Stage IV 1x12" 25-watt Tube Combo Amp Review

An American Engineering Masterpiece!

I know the history behind this amp's audio circuit, and the hundred of studio tracks this tone has been heard. I believe Eddie Van Halen actually played his "Triller," by Michael Jackson, lead rifts on the original earlier 1970's Paul Rivera Fender Staage 2 Modified Amp (the predecessor to this new Rivera Stage 4 Amp). Obviously, this is the, long awaited, much anticipated engineering… read more masterpiece with all of Paul Rivera's updates, now calling it the Rivera Modified Stage 4. Although its pedigree is famous for pop, rock and country, I use it for American Jazz. Rivera does make a stand alone Jazz amp; However, the clean channel on this studio marvel is unsurpassed. Let's just say perfectly clean tone! I am not sure how many Rivera intends to manufacture, but I would get one NOW because nobody ever resells theirs (just check Reverb for the older Stage 2...Nothing available on the market...that is saying something!). In addition, the workmanship on this amp is perfect. I personally love the livery which brings back the classic vibe of the silver and gray faced amps of the 1960's. Buy one, and you'll keep it for the tone, and you'll love it for its place in music history!

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Sustainable red house tone!!!!

No fuzz pedal needed, Gibson custom PAF neck pickup Couple of Strymon decos, One deco in the back of amp using the tape saturation/volume (noon setting) adding the double tracker for delay. I use the second deco, but with the tape saturation full blast. I keep the overdrive channel on with the fat switch on 6 position, volume setting about 9 and the master volume about 2. To… read more note I engage the boost pedal on as well. May sound complex, But I just can not get enough of that thick creamy sustainable tone. Believe or not I was able to sustain for about 60 seconds. She can do Hendrix, Aerosmith, Joe Walsh many more The amp is beautiful in tone, solid & heavy, Don't take this amp lightly she is heavy, 70 lbs? feels heavier. Possibly could be the transformer or the speaker magnet. Just make sure you have a cart or second set of hands for transporting her around. Be safe about it This amp is worth the price, wait and attitude. She is a keeper, a collector, and a height-weight champ of tone. Feed your tone fantasy

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My ultimate amp

A few years ago I literally sat and wrote out what all I would want in a "dream amp" that could do it all. -Combo 1x12 that is expandable for bigger cabs-Handmade in 'Merca -No PCB-All tube -6v6 or 6L6-20-25w-Reverb -Tremolo-Effects loop for modulation pedals-A switchable SECOND channel for sweet tube OD-Master volume on the 2nd channel to balance the clean and dirty channels -Somehow… read more have the tone of an old Deluxe Reverb in the cleans, since I love that sound-Not cost more than $3,000. At the time I could not find an amp like that, but this one delivers. Every knob is useful and there aren't any dead spaces on the knobs - just useful and gradual changes in tone/volume etc. The OD channel is great, and if you want even more gain you can boost it with a pedal since it's not supposed to be a metal machine. But there's lots of drive there - warm, creamy goodness - and the boost option on the footswitch adds even more. The drive is useful all the way up to 10 with no fizz, and can easily clean up with the volume knob. And the tone is great - all tube goodness on both channels. I used to run 14-15 pedals and with the flexibility of this amp I use less than half that. It's also QUIET. Super quiet, even when cranked. There's something Paul R does with the circuitry to make it this quiet. I don't know exactly what it is, but if you have clean power running to it, then you will find a dead quiet amp. Great for recording or for quiet stages like at church (I ran this off stage and mic'd, with it cranked up at church and it didn't make a sound and no hum).I've had it a few months and love it more and more whether I play a Strat, Tele, or Les Paul. The cleans stay clean (thanks to the wonderful Eminence speaker) and there's no farting or fizz. Play one - just try it. What surprised me the most was the price. ...still a LOT of cash, I know, but you get a LOT of amp, all hand-made, for that money. It's no wonder Paul Rivera's amps like this were in such demand back in the day. And who knows how much longer Paul will be making such amps? If you want an incredibly flexible amp that sounds like a BF Deluxe with very sweet mods, this is it. It is definitely built well - a bit heavy - but it's a purchase that I have never regretted.

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The Ultimate Evolution of the Deluxe Reverb

There's little more to say than this is the amp a Deluxe Reverb wishes it could be. It's a real production version of the Modded amp that LA session musicians used for years and countless recordings. All of the limitations of the original modded format have been removed. True Channel Switching, a real buffered effects loop, reverb and tremolo on both channels, voicing switches on… read more both channels, and even a tube rectifier. The sound is great on both channels, and with the Mid Notch and Bright controls on each channel, there isn't a guitar out there you can't make sound great with this amp. The footswitch is great too, the tremolo is awesome, and the reverb is lush. I've got two other Rivera amps, a Pubster 25 and an R55-Twelve, and this amp surpasses both in versatility. As with all, the build quality is incredible. This is definitely an opportunity you do not want to let slip by.

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Amazing!

And by "amazing" I mean that this amp is priced exactly the same as what the Fender Deluxe Reverb with the Rivera V2 mod was priced when Sweetwater was selling that. And it has more and better stuff! I want this amp. But I am torn. The Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb is about half the price as this Rivera and it has one feature I want more than anything else, the attenuator. With… read more that switch I can crank all the levels to max, and get all the grit the amp is capable of, but, by changing the level with the attenuator, I can reduce the audible output level to a level that won't have my neighbors pounding on my wall. This is going to be a really tough decision.

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