 | Download Example 1 Amp volume (non-master) set at 7. Clip takes amp from no attenuation through each step of RockCrusher from Bypass to –3, -8, -12, -16, -20, Studio from max to min. |
| Download Example 2 Same clip with volume adjustments in Pro Tools to compensate for DB loss up to –12 (maximum gain allowed on fader). |
| Download Example 3 Attenuation at –3DB with no EQ switches, then engaging EDGE, then engaging WARM with same riff. |
| Clips recorded with a 1970 Marshall Superbass through '68 Basketweave 4x12. Speakers are two G12H-30s and two Vintage 30s. Mic'd with Shure SM57 off axis through Chandler LTD-1 mic pre into Pro Tools. | |
Many vintage amp enthusiasts would never dream of cutting into an amp or changing the circuit to accommodate a master volume, and that’s why the amp world is full of attenuators. And in the form of the RockCrusher, Rivera has built an attenuator that works with the most powerful amps while preserving that tone that led you to you most beloved amp in the first place.
Cut it Out!
Many attenuators go the route of a purely resistive load in an attenuator design, which can contribute to tone loss and performance issues. By using a reactive load network, the RockCrusher achieves a more balanced relationship between impedance and capacitance reactance. The intended result is better tone and feel and more equalization range when attenuation removes elements of speaker dynamics.
Built of 16-gauge welded steel in purple and black, the RockCrusher commands attention. It looks tough and retro all at once with giant knobs and switches that makes the ‘Crusher easy to work with and settings easy to remember. Like all things Rivera, this was clearly built with the highest-grade components and made to last a lifetime. Optional removable rack ears are available for road case installation, but if you prefer table- or amp-top use, the provided set of super heavy-duty rubber feet will hold it in place.
The front panel features an Attenuate/Bypass switch, Input Z (16/8-ohm) switch and two EQ switches (Edge and Warm). All switches are black, solid 2-way plastic rocker switches that engage with a satisfying click. A massive Attenuation switch has six settings in 4 dB increments from -3 dB down to Studio. When in Studio mode a second Level knob controls from Max to Min volume to take the level down to near zero. A Line Out that can be utilized for a slave out or to an outboard mixer.
On the back there is a balanced line output (XLR) followed by an unbalanced 1/4" line out, two speaker output jacks, and a single Z Input (8 or 16 ohms) that takes the output of the amp being utilized. Connection is as simple as taking the output from the head into the input, then connecting one or more of the outputs to the speaker cab of choice.
Playtime
After working out of a local studio with a great live room for the past four years, I was spoiled being able to sit in the control room with a 100-watt Marshall and a cranked cab mic’d in the live room. But these days I spend most of my time in my home studio. The only problem is I still have all the non-master volume amps and the cabs but it’s a single room and even 20 watts can blow the windows out. So to test out the RockCrusher I lined up a bevy of vintage Marshalls, a ’64 Vox AC30, and various other amps that were around during review time to see how it held up on the whole lot. My test cabs included a 1968 Marshall Basketweave with two Celestion V30s and two original G12H-30s, a Mojave 2x12 with Greenbacks, and a Krank 1x12 cab with an Eminence Governor.
First amp up was a ’68 Marshall Plexi PA head that was voiced as a Superbass—probably the loudest and richest sounding of the amps in my collection. Selecting 16-ohm operation and bypassing the Rock Crusher I pushed the PA up to about 7 on the volume and let it rip. By the time I was picking up some of the art that had fallen off the walls, I had dialed in a tone I liked and switched on the RockCrusher in the -3db mode.
With the RockCrusher on, the tone was definitely darker than in its un-attenuated state. But a quick flip of the Edge switch reinvigorated and filled things out. Moving through the attenuation settings the signal it became quieter and quieter but the tone stayed very consistent. Amp settings didn’t need to be changed to retain the classic Marshall sound as it dropped in volume.
Sensitivity to pick attack changed and became a little less clear as the extreme settings came into effect. And I found that once past -12db the feel of the amp became more compressed and less affected by digging in or pulling back on the attack of the instrument. This is to be expected, and I’ve yet to use any attenuator that really can retain the dynamic touch of a big amp up at full volume. There are simply too many other factors to expect that a 1-watt tone will feel the same. That said, it surprised me in recording how similar the tones alone remained.
Moving onto another powerful amp, I plugged in the AC30 in and used the original speakers from the combo (original Blues from ’64). Since the AC30 is an 8-ohm amp I made the switch on the front panel to accommodate the impedance change. The AC30 worked extremely well with the RockCrusher—even more so than the Marshall. Tone stayed intact and sounded beautiful and shimmering, just like the amp always did but without the unbelievable volume. Just shaving off 8 dB put it in the perfect spot to record without the unnecessary noise, and I engaged the Warm switch to add a little bottom end.
With a Blackheart Little Giant and Krank 1x12 cab I set up the RockCrusher to see what it would do to a little amp. I quickly found that -3db was really all that was necessary to tame the five-watt amp, though it did subtract some of the Blackheart’s richness. Engaging the Edge switch was necessary to gain back the brightness that was lost in attenuation but the Warm switch made the bass a bit tubby. In recording mode I was able to bring the amp down to a near whisper and still got great results that didn’t sound very far off of the full volume version of the head. Not many people are going to attenuate a five-watt amp these days but it’s nice to know in a pinch that this is a possibility.
The balanced line output is a great way to get the direct signal of the amp into Pro Tools. Since I sometimes run speaker emulation software for tones this ended up being a great way to get live, cranked amp tones simply by applying speaker emulation to the DI tone of the amp. You get all of the amp sound on the output without the speaker tone. This is definitely something to consider if you’re setting the RockCrusher at ultra low volumes and still want to have options later.
The Verdict
Attenuation is tough business. The single largest factor outside of tone, is retaining the feel, touch, and response we love at higher volumes. Rivera has done a commendable job in helping to retain that with the reactive load. It’s built to last, looks great and saves amps from being chopped with unnecessary modifications. It is also safe in handling 100-watt tube amps with headroom to spare. At about 500 bucks it isn’t dirt-cheap. But it’s way less than buying an amp for every occasion and enables you to work with the amp you know in any situation.
Buy if...
you have high-powered vintage or modern amps that need taming without sacrificing too much tone or feel.
Skip if...
you run lowered powered master-volume amps or regularly play Cobo Hall with six stacks.
Rating...
Street $499 - Rivera Amplification - rivera.com |
Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as you’re able to find today. “Why?” you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ’56), the Longhorn 4623 (’58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (’58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses “baritone guitars,” to add to our confusion today. But these vintage “baritones” were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the “tic-tac” bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the “click-bass” tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
“When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye.”
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button “Tone Selector Switch” that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
It’s sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
It’s sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? That’s because the model’s single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul ’Bursts. So as people repaired broken ’Bursts, converted other LPs to ’Bursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a “Golden Era” sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isn’t original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesn’t have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald City’s $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Bacon’s “Danelectro’s UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Basses” Reverb News article, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheeler’s American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.