3 Direct Line Jazz Guitar Recordings Compared

**lawson-stone** · 11-07-2019, 11:20 AM

Practicing my Jimmy Raney "There's a Small Hotel" solo gets boring so I change it up by testing different amps and guitars. Here are 3 "direct" recordings that might be not-so-typical. The 3 amps are:

1990's Pre-Sonic-CIrcuit Polytone Minibrute II, using the Pre-amp Out line
Quilter Interblock 45 line out, set up with Vintage EQ
Our own jazzmus' "Brute EQ" just using the output jack.

Keeping the sources unlabeled of course, just for fun. Not switching back and forth, but playing the same 90 seconds complete for each amp.

Also: One features the Epiphone ES175 Premium, the others the VOS1959 ES175. That was not by design, but I find the Epiphone ES175 Premium to be very, very close in sound to the VOS 1959. Lighter build, same pickups, etc.

All recorded into the PreSonus Audiobox iTwo with the USB out to my MacBook Pro captured by QuickTime Player.

I've enjoyed using all three of these amps, and I'd hate to give up any of them. Still, I look forward to your observations, impressions, and comments!

**vintagelove** · 11-08-2019, 02:50 PM

Hello, I’m curious about the results. Thanks for posting.

**lawson-stone** · 11-08-2019, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by vintagelove

Hello, I’m curious about the results. Thanks for posting.

Looks like I didn't exactly set the forum on fire this time!

**Gitterbug** · 11-08-2019, 03:51 PM

My votes go to #1 and #3, order indifferent. They're pretty close, and no-one actually needs a better jazz sound playing live, with a band.

**lawson-stone** · 11-08-2019, 03:57 PM

So... with so much enthusiasm generated, I know the world is waiting tensely for the reveal.

#1 is the Brute EQ made by Jazzmus, with a little reverb added
#2 is the direct preamp out of the Polytone MiniBrute.
#3 is the Quilter Interblock 45, with a bit of reverb added.

Reverb is the Boss RV6 reverb pedal, set on "spring"

**sgosnell** · 11-08-2019, 04:30 PM

They all sound fine, but I prefer the tone of the Polytone to the other two. It has a more transparent sound, a little more treble, not as muddy as the other two. Some people like the muddier tone, but I don't. Perhaps that's why I don't like tube amps that much, nevermind the extra weight and fragility they bring.

**Gitterbug** · 11-08-2019, 04:48 PM

I must put a new battery to my TC Electronic Hall of Fame and pair it with the Interblock! I never get the hang of that amp playing alone, believing there's not enough clean headroom, but it always delivers dutifully on a gig, with oomph to spare. And, for a Quilter, it has plenty of bass end. Thanks, although this probably wasn't the definitive Polytone Myth Buster vid.

**lawson-stone** · 11-08-2019, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Gitterbug

I must put a new battery to my TC Electronic Hall of Fame and pair it with the Interblock! I never get the hang of that amp playing alone, believing there's not enough clean headroom, but it always delivers dutifully on a gig, with oomph to spare. And, for a Quilter, it has plenty of bass end. Thanks, although this probably wasn't the definitive Polytone Myth Buster vid.

I never liked the Boss RV6 reverb pedal as part of the input, but running though the effects loop of the Quilter, it really works very nicely. Indeed, this isn't the Polytone Myth Buster nor was it intended to be. I think the interesting result is how good the Brute EQ pedal sounds paired with the Boss reverb pedal. I could probably tweak it to sound even closer to the real Polytone.

**jazzmus** · 11-08-2019, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I never liked the Boss RV6 reverb pedal as part of the input, but running though the effects loop of the Quilter, it really works very nicely. Indeed, this isn't the Polytone Myth Buster nor was it intended to be. I think the interesting result is how good the Brute EQ pedal sounds paired with the Boss reverb pedal. I could probably tweak it to sound even closer to the real Polytone.

I like all 3, thanks for including the beq. If you want to give mythbusting a go, use the same git, (edit - use HI input on polytone amp), bypass the hpf, gain/output maxed, adjust eq accordingly by ear - potentiometer tolerances can vary by up to 20%. Cheers

**citizenk74** · 11-08-2019, 07:58 PM

I liked all three, with a slight edge to #2. Scrumptious tone from all three. Thanks, LS!

**vintagelove** · 11-08-2019, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by jazzmus

I like all 3, thanks for including the beq. If you want to give mythbusting a go, use the same git, bypass the hpf, gain/output maxed, adjust eq accordingly by ear - potentiometer tolerances can vary by up to 20%. Cheers

turns out your pedal was the only one I liked...

and i have 3 polytones!!!

Nice work.