Oh yippi, a new amp again!

[Orpheo]

I had that nice rivera chubster 55, but it lacked a bit in the distortion-end. I needed more power, more grunt, more dirt. and this is what I got when I traded her in:

(bad picture huh? funny thing, I made that pic with a 'genuine' camera, and the other 2 with a phone-camera!)

and this is the entire setup of my amps:

and this is the old setup, but with all my guitars (I didn't have the time to make a pic with EVERYTHING).

its a Rivera M100 with 2 q-cabs. I know virtually nothing about them, except that they sound AWESOME. I can't think of a cab I like better with this head. I like my Engl Special Edition a lot on its own cab, the Kool&Elfring cab (dutch made), the marshall on the 212 greenback cab, and the rivera on this one, and the mesa with its internal speaker. its just great as it is. I don't like the tone of the amps on other cabs, it just doesn't 'match up' that well. The engl sounds thin on the 212 cab, and too fat on the 2 rivera-cabs. the marshall sounds scooped and really fat and muddy on the 412, but great and 'old school' on the 212 marshall cab.

the only one that feels comfortable with ALL cabs is that little blue devil.

 

[exaN]

I want your job :icon_jokercolor:

 

[kboman]

Yow, not exactly good looking! But hey, if it sounds good it is good :icon_thumright:

 

[Orpheo]

I want your job :icon_jokercolor:

my job is not really that exciting or well-paying, I'm a projectionist in a cinema. but I have virtually no bills to pay each month

 

[Volitions Advocate]

That is so awesome Orpheo.  What is the head called? It must be older, I haven't seen anything like it.

 

[Orpheo]

That is so awesome Orpheo.  What is the head called? It must be older, I haven't seen anything like it.

its an M100. its like the so-loved S120, but then its a mono 100watt amp. but it sounds the same, with all the same features.

I played her yesterday, and oh yeah, she sounds so great. depending on the setting its a bit saggy or very crunchy, spongy or 'bold'. The combination with my mesa mark4 works really well. Its like a marshall and fender in 1 package, just like my chubster, but now with more features, more headroom, and a better tone. Some people feel that this amp doesn't really cut through, but I find that thats due to your playing. my tone is already 'bright' and cutting, and I can cut through with any amp, any guitar.

for who's interested, the covering is original rivera stuff. I don't really like it, I feel like I have to vacuum this amp daily  :laughing7:

I only don't like the fact that I don't have a footswitch, but I'm in the process of making one. It took me a couple of hours to get the initial wiring right, but: its working now!

 

[Volitions Advocate]

So i'm guessing this thing uses the TRS jack latch type switches rather than than the Midi switching they're using on most of their bigger amps nowadays?

 

[Orpheo]

So i'm guessing this thing uses the TRS jack latch type switches rather than than the Midi switching they're using on most of their bigger amps nowadays?

frankly, I wouldnt have a clue I don't think Midi can work here, it uses 2 8pin DIN connectors for the switches. I just made the internal workings for the amp, and it works fine. but the switch looks like a turd :laughing7: but I will be buying a nice enclosure soon, to make it look 'neat'.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

Oh i see.  I haven't seen 8 pin DIN's for a long time.

My amp has a standard 5 pin midi jack and uses program change messages for channel switching and everything.  I was wondering about the TRS cable because that's what my crate uses,  It makes things difficult when using the amps in tandem.

be careful with your homemade switch though, Rivera likes to modify things to work for them.  I have 2 midi jacks on the back of my amp for footswitches.  One is a standard midi to work with any midi controller, but the other one is designed specifically for the Head Master footswitch.  it sends phantom power along 2 of the pins to run the controller without an adapter, which would probably fry another controller not made my Rivera. I don't know how things went back when everybody was using those 8 pin jacks but its worth keeping note of.

 

[Orpheo]

thanks for the warning. I looked in the manual though, and there they say that its just a regular 8 pin DIN,  where the switching happens on the inside of the amp. not really too complex. mind you, this amp is at least 5 years old if not older, and the inside isn't as sophisticated as they are today besides, I took a look at the inside of a rivera-switch, and mine is exactly like one.