Anyone tried an old Rivera K55 non reverb model?

[Shreddy Mercury]

I've run across one at a good price and like a lot of the sounds I've heard from various Riveras over the years and just curious what some of yalls experiences were with the amps?

 

[BeZo]

I had the K100 for a while. Great amps. Not sure if the K55 has the same clean headroom, but both channels on mine were great. Good effects loop too.

 

[fek]

I have had R30's, R55's, M60, and Knuckleheads. Each of those had the best and most versatile clean channel on any amp that I have ever played. Most of the time I really liked the gain channel's as well but sometimes had a love/hate thing going with them. The gain channel needs the volume up to deliver the goods but when you get there, it delivers! I hate tweaking though and with all of the tonal options with push pulls etc... I couldn't stop F'ing with the knobs.

Overall though, if I come across a Rivera at a good price, I would buy it in a second.

 

[SoooRad]

I've always been interested in those, and the Bonehead, but haven't had the opportunity yet.

 

[Nigel]

I have had R30's, R55's, M60, and Knuckleheads. Each of those had the best and most versatile clean channel on any amp that I have ever played. Most of the time I really liked the gain channel's as well but sometimes had a love/hate thing going with them. The gain channel needs the volume up to deliver the goods but when you get there, it delivers! I hate tweaking though and with all of the tonal options with push pulls etc... I couldn't stop F'ing with the knobs.

Overall though, if I come across a Rivera at a good price, I would buy it in a second.

Amen, I cut my teeth with an M60, no technical frame of reference nor manual for it.

Once I got the presets and began to learn, things changed.

Riveras are meant to be cranked, once you get some power tube saturation going on, and sprinkle gain to tase, they take off.

Riveras are VERY sensitive to tube changes. All Mullard f91/f92 long plates, with the pots pushed in (no added gain) on channel 1, dimed, is pure Marshall mod bliss. Period. Once you get how to open them up, they become what justified their high prices back in the day.

That so many can't dial them in makes for happy hunting on the used market!

 

[Dave L]

I used a K55 for years. It's one of the best clean channels you'll ever find, and the lead channel I've tried to describe as a fatter, thicker Marshall sometimes. I've heard people call it Orange-ish instead. The basic gain sound has a bit of fizz to it, but it sounds great in a mix. It's a rock amp, not really a metal machine.

The Knucklehead range doesn't have all the tweaking options of the earlier Riveras (M, S, TBR and so on), hence the name, but they do need to be LOUD. At 3,5 on the master they wake up, which is gig volumes. Some people find good results with taming the volume with the loop levels, but I never got there.

 

[Nigel]

I used a K55 for years. It's one of the best clean channels you'll ever find, and the lead channel I've tried to describe as a fatter, thicker Marshall sometimes. I've heard people call it Orange-ish instead. The basic gain sound has a bit of fizz to it, but it sounds great in a mix. It's a rock amp, not really a metal machine.

The Knucklehead range doesn't have all the tweaking options of the earlier Riveras (M, S, TBR and so on), hence the name, but they do need to be LOUD. At 3,5 on the master they wake up, which is gig volumes. Some people find good results with taming the volume with the loop levels, but I never got there.

You get it.

If you dime the gain with no pull boosts, the master will open up the power section at 7 or so, which is RAD for Thin Lizzy grind.

 

[CEG85]

I’ve had the knucklehead tre reverb for about 5 years and it’s a killer amp.
The eq is touchy imo, especially the mids.
Really shines with a clean boost in front to tighten things up.

 

[SFW]

I had a K55 head in the mid 90s. Great rock amp. Think JCM 800 but thicker with a bit more gain on tap. Killer black face fender tones. They do like to be loud to give up the tone though.

 

[ZEEGLER]

Can't speak for that particular model, but I have a Knucklehead II and I had a KR55 until recently. As has been said, they like to be turned up loud. That's how they sound their best, but you can dial them back down somewhat with the EQ levels. Both of mine were/are extremely tweakable, with many push/pull functions and endless tonal options. I used a clean boost with mine most of the time. Nothing fancy, just an SD1 or a TS9. My KII has EL34s and I preferred it to the KR55 with 6L6s. Super clean channel, and plenty of gain on tap for the dirty channel. Ridiculous amount of low end. I run mine through a 4x12 with 2 K85s and 2 Scumback M75s.

 

[DanTravis62]

Underrated amps, like all Rivera's imo

Clean channel is fantastic, gain is love or hate it, needs to be turned up really loud to open up, like 3. Which is live drummer volume.