Originally Posted by
JazzIsGood
I completely agree. It's a no frills amp that gets the job done in a pinch. I own a mini Brute II and I use it for a last resort or under weird circumstances. Usually I use it as a vocal amp and plug in an SM58 mic, because god forbid any singer would ever own an amplifier or microphone and bring it to the gig. I use it in backyard parties as a PA system also if I have a comedian or a wedding event (I rent out my backyard for this stuff).
Right now I am riding an e-bike to gigs and sort of phasing out my car because it's bad for the environment. It's a bumpy ride in the bike trailer, so rather than bring a tube amp I brought the polytone last night and sure enough it arrived with no issues even after an hour ride rattling around. The gig was to host an open jam and I didn't even play much guitar myself. Beginner and intermediate players, they were not bothered by the plain jane tone the Polyone gets. And it has a 2nd input which I used for the microphone. Left it at the gig under the restaurant manager's desk and now I can just grab it every week when I arrive.
It's a great amp to have when the stakes are low and you just don't want to worry about anything.
I will say.... that fiberglass insulation in the back of it is nasty! I did not know about that. Everyone reading, please remember this, the Polytone is stuffed with the same kind of fiberglass insulation you'd find in your attic. Don't touch that stuff or breathe around it without gloves, a mask, and safety glasses. I had to repair my Polytone the other day because a bunch of screws that hold down the board on the bottom (power amp section?) had fallen out and it was just rattling all over the place. No clue how long it had been like that. It never stopped working! I gave it a quick shake before putting it in the bike trailer, just to check, and I was surprised to hear it rattling. I thought the speaker had fallen in! Took 45 minutes to scrape away a bunch of that pink foam, diagose the problem, and re-attach that bottom board with the 2 big heat sinks. I stuffed all the foam back in because I assume it has something to do with getting that incredibly generic Polytone sound we all love/hate so much. Strange amp!!
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Today, 08:15 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos