I've had a couple rivera-era Fender amps, including several concerts. They are fantastic. For some reason, every time Fender does something with a gain channel, it is disregarded. Red knob twin, prosonic, and machete come to mind as incredible Fender amps that are way underrated. Great vid and playing!
I purchased one of these and had it shipped 3,500km from the top of Australia (Brisbane) to Melbourne. It had a Jensen C12K in it and I am pretty sure (to my ear and with reference to this video) the amp had been heavily modded. A friend, who is a very well known guitarist in Australia and internationally ended up purchasing the amp from me and is getting the amp to its original specs with EVM12L speaker. I decided to purchase another Concert ii and drove to Sydney From Melbourne to pick it up. It came fitted with a vintage Weber California speaker but unfortunately still did not sound right to my ears. But after watching this video again, I replaced it with the Celestion G12H-100 and it really has made such a huge difference. It sparkles with a lovely glassy clean that is very easily shapeable with presence pot and pull-bright treble pot. The overdrive is smooth, punchy and compresses really nicely at even the low bedroom levels. The amp now cleans up very well too with the Celestion. I run a Suhr Shiba Drive + Hermida Zen drive through it and it handles those pedals very well on both channels. It is indeed a very versatile amp. Although this demo is excellent, it does not show the the mid-range pot pulled, which accentuates the gain and provides that Lukather lead tone. I also have a Prosonic and Twin 65 Reissue., however the Concert ii can do the job of both of those amps and is actually more versatile than the Prosonic, which unfortunately does not have a decent effects loop. I have to agree with my learned friend in this video; this amp is actually a very special piece of gear and has a unique tonal character which is extremely pleasing to the ear, especially when you turn it up to 5 or 6, although not necessary to achieve full luscious tone, as this video so demonstrates. If you can’t afford the EVM12L and do not wish to carry the burden of its weight, fit the Celestion G12H-100 (if you can find one) and you will not be disappointed. A stunning amplifier this be! Not many of them in Australia and they are starting to fetch good coin now. Winning score if you ever come across one and have the opportunity to purchase it. 🥇 🥇 🥇
Hey folks, to answer some of your concerns about your PR Concert Amp: I've owned my '84 Concert for 12yrs and restored it myself. I've spent a few hundred hours testing various connections, settings and speakers & configuations. So you all can understand better. I worked for Korg USA as an inhouse bench tech, mainly on Marshall & Vox amps and thier entire line of electronics. 1- Fender HQ should still be in Scottsdale,AZ. I've been there personally. You can call and ask questions. They will ask for your S/N and you can receive info on your particular gear and such. Plus, there is website that contains data sheets tor old Fender Amps, in particular the Paul Rivera Era Builds. 2. For the dude that said it's not special. You had no idea of what you had or did not know how to utilize it. 3. I find most stock Fender Speakers DO NOT do justice to any amp. For the dude that wants to swap out his heavy EV Spkr. I personally drive all my amps & cabs with Celestion. (The G12T Whiteback is crap and DOES NOT do any amp justice!!). For your Concert, and in general, any Ipswich, England made spkr, especially Vintage30 8/16ohm or the Black Back 75w8/16ohm Vintage are excellent. These are dark & darker tones that make the amp come alive. I drive a Twin12 Vintage Cab. Most Celestions are manufactured in China these days. They sound ok and will do the job. A 75w Greenback & 70th Anniversary Twin12 Cab will rock your world. 3. Driving this amp with either twin 8ohm or twin 16ohm definitely balances out the output amp section and opens up the tones and true power&sound. Or run a single 16ohm for less gain and more tone. 4. If I remember, Mason does not mention, if you loop/jump the Effects Loop, your db level increases significantly. 5. Me personally, on the overdrive/channel2, I back the Gain Volume down and use it as the Clean Channel. On the Clean/Channel1, I send Effects Directly in and CRANK IT UP! And if I want CRAZY TONE & VOLUME...PULL THE KNOB!!! This amp is called a "Concert" for some reason. In my opinion, that's because it's like having a concert in your living room and will fill most small venues w/o a PA. Load, Multi-tonal, Superb Features&Functions all while kickin ass and having fun!!!! Hope this helps all you Gearheads!
Any criticism in the comments sounds like disgruntled airplane passengers that are upset about the intermittent wi-fi access! No pleasing some people and people just love to complain.
I have a Fender Prosonic from 1997. Lizard Green. 3 Power Settings, Class A, Class A/B, and Solid State. Has a punchy clean channel and a high gain channel. 2 -10" speakers. Designed by Bruce Zinsky. (Very loud, blows away my Twin Reverb 65 Reissue)
These are better IMO...the Zinky's had some issues that are well known amongst techs, and the handwired quality of this era Fender was really great and as close to what you could get to what's made in the 1960's by Fender with modern appointments.
@@VertexEffectsInc I know the Prosonic has a problem with its effects loop. There is a noticeable drop in power when engaged. I did several of the Mods on my amp as recommended by Bruce Z on his website. Removed all the ceramic caps on the pots, ETC.
I still have this specific amp. I was with my dad at Max Guitar in the Netherlands. First we were ready to buy a blackstar tube amp. But then it broke down in the store..😮 The owner of the store heard me playing and felt like I deserved something special.. he went into his basement and showed me this one. I was in love and bought it immediately. After years of playing I only had to replace some tubes… but that’s it! Still in love with this amp. THANK YOU MAX ❤️
Owned the 2x10 version and gigged with it a long time ago. Pros - great clean channel, reverb and build quality. Cons - the second gain channel doesn't sound good at all to most. Weighs a ton and now PA systems have improved there's better options. To get the clean channel sounding great needs be at a volume where the neighbours will have broken in and killed you!
I had that one too and yeah I lived on the third floor of an old victorian at the time and it killed 25 year old me carrying it up and down the stairs. I could not get anything out of the second channel either. Now I would not mind having it for the verb and effects loop.
I had one back in 1985. It had wonderful cleans, and it made a great pedal platform, but I wanted an amp that would do what a Marshall does. In the end I sold the Concert and bought a used JCM800 2203 and 4x12. On paper, the Concert was arguably the better designed, more flexible amp. But I never had any regrets about replacing it with the 2203: single channel, no effects loop, but what a sound.
Absolutely love mine. A GREAT sounding clean channel. I rarely use the dirt channel, but it does have the ability to dial in some cool sounds. My brother left this amp to me when he passed and I’ll cherish it and use it for life. Always nice to see/hear appreciation for an amp I’ve thought highly of for decades. Great vid!
I was fortunate enough to buy a Fender Concert here in Japan, in 2018, and it is exactly as you describe...in most respects! Mine has two Fender speakers, they look like 8 to 9 inch and looks like an original build. Other than that, all the front and back is how you say. I picked it up, gave the owner $500 and it gave me a hernia! Ha ha. Not really, but this is not a feather-weight solid state amp. Mostly I wanted to thank you for your clear explanation how channels and pull switches are used. That has been an issue for me for years. It is a monster, power galore and I didn't know how to control it. Off-the-charts power. So thank you. I think you gave me enough tips that I can at least get the saddle on it. Question: What are wet-works? I understand about effects like pedals but more explanation of the effects loop...what is that? And pedal red and pedal plain? It did not come with a factory pedal... BTW, I am in Oita Japan.
I'm glad you brought this up I have an 83 Rivera era Twin Reverb 2 its a 105 watt amp and it rocks , one amazing thing about this particular amp if you jump out the effects loop it kicks it up to 200 watts. I had my tech go completely through it and I really love this amp.
I bought this exact amp 20 years ago for $600-it still has a beer/rust stain on the grill. After a few years later I had to get it serviced with a new power cord and apparently some of the wiring was faulty. It is a beast. I run a Big Muff and an Acapulco Gold thru it. So bloody loud, thick and beefy.
Mason, in the past you've described your own guitar playing as mediocre, or "mediocre at best." But in recent videos I would say you've proven yourself wrong. Your playing is so smooth and chill and you really know how to play for the effects, which is something not all of us are good at. I very much enjoy your playing style and the touch with which you approach the guitar. Keep up the sweet playing!
Bought this amp new in 1981. Used relentlessly six nights a week for over 10 years. Never had any problems with it at all. Just really weighs too much to haul around anymore. But it’s a tough well made amp. 👍🎶
I have a 1983 Fender Concert “II” designed by Paul Rivera. It was the last PTP wired amp Fender ever built, IIRC. I chose this amp as a dedicated clean amp because it’s sort of like “half a Twin ” (not as heavy and less difficult to schlepp around to gigs, etc.)
I found mine on eBay about 10 years ago. Paid $600. Mine is just like the one Mason is playing, except it’s in blonde. Someone replaced the original speaker with a Tone Tubby hemp cone. Amazingly, the amp still has the original preamp tubes.
I own two of them which I picked up for $600 each. Best kept secret in vintage amps. Although these amps are often touted as a great modding platform, the only mods I have done to mine was to snip out the snubber caps on the preamp gain stages and use a 5751 tube on V1. I believe I also added a bias pot to one of them but it didn't seem necessary so I only did it on one. I also use it as a 60 watt bass amp which it really shines at as well. Great Stevie Ray Vaughn sounds. The complaint typically is that the gain channel doesn't sound like a Marshall...but you can get that with pedals easily. The drive has a charm all its own and there are whole internet chat rooms devoted to modifying it to make it sound like Eddie Van Halen or whatever. As is though it is great. It IS heavy, though. But otherwise a great amp. Prices are going up on these recently on the used market. $900 seems average now. Best kept secret in vintage amps is the entire early 1980's Rivera line of Fenders. They are the last Fender amps that are point to point wired without PC boards
I bought my Concert top in 1985 and I still have it. Everything you say about this amp is true. In early 1984 I bought a Super Champ and I still have it. Both are superb amps.
Concert II and 75 are excellent chassis to mod amp efficiently. Ive done several these. It's easy to go D-style world and and remain their outside original. In these amps so much is already there. Just tonal tayloring. Their structure is strong and thus it is worth to enhance.
I have had a Concert II since the eighties, the 2x10 version. Bought it new. Never could get the sound I wanted out of it in the overdrive channel but it worked well with pedals, and channel two worked good as a louder mix of my pedals. Bought an empty 1X12 Concert II cabinet years ago, so going to try a switch. The 2x10 is a 4 ohm amp, but I have a Jensen neodymium 12 inch 4 ohm I bought. It might cut down some of the weight at least, and why I quit using it as reliable and good sounding as it is. My 68 Custom Vibrolux is great, but I find I need more headroom like I used to have without going to a Twin Reverb RI (the only amp I've had that could keep up with my 100 watt JCM 800 for low end thump...with pedals of course, but I sold that two ton anchor) With that said I would like to mod the lead channel on the Concert II. If someone could somehow put the Rivera era Fender Super Champ (which I also have) sound in the Concert II lead channel we'd be golden and have a Super Champ on steroids no? Any body ever done it? Don't know what it's called?.. but that's the mod I'm after. The simpler the better. Preferably a stock look without any cosmetic modification..adding knobs etc.. at any rate going to dust off my Concert II and use it again.
I'm a huge fender fan and as a musician myself of about 45 years i own a quit a few of fender's products i love the smooth creamy sound of my 65-fender twin reverb tube amp with my fender hand custom made Stratocaster just the glorious sound of the good old days i own solid state fender amps but there's something abought that sweet tube sound that takes me back to the days of long ago.
i bought the '82 Concert amp with the 15" EV speaker 6 months ago. It sounded not very good and it was recenty serviced. So i took it to a good technician. He changed the clean channel to a twin-reverb setup (take one tube out and do some things with resistors and capacitors) The Drive channel is completely unusable.. but the technician changed the drive channel to Marshall plexi setup. Now i will never sell the amp! It is so unbelievable open and clear, very nice drive sounds. The concert is perfect for modifications. But do not expect this amp to sound good out of the box.
Sounds like there some speculative stuff going on here...removing a tube to make it more like a Twin? This only has two power tubes, 6L6s - at around 50W, a Twin has 4 6L6s? Not sure how you get more "Twin Reverb" by removing tubes, especially power tubes. Also, he probably just used the cathode follower instead of the cascading gain stages from the preamp tubes...that's not really the "Fender Overdrive" sound ala Dumble or Mesa Boogie. Sounds to me like this amp wasn't working well when you got it and your tech make some bad choices if you're actually relaying the changes as they happened. As you can hear in this video, both clean and overdrive sound great.
I have owned a 1983 Fender Concert Amplifier since like mid 1980s. I love it. It's a great gig amp. I bought it because it was lighter than a Randall Amp that I also owned.
Yes, I owned a Fender dealership when these amps came out. This and the superchamp sounded great, better than later Fenders. MId boost sounded great. I had a Fender 75 modified with a footswitchable mid boost, sounded like a boogie. Fender was dumb to get rid of these amps after just a few years.
1964 I had a Fender Jaguar and a Super Reverb. My Lead Guitarist had a JAZZMASTER and a FENDER CONCERT Amplifier. The CONCERT AMO was a SUPER REVERB without REVERB. Four 10inch Speakers.
I bought one four years ago for 750.00. I absolutely love it and use it every weekend gigging. Very reliable. Thanks for the vid it makes me appreciate this amp even more!
Had one in the '80s.... Never thrilled me but I was relatively new at electric guitar...saw David Lindley playing acoustic, electric, sad and slide solo...blew my mind...he had two Fenders and a stereo chorus. Loved the sound so I got a red knob Champ to sound like that (hah!) ...with the aid of a Midiverb....In the 90s got sick of chorus like everyone else but lucked into a '66 Pro Reverb and a Butler Tube Driver, got better at guitar and love my amp unconditionally to this day! Still have the red knob Champ and use it when I don't want to lug around or risk the Pro....it has a really good clean sound but again the Rivera dirt is too much to thrill me so I use the tube driver into clean. Tried a mod on the red knob for more subtlety but nah. Fine in a pinch.
I had one and stupidly sold it. Tale as old as time. It had a really great clean sound, but I never really bonded with the overdrive channel. Mine came with the standard (non-upgrade) fender speaker, not the EV. I put an eminence swamp thang in it and it worked quite well. It was heavy to lug around and I felt like I was always getting yelled at to turn down, so I offloaded it. Definitely regret it now.
My daily driver for the past 25 years has been an ‘82 Princeton Reverb II. A lot of amps have come and gone in that time, but the PRII will be with me ‘til the end.
Great video. I just bought mine for 5 bills from an older gentleman. He even included some tungsol 6l6s. This thing sounds awesome. Might change out the Oxford speaker. The drive channel take some tweaking but can sound pretty good.
I grew up playing these amps I had 2 of them I had them hooked up in stereo using a art sge rack incredible sounding These amps are great especially the combo
I had one for 15 years and it never let me down , recording , gigging and touring . Great clean and overdrive . Wish I’d never sold it when I needed the money for my second child’s pushchair and stuff
I've had mine since about 91. It has always been an amazing amp. Many or most other Fender amp fans I know swear by the Princeton and Deluxe Reverbs, but those sound thin and plinky to me by comparison. The concert has always had some depth and balls to it. I had mine refurbished about 2 years ago to fix bad pots, switches, new speaker, and tubes. It's a totally new amp now and amazing. The gain channel is not perfect but it's not what I rely on for gain. That said, many years ago, I played one of my best gigs ever with nothing but a wah and the amp, and the gain, compression, and sustain were incredible. Came across on tape too without being micced, just a crowded bar with one mic in the middle. Love this amp.
Mason, you’re killing me. I have a Comcert amp on watch that has been rebuilt at a good price and as soon as this video went up I got a notice that someone made an offer. Now the prices will skyrocket.
I picked up a Super Champ and I'm loving it. It's not the Rivera circuit but it's awesome it loves pedals and in a small room it kicks ass. Thank you for your very informative and inspiring vid. Paul Rivera has actually been to my house in Simi Valley Ca. My roommate used to do photography vid and graphics for his site. Both Paul and JR came by. Great guys.
I had one in the 80s / 90s. I had heard they were designed by Rivera but that’s about all I knew. But i knew it sounded great , esp. that Fender clean. Played it for most of my 9 years of professional gigging 2-3 nights a week with no cover. After all that abuse it looked like hell. I sold it to a good friend and he brought it back to life and it looked brand new and sounded better than ever. Kinda regretted it after that but I’m glad it’s in good hands with a good player.
I like to use a patch cable to jumper the effects loop, use it like a master volume control for bedroom volumes. Also you can crank it for more gain. A speaker that tames a little highs like the Celestion G12-65 seems to suit this amps character well.
I've owned one of these amps since around '91. The mid-80s was a terrible period for tube manufacturing-- US production had ended and Russian and Chinese tubes of the period were awful-- not just bad-sounding, but they were unstable and would self-oscillate. To make this amp manufacturable with the tubes of the era, most of the preamp stages (and I think the power stage as well, I'm speaking from decades-ago memory) had caps dropped to ground from the plates. That helped the stability of the stage at the expense of rolling off everything above about 4k, so it was not exactly lively sounding! : ) Now that we have better tubes, those caps are no longer needed; and the most important mod you can make to this amp is to remove them-- especially for the clean sound. The amp in this video sounds like that mod has been done already, but if you buy on the used market there is no guarantee. It's a very simple mod, and knowledgeable amp techs can figure this out by listening and looking at the schematic. Maybe it has even become common knowledge among a certain set, not sure.
This is interesting, I just assumed it was for poor and long lead dress just like they did in the 70's silverface amps. The lead dress in these amp is not great or neat by any means...BUT these like most all Fender amp are low gain designs and so are very forgiving when it comes to layout and lead dress etc. I will say the. sound in this video is great and my 84' Concert II with the Fender EV12L sounds pretty good, does it sound like a 60's blackface fender or a blackfaced 70's, not exactly...it's not really designed to, look at the schematic, so treat this amp and any amp as it's own sound, it's ok to break away from the heard.
Mine is part of the Fender Rivera era…. a Deluxe Reverb II (unique head) with a matching Fender 1x12 EVM 12L cab. The amp was modded in the 80’s by Lee Jackson, who worked with Paul Rivera at Fender on the designs for the whole series. A 5 position variable mid switch was added to mine by Lee, with some secret “mojo” circuitry that was hidden under globs of resin (I heard Dumble did this too to keep the magic secret). Lee told me that the mods were part of the original proposed design to Fender but, were simplified to meet production costs. I also had the Concert and Princeton Reverb II. These are great hand wired amps!
You could buy these for relatively cheap. I bought a Twin II for 600.00 and made a few small changes to sort 'black face' the clean channel. It's *KILLER*. Now that this video is out, I expect those days are soon gone. Please do *NOT* do a video on Rivera amps. I'm enjoying buying from everyone's lack of interest.
I have an '83 Twin Reverb II...Rivera era. It's like it was made for my Strat as the two together sound heavenly. It might weigh 75lbs. but I don't care, it has wheels.😂. This one is a keeper. As good as my De Ville sounds, the Twin II is unmatched, in my opinion.
My guitar teacher actually had this amp. As a 14yo guitar student playing through a 'real tube amp' was a great experience every time. By now I'm 31, my main amp is a Deluxe Reverb, but I still think about this nice Fender Concert Combo from time to time.
Absolutely, Paul made some extraordinary ampsband modes. As you pointed out, even his some of his Rivera models that incorporate elements of the twin are amazing too. A great buy if you can find used ones on the market, like the Rivera Chubster 40.
I first bought this amplifier in 1983 with the 4x10 configuration. I ran that with a matching 2x10 cabinet on the other side of the stage. I then bought a 2x10 model and purchased a Fender 4x10 extension cabinet. So for the larger shows, I would be running 120 watts into twelve 10 inch speakers. I also purchased 2 Twin Reverb 2s of this same era. One for me and one for my slide Guitarist at that time. After that, I bought a Rivera era Princeton. These amplifiers are quite loud and extremely robust in their build. I most definitely dig the clean channel more than the overdrive channel. One can go both ways with these amps. You could load it with Celestion Gold’s and break a window with an open A chord, or you can load it with 2 low watt 10s for early breakup and feedback on the clean channel. These amplifiers are truly an incredible value.
Curious as to how similar this sounds to the new Rivera Stage IV amp. I haven't seen many videos of that but know it (obviously) takes a lot of Paul's design ideas from the early Fender mods he did in the 70's and 80's for session guitarists. This sounds incredible.
I have a Custom One made by the Fender shop via Rivera. It was the Head with the 4X10 Cab. Fender Cut the Head & Cabinet apart and made them 2 Pieces as to the Heavy full Unit, neat & Clean. Peavey Makes a Copy of this Model with the 4x10. You can find the 4X10 Fenders they are out there. I now use a Marshall 4 X12 Cabinet with that Head. Yes..... I Love My Concert Very Much, the Tone is Outstanding and is Much easier to Carry..... HA.
Even my #1 hero, Chet Atkins, used a Music Man in the latter part of his career. He loved the way his signature Gibson nylon string sounded through it. I think it was a 50 watt model.
Hi with your tutorial videos I was able to go from no knowledge about pedals and signal chains to putting together my pedal board and getting it to sound great. Thank you for making these informative videos.
To all of the Fender corksniffers, purist & tone snobs who disregard these amps, these are THE greatest unknown amps that Fender put out. I know, I have 3 of them. I have two 1982 Fender Concert II amps that I picked up in 2012. A 1x12 ($400) & a head ($600) & a 1983 Fender Princeton Reverb II I picked up a few years later ($600). According to some reports, the Fender Rivera amps were modeled OR inspired by the Mesa/Boogie amps (the Mark IIB?). I LOVE the lead channel & yes I use it. The secret to it is if you have Strat with low output, it'll work perfectly. If you have high output pickups, be careful. I have 2 Fender American Standard Strats. Both have Dimarzio pickups. My '89 has Area '67's in all 3 positions. My '96 has the Virtual Vintage Blues in the neck (DP402), Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues (the original hard-to-find DP403 Alnico 5) & the Virtual Solo (DP420). The Concert II amps doesn't fare well with my '96 Strat (sounds almost like mud in the lead channel). BUT, my '89 Strat has no problems (very clear sounding in the lead channel, as long as you don't go overboard with the middle knob). Another thing with the Concert II 1x12. Make sure you get a higher wattage speaker. At 60 watts, the amp peaks at 132 watts RMS when you have it dimed (not 120 watts RMS in the manual). I tried a Jensen C12K & it farted out when you pushed it (changing the 12AT7 in the phase inverter to a 12AU7 solved that problem). When I upgraded to the Eminence Swamp Thang (the poor man's EVM12L), I went back to the 12AT7 in the phase inverter & everything was solved, but it gained the weight. Now I can crank it with ease. Mine came with an original Pyle 55 watt speaker. As for the Princeton II, mine came it's a used Fender Utah from 1972. I took it out, installed the Jensen C12K & it was the perfect fit. No farting out when the amps is cranked. My biggest regret? Not picking up a 4x10 Fender Concert II a year or 2 later for $550! 🤦♂️ BUT, I did say goodbye to my '72 Fender Bassman Ten & my '79 Fender Super Reverb shortly after that.
I've got a pair of Rivera era Super Champs that are phenomenal little amps. I've toured with one for over 20 years and they are incredibly road worthy. I've loaded both up with 50s RCA blackplate tubes which the amps absolutely love. I've had one of them converted to a head that I can take out and run with different speakers and cabs and it's extraordinary how that 18 watts can drive 12" speakers. My tech loves working on them and he's always blown away with what they can produce. That Concert sounds lovely. That series were the last of the Fender point to point amps if I'm not mistaken. Some of the best amps made in the 'middle' era.
@@VertexEffectsInc Currently I've been considering the Pro Reverb but it has limited features! Also currently the Deluxe Reverb what do you think of those but I may start searching for a Concert Reverb after seeing this!
VERTEX, try making a video lesson about using the fender 68 custom amplifier because ch1 is a bassman/marshall tonestack while ch2 is a fender tonestack. The bassman/marshall tonestack is BEFORE the preamp section awhile the fender blackface tonestack is AFTER the preamp section plus both tone stacks have different frequency cut off points. The Bassman is a Mid bump tone stack while the fender blackface tonestack is a midscoop tone stack. If you look at SRV rig he uses an A/B to switch from his marshall MAJOR for his mid bump tone stack to his fender mid scoop tone stack. SRV Fuzz face and TS9 could go to either tone stack to get different tones. The Fender 68 Custom amplifiers can be used with an A/B switch to be used like SRV did.
Lucky for me I discovered the Rivera Fender amps about 5-6 years ago. My initial search was for a Rivera Fender Princeton Reverb iI or a Rivera Fender Superchamp but even then most of them were $900-1000+ and hard to find. Luckily I decided to go ahead and buy a Rivera Fender Concert II off Reverb. I paid about $850 for it but mine was in amazing condition (I think I am 3rd owner-guy I bought it from said he was second owner and bought it from original owner who he said had parked it in garage or closet under a cover. The grill is near mint still bright and silver in color, no rust or tarnish on any of the screws or chrome corner pieces, and as a bonus it came with its original two button footswitch. Mine is circa 1983, and came with its original 12 inch EV speaker and its original spring reverb tank. They did make some with 2 10inch speakers. And it is LOUD (60w of tube goodness) but also its a heavy beast-think solid wood cabinet-at least 60lbs. You can mount rolling casters on its bottom (holes are there from factory for them) but mine looks like it never had them and I have it sitting on a nice roll around 2 level cart on bottom shelf about 4 inches off ground-so I can easily move it around the house-top shelf is there for other storage or I could put a small second amp on top-just never have so far. I am a hobby player so it will not be traveling-it would be a heavy beast to gig with (casters and a strong backed roadie would be useful in that scenario.) And thankfully, in current era loadboxes/power attenuators are widely available, reliable, and affordable as the Concert II is so loud that unless your wife and neighbors are deaf or you live miles from anybody (out in the sticks) you can certainly use this amp for quiet home practice or in a home studio. I will never sell mine.
I used to own one of those the 210 version 60 watt combo Rivera Fender concert. I had a Mega Drive application done by Bruce Egnater when he was a boutique guy in Michigan. In the middle 90s.
Ed Jahns designed the Fender Concert (II) amp. Not Paul Rivera. It was created under Rivera's tenure at Fender, and he usually gets credit for the design, but it's Ed Jahn's work. Jahn also designed the 1980-81 blackface Fender 75, Pre-Rivera. Paul Rivera made huge contributions while there at Fender, and I'll always be grateful to him for updating the Fender line. I bought my Concert brand new in 1983, just after it was released. Rivera did have a lot to do with some of the other II's, though. Another correction is that the highly-coveted lighted footswitch was not bundled with any of the, "II" amps. When I bought mine at Guitar Center store #1 on Sunset Blvd, it was an extra $75. Kind of a joke as they are so easy to build. The Concert II used to be the best bargain in the used market. Used to be. I'm glad I hung onto mine. With the EV-12, it's heavy as sin. Makes a great mod platform. I mean it. It ROCKS!
My understanding is that Paul came with the schematics based on what he'd already been doing for a decade at Valley Arts in terms of modifying Fender amps with channel switching and buffered effects loops, etc. in essence, modernizing, the Fender amps to be more compatible with players of that day who'd otherwise go with a Mesa Boogie or send their amp out to be hot-rodded by other amp techs in Paul's absence, like Lee Jackson or Steve Fryette. The design was provided to Ed Jahns to create a manufacturable version of it based on Fender's standards, not though up by Ed Jahns.
I have one of these and it has a beautiful clean side. Like most, I’m not in love with the dirty side but it’s nice to have. I use the clean side most of the time along with pedals. It’s a great pedal amp and it’s LOUD! I use a Weber Mass to bring the volume down and get the overdrive at about 5 on the volume. Great all around amp but it’s heavy so do some push ups before you toss it in your truck
I hear plenty of people talking about the Rivera Fender amps on music forums. Players know about them. More videos like this and the price will start going up, dang it. The Twin II is equally good, if not extremely heavy. All the Rivera Fender amps are great. Same with the Fender red knob amps (which are *NOT* Rivera made amps)
Though I have a few great vintage amps, my 84’ Concert has been my #1 workhorse gigging and touring amp since I bought it in the mid 80’s. It’s been everywhere with me.
The irony of making this video to tout how much bang/buck this amp has knowing full well this video will drive up the price everywhere now Also,; You'll always get great things for cheaper when they don't say, "Fender." Fender is also great, but rarely if ever cheap or what you refer to as bang for buck
Back in 2015 I was privileged to see John Heussenstamm play a '52 Tele into a Fender Concert II (Paul Rivera model) and it was the sweetest sounding guitar amp that I've ever heard.
The clean sound with reverb on the Rivera era Fenders is unbeatable.I have a Fender Princeton Reverb 2 with Altec 417 12" speaker,which clean sound is uncompared to anything else,i know.I also own different Rivera Amps(M-60's,Bonehead, Knucklehead 55R and 100R,TBR 1),but their clean sound is great,especially from the Bonehead but still quite different. The Rivera Amps have much more options to adjust the sound ,they have.
My fave fender amp is the cyber twin and deluxe .It models five different amps(mesa boogie,vox,marshall,and so on).Has most all effects I would get off work,go home and get on it,and next thing u know,it would be 10 or eleven o'clock .Had so much fun with that thing .I've been clean 18 years now.If was a casualty of the pawn shop .I can't fathom why fender stopped making it .
I had one, a 2x10 and it weighed a ton. Yes it sounded friggin great without pedals but too many push/pulls after 40years need a proper service by a real Amp Tech and that will cost you more than the amp will cost but if you have a genious tech and a friend who likes lifting weights it's about the same weight as a Twin but feels heavier cos its a bit smaller. Last thing please get the AC cord checked and Earthed(Grounded) properly no matter which amp you buy , even new amps need a once over.
In the mid 80's I bought an Award Session Sessionette 75 watt solid state combo that I use live to this day. I and many others thought it an unbelievably good sounding, rock solid amp. The builder, Stewart Ward, serviced it four years ago and modded it to sound even better. He still builds an amp, the Blues Baby, which is an update on the original sessionette I believe. I recently bought another second hand and this too sounds truly fantastic with single pickups or P90s. Definitely one to check out.
I think the speaker in most of these is one place to start to find your sound with the amp if you don’t love it. I have the head version and I pair it with V30 and a Greenback. I bought mine about 10 years ago and have recently recapped and cleaned up mine. Got rid of the death cap and adding a star ground ect. Still my sound. The clean channel is basically a Bassman channel. The gain channel is so much better than any other fender amp out there. Worst part, is the specialized foot switch pedal.
I owned one for 25 years. Mine had an EVM12L which I bought and put in because I did not like the sound of the stock Celestion G12-80. I used the clean channel as a pedal platform with multi-efx units like my Digitech GNX3. I did not care for the high gain/overdrive channel sound at all, just never worked for me. I ended up selling it because it was just too heavy at over 50 LBS. I was carrying it around to gigs, and my back was killing me. It had been recently serviced, and re-tubed and sounded great as a clean amp. I sold it for $850 locally so no shipping. I would really love a Rivera Stage IV from Sweetwater for $2500. That is a great amp, but still pretty heavy for its size.
Yes Rivera likes to use transformers that are very heavy in his amp designs. The sound is absolutely awesome...but man it is like lifting an anvil of dead weight...just need to decide if that level of quality of sound is worth carrying something so heavy to gigs. My hand truck was my friend but stairs...ouch the stairs...
They are good...not as good or as well built as this. Many of the Zinky amps have known issues, not to say they can't be addressed, but can have some common problems.
Exactly what I have been saying about these amps for several years. I have the Concert and the Deluxe Reverb II. The Deluxe is running my JBL D120f while the Concert has 2 10" Jensen Alnicos. The neat thing is that the cabinets are the same size so in a few minutes I can interchange them and have a Deluxe Reverb with 2x10 and the Concert with 1x12. Great Amps! I got them both at a great price, and I would not want to part with them at any price.
Do you know of any other sleeper amps that are on par with the Fender Concert? Tell us in the comments!
The entire red knob series...i had a super 60 2-10😏
Yes, a real Fender Concert from say 1964 ;)
@@gregmize01 Nice!
@@TheAerovons Good...but still way more money than this :)
TBR2SL :-)
I had one back in 1983 and recently found a recording I made with that amp. The tone was incredible and I was using no pedals. I now have another one!
My older brother bought a Concert back in the mid 80's and he passed it on to me recently. Thanks for the info.
I've had a couple rivera-era Fender amps, including several concerts. They are fantastic. For some reason, every time Fender does something with a gain channel, it is disregarded. Red knob twin, prosonic, and machete come to mind as incredible Fender amps that are way underrated. Great vid and playing!
I purchased one of these and had it shipped 3,500km from the top of Australia (Brisbane) to Melbourne. It had a Jensen C12K in it and I am pretty sure (to my ear and with reference to this video) the amp had been heavily modded. A friend, who is a very well known guitarist in Australia and internationally ended up purchasing the amp from me and is getting the amp to its original specs with EVM12L speaker. I decided to purchase another Concert ii and drove to Sydney From Melbourne to pick it up. It came fitted with a vintage Weber California speaker but unfortunately still did not sound right to my ears. But after watching this video again, I replaced it with the Celestion G12H-100 and it really has made such a huge difference. It sparkles with a lovely glassy clean that is very easily shapeable with presence pot and pull-bright treble pot. The overdrive is smooth, punchy and compresses really nicely at even the low bedroom levels. The amp now cleans up very well too with the Celestion. I run a Suhr Shiba Drive + Hermida Zen drive through it and it handles those pedals very well on both channels. It is indeed a very versatile amp. Although this demo is excellent, it does not show the the mid-range pot pulled, which accentuates the gain and provides that Lukather lead tone. I also have a Prosonic and Twin 65 Reissue., however the Concert ii can do the job of both of those amps and is actually more versatile than the Prosonic, which unfortunately does not have a decent effects loop. I have to agree with my learned friend in this video; this amp is actually a very special piece of gear and has a unique tonal character which is extremely pleasing to the ear, especially when you turn it up to 5 or 6, although not necessary to achieve full luscious tone, as this video so demonstrates. If you can’t afford the EVM12L and do not wish to carry the burden of its weight, fit the Celestion G12H-100 (if you can find one) and you will not be disappointed. A stunning amplifier this be! Not many of them in Australia and they are starting to fetch good coin now. Winning score if you ever come across one and have the opportunity to purchase it. 🥇 🥇 🥇
Hey folks, to answer some of your concerns about your PR Concert Amp:
I've owned my '84 Concert for 12yrs and restored it myself. I've spent a few hundred hours testing various connections, settings and speakers & configuations. So you all can understand better. I worked for Korg USA as an inhouse bench tech, mainly on Marshall & Vox amps and thier entire line of electronics.
1- Fender HQ should still be in Scottsdale,AZ. I've been there personally. You can call and ask questions. They will ask for your S/N and you can receive info on your particular gear and such. Plus, there is website that contains data sheets tor old Fender Amps, in particular the Paul Rivera Era Builds.
2. For the dude that said it's not special. You had no idea of what you had or did not know how to utilize it.
3. I find most stock Fender Speakers DO NOT do justice to any amp. For the dude that wants to swap out his heavy EV Spkr. I personally drive all my amps & cabs with Celestion. (The G12T Whiteback is crap and DOES NOT do any amp justice!!). For your Concert, and in general, any Ipswich, England made spkr, especially Vintage30 8/16ohm or the Black Back 75w8/16ohm Vintage are excellent. These are dark & darker tones that make the amp come alive. I drive a Twin12 Vintage Cab. Most Celestions are manufactured in China these days. They sound ok and will do the job. A 75w Greenback & 70th Anniversary Twin12 Cab will rock your world.
3. Driving this amp with either twin 8ohm or twin 16ohm definitely balances out the output amp section and opens up the tones and true power&sound. Or run a single 16ohm for less gain and more tone.
4. If I remember, Mason does not mention, if you loop/jump the Effects Loop, your db level increases significantly.
5. Me personally, on the overdrive/channel2, I back the Gain Volume down and use it as the Clean Channel. On the Clean/Channel1, I send Effects Directly in and CRANK IT UP! And if I want CRAZY TONE & VOLUME...PULL THE KNOB!!!
This amp is called a "Concert" for some reason. In my opinion, that's because it's like having a concert in your living room and will fill most small venues w/o a PA. Load, Multi-tonal, Superb Features&Functions all while kickin ass and having fun!!!!
Hope this helps all you Gearheads!
Thanks for this! I would add to #3 the Celestion Classic Lead 80 and the Black Shadow.
Nice amp and nice playing! jeez some of the comments in here. People need to chill and also appreciate that these videos take work!
Any criticism in the comments sounds like disgruntled airplane passengers that are upset about the intermittent wi-fi access! No pleasing some people and people just love to complain.
I have a Fender Prosonic from 1997. Lizard Green. 3 Power Settings, Class A, Class A/B, and Solid State. Has a punchy clean channel and a high gain channel. 2 -10" speakers. Designed by Bruce Zinsky. (Very loud, blows away my Twin Reverb 65 Reissue)
These are better IMO...the Zinky's had some issues that are well known amongst techs, and the handwired quality of this era Fender was really great and as close to what you could get to what's made in the 1960's by Fender with modern appointments.
I have a 1996 Prosonic in black tolex. GREAT sounding amp.
I Have 2 black prosonics. my favorite amp Ever!
I like the Prosonic, however, I purchased a Two Rock Studio Signature and it is the best amp I have ever owned.
@@VertexEffectsInc I know the Prosonic has a problem with its effects loop. There is a noticeable drop in power when engaged. I did several of the Mods on my amp as recommended by Bruce Z on his website. Removed all the ceramic caps on the pots, ETC.
Agree. This amp is a sleeper. I just got a EVM12l for it. Also, one of the best sounding reverb circuits in any fenders.
Sooo good!
Nice to see Paul Rivera getting some love on UA-cam, and to see him introduced to some of the younger guys. Been playing his amps for 10 years
I still have this specific amp. I was with my dad at Max Guitar in the Netherlands. First we were ready to buy a blackstar tube amp. But then it broke down in the store..😮
The owner of the store heard me playing and felt like I deserved something special.. he went into his basement and showed me this one. I was in love and bought it immediately.
After years of playing I only had to replace some tubes… but that’s it!
Still in love with this amp. THANK YOU MAX ❤️
Just wanted to say THANKS for this one - It really helped me bond with my Concert II!
Owned the 2x10 version and gigged with it a long time ago. Pros - great clean channel, reverb and build quality.
Cons - the second gain channel doesn't sound good at all to most. Weighs a ton and now PA systems have improved there's better options. To get the clean channel sounding great needs be at a volume where the neighbours will have broken in and killed you!
I had that one too and yeah I lived on the third floor of an old victorian at the time and it killed 25 year old me carrying it up and down the stairs. I could not get anything out of the second channel either. Now I would not mind having it for the verb and effects loop.
Thanks for watching! I found the gain channel to be good as shown in this video.
I had one back in 1985. It had wonderful cleans, and it made a great pedal platform, but I wanted an amp that would do what a Marshall does. In the end I sold the Concert and bought a used JCM800 2203 and 4x12. On paper, the Concert was arguably the better designed, more flexible amp. But I never had any regrets about replacing it with the 2203: single channel, no effects loop, but what a sound.
Good move.😂
Looks like all these amps have gone up a 1000 since this video was made. Good job!!
lol fuck
Absolutely love mine. A GREAT sounding clean channel. I rarely use the dirt channel, but it does have the ability to dial in some cool sounds. My brother left this amp to me when he passed and I’ll cherish it and use it for life. Always nice to see/hear appreciation for an amp I’ve thought highly of for decades. Great vid!
Thanks for watching!
I was fortunate enough to buy a Fender Concert here in Japan, in 2018, and it is exactly as you describe...in most respects! Mine has two Fender speakers, they look like 8 to 9 inch and looks like an original build. Other than that, all the front and back is how you say.
I picked it up, gave the owner $500 and it gave me a hernia! Ha ha. Not really, but this is not a feather-weight solid state amp.
Mostly I wanted to thank you for your clear explanation how channels and pull switches are used. That has been an issue for me for years. It is a monster, power galore and I didn't know how to control it. Off-the-charts power.
So thank you. I think you gave me enough tips that I can at least get the saddle on it.
Question: What are wet-works? I understand about effects like pedals but more explanation of the effects loop...what is that? And pedal red and pedal plain? It did not come with a factory pedal...
BTW, I am in Oita Japan.
Dude, you're such a great reviewer. Always learn tons with your vids.
I'm glad you brought this up I have an 83 Rivera era Twin Reverb 2 its a 105 watt amp and it rocks , one amazing thing about this particular amp if you jump out the effects loop it kicks it up to 200 watts. I had my tech go completely through it and I really love this amp.
I have one of these in the Oak cabinet with the EV speaker. Only made 100 of them. Great amp!!
I bought this exact amp 20 years ago for $600-it still has a beer/rust stain on the grill. After a few years later I had to get it serviced
with a new power cord and apparently some of the wiring was faulty.
It is a beast. I run a Big Muff and an Acapulco Gold thru it. So bloody loud, thick and beefy.
Mason, in the past you've described your own guitar playing as mediocre, or "mediocre at best." But in recent videos I would say you've proven yourself wrong. Your playing is so smooth and chill and you really know how to play for the effects, which is something not all of us are good at. I very much enjoy your playing style and the touch with which you approach the guitar. Keep up the sweet playing!
Wow, thanks!
Totally agree!!!
I literally picked one of these up today and used it on stage tonight and was blown away! Then I see this video posted same day. That’s kinda cool!
Nice!
I’ve had two 2-10 Concerts. Way heavy and the best spring reverb of any amp I’ve had!!
Bought this amp new in 1981. Used relentlessly six nights a week for over 10 years. Never had any problems with it at all. Just really weighs too much to haul around anymore. But it’s a tough well made amp. 👍🎶
Thanks for sharing
I have a 1983 Fender Concert “II” designed by Paul Rivera. It was the last PTP wired amp Fender ever built, IIRC. I chose this amp as a dedicated clean amp because it’s sort of like “half a Twin ” (not as heavy and less difficult to schlepp around to gigs, etc.)
They're great!!!
I have an ‘83 concert that was originally in a 4x10 combo that I converted into a head years back. Easily my best sounding amp!
I found mine on eBay about 10 years ago. Paid $600. Mine is just like the one Mason is playing, except it’s in blonde. Someone replaced the original speaker with a Tone Tubby hemp cone. Amazingly, the amp still has the original preamp tubes.
I just bought an '82 Concert modified by Fuchs. Excited for it to come in!
I own two of them which I picked up for $600 each. Best kept secret in vintage amps. Although these amps are often touted as a great modding platform, the only mods I have done to mine was to snip out the snubber caps on the preamp gain stages and use a 5751 tube on V1. I believe I also added a bias pot to one of them but it didn't seem necessary so I only did it on one. I also use it as a 60 watt bass amp which it really shines at as well. Great Stevie Ray Vaughn sounds. The complaint typically is that the gain channel doesn't sound like a Marshall...but you can get that with pedals easily. The drive has a charm all its own and there are whole internet chat rooms devoted to modifying it to make it sound like Eddie Van Halen or whatever. As is though it is great. It IS heavy, though. But otherwise a great amp. Prices are going up on these recently on the used market. $900 seems average now.
Best kept secret in vintage amps is the entire early 1980's Rivera line of Fenders. They are the last Fender amps that are point to point wired without PC boards
One of my faves is a Traynor YBA-1. All the power you could ever want, clean as a breath of Spring!
I have a concert and fender supersonic 22 , the supersonic sounds incredible up until I A / B it against the concert, absolute killer tone
I bought my Concert top in 1985 and I still have it. Everything you say about this amp is true. In early 1984 I bought a Super Champ and I still have it. Both are superb amps.
Thanks for sharing!
Concert II and 75 are excellent chassis to mod amp efficiently. Ive done several these. It's easy to go D-style world and and remain their outside original. In these amps so much is already there. Just tonal tayloring.
Their structure is strong and thus it is worth to enhance.
Agreed!
I have had a Concert II since the eighties, the 2x10 version. Bought it new. Never could get the sound I wanted out of it in the overdrive channel but it worked well with pedals, and channel two worked good as a louder mix of my pedals. Bought an empty 1X12 Concert II cabinet years ago, so going to try a switch. The 2x10 is a 4 ohm amp, but I have a Jensen neodymium 12 inch 4 ohm I bought. It might cut down some of the weight at least, and why I quit using it as reliable and good sounding as it is. My 68 Custom Vibrolux is great, but I find I need more headroom like I used to have without going to a Twin Reverb RI (the only amp I've had that could keep up with my 100 watt JCM 800 for low end thump...with pedals of course, but I sold that two ton anchor) With that said I would like to mod the lead channel on the Concert II. If someone could somehow put the Rivera era Fender Super Champ (which I also have) sound in the Concert II lead channel we'd be golden and have a Super Champ on steroids no? Any body ever done it? Don't know what it's called?.. but that's the mod I'm after. The simpler the better. Preferably a stock look without any cosmetic modification..adding knobs etc.. at any rate going to dust off my Concert II and use it again.
I'm a huge fender fan and as a musician myself of about 45 years i own a quit a few of fender's products i love the smooth creamy sound of my 65-fender twin reverb tube amp with my fender hand custom made Stratocaster just the glorious sound of the good old days i own solid state fender amps but there's something abought that sweet tube sound that takes me back to the days of long ago.
💜💜💜
i bought the '82 Concert amp with the 15" EV speaker 6 months ago. It sounded not very good and it was recenty serviced. So i took it to a good technician. He changed the clean channel to a twin-reverb setup (take one tube out and do some things with resistors and capacitors) The Drive channel is completely unusable.. but the technician changed the drive channel to Marshall plexi setup. Now i will never sell the amp! It is so unbelievable open and clear, very nice drive sounds. The concert is perfect for modifications. But do not expect this amp to sound good out of the box.
Sounds like there some speculative stuff going on here...removing a tube to make it more like a Twin? This only has two power tubes, 6L6s - at around 50W, a Twin has 4 6L6s? Not sure how you get more "Twin Reverb" by removing tubes, especially power tubes. Also, he probably just used the cathode follower instead of the cascading gain stages from the preamp tubes...that's not really the "Fender Overdrive" sound ala Dumble or Mesa Boogie. Sounds to me like this amp wasn't working well when you got it and your tech make some bad choices if you're actually relaying the changes as they happened. As you can hear in this video, both clean and overdrive sound great.
I have owned a 1983 Fender Concert Amplifier since like mid 1980s. I love it. It's a great gig amp. I bought it because it was lighter than a Randall Amp that I also owned.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I owned a Fender dealership when these amps came out. This and the superchamp sounded great, better than later Fenders. MId boost sounded great. I had a Fender 75 modified with a footswitchable mid boost, sounded like a boogie. Fender was dumb to get rid of these amps after just a few years.
Yes...all great amps!
1964 I had a Fender Jaguar and a Super Reverb. My Lead Guitarist had a JAZZMASTER and a FENDER CONCERT Amplifier. The CONCERT AMO was a SUPER REVERB without REVERB. Four 10inch Speakers.
I bought one four years ago for 750.00. I absolutely love it and use it every weekend gigging. Very reliable. Thanks for the vid it makes me appreciate this amp even more!
Had one in the '80s.... Never thrilled me but I was relatively new at electric guitar...saw David Lindley playing acoustic, electric, sad and slide solo...blew my mind...he had two Fenders and a stereo chorus. Loved the sound so I got a red knob Champ to sound like that (hah!) ...with the aid of a Midiverb....In the 90s got sick of chorus like everyone else but lucked into a '66 Pro Reverb and a Butler Tube Driver, got better at guitar and love my amp unconditionally to this day!
Still have the red knob Champ and use it when I don't want to lug around or risk the Pro....it has a really good clean sound but again the Rivera dirt is too much to thrill me so I use the tube driver into clean. Tried a mod on the red knob for more subtlety but nah. Fine in a pinch.
I had one and stupidly sold it. Tale as old as time. It had a really great clean sound, but I never really bonded with the overdrive channel. Mine came with the standard (non-upgrade) fender speaker, not the EV. I put an eminence swamp thang in it and it worked quite well. It was heavy to lug around and I felt like I was always getting yelled at to turn down, so I offloaded it. Definitely regret it now.
Yes...we all have that story!
Mine is the same story but I had a Princeton Reverb ll. 😪😢
I have the original Peavey Bandit transmtube 112 and it is made solid, I had to put heavey duty casters on it and that saved my back.
@@madmaximilian518 I have the red stripe trans tube Peavey Bandit made in USA in the 90’s. I don’t think it’s that heavy. These really sound great!
@@scotthutchens1203 so have you figured out how to work the T.Dynamics power control yet?
I just keep mine set at 10 o'clock or on #4.
My daily driver for the past 25 years has been an ‘82 Princeton Reverb II. A lot of amps have come and gone in that time, but the PRII will be with me ‘til the end.
That was very comprehensive review-nicely done!
Glad you liked it!
Great video. I just bought mine for 5 bills from an older gentleman. He even included some tungsol 6l6s. This thing sounds awesome. Might change out the Oxford speaker. The drive channel take some tweaking but can sound pretty good.
I grew up playing these amps I had 2 of them I had them hooked up in stereo using a art sge rack incredible sounding These amps are great especially the combo
I had one for 15 years and it never let me down , recording , gigging and touring .
Great clean and overdrive . Wish I’d never sold it when I needed the money for my second child’s pushchair and stuff
Would have def sold the child, for sure!
Couldn't agree more!
My 1983 Fender Concert has been my workhorse since 1986.
👌👌👌
I've had mine since about 91. It has always been an amazing amp. Many or most other Fender amp fans I know swear by the Princeton and Deluxe Reverbs, but those sound thin and plinky to me by comparison. The concert has always had some depth and balls to it. I had mine refurbished about 2 years ago to fix bad pots, switches, new speaker, and tubes. It's a totally new amp now and amazing. The gain channel is not perfect but it's not what I rely on for gain. That said, many years ago, I played one of my best gigs ever with nothing but a wah and the amp, and the gain, compression, and sustain were incredible. Came across on tape too without being micced, just a crowded bar with one mic in the middle. Love this amp.
Great amp! Well said!
Mason, you’re killing me. I have a Comcert amp on watch that has been rebuilt at a good price and as soon as this video went up I got a notice that someone made an offer. Now the prices will skyrocket.
True that
Let's hope they stay reasonable!
I picked up a Super Champ and I'm loving it. It's not the Rivera circuit but it's awesome it loves pedals and in a small room it kicks ass. Thank you for your very informative and inspiring vid. Paul Rivera has actually been to my house in Simi Valley Ca. My roommate used to do photography vid and graphics for his site. Both Paul and JR came by. Great guys.
Nice!
Yamaha G50 and G100 Mk2. Rivera worked on those back in the day.
Yes 🙌
I had one in the 80s / 90s. I had heard they were designed by Rivera but that’s about all I knew. But i knew it sounded great , esp. that Fender clean. Played it for most of my 9 years of professional gigging 2-3 nights a week with no cover. After all that abuse it looked like hell. I sold it to a good friend and he brought it back to life and it looked brand new and sounded better than ever. Kinda regretted it after that but I’m glad it’s in good hands with a good player.
They're great amps!
You mean they were $6-800 . Not now thanks to videos like this. Hahhaa
Hopefully it doesn’t change too much.
@@VertexEffectsInc - it did the price over the last year has gone up to $900 to $1200 on these amps
Don't worry , they are too heavy to cart around and too loud, get a 40watt pro reverb new cos it will be safer too.
Just say it. Any Fender
I like to use a patch cable to jumper the effects loop, use it like a master volume control for bedroom volumes. Also you can crank it for more gain. A speaker that tames a little highs like the Celestion G12-65 seems to suit this amps character well.
I've owned one of these amps since around '91. The mid-80s was a terrible period for tube manufacturing-- US production had ended and Russian and Chinese tubes of the period were awful-- not just bad-sounding, but they were unstable and would self-oscillate. To make this amp manufacturable with the tubes of the era, most of the preamp stages (and I think the power stage as well, I'm speaking from decades-ago memory) had caps dropped to ground from the plates. That helped the stability of the stage at the expense of rolling off everything above about 4k, so it was not exactly lively sounding! : )
Now that we have better tubes, those caps are no longer needed; and the most important mod you can make to this amp is to remove them-- especially for the clean sound. The amp in this video sounds like that mod has been done already, but if you buy on the used market there is no guarantee. It's a very simple mod, and knowledgeable amp techs can figure this out by listening and looking at the schematic. Maybe it has even become common knowledge among a certain set, not sure.
They are great amps for sure!
This is interesting, I just assumed it was for poor and long lead dress just like they did in the 70's silverface amps. The lead dress in these amp is not great or neat by any means...BUT these like most all Fender amp are low gain designs and so are very forgiving when it comes to layout and lead dress etc. I will say the. sound in this video is great and my 84' Concert II with the Fender EV12L sounds pretty good, does it sound like a 60's blackface fender or a blackfaced 70's, not exactly...it's not really designed to, look at the schematic, so treat this amp and any amp as it's own sound, it's ok to break away from the heard.
I'm not a Fender amp guy, but I am impressed. This is now on my ever growing list of gear I need to get.
Go for it!
I had one. They are stunning
Mine is part of the Fender Rivera era…. a Deluxe Reverb II (unique head) with a matching Fender 1x12 EVM 12L cab. The amp was modded in the 80’s by Lee Jackson, who worked with Paul Rivera at Fender on the designs for the whole series. A 5 position variable mid switch was added to mine by Lee, with some secret “mojo” circuitry that was hidden under globs of resin (I heard Dumble did this too to keep the magic secret). Lee told me that the mods were part of the original proposed design to Fender but, were simplified to meet production costs. I also had the Concert and Princeton Reverb II. These are great hand wired amps!
Wow, sounds amazing!
You could buy these for relatively cheap. I bought a Twin II for 600.00 and made a few small changes to sort 'black face' the clean channel. It's *KILLER*. Now that this video is out, I expect those days are soon gone. Please do *NOT* do a video on Rivera amps. I'm enjoying buying from everyone's lack of interest.
My cousin has one he has had it for over 20 years, I remember he said these Rivera era fender amps all rock.
Great amps!
I have an '83 Twin Reverb II...Rivera era. It's like it was made for my Strat as the two together sound heavenly. It might weigh 75lbs. but I don't care, it has wheels.😂. This one is a keeper. As good as my De Ville sounds, the Twin II is unmatched, in my opinion.
Rivera era stuff is amazing!
I have one, is my fav. amp.
My guitar teacher actually had this amp. As a 14yo guitar student playing through a 'real tube amp' was a great experience every time. By now I'm 31, my main amp is a Deluxe Reverb, but I still think about this nice Fender Concert Combo from time to time.
They're great if you can find one for a good price!
i bought one of those from robben ford. 2x10 model. he put EV's in it. i also had a fender 75. 1x12. which usually came as a 1x15. both loud as hell.
Very cool!
@@VertexEffectsInc i'm old. i've owned lots of amps. the only two i miss are my MK1, stolen, and my bluesbreaker, stupidly sold. still looking.
Absolutely, Paul made some extraordinary ampsband modes. As you pointed out, even his some of his Rivera models that incorporate elements of the twin are amazing too. A great buy if you can find used ones on the market, like the Rivera Chubster 40.
I got a Fender Twin Reverb and of course it's badass
The best!
And it is heavy!..
@@fhergonzalez8820 🤣👍
I first bought this amplifier in 1983 with the 4x10 configuration. I ran that with a matching 2x10 cabinet on the other side of the stage. I then bought a 2x10 model and purchased a Fender 4x10 extension cabinet. So for the larger shows, I would be running 120 watts into twelve 10 inch speakers. I also purchased 2 Twin Reverb 2s of this same era. One for me and one for my slide Guitarist at that time. After that, I bought a Rivera era Princeton. These amplifiers are quite loud and extremely robust in their build. I most definitely dig the clean channel more than the overdrive channel. One can go both ways with these amps. You could load it with Celestion Gold’s and break a window with an open A chord, or you can load it with 2 low watt 10s for early breakup and feedback on the clean channel. These amplifiers are truly an incredible value.
Yes indeed!
Curious as to how similar this sounds to the new Rivera Stage IV amp. I haven't seen many videos of that but know it (obviously) takes a lot of Paul's design ideas from the early Fender mods he did in the 70's and 80's for session guitarists. This sounds incredible.
Would make for a cool video.
@@VertexEffectsInc It certainly would!
I have a Custom One made by the Fender shop via Rivera. It was the Head with the 4X10 Cab. Fender Cut the Head & Cabinet apart and made them 2 Pieces as to the Heavy full Unit, neat & Clean. Peavey Makes a Copy of this Model with the 4x10. You can find the 4X10 Fenders they are out there. I now use a Marshall 4 X12 Cabinet with that Head. Yes..... I Love My Concert Very Much, the Tone is Outstanding and is Much easier to Carry..... HA.
Great amps!
Have you played any of the old Musicman Amps from the late 70s? They’re pretty amazing. Leo designed.
Even my #1 hero, Chet Atkins, used a Music Man in the latter part of his career. He loved the way his signature Gibson nylon string sounded through it. I think it was a 50 watt model.
Hi with your tutorial videos I was able to go from no knowledge about pedals and signal chains to putting together my pedal board and getting it to sound great. Thank you for making these informative videos.
Glad to help!
I talked a buddy of mine into buying one of these. He thanks me pretty much weekly ha ha.
Yes!!!
To all of the Fender corksniffers, purist & tone snobs who disregard these amps, these are THE greatest unknown amps that Fender put out. I know, I have 3 of them. I have two 1982 Fender Concert II amps that I picked up in 2012. A 1x12 ($400) & a head ($600) & a 1983 Fender Princeton Reverb II I picked up a few years later ($600). According to some reports, the Fender Rivera amps were modeled OR inspired by the Mesa/Boogie amps (the Mark IIB?).
I LOVE the lead channel & yes I use it. The secret to it is if you have Strat with low output, it'll work perfectly. If you have high output pickups, be careful. I have 2 Fender American Standard Strats. Both have Dimarzio pickups. My '89 has Area '67's in all 3 positions. My '96 has the Virtual Vintage Blues in the neck (DP402), Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues (the original hard-to-find DP403 Alnico 5) & the Virtual Solo (DP420). The Concert II amps doesn't fare well with my '96 Strat (sounds almost like mud in the lead channel). BUT, my '89 Strat has no problems (very clear sounding in the lead channel, as long as you don't go overboard with the middle knob).
Another thing with the Concert II 1x12. Make sure you get a higher wattage speaker. At 60 watts, the amp peaks at 132 watts RMS when you have it dimed (not 120 watts RMS in the manual). I tried a Jensen C12K & it farted out when you pushed it (changing the 12AT7 in the phase inverter to a 12AU7 solved that problem). When I upgraded to the Eminence Swamp Thang (the poor man's EVM12L), I went back to the 12AT7 in the phase inverter & everything was solved, but it gained the weight. Now I can crank it with ease. Mine came with an original Pyle 55 watt speaker.
As for the Princeton II, mine came it's a used Fender Utah from 1972. I took it out, installed the Jensen C12K & it was the perfect fit. No farting out when the amps is cranked.
My biggest regret? Not picking up a 4x10 Fender Concert II a year or 2 later for $550! 🤦♂️ BUT, I did say goodbye to my '72 Fender Bassman Ten & my '79 Fender Super Reverb shortly after that.
You had me at “Rivera”….
I've got a pair of Rivera era Super Champs that are phenomenal little amps. I've toured with one for over 20 years and they are incredibly road worthy. I've loaded both up with 50s RCA blackplate tubes which the amps absolutely love. I've had one of them converted to a head that I can take out and run with different speakers and cabs and it's extraordinary how that 18 watts can drive 12" speakers. My tech loves working on them and he's always blown away with what they can produce. That Concert sounds lovely. That series were the last of the Fender point to point amps if I'm not mistaken. Some of the best amps made in the 'middle' era.
Great amps, no doubt!
When did Fender stop using p2p/turret boards and go to PCBs? Haven't been able to find clear info on this.
I had a Princeton Reverb II wish I still had it!
Those are great too!
@@VertexEffectsInc My Ex Girl Friend Destroyed it!
@@VertexEffectsInc Currently I've been considering the Pro Reverb but it has limited features! Also currently the Deluxe Reverb what do you think of those but I may start searching for a Concert Reverb after seeing this!
I just recently pick up a Rivera Era 1982 Princeton Reverb 2 and loving it.
🙌🙌🙌
the Peavey Mace and Deuce are amazing fender / music man style amps. No one talks about them
Not build like this however.
VERTEX, try making a video lesson about using the fender 68 custom amplifier because ch1 is a bassman/marshall tonestack while ch2 is a fender tonestack. The bassman/marshall tonestack is BEFORE the preamp section awhile the fender blackface tonestack is AFTER the preamp section plus both tone stacks have different frequency cut off points. The Bassman is a Mid bump tone stack while the fender blackface tonestack is a midscoop tone stack. If you look at SRV rig he uses an A/B to switch from his marshall MAJOR for his mid bump tone stack to his fender mid scoop tone stack. SRV Fuzz face and TS9 could go to either tone stack to get different tones. The Fender 68 Custom amplifiers can be used with an A/B switch to be used like SRV did.
As a former design engineer, its the “space”between the notes t]hat make these amplifiers so dynamic. Mr. Rivera understood this technique very well.
Well said!
That's like the quote of Miles Davis" it are the rests between the played notes,that matter"(translated)
Lucky for me I discovered the Rivera Fender amps about 5-6 years ago. My initial search was for a Rivera Fender Princeton Reverb iI or a Rivera Fender Superchamp but even then most of them were $900-1000+ and hard to find. Luckily I decided to go ahead and buy a Rivera Fender Concert II off Reverb. I paid about $850 for it but mine was in amazing condition (I think I am 3rd owner-guy I bought it from said he was second owner and bought it from original owner who he said had parked it in garage or closet under a cover. The grill is near mint still bright and silver in color, no rust or tarnish on any of the screws or chrome corner pieces, and as a bonus it came with its original two button footswitch. Mine is circa 1983, and came with its original 12 inch EV speaker and its original spring reverb tank. They did make some with 2 10inch speakers. And it is LOUD (60w of tube goodness) but also its a heavy beast-think solid wood cabinet-at least 60lbs. You can mount rolling casters on its bottom (holes are there from factory for them) but mine looks like it never had them and I have it sitting on a nice roll around 2 level cart on bottom shelf about 4 inches off ground-so I can easily move it around the house-top shelf is there for other storage or I could put a small second amp on top-just never have so far. I am a hobby player so it will not be traveling-it would be a heavy beast to gig with (casters and a strong backed roadie would be useful in that scenario.) And thankfully, in current era loadboxes/power attenuators are widely available, reliable, and affordable as the Concert II is so loud that unless your wife and neighbors are deaf or you live miles from anybody (out in the sticks) you can certainly use this amp for quiet home practice or in a home studio. I will never sell mine.
Great amps!!!
Tasty playing dude!
Wow! Thanks!
@@VertexEffectsInc you nailed that Bolton strat tone 😂. That was a GREAT decade for studio strat tones.
I used to own one of those the 210 version 60 watt combo Rivera Fender concert. I had a Mega Drive application done by Bruce Egnater when he was a boutique guy in Michigan. In the middle 90s.
Cool!
Ed Jahns designed the Fender Concert (II) amp. Not Paul Rivera. It was created under Rivera's tenure at Fender, and he usually gets credit for the design, but it's Ed Jahn's work.
Jahn also designed the 1980-81 blackface Fender 75, Pre-Rivera. Paul Rivera made huge contributions while there at Fender, and I'll always be grateful to him for updating the Fender line. I bought my Concert brand new in 1983, just after it was released. Rivera did have a lot to do with some of the other II's, though.
Another correction is that the highly-coveted lighted footswitch was not bundled with any of the, "II" amps. When I bought mine at Guitar Center store #1 on Sunset Blvd, it was an extra $75. Kind of a joke as they are so easy to build.
The Concert II used to be the best bargain in the used market. Used to be. I'm glad I hung onto mine. With the EV-12, it's heavy as sin. Makes a great mod platform. I mean it. It ROCKS!
My understanding is that Paul came with the schematics based on what he'd already been doing for a decade at Valley Arts in terms of modifying Fender amps with channel switching and buffered effects loops, etc. in essence, modernizing, the Fender amps to be more compatible with players of that day who'd otherwise go with a Mesa Boogie or send their amp out to be hot-rodded by other amp techs in Paul's absence, like Lee Jackson or Steve Fryette. The design was provided to Ed Jahns to create a manufacturable version of it based on Fender's standards, not though up by Ed Jahns.
I believe Ed Jahns also designed the 400ps?
I have one of these and it has a beautiful clean side. Like most, I’m not in love with the dirty side but it’s nice to have. I use the clean side most of the time along with pedals. It’s a great pedal amp and it’s LOUD! I use a Weber Mass to bring the volume down and get the overdrive at about 5 on the volume. Great all around amp but it’s heavy so do some push ups before you toss it in your truck
Speakers are important here...OD sounds great on this amp as demo'd here.
I hear plenty of people talking about the Rivera Fender amps on music forums. Players know about them. More videos like this and the price will start going up, dang it. The Twin II is equally good, if not extremely heavy. All the Rivera Fender amps are great. Same with the Fender red knob amps (which are *NOT* Rivera made amps)
Paul makes great amps!
Though I have a few great vintage amps, my 84’ Concert has been my #1 workhorse gigging and touring amp since I bought it in the mid 80’s. It’s been everywhere with me.
Great amp 👍👍👍
The irony of making this video to tout how much bang/buck this amp has knowing full well this video will drive up the price everywhere now
Also,; You'll always get great things for cheaper when they don't say, "Fender." Fender is also great, but rarely if ever cheap or what you refer to as bang for buck
What's the alternative??? Keep it secret so nobody knows about it? I can't imagine we have that much influence on this.
Back in 2015 I was privileged to see John Heussenstamm play a '52 Tele into a Fender Concert II (Paul Rivera model) and it was the sweetest sounding guitar amp that I've ever heard.
Wow, Nice!
How does Rivera era Fenders compare to Rivera amps?
Even better IMO!
The clean sound with reverb on the Rivera era Fenders is unbeatable.I have a Fender Princeton Reverb 2 with Altec 417 12" speaker,which clean sound is uncompared to anything else,i know.I also own different Rivera Amps(M-60's,Bonehead, Knucklehead 55R and 100R,TBR 1),but their clean sound is great,especially from the Bonehead but still quite different. The Rivera Amps have much more options to adjust the sound ,they have.
My fave fender amp is the cyber twin and deluxe .It models five different amps(mesa boogie,vox,marshall,and so on).Has most all effects I would get off work,go home and get on it,and next thing u know,it would be 10 or eleven o'clock .Had so much fun with that thing .I've been clean 18 years now.If was a casualty of the pawn shop .I can't fathom why fender stopped making it .
I had one, a 2x10 and it weighed a ton. Yes it sounded friggin great without pedals but too many push/pulls after 40years need a proper service by a real Amp Tech and that will cost you more than the amp will cost but if you have a genious tech and a friend who likes lifting weights it's about the same weight as a Twin but feels heavier cos its a bit smaller. Last thing please get the AC cord checked and Earthed(Grounded) properly no matter which amp you buy , even new amps need a once over.
In the mid 80's I bought an Award Session Sessionette 75 watt solid state combo that I use live to this day. I and many others thought it an unbelievably good sounding, rock solid amp. The builder, Stewart Ward, serviced it four years ago and modded it to sound even better. He still builds an amp, the Blues Baby, which is an update on the original sessionette I believe. I recently bought another second hand and this too sounds truly fantastic with single pickups or P90s. Definitely one to check out.
they are great amps.
Very cool!
I have an 80s Rivera Super Champ
Great amps!
I think the speaker in most of these is one place to start to find your sound with the amp if you don’t love it. I have the head version and I pair it with V30 and a Greenback. I bought mine about 10 years ago and have recently recapped and cleaned up mine. Got rid of the death cap and adding a star ground ect. Still my sound. The clean channel is basically a Bassman channel. The gain channel is so much better than any other fender amp out there. Worst part, is the specialized foot switch pedal.
Picking one up tomorrow for $800. I ll make a video too.
I owned one for 25 years. Mine had an EVM12L which I bought and put in because I did not like the sound of the stock Celestion G12-80. I used the clean channel as a pedal platform with multi-efx units like my Digitech GNX3. I did not care for the high gain/overdrive channel sound at all, just never worked for me. I ended up selling it because it was just too heavy at over 50 LBS. I was carrying it around to gigs, and my back was killing me. It had been recently serviced, and re-tubed and sounded great as a clean amp. I sold it for $850 locally so no shipping.
I would really love a Rivera Stage IV from Sweetwater for $2500. That is a great amp, but still pretty heavy for its size.
The Stage IV is great, you can change the speaker too and shave a lot of weight off.
50 lbs is too heavy for me. thanks for that info
Yes Rivera likes to use transformers that are very heavy in his amp designs. The sound is absolutely awesome...but man it is like lifting an anvil of dead weight...just need to decide if that level of quality of sound is worth carrying something so heavy to gigs. My hand truck was my friend but stairs...ouch the stairs...
Why isn't anyone talking about the fender pro sonic amp? That was fenders most boutique amp.
They are good...not as good or as well built as this. Many of the Zinky amps have known issues, not to say they can't be addressed, but can have some common problems.
I thoroughly loved the sound of this amp and especially the way you played through it.
It's a great amp!
Fender prosonic all the way
Exactly what I have been saying about these amps for several years. I have the Concert and the Deluxe Reverb II. The Deluxe is running my JBL D120f while the Concert has 2 10" Jensen Alnicos. The neat thing is that the cabinets are the same size so in a few minutes I can interchange them and have a Deluxe Reverb with 2x10 and the Concert with 1x12. Great Amps! I got them both at a great price, and I would not want to part with them at any price.
They're great amps!