Rivera amps....

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Anyone use these on a regular basis or have experiences with them? I'm mostly looking at the newer Rivera's. I need a smaller amp for my coffee house gigs and I played a Venus 3 today. Basically a souped up Princeton and it sounded great. Are these handwired? How is the reliability? Any other comments? Thanks guys!

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Rivera amps....

No experience with their newer, smaller offerings. My advice is worth what you're paying for it. :blackeye:

Gigged a Quianna years ago. Was nice, but the covering was very "fragile". Would tear if you even looked at it sideways. Had a pretty good Fender thing going, but it's OD channel didn't bowl me over. Bogner Shiva did a far better job at trying to be a Fender and Marshall in that era. Have played several other Rivera amps, and the Los Labottom sub. All good stuff, and I've always thought highly of the brand. And yet, there was always something lacking for me in every one I played. The one I was always curious about (and never have been able to try) is the Jake/Rake. Doubtful it would've been better than the Shiva though.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Rivera amps....

I've tried to like Rivera amps, but I don't know what it is....maybe active EQ that I hate?....I dunno.

However, the Venus series is actually pretty cool. The one I played, I liked. It's the only Rivera I've liked.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Rivera amps....

ive only got the "rivera era" fender princeton reverb II. Its been a great mainstay gig pig for many years now.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Rivera amps....

I had an R100 combo. At the same time it was very nice, but I somehow felt something lacking in it. They can be had cheaply at times, and are certainly worth a try.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Rivera amps....

My Chubster was fanfreakingtastic. Black and tweedish on one channel, pull the ninja boost and get more jtm45. Drive channels has a drier marshall type crunch, and went to hot rod 800 ish tone with the boost. And the big box made it sound much bigger than most combos. Was just too much volume for my apartment at the time.

Also took pedals really well.

Overall, Riveras sound dry. I think that turns many off. But I like it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Rivera amps....

a guy who i gig with regularly plays a rivera 100w 2x12 combo. its older... i think a hundred duo twelve. really nice sounding amp. i dont have much experience with the newer ones or smaller ones though

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Rivera amps....

One of my best friends has Knucklehead, man that amp smokes, great cleans, awesome metal tones....I'm really looking forward to hearing the Stephen Carpenter Sig amp that are doing...

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Rivera amps....

I've played through Rivera's, and over the years I've noticed that they have a stiffer feel than the Mesa's I have, not as spongy...almost solid state or SS/hybrid sounding. I also owned a Rivera-designed Fender Super Champ and a Fender 75. The Super Champ, I wish I still had it...great amp. The Fender 75 went away because it couldn't give me what the Mesas could.

They are nice looking amps, and reputedly well-built. The Venus amps have some interest for me, but they are not cheap, and hard to find used. The Pubster/Chubster line could conceivably replace the Super Champ, at least spec-wise.

If I had to go buy a new amp and couldn't buy a Mesa, Rivera is one of the amps that I would have to seriously look at.

Bill

 

[aleclee]

Re: Rivera amps....

I owned a couple Rakes over a period of about 10 years. They use PCBs but they're heavy duty and not likely to fail. I'd put their electrical robustness at the Mesa level at a minimum.

 

[jonsick]

Re: Rivera amps....

I only ever owned an old M100 I bought in the States. I had to use it with a stepdown converted in the UK.

Ultimately, I liked it. Lots of tweaking potential and does smooth really well. I can't remember the drive pedal I used with it, but I enjoyed gigging with it.

It got replaced with a TSL100 when they came about. I know, I seem to like amps that get a lot of hate on the forums. But I loved my TSL100 just as I do my current JVM410h and Peavey 6505II.

I'd love to try out some of the newer offerings, but I never see them in the UK at all!

 

[Sprinter]

Re: Rivera amps....

I had a Venus 3. It was a great sounding amp at first. Once it started having problems it was all downhill and Rivera wouldn't stand behind it. One power tube would go dim and the other one looked like it was on fire. Rivera, kept telling me it was a tube problem and not a problem with the amp. After going through several sets of tubes I gave up and got rid of it. I'll never own another Rivera product.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Rivera amps....

I had a Knucklehead 55 R head that I gigged with a handful of times. This was 10+ years ago. Circuit board amps, but they used quality thickness of garolite. Everything else looked hand wired and my used one was a great buy. It didn't work too well in this country thing I was involved with.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Rivera amps....

I had a Venus 3. It was a great sounding amp at first. Once it started having problems it was all downhill and Rivera wouldn't stand behind it. One power tube would go dim and the other one looked like it was on fire. Rivera, kept telling me it was a tube problem and not a problem with the amp. After going through several sets of tubes I gave up and got rid of it. I'll never own another Rivera product.

screen resistor. easy fix.
Happens on heaps of amps.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Rivera amps....

Had a Rake head many eons ago....sold it to a friend, he funny enough sold it to my cousin....who after a few gigs blew it up
Now it sits in a closet, have done so for 14 years now I belive!
Bought it with the matching 2X12 cab, took out the org speakers and stuffed in some of my old Greenbacks.
Changed the tubes...fiddled and fiddled, got tired of the fiddling(I like to play and not fiddle) and sold the thing.
Not my kind of sound as it turned out!
At CM we used a R55 combo for years......all I ever wanted to do was to kill it
Dry dead modern lifeless sound, good for some I guess, I do not like that sound!
To much fight involved.
Same with a TBR-1 head that I borrowed from a friend.......lots of options....lots of time wasted turning and pulling stuff.....and I was used to racks and making sounds at that time MIDI and all that crap!
Dunno you have to be into that sound I guess....
Well made amps, does as most tube stuff does(have its own life and all that) but it is a strange dry and dead sound to me!
The same feel as Boogie, Soldano I guess...some love it...I rather not play guitar through any of it.

 

[Sprinter]

Re: Rivera amps....

screen resistor. easy fix.
Happens on heaps of amps.

It may happen to a lot of amps, but my point was that Rivera wouldn't stand behind their product and fix it.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Rivera amps....

How old was it? Fender have never helped me out with any of their vintage amps. Most companies won't offer an unlimited cover everything warranty. Especially if you aren't the first owner.

 

[Sprinter]

Re: Rivera amps....

How old was it? Fender have never helped me out with any of their vintage amps. Most companies won't offer an unlimited cover everything warranty. Especially if you aren't the first owner.

I was the original owner and the amp was two months old when it started having issues.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Rivera amps....

Yep that's crappy service

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Rivera amps....

I owned a Knucklehead Tre briefly a couple of years ago. Well built amp, but it didn't blow me away enough to keep it. Not as tight as my VHT and not as versatile as the Triamp, plus I had trouble dialing it in. Another guy I know loves his though and he sound awesome through it.