I need info for this rare(?) Polytone Keyboard/Bass amp

[jaystainbrook]

Hi everybody. I recently Craig's listed a great amp. It's a Polytone Pro Series for Keyboard head that is stereo and bi-ampable. It's unlike any polytone I've ever seen and a google search brings up nothing! It sounds great for bass. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could score a schematic or even a manual for this beast. Or maybe someone out there has played through one before? Any information is appreciated. Thanks.

[Enzo]

Did you...um... CALL Polytone and ask them?

[jaystainbrook]

Of course. And I was told it was "too old" for them to have anything. When I told him how much I paid for it ($250) he said "Aw man, you've got to be careful. You can't get parts for those anymore." He was a really nice guy - but he was busy and not too keen on my "old" amplifier.

I actually really dig that they're so old school at Polytone. Heck, the guy who I talked to certainly wasn't a secretary or a Customer service guy of any kind. Calling them up to ask about an amp is kind of like going back in time. Makes you wonder how people found anything out before the internet.

Long story short - Polytone isn't going to help

[jaystainbrook]

After talking to several techs over the phone in search of a schematic, I'm starting to think it doesn't really exist anymore. Most reported having a harder time getting ahold of anyone at Polytone than I did. I heard alot of stories about grumpy women answering the phone rarely if at all(!). Most techs didn't have schematics for any Polytone amps, or if they did it was for the Mini-Brute.

I finally tracked down a tech (Jerry Blaha at AmpCrazy.com - very friendly) who remembered working on a "Pro-Series for Bass" that sounded almost identical to my amp. He said that most of their stuff was similar enough that he didn't need a schematic specifically for it.

I'm guessing the people at Polytone probably never issued a schematic for this amp to anyone, and that it probably never had an owner's manual of any kind. If that sounds far fetched - just try and contact them. Or ask your local tech about contacting them.

So I give up - but it was fun to try and track that down.

[J M Fahey]

Hi jaystainbrook.
I *fully* agree with

most of their stuff was similar enough that he didn't need a schematic specifically for it

.
Almost every designer/manufacturer has its own pet ideas, that he repeats over and over.
Just look at the "full" MiniBrute schematic. The same preamps with/without reverb and/or distortion , and 2 basic flavors of power amps were used everywhere, on heads and combos.
I'm sure you have nothing too different to 4 preamps and 2 power amps, "basically" the same as all others.
I distinctly remember some late 70's PA heads, with silver brushed aluminum panels, *very* similar to what you have in black.
Good luck and hope you never have to repair it.
Juan Manuel Fahey