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Rivera Venus Deux Recording 1x12" 25-watt Tube Combo Amp

25W/7W, 1x12" Tube Combo Amplifier, with Mini RockRec Load Box/Speaker Emulated Direct Out, Headphone Output, Spring Reverb, and Celestion Creamback Neo Speaker
3 Write review Item ID: Deux112Rec25
$2,099.00

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Rivera Venus Deux Recording 1x12" 25-watt Tube Combo Amp
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Well-equipped Combo for Direct Recording and Live Performance

With six switchable voicings, direct recording capabilities, and a built-in headphone amp, the all-tube Rivera Venus Deux Recording combo offers much more than most tube combo amps. And it's perfect for pedals — the Venus Deux Recording combo features tons of clean headroom for optimum results with your pedalboard. That headroom is adjustable thanks to switchable 25-watt/7-watt power modes, giving you control over how quickly the amp breaks up. Factor in a built-in Mini RockRec load box and speaker emulator for direct recording, a headphone output for private practice, and a lightweight Celestion G12 T-75 12" speaker, and the Rivera Venus Deux Recording combo is well-equipped for both the stage and the studio.

Related Videos: Venus Deux Recording 1x12" 25-watt Tube Combo Amp

Built-in Mini RockRec direct recording interface

Rivera's Mini RockRec load box and speaker cab emulator has been a huge hit at Sweetwater with recording engineers and pro guitarists alike. It allows you to record the tone of the Venus Deux Recording combo through any of six realistic speaker emulations. If you're playing live and need to keep stage volume at a minimum, send it directly to the front of house instead of miking the combo. There's also an EQ Bypass direct output if you prefer to use a different speaker cabinet emulator.

Switchable 25W/7W power modes for adjustable clean headroom

If you rely on your pedals for your core tone, you'll love how they sound through the Rivera Venus Deux Recording combo amp. It's voiced for maximum headroom that will allow your pedals to show their true colors. If you prefer that your tubes start breaking up a bit earlier, switch from the 25-watt mode to the 7-watt mode for cranked-amp tones at lower volume levels (and your pedals will still sound great).

Rivera Venus Deux Recording 1 x 12" Tube Combo Features:

  • All-tube combo amp with two 6V6 power tubes and three preamp tubes
  • Single-channel, non-master-volume design with switchable 25-watt/7-watt power modes
  • Built-in Mini RockRec load box and speaker emulator for silent direct recording
  • Six voicing options for your direct tone
  • Direct out with EQ Bypass option for use with your own speaker IRs
  • Spring reverb sounds sweet
  • Headphone output for private practice sessions
  • Designed with plenty of headroom for optimum performance with pedals
  • Lightweight Celestion G12 T-75 speaker delivers big tone

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Guitar Amp Buying Guide

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Tube
  • Number of Channels: Single
  • Total Power: 25W/7W
  • Speaker Size: 1 x 12" Celestion G12T-75
  • Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7
  • Power Tubes: 2 x 6V6
  • Reverb: Yes
  • EQ: 3-band EQ, Pull Switches (Bright, Notch, Fat)
  • Inputs: 1 x 1/4"
  • Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (speaker), 1 x 1/4" (line), 1 x 1/4" (direct), 1 x XLR (direct)
  • Effects Loop: Yes
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • Footswitch I/O: 1 x 1/4" (reverb)
  • Footswitch Included: Yes
  • Bias Type: Adjustable Fixed
  • Construction Material: Black Tolex with Gold Grille cloth
  • Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Height: 20.9"
  • Width: 17.9"
  • Depth: 12"
  • Weight: 39 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: Venus Deux Rec 25-112

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Customer Reviews

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Your basis for tone

I'm not going to say that tubes are inherently superior to solid state with how far amp voicing has come, but if you want a compact, versatile clean tube platform for your electric instrument that will sound stellar in a wide variety of mixes, either because you play clean and simple, or because you get your dirt from pedals, this amp will get you there in spades. It does an excellent job of offering a ton of versatility without overwhelming you with choices.

The Fender-derived Rivera tonestack is just fantastic. I also think the same of their Marshall-esque channels (such as the one on my Chubster 40), but that opinion is a little more controversial. This is just a one channel amp. But between the excellently-voiced 3-way tone stack, the mid-shift (basically, a toggle between tweed vs blackface or silverface), bright switch, presence, and to a lesser extent, the focus control and fat switch, you have an incredibly quick and easy way to either voice and revoice an instrument or adapt the amp to your instrument. Add on top of that the FX loop and low power switch--which uses a voltage drop and (I think) some modifications to the circuit to compensate--and you can get the pushed amp sound a bit sooner. I will say that it doesn't necessarily make the amp noticeably quieter, so much as lower your clean headroom. You can also put a volume attenuator in the FX loop for a master volume control. It can darken the amp a bit but there's plenty of EQ on tap to compensate. Like most tube amps in my experience, if you play with the amp volume low, the tone stack range is reduced, but still sounds great.

My version comes with a G12 T-75 speaker, not the Neo Creamback. Rivera said that the Neo magnets were nice, but just not there yet in terms of performance: "Neos seem to sound weak and can't hold low end and loud cleans well so we didn't end up liking it or using anymore. We are using the Celestion T-75 now and honestly it sounds much better .. That neo speaker was the weak link and couldn't handle loud clean very long ..I think it's worth the difference in weight."

Some people don't like the G12 T-75, but dang it, Rivera makes pretty good component choices in their amps and I have never had to do much fiddling to get a good sound for a band mix, whether it's jazz, rock, blues, r&b, etc. I was worried the compact cabinet wouldn't sound as good as my old reliable Chubster 40 (which has a pretty wide and deep cabinet for being a 1x12), but I haven't noticed any issues with it. It's more of a "direct" and focused sound, I guess, but a great one nonetheless. If that bothers you, you can always just get the head.

Sometimes I wish I would have gotten the head, but I'm pretty much a combo amp player. The last thing I need is an excuse to collect more gear, and if I had ahead, I'd want a variety of cabinets to play it through! This is compensated for with the fact that you can send a direct recording out with a any of 6 speaker cab voicings for silent or low-volume recording. I'm not in a place where I'm recording tracks right now, but I have listened to the different voicings and they cover a pretty nice range. Again, Rivera did a great job selecting from a few options that "just work" rather than overwhelming us with choices. I think this amp is a pretty good middle ground between that gear that is really for fiddling and tinkering and gear that is "plug and play." This amp offers and rewards both.

Tons of connectivity options. Silent practice and recording options that don't suck. This is a good candidate for "if you only could have one amp..." It's compact, fairly light weight and easy to store and transport and set up and dial in. It will even get you somewhat into Vox-ish territory between the mid shift, presence and bright switches. But this is mostly a Marshall/Fender (tweed) and Fender (BF/SF) clean amp. If you want something that covers that range, and does it well, and is built to be reliable, serviceable and bomb proof, and you don't mind working with tubes, you should consider this amp.

So here are my two complaints:
1. The fat switch is really subtle to my ears. The focus knob is also subtle, but makes more of discernible difference in the low end response, especially as you turn the volume up to performance levels. I couldn't say the same for the fat switch.

2. Rivera human support is great, but their website and documentation sucks. I really wish they'd up their documentation game. The manual they offer with this amp is for the Venus Deux (previous non-rec version), so it doesn't cover pretty much any of the back panel options. You can get the Mini Rock Rec manual and that will cover most of the rest, but even that doesn't cover everything in the same way it's presented in this amp.
by ETHAN YOUNG from Kansas on

Covers update

I bought the Fender Rumble 100 cover and it fits on the Rivera 25 Venus Deux much better than 200 cover. No problem though as I used the 200 cover on another amp.
by Bruce Kerr from Southern Illinois on
Music background: same as before

Magnifico!

This Rivera is 18"h x16"w x10"d, small but loud with what is quite possibly the best clean tone on the mar
Ket! I'm a pedal guy and it's perfect for me. The fender rumble 200/500 amp cover fits a little baggy but works. I once had a clubster and loved it, and I like this one alot too. Portable and plenty loud with excellent clean channel...what more could I want? Many thanks to my new rep Buster Davis for a job well done! I wanted to do my part to help the economy during the shutdown,and I got a great amp as well in the process! SWeetwater is the absolute peak of perfection!
by Bruce Kerr from Southern Illinois on
Music background: Forgotten most of it...Oh well...!
See also: Combo Amps, Rivera, Rivera Guitar Combo Amps
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