Any Rivera players out here??

[VACharvel]

Just wondering if any/many people here use Rivera amplifiers in their home or live usage??

I have a M100 that has been modded by Paul Sr. with an additional 2 12AX7's and cleaned/changed all components that needed to be replaced due to wear...so it's kinda a NOS/modded M100 now.

I'm still trying to figure out the control issues for it...on the Rivera site, they offer the FS-6 footswitch, but that's really for the S120's with the chorus circuit, not the mono M series amps.

I've also checked out Axess Electronics, but they no longer make the AC8 MIDI converter but a different model...from what I understand, the AC8 would control all 5 functions vice the new one which I'd need 2 of them linked together.

Anyway, I really do dig my Rivera...I can't wait to finally get out of the house and practice regime and play live again and see how it does in that environment....probably ues a HotPlate with it and mic one of the speakers for the house and just get a good stage volume going and some through the monitors for myself.

 

[flieger67]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

I would recommend calling up Rivera and talking to Paul Sr. That would be the best and easiest approach, I think.

As for playing Riveras, I have two. My first Rivera is one of the first 15 Supremas ever built and it's one-of-a-kind due to the covering on it. Paul Sr. even signed the chassis before they shipped it from CA. The other Rivera I have is an M-60 1x12 combo. I've used that amp quite a bit at churches and it's great for covering a range of clean and dirty tones. The M/S series do have a TON of tonal options, as you well know.

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

It's a very dynamic and fickle beast...all the control's are inter-dependent almost..and just a small change will alter the sound completely...definitely a learning curve to them...but even with all the gain they can deliver, the notes still retain clarity and definition but still sustain's...my ideal sound....

The cleans are really where it shines...it can go from Blackface clean, to driven Twin, to SRV grind, then up to Plexi territory all in the "clean" channel....very responsive to touch and vol/tone control's with both active and passive pups I've found.

 

[flieger67]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

Sounds like a cool mod on your Rivera. I'm surprised that Paul put in 2 preamp tubes to your amp. It must be a gain monster indeed.

One of the features that I always thought was cool on Riveras is the mid notch on the clean channel. You can radically alter the basic tone of that channel just by pulling out or pushing in the mid knob. As the manual says, it essentially changes the mid dip/EQ notch to emulate either blackface or tweed tones.

And I give Rivera a big thumbs-up for having a user manual that gives you a ton of sample settings, especially for the M/S amps. The "plexi" setting is pretty nice in the manual is fairly close to what I tend to use on the first channel.

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

A trick I've done is to put it in the lowest power setting in triode mode and use a HotPlate to crank the Hell out of it...

 

[flieger67]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

I've not tried that. I tend to prefer the pentode/hi-power setting more. But I do know that getting some power tube saturation is heckuva way to go. It's the only way to get real tone from a plexi-style amp, for instance.

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

True, but with the M100 which is over 100 watts, probably closer to 150, it is insanely loud...and your little M60 combo w/a 4X12 can probably go head to head with a 100W Marshall with a 4X12 cab.

Paul Sr really knows tone, amps, and the build techniques.

 

[flieger67]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

Where I'm currently using my M-60, the humble combo is more than enough in the loudness department. I wouldn't be surprised if it could hang with bigger amps.

But I have 50-watt plexi head that is INSANELY loud, so advertised power ratings on amps don't tell the whole story.

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

aint nuffin "humble" about that beast lol...it can run with the big dogs lol..

With a 4X12 you could easily gig with that in a big club...no problem....

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

It's a very dynamic and fickle beast...all the control's are inter-dependent almost..and just a small change will alter the sound completely...definitely a learning curve to them...but even with all the gain they can deliver, the notes still retain clarity and definition but still sustain's...my ideal sound....

The cleans are really where it shines...it can go from Blackface clean, to driven Twin, to SRV grind, then up to Plexi territory all in the "clean" channel....very responsive to touch and vol/tone control's with both active and passive pups I've found.

I always wanted to look into them as one of my fav artists, Eric Sardinas, is a great beliver and huge fan of them.
And that guy can play - he even toured w Steve Via !

http://www.ericsardinas.com/BIGMOTOR/pages/gallery.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyssa_alvsanz/2959257843/

http://www.ericsardinas.com/BIGMOTOR/pages/extra.html - his gear

Are these amps moulded to a spesific sound, like a Britt voicing, ot something ?


James

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

James:

I'm only really familiar with the M series Rivera's and just walking into a music store and plugging one in for a little while doesn't really do the amp justice IMO...Rivera's are pretty deep but well thought out.

The M series has a couple "voicings"....on the American channel, it can go between a Fender Blackface type sound to a Tweed sound with the notch switch as mentioned above...but to say that's all it will do is completely unfair to the amp.

The "British" side of the house is where it gets interesting...it can go from slightly overdriven Plexi kinda tone to pretty snarly...the reason I gravitated towards them is I loved the guitar sounds on the Skid Row albums...just huge sounding.

Here's a clip from YouTube of the new S120 reissue. This is essentially the same amp as mine as far as the preamp goes, but it has dual 60-watt amplifiers and a chorus circuit vice my M100 which is mono and no chorus. The overall tonality is pretty much spot on. Mine has an additional 2 preamp tubes and a different gain structure than stock M100's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpGyt7oHLYo

I think the M Series amps are some of the best values out there for a all tube amp out there in used equipment. They are built like tanks, all top notch components, versatile and expressive amps. I'll never play anything else. They love pedals in front or through the loop.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

Wow, I love that tone he gets while using the Les Paul...

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

I also have a creme Les Paul Custom w/EMG 81/85 and the Rivera really likes it a lot, but it also seems to dig my Charvel's and Fender Elite....it doesn't seem to have a preference.

Rivera's are cool in that even when they are distorted, it's a articulate sound, you can hear all the notes you play unlike some amps that lose definition...and it's unforgiving...if you screw it up, it's going to tell on you.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

I've played Riveras since '04. First a Rake Reverb and then a non-reverb Rake. I decided that the non-reverb's Focus control was more useful than 'verb.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

I owned an R100 combo which I liked pretty much. It was definitely a good and well built amp. I ended up selling it locally and getting a THD Univalve which I've liked more so far. The THD is much lighter both in weight and volume. I suppose my biggest gripe with the Rivera was the dirt of the cleaner channel that I couldn't get myself to ever like.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

I've owned a Rake Reverb for several years now & love it. Its slowly eaten a bunch of other amps... including an early dual Recto and a really nice '84 JCM800. For a 50 watt head it seems WAY louder then its ratied for, but also really controllable. I can plug it into a 1x12 and play at 'living room' volume and the amp looses nothing.

I've posted about it many times before... its all there in a search...

But the Rake sort of ended my search for a Marshall & Fender in the same box.

All his amps are great... one of my friends played an M60 for many many years and it never failed him, even with constant touring. We sold it to a guy on this board...

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

Sold mine many years ago..my cousin ended up buying it from a mate of mine...it is blown up now total FUBAR!
Never got a good feel with it....
Never got a good feel from any of them...I used to work in a store that carried them....wellmade stuff and all that, but like Mesa Boogies I just cannot get anything I like out of them.
But I know a few who gets good tones out them...so not for everyone I guess.

 

[kjrocks]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

My first Rivera is one of the first 15 Supremas ever built and it's one-of-a-kind due to the covering on it.

As a fellow Suprema owner I'd love to see your custom covering.

Sold mine many years ago..my cousin ended up buying it from a mate of mine...it is blown up now total FUBAR!
Never got a good feel with it....
Never got a good feel from any of them...I used to work in a store that carried them....wellmade stuff and all that, but like Mesa Boogies I just cannot get anything I like out of them.
But I know a few who gets good tones out them...so not for everyone I guess.

You stay out of it, we all know your thoughts here

 

[VACharvel]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

You stay out of it, we all know your thoughts here

:beerchug: :bigthumb:

KJ...where are you from in Maine?? I grew up in the Milford / Old Town area and left there in 93' and have only been back a few times...

 

[kjrocks]

Re: Any Rivera players out here??

:beerchug: :bigthumb:

KJ...where are you from in Maine?? I grew up in the Milford / Old Town area and left there in 93' and have only been back a few times...

I'm in Buxton, southern Maine, just outside of Portland. I've never been up as far as you were from. I'd like to,maybe someday