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I've been experimenting with the best use of the Brute EQ "Polytone in a Pedal" built by our own forum friend jazzmus. Today I think I found it. Ran the pedal into the Quilter Tone Block 202 and set the TB "voice" to FRFR. I think the "flat" voice is best simply to amplify the output of the pedal. Mic'd the cab with a Shure SM57 and played an old favorite. I liked the results a lot! I plan to try the XLR Direct Out for another go at it, but frankly I love this cobbled-together cabinet a lot.
Last edited by lawson-stone; 10-10-2020 at 02:35 PM. Reason: Credit jazzmus as builder of the pedal
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10-10-2020 01:41 PM
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What are you using for cab / speaker(s) in this video?
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Pretty improvised. The speaker is a Faital Pro 10FE200 300w 4Ohm 10" in a Marshall 1x10" "Mini Stack" cabinet that came with a 25W speaker which I replaced with the Faital Pro. It's got openings in the back, a hole-handle. For some reason I just love how it sounds. Not like any other speaker cab I have.
Originally Posted by wzpgsr
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Here's a clip with the L5ces. I find the L5 is more complex and the "sweet spot" tonally on any amp is a narrower range. I don't think I quite found it here. I've also not found the Polytone in general to be the best for the L5ces sound. It's more of a Fender Twin Reverb kind of beast, IMHO. Still, this sounds very close to how my Polytone Minibrute II sounds with this guitar. This pedal and amp combo is close enough that I actually can imagine not replacing my Polytone amp when it eventually goes the way of all flesh.
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Your facility improves apace, Dr. Stone. Well done, Sir. Well done! Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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You are most kind, sir. Originally Posted by citizenk74
Your facility improves apace, Dr. Stone. Well done, Sir. Well done!
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This clip uses the Brute EQ Pedal with just a crack of reverb from a Boss RV6 direct into the Behringer Xenyx Q1002 mixer. Solo is Raney, of course. I was curious how Polytone-like it would sound without the contribution of the speaker cabinet.
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So here's a side-by-side between the Princeton Reverb Re-issue without and with the Brute EQ Pedal. I turned up the mids a bit on the Brute EQ. The result is subtle, but basically it seems to me that with the pedal, the highs of PRRI are not as "spikey" and some of the PRRI "boxy" sound is not as strong. Of course, there are more mids. Both sound great, but actually I think the BruteEQ gives the PRRI another level of tone that is quite pleasing.
For these side-by-sides, I need to play the identical solo twice, and this is the Raney solo "Bout you and Me" based on "How About You."
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Lawson,
I too am enjoying jazzmus' pedal. It really gives you a Polytone in a pedal option.
Have you tried the PE 180 into it yet? Best yet for me.
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Not yet but I will soon. I am playing currently through the Monoprice 15w tube amp (same as the Laney). I run the pedal into the effects return. I'll have to try it with the PE180 tonight. Originally Posted by Greentone
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Lawson,
Any progress yet on the PE-180 and the pedal?
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I brought the PE180 up to my office which is where I do most of my recording (home is too busy!) so I hope to get in some "after hours" when all the staff are gone to try it out. Right now I'm playing it through the Quilter TB202, using the Effect Return to bypass the Quilter pre-amp. What set up are you using? Originally Posted by Greentone
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Right now, I am actually using the pedal into a MiniBrute II. You might think it's overkill, but it sounds great. The PE-180 into the Brute EQ pedal into the Polytone amp. Everything is set pretty flat and I'm using the brite switch on the pedal, as well as the hi-pass filter on the pedal as tone sweeteners.
GT
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So far I'm keeping all those 3 special switches off and the EQ is at noon on every dial. Playing into the Effects Return was an idea I hadn't thought of until jazzmus suggested it. At home I ran the pedal into the effects return of my Monoprice 15W tube amp and really liked that. I need to try and record that sound. Originally Posted by Greentone
I'll try to make a clip this evening using what I have here.
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Using the effects return...or using the Power Amp in on your musical instrument amp is a great way to use jazzmus' pedal. I tried it that way with my Spectra amp and really liked it. It suggests that I will have good results with my group's PA, too.
Good luck with the Monoprice.
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Without an effects return, is it possible simply plug into the power amp side of things? Originally Posted by Greentone
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Yup that’s how I use mine with a Quilter 101, straight into the power amp. Have also used it straight into my Walter Woods power amp. Works/sounds fine either way!
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Some, but not all amps have a preamp out and a power amp in jack. As mentioned above, Quilter and Walter Woods amps have these features. The Spectra amps from the 70s and 80s also have pre out and amp in.
It's nice to be able to use just the amp's preamp or its power amp, if you desire to do it.
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Since the Polytone Minibrute II from the 90's has an effects loop presumably one could use the BruteEQ Pedal and plug into the return. That would be a really interesting way to compare the Brute EQ with the Polytone pre-amp. Both through the same power amp and speaker. Originally Posted by Greentone
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Yep. I have one of the blue, Polytone MiniBrute III amps that I really like (from the 90s). It has the effects loop. [I have three MB III amps--they are, I think, the most flexible Polytone amps of all. I have one from the 70s, one from the 80s, and one from the 90s.]
Trouble is, my son uses the blue one semi-permanently (along with one of my Polytone MiniBrute PA systems) in a band that he's in. I don't think either amp ever comes out of his SUV.
Here's my son playing a Gibson '74 L6S Midnight Special through the MB III with me at a university fraternity gig.
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I have 2 Minibrute II's from the pre-sonic-circuit 90's and they are solid, well functioning amps. I have a lot of other amps, but when I play through the Polytones, I do wonder why I bought those other amps. Originally Posted by Greentone
Yep. I have one of the blue, Polytone MiniBrute III amps that I really like (from the 90s). It has the effects loop. [I have three MB III amps--they are, I think, the most flexible Polytone amps of all. I have one from the 70s, one from the 80s, and one from the 90s.]
Trouble is, my son uses the blue one semi-permanently (along with one of my Polytone MiniBrute PA systems) in a band that he's in. I don't think either amp ever comes out of his SUV.
Here's my son playing a Gibson '74 L6S Midnight Special through the MB III with me at a university fraternity gig.
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This was a fun set-up. I ran the Brute into the Quilter TB202 Effect Return so that I didn't get any coloring of the sound from the Quilter pre-amp, just the Brute EQ pedal. Then I mic'd the cabinet and ran that to the Left channel, and used the XLR DI line out for the right channel. Quilter claims this line works via some kind of interaction between the amp and the speaker. I can't hear much difference between the two, but can you?
So... I've also set my Polytone Minibrute II aside to got back into the closet for a while. With this pedal and the Quilter, I really feel like I've got the Polytone sound covered. Especially with this Aria.
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With stuff all set up, I did another with the PE180, This guitar is just so much fun to play. Hard to describe but once you start, it's hard to stop.
Tune is "How About You" and the setup is the same as the previous one.
I promise no more, at least for tonight.
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Very nice and enjoyable videos, Dr Lawson-Stone. Have you found a use for the EDGE function?
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Lawson,
The Aria sounds great through the rig, and I really enjoyed your playing.
Thanks.
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It’s very uplifting to hear the constant and consistent progress you are making. Keep doing what you are doing!
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I agree with Christian...you are becoming quite the guitarist, Lawson.
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Very encouraging. Thank you, and also thank you for the solid advice you've offered. I'm discovering these memorized Raney solos are becoming a great laboratory for learning to play more legato, more bebop-ish feel... still working on that, of course, but being able to focus on the articulation (since the notes are memorized) is actually helpful. Originally Posted by christianm77
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Thank you for that. You and C77 have tracked with me for several years now, so that means a lot. Originally Posted by Greentone
I agree with Christian...you are becoming quite the guitarist, Lawson.
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Haven't experimented with that yet. I have played around with the High Pass filter, but not the edge or bright switches. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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Thinking about posting one that is direct from the pedal to the board. No reverb, just pedal to the board. Would that be useful? I don't know how many might be thinking about buying one of these pedals, but if the direct sound is pleasing, that could be a strong appeal point.
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Sounds great Lawson. And I'll also say it's nice to hear the progress. Bone-headed determination wins again! :)
And thanks for the mic/direct comparison. I tried to hear the diff between XLR out and SM57 and couldn't hear much. The mic may be slightly brighter, but honestly my ears are not to be trusted due to hearing loss in right ear. I was flipping the phones around my head to try to compare fairly.
I also have the TB202 and have recently set up a decent home DAW. Things sure are a lot easier than the last time I was in the studio about 35 years ago. Anyways... I've found the XLR gives me a sound thru the monitors that's closer to the sound in the room, VS the direct out on the front. Does that even work when you're bypassing pre-amp?
It's nice to know that I really don't have to think about getting a mic for the time being.
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please do and thanks for all the videos. Really enjoying them. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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Direct to board...please do
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I’ll try to do that on Monday Originally Posted by Greentone
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So here's the Brute EQ pedal running direct to the Behringer Zenyx Q1002 USB board. Brite, Edge, and HiPass filter are off. EQ is noon'd. The usual Jimmy Raney "Friends" solo. I'm using the iRig Pro backing program, just bass/drums.
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At risk of being tiresome, i post this item. It's the Brute EQ played into the effects return of the Quilter Interblock 45. I'm putting it through a 10" Faital Pro speaker and using an SM57 mic. The solo is, in my opinion, the prettiest solo in the Jimmy Raney/Aebersold Vol. 20 set. We don't typically think of bebop as being "pretty" but to my ear, this solo really is, well,... quite pretty! Even with my couple of clams marring it, the prettiness comes through, as does the nice sound of this Brute EQ pedal.
Any of you guys who have this, feel free to post a clip of your own demo'ing how the pedal works. It would be fun to hear!
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Time being short I listened to a bit of every clip and it sounds delicious. (Maybe in 10 year I can play like that.) The great sound of the pedal comes through although the L5 sounded a bit like round strings. Anyways I live the playing and it’s been very inspiring.
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Interested in a HB-sized single coil pickup
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