Rivera Quiana 212

This has a pull bright, pull notch, pull warm on the buttons as well as presence and focus - all great for altering the tone and gives you lots of options. Ive not seen the same versatility on most other amps.
The only downside is that the boost function are NOT level adjustable. If they were, this amp would be perfect and i'd have given a 10 rating. A serious flaw on an otherwise great amp. This doesnt spoil it tho.

One of the things i do is to use a more powerful humbucker with the boosts off and use a single coil guitar with the boosts on - it almost levels out the sound.

I like the fact that the power and footswitch cables plug into the back of the amp and are not hard-wired in (like Mesa now do with most).

The lower 35w vintage/modern switch is helpfull too but theres not a massive difference in volume.

Wow. Where do i start? For years ive been looking for a pro-quality amp that has Fender style clean tones and a warm crunchy overdrive. I dont think fender build quality can match Rivera. Ive tried a few Mesa amps which are good (F50 being the best sounding) but they didnt quite hit the spot. Then I bought this (on spec - i bought it on ebay and drove 1000 mile round trip to pick it up before id even tried it!).

I was looking for a 2 channel 6L6 amp and now the search for MY perfect amp is over....its absoloutley awesome. I cant saw enough good things about it.

The tone controls are quite sensitive (unlike Mesa and most others ive tried) so it is easy to dial in a muffled tone but get it right and the reward is there. I started with everything at 7 (except master) and havent moved far from there. Great sounds.

So far so good. I hope it never breaks down because it wont be easy to get fixed around here.

not used them (yet) but ill email them soon. Might use 6V6 tubes in it.

Been playing 25 years and have some great guitars (tom anderson, suhr, prs) and now I have the amp that lets them ring out.

A 9 only because of the non-adjustable boost (i live in the UK so i dont think the factory mod is an option).

this unit was built in 2000.[this is'nt a story about a man named jed , but just as long] just the quiana head-[in brown to match the sound]and i've got to say that this is probably the best amp i have ever played. in 2000 after my purchase of a rivera head with el34's i found the sound was not what i wanted and after months of foolin around with paul and paul they rectified my purchase with there new Quiana head. i was looking for a fender type tone that i could drive to new places.so after getting the unit i jammed and played and jerked around and found that this did'nt quite do it. so off to fender vibrolux for 2 years, nope that did'nt do it,so off to vibroverb for 2 years. nope,not yet[then a cold line 6 duoverb] and at the clubs and bars i play at, ya gotta drive; and with the fenders they just don't click until your past 5.and everyone pisses about the vol. so it was back to the Quiana and man i could'nt believe how bad i messed up, this truly has a fender tone that can kill. with the master vol. i can squeeze the hell out of this thing at low vol. and here nothing but complements. i did an audition with a metal band last week, going up against a marshall and a line 6 and it just cranked..and i'm a blues ,rock, country guy- [ with the vintage switch on, 20-25 watts].through a 2x12 home made cab. with texas heat speaks;and at times when i practice i feel that the amp is a tone canvas,I'm not kidding, i imagine or hear a sound or tone and paint it with the Quiana. both channels took me years [yes Years]to understand because they are so complex in all that they can do.ahh , but you do have to play around with the tubes to get your own sound[sovtek 5751 in pos 1&2 with 12ax7Lps for 3--4--5 and sovtek 6L6wxt pwr.dudes] the reverb is heaven, plus every control, push and pull switch , is just more control for your ears. at this point i really hate to bore anyone with more aculades on this amp , but anyone looking for a built like a brick s/h versatile, powerful amp you really don't have to go through all i went through.just try one and give it some of your time-- and speaking of time , damn Paul i'm sorry it took so long to write this review,but i was busy tryin other amps [perfection is a pain, call Paul he'll tell ya]

guitars used beat up old strat, homemade tele and at times a martin.

kicked the snot outa this thing for six years and not even a hicup. in subzero midwest weather and the summer heat in the back of a blazer, never a problem. the only problem was me........

i talked so many times with paul and his son. just two of nicest and most helpful people you'll ever meet--God bless

Its all been said

This amp is nothing short of amazing! You can coax quite a range of useable tones , but where it really shines is playing live,it has me playing inspired and I have my own sound. It is very sensitve to tube changes . I use KT-66's which this amp seems to really like.

I carry tubes and a back-up amp. Rivera gear is way overbuilt. I dont worry like I did when I used old Marshalls and Fenders.

You can call them and talk to a real person I think there great!

This is the day and age to be a player. There is so much good stuff coming out. Rivera is my choice they have ears and seem to understand "amp-feel" Playing live is for me the true test,and this is where my Rivera really stands out. I recently borrowed a amp for a rehearsal My band and I could not believe how different we sounded.I was so glad to get back on my rig. Bottom line is this rig makes me sound alot better than I really am,

Made in 1999...Wow, what a versatile amp!! Features are covered in previous reviews... This amp rocks, period! Plenty of power. Very loud for 50 Watts.Flip the Modern/Vintage switch to Vintage mode and the amp quiets down for practice and gets even sweeter-sounding. This amp will cover country-blues-classic rock and beyond...

All I can say is...THIS AMP HAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST SOUND THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD.Most combo amps that have an open-back design are ususally lacking in the "bottom end" department. Not this amp, it rattles the windows in the house with the master volume at 2! The Quiana is the perfect choice for a guitar player who does not want to lug around a 4x12 and head to every practice or gig.I have played Carvin Legacy,Peavey Classic 50,Marshall JMP,Soldano ROS-50 and other combos and none of them sound as huge as the Quiana, end-of-story!! The distortion is fantastic...heavy and warm sounding! The clean channel is good as any I have heard. The Ninja feature and the boost feature for channel 1 are a fantastic feature.

Never had a problem.

Never had to call.Just purchased it.

I have been playing seriously for about 20 years and have played/owned many amps and I have finally found the perfect sound for me.If it was lost or stolen, I would definately buy another one.If you have never tried a Rivera amp...find one and play through it...you will not be disappointed unless you are deaf,stupid or are a solid state idiot!

Lots of features, I don't use most of them. Can't imagine what else you would want after 4 years of use I have never seen a situation that the amp was not able to shine in. This is a full featured amp and only lacks adjustable levels of boost for the Ninja channels to be near perfect.

Still sounds great! I have replaced the power tubes with NOS GE 6L6's and played with some NOS pre-amp tubes but it's pretty well voiced as a package and I didn't want to change the sound radically like some owneres have done. I have developed a greater respect for the tone controls over the last 4 years and if you can't get a really great one out of this amp you aren't really trying. Patience and small moves of the knobs is the secret.

Bullet Proof! hundreds of gigs since 1999 and NO Failures!

Paul is pretty cool if you really need help, I haven't had anything go wrong so we haven't had a lot to talk about. They will not do the adjustable boost mod for free so don't ask.

This is a follow up to a review that I submitted in november of 1999. The amp has seen a great deal of use both at home and on location and has never failed to get the job done. This amp is a really great product and I couldn't be happier. It is only through seeking out custom products that I have found anything that sounds better and thats not by much and not nearly as versatile. The only thing that needs to be changed is the Ninja boost needs to be adjustable! Other than that this is a great amp and should serve anyone but a metalhead pretty well.

2001 Ruby Red amp which is very beautiful and also very heavy (70+ Lbs. yikes). Two Celestion Vintage 30s and two seperate channels with their own independant eq. Both channels share reverb, focus and presence. And effects loop with adjustable send and return levels. Top of amp control knobs like the old amps, but with the levles and knobs turned around so you can adjust them while you're playing in front of the amp. The cabinet is a multiple layered plywood with an extra-deep body for increased warmth and bass response. Also the cabinet is open-backed. This amp comes with the R-7 foot controller with boost buttons for each channel.

This is a gorgeous amp. For cosmetic appearance, there is some functionality sacrified. For one, I'm glad Rivera made the channel board more user friendly, but with the thicker cabinet (14") you really have to stretch to tweak. Not a huge deal and definitley not as big a deal as having to learn new yogo methods to adjust your effects loop controls. Located in the back and south of the border, you have to get behind your amp to adjust which is not all that convenient. But, once you have these levels set, you shouldn't have to adjust all that much. The power tubes (2 6L6s) are easy to get to, but the pre-amp tubes are inside the amp and require taking the back panel off to get to which is not so easy to get to. The design protects the tubes and pre-amp tubes usually last much longer than power tubes, but when the time comes, it's kind of a pain.

With some minor short commings in ergonomics, it makes up for it in its very traditional Rivera-Rich functions, buttons, bells and whistles. I wish the boost levels were adjustable and albeit expensive, having seperate reverb, presence and focus controls with each channel would be great.

I had a Koch Twintone before this. The Koch was cool, well it was cool at first, but I found it to be a one-trick wonder. I hated the clean sound as it was very harsh and brittle and never used my compressor because the sound at any level was very compressed. Also, Koch made a mistake with the 90-watt Jensen in place of the Vintage 30. I think they did this to provide more clean head-room and to sell more amps (hey, we've got a unique amp with a custom speaker).......Well, bullshit. I'd take a tried and true speaker over some damn Jensen that takes 3 years to break in. The Koch was nice, but it definitely wasn't as feature rich and versatile as other expensive amps, which is why I turned to the Rivera.

Now for the sound: Very warm and extremely tweakable. I don't know what one of the reviewers below had a complaint with, because I get plenty of versatility from this amp. The two 12s are fantastic and really spread the sound around the room. More than enough power and headroom to rattle glass windows and enough distortion on channel one to give you any style of gain you want. Though not quite as versatile in the distortion channel as the Fandango or the Knucklehead with it's scooped mids option, I find all the distortion I care to use. I don't play "Nu-Metal", so I could care less about sounding like Korn. I doubt somebody wanting a Nu-Metal sound will want to buy a vintage looking amp anyway, so if you do and then complain about the sound, then that's your fault.

Anyway, it's the clean channel that provides the most versatility on this amp. Adjustable bright switch on the trebel and a mid-cut switch give me a variety of tweed and blackface sounds as this amp was advertised. This is a nice surprise having had a Trace Elliot Speed Twin with a great overdrive channel and crummy clean channel and then having a blackfaced bassman with no mid-range leaving me to try about every overdrive in the book with limited success. The clean goes from very clean to just breaking up via use of the boost switch. Playing live isn't so bad, but there is a significan spike in volume, so if you're playing at a dinner party, you probably won't want to kick it into boost mode or one of the guest might have a heart attack. For a quieter clean to drive, you can just adjust your lead channel and there you go. For loud clubs, the boost will punch you over the rhythm section, so life is good.

I particularly like the Vintage 30s. I really haven't had a bad Celestion speaker. I think they are the best guitar amp speakers for the money today. Yeah yeah yeah, Webers are great as are other ones, but for production amplifiers and overall versatility out of the box, the Celestions are winners. At least for my ears, they sound great.

About the only thing I have some trouble with is going from drive to clean. I like having the focus (acoustic presence) control pulled to warm on clean which sounds great. On drive, less focus is needed to get a more trebly cutting through sound. And without having independent control with either channel for this function, I find the sound suffers some in live situations. Bedroom playing or playing on one channel only is not a problem and compaired to the Koch, I'm just happy to have more tweakability on the clean channel. The reverb is also very very good. This one can actually be used above 4 without sounding like a Martian invasion.

I have yet to hear or play a Rivera that sounds bad and this amp is no exception.

Had to change the tubes upon arrival, but other than that the damn thing is built like a tank. I think the guy that sold it to me thought something was more seriously wrong with the amp, but a quick tube change and re-biasing and it's a new amp. Given the placement of the pre-amp tubes, I don't think they are vulnerable to impact damage. Althouth, the grille for heat escape is directly above them and one accidental spill or water, pepsi or beer and I could be in some serious trouble. Also, the large 6L6s just dangle from the back of the amp just asking for someone to slam them into something. This isn't uncommon with any tube amp, but one feature where Koch scored a home run was putting a steel grille in front of the tubes to protect your hands from being burned and to also protect the tubes while in transit to your gig, or wherever. I know the screen could slow tube change down, but come on....You're not going to change tubes that often and a little protection for an expensive amp isn't a bad thing.

Still, this amp is built "Ford Tough", weighs a small ton and sticks its middle finger at the smaller, lesser-constructed cabinets being used on Fender and Marshall amps.

I've never had to use them, but the store I buy my guitars from sells Riveras exclusively here in Nashville and one of the salespersons will call Paul and talk to him on the phone while I'm at the store. I hear he's a personable as your next door neighbor and really is committed to quality and customer satisfaction.

Not usually commenting without prior experience, I've seen and heard enough in real life from other folks to know these guys are top notch.

Yep, used and a tube change needed upon arrival, but if you've seen the prices of Rivera amps lately, I feel I did pretty well. Rivera recently raised their dealer net prices and as a result, stores are selling them at list. It's true Rivera amps have a pretty conservative MSRP, but to the average Joe consumer in a world where people usually give you at least 10% off list, I'm not sure this was such a good idea. I know the cost of labor and materials continues to go up, but I wonder if they do at the rate of increase many larger manufactures are putting on their prices. The amerian way dictates a lot of this where you get people hooked and then inflate the price, but in a time where people are losing their jobs and money is tight, some people may become alienated and bitter. I wasn't turned off from Rivera amps, but I certainly didn't consider a new one when I saw the price of the same amp jump nearly $300.00 These kinds of strategies can sometimes hurt companies and it opens the doors for other companies to break into the market and offer quality at a lesser price. Gibson and Fender are finally starting to piss people, like me, off to the point where Heritage, Hamer, G&L and others makers of musical merchandise make sense. I mean, you get better quality and pay lesser price. Resale? Well, when a company has 30 billion freaking guitars and amps out there, you're not really playing anything significantly unique. And, to point out, if you pay $2,000.00 on a new Les Paul, you will probably turn around and sell it for $1,200-$1,300. If you pay $1,100 for a new Heritage, you will sell it for $700-$800. You tell me about resale pelase? So, while the stock market crumbles and people use what money the've salvaged on expensive instruments and amps, so will the tide change, and you'll see people alienated by high prices turning to something else. And that helps ebay (which manufactures hate) and it helps smaller companies trying to make a niche in the market. Especially if quality starts to suffer due to the high quota demands put on by some manufactures. I don't think Riveras quality has started to suffer, but I do know they are making a lot more amps than they used to. And, I somewhat have a bit of a problem with companies charging point to point wiring prices on circuit board, production line amplifiers. The same concept goes for charging hand-made prices on guitars when computers and machines do all the work. Even Fender knows when to draw the line here.

Anyway, I aplologize for my rant. I did intend to fairly review this amp for those interested in considering a Quiana. My recommendation is this: If you like the look and feel of the amp, it's very nice. It's dependable, very good looking and sounds great. Tonally it's very versatile and while there are a few adjustments that would turn this very good amp into a no-holds-barred great amp, it's a good investment to make. I'm not crazy about their recent pricing strategies, but a used on in good condition will serve you well. As far as the 6L6/EL-34 argument, I've had both and as long as the amp is well made, I don't notice a huge difference. Paul Rivera knows how to make an EL-34 sound like the cleanest Fender and he's done the turn around on the 6L6 giving it plenty of meat and warmth with distortion.

Overall, this amp is a winner.

Don't get me wrong. This is an awesome amp. Especially used and in good condition, it's a damn good deal. New, I can't aruge it's too expensive, because the price of a good guitar (or a pervcieved good guitar) is in the same range, and I do believe amp first, guitar second. I mean, if your sound is bad, then what have you got? I just don't like the sense that people get greedy and spike the price of something up 10% overnight.

If you check the reviews below you will see all the features for this amp listed. No need to rehash.

The only feature it does not have and should come stock with is an adjustable boost level for both channels.

This particular one I have has the factory boost modification done and it is a God send. The Ninja Boost is just too loud! Someone below says it's great for kicking in on the clean solo but it's too loud even in a live full band outside gig as well. The boost on the overdrive channel is perfect now too!

I play in a rock and roll band that plays material spanning five decades, some funk, dance music and alternative styles. This amp for me seems to cover all the styles very well with very minor adjustments in EQ or amounts of gain needed for a particular song.

I currently use a Cort Matt "Guitar" Murphy signature model guitar equipped with the stock Mighty Might humbucker pickups and a Michael Kelly double cutaway that is stack as well. The amp seems to be very quiet on all settings except, like all tube amps, when you increase the gain to higher levels. Some who have done reviews say this amp can't get the newer rock overdrive sounds but in my opinion I believe they are wrong. We play tunes by Linkin Park, Puddle Of Mudd, Nickelback, Alice in Chains and many others and the Quiana handles them all with more ease and style than many of the other amps I have used. The clean channel is very clean and stays that way until you increase your attack on the strings and breaks up very nicely. As for effects I only use a Boss CE-2 Chorus and the rest comes from the amp.

This amp was produced ind 2001 and I am the second owner. I have been playing through it now for a little over a year. The first owner gigged with it constantly and I do six to eight gigs a month with it as well. I do not use a backup but always have extra tubes for the preamp and power section. It has been a very reliable workhorse and will probably outlast even the roaches after a nuclear holocaust!

I had contacted Rivera many times with questions regarding thier products when I was in the market to downsize from a Mesa Boogie Mark III full stack. I just wasn't gigging or traveling as much any more and wanted something with similiar features, versatility and less power for the smaller venues I am currently doing. Besides, put a mic in front of this and you have just as big a sound anyway.

The Rivera staff were always cheerful, helpful and would find the answer to my questions and give a call back if the answer wasn't readily available. I have spoken to Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. who of course were able to answer any and all the questions about specifications and were great about it as I am a stickler for detail.

Overall, even for the price of one new I believe it to be a steal considering the features and versatility!

As for other gear I own I will not include here as I will only include the items I use to play live.

I have been playing guitar for 27 years now and have not come accross any other amp that has the features and sound quality of this fine instrument (Except for the aformentioned Mesa/Boogie Mark III).

If this amp were stolen or lost(?), I would not cry but I might be a bit angry. I would then run, not walk to the nearest place to purchase another one immediately.

Let me give you one bit of advice here though. If you gig at all or constantly get a rider on you home owners or renters insurance to cover your music gear! It is not covered unless you have a business rider!

I have played through many an amplifier including just about any name you can come up with, production and boutique, nothing comes close to what this amp offers!

Bravo Mister Rivera!

I've waited quite a while to write this review, and I've had plenty of time to get really acquainted with this amp. This amp is by far the best amp I've ever owned........bar none. I'm not sure what year this amp was made, but I'm assuming fairly recently. The Quiana is a strong, loud 55 watts, and has the advantage of going between modern/vintage settings which brings the amp down to 25 watts and changes the harmonics and tone a bit. It is outfitted with a pair of Celestion Vintage 30's. It has an excellent effects loop with both send and return levels. I use pedals and these work excellent through the loop. I can't comment on rack gear.
The Quiana is set up with two channels. The first is your "Marshall" channel the second is the "Fender" channel.
Each channel has a boost feature that not only boosts levels, but also changes the harmonics somewhat. The Quiana also sports an EXCELLENT Accutronics 6-spring reverb, a presence and focus control, and different pull boosts on each channel.
My amp is finished in a burgundy tolex with wheat grill cloth. The build quality is second to none.

At this point, I am playing my Quiana with two Hamer USA Studio's a Hamer USA Mirage II and a Hamer USA Standard.
All of the guitars are outfitted with Seymour Duncan JB and '59 pickups with the exception of one Studio that has a Rio Grande BBQ 'Bucker installed in the bridge position.
This amp suits my classic rock and clean styles PERFECTLY.
It won't do extreme heavy metal or nu-metal, but everything else it can and will excell at. The Quiana seems to have quite a bit of bottom end for an open back combo. The depth of the Quiana is much deeper than most standard combo's...........adding to the low end. The Quiana is very quiet, unless you are using high gain settings or high reverb settings (naturally).

I think that within the context of what the Quiana was designed to do, it's very hard to find a more versatile amp. This amp wasn't designed for EXTREMELY heavy music.........it's geared more toward classic rock, hard rock and early metal tones. This amp will nail most any tones within a range as diverse as old Beatles and Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath. The gain can be dialed in to have a very vicious, aggressive tone which I absolutely love.
This amp wants to be turned up LOUD. If you crank the mids up to around 5 or 6...........the Quiana will get some of the most musical feedback one could ever hope for. This is especially prevalent on the vintage setting (25 watts). I find that the vintage setting seems to make the tone smooth like butter.
The clean channel is the best I've ever heard. Period. I have never heard a better Fender. The clean has quite a bit of headroom, but can be dialed in to get some earlier breakup. If you turn the gain up on the clean channel, you can get some Fender-like power tube crunch going. The clean channel has a pull bright and a mid-notch which pulls the tone from a tweed setting to a blackface setting. I like my mid-notch pushed in and bright pulled out. I tend to leave the "Ninja" boost engaged all the time. In fact, I like to leave the "Lead" boost engaged as well, as I've heard from many folks that this is the secret to getting the best tones out of a Rivera. I've heard people say that without the boosts engaged, the signal is actually padded to a degree. I can't verify that, but I do like the character that the channels take when the boosts are engaged........so that's where I leave them. I use a Maxon OD808 for a lead boost when needed.
The Quiana also has a Focus control (that works much like a speaker dampener) and a Presence control for dialing in the final bit of high end. The Focus control also has a pull "Warm" feature that is cool.........especially if you are shooting for a warm vintage tone.
I can't even begin to describe how lovely the reverb sounds in this amp. It is AWESOME. I absolutely love the reverb.

Since I've been using the Quiana, I have changed my whole philosophy of what I need to play live. I used to feel that the only way I could get good tone was to have a 100 watt head and 412 behind me. That is so wrong. The Quiana is a dream to play live with a band. Using a good SM57 and a 4000 watt PA and this thing sounds like THUNDER. At gigging volumes, the amp is just the right power to really start cooking. It sounds great.

I have to admit that I've been thinking about adding the matching Los Lobottom cab for a little extra low-end thump. That would be really cool.

I've also hooked this up to my 412 cab (Mesa Road Ready 412), and it just didn't sound right to me. I'm not sure if this was the cab's fault or the amp.............but the Quiana just sounds best using it's own speakers. My Mesa cab tends to sound a bit bright and harsh with some amps.

I believe that I can depend fully on this amp. I don't have a warranty. I bought this used. As with all tube amps, a certain amount of respect needs to be given toward the amp. This is a major purchase...........so take care of it. Tubes fail, so carry spares. Also, Rivera's tend to be very finicky about the pre-amp tubes that you use. I had to go through a couple different tubes for the V1 setting before I was truly happy. I would assume that NOS tubes would make a huge impression here. As far as build quality........no one comes close. Rivera even uses machine screws and inserts to hold their cabinets together. Everyone else uses plain old wood screws.

I sent an e-mail to Rivera, asking questions about pre-amp tubes. Tom Steubing promptly sent me some recommendations that worked. What else can I say ??? Excellent support in my book.

I really love this amp. I've been playing for over 20 years, and I've went through a TON of gear. Every single time I get an amp, within weeks, little things about them start to bother me. I've been in EQ hell many times with other amps. Not this one. Generally, unless I'm looking for a different tone........I just plug in and play. That says a lot about this amp. I don't mess with the EQ settings, unless I feel like tinkering.
It's been over 8 months with the Quiana..........and I still feel like it's the best amp I've ever had. I will never sell it.

Bought mine in 2001. I play Roots Rock and some Jazz and the Quiana is well suited for both, it is a 50watt, 2x12, all tube amp with two independent channels: channel one is dirty(Marshall voiced) and channel two is a clean (Fender voiced) channel.
As for features: Can be run in 50watt or 25watt modes, Acutronics reverb, presence, mid-notch (allows you to get the mid notch of a blackfaced Fender amp when activated), bright switch, celestion V30's(stock), and Birch plywood construction. I use it for gigs and at home.
The Quiana also has what is called a Ninja boost. This is a volume boost for soloing that is non-adjustable. This boost is extremly loud and better suited for larger venues as apposed to the local tavern. Rivera offers a mod to make the Ninja boost adjustable at an extra cost. I think this really ought to be a stock feature so I'm giving it a 9 instead of a 10 in regard to features.

This amp sounds fantasic! I use mainly Telecasters and a Les Paul or Strat every now and then. This amp works equally well with single coil pup or humbuckers although a little e.q. adjusting is needed when switching from a Tele to a Les Paul.
The payoff with this amp are the two independently voiced channels. Channel one go's everywhere from lightly overdriven to a true to life Eric Clapton/Cream type Marshall tone.
Channel two out Fenders a Fender for pure clean tones and breaks up nicely when pushed at upper volumes. This channel stays amazingly clean at loud volumes and will break up depending on how hard you play. The Acutronics reverb is excellent sounding and really compliments this channel.
It's nice to get two totally different sounds at the click of a switch when gigging even after a year I'm still impressed. This is truly two amps in one and well worth the money in my opinion. I give it a 9 plus!

Had it for a year and have'nt had any problems.

I called once regarding the Ninja boost modification and spoke to Paul Rivera. Nice guy and very helpful, although I really think the boost adjustment should be a stock feature!

Been playing 25 years. Although I have always had sweet guitars I've never had a killer amp until now. Tried an Ampeg RI, Boogie Subway Blues, Music Man, Peavey Bandit... Some of these are pretty good but none compare to the Rivera. The only amp that comes close is my 1965 Fender Princeton Reverb, fantastic amp but at 17watts it's not practical for most gigs.
This is something I will never get rid of and my only complaint with my Quiana is the non-adjustable Ninja boost.

Made in 2000 bought in 2001. Came stock with two celestion V30's. I play Roots Rock, Blues, and some Jazz, this amp works for all of em. This is a two channel amp - one channel is voiced for Fender tones the other for Marshall bluesbreaker type tones. It has every feature I would ever need: two great sounding switchable channels, acutronics reverb, presence, bright switch, mid boost... However, there is a fixed volume boost called a Ninja boost, it is more usefull for larger venues than say the local tavern because it is a very loud boost - there is a mod available from Rivera to make the Ninja boost adjustable but it costs extra. If this had been a stock option I would have given the Quiana a 10 in the feature dept.

I use a Tele,a Les Paul, and a Strat. All sound better than I have ever heard them sound with the Quiana, period! Nothing gets a 10 from me in this category because no musical instrument or amp is perfect.

No problems as of yet

never had any reason to contact Rivera

I like this amp when it is cranked into distortion, but not at lower volumes. it seesm to sound "honky" and I havent been able to get a glassy fender tone yet."close , but no cigar". my girlfriend says she cant stand to listen to it as it irritates her, but loves the sound of my 68 super reverb fender and I have to agree..I thin I will try different speakers and 12 ax 7 tubes..

blues and rock...I do like the complexity of tone when distorted as it stays focused.. how ever it get "farty" with the bass control on ovee a 3 setting, which sounds awful.it is too hard and honky with the mid control turned on to any degree

power tubes went out in 2 months...they replaced them,...as they should . the amp is very well built

Im not sure what needs to be done to smooth out the "rat noise" it seems to get screechy when over driven in channel 2..I might try NOS tubes...

The features have been described very well bellow.What else do you really need from an amp?

This is one of the SMOOTHEST all around amps I have ever played.I also own a 68 sf twin a 65 bf super and a 70's plexi Marshall plus 2 Peavey Classic 50 212's.All of them sound great but this RIVERA is the only amp I have ever heard with so much versatility AND personality.It is also the smoothest sounding amp I have ever played a tele through,finally I can turn the treble on the bridge pup without killing all the cats in the block!The reverb sounds fantastic (better than my 68 twin!) and both channels can cover pretty much everything.What I really like in this amp is that although it is a modern amp it sounds very warm and vintage (no Boogie "plastic sound" here thank you!).

This is the best built amp I have ever seen.Period

I e-mailed Paul Rivera from Greece where I live.He responded within 2 hours!!!enough said

This is the last amp I will ever buy.It is loud,sounds great,looks even better and is REALLY versatile.The price may be a bit steep but it is the first time that I TOTALLY justify it.I think this amp will become a future classic.Once again I'll say that is full of PERSONALITY.

Two channel, Fifty-five watt 2X12 combo. Ch. 1 is a "British" voiced channel, and Ch. 2 "American" (read Marshall/Fender). Each channel has it's own 3-band EQ. and a footswitchable boost. Other tone shaping features include a pull/ mid-notch control on ch. 2, pentode/triode switch (for cutting the wattage and and emphasizing the even harmonics), speaker damping control (Focus), presence control and a pull/bright switch. High and low gain inputs, a very usable effects loop and a sweet sounding Hammond reverb unit round out the list of features. All housed in a rock-solid deep cabinet covered in Burgundy tolex. Speakers are Celestion Vintage 30s.

Unless you are looking for the ultimate Death-Metal tone, or the latest amp modeling wonder, this amp should suit all your tone needs. I would also NOT recommend this amp if you are looking for something to play in your bedroom (TOO LOUD). But if you play music somewhere on the jazz, country, rock and blues spectrum, this amp should have you covered for most any gig. Virtually every sound from this amp is warm and detailed and very rich sounding. Each channel has a unique take on it's respective role model. This is a very responsive amp, allowing you a great range of picking dynamics. It does seem to favor single coil pups, but I have been able to get great results with humbuckers also. Although it is not a super high-gain amp, there is plenty of gain on tap for most purposes. The Tone/Dollar ratio is one of the best of any amp in it's price range (and better than many more expensive amps).

About as rugged a tube amp as you can buy. Of course the real test is the test of time... No problems here yet (knock wood).

Have not had to have the amp serviced, but have called with various questions. Very helpful and friendly service.

I have been playing for over 25 years and this amp is one of the finest pieces of equipment I have owned. It is quite heavy, but that is the nature of the 2X12 combo beast. A number of amps promise the best of both clean and crunchy. This one goes from twang to singing sustain with authority and class. Welcome additions would be a tremolo unit and an adjustment for the boost function. At anything less than stage volumes, the boost can be a bit extreme, but it adds a wonderful character and range of harmonics to the sound, so a way to tame it would be nice. This amp has made a Rivera fanatic out of me. As close to an overall 10 as I've gotten.

This amp is one of the most versatile I have ever played. You can get a fender clean to a totally nasty distortion. And the Ninja Boost on the clean channel is awesome.

I am playing a fender strat plus & a PRS McCarty. This amp delivers with both ends of the spectrum. I love being able to clip the mids and add highs on the clean channel this lets you realy control the tone.

I have owned a couple of Rivera's. Never had a problem. This amp is built like a tank.

I have never had to deal with them.

This amp is very versatile. You can gig with it and hit every song without adding overdrive boxes. I use a delay and that is it. This is the best Rivera I have ever owned. It is a keeper!!

I've been looking for a good amp for about 1 year and I've tried everything (Bogner, Top Hat, Mesa, Narshall, Fender, Budda, Demeter Randall, Johnson, Line 6, Yamaha and on and on). I carried my Gibson Historic Les Paul with me every where and I asked all of my industry friends if I could play for a while through there amps and most agreed. The problem is each amp did one or two things well, but if you plan on truly discovering the range and styles of the guitar then you need an amp that can take you there without effects. I finally decided on the Rivera based on a recommendation from a friend who had 2. When I finally received it I loved its look and solid (heavy) feel. But I didn't like the setup of the knobs on top. I use a few pedals and I like amps like Johnson, Yamaha and Line 6 amps that let you completely reconfigure the whole sound in an instant that way I don't have to do the jig to get all my pedals and channels right. I'm 24 and I play with a few different groups doing all originals (including Metal, Alt, Funk, Blues, and Jazz sometimes) and this amp has enought power to do all but not the right sound, see below.

This amp was pretty steep, I paid $1,200 and found that its a one trick pony. If only someone can put together the ease of a Hybrid amp like Johnson or Yamaha DG series into a worthy all tube amp. Johnson comes close with its 2 tubes in the preamp section but I would easily pay $4,000 for an amp with switchable tubes (6L6, EL34, 12ax7, rectifier) in one amp with digital ease. The Quiana is good but it does just one or two things well. When I received it I pulled out all my guitars, vintage strats, Les Pauls, PRS, Gibson hollow bodies, and even my Taylor acoustic, to see if it really kicked me in the a#^. But it didn't. In order for me to get the sound I want across all my gigs I have to reset everything by hand, and have a hundred pedals, and set those by hand too. For the amount I paid, its ok but if you have to sell any of your favorite guitars to get this, DON'T DO IT. I'm sure someone will come up with something soon, they can't deny the marriage of the two technologies.

This thing is solid, except for the tubes. I had to check them every so often. The cabinet is really well done.

I had heard Rivera was great with customers, and when my tubes went out he sent me a few the next day, pretty sweet, I guess that where the money went (sarcasm).

I've been playing since my dad bought me my first guitar at 6 years old. I have a few things I really like and I've noticed that everyone is looking for pretty much the same thing but wrapped differently. Great tone and feel. Advertising really pushes people into making bad decisions. I already have 2 amps (Fender, and Bogner) But I want one amp that does everything!!!!! I don't want to carry two amps!!!! somebody do something!!!!!

Made in January, 2000. I can't improve on the detailed postings before mine, so I will simply say that for my style, blues/rock with jazz/improv leanings, this amp is fantastic, now that I have modified it to suit my particular tastes. Stock, as is, if I am rating the whole package, I have to give it an 8.

My mods:
Replaced the Celestion Vintage 30's with Weber C12CH's.

Added gain boost controls through the shop--the boost jump as set in the shop was just too much unless you are playing gonzo, balls to the wall hard rock.

Complete retube to NOS. Sovtek 12AX7's are just too harsh for my ears.

With these key tonal mods in place, the great features of this amp really shine--the vintage/modern watt switch, mid notch in channel 2, and the presence/focus/warm controls.

I completely agree with the other posters that this is a wonderfully versatile and authoritative amp. My amp tech looked at the chassis when I retubed it and he complimented it on the superb construction and components. It is a PCB board, not PTP, with a solid state rectifier, and so far, all I miss is the sag feel of a tube rectifier.

First, I want to say that I found the Vintage 30's to be very ineffective for my style of music. I need speakers that are very 3-dimensional, complex and able to handle the full tonal spectrum with just the right amount of breakup at higher volumes--I need a very musical, alive warm tone that can go from soft, breathy jazz to crotch-rocking gutsy punch and wail, and exceptional lead finesse at high volume and intensity, with all the overdrive I can find.

The V30's could get a good amount of that sound, but specific frequency/volume zones just broke up too easily, especially with Barden pickups, which are 'hotter', and a staple of my sound. I found the V30's more 2-dimensional, held back, and overall quite frustrating until pushed hard, and then half my guitars didn't really work. I was spending way too much time adjusting the EQ.

I have a 65 Deluxe Reverb RI with a Weber C12N in it right next to the Quiana at home, and I finally admitted to myself that I have always preferred the tone of that amp/speaker over the stock Quiana. At $1795, I wanted the Quiana to be the Holy Grail out the door. But it just wasn't; there are happy endings though, and the new Weber C12CH, 80-watt Weber-design speakers (based on the C12N), are EXACTLY what I was wanting. They are designed to create the "Chicago" blues sound--I tipped the tonal scale back to America/Fender and damn, is it good.

Now, this amp is so alive that I can use very guitar I have and dial in all the sounds I have been dreaming of. I want to list what I play, because it demonstrates just how versatile and good this amp is now:

-2 '94 Strats--one with Bardens, the other with Van Zandts

-3 Teles--a '94 with Bardens, a new Deluxe Nashville with Harmonic Designs, and a stock '76 with unforgiving, strident pups

-a '63 ES 330 with Gibson '57 Classics

Every guitar has a very unique EQ identity, and the Quiana can now handle all of them with great character and depth. I am very impressed. I can go from very clean Jerry Donohue/Richard Thompson finesse to full-bore Jimmy Thackery/SRV/Luther Allison very confidently. The string definition is exceptional. The amp is very quiet, very responsive to playing technique. The Quiana really is an instrument now. The gain boost mod also has made the boost a musical choice, rather than the heavy-handed punch it was before, and I use it a lot now with great results.

The distortion with the new Webers is that gut twisting, exquisite 'just to the edge' rich tone, with out losing definition. At 80 watts each, and with Ted Weber's genius creating very sensitive, efficient speakers, these beauties and the Quiana just sing, from raunch to angelic.

Finally, I use channel 2 almost exclusively. I'd like to fatten up channel 1 just a tad, though at lead-wail volumes, it is truly gorgeous.

Apart from 4 shop-installed tubes that failed, rock solid.

The shop, Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. have all been great.

I have been playing 32 years, having owned or borrowed various Fenders, Boogies, Ampegs, Carvins, Gallien-Kruegers, Marshalls, Crates, Matchless, Pignose, Line 6, Victorias and Vox. I haven't hit the K&M/Top Hat/Dr. Z/Egnator/Budda circuit yet. So far, I'll take the Quiana as modified.

I currently own the Q212, a BF'd 73 Super Reverb with original Jensen AlNiCo's, and a 65 Deluxe Reverb RI. The Q is the most versatile, by far. Great, great depth available to me as a player. I bought it off the Guitar Player review, and just gut instinct, and have had an early phase of speaker discontent. Problem solved now, and I've got one great amp.

First of all let me state that I am a guitar player that also owns a store. I am a RIVERA AUTHORIZED DEALER. I am also a G&L AUTHORIZED DEALER.My store specialises used gear and these are the only brands we carry new. I am a guitar player that owns a store not a store owner that plays guitar,and I make these comments as a guitar player. RIVERA is unaware that I am sending this. I have the choice of product I can own and I did not receive any extra discount on the amp I have over regular dealer cost. If you would like to submit me as anonymous or delete my e-mail address I have no problem with that. If you find my review biased, please feel free to discard it, but it is not meant as unfair.The price I quote in the section is what we sell it for and is not meant as a solicitation of purchasers. Brand new year 2000 Quiana 2x12 in ruby red tolex. I play a wide variety of styles including Iron Maiden/Judas Priest style metal, Sheryl Crow style pop rock and classic rock. I play a 76 Les Paul deluxe with Seymour Duncan hot mini-humbuckers, 98 G&L Legacy Special with stock single coil size mini pickups, a 64 Rickenbacker 360, a U.S. flametop Hamer slabbody, and an original 76 Gibson Firebird. This amp is so awesome I rarely adjust the controls for the different guitars, just plug them in. I also often use it with the RIVERA 1x12 300 watt subwoofer.This review is done as the amp only, no sub. It is extremely versatile and while I have read reviews that say it doesn't have enough gain for metal I can't agree even when not using the sub. It's versatility comes from the two different channels and I might add the e.q. sections have bass/mid/treb for Marshall channel (channel 1) and treb/mid/ bass for channel two(U.S. style). This is where the real flexibility shows through. Channel two also has a manually activated BRIGHT switch a la fender and a MID that switches from blackface voice to tweed voice for ultra sexy blues/country dialing.Each channel also has a footswitchable gain to boost output and slight e.q. compensation allowing for a wide range of tones at your feets easy access. Try engaging the channel one extra stage with a humbucker rear pickup, and turn your volume down low. It cleans up in an amazing way,roll your volume back up and you have power chord heaven or brutal wicked lead tone. Even at punishing gain levels there is an incredble complex definition in the notes that will blow you away.The fx loop has separate control for send/return and running my older MXR phase 100 through it will swirl you away like a tsunami wave.High/low input is useful for keeping clean tone immediately at your reach just by switching inputs. As most of the other reviews have noted the 6 spring Hammong long pan reverb is one of the most lush and cathedral sounding available. No headphone jack but if you spent your hardearned $$$ for, this buy a small amp for your living room with that feature if you need it. I don't miss it. I use the amp in small clubs and at rehearsal and yes it is heavy. Although it has side handles that are roadworthy and comfortable to list, top handles like a Vox would function better. I would also encourage installing pop-out casters to facilitate moving this amp, although for this calibre of amp they should be already on when you get it. Part of what makes it heavier is the fact that it is 12" deep, but this is an integral component in its heavenly tone,so eliminating weight is probably not an option.There is also a 1 x 12" version available.The pentode/triode switch at the back is great,I had that feature on my RIVERA RAKE head which I sold to buy this amp.It allows that desirable power tube grunt (in triode mode) when you have volume restrictions or crave a darker,creamier tone. Used in conjuction with the focus (speaker dampening) which has a push/pull feature to alter the e.q.,you can access a huge palette of output function control.I received my amp without a manual, and with a lesser amp this would not be

I should have scanned the questionaire a bit more before I started because I answered a lot of these questions earlier, but onward!!!!I have played a lot of instruments and amplifiers and why this suits my style is that it has a large range of tones that are easily dialed up but still retains its own audio logo. The best way I can describe is that it is totally responsive to picking variations and you can go from warm clean to smooth crunch just by increasing volume and/or picking attack.Because I use a large range of instruments and musical styles it's perfect because I set up the tone style ie: clean/dirty clean/chunkgrunt/meltdown then just switch instruments, usually only adjusting focus/focus push/pull.Any volume differences are adjusted by an MXR MICROAMP used in the FX loop.In regards to noise, when the gain/highgain channel is engaged and you aren't playing there is a noticeable amount of floor noise but it of course is gone when you play. When you aren't playing you would switch to the clean channel and it is silent. Even though the amp is loaded with SVETLANA 6L6 tubes the gain is even more than my Rake head which had even more than the Knucklehead 55, both loaded with EL34 power tubes. The clean sound is a fender style and by using the push/pull mid you get a wide scope of usable clean sounds that are CLEAN. You have further control over this by choosing the low gain input. Add the footswitchable NINJA feature and you increase the gain but if you keep the input gain low you maximize the sparkle and setting your volume lower than full allows you to splank the country plank. If you prefer your clean sounds slightly dirtier use either humbuckers, the high gain input or dial the input gain on the channel up higher. As I've stated earlier, I can't imagine needing more gain than using the high gain input with a humbucker,extra boost function engaged on channel one, but I'm sure someone somewhere does!!! For most players the gain is more than ample, and it has excellent articulation even then.

I have never had a reliability problem with any RIVERA product I've owned but a couple of acquaintances have had noisy power tubes upon receipt of amps.However they received a replacement quite promptly after speaking to PAUL RIVERA SR. on the phone.Quite frankly,I would NEVER play without a backup no matter who's amp I used because I am anal beyond belief but aside from my younger days when I actually did something as stupid as putting a beer ON TOP of my HIWATT head resulting in a substantial repair bill I have never needed to use a
backup. I always have spare fuses and tubes on hand, (doesn't everybody???) because of the unstable current in older or poorly wired venues,and if you can afford this amp you probably won't neglect it. However they are built very solidly and even if you did play the bad dog it would probably take a whilr for it to show in the amps performance.

I find speaking to any boutique builder whether LANE POOR, SHELDON DINGWALL, or the Repair Staff at MESA-BOOGIE, results in quality knowledgable information. RIVERA is no exception and although I find MIKE is friendlier than PAUL RIVERA,SR. the results are quick and service-oriented.Repair service centers for RIVERA (because of its smaller company size) are not as easy to find. Warranty is one year, tubes and speakers 90 days and with a product of this price I feel the warranty on the amp should be 5 years and longer than they currently are on tubes and speakers.

I have been playing about 20 years, and own the guitars listed in the first section plus a G&L ASAT JR. LIMITED EDITION, a 92 GIBSON FIREBIRD w/Bigsby trem, a 67 Gibson J-45 with EMG ACS soundhole pickup, an 82 LARRIVEE L-09 acoutic dreadnought, a ZOOM 9030 FX processor for home recording use, a WARMOTH strat with EMG tele front and rear,S in the middle and various older pedals that I collect, especially MXR. On my SKB pedalboard I plug into an MXR DYNACOMP to a DUNLOP WAH into the QUIANA. I run a MXR PHASE 100, MICROAMP and a DUNLOP ROTOVIBE in the FX LOOP.Yes I would replace it if it was missing.I am truly awed by the stunning pure tone and responsiveness of the amp,the huge lush reverb, and it looks so incedible too. I don't like the weight, but don't want to give up the tone. I think that pop-out casters should be mounted and included in the price of this or any amp that exceeds fifty pounds,especially at the price. And no manual is definitely bogus.I compared it to MESA-BOOGIE, FENDER, MARSHALL,TRACE ELLIOT and even a used MATCHLESS, but feature for dollar nothing was as great sounding with the flexibility as the RIVERA.Quite frankly, as a player who has tried many,many different products over the years I would have to say that this is the ultimate amp, even amongst other RIVERA products. Not cheap, and if you want lighter buy the new 1x12 version but 2x12 rocks and you will enjoy this amp for the rest of your playing career, no matter what style or venue you are in.I also do not like the input connector for the footswitch as it is a multi d.i.n. and if you needed it replaced,especially in a hurry it could be difficult. I would prefer the three 1/4 input style which is more industry standard. The footswitch itself is basically bulletproof with excellent switches but you can sometimes push the light down. Although it is simply a matter of going inside and pushing them out again,the problem could be soved in a more efficent manne , in line with the rest of the quality of the amp.

The Quiana is basically a vintage Fender amp on steroids. It doesn't
have a zillion controls for every possible occasion. But what it
does have does the trick. I'm a classic rock/blues player and for
this style its a perfect fit. There are two basic channels each
with its own boost capability (but no way to control the level
of boost); one a Fender-ish sound and the other a
Marshall-ish sound (as close as one can get with 6L6's).
The effects loop is a serial loop, so you cannot
set the wet/dry from the Quiana; however on the flip side, you
can put a patch cord in the FX loop and get a little more
zip/gain from the amp. There's also a Modern/Vintage (Pentode/Triode)
switch that cuts the 50 watts in half and gets a little more
sweetness... nice touch.

Warning... its a heavy combo amp, about 75 pounds.

So my rating is on versatility. If I were to rate the quality of
the features, I'd give it a 10.

The Quiana is not a modern, gain-ful amp. Its more of a vintage vibe.
But there's quite a bit of gain for classic rock and modern blues.

I have played my PRS McCarty and Les Paul (with Duncan 59's) and my
brother's late 70's Strat through the Quiana. The McCarty sounds
great through both channels, especially for blues. But for my
tastes, I added a Full-Drive to get a little more sustain.
My Les Paul is much louder through the Quiana and the Duncan's
give it a more aggressive edge; a real ballsy sound, especially in
Channel 1 with the boost engaged. I don't use the Full-Drive
engaged when I play with my LP. The Strat sounds excellent through
the Quiana. You can easily get close to a SRV/Duarte sound and
also an Eric Johnson sound by quick tweaks of the controls. The
reverb is one of the richer ones that I've heard.

Even at loud volumes, every note is articulate and clear. My drummer
announced that for the first time, he heard every note that I played,
which wasn't true when I played through other amps. Its easily
a 10.

Since I've only had it for a few months, its hard to judge.

When I first got it, I had to replaced a bad tube for the reverb
and I'm awaiting a replacement for a noisy 6L6 tube.

There was no manual with the amp; I was told that it was online
and I could download it. Not true. The manual for the Quiana
is not online. I've emailed and called Rivera several times to
get a copy. Paul Rivera emailed an incomplete manual written
in HTML (but curiously tagged a Microsoft Word file) to me but
the 'suggested settings' section was missing... so were the images.

I've been told that Paul Rivera answers email quickly, but I have
not found that to be true. I got a 2 week turnaround on the manual
via email and its been 2 weeks waiting for the replacement 6L6 tube.
I've found its easier to just call them. Warning, the contact numbers
on the warranty form are very out-of-date and incorrect.

I have been playing over 20 years and have used Marshalls, Fenders,
Boogies and Peavy. The Quiana is a great-sounding amplifier that
leans towards the vintage Fender area.

If it got ripped off, I would definitely find another one. Except
for its weight, its a great amp for my style of music.

My amp is an all tube 1999 model with 2 Celestion Vintage 30 Speakers and I am told Svetlana 6L6GC power tubes. The amp is a two channel, footswitchable design with footswitchable gain on both channels. One channel is designed to feel like a Fender and the other has a Marshall character to it. The amp has an effects loop and is switchable between a vintage and modern tube bias, which means low-power springy vs higher power more articulate, I like em both. I find the amp plenty loud enough for what I do which is Small Combo, Small Venue type work, I have never really opened the amp up other than to see what would happen (It's almost worth the hearing loss). I use all the features although its really easy to get lazy and just plug-in and play because it always sounds great. I can't think of anything I would add but it certainly is heavy, lighter would be nice.

I find the amp amazingly versatile and always very musical sounding. I spent some years and a considerable ammount of money persuing high-end home-audio systems and have developed a very critical ear for natural/musical sounding components, this particular company and more specifically this amp really does it for me. I play a variety of different styles of music from jazz to fairly hard rock and blues and find this product brings out the best in my playing, there is always a new, useful tone just one tweek away. The best I can do to describe the tone variations would be to list the areas you can effect, bass, midrange, treble, treble boost, mid notch, American (Fender) channel, British (Marshall) channel, reverb level, Speaker damping (tightness), Presence, and gain, both pre and master. You could spend a lifetime trying all the combinations and never come up with a bad one. The reverb is particularly warm, lush and usable one of the very best I have heard. I don't want to sound like an advertisement but I spent a considerable ammount of time and energy driving around and trying out different amplifiers and came close to purchasing a couple of them but for me, this particular amp has it all and is quiet to boot. I mainly use a couple of custom tele's with Lindy Fralin or Duncan Alnico II pickups and a PRS Custom 22 with dragon pickups, all sound very diferent but heavenly. Very quick and dynamic with a truely natural bloom to each note.

I do have spare tubes but I have not needed them (remember less than a year old. I have asked around and feel really good that the product will be a long term good deal. I don't gig with a backup if that says anything.

I have had several questions but the dealer was very helpful so no manufacturer contact yet, but I hear good things from other owners. My dealer is really great so I probably won't have much need for direct contact with Rivera.

I have been playing for 15 years and this is the first time I have ever been consistantly happy with my guitar amp. I auditioned Top Hat, Mesa, Matchless, Speedster, and a lot more brands but this was an obvious winner for me. All of the other products were capable (to varying degrees) of producing great tones but the Quiana was natural and very unforced sounding, just musical. I would definately buy another one of these if mine was stolen.

The Quaina 2x12 is a new model offered this year by Rivera. It?s a 55 watt combo loaded with Celestion Vintage 30?s, powered by two Ruby Tubes 6L6GC output tubes. It?s a two channel amp that?s essentially a four channel amp with volume boosts for both channels located on a very heavy-duty footswitch, along with a channel switch, as well. The first channel is a Brittish voiced ?Marshall? tonality, while the second channel is voiced ?American? for lack of a better word ?Fender? tonality. Both channels have a Bass-Mid-Treble EQ which are very responsive to the tone of the amp, as well as a Volume and Master to dial in the desired amount of distortion. For additional tone enhancement, the Quiana has both a ?Presence? knob to add in brightness in the EQ, and a ?Focus? knob to adjust the ?tightness? or ?looseness? of the speakers (think open-back vs. closed-back cabinet sounds). Also, the Focus knob can be pulled out to throw a bit more ?warmth? in the EQ for even more tone enhancement and very suitable for jazz. This amp is loaded with smart features. On the back panel, it has a MODERN/VINTAGE switch, when switched to ?Vintage? the power is cut and the harmonics are balanced to get a ?sweeter? tone. I love this switch. You can select HIGH or LOW inputs (easier to distort on ?high?, more clean headroom on ?low?). From my many amp trials, I believe Rivera?s 6-spring Hammond Long Pan Reverb is the best I?ve heard?very smooth, easy to dial in without so much useless splash as you find on a Fender. It has a Serial Effects Loop with Level controls. And this amp is beautiful. The construction is rock-solid and covered in a very classy deep burgandy ?ruby red? tolex, highlighted by a beige grill cloth. It?s very reminiscent of a Matchless in look and vibe. The cabinate is probably the deepest 2x12 I?ve seen recently, which I think contributes to the warm tone. This thing is heavy. Put your chin-strap on when you road it around. This is not an amp for metal or Shred, so I feel the 55 watts with Volume Boosts is the perfect power combo for clubs or large halls. The Quiana is gorgeous, loaded with features, and if you can?t find a tone with this amp, maybe you should grab an acoustic, go to a coffee house and do old Dylan covers.

While I find the features of the Quiana extremely versitile, I find the tone to be stunning. I primarily use a Don Grosh Retro with Lindy Fralin single coils, and a Tom Anderson Hollow-T Classic with stacked humbuckers. Both guitars sound pristine through this amp. There?s too much variety of sounds not to get what you want. All good. The ?Brit? channel has a realy nice grit to it with nice sustain and can really get dirty when you hit the boost. The ?Fender? side is a perfect combination of clean and warm. All the sound of a vintage tweed without the sizzle on the high-end. I find Rivera amps to have a certain ?tightness? or compression to the tone, which I find very pleasing. The distortion is extremely smooth and very ?musical?. I can?t say enough good things about this amp. I will preface this review by saying after drumming professionally for over twenty years, I have been a full-time guitarist for the past five. One thing I?ve always prided myself on was understanding quality tone in a musical environment. I?ve played alongside many great musicians and have developed a keen ear for tone in a live music setting, and for me Rivera amps have a beautifully musical tone. And the biggest plus is how extremely quite it is.

I?ve had this amp only a short time, but feel very confident in Rivera quality.

When you e-mail Rivera, Paul Rivera replys. Enough said.

I?ve tried every Fender (too noisy), Dr. Z, Matchless, Bogner, Groove Tubes, Marshall, and many others. For me I find Rivera to be the most musical tone of all the high-end amps. I also have a Rivera Jake Studio Combo and have nothing but 10?s to give it despite a couple sets of bad tubes. For guitar players who think of themselves as ?musicians? first and foremost, I think the Quiana is an absolute must for a trial run. I think as soon as you see it, feel the vibe and plug in, it?ll be a done deal.