Anyone have experience with the Rivera Bonehead?

[jayd41]

I frequently browse the used inventory of a guitar shop in La Crosse and they just listed a Rivera Bonehead for a silly cheap price.

I know there aren't many of these in existence but it has such a killer feature set. It really seems like it can do anything.

I'm really tempted to pull the trigger but there are very few people with experience with this rare beast.
Has anyone here ever owned or at least spent some good time with one?

If it's still there this weekend I may just have to drive over and check it out for myself.

Thanks for any input!

 

[Dave L]

Yeah, I´ve played one a few times. Basically a really compressed high gain channel that´s more for leads than for the modern heavy stuff, a very nice JCM800 crunch (similar to the old Knuckleheads and ch 2 on the KH Reverbs) and a british Hiwatt-ish clean instead of the typical blackface circuits Rivera uses on all the others. It´s a very atypical Rivera, to say the least.

 

[grooveHT]

I have also heard that they are terribly loud; hotplate would be a MUST! Then you'd also need to get a Los Lobottom cab with it as well...

 

[jayd41]

I have also heard that they are terribly loud; hotplate would be a MUST! Then you'd also need to get a Los Lobottom cab with it as well...

Not too worried about this one being too loud. It's switchable all the way down to 12 watts thanks to a couple switches on the back.

Yeah, I´ve played one a few times. Basically a really compressed high gain channel that´s more for leads than for the modern heavy stuff, a very nice JCM800 crunch (similar to the old Knuckleheads and ch 2 on the KH Reverbs) and a british Hiwatt-ish clean instead of the typical blackface circuits Rivera uses on all the others. It´s a very atypical Rivera, to say the least.

Thanks! This is just was I was looking for, some good real-world feedback!

 

[Dave L]

All the Riveras are super loud and definitely not for bedroom use, you need to get the channel master volumes up to about 4 to get the tone happening.

 

[Wayniac3]

Yeah, I´ve played one a few times. Basically a really compressed high gain channel that´s more for leads than for the modern heavy stuff, a very nice JCM800 crunch (similar to the old Knuckleheads and ch 2 on the KH Reverbs) and a british Hiwatt-ish clean instead of the typical blackface circuits Rivera uses on all the others. It´s a very atypical Rivera, to say the least.

He pretty much nailed my experience.
I had one a while back.. great tones, but it was loud & you really need to open it up to get her to breathe.

Give it a shot, especially with the 12 watt switch

There are several types of low bottom cabs available for it if you want to maximize the tone as well. Good luck!

 

[Dave L]

Buy it, and if you don´t like it I´ll buy it from you if you want to ship it overseas and don´t want to make too much on the flip... I´ve had many of the cool Riveras but not that one... but honestly I don´t think you will be selling it unless you want it to be something it´s not. Check out Lukather on Mindfields and Livefields, those are very good example of the tones it does.

 

[Tuckerbomb]

IDK if $1350 is a screaming deal, but you likely wouldn't find one cheaper. For that amount of coin, I'd go for the Peters Chimera/Halo currently in the classifieds.
FWIW, I've owned 5 different Rivera amps, and none of them could give me the thick, heavy grind I was after. Maybe with a boost or EQ pedal, but that makes channel switching a tap dance.