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In today’s market, jazz guitarists have a wealth of options for selecting amplification ranging from reissues of classic valve models to custom made amps voiced specifically for playing jazz.

Perhaps, the first kind of the latter example was created by accordionist Tommy Gumina, who founded Polyone in 1968 to amplify accordions, guitars, basses and keyboards. Besides amps, Polyone worked with musicians to build accordions, pickups and even guitars.

But, what we guitar players know Polytones for is portable and powerful amplification that can transform any guitar into a jazz guitar!

Polytone’s motto was that they were built “by musicians for musicians”. The list of musicians who used Polyones reads like a “who's who” of jazz covering everyone from Joe Pass, Mundell Lowe, Herb Ellis and George Benson to John Abercrombie, and Ray Brown. Pass and Gumina even founded their own record company Polyone Records in 1987.

Over the years, Polytone experimented with amps in all sizes from heads to stacks, but the most popular model amongst jazz players was the “Brute”, which stayed in production since launching in 1976.

The first Brute launched was the Mini Brute, mostly available in four variations, and occasionally five. Mini Brutes hit the right spot; they were louder and fuller than the smaller 60-90 watt 8-10” Teeny & Baby Brutes, whilst being more portable than the older Mini Studio Series & Taurus Elites.

The Mini Brute I and III were the two core designs, whereas the II and IV could have optional extras such as reverb, distortion, and foot switches as shown below. Different Polytone eras are represented with felt, diamond and tolex covers.

Despite being a hit with jazzers, Mini Brutes did not fare well in guitar magazine reviews due to their “lack of features”. Polytone’s response to this was the sonic circuit design, however most guitarist’s still prefer the earlier simple panels. The new range started with a new blue cover before switching to black with a metal grill.

Features on a sonic circuit Polytone Megabrute
One benefit that newer models had over older ones was increased volume, meaning that musicians could get heard at gigs using the smaller 8” Mega Brutes (essentially an updated Baby/Teeny Brute).

Let’s face it, jazz guitarists are not bodybuilders either, so a smaller amp that could deliver was a promising proposition, hence why many jazz guitarists throughout the 90’s used them. They could get Polytones anywhere and easily travel with them.

So, how do Polytone amps sound? George Benson’s recording of “Breezin” was recorded on a 120 watt Model 104. Listen to Joe Pass playing live at the Jazz Baltica Festival to hear a Teeny Brute in action and you will want one! If you are still not sold then watch the videos of Clint Strong using a Mega Brute with June Williams on YouTube.

“Polytone has that warm, round, clean sound. If you play a chord, you can hear every note without distortion” - Joe Pass

Conversely, the Polytone’s sound could also be their con; if you are looking for an all around sound or an acoustic archtop tone then a Polytone might not be for you. But, if you are looking for just the classic jazz guitar tone, then they are worth trying.

Unfortunately, the company seems to have disappeared after Gumima passed away in 2013, but you can still find Polytones for sale on the used market at reasonable prices. Thank you to www.jazzguitar.be, Premier Guitar, Adrian Ingram and Polytone catalogues for assisting in my research of the company!

0:00 Introduction
1:06 Early Days
2:27 The Most Popular Models
4:57 Changes Over The Years
6:26 The Sound
8:05 Conclusion

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