Rivera Super Champ clone? Chassis? Kits?

[Matthews Guitars]

Due to the high cost of original Rivera Super Champs, I'm looking at the idea of building a replica or clone.

It's not the idea of making a perfect cosmetic replica that appeals to me, it's that I want the specific tonality the type can bring to my amp collection.

Is anybody making chassis for such an amp? Or kits? Ideally, a version tha dumps the Compactron 6C10 triple triode and replaces it with two 12AX7 tubes for convenience.

[maxkracht]

If I were doing this, I would pick up a princeton reverb chassis. Guessing transformers for a princeton or deluxe would do, but I don't know off the top of my head. Highly doubt anyone makes a kit, but shouldn't be too hard to replicate.

[B Ingram]

Due to the high cost of original Rivera Super Champs, I'm looking at the idea of building a replica or clone.

If I were doing this, I would pick up a princeton reverb chassis. ...

Review the Super Champ schematic, and you should find the amp is mostly a Princeton Reverb in a too-small box.

You can add the Mid-shift if you choose.
I doubt anyone will miss the pull-boost.
You could source a PT that allows for a solid-state bridge rectifier, but why bother?

Switching to 12AX7 (even if you do not build the tremolo circuit) will let you avoid the 6C10, which will cost you dearly.

[Matthews Guitars]

Are we even thinking of the same amp? I'm referring to the Rivera designed Super Champ that provided the basic overdrive tone of quite a few legendary 80s metal tones, and yet a lot of people thought that came from a custom hotrodded vintage Marshall.

Not looking for a low gain tone out of this amp!

[maxkracht]

Are we even thinking of the same amp?

Yes. Look at the schematic, find some pictures of the inside, it's a hotrodded princeton reverb.

[Yoda]

I worked on one of these Rivera-era Super Champs and I have to say it was one of the coolest little combo amps I’ve ever played. I regret not buying it from the owner. I think I would even take one over the classic Princeton Reverb, it’s just more versatile. It’s really more of a PR (2x 6V6 power) but I suppose the name Super Champ sounded much better than Super Princeton for marketing purposes.

[didit]

Hello --

Are we even thinking of the same amp? I'm referring to the Rivera designed Super Champ that provided the basic overdrive tone of quite a few legendary 80s metal tones, and yet a lot of people thought that came from a custom hotrodded vintage Marshall.

Not looking for a low gain tone out of this amp!

Get yourself the Super Champ schematic and one for the AA1164 Princeton. Trace the two. They are largely similar with a few improvements and a few questionable tweaks. Mark up the AA1164 layout where there are differences and you should find that a clone Princeton chassis and even Princeton pre-drilled circuit board can be adapted to purpose. Look for a compatible power transformer that will deliver ~400VDC after silicon rectification -- 285VAC is what the formula recommends. You want the 80uF filter post rectification so don't waste time thinking about 5AR4s. Unfortunately Hammond discontinued their "repair" part for a Super Champ, so research will be required. The rest is simple.

The advice already offered is correct, regardless of what might be behind any dark mystic legends about recording of '80s metal tones. Perhaps it's pedals. Perhaps it's effective use of the "master" and a clean boost, getting some Super Champ pre-amp distortion.

Best ..

[Mark]

Why not build something like the Brown Note Dumble style amps?

I look at the circuit and there are things that I would experiment and possibly change. The first thing I noticed was the 2200pF cap going to the reverb driver. It reminds me of a Dan Torres mod that didn’t sound particularly good.

[soundmasterg]

I had a Super Champ back in the day, in fact it was my first amp. It was thick sounding when the boost was on, and was a unique sound, but it was also brittle sounding and boxy sounding, probably due to the use of the solid state rectifier and high voltages, and the small cabinet. I ended up selling it so I could buy a Rickenbacker bass and got a Rivera era Concert amp a bit later, which was also brittle sounding. Eventually I sold that and got a Vox AC30, which was much better for most stuff I was doing at the time. If I had the chance at a Super Champ again, I wouldn't get it unless it was a screaming deal, and then it would just be to sell it. While it did sound better than the Rivera era Concert, IMHO it pales in comparison to a vintage blackface Fender amp, and if you want the higher gain with a vintage amp, you can use a pedal and get most of the way there.

Looking at the schematic, it is very similar to a vintage Princeton Reverb so I'd think any kit for a PR could be the basis for modding to your taste.

Greg

[nuke]

Yeah, you'd be months and dollars ahead starting with a Princeton Reverb kit, or a chassis. Mojo offers a 1x12 cabinet that fits the 6-knob PR chassis.

With any luck, you might find one that's already built, since a lot of time, you can buy someone's already built kit for less than the ready-to-build kit parts.


The Rivera Super Champ is surprisingly good, it kinda led to the Blues Junior series, which lives in about the same market, great size and form, plenty loud for today and OK sounding.