Polytone Baby Brute

**Herbie** · 05-26-2021, 06:24 AM

This came yesterday.

Been hunting one from EU for at least a decade. Now I found one for decent price from Germany. Came just in a week.

Everything – even the reverb – works. Sound is pure Polytone!

This is my fifth Polytone. Started with 102 (which I found broken from my band's rehearsal room!), sold it and bought a Mini Brute IV (still got it). Tried a red Teeny Brute and Mini Brute II for some weeks but didn't bond with them and sold to better guitarists in France and Lappland. Now this.

Where do You fellow Baby Bruters keep Your BB when playing: on the floor, on a chair or on a tilted amp stand?

Can some Polytone Wizard tell the year of manufacture? This has a distortion volume knob. Have not opened the back yet.

(The cassette is for scale!)

Polytone Baby Brute-img_3166-jpeg

Attachment 81859

(Darn, how do You flip the images?)

**Greentone** · 05-27-2021, 03:10 PM

Welcome to the Baby Brute club! They are the best sounding Polytone amps IMO.

Your amp looks like about 1982.

**Herbie** · 05-27-2021, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Greentone

Welcome to the Baby Brute club! They are the best sounding Polytone amps IMO.

Your amp looks like about 1982.

Oh man, I just got an ES-175 from 1984, now a Polytone from 1982. Not bad!

Do You keep it on the floor when playing? Sounds a bit bass-heavy that way at least in my study (wooden floors).

**floatingpickup** · 05-27-2021, 04:24 PM

I have exactly the same amp. I keep mine on the floor. It is a great little amp for home and small venues. I bought mine at a music store in Las Vegas many years ago, while on vacation. I put it in the overhead bin on the airplane home. You can't do that with too many amps.
Keith

**starjasmine** · 05-27-2021, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by Herbie

(Darn, how do You flip the images?)

Well the "real" way is to use a graphics editor to change the metadata associated with the image.
But a friend once told me you could paste into Word, rotate, and then save the rotated image.
Trying that here. Will delete the post if it doesn't work.
Here goes nothing:
Polytone Baby Brute-babybruterotated-png

Polytone Baby Brute-babybruterotated-png

Well, how 'bout that!
:-)

**mincheol.seo** · 05-27-2021, 05:59 PM

Nice, mine is plain black tolex and with Distortion and Mid EQ.
Baby-Brute is my absolute favourite Polytone!

**citizenk74** · 05-27-2021, 06:17 PM

Congratulations on a real find! I've been looking for a Polytone for decades, since buying my first Joe Pass record. In theory, they should be all over the place in my area.

Half the people in my high school played the accordion, for which Polytones were originally designed, and for which there was a great craze in the '50s and '60s. But nope, nada, zilch. It's a testimony to the great sound of the Polytone that people hang on to them!

Again, congratulations, and play it in good health!

**Gitfiddler** · 05-27-2021, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by starjasmine

Well the "real" way is to use a graphics editor to change the metadata associated with the image.
But a friend once told me you could paste into Word, rotate, and then save the rotated image.
Trying that here. Will delete the post if it doesn't work.
Here goes nothing:
Polytone Baby Brute-babybruterotated-png

Well, how 'bout that!
:-)

Congratulations on your first Baby Brute! I'm sure you'll enjoy it for many years.

However, what is that strange looking rectangular thing in front of your amp? Is it some new high tech wireless effects pedal, miniature WiFi hot spot or new top secret Apple product??

**Herbie** · 05-28-2021, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by starjasmine

Well the "real" way is to use a graphics editor to change the metadata associated with the image.
But a friend once told me you could paste into Word, rotate, and then save the rotated image.
Trying that here. Will delete the post if it doesn't work.
Here goes nothing:
Well, how 'bout that!
:-)

Wow, thanks for the advice! I'll try to remember this in future.

I have tried to turn the pics in Photoshop, iMac's Finder and Preview etc, but the trick with the Word has not occurred to my mind. Genius!

**Herbie** · 06-10-2021, 04:24 PM

The original foamy speaker grille seemed so tired that I had to make a new roadworthier version of it. And more traditional, 6 mm plywood etc.

Attachment 82299
Polytone Baby Brute-ptbb_uusigrille-jpg

Attachment 82300

Polytone Baby Brute-ptbbuusigrilleb-jpg

Now I can take it to a gig next week.

**lawson-stone** · 06-10-2021, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Herbie

(Darn, how do You flip the images?)

If taken on an iPhone, you can just "edit" the photo in some photo app. Rotate the image around and bring it back to the correct orientation and save it. It'll be okay when you upload it here.

**Hammertone** · 06-10-2021, 09:27 PM

Clearly, you all have defective grilles on your Polytone Baby Brutes.
But I know the fix for that.
Here's mine:

**wintermoon** · 06-10-2021, 09:30 PM

Does it sound better upside down?

**sgosnell** · 06-10-2021, 10:46 PM

Everyone knows that looks matter more than sound.

**Herbie** · 06-11-2021, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

If taken on an iPhone, you can just "edit" the photo in some photo app. Rotate the image around and bring it back to the correct orientation and save it. It'll be okay when you upload it here.

Thanks. I took the pics and made the post with iPhone last night. I thought that maybe this time this site would work like it is meant to work and took a chance.

Didn't work!

What do You mean by saying "(...) "edit" the photo in some photo app"? In an app in the phone or in the desktop? I have tried "editing" in both Photoshop and OS's own Pictures app in desktop but they do not work.

Now it is morning and I made the flipping with the Word on my desktop computer and republished the 'new' pics. Seems working.

Sometime I wonder how difficult would it be to program a discussion forum which publishes the pics without flipping. But only sometimes.

**Herbie** · 06-11-2021, 03:04 AM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Clearly, you all have defective grilles on your Polytone Baby Brutes.
But I know the fix for that.
Here's mine:

Ha!

The reason for moving the Polytone logo from its "right" place to the lower right corner is the minimal amount of plywood in the upper side. There is nothing under the grille cloth to accommodate the second pin of the logo badge. In the lower side there was good space for two holes in the plywood.

**lawson-stone** · 06-11-2021, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Herbie

Wow, thanks for the advice! I'll try to remember this in future.

I have tried to turn the pics in Photoshop, iMac's Finder and Preview etc, but the trick with the Word has not occurred to my mind. Genius!

I send the pic from my iPhone to my Mac. I use Preview to turn it, often a full 360 degrees and then Save-As. they always come out right when uploaded here after I do that.

**Nils** · 06-11-2021, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Herbie

Ha!

The reason for moving the Polytone logo from its "right" place to the lower right corner is the minimal amount of plywood in the upper side. There is nothing under the grille cloth to accommodate the second pin of the logo badge. In the lower side there was good space for two holes in the plywood.

You’re not alone…

… Polytone Baby Brute-23027884-f270-4173-8fd4-48f6b55d16f2-jpg

**Herbie** · 06-11-2021, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Nils

You’re not alone…

… Polytone Baby Brute-23027884-f270-4173-8fd4-48f6b55d16f2-jpg

Centered! Radical! Wow, that looks cool!

**dan boavan** · 10-19-2021, 05:56 AM

Hello,

I have had a little "snoring" problem for some time with my splendid Baby Brute.
I wanted to check the mass, but surprised, there is no tare wire in the cable !!!
Can someone tell me how to ground the amp?

Thank you !

**dan boavan** · 10-19-2021, 07:29 AM

Hello,

I lost, during a concert, the cover of the handle clip of my Polytone Baby Brute.
Does anyone have a spare part that matches?
Best regards,
Dan

Polytone Baby Brute-baby-poignee-jpg

**Cunamara** · 10-19-2021, 10:53 PM

I have a Baby Taurus, of which I took over the care of from Lawson, and it is of course an open back amp- which I think I prefer to closed back cabinets. I am curious though; is the amplifier circuit the same in the Baby Taurus as in the Baby Brute? There is at least one difference, the BT has a gain switch on the front panel.

**Herbie** · 10-20-2021, 03:27 AM

Originally Posted by dan boavan

Hello,

I have had a little "snoring" problem for some time with my splendid Baby Brute.
I wanted to check the mass, but surprised, there is no tare wire in the cable !!!
Can someone tell me how to ground the amp?

Thank you !

Sounds like Your amp might be dangerous one, if it does not have 3-prong cord!

It is not difficult to mount in but I think You should take it to a tech and have it done professionally.

Good luck!

**Herbie** · 10-20-2021, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by dan boavan

Hello,

I lost, during a concert, the cover of the handle clip of my Polytone Baby Brute.
Does anyone have a spare part that matches?
Best regards,
Dan

Polytone Baby Brute-baby-poignee-jpg

Wow, You had a wild concert!

Hunting a similar part can be a hard work. But this kind of case handles are sold as a spare parts so You can buy one with same dimensions and try if it helps.

**Little Jay** · 10-20-2021, 04:06 AM

Are you suggesting that we are all old enough here to know the size and scale of a cassette?
(In my case you're right, haha)

:-D

Anyway, cool amp! They sound great is my experience and good call on the new speaker front!