RIVERA AMPLIFICATION
BLUES SHAMAN AND
DOUBLE SHAMAN
BY STEVE OUIMETTE
Paul Rivera’s amplifiers and effects are impressive by any standard. His work
reflects a remarkable breadth of knowledge
and intuition about the real musical applications for amplifiers and effects. The proof is in
Rivera’s client list—which includes artists spanning country, metal, roots rock, and pop—and
in the longevity of a career that now spans
more than three decades.
That ability to work across stylistic barriers is typified in Rivera’s new Shaman pedals—the Blues Shaman, Double Shaman, and
Metal Shaman. The Blues Shaman evokes an
overdriven tweed Fender, while the Double
Shaman combines two voices optimized for
hot blues-rock or more aggressive ’80s flavors.
The Metal Shaman, meanwhile, conjures
high-gain destruction. Here we take a look at
the Blues Shaman and Double Shaman, but
be sure to also read our review of the Metal
Shaman at premierguitar.com/may2011.
Two channels
Destination channel
footswitch
Simple and straightforward
control scheme
Combo/Stack
switch
emulates
differing cab
styles
Dual Stack/Combo
switches emulate
differing cab styles
