The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Does anyone could review the Polytone taurus 75 open back?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2
    Polytone Baby Taurus (open back) reviews - opinions - pro - con-03d645b2-3420-4358-847c-909834f8b6cd-jpeg

  4. #3

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    I have one and I had to change the speaker out about 6 months ago. It is fine and I like it because it is 4 ohm so it works with my Raezor's Edge TWIN 8 for the extension speaker. On the whole it can be a bit fuzzy noise at at times almost like the amp is breaking up but it does sound very nice. These days there are many more options for amps and I would avoid Polytones just due to repairs and age. Frankly if I could get a decent price for mine I would sell it. I may be sorry in the end you never know till too late.

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by deacon Mark
    I have one and I had to change the speaker out about 6 months ago. It is fine and I like it because it is 4 ohm so it works with my Raezor's Edge TWIN 8 for the extension speaker. On the whole it can be a bit fuzzy noise at at times almost like the amp is breaking up but it does sound very nice. These days there are many more options for amps and I would avoid Polytones just due to repairs and age. Frankly if I could get a decent price for mine I would sell it. I may be sorry in the end you never know till too late.

    how much weight?

  6. #5

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    Not much maybe 10 pounds seems about the weight of my one of my dumbbells. It sounds much better using the RE speakers by far and simply using the amp speaker as sort of a monitor, then the amp does sound very good. Frankly I would like to get a Hendrikson Blu if I can find one at a killer price.

  7. #6

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    I had one of these and really loved it. I sold it because I needed some money and knew there would be a player out there who wanted it. The little Polytones have a really good reputation among Polytone aficionados.

  8. #7
    what differences between MINI brute II and baby taurus?

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    I had one of these and really loved it. I sold it because I needed some money and knew there would be a player out there who wanted it. The little Polytones have a really good reputation among Polytone aficionados.
    And I bought it!


    It is an interesting little amp. My previous experience with Polytones was with a Mini Brute II; the Taurus being open back, as well as only an 8 inch speaker, is rather a different beast. I always thought my MB II sounded kind of like a stuffy nose; the Taurus has a more open sound and with the open back tends to be less directional in the room. That said, however, it does still sound like a Polytone. It's dry and bebopish compared to, say, my tweed Deluxe. There is a 1992 Jazz Baltica performance by Joe Pass through one of those amps and he sounds absolutely wonderful with it, some of- if not the- best live recorded tone I've ever heard from him. And this amp can do that tone- if you are Joe Pass and have his guitar. It can approximate that tone for everyone else.

    I find that it does not really suit my Tele or my Strat, at least at practice volumes; I've never really let it rip and that does often change the tonal profile of an amplifier. With the solid bodies the boxiness to which Polytones are prone is noticeable. But it really complements my archtops very well and with the smaller speaker seems less prone to inciting feedback. It is the amp I take out onto my front porch on a nice afternoon to sit and noodle around with my archtop. I got it after I had stopped gigging, so I have never put it through those paces. I've used it at a duo jam session a few times.

    It's acceptable with my nylon string instruments but my Acoustic Image Clarus/Raezer's Edge 12 is clearly better for that.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by archtopdream63
    what differences between MINI brute II and baby taurus?
    8 inch speaker, open back, 75W for the Baby Taurus versus 12 inch speaker, closed back, 100W for the MB II.

  11. #10
    Anyone knows the weight?

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by archtopdream63
    Anyone knows the weight?
    I will weight mine on my bike scale and post it before the day is up. Even a picture.

  13. #12

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    Polytone Baby Taurus (open back) reviews - opinions - pro - con-0-jpg

    mine weighs exactly 10kg (22lbs)

  14. #13

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    I will take your word for it looks exactly like mine. DO you like yours and is the speaker original?

  15. #14

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    yes i like it but now play my little jazz more because it has working reverb and the polytone’s reverb is broken (noisy).
    I have no idea what the original speaker looks like.
    sorry about the flipped image. (ipad)

    Polytone Baby Taurus (open back) reviews - opinions - pro - con-a4e41e3e-acae-4600-8d49-0a64f43262c2-jpeg

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by waltf
    yes i like it but now play my little jazz more because it has working reverb and the polytone’s reverb is broken (noisy).
    I have no idea what the original speaker looks like.
    sorry about the flipped image. (ipad)

    Polytone Baby Taurus (open back) reviews - opinions - pro - con-a4e41e3e-acae-4600-8d49-0a64f43262c2-jpeg

    code 67
    eminence speaker, original

  17. #16

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    Eminence is the correct NOS speaker for that amp. That's a mid-to-late 80s amp. early-80s Polytones and before had CTS drivers. BOTH are superb sounding speakers for the amps.

    I'm not sure that I can recall anyone sounding necessarily better than Joe Pass through the amp above in the Jazz Baltica concert. You _could_ say, "yeah, but that's Joe Pass." OTOH, we've all heard Joe Pass sound pretty plunky in some situations--a jazz giant with an indifferent tone, at least IMO. At Jazz Baltica, with the Gibson customized ES-175 and the Polytone Baby Taurus, Joe was just incredible.

  18. #17
    so...dv mark little jazz (15 pounds) vs baby taurus (22 pounds)

  19. #18

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    I just weighed mine and it weighs 19 pounds. I also decided to plug in and use it a bit since it has been awhile. It sounds ok till I plug in the Raezor's Edge Twin 8's and that is like night and day difference. Then I played through the Clarus R2 with RE and again in comparison the Baby Taurus is lame really. I realize that is not a fair comparison but if I could only hear what a Henriksen Blu 6 sounded like I against it, then I could make a real decision.

    My guess is the Henricksen would be way, way, better and in that case I would probably sell this one to get the Blu. Trouble is that no where can I find a place to try one out. Frankly the more I have this polytone around the less I like it. I had a mini brute IV with 15 inch speaker and that was great.........should have keep that. Using the RE with the Taurus is really defeating the purpose of one small amp that does what you what. It seems based on SS take of the Blu that is the way to go.

  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by deacon Mark
    I just weighed mine and it weighs 19 pounds. I also decided to plug in and use it a bit since it has been awhile. It sounds ok till I plug in the Raezor's Edge Twin 8's and that is like night and day difference. Then I played through the Clarus R2 with RE and again in comparison the Baby Taurus is lame really. I realize that is not a fair comparison but if I could only hear what a Henriksen Blu 6 sounded like I against it, then I could make a real decision.

    My guess is the Henricksen would be way, way, better and in that case I would probably sell this one to get the Blu. Trouble is that no where can I find a place to try one out. Frankly the more I have this polytone around the less I like it. I had a mini brute IV with 15 inch speaker and that was great.........should have keep that. Using the RE with the Taurus is really defeating the purpose of one small amp that does what you what. It seems based on SS take of the Blu that is the way to go.

    honestly I can’t justify the henriksen’s prices..
    I think it’s a pricey brand.
    what about mambos?

  21. #20
    got mine from japan...
    this little amp is a MONSTER!

  22. #21

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    Yes! The Baby Taurus, which has a different cabinet design and power amplifier than the Baby Brute and Mini Brute, is superb.

  23. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Greentone
    Yes! The Baby Taurus, which has a different cabinet design and power amplifier than the Baby Brute and Mini Brute, is superb.

    Hi Greentone how are you?hope all is good.
    Yes, it’s powerful, sound more open then MBII IV.
    I’ve tried baby brute closed back I prefer the open cabin version, more dynamics, more attack, less bass, more definition, very like small tube amp. how about mega brute? I never tried it. Time ago there was a model for sale called “mighty brute” 2x4 with harmonic pot, super light... kind of mysterious toys..