Rivera Rake Custom 100 Watt Head

This is a Rivera Rake 100w Custom head that Paul,Jay graydon and myself designed. The head was made in 2002 I had to have a head that would give me tones live and in the studio I had tried rake 55 which is a cool amp but it was lacking in the head room for the clean channel the Rake 55 is very cool for Over Drive tones. I got toghter with Paul and Jay and we came up with a killer head. The tones are Clean Fender Twin/Dumble, The Clean boost is like a Fender Deluxe/Dumble, The Over drive /Channel 2 is voiced Dumble OD 50 think Robben Ford, This also Has a boost this is gets From Dumble OD 50 to Marshall JCM 800 all channels can clean up by rolling off gtr vol. The effect Loop is soild state with Send and Return Vol controls very good effect loop for soild state, Vol. Control Pots for the Clean and Over drive Boosts I found that on the Rake 55 that when you kick in the boosts it was way over powering the Clean and Lead. Also the boosts would red line rack effects with the Vol control pots this takes care of Boost problem and also adds more tones to the amp. I recomend this mod be done on Pauls amps that have this problem Paul is very busy but if you call and tell you want this mod I would think he would do it for a small fee. The head has a Modern/Vintage switch NOTE: ALWAY TURN ALL PAULS AMPS ON STAND BY WHEN SWITCHING FROM MODERN TO VINTAGE if you don't do this you will blow diods in the amps! This amp has no verb instead it has a Focus and Presance the reason it has no verb is that I use rack gear.
I have read Reviews that player wish that there was a reverb on/off to switch the verb in and out I belive that since Jay never uses verb that the verb was added when in production and that's why no foot switch. The one thing I wish I added on the Rake 100W was an effect loop on/off this way the player could go from dry to wet/effects. All and all this head is killer! I use this amp Live and in studio it louder than any marshall I have ever owned I have owned many. The Rake 100w is an all tube head I use Groove Tube 6L6-GE which are killer! and Grove Tube MPI 12aX7 in V1,V2,V5 and Groove tube R3 in V3and V4 if the player would like to do this in the Rake 55 or Paul other amps preamp sockets are as such you start from the input jacks: V1 is closest to the input jack and then count up like so V2,V3,V4,V5 NOTE! Were talking about preamp tubes not Power tubes! You can change preamp tube with out bias NOTE! Always unplug you amp before changing tube! For power Tubes go to a good tech and have the Groove Tube 6L6-GE biased and 45 mill volts. for 6L6 ONLY! This combo of tubes are killer in Pauls amps! Also Paul uses felt in the preamp tube covers this is so the tube will stay tight the felt is not needed what happens is that the felt over heats the preamp tube no life for the tubes.
http://www.groovetubes.com/tubes.cfm
http://www.rivera.com/

I use an Tom Anderson 1996 Drop Top with John Suhr V60 pick ups in the neck and middle position and a Duncan 59 in the Bridge killer combo! PRS McCarty with Duncan Pearly gates in Neck and Bridge. I have owned: Bob Bradshaw/CAE 3+se preamp,Mesa 2:90 PWR amps,Mesa
Mark III head when there were not production models,Marshall JCM 800,Plexi marshalls that have been moded,900, Fenders that have been moded,FenderTwins,Deluxe,Laney,Ampeg,Egnator. Blows them all away! I play county, Rock,Jazz,Fusion,Blues and 80's metal the rake 100w is killer for all these styles. The Rake 100 is very quite of corse any amps that are set to 10,11,12 will make noise the rake head goes to ten and is for the most part low noise. This is my set up: Rake head through Marshall 4X12 loaded with (2)weber 60 watt chichago's and (2) Weber 60 Watt Thames I have also used Marshall 4X12 loaded with Celetion 75 and V30 all sound killer with this head I like the Webers for my style the best. I use this set up Dry no effects. Rack: Furman PL-8 pwr supply,Bob Bradshaw/CAE mini mixer,Carvin DCM-1000 Pwr amp for effects only TC electronic D-Two and G-Force run these units 100% wet my cabs for effects only are Rivera 2X12 loaded with Weber 60W Chicago's and Vincenzo 2X12 Loaded with (1) Weber thame and V30 I have also used Celetion 75's and V30 loaded in 2X12 cabs also sound very good like I said I use Weber they sound killer! after the DCM there is a rack drawer: Keeyle Compressor,Analog Man Juicer Killer! Voodoo Lab Micro-Vibe,Arion Chorus,Frantone peach fuzz, Bob Bradshaw/CAE Interface,Bob Bradshaw 2X4 switcher. Pedal board:Bob Bradshaw/CAE RS-10,(2) Boos FV300L Vol pedals control the TC D-Two Dely and G-Force vol,Boss 100 guitar vol. ped no longer made use this through the effect loop of the Rake 100 this gives me constent tone and any vol I use Gtr vol to clean up the amp and diff tones,Boss TU-2 Tuner,Vox Wah moded by Bob Bradshaw/CAE.
http://www.customaudioelectronics.com/
http://www.analogman.com/rossmod.htm
http://www.robertkeeley.com/Audiokt88/okguitar.html
http://www.suhrguitars.com/
http://www.webervst.com/hps.html

I have never had a problem with the Rake 100w I have sold all my other amps and only use the Rivera Rake 100w it built like a tank and if any thing ever happen Paul Rivera and staff are very cool all I would have to do is send it to them to be worked on. Every tube amp will need tubes if run hard pwr tubes every 6 mo. I have never had this prob with the Rake 100w I cange the tubes that were stock do to I Don't care for EL34 tone but that's just me If you dig El34 Sieman El34 are killer in this head and the Rake 55w you can get these at the tube store.
http://www.thetubestore.com/index.html

I have know paul now for 3yr his the most helpful and kindness dude on the plant Player have to understand that Paul and staff are very busy so it's most important to have all you tech questions writen out before you call. Paul is the master of moded and tone he's the one that moded all lukathers amps,Carlton and every well know session player and Guitariest. Paul sometime gets a bad rap on his amps Like the Bonehead the bone head was mad to Lukes specs this amp I never cared for and to me was over priced 2800 for a head way to much for a head any where in my book. I have had this amp worked on only to put in the Groove Tubes my tech did it here in Franklin,TN Warranty on Pauls amps are 1 yr,here in TN there is no authorized service center I send to Paul if warranty is needed.

I have been playing sence I was 12 now 39 i don't own any other gear.
If lost or stolen would buy another in a heart beat I'm think of buy one as I write this. I love everything about the Head. Like I have wrote have compared to other amps kills them all. This head is very cool I helped witht this head and maded it so that the beginer,intermedate,and pro could have a good sounding Rivera head at a player s budget.