Any Paul Rivera era SS Fender owners?

[Steve G]

Hey folks,

just wondering if theres anyone out there who has one of these. They seem to have a good rep, and obviously PR knows a thing or two about amps.

They also seem to go for quite cheap, are they a sleeper bargain? Any better built than the other Fenders of the time?

Steve

 

[jhundt]

which amps were those? I can't remember the SS models.

Many of us have Rivera-era tube models (mine is a Princeton Reverb II), but I don't know about any others.

 

[Steve G]

Well I was looking at an amp on fleabay and it was an 87 sidekick, described as "Rivera era". Think it may be a case of someone being slightly 'loose' with the description that has led to my confusion!!
Thanks JHundt, maybe Ill afford a valve one one day. I dig the white piping!

 

[Tony474]

SS Fender amps from the Paul Rivera period include, to my recollection, such models as the London, Montreux and a couple of others. I'm sure more info can be dug up on line, which in all honesty I can't be arsed to do...

I did once try out a London Reverb in a local shop - quite nice, with (I think) an effective 5-band graphic EQ, but I wasn't sufficiently impressed to buy it.

I believe the Sidekicks were entry-level models, not unlike the current Frontman range.

 

[Steve G]

So there were some.. Yes the sidekicks are pretty low end. But Ive got a place in my heart for a good SS Fender and theres one on ebay local to me..

 

[Dan German]

These are the Solid State Rivera-era amps (I think):

Showman
Harvard Reverb II
Yale Reverb II
Montreux
London Reverb
Stage Lead
Studio Lead

The Sidekick and Red Knob came later. Of the above, I have heard good things about the Harvard, and I played a Yale a few years ago and liked it a lot. Never even seen any of the others.

 

[Steve G]

Thanks Dan German! This is good info..

 

[Tony474]

Ah yes... Now Dan mentions it, I worked a few years ago in a band where the other guitarist played a Tele through a Stage Lead – 2 x 12 Twin-sized thingie. Can't tell you much about it tonally, but 'twas a loud bugger as I recall, and I had to wick my Music Man up a bit to be heard against him and the keyboard.

 

[Dan German]

Ah yes... Now Dan mentions it, I worked a few years ago in a band where the other guitarist played a Tele through a Stage Lead – 2 x 12 Twin-sized thingie. Can't tell you much about it tonally, but 'twas a loud bugger as I recall, and I had to wick my Music Man up a bit to be heard against him and the keyboard.

My memory is fuzzier than than the lint screen in a dryer, but I think the 2x12 version was the Stage Lead II, and was about 180 watts. So yeah, loud.

 

[Jack Knife]

I had a Yale Reverb for a while. Nice little SS amp. It is the same size as a Princeton 65R a friend had but sounded much warmer. 50w, 1x12 combo in a nice pine cab. Good deal for $149!

 

[stantheman]

I'm checking out Solid State Amps constantly now.
There's a Montreux on Ebay currently I believe.

 

[danzigdan]

I just bought a Yale Reverb for $150. Probably overpaid a bit, but I really like the sound/size. Mine is getting a buzzy overtone when playing clean bassier notes so a speaker replacement is probably next.

 

[Steve G]

Nice danzigdan, wouldnt mind one of those myself.

 

[danzigdan]

Nice danzigdan, wouldnt mind one of those myself.

The Yale Reverb was nice but the speaker was starting to show its age and needed a new plug so I sold it and bought a Stage Lead 1x12.

I like the Stage Lead a lot, but the speaker mysteriously went "poof" so now I'm going to put a brand new one in. I don't have much $$$ invested in it and I like it so this could be fun.

 

[qblue]

I still use my Stage Lead, I bought in 1984. It has spot on Fender clean from a 100 W unit. It probably needs speaker reconing (12")and the reverb mysteriously stopped working about 6 months ago. The gain channel is weak, so I use pedals thru the clean channel. I think it sounds like a Hot Rod dlx, which to my ears has another questionable gain channel.

The clean channel is just awesome and very bright, expected from a solid state unit. When the reverb worked it was my most reliable amp, loud enough for most applications. It will still be the backup for my Supersonic 22 tube amp.

Does anyone have a troubleshooting solution for a spring reverb unit?

 

[waparker4]

Did Rivera have anything to do with the solid state amps?

 

[Tony474]

Does anyone have a troubleshooting solution for a spring reverb unit?

First check that the phono plugs haven't come out of their sockets. If they're OK, there are two main reasons for the spring reverb to stop working. Either there's a problem with the reverb driver circuitry in the amp, or more likely there's something wrong inside the tank itself, such as physical breakage of the little parts that go through the transducers at each end of the springs, or maybe a break in one of the very thin wires inside. It's easy enough to take the tank out and have a look. Replacement tanks can be bought at moderate cost; you'd need to order the right kind and the code is usually stamped on the outside of the unit.

Meanwhile, however, to see if the tank itself is at fault, you could temporarily substitute the one from your other amp (it doesn't necessarily have to be fastened in place just for this purpose). Even if it's not exactly the right kind, if it works at all you'll know the tank was the problem. If it still doesn't work you know the fault is either in the connecting leads or in the amp itself.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Did Rivera have anything to do with the solid state amps?

That's what I'm wondering, too. They are called "Rivera-era" not "Rivera-designed". Isn't SS design ans tube design separate disciples?

 

[waparker4]

That's what I'm wondering, too. They are called "Rivera-era" not "Rivera-designed". Isn't SS design ans tube design separate disciples?

Yes, but one could also say early 1980's..

If Rivera didn't have anything to do with the SS amps, it would seem disingenuous to call them Rivera-era, seems like just trying to drive the price up on some old amps through a roundabout connection.

 

[Tony474]

That's what I'm wondering, too. They are called "Rivera-era" not "Rivera-designed". Isn't SS design ans tube design separate disciples?

According to John Morrish's "Fender Amp Book", Rivera himself was hired as Director of Marketing for amps, while the chief engineer for the valve (tube) stuff was Ed Jahns. The solid-state range, including the London and Montreux Reverb amps, was designed at Rivera's behest by Bob Haigler and Bill Hodges. However, Rivera did have a hand in the final designs in the sense that, as with the Jahns-designed amps, he specified exactly what he wanted the circuitry to achieve in terms of sound.