Front Panel; Power; Standby; Presence - Rivera KNUCKLE HEAD 2 Owner's Manual

POWER

STANDBY

®
HANDCRAFTED BY
RIVERA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SYLMAR, CA USA
Power
This is your main power switch. The on position is indicated by the light
being illuminated. The off position is marked by the "0" on the switch. Before
turning the amp on, always check that a speaker is connected and that the power
cord is firmly plugged into the amp and the outlet.
Standby
By turning the Power on and the Standby off (the down position, labeled with a "0"), you
can warm up the amplifier before applying full voltage to the preamp and power output tubes. This
prolongs tube life. Using the Standby switch when you're taking a break also helps to extend the tubes'
life, plus it keeps the amp constantly at the ready. Just flip the Standby switch to the up ("I") position,
and you're ready to play.

Presence

The Presence control is incorporated as a vital part of the power amp
section. Think of it as a final brightness control after all the EQ, distortion, and
effects.

Focus

This control is a RIVERA exclusive that actually lets you change the speaker's response charac-
teristics, from tight to loose. The effect can give closed-back cabinets a sound more akin to an open one,
and vice-versa, plus you can "custom blend" the amount of hardness your final sound has.
Clean/Rhythm channel
to mind the great classic American tones and textures. You can get some impressive lead overdrive dis-
tortion out of the Clean/Rhythm channel, and as a rhythm channel it brings out every subtlety of your
playing. The range of tones can be anywhere from sparkling-clean to perfect for bluesy rhythm—the kind
of sound that has an attitude and gets meaner as you pick harder.
Master 2 (with Pull Ninja switch)
in conjunction with the distortion circuit to sweeten the tone.
Therefore, Master 2's effect goes beyond loudness control. Try
it with different Gain 2 and Middle settings to adjust the
amount of "singing" and "grit." The Ninja Boost, activated by
pulling out the Master 2 knob, is a sweet-sounding boost
characterized by a more subtle effect on the harmonics than
the Lead/Crunch channel's Boost control while adding sustain. The Ninja Boost helps to drive the power
amp, and the best description of its influence over the tone is that it thickens it
Bass
The "chunk" and support that form the backbone of your tone come from this control.
Middle (with Pull Notch switch)
trum at about 550 Hz, and turning the knob alters the depth of that notch. Its Pull Notch switch shifts
the frequency center of that notch down to about 250 Hz. (For reference, most 1950s tweed amps have
their notch centered at 550 Hz, while classic "blackface" amps have theirs centered at 250 Hz.)
Experiment with this, especially if you're looking for a uniquely expressive rhythm texture.
CLEAN/RHYTHM
PRESENCE FOCUS MASTER 2 BASS
PULL
NINJA
F
R O N T
The Clean/Rhythm channel is extremely flexible, with a flavor that brings
The Clean/Rhythm channel has a special EQ circuit that works
The midrange circuit has a slight notch in the frequency spec-
MIDDLE TREBLE GAIN 2 MASTER 1 TREBLE
PULL PULL PULL
NOTCH BRIGHT BOOST SWEET
P
A N E L
MASTER 2 BASS
PULL
NINJA
LEAD/CRUNCH
MIDDLE BASS GAIN 1 INPUTS
LOW
PULL PULL PULL PULL
SCOOP BOOST SELECT
GAIN
POWER STANDBY
PRESENCE FOCUS
CLEAN/RHYTHM
MIDDLE TREBLE GAIN 2
PULL PULL
NOTCH BRIGHT
HIGH
GAIN