Polytone R.S.Modulator Owned and Used by Tom Verlaine Model Tremolo Effect (1984), made in China, serial # 110584, black enamel finish, aluminum.
Polytone was a company most known for making affordable solid state amplifiers for the jazz crowd from the 70's into the 80's, and this R.S. Modulator is a nicely high-quality vibrato and chorus pedal in a large aluminum chassis we received from the estate of Television's Tom Verlaine. It is not totally dissimilar in sound and vibe (no pun intended) to a Shin-ei Univibe, another pedal Tom was known to use (and which we also have featured here, Item #12800). This one was made with parts from the mid-1980's, though they were not added to the company's catalog for another few years; it is based on a fairly predictable circuit based around a TDA1022 chip and a very low-amp fuse.
The R.S. Modulator controls are a little more stripped back in some ways with just two knobs for intensity and speed. There are three stomp switches: On/Off, one for a more intense chorale effect, and one toggling between the classic vibrato and the "R.S. Modulator" sound. There's a pretty wide range of sounds to be coaxed out of this pedal, from a subtle vibes to Lesley emulation to a full fledged phase attack. Not too many of these were made, but the sound is as solid and clean as the pedal's exterior.
Height is 5 in. (12.7 cm.), 9 in. (22.9 cm.) width, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This heavy duty pedal is in nice shape overall with a few dings and scratches from use but nothing serious. The enclosure is in solid shape with barely any scratches or wear in the white paint. Internally, it is unmodified and works as it should. It has a grounded 3-prong cable and does not take any other power supply. There is a sticker on the front denoting this "Ped. 6," something we have seen on several of the offerings from Tom's collection. This pedal does not come with a box, but it does come with a letter of authenticity signed by Patrick Derivaz, Verlaine's close friend and long time musical collaborator from whom we received the pedal. Excellent Condition.
