Rivera Guitar Amps

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 29 Jan 2002 10:20 pm

Has anyone tried the Rivera guitar amps for steel guitar. I am wanting to try one with 2 12 JBL's if I can find one.The guitar player I work with has a 55 watt with one 12 which sounds great.I have enoungh amps as it is a Webb 614 with 15 JBL, Evans 500 with JBL 15 and 2 Nashville 1000. I use the Webb and Evans in the studio and the Peavey's for the live jobs.If any of you has tried the Rivera amp please let me know what you think.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Jan 2002 4:22 am

Since you already have the "Cadillac", "Lincoln", and "Corvette" of steel amplifiers, why in the world are you looking at a "Dodge"?

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 30 Jan 2002 8:23 am

Donny, I wouldnt call Rivera a "Dodge". These are high pedigree tube amps, not production amps. They kick ass w/ a 6 string, not sure how a PSG would sound. They have a nicely voiced natural overdrive. Another cool thing, is that some of the 2 chanel models are voiced completely differently(chanel A is a fender sound and B is like a Vox or Matchless) Give it a shot and let us know!!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 30 Jan 2002 9:09 am

Vince Gill uses Rivera amps.

Pete Myers · Post by **Pete Myers** » 30 Jan 2002 11:51 am

I have played steel thru a Rivera 30/12 that I usually leave in our rehearsal room. For shows I'm using a Nashville 1000. The Rivera sounds exellent to me at lower volume levels. The increased headroom of a 55 or 100 WATT Rivera would probably make it fine for playing a medium or large club. Pete

David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 30 Jan 2002 11:53 am

A friend of mine used to play with Paul Rivera (owner/founder of the amp company), and we got to spend some time with him at the 2000 Summer NAMM show. Paul was interested at that time about how steel guitar would sound through his amp models.

Unfortunately, I never followed up on it. If you give them a call, try speaking to Paul about it - and tell him that Dub Campbell and I said "hi".

Good luck,

David Spires

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 30 Jan 2002 2:28 pm

Donny I am looking for a ROLLS ROYCE or a BENTLY.Paul Rivera builds that kind of guitar amp.

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 30 Jan 2002 3:11 pm

I wouldn't call them a Dodge, but in my
opinion not a Rolls Royce,
A Rolls Royce would be something like a
Tophat Ambassador, Its based on a Blackface
Fender Circuit, Point to Point construction,
killer tranformer and military grade parts
that do make a difference, nothing against
Rivera, Vince sounds great with one, but believe me Tophat, Matchless, DR Z, are in a different league, Also alot more money,
Greg[This message was edited by Greg Derksen on 30 January 2002 at 03:20 PM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Jan 2002 3:40 pm

Easy Rusty! I was just funnin' with you. Actually, you already have what could arguably be considered the top three steel amps made, and I was wonderin' why none of them made you happy.

Rivera makes great amps, but I don't think any are really designed for the PSG. Most amps for regular guitar (botique amps, that is) are designed to provide that warm distortion that most big lead players like. Now, if you play stuff like Robert Randolph, one of these amps might be just the ticket, but most steel players want high output that's distortion-free. Come to think of it, I don't know why Rivera doesn't build a steel amp, since they would probably be able to make a "killer" tube amp, and their prices aren't as high as the other botique amps mentioned.

But, if you've got a couple of grand lying around, I guess you could give one a try. After all, what's one more amp to steelmen like us!

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 30 Jan 2002 4:01 pm

Donny these amps make me very happy and I have reason to be happy with them. The Webb belong to a great late friend of mine Gary Hogue, the Evans came from Lynn Owsley which once belong to "UNCLE JIMMY DAY" bless his soul. The Peavys are mine which sound great but I am wanting to try the Rivera amp as the guitar player I work with has one and it sounds great. I just got off the phone with Paul Rivera himself and he is going to build me a new Rivera that we are going to tweak. I am having JBL's put in the amp and 6l6 tubes with a 6 spring Hammond reverb.It will have 150 watt output which inturn is like 300 watts of a transistor amp. I have always like the sound of tube amps for steel guitar myself as do most steel guitarist.This amp will be tweaked for a real clean sound with alot of headroom,not the distorion that the rock players like.

Pete Mitchell · Post by **Pete Mitchell** » 30 Jan 2002 6:00 pm

Hey Rusty,

The good Doctor is IN!!!

So, you want a Rolls Royce, do you? Needless to say, a Rolls is very expen$ive. There is an amp on the market you might be interested in--when I last heard Greg Leisz he was playing through a "Trainwreck Amp." I had first heard of them through Jimmy Page, and of course, thought rock & roll. That is until I heard one, or rather a couple of them, that Bill Frissell and Greg Leisz were playing through. Check one out. .....Pete

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 30 Jan 2002 9:30 pm

I remember visiting the Kendrick Amplifier site. They were selling a prototype Fender style amp, and in the description they mentioned that it had a "piano string low end". That has always intrigued me "Piano string low end". Has anyone ever tried one of these brutes with a steel.

Tele · Post by **Tele** » 31 Jan 2002 9:16 am

If you want the Roll Royce it's pretty simple, get yourself a Standel 25L15. Nuff said.
Andy

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1959~60 Sho~Bud D-9 : 1969 Emmons D-10 : 1959 Gibson Super 400CES :1957 Standel 25L15

My steels and more

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 31 Jan 2002 10:14 am

The last time I saw Doyle Dykes he was using a Rivera to demo Taylor guitars. He also used a lot of steel type chords in his alternate tunings and he has always sounded Really Good to me !

Regards, Paul

Rob Parker · Post by **Rob Parker** » 5 Feb 2002 1:08 pm

RUSTY,
Call Ronnie Neighbors at Ronnies Guitar Shop in Hot Springs,Arkansas...
I have played several times with him and he was playing steel through TWO of them...they are 'pricey' and not ready available every where...but I thought they sounded great...
But he can give you the info on them and maybe even get them for you through his store...don't know if he is a dealer,or just knew where to get them...
I know he will be glad to talk to you about them...
RP...'come on in'...

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 6 Feb 2002 10:58 am

To my ear, any tube amp with a clean sound, a good reverb circuit and a decent amount of power will work well for steel. The Rivera surely falls into that category. I don't think that an amp has to be "designed for steel" to be a good steel amp.

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

patrick donovan · Post by **patrick donovan** » 6 Feb 2002 1:49 pm

What's wrong with a Dodge??? My 94 Ram 4x4 has 208,000 miles on it and all I have ever changed on the engine or drive train was the starter. Normal maintainance excepted. Steel amps: I just bought a Nashville 1000, and have a Nashville 400, both are excellent, do what I want them to, and are resonably inexpensive, and like my Dodge Ram last forever with little upkeep. I got rid of my last Fender twin some time ago and you can't run fast enough to give me a tube amp of any kind. Each to their own; for me, I'll stick with Peavey's and Dodge's.

Patrick

Patrick

Jerry Erickson · Post by **Jerry Erickson** » 7 Feb 2002 4:42 pm

Hey Pete

when I last heard Greg Leisz he was playing through a "Trainwreck Amp."

Ken Fischer's the guy that builds or used to build these amps. Last one of these I saw for sale in Vintage Guitar was going for about $12K ! They're kinda designed for the guitar player who wants to control his distortion from his guitar's volume control. From what I've read, Ken's health isn't doing too well and he builds amps when he's feeling up to it.
Another builder who's actively building along the "Trainwreck" legacy is George Allessandro.
His amps are more readily available and affordable, but still in the $1.5-$3K range for a head. He's supposed to be coming out with a working dog line in the $900-$1400 range. [This message was edited by b0b on 08 February 2002 at 12:00 PM.]

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 8 Feb 2002 10:56 am

Trainwreck designs are also in the Komit,
its a new design , sounds a little bigger
than the Trainwreck, but its Ken Fisher
designed,
I had a chance to play one, very touch responsive, very nasty violent tone, very
complex, no bells and whistles, just tone,
It would not be voiced for a clean pedal
steel sound, its Similar to a Marshall Plexi,
actually a little nastier,and brighter.
I think the tube amps that sound good for
pedal steel (Cleanwise) are not that far
removed from a Classis Twin, Not alot of muddy mids, The studio preamp by Boogie,
in nature sounds like a Fender design,
Greg

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 8 Feb 2002 12:03 pm

I think that the Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp is pretty much a Mark-III-in-a-rack. Mesa owner Randy Smith started out rebuilding Fender amps, so it's not surprising that there's a lot of that Fender sound in the older Boogies.

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 8 Feb 2002 12:25 pm

Bobby, the older Boogie's particulary the
first one's without the grapgic EQ are
collectble, Which Model would that be?
Also do you remember if the first one's
were PTP and how many years before he used
PCB. Just Curious, Greg

Pete Mitchell · Post by **Pete Mitchell** » 9 Feb 2002 9:57 pm

Hey Jerry,

I have to agree that Ken Fisher is indeed a guru in amp technology. All I know is that I believe the Kendrick people out of Kempner, Texas, set up a couple of "Trainwrecks" for Greg Leisz and Bill Frisell to play through at the Continental Club in Austin, Texas. The best way to describe the tone is pure Class A "sparkle." I have yet to hear another steel guitar match that tone. However, let's not dismiss how good Leisz is either. .........Pete

Rusty Hurse · Post by **Rusty Hurse** » 11 Feb 2002 2:39 pm

Thanks evryone for the comments and the info.Itwas good to hear from all of you. Stay in touch and I will let you know what the new set up is going to be. I think that I will be using one of the older model Mesa Boogie Pre Amp with a Mosvalve 500 power amp.The speakers are going to be 1 15JBL D130 ans 2 12 JBL D120F.There should be plenty of tone with this rig, until I get the Riveria's.