Rivera venus 3 Manuale Supplementare
RIVERA VENUS 3 COMBO
£1,166
GUITAR AMPS
116
Guitarist
July 2008
The Bottom Line
We like:
Great tone, great
looks and lots of versatility.
One of the best small amps
we’ve ever plugged into
We dislike:
One of the best small amps
we’ve ever plugged into
We dislike:
The reverb is too
powerful and the EQ takes
some getting used to
Guitarist says:
some getting used to
Guitarist says:
If you want the
best in build quality and tone
then the Venus 3 is a real
contender – check it out soon!
then the Venus 3 is a real
contender – check it out soon!
as Paul Rivera. The V3 can go from
gently overdriven, chiming chords
to massive shredding distortion
with the boost engaged; and it’s all
highly useable, with those
powerful tone knobs making it
easy to take the V3 from scooped-
mid LA thrash to the buttery thick
mid-range of Brit-influenced
classic rock or blues. And in
between those extremes there
are some absolutely killer vintage
tweed and blackface effects.
gently overdriven, chiming chords
to massive shredding distortion
with the boost engaged; and it’s all
highly useable, with those
powerful tone knobs making it
easy to take the V3 from scooped-
mid LA thrash to the buttery thick
mid-range of Brit-influenced
classic rock or blues. And in
between those extremes there
are some absolutely killer vintage
tweed and blackface effects.
The powerful EQ needs to be
used with care – its range means
there a few settings you probably
wouldn’t want to use. For
example, pulling out the mid
notch on an already scooped mid
sounds a bit like fingernails on a
blackboard – but with very little
effort you can also find some
sublime tones that are everything
you would expect from an amp
with the Rivera badge. The
cleaner sounds are very good, but
not truly exceptional, and better
to our ears in the Modern mode
than the roughly half-power
Vintage setting. The vertical spar
in the speaker grille acts as a beam
blocker, so besides looking good, it
diffuses the higher frequencies
and adds to the V3’s airy and open
treble response if you mic from
medium distances. However, the
slight lack of bass from the 10-inch
driver means that the Venus 3
doesn’t quite achieve the jaw-
dropping three-dimensional
richness of its bigger brother.
Having said this, with the grille
removed (it’s held on by Velcro
tabs) and mic’ing very close to the
cone as well as from the rear of the
cabinet, you can find some highly
useable tones that sound a lot
bigger than the box that’s
generating them.
there a few settings you probably
wouldn’t want to use. For
example, pulling out the mid
notch on an already scooped mid
sounds a bit like fingernails on a
blackboard – but with very little
effort you can also find some
sublime tones that are everything
you would expect from an amp
with the Rivera badge. The
cleaner sounds are very good, but
not truly exceptional, and better
to our ears in the Modern mode
than the roughly half-power
Vintage setting. The vertical spar
in the speaker grille acts as a beam
blocker, so besides looking good, it
diffuses the higher frequencies
and adds to the V3’s airy and open
treble response if you mic from
medium distances. However, the
slight lack of bass from the 10-inch
driver means that the Venus 3
doesn’t quite achieve the jaw-
dropping three-dimensional
richness of its bigger brother.
Having said this, with the grille
removed (it’s held on by Velcro
tabs) and mic’ing very close to the
cone as well as from the rear of the
cabinet, you can find some highly
useable tones that sound a lot
bigger than the box that’s
generating them.
The V3’s noise levels are very
low indeed, even with the amp’s
reverb level wound up – not that
you would do this too often as like
some other small Rivera amps
we’ve tried, the V3 has too much
reverb on tap; anything beyond
about 4 is only really useable as
a special effect.
reverb level wound up – not that
you would do this too often as like
some other small Rivera amps
we’ve tried, the V3 has too much
reverb on tap; anything beyond
about 4 is only really useable as
a special effect.
Verdict
Overall, the Venus 3 is a killer
small combo with a massive range
of tone from a very simple and
straightforward control panel.
Don’t be misled by this amp’s
sweet and innocent appearance,
it’s capable of insane overdrive
and distortion as well as fat,
small combo with a massive range
of tone from a very simple and
straightforward control panel.
Don’t be misled by this amp’s
sweet and innocent appearance,
it’s capable of insane overdrive
and distortion as well as fat,
classic vintage stuff, and special
effects like feedback and pinched
harmonics are easy too. Like
most of Paul’s amps, the Venus 3
actually makes you play better
just by making all of that stuff
happen without you having to try
too hard. If you want to use the
amp for cleaner stuff, then we’d
advise going for the 12-inch
version, but for anything that
needs a little overdrive this amp
won’t disappoint. Perfect for
studio use at any level, the Venus
3 also looks the business. It’s not
the cheapest 1 x 10 combo out
there, but few amps can deliver
this range and quality of tone, so
we think the price is about right.
If you’re looking for the perfect
small amp to complement your
lounge or studio, we think it’s
probably time to call off the
search and check out this baby!
effects like feedback and pinched
harmonics are easy too. Like
most of Paul’s amps, the Venus 3
actually makes you play better
just by making all of that stuff
happen without you having to try
too hard. If you want to use the
amp for cleaner stuff, then we’d
advise going for the 12-inch
version, but for anything that
needs a little overdrive this amp
won’t disappoint. Perfect for
studio use at any level, the Venus
3 also looks the business. It’s not
the cheapest 1 x 10 combo out
there, but few amps can deliver
this range and quality of tone, so
we think the price is about right.
If you’re looking for the perfect
small amp to complement your
lounge or studio, we think it’s
probably time to call off the
search and check out this baby!
Rivera Venus 3
1 x 10 combo
1 x 10 combo
PRICE: £1,166
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: All-valve, single-channel combo
with solid-state rectification.
OUTPUT: 15 watts RMS
VALVES: 2 x ECC83/12AX7 preamp,
2 x 6V6 power amp.
DIMENSIONS: 440 (h) x 470 (w)
270mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 19/41
CABINET: 18mm ply with dovetailed
corners.
LOUDSPEAKER: One Eminence
custom 10-inch
CHANNELS: One.
CONTROLS: Volume with pull boost,
bass, middle with pull notch, treble,
master volume, reverb, presence.
FOOTSWITCH: None
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Series effects
loop, fixed level line out, Vintage/Modern
switch (drops power to approx 7 watts)
OPTIONS: None
RANGE OPTIONS: Also available in 1 x 12
format for £1,333, and in black vinyl to
order
Rivera UK 02380 363333
www.rivera.com
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: All-valve, single-channel combo
with solid-state rectification.
OUTPUT: 15 watts RMS
VALVES: 2 x ECC83/12AX7 preamp,
2 x 6V6 power amp.
DIMENSIONS: 440 (h) x 470 (w)
270mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 19/41
CABINET: 18mm ply with dovetailed
corners.
LOUDSPEAKER: One Eminence
custom 10-inch
CHANNELS: One.
CONTROLS: Volume with pull boost,
bass, middle with pull notch, treble,
master volume, reverb, presence.
FOOTSWITCH: None
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Series effects
loop, fixed level line out, Vintage/Modern
switch (drops power to approx 7 watts)
OPTIONS: None
RANGE OPTIONS: Also available in 1 x 12
format for £1,333, and in black vinyl to
order
Rivera UK 02380 363333
www.rivera.com
Test results
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
Features
Sound
Value for money
GUITARIST RATING
The pull notch on the mid-range aims to copy classic American tweed and blackface EQ
GIT304.rev_rivera 116
16/5/08 13:53:01