Opinions on Rivera amps? (Combos)

[JDW3]

I played a Rivera era Fender Twin amp that really impressed me this past weekend. If was a multi band benefit show with all equipment provided. I had never used an amp like this at a show.

I didn't bring any pedals at all. One cord straight in. So I set the tone a bit gainy and used my vol knob.

I was very impressed with the headroom and overall clarity. It was loud and dirty, but the notes cut right through.

Maybe the wrong place to bring this up, but I'm thinking about an amp like this for the simpler, classic rock/blues type gigs. All I've been reading about is boutique amps and it just leaves me confused.

Are the Fender/Rivera amps of good build quality? Reliable? How much gain or type of gain can be gotten from them?

Or what similar type boutique style amp would have 2 channels, footswitch and about 50w?

 

[Laroosco!]

My Brother ownes a Rivera Suprema 55.

2 channels with a boost on each channnel

Both channels sound awesome. I'm more of a single channel non master volume guy myself but this amp kicks ass.

Great master volumes. Sounds great at higher and lower volumes. Nice cleans and veery nice gain channels

 

[fr8_trane]

I've got a Rivera 30-12. Overall its a great little amp. It does a reasonable approximation of Fender/Marshall tones but I prefer the dirty channel to the clean. The clean channel has less headroom than my 20 watt Deluxe Reverb and the Deluxe has a better clean tone (of course I think the DR has the best clean tone EVER). I've recorded quite a bit with the Rivera and it has delivered very good tone. It was a bargain for a sub $1000 "boutique"-y channel switcher. $500 and its yours.

 

[teefus]

i've owned and played rivera amps for years. i use a bm60 right now and it smokes. very versatile and adjustable. just about any level of clean, grit or lead sounds. switchable and adjsutable fx loop, lots of boosting options and footswithcing options. easy to retube and bias. built to last, blah, blah, blah. i personally prefer the m series to the r series having owned both at the same time. pretty good bargains to on ebay if you pay attention.

 

[rwe333]

Any more thoughts on the Quiana?

 

[aleclee]

Originally posted by rwe333
Any more thoughts on the Quiana?

Frankly, I prefer the EL34 Riveras. Paul can get stunning cleans out of EL34s and when not chasing the "D" tone, I'm not particuarly fond of overdrive and 6L6s.

 

[MattB]

I recently purchased a Rivera Pubster 25 here on the board. I LOVE it. It takes pedals very well. Its really just a 1 channel with a boost but it works great for band practice and it is nice and portable. It beats having to lug my Duotone around and it was 1/4 the price (used).

Check em out. I want to upgrade soon to a clubster or chubster.

-MattB

 

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by fr8_trane
I've got a Rivera 30-12. Overall its a great little amp. It does a reasonable approximation of Fender/Marshall tones but I prefer the dirty channel to the clean. The clean channel has less headroom than my 20 watt Deluxe Reverb and the Deluxe has a better clean tone (of course I think the DR has the best clean tone EVER). I've recorded quite a bit with the Rivera and it has delivered very good tone. It was a bargain for a sub $1000 "boutique"-y channel switcher. $500 and its yours.

Check your PMs.

 

[Tone Loco]

What were Riveras best efforts in the Fender line up?

 

[Clorenzo]

Originally posted by MattB
Check em out. I want to upgrade soon to a clubster or chubster.

I've just received a Clubster 25 after sending back a Pubster 25 which developed a fault after a few days. I didn't spend much time with it but I couldn't find an eq setting that would work well for both the clean and boost channels, so the separate eq sections on the Clubster are definitely worth the upgrade.

Other than that they are both great at what I think is most difficult: slightly saturated / creamy / just before crunchy / jazz-bluesy tones. The cleans and the dirties are good too, but I think the magic happens somewhere in between with these amps. The very dirty settings (boost on + high gain) get buzzy easily but you can tame them alright with the tone controls. BTW that's another great feature, tone controls that really work. They have a huge effect on the sound even if you barely touch them.

The one thing I don't like is that they're quite noisy. Strangely enough in the Clubster the clean channel is noisier than the dirty one.

 

[MusicGearGuys]

The Quiana is more of a classic rock amp IMHO. Its great!

If you want Fender cleans and killer gain go with a Fandango and a T-Rex Alberta pedal. These 2 just work well together.
I've tried 100's of pedals with this amp too. The Fandango has the same gain section of the Knucklehead Reverb.

If you want an all around good amp thats fairly light weight then the Chubster is the Rivera for you.

I have been friends with the Rivera's for years and all of their amps a awesome. You just cant go wrong.

Gregory

 

[lanesmat]

I have a Jake Combo and it's the most versatile amp I've ever owned or played through. Top build quality, tons of options (hi/low power, 4/8/16 ohm switch, adjustable send/return loop, seperate channel EQs, long box reverb, boost switches, hi/low input, etc..), two EL34's and five 12AX7s, including tube reverb. I love both channels (Marshall and Fender), but the Fender channel 2 is absolutely beautiful. I mean it just kills. You can even overdrive the Fender channel and get a tweed thang going if you want. I currently have a Super Reverb, 69' Traynor and have owned a brown face Pro, and the Rivera is #1 with a bullet. If you dig a Fender vibe with a EL34 flavor, just about any Rivera will do it for you on channel 2.

Good luck.

Scott L.

 

[flatfinger]

Buy one NOW!!

 

[zoooombiex]

i actually had one of the rivera twins a few years ago. i didn't actually have it all that long before it was stolen, but i do recall enjoying it's tone. pretty good bang for the buck!

 

[musicmusicrocks]

Flatfinger,
I used to be a Rivera dealer. Its like Mesa. All dealers charge retail (pro net)

So if you want a new one, all dealers will be the same price.

Its actually not that bad. Many boutique manufatures have large price tags and then discount. Rivera's prices are lower than most retail boutique amps. So you see its all relevent.
With that said, you can usually find some great deals on a used one on Ebay.

Gregory


Vigier/Diezel/THD

 

[riverastoasters]

Originally posted by JDW3
I played a Rivera era Fender Twin amp that really impressed me this past weekend. If was a multi band benefit show with all equipment provided. I had never used an amp like this at a show.

I didn't bring any pedals at all. One cord straight in. So I set the tone a bit gainy and used my vol knob.

I was very impressed with the headroom and overall clarity. It was loud and dirty, but the notes cut right through.

Maybe the wrong place to bring this up, but I'm thinking about an amp like this for the simpler, classic rock/blues type gigs. All I've been reading about is boutique amps and it just leaves me confused.

Are the Fender/Rivera amps of good build quality? Reliable? How much gain or type of gain can be gotten from them?

Or what similar type boutique style amp would have 2 channels, footswitch and about 50w?

Fender Riveras appear to be of very good build quality.
Rivera Riveras are very well built indeed.

There are several different ranges of gain available. If you want lots, Knucklehead II has "insane" amounts of gain available. If you want smooth, then Jake is a really good idea.


In the 50 or so Watt range Rivera offers:

Jake (or Rake Reverb)
Fandango
Quiana
R-55/12
Chubster '40 or '55
Clubster/Pubster '45
Suprema '55
M60
S120
Knucklehead 55

My favorite is Jake, but they're all good amps. It's a really good idea to play Rivera before you get one if you can at all do it. The clean channels are more or less similar and pretty widely respected. The drive channels make more of the difference, and although those of us who dig them tend to love them, not everyone loves them. Rivera drive channels tend to be full throated topping out with roaring lower mids and what is to my ear a characteristic grind. On the other hand, if you like that Tesla coil hair upper mids that some guys do, Riveras might seem smoothed over and possibly a bit dark. Riveras _are_ a bit dark as amps go, but the tone controls on Riveras usually can do quite a bit - don't be afraid to use what might strike your eye as an unlikely setting.

 

[DetourMS]

Originally posted by flatfinger
I'd love to try one , and there's even a store quite close that has them BUT. I don't pay FULL MSRP on ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least it simplifies things...... no horse trading/negotiating= no mesa , no rivera!!!!!!!

I don't get the logic. You prefer an amp with a way overpriced MSRP where everyone knows it sells at 35% off list over a fairly priced amp that sells at a set price? Not sure how that simplifies things.

 

[Tag]

Originally posted by rwe333
Any more thoughts on the Quiana?

I played one along with a Mesa maverick. I thought the Maverick had both better cleans and dirt.

 

[riverastoasters]

Originally posted by rwe333
Any more thoughts on the Quiana?

The 6L6 Riveras tend to be aimed at the player who is really looking for clean. Rivera usually gets really great EL34 cleans and the EL34 Riveras have more options for the dirty side.

 

[JDW3]

I'm looking for a bit of gain to be available, not that I use it all the time. The other chn being a nice clean.

Maybe the Fandango fits the bill?
I'll have to find a dealer to check them out.