Rivera Knucklehead Tre Questions

[errrrrl]

I messed around with a used Rivera Knucklehead Tre the other day at the local shop. First time trying a Rivera amp. I kind of dug the uber amounts of gain and sort of liked the tones I was getting but couldn't get over how nuts the volume/master volume was.

So with my Friedman or Marshall amp I can go from volume zero to 1, 2 or 3 smoothly and achieve pretty good low volume levels, but with the Knucklehead Tre it literally went from zero to like 3 or 4, nothing gradual about it.. just BLAM in your face loud.

I know this amp was fairly popular maybe 10 years ago and was wondering if anyone who had or has this amp can tell me if this is normal or maybe there is just something wrong with that head. Also wanted opinions if $850 seem to be about right for a used K-tre.

 

[Rayneman]

That is exactly what it does, nothing wrong with it.

Using the loop can help lessen the sensitivity of the volume, I always had something like a Rocktron Xpression or a G Major or whatever in the loop of my Tre when I had it. It was a cool amp. I always loved how it provided a ton of gain and then had a gain boost.

Seems like a good price, they tend not hold value from new.

 

[errrrrl]

That is exactly what it does, nothing wrong with it.

Using the loop can help lessen the sensitivity of the volume, I always had something like a Rocktron Xpression of a G Major or whatever in the loop of my Tre when I had it. It was a cool amp. I always loved how it provided a ton of gain and then had a gain boost.

Seems like a good price, they tend not hold value from new.

Ah.. thats good to know thats just how it is and good idea about using the loop/volume. I don't think the volume will be too much of a problem with me since my goal was to find a really high gain amp to use with a Suhr reactive load and IR's for silent recording. I think I will test it out again, thanks!

 

[Dave L]

Yeah, all the Riveras are enormously loud and made that way. Once you get the master above 3.5 things start cooking, but below that you´d better look for another amp.

 

[kylendm]

I'll let you know in a week or so. Just picked one up.

 

[CEG85]

I have a Knucklehead k-Tre Reverb I bought last year and the controls are VERY sensitive.
They are loud as hell, It really starts to open up when you have the lead channel volume past 4.
The clean channel is just as loud and has massive amounts of headroom.

 

[kylendm]

Do these amps like any particular brand of tubes?

 

[Dave L]

I normally used those reissue Tung-Sols in the gain stages and Winged-C EL34s in all my Riveras, and I seem to remember those were the typical choices. I had a huge Rivera thread back on the old HCAF where I think we discussed a lot of tubes.

 

[FourT6and2]

Why not just replace the volume pot with another one that has a better taper?

 

[CEG85]

Do these amps like any particular brand of tubes?

Ive settled on Tung sol el34b with Ruby 12ax7's in the preamp section and a Sovtek LPS in the phase inverter.
JJ EL34L's work well too.
I would want to try some Kt77's in the future.

 

[mooncobra]

isn't there a couple models of k tre? I have played a couple of those, and they were pretty cool, not sure what model I played, but it got pretty good tones at lower volumes.

 

[Rising Farce]

isn't there a couple models of k tre? I have played a couple of those, and they were pretty cool, not sure what model I played, but it got pretty good tones at lower volumes.

Up until recently, the Tre line has comprised the Tre and Tre Reverb heads, along with combo versions thereof. Rivera also introduced a 55-watt Tre head last year, which promises to be more usable at non-eardrum-rupturing volume levels. I believe they've also discontinued the combos.

As for the Knucklehead lineup as a whole, there have been numerous other versions over the years, including the original, the Knucklehead II, the KR55, the KR100, and the KR7. Of those, only the KR7 remains. (Confused yet?)

All of which reminds me: I need another Rivera.

 

[errrrrl]

Why not just replace the volume pot with another one that has a better taper?

Would that actually work? I may look into that, thanks.

 

[FourT6and2]

Why not just replace the volume pot with another one that has a better taper?

Would that actually work? I may look into that, thanks.

I mean, if it's the same type of pot with the same value, but with a different taper, I think it would work. If not, you can always change it back.

 

[Dave L]

Yeah, changing the taper could make the sweep from 0 to 3.5 larger, but you´d still need to crank it just as much to get the good sound out of it.

 

[FourT6and2]

Yeah, changing the taper could make the sweep from 0 to 3.5 larger, but you´d still need to crank it just as much to get the good sound out of it.

Of course. But people aren't complaining the amp isn't loud enough. They're complaining the amp goes from 0 to 11 instantly.

 

[CEG85]

Yeah, changing the taper could make the sweep from 0 to 3.5 larger, but you´d still need to crank it just as much to get the good sound out of it.

Of course. But people aren't complaining the amp isn't loud enough. They're complaining the amp goes from 0 to 11 instantly.

Its not as drastic as people make it out to be, the EQ section is more touch sensitive then the volume imo.

 

[errrrrl]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I went back to the shop today with my tablet, audio interface and used their Suhr reactive load with the Tre... and yeah, this thing fills the void of massive amounts of gain I wasn't able to achieve with my PT20 for home recording... then I really went to town and opened it up. Hooked it up to a Friedman 4x12 and am happy to report you can dial in awesome heavy tones at low volumes using the fx loop's in/out level, just need to make sure the effects loop is active via the footswitch. It's too bad they didn't put the that knob in the front and just called it a master volume but oh well. Ended up taking the Tre home for $800.

Not sure how the wife is gonna react but that's another story

 

[FourT6and2]

Nice!

 

[kylendm]

Awesome man, I get mine on Friday. So stoked to try it out. I also really wanna try it in stereo with my Baron K88.