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I know most of us have recognized Rivera amps for some time as quality musical products, but I have reason to renew your enthusiasm for a company that I believe is still underappreciated. I just picked up a used Rivera Fandango 55W 2X12 combo ( powered by EL34s ). Its versatility, tone, and down-home no-apologies-bad-assed-tube-amp-on-steroids-attitude is exceptional. If you prefer 6L6GC power tubes, the Quiana is a close relative of the Fandango thus equiped. A cheaper 1X12, and a more powerful 100W 2X12 is available for both the Quiana and the Fandango models. See the Rivera site for details. If you have tube amp GAS, this is the answer to your dreams.

I think they are great swiss army knife amps. Fender and Marshall in one package. It's amazing how they get Fender cleans out of EL34 power tubes.

Many folks think that if an amp is such a ajack of all trades, it's not a master of any. I think it's pretty good at doing both. Heavy duty circuit boards in those amps. I definitely thing there are amps that do Fenderish better or Marshallish better, but I can't think of any that do an admirable job at both, plus giving you a boost mode on each channel.

I played mine in a country gig, then in a rock/blues gig. Same amp, just dialed in differently. The tone controls do A LOT. Almost too much for me. Just a little turn on the knob and you got a drastic different tone. I had to start writing down settings that I liked. I ended up sitting around tweaking mine more than playing it, so it got sold.

GREAT bang for the buck!


Originally Posted by Scott_FI think they are great swiss army knife amps. Fender and Marshall in one package. It's amazing how they get Fender cleans out of EL34 power tubes.

Many folks think that if an amp is such a ajack of all trades, it's not a master of any. I think it's pretty good at doing both. Heavy duty circuit boards in those amps. I definitely thing there are amps that do Fenderish better or Marshallish better, but I can't think of any that do an admirable job at both, plus giving you a boost mode on each channel.

I played mine in a country gig, then in a rock/blues gig. Same amp, just dialed in differently. The tone controls do A LOT. Almost too much for me. Just a little turn on the knob and you got a drastic different tone. I had to start writing down settings that I liked. I ended up sitting around tweaking mine more than playing it, so it got sold.

GREAT bang for the buck!

Ditto everything Scott just said. I feel the same way about my Chubster. It's not a perfect Marshall, or a perfect fender, but it's damn close to each.

I have not sold mine though, and don't plan on it anytime soon.

BTW Scott, I just set all the tone controls on 5 (noon) and it sounds great...kinda like diming everything on a NMV Marshall...set it and forget it......on certain guitars/pup combos, I *may* go down to 4 on treble or presence or bass...but generally everything stays right around 5 (barring pre-amp and MV)

Love the Chubster. And it pretty much cured my GAS for amps too...oh sure, I'd love to have a RI HW Plexi, and get Voodoo to mod my 1987X...but...

I think EL-34's have become my favorite tube, after being heavily into 6L6 amps for a long time. I think people have the Marshall clean tone in their mind, when thinking of an EL-34 clean tone, but it really isn't definitive. Outside of Marshall-land, there are a lot of amps that squeeze beautiful clean tones out of EL-34's. Bogner, Rivera, Matchless, and Badcat all KILL Marshall when it comes to cleans, even though they have the same tubes.

I haven't been too fond of most Rivera's gain channels, but only because they sounded like compressed 6L6's, but I'd assume that the Rivera with EL-34's is what Rivera should have always done!

what have i been preachin about the fandango!!!!

can i get an amen!!!???
can i get a fandango...not right now...lol...so the g.a.s. lives on!

I love my Suprema. It can do almost anything.


Originally Posted by GearjoneserI think EL-34's have become my favorite tube, after being heavily into 6L6 amps for a long time. I think people have the Marshall clean tone in their mind, when thinking of an EL-34 clean tone, but it really isn't definitive. Outside of Marshall-land, there are a lot of amps that squeeze beautiful clean tones out of EL-34's. Bogner, Rivera, Matchless, and Badcat all KILL Marshall when it comes to cleans, even though they have the same tubes.

I like the Marshall clean sound for what it is, but it's def a different animal. Not a Fender clean. or Vox, or MESA, or JC or what have you. That said, some of my fave cleans are just from a cranked NMV with the volume on the guitar rolled off :shrug:

I haven't been too fond of most Rivera's gain channels, but only because they sounded like compressed 6L6's, but I'd assume that the Rivera with EL-34's is what Rivera should have always done!

I haven't played any of the 6l6 Riveras so I cannot say there. But back around 1990 , I had an original R-series amp briefly.. EL34's...and I dont think he offered 6L6's then. Hated that amp. Muddy mess (I bought one because Paul used to mod Michael Schenkers amps before he went to the diode clippers). That really soured me on Riveras for many years, but the Chubster is a sweet amp. HUGE improvement.

The only reason I sold my Rake Reverb was to make room for a non-reverb Rake.

I'm digging my Chubster 40 more and more. Props to JeffB for the dialing everything in at '5' tip.....I tried it this weekend and it's a great starting point.

Im still totally in love with my Rivera Kucklehead Reverb i picked up new end of last year, actually i orderd the 6L6 version and my fellow band mate orderd the EL34 version with matching cabs at the same time, i cant decide with i prefer, but they sound KILLER together!

I urge more people to put this into their next amp quot;trialquot; list for sure!


Originally Posted by chcjuniorI'm digging my Chubster 40 more and more. Props to JeffB for the dialing everything in at '5' tip.....I tried it this weekend and it's a great starting point.

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Seriously tho. The Controls are active, and 5 seems like the median to me (though I may have read that somewhere). I see some of the pre-sets in the manual and I'm like quot;WTFquot;? I'd NEVER set up the amp that way. I see them setting the bass on 7..you'd have to have a seriously thin sounding axe to set it that high.?? :Shrug: Even on the clean channel.

I don't have to change it hardly at all going from guitar to guitar. On my new YJM, I've got Bass on 5, Mids on 5, Treble amp; Presence on 4, and it's perfect. On my Gibsons, I generally roll the bass off to 4 and crank the treble back up to 4.5 or 5.

Speaking of, I thought my McCarty, Bird and paulas sounded great though the Chubster, the YJM sings through the amp better than those do/did. Great matchup. I'm really floored by the tone. I may never buy another tube marshall again