-
I'm aching to upgrade my amp (AER Compact 60) to a tube based product and have narrowed the choices to a Rivera Jazz Suprema or a SeQuel Ravine. I play exclusively amplified for my personal pleasure. Just purchased a very warm Comins Concert, hence the desire to match it with a warm, fat tone tube amp. I'm having difficulty making the call. I believe I would be happy with either but here is my list of discriminators:
Rivera Jazz Suprema: Rivera Jazz Suprema - 50W 1x15" Guitar Combo Amp | Sweetwater.com
Pro: Tone is very adjustable. Possible help with feedback due to filter features. Fifteen inch speaker. Established company. Price. In stock
Con: Quality of parts not as good as SeQuel
SeQuel Ravine: SeQuel RAVINE | archtop Jazz guitar tube amp | SOUNDISLANDMUSIC.COM
Pro: Audiophile grade components throughout. Cult following for tone. Solid state control of reverb.
Con: Fewer tone controls than Rivera. Small company with limited population of amps. Possible support issues. Twelve inch speaker (modified Fane no longer available, new WGS 12L soon to be added). 8-12 week lead time. Price
Any thoughts. I will make the call by mid week. I'm looking for additional points of view that I may not have considered. Any help would be appreciated.
EricLast edited by Cincy2; 05-02-2016 at 02:43 PM.
-
05-02-2016 07:13 AM
-
Another "con" for the Sequel: $1000 more than the Rivera!
Hey, if these are your two choices, you're going to enjoy either one -- both excellent amps! They have different power tubes, though -- the Rivera with EL34s, the SeQuel with 6L6s -- so they will have quite different sounds. Some players prefer one over the other, and some will say 6L6s are "warmer," but that's going to be a personal preference thing. Make sure you know which one you prefer before putting down this kind of money.
If you have a $3000 budget for an amp, you have many choices out there; how did you arrive at these two?
Let us know what you get!
-
Obsessing over reviews, audio files and specs. Last one to fall off the short list was Alessandro. Pick one other amp you are familiar with that you would add: 1 x 12" or 15" combo, tube, 50W, ~ 40lbs. Warm, fat, reliable
Originally Posted by marcwhy
Thx
Eric
-
I once had a Rivera Clubster which, according to the gents at Rivera, was very similar to the Jazz Suprema. The Clubster was an incredible amp that I wish I had never sold. Probably the best rock sound I ever got. I remember playing a jazz gig with a Guild X-700 and everyone was amazed at the big fat jazz tone I got out of it ("How can a Guild sound like THAT?" lol!). I would seriously consider the Jazz Suprema, which was designed to sound like the Princeton (with a 15" speaker) that Wes used before switching to the Standell (terrible amps, btw). I wish I new for sure, but maybe he used the Princeton on "Boss Guitar") which is the best sound Wes ever got on record.
-
If I've got this correctly, the SeQuel Ravine does have Bass and Treble controls. Originally Posted by Cincy2
Looks like you have a choice between some great amplifiers. The only other thing I would mention, is in the same bracket, there is also the Victoria Amps Electro King, which has been designed to recreate the classic Gibson GA-40 amplifier, also used by many of the greats of that era.
Amplifiers @ Victoria Amplifier
Lower output power than the models you mentioned, but worth checking out.
-
I am playing a Morgan PR12 now that I like a lot.
Souped up Princeton w/ 12" speaker & beefier power supply, transformers, everything.
Clean up until 9 o'clock on the dial.
Loud enough easily with an unmic'd drummer.
Deep lows. The cabinet resonates.
Milkman makes some nice amps as well.
Guitars 'n Jazz have a version of the Rivera Jazz made out of Italian Poplar that is lighter. 50 watts if memory serves.
-
I would suggest considering a Fender tweed style amp, for home use especially a tweed Princeton (5F1 or 5F2) or Champ. There are a bunch of boutique options for these. I use a tweed Deluxe (5E3) and it has a big, fat sound.
-
A Rivera Chubster is my main gigging amp. It sounds lovely.
-
I'd add three to your lengthening shortlist : Sound Island Music's Vintage Sound JZ50 Vintage Sound Amplifiers | VS112-JZ 50 Jazz Guitar Tube Amplifier | SOUNDISLANDMUSIC.COM , Originally Posted by Cincy2
the Dr. Z Z-lux http://drzamps.com/product/z-lux/
and the Carr Rambler,
Rambler | Carr Amplifiers
The Carr Rambler has that big fat warm clean jazz tone that you seek. Its strength lies in the midrange; it does not have the sparkle of a Fender. For your own pleasure 28W are more than you need. Don't worry about it running out of headroom. It really does remind me of a big fat old archtop. You can have it with a 15" speaker.
-
Cincy2 (Eric), if you can, check out the amps in person. Difficult to go by reviews. I do acknowledge that it might be difficult to do that depending on where you live. Going by your choice of guitar and sound description I suspect that the Carr Rambler would tick all the right boxes.
I recognise you from Delcamp. Great score on the Joshia De Jonge guitar. I am waiting for two Eric Sahlins meself. Still a long five to six year wait away. Let's hope my health holds up...
-
Yes! Carr!!! I once had an Imperial, which was their Super Reverb clone on steroids. The thing was freakin' heavy! So, I had to get rid of it. I've been jonesing for a Rambler for years though and I highly recommend it.
-
PSA:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/ind...er-25.1692692/
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/ind...press.1679046/ Tone King Falcon. Wasn't someone jonesing for it?
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/ind...mbler.1701084/ . Heard from Rambler seller that he is the second owner and that it has no footswitch so lowering asking to $1700.
-
What, what? You purchased a Comins Concert and haven't posted a NGD thread? I'm pretty sure there is a penalty for that on this site!
I have some experience in this field. I have a Comins Concert and my only amp at the time was a Carr Impala. Fantastic amp for solid body and semi-hollows, but for me and my Comins not so muchie. Just not enough clean headroom and the tone was on the thin side. Still love it though and it is not going anywhere. I then purchased a Henriksen Jazzamp 1X12, which has made the heavens and stars align.
Even still, there is nothing quite like an archtop played through a Twin Reverb. I'm not a fan of the weight and rolled the dice and picked up a Port City Pearl with a single 12" Celestial Gold speaker. In some ways I like it even better than a BFT. LOTS of clean headroom and a simple circuit
-
I'd love a Carr Sportsman if I could.
Sportsman | Carr Amplifiers
-
The guys at Soundpure share your love of the Sportsman with archtops. For my personal taste, I found that it did not have enough clean headroom for my liking. Too each is own.
-
In that respect, maybe the Vintage Sound VS112-JZ in 15W or 50W would do better. I have only heard demos or the Vs112 and the Sportsman. Originally Posted by kid335
-
Two Sahlins? Whoa! You are my hero. Buying in pairs. My wife would surely leave me. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Anyway, Thanks to all of you for the incredible information deluge. Sadly, I don't have time to explore them all. I closed my eyes last night and pulled the trigger on the Rivera Jazz Suprema. Will get some time on it this weekend with the Comins and report back with some pics.
Cincy
-
Great! Making a decision is the way forward. The Rivera Jazz Suprema is a great amp. You won't be disappointed. Do share your new amp day and a review with us. Did you get the Burgundy/Wheat 1x15 version with the Italian poplar cab from Guitars N Jazz or the Black 1x12 from Sweetwater? Originally Posted by Cincy2
-
[QUOTE=J Did you get the Burgundy/Wheat 1x15 version with the Italian poplar cab from Guitars N Jazz or the Black 1x12 from Sweetwater?[/QUOTE]
Black 1x15 from Sweetwater. Understated.
Cincy
-
After reading this thread, I went on youtube in order to hear "standard" Rivera tones, and I must say that I was impressed by what I found. Clean tones were every bit as good as I had anticipated, but what I didn't expect were the blistering lead tones the amps are capable of.
As to which amp I would choose, it would depend on whether or not I intended to use the amp as my primary device or whether it would be an addition to an existing tonal arsenal. If the amp would be my number 1 go-to amp, I would probably choose the Rivera based on its versatility. If I already had a base tone I was satisfied with but wanted to add a 1950s style octal preamp sound, I'd go with the SeQuel.
-
Having heard the Sequel and the VS amps in person the Sequel is heads and tails above them...they're not in the same tonality league. In fact, I wasn't nearly as impressed with the VS amps as I was a Headstrong that landed into my lap. Had I not owned the Headstrong at the time I sampled the Ravine I'd more than likely have stepped up to the plate and bought the Ravine...they're worth the duckets, especially if you're seeking some of the finest sound money can buy...I've never heard a "better" sounding amp. As always, sound is an individual thing and ymmv.
-
Got some time with the Rivera yesterday. There may be better sounding amps out there but for me the Rivera JS ticks all the boxes. The case and switches exude quality and ruggedness. I have to say I wouldn't want to lug it around daily but this was not an issue for me once it was in my guitar room. It took about 15 minutes to dial in the right amount of bass, treble, presence and reverb to get just that right combination needed to get the tone I have been searching for. When paired with my Comins I get great string separation, just the right amount of bite in the bass and a treble sound that can cut through the mix when I need it. One unexpected bonus is the filter setting that totally eliminated any feedback when playing close to the amp. What a concept! No more plugs in the f-holes.
Highly recommended. The Sweetwater guys packed it well and followed up with me to make sure it arrived safely.
Cincy
-
Congratulations, Cincy. "Ticked all the boxes" is good. IME Sweetwater is good to do business with.
-
Glad you like the amp!
Yes, I have had good experiences with Sweetwater as well.
-
I have also been on a similar quest for a tube amp and ended up with Sequel Amplifiers on my short list. I gig regularly with my L5 and Fender Deluxe Reverb. After many months, I ended up going with the Sequel Tribute. It should be finished up and delivered in the next few weeks. Michael Biller over at Sound Island Music has been a great resource every step of the way. I understand that anyone looking to sell amplifiers priced at $2750 would have to be somewhat accommodating to potential customers, but his emails and phone calls give off a genuine concern to build a quality amp.
The minimalist controls and high-end, one trick pony, jazz amp comes in a great looking cabinet too (Gibson GA-50). I have been binging on Dale Bruning and Jim Hall CDs for many many months. That was just enough to push me from being casually interested to customer. I'll be sure to post some pictures and a more detailed review soon.
Love this forum!
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos