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Rivera Amplifiers are legendary not only for some of the best tone on the planet, but also for rugged construction and long life. This tradition continues with the Rivera Pubster.
Compact and lightweight, yet big on tone, this all-tube amplifier will please amateurs and pros alike.The Pubster puts 25 watts of 6V6GT power through a 10" Rivera Celestion Vintage Gold speaker. The amp uses two 12AX7 preamp tubes - reliable and easily accessible for service. Built with a full plywood cabinet, welded zinc-plated steel chassis, audiophile-quality components, and military-grade construction. Comes with a footswitchable Accutronics 3-spring mechanical reverb and a 2-function footswitch. Around back, an effects patch loop is provided along with an external speaker jack and a line output for recording or P.A. feeds. The power cord is detachable and easy to replace.
The Pubster is an easy-to-use channel-switching amp with a single 3-band EQ section. A footswitchable boost with its own gain control, as well as a second master volume to regulate the level, let you go from a clean rhythm to a fat lead solo at a tap of a toe. Dialing up clean and distortion tones has never been easier. From Mississippi Delta Blues to Birmingham Steel Rock to Nashville Clean, your tone is home with the Pubster amp.Though affordable, the Pubster is professional enough for serious working musicians. Casuals like a wedding or party could not be any easier, due to the compact size, low weight, and abundance of fine tone. For recording, Pubsters do the job well. Utilizing good miking technique in recording situations, this small package of excellent tone will lay down great sounding tracks. You can also use the Pubster to power an external Rivera 412 cabinet, allowing you to record stack sounds easily. Built small and smart, the Rivera Pubster belts out a rich, all-tube tone that's anything but compact. With 25-watts and a 10"speaker, the Pubster offers two independent, switchable channels, genuine Accutronics® 3-spring reverb, a specially voiced speaker, and high-end features such as an effects loop and line output. A slant-back front on the rock-solid cabinet makes it easy for guitarists to hear the Pubster without placing it on a chair or riser, simplifying setup and utilizing the natural bass-enhancing effect that comes from having the amp sitting directly on the floor. The Pubster uses an open-back design in conjunction with its special-design Rivera Vintage Gold speaker to enhance its impressive range of classic, beefy tones. Ruggedly constructed using an oversized transformer, a welded steel chassis, nickel-plated steel corners, and military-grade components, the Pubster easily withstands the rigors of road and studio. Construction details include a 5/8"-thick, lumbercore plywood enclosure covered with roadworthy black Tolex, and rubber feet and a steel-reinforced vinyl strap handle for extra convenience and tote-ability.
Features - 9
- The amp was made 6/11/2006 in USA
- It has good British crunch, American clean and nice reverb.
- It's touted as the new super champ and there is some resemblance, however no P2P wiring or tube driven reverb.
- Channels: One, with footswitchable boost
- Controls: Volume, Boost (pull switch for boost), Bass, Middle, Treble, Master, Boost, Master, Reverb, Presence, Power On/Off Switch
- Front-panel inputs: 1/4" High Gain input, 1/4" footswitch input
- Rear-panel inputs and outputs: 1/4" effects loop send, 1/4" effects loop return, 1/4" line output, 1/4" external speaker output
- Preamp tubes: Two 12AX7A
- Output tubes: Two 6V6GT
- Output power: 25 watts RMS into 8 ohms
- Speaker: 10" Rivera Vintage Gold
- Footswitch functions: Channel switching, reverb on/off (footswitch is included)
- Reverb: Accutronics® 3-spring reverb
- Height: 15.5"
- Width: 16.75"
- Depth: 11"
- Weight: 30 lbs
- Cabinet material: 5/8"-thick plywood
- Construction: Dadoed joints
- Covering: Black Tolex
Sound Quality
I play blues and rock so Marshall & Fender sounds are great and it's load enough to jam with a drummer. I was able to give it a quick blast and band practice but the reverb problem (below) and my inexperience with the amp didn't allow me to get a good idea of how it will perform in anger. It's possible to get better sound quality from amp of this spec (and price) but I haven't heard one yet.
Reliability
I had one problem so far. It's a new (store stock) amp but arrived with reverb ringing when set above 4. Googled symptom check suggests it's a faulty tank and Rivera amp tech agrees. A new tank on the way. So, it's too early to say whether it's reliable but it seems sturdy and well made.
Customer Support
Rivera are not well know in Australia but the dealer has been really helpful so far. 1 year warranty.
Final Thoughts
I've been playing for so many years. I'm still perfecting my tone and a still sucker for good kit. I have three amps, Fender Bassman '59 Reissue, Orange Rockerverb and now the Pubster. I love the Fender and Orange amps but they are heavy (the Orange 2x12 bin fills my car boot) and are not really the kind of amps you can stretch out at home or in the studio.
I wanted a small-lightweight tube amp suitable for playing around the house and chucking on the back seat for jams. I had an Orange Tiny Terror which had a good gain sound, but there wasn't much headroom for clean and it lacked touch dynamics. I considered Fender: Champ 600, Princeton, Deluxe Reverb, Orange 5 & MESA 25:5, Marshall 1974 and Vox.
All the other amps I considered were lacking in some department- Mesa Express - too expensive and I didn't like the clean as much
- Fender: Princeton & Deluxe Reverb Reissue - Great cleans & reverb, Fender name and resale value. But Overdrive only at considerable volume & both a pretty heavy.
- Fender Champ & Orange 5: Both good for home but not neither are gigging options.
- Marshall 1974x: Great Marshall Sound but expensive and some unreliability problems reported.
- Made in USA (this shouldn't matter but hey I'm superficial)
- Portability: Size and weight - smaller and lighter than Fenders
- Sound: Great Cleans, Overdrive - Distortion & Reverb
- Plenty of volume for home and studio with gigging still an option in smaller venues or quieter groups (of course line out or mic'ing are always options.)
- Modern features like effects loop, boost switch and line out.
- Build quality (as good maybe better than Fender)
- Price
- Positive reviews
