Nice video! As a fellow tech it's good to see you demonstrate what steps you have to go through to check an amp, especially the time it takes to remove all the hardware just to get access.
Yeah man, I just got through an 8-bus mixing desk and a bunch of digital keyboards. That's put me at about a 500 screw-count for the new year. And not the good kind!
I've owned/own several Rivera amps. They *are* hand soldered, at least they were until some time into the 2000s. I've never seen the flux on the board on *any* of my Riveras, and I've owned seven different Rivera models over the years. As much care as they put into the design, construction and assembly, I find it hard to imagine they would over look such a thing.
Watched most of Lyles vids. I often wonder if he likes any amp at all sometimes. I have heard the super champ is unbelievable according to both Dave Friedman and Steve Fryette.
I have a Rivera Clubster Royale Recording. Had an issue with the Clean channel (2) cutting out. The tech I took it to did not want to work on it. I stared at the board for around 45 minutes and noticed a leg that was not soldered on a part that was in the circuit path after reviewing a similar diagram. Touched that up and it has been 100% ever since. Really wonderful sounding amps. Just found this channel. Subbed! So informative and thorough.
Good work, mate! I don't know why the tech didn't want to look at it. They're very well built amps. Some guys are scared of SMD tech, but some guys are even scared of PCBs in general! They only take the piss-easy jobs. Kinda hobbyist more than tech.
Sad isn’t it we have to think of this quality as really good this is how it was done back in my day a properly designed p c b , a thing of the past 🙁 is a joy for ever
Disagree. There was plenty of crap made 'back in the good old days', but because it was crap it hasn't survived. The good stuff has survived and that's what we see now and think, 'Jeez, they used to make good stuff.' It's the same with old music: all the dross and crap has been (mercifully) forgotten, giving us a false view of how good music was 'back then'.
@@weschilton , Auto correct and predictive texting make so many mistakes that I sometimes think we are living once again in the mythical time and place of Babel, where everybody was cursed to speak a different language and nobody could communicate. I swear it seems I can prove read something twice and it looks free of mistakes and then apparently when I hit the arrow to post the comment the program changes some of the words again. The voice to text program is the absolute worst ---- You can watch it type the correct word and the correct sentence the way you spoke it and then it starts changing things right in front of your eyes.
That amp is a great training tool, with all the info printed on the board. Of course a good teacher (which you are) is still needed to explain it all, lol. Thank you, love the channel.
love your channel mate, so glad to have found good Aussie content. gonna have to get you to look at my Technics SU-V2 for a recap at some stage. will be in touch!
Thanks Brad, your posts and those of similar tech's like Psion etc. show the importance of keeping the quality and doing the best work - helps us all to cope with the sh9t put out by some manufactureres.@@BradsGuitarGarage
I was behind real-time on the live stream, Brad, and I never got to answer your question, but anyway the answer is, yes, while in holiday in Greece, I abstained! [ I even saw ditch weed growing all over the place on the island of Mytilini, also known as Lesbos, but I had no desire to end up in a foreign prison. For that matter, the dictator Papadopoulos who was in charge at the time had even snagged some vacationing Americans of Greek descent and conscripted them into the military!]
Radiotron Designer's Handbook RCA Receiver Tube Manual Many others, we're going to do a video collaboration with some other techs about reading materials in the near future, so stay posted.
noice. I got an m100 head. custom job that has 2 channels. fender and marshall and way too loud and complex. ends up with about 20knobs to get lost in. can run any el34's 6l6s 6550 etc sounds great but... just too complex and too loud
Bit of a noob question, but why is this board so busy compared to say, an old dual channel Fender with a fibre board? I know there is slightly fancier power going on, and probably more gain stages, but still?
Two independent channels, switching circuitry, effects loop, low voltage supplies for the switching and reverb driver, which is also solid state and more complex. It all takes more real estate on the PCB.
@@BradsGuitarGarage plus ninja boost and lots of tweaks everywhere. they certainly dont miss a trick. does it have the slavemaster on the back? basically a controlled powered effects loop that you can use to regulate volume. have fun with it.
Got a friend whose Rivera repeatedly blows power trans formers. I’m thinking, bad tubes/bias, bad screen grids, rectifier diodes, PS/Bias Caps, OT demanding too much power, or low voltage PS fault. Not certain of the amp model.
0:41 The layout of the controls on this amp, rubs me up the wrong way, TWICE! 😠😠 I HATE any amp that has, IMHO, the EQ controls backwards i.e. Treble Middle Bass. We read from left to right, low to high. A volume control doesn't start at 10 and as you turn it clockwise, the volume goes down. This amplifier is annoying me even more than that by having the correct (IMHO) EQ layout on channel 1 and the WRONG (IMHO) EQ layout on channel 2. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
I think the idea is that Fenders (clean) and Marshalls (dirty) usually had their knob layouts in reverse order from each other. It's a subtle nod to that, as well as a hint at what the channels are voiced for.
Nice video! As a fellow tech it's good to see you demonstrate what steps you have to go through to check an amp, especially the time it takes to remove all the hardware just to get access.
Yeah man, I just got through an 8-bus mixing desk and a bunch of digital keyboards. That's put me at about a 500 screw-count for the new year. And not the good kind!
Found Brad on Psionic Audio. Brad is a Champion... a Winner.
Thanks for choosing this project to do a video on. So cool to see a well thought out and engineered amp. Looking forward to part 2.
I've owned/own several Rivera amps. They *are* hand soldered, at least they were until some time into the 2000s. I've never seen the flux on the board on *any* of my Riveras, and I've owned seven different Rivera models over the years. As much care as they put into the design, construction and assembly, I find it hard to imagine they would over look such a thing.
Aces! I've wanted to see inside a Rivera ever since they made the Knucklehead!
Been gigging a Rivera s120 since the early 90’s never even had a tube go bad. It’s been bulletproof so far.
They are well engineered amps!
Hey, I like my 82 Super Champ. Even Lyle called it "not a very good amp". That's nearly a compliment coming from him!
Watched most of Lyles vids. I often wonder if he likes any amp at all sometimes. I have heard the super champ is unbelievable according to both Dave Friedman and Steve Fryette.
I have a Rivera Clubster Royale Recording. Had an issue with the Clean channel (2) cutting out. The tech I took it to did not want to work on it. I stared at the board for around 45 minutes and noticed a leg that was not soldered on a part that was in the circuit path after reviewing a similar diagram. Touched that up and it has been 100% ever since. Really wonderful sounding amps. Just found this channel. Subbed! So informative and thorough.
Good work, mate!
I don't know why the tech didn't want to look at it.
They're very well built amps.
Some guys are scared of SMD tech, but some guys are even scared of PCBs in general!
They only take the piss-easy jobs. Kinda hobbyist more than tech.
Sad isn’t it we have to think of this quality as really good this is how it was done back in my day a properly designed p c b , a thing of the past 🙁 is a joy for ever
Disagree. There was plenty of crap made 'back in the good old days', but because it was crap it hasn't survived. The good stuff has survived and that's what we see now and think, 'Jeez, they used to make good stuff.' It's the same with old music: all the dross and crap has been (mercifully) forgotten, giving us a false view of how good music was 'back then'.
Wow, its really cool watching you trace the circuit without a schematic. You really know your shit, Brad!
If this was about me, it would have to be "You really know you're shit" 😂
@@travismccartney Hahaha! I'm really glad I used the right "your" then!
@@weschilton , Auto correct and predictive texting make so many mistakes that I sometimes think we are living once again in the mythical time and place of Babel, where everybody was cursed to speak a different language and nobody could communicate. I swear it seems I can prove read something twice and it looks free of mistakes and then apparently when I hit the arrow to post the comment the program changes some of the words again. The voice to text program is the absolute worst ---- You can watch it type the correct word and the correct sentence the way you spoke it and then it starts changing things right in front of your eyes.
Hey, from Chicago! Love the vids. Been subscribed for over a year. The channel keeps getting better. Really appreciate all your knowledge and humor.
Brad RULES!
That amp is a great training tool, with all the info printed on the board. Of course a good teacher (which you are) is still needed to explain it all, lol. Thank you, love the channel.
Thank you for sharing. Good video.
Nice one mate thank you
G’Day Champions!
Really enjoyed this and just subscribed. Where's part 2?
You're in luck. It's coming up this weekend!
I noticed a bulging cap inbetween the two voltage-regulator heatsinks. No surprise ---- heat-stress always kills caps prematurely.
Haha! You'll just have to wait until part two, mate! Only one more sleep.
love your channel mate, so glad to have found good Aussie content. gonna have to get you to look at my Technics SU-V2 for a recap at some stage. will be in touch!
Great video, Brad!
Just working on a Mk 5 90 Boogie - what a difference with the Rivera ! The Boogie is a nightmare :-(
I feel for you, my friend! Battle on!
Thanks Brad, your posts and those of similar tech's like Psion etc. show the importance of keeping the quality and doing the best work - helps us all to cope with the sh9t put out by some manufactureres.@@BradsGuitarGarage
I was behind real-time on the live stream, Brad, and I never got to answer your question, but anyway the answer is, yes, while in holiday in Greece, I abstained! [ I even saw ditch weed growing all over the place on the island of Mytilini, also known as Lesbos, but I had no desire to end up in a foreign prison. For that matter, the dictator Papadopoulos who was in charge at the time had even snagged some vacationing Americans of Greek descent and conscripted them into the military!]
I am using voice to text as I walk one of the dogs and the darn program doubles up everything like an Echo.
Brad, I'm an EE trained in Canada in the 70's. Do you have a fave reference book about tube operations?
Radiotron Designer's Handbook
RCA Receiver Tube Manual
Many others, we're going to do a video collaboration with some other techs about reading materials in the near future, so stay posted.
noice.
I got an m100 head. custom job that has 2 channels. fender and marshall and way too loud and complex.
ends up with about 20knobs to get lost in. can run any el34's 6l6s 6550 etc
sounds great but... just too complex and too loud
I have a Princeton ii and I think its insanely nice. Way less complex than that, but far, far nicer. I dunno what folks are talking about.
You said you had removed all the nobs. You missed the one holding the pointer.😊
Would be a pretty boring video with that one removed.
Ouch! 😁
Never seen a real Rivera, only the really shitty 'designed by Rivera' era Fenders. This actually looks like a good amp.
Something tells me this will not be the "Rivera Paradise" [sic] that SRV told us about.......😖
Probably be more like "Cry Me A Rivera"....
Bit of a noob question, but why is this board so busy compared to say, an old dual channel Fender with a fibre board? I know there is slightly fancier power going on, and probably more gain stages, but still?
Two independent channels, switching circuitry, effects loop, low voltage supplies for the switching and reverb driver, which is also solid state and more complex. It all takes more real estate on the PCB.
@@BradsGuitarGarage plus ninja boost and lots of tweaks everywhere. they certainly dont miss a trick. does it have the slavemaster on the back?
basically a controlled powered effects loop that you can use to regulate volume.
have fun with it.
Got a friend whose Rivera repeatedly blows power trans formers. I’m thinking, bad tubes/bias, bad screen grids, rectifier diodes, PS/Bias Caps, OT demanding too much power, or low voltage PS fault. Not certain of the amp model.
Measurements need to be made to know for sure and develop a plan of action.
Let me know where you are if you need a tech you can trust, mate.
Noice
5:25 Wima?
Yes, only remembered once the camera was turned off as is often the case.
@@BradsGuitarGarage , "a weema wha, a weema wha, a weema wha, a weema wha...." ( Auto correct keeps changing weema to "webmaster"!)
0:41 The layout of the controls on this amp, rubs me up the wrong way, TWICE! 😠😠
I HATE any amp that has, IMHO, the EQ controls backwards i.e. Treble Middle Bass. We read from left to right, low to high.
A volume control doesn't start at 10 and as you turn it clockwise, the volume goes down.
This amplifier is annoying me even more than that by having the correct (IMHO) EQ layout on channel 1 and the WRONG (IMHO) EQ layout on channel 2. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
I think the idea is that Fenders (clean) and Marshalls (dirty) usually had their knob layouts in reverse order from each other. It's a subtle nod to that, as well as a hint at what the channels are voiced for.