, about 1984-85, I wanted a MBII--like everybody had. I was very familiar with the sound and I had played one that my bass player owned (He owned a I, a II, and a III.) I saw and tried a Baby Brute, which I had never heard of. It was the MBII, but in a one cubic-foot cabinet with a 8" speaker. Side-by-side, against all the other Mini Brutes, the little BB was the best sounding with a ES-175. I was sold. The dealer didn't have a 10" Teeny Brute. I don't think Polytone was making them, at that point. FWIW, I thought--then and now--that the MBII and IV were pretty close to a tie behind the Baby Brute.
Guitar players generally gravitate to the 12" speaker. I happen to think that smaller and larger speakers sound pretty terrific with archtop guitars. The 8" and 15" speakers work quite well, IMO. Even in the instance of the tweed Fender amps that I like so well, I find that I prefer the sound of the tweed Vibrolux and Harvard amps to the tweed Deluxe that I happen to use so regularly. The 10" Jensen sounds a bit better than the 12" Jensen in those applications--to my ear, and with archtop guitars.
_That_ significant? Not really. A MBII or IV is going to sound pretty good, actually. I think that the Baby sounds somewhat better because the 8" driver in a one cubic-foot cabinet supports the tone of the archtop guitar so well. However, it's not that big of a deal.
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If you play a solid body, the 15 goes a long way toward helping get that thick, fat jazz tone.
If you play a 175 (or an archtop in general), the baby really sounds incredible.
The largest models (s15 of various ilk) sound the "best", larger cabinet dimensions, tweeters, etc. However, they are quite a bit less practical to get around with.
The thing with the baby, you will not find a better sounding (classic dark jazz tone) small, LOUD portable amp. You really can't go wrong with them.
Fwiw, I own, the classic diamond tolex baby, mbII, mbIV, S15b. I've owned the ones with a mid control, but I didn't like it. That being said, someone traded me because he liked the mid knob. To each their own!!!
ps. If you like the acoustic archtop sound, you'll hate a polytone (unless you get the bigger model with tweeters, or use an eq pedal, which I highly recommend btw, you can get some different, dare I say fendery tones that way). Only fat, dark jazz tones apply. The irony of the name polytone, is they only do one sound...
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...and the woodwork itch comes back... Originally Posted by vintagelove
But then, an 8" speaker for a test cab is propably the cheapest alternative. And if it does not work for some reason, I can always use the cab for a bird house! (Maybe with smaller hole in the front!)
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Another cool little tidbit. In my MBII, I have a aluminum dust cone speaker that has a really great tone to it. It belonged to a local older jazz fellow who owned music stores and could have "borrowed" and speaker he wanted to put in it. He chose this one for a reason.
If you have one laying around, try it out, especially if you find the stock model dark.
BTW I', about to try a wgs 8 in my baby, I'll report the results so people can have that option if they want.
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isnt the 104 more like a twin because of the 2 12's?
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Of course. I was talking about how universal the Mini Brute II is. Polytone sold scads of these 90 watt amps to working jazz players. They were as common on jazz stages as the Fender Twin Reverb was on rock, pop, blues and country stages...jazz too. The Twin Reverb was a supremely successful amp. The MBIII was Polytone's most successful amp.
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I have a Mini Brute that matches the description of your 6th series. The date written to the right of the serial number says '98-01'. Originally Posted by Greentone
Great summary of the various incarnations
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I've been playing a long time, but have never had the opportunity to play through a Polytone! I know people reference Joe Pass' tone, along with Benson's (who apparently likes to run them in tandem with a fender of some sort) but can any one refer me to maybe a duo recording, where one player is going through a poly and the other through a blackface of some sort? Or reference the tone of a poly to other solid states I'm familiar with, like the Roland jazz chorus, or Acoustic Image?
I'm pretty much stuck in the world of tubes for now, but always like to study the tone equations of the greats!
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