# Anyone ever see one of these before (PEPCO content)?



## Granny Gremlin

I’ve done it now. There was just no way around it, that 4x12, matching my studio partner's 725 head and 1x15, for C$80 all in. And all the speakers work. There was no choice really. Had to be done. It's been nagging at the back of my head for a month since I ran across it in a gear shop I had never heard of before and was checking out for the first time; a gem winking at me from within the mess. Went back to get it last weekend.










I think we now collectively own the entire Riviera line. I certainly can’t find any other models when I search online (though there were different versions of the 725 head, some with more knobs; no clear pics so hard to tell what’s going on there). As far as speaker cabs, I have never even heard a whisper of any Riviera other than the 1x15 (which is great, for both guitar and bass). The 725 amp is an amazing midrange monster (the tone stack was rebuilt on this one).

What I love most about both these cabs is that they were obviously designed for guitar/bass dual use and are actually good at both (the 725 does after all have separate guitar and bass inputs) in that they are MUCH larger than other similarly equipped cabs of the era. The 1x15 is perfect and I wouldn’t touch it even if it was mine to mess with, though I do wish it took a bit more power (I have seen someone on Talkbass refer to it as a Showman copy, but that's Talkbass for you, where everything has to be compared to the closest Fender model - but I think this is actually larger, certainly a different shape). Might change out the speakers in the 4x12 because they won’t handle the power of my new Sunn 1200s without getting farty (I opened her up and looked in there - 15-20 watt Marslands but nicer/better quality than most Marslands of the 70s - really nice cones and look more solid than the crappier ones Traynor was using by the end of that decade - I've had the magnets just fall off of those before). 

Replaced the rubber feet on the bottom (completely worn down to more of a rubber washer around a screw with it’s head ground down - bit of a pain to get off) and glued down some ripped flaps of tolex (the green tape on the bottom clamping it down). Gotta find a strap handle for the right side there, and then maybe some castors (side mount for a tilt n roll) cause it’s a beast - not that heavy, but large and awkward to carry - it’s actually bigger than the similar Sunn slant style 4x12 that I assume inspired it or the 'tall' 60s Marshalls).

To give an idea re the scale of this beast, it is 30 x 41 x 12" (vs a standard 4x12 which is 30 x 30 x 13).

So anyone know anything about these? Are there any other Riviera-branded products out there?


----------



## cboutilier

I have the head with more knobs! It's a model 730. It has two 6V6's powering it, and tube driven reverb and tremolo, plus a bright switch. My 1x15 cabinet has a Jensen/RSC Concert EMC1500 in it.

I want that 4x12 though!


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Nice - been wondering what the config on that one was. Thanks for sharing.

Still hoping to find out about any other speaker cab offerings they may have had.


----------



## cboutilier

I've got a whole thread about it on here. I also have a Pepco Model 211 head which is a single 6v6 5 watter with a single knob tone control + tube reverb and tremolo


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Cool, I have tried searching but didn't see it - help a guy out with a link? ... oh wait, looks like the 211 was branded Pine - looks like the one my friend has. I was specifically asking about info on any other stuff branded as Riviera.


----------



## cboutilier

Granny Gremlin said:


> Cool, I have tried searching but didn't see it - help a guy out with a link? ... oh wait, looks like the 211 was branded Pine - looks like the one my friend has. I was specifically asking about info on any other stuff branded as Riviera.


My 211 isn't branded at all. Just the small Pine Electronics script with the CSA number that all the stencils had. No big branding.


----------



## marcos

Great buy for sure. They have been around since the 60's i believe.


----------



## cboutilier

marcos said:


> Great buy for sure. They have been around since the 60's i believe.


I can't find a date on my cabinet or my 211. I've dated my 730 head to 1973.


----------



## fretzel

Tom's Tone?


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Yep.


----------



## fretzel

"A gem winking at me from within the mess" gave it away. LOL!
Stopped in there once to check it out. Apparently the owner looks all over for deals. From what I've seen on kijiji he is fair with his pricing. 
Quite the characters hanging around there though. One guy was drinking a beer. Don't see that everyday in a music store.


----------



## Tone Chaser

I have the simpler version without effects. The speaker is a Marsland 15" Alnico. It is fairly loud for a pair of 6V6, and just loves cheap pedals. I really think that pedals go all the way to 10 on these old amps. Do you have the original coily speaker cable?


----------



## Granny Gremlin

No, don't have the coily cable. What you have is the same as my friends stack, but different styling. I like the kinda Hiwattish style like mine a bit more but I think yours is the older one - anyone know? 

And a bit of an update; replaced the missing handle on the 4x12 (replaced the original one too so they match - used it on my bud's Riviera head as it was missing it;s handle) and added recessed corner castors (yes, this meant cutting slots to mount them, but at least I can wheel the thing around now. Working on acquiring the drive units I need to load this up for higher powered bass use. Bought some stuffing for it too (trying out the recycled denim stuff; usually I'm a long hair wool guy, but that would cost too much for a cab this size).


----------



## Marc Pelletier

I have the same amp as this one, with the three inputs, reverb and tremolo. It is labelled Mansfield, which is just a stencil name that was added by the distributor - so it doesn't have the Riviera label either. Also, it is a combo instead. I would really like to know what the model number is. It has 3x12ax7, 1x12au7, and two 6l6GC tubes.

Shared Public - marcfpelletier


----------



## cboutilier

Marc Pelletier said:


> I have the same amp as this one, with the three inputs, reverb and tremolo. It is labelled Mansfield, which is just a stencil name that was added by the distributor - so it doesn't have the Riviera label either. Also, it is a combo instead. I would really like to know what the model number is. It has 3x12ax7, 1x12au7, and two 6l6GC tubes.
> 
> Shared Public - marcfpelletier


That seems to be the same layout and chassis as my 2x 6v6 powered Model 730


----------



## Marc Pelletier

cboutilier said:


> That seems to be the same layout and chassis as my 2x 6v6 powered Model 730


 Yep, seems to be a Riviera 730 combo. Do you have the circuit diagram by any chance?


----------



## cboutilier

Marc Pelletier said:


> Yep, seems to be a Riviera 730 combo. Do you have the circuit diagram by any chance?


I did draw a rough one up. I might have posted it here. I'll look.

Edit: I never posted it, but I'll try and find it. If not I'll open it up and redraw it


----------



## Frenchy99

You guy`s are missing the PA !!!


----------



## Frenchy99

I had this model under the name of Stagg and it came with a 412. I traded it for a guitar since have the exact same amp under the Granada name as a 212 c0mbo... here are some pics.

Stagg:

Granada Super Deluxe:


----------



## Frenchy99

Ohhh.... and to stay on the Riviera topic... here is the viola bass !


----------



## cboutilier

For those of us with 730's, what tubes do you run. Mine came to me with 4 12ax7s, which I think could be the cause of my overwhelmingly powerful reverb. I can't turn realistically turn the reverb up past 1.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Interesting that the Stagg 4x12 is not the same config (tall/slant driver arrangement) as the Riviera.

OOOOh a PA version (I have a fetish, though I did just sell my larger Garnet Sessionman Vocal, still have my Rebel PA as well as a Bogen).

BTW, I hope to have an update here about my 4x12 soon/like next week.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

So, I have finished modding my Riviera 4x12. Idiot me forgot my phone at home when I went to the studio to finish that up, so I got no pics, but it is wonderful.

- Added 2 corner-mount castors to one side of the cab (tilt and roll)
- replaced the carry strap that was missing on one side
- put proper rubber feet on 
- lined/stuffed the cab. Used a new product I haven't tried before - that insulation made from old jeans (love that it is not itchy). I usually prefer long hair wool, but for a cab this big that would cost too much.
- replaced the drive units with 2x JBL D120F + 2 x EV Force 12 in series/parallel for 8 ohms (all new wiring and jack) .... got a pic of those from the other night:










The EVs are freshly reconed (upgraded to edge-wound voice coils) and the JBLs original.

This monster cab sounds bloody great now and can take all the power my Sunn 1200s is throwing at it. Alone it is awesome for guitar - it can go noise/shoegaze bright or doom metal dark chug; the rig in generall loves FX, though I do find the JBLs make distortion pedals sound trashier than they usually do (had to adjust mine to take the edge off) - loves modulation FX though (the amp generally is an amazing pedal platform). It pairs very well with my EV-loaded Musicman 115RH for bass, but can stand on it's own in that capacity as well. Might be a tad bright for that; could stand to lose one of the JBLs and replace with something else, but I'll jam with it a few times and see.

Epic rig pick soon.


----------



## Frenchy99

I found these in my files... Diagrams for the 725...


----------



## Frenchy99

After talking so much about these 725-730 pepco amps... took a look at some local adds and feel on this !


A 730 Galto 212 combo just like my Granada combo!

So I went and got it !!! 

Will be able to mod the hell out of this one since the lady who sold it to me said her boyfriend already played and changed things in it... plus it s missing a corner of the face plate !  Wonder what I could do for that ??? 

I ll take better pics later !


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Dude, you've been scoring a lot of cool shit lately.

FYI, my Riviera 4x12 reloaded and modded (scroll down a bit): Official Show Your Gear Thread!=)


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> ude, you've been scoring a lot of cool shit lately.


Yep !!! 

Plus i`ve been on a buying break for 4 years....  Nice to finally get new toy`s ! 

Also notice that both my combo`s sport 2 X 6L6`s and not 6V6`s like the 725 model !!!


----------



## Frenchy99

Here are some better pics !!!


----------



## Frenchy99




----------



## Frenchy99

Anybody familiar with Ultimus speakers ??? Just read on the net that Hiwatt used them in the early 70`s ... anyone know this for a fact ? any good ?


----------



## Frenchy99

I am also beginning to think that the 212 combo`s and my previous Stagg head and 412 stack are not the 730 model since they all have 6L6`s as power tubes... where the 725 and 730 both sport 6V6`s... hummm... Another mystery...


----------



## cboutilier

Frenchy99 said:


> Yep !!!
> 
> Plus i`ve been on a buying break for 4 years....  Nice to finally get new toy`s !
> 
> Also notice that both my combo`s sport 2 X 6L6`s and not 6V6`s like the 725 model !!!



FWIW my 730 came to me with 6V6GT


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Frenchy99 said:


> Anybody familiar with Ultimus speakers ??? Just read on the net that Hiwatt used them in the early 70`s ... anyone know this for a fact ? any good ?


Ultimus is the model - they were made by Radio Speakers of Canada (RSC on the label) which is basically Jensen Canada. I'm skeptical they would have been used in any Hiwatt (unless they pulled a Marshall and built/loaded the cabs here vs importing them).



Frenchy99 said:


> I am also beginning to think that the 212 combo`s and my previous Stagg head and 412 stack are not the 730 model since they all have 6L6`s as power tubes... where the 725 and 730 both sport 6V6`s... hummm... Another mystery...


All they had to do was change out the output transformer, but maybe not - depending on the plate voltage they're running - likely woundn't mod the power supply - it might not be putting out much more power than the 6V6s.... yeah, max plate voltage on a 6V6 is like 350 and 6L6 is 500. Won't get anywhere near full power out of a 6L6 at 300 V. ... though the schem above appears to show the plates running at 410ish which is closer to typical plate voltage for 6L6s so who knows. The original OT may be just beefy enough too.


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> Ultimus is the model - they were made by Radio Speakers of Canada (RSC on the label) which is basically Jensen Canada. I'm skeptical they would have been used in any Hiwatt (unless they pulled a Marshall and built/loaded the cabs here vs importing them).


Wow... cool !!! I like Jensen speakers...


----------



## Frenchy99

cboutilier said:


> FWIW my 730 came to me with 6V6GT


How do you know its the 730 model ? is it written on the amp like the 725 version is ? Mine have no model number anywhere.


----------



## cboutilier

Frenchy99 said:


> How do you know its the 730 model ? is it written on the amp like the 725 version is ? Mine have no model number anywhere.


I'm pretty sure mine is written in the faceplate


----------



## cboutilier

Frenchy99 said:


> Wow... cool !!! I like Jensen speakers...


I just took the 15'' RSC jensen from my 725 cab and put it in my Super Reverb. It's amazing.


----------



## Frenchy99

cboutilier said:


> I'm pretty sure mine is written in the faceplate


That settles it then... My combo`s must be another model number just like the Mansfield one posted earlier with 6l6... 3 combo`s exactly the same... to much of a coincidence in my book.


----------



## cboutilier

Frenchy99 said:


> That settles it then... My combo`s must be another model number just like the Mansfield one posted earlier with 6l6... 3 combo`s exactly the same... to much of a coincidence in my book.


I wonder if they used different spec transformers for the 6L6 or if they just used the same gear as the 6V6 amp and rebiased. .. 

On mine, there is scripted Riviera 730 right under the input jacks.


----------



## Frenchy99

cboutilier said:


> I wonder if they used different spec transformers for the 6L6 or if they just used the same gear as the 6V6 amp and rebiased. ..


I would imagine not ! why put a 50 watts transformer in a 24 watts amp ??? Not cost efficient !


----------



## Frenchy99

Here are some of my old pics of the Stagg head with 6L6`s in it like my combo`s:


Dont know if you can compare the transformer with it ?


----------



## cboutilier

Frenchy99 said:


> Here are some of my old pics of the Stagg head with 6L6`s in it like my combo`s:
> 
> 
> Dont know if you can compare the transformer with it ?


Interesting. Yours has a big single (4x) can cap, where mine has a pair of 2x. 

Yours also appears to be SS rectified, where mine is 5AR4 tube.

My reverb tank is mounted to the floor of the head compared to your front mount.


----------



## Frenchy99

The galto combo is the same...


----------



## Frenchy99

I dont have pics of the back of my Granada...


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Frenchy99 said:


> I would imagine not ! why put a 50 watts transformer in a 24 watts amp ??? Not cost efficient !


Most single pair of 6L6 amps (all Pepco and Garnets I have seen, but I haven't seen them all) are 30 watts not 50 - you can't get an _honest _50 watts out of a pair of 6L6s (maybe with an ultralinear topology, but speaking of class AB push pull). 6V6es are approx 15 watts so tit's entirely possible the OT is the same - but overspec for 6V6 and a little under for 6L6.

Comparing the OTs is also a good idea - I don't suppose there's any numbers stamped on yours Frenchy and whether you can check that your combos have the same one as your head there (there may have been a number of similarly speced models OT used over the years as availability/cost allowed)? ... edit: oh I see you have already while I was typing that.


----------



## cboutilier

I'm in the process of drawing up a schematic for my 730 now. Problem is there is two primitive printed circuit boards that hide part of the circuits. I can't see what's connected to both plates on V1, V3, and one of the grids and cathodes of V3. I can't see all of the cap values without pulling them either

As far as I can tell, this circuit is a modded Princeton Reverb circuit. That's pretty cool by me.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Riviera 4x12 update: So, Love the JBL and EV combo soundwise, but now I can't lift the cab (up the stairs; dead lift I can just manage), so I been looking for alternative drive units.










Eventually I heard about Weber Neomag 12s. I had written off Weber stuff a while back because they do stamped frame only (which I love for guitar; for bass or dual use it’s a non-starter for me), but this is a proper cast frame JBL D120F clone and one of the selling points is that it is lighter. I was set to order those from Weber, but then came across a well priced lightly used pair on ebay and grabbed those instead. Saved myself a good CA$200 there but …. (see the vid: vimeo.com/199359621 ). 

I don’t want to load the cab with all JBL style drivers (loved the JBL vs EV balanced sound I was getting), and eventually I stumbled on a brand I had never considered before due to being too expensive (Euro import) but that are more EV-like. There was a custom OEM version of the Faital 12PR300 manufactured for Genz Benz but for some reason (dunno exactly) they were surplus and sold off as a wholesale lot. Avatar bought them up and are selling them for cheaper than stock Faital 12PR300s  (they also have the 10″ version for US$99, which is cheaper than anything comparable such as Eminence Delta /Kappalites, if you’re looking - highly recommended; super light, and a freq response that is nicely extended on both ends of the spectrum).

The Webers are off for a recone (one, the other for testing and a gasket change) but I did load up the Faitals last night. It got late so didn’t try them yet - jammin tomorrow night so will see how they perform then.


----------



## Frenchy99

Looks great !!!

If you have to many speakers lying around, send them my way !


----------



## Granny Gremlin

I do. Just came across some of my other spares the other day when cleaning up the guitar closet at the studio.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Oh man, those Faitals are nice.


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> Oh man, those Faitals are nice.



I guess you can say they re : Faitals attraction !


----------



## Frenchy99

This popped up for dirt cheap....


So went to see it...


----------



## Frenchy99

And this followed me home...


2 X 6AV6
12AX7
6V6
5Y3

for tubes


Marsland 12 inch speaker !


Model no. 809

most likely a 7 to 9 watt ... sounds great, just need a good pot cleaning...


----------



## Frenchy99

Here is a new small compact 115 from the Pepco Riviera family...


March 1973 from the speaker date code.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

You sure it's smaller and not just sideways (logo badge moved)?

belated 4x12 update - I replaced the JBLs with Weber Neomag12s (JBL clones, and damn good ones - couldn't tell them apart tone wise, but half the weight). Faitals still in there.


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> You sure it's smaller and not just sideways (logo badge moved)?


29 X 25 X 11 5/8


----------



## Frenchy99

Maybe cboutilier could measure his cab to compare ???


----------



## alwaysflat

No pics but my 811 chassis' "Paul" Pepco has what looks more like RSC speakers, or Jenson/RSC. Not unlike the 12"s in my Baldwin organ. Not much power handling but nice tone. I'm not so sure Frenchy's 809 has a Marsland. Looks nothing like the Marslands in my Sears D45R/Garnet ( and those certainly carry the later Marsland stigma for dark sounding speakers. ) 
I once had a RSC catalog, probably '69-'71 or so from an electronics supply store in Hamilton, the basket pictured was very common to RSC's 8, 10 and 12's.
Yeah, that catalog is long gone. I bought some 10's back then for an audio project. I could be wrong, but my research has steered me toward the Jensen/RSC gear in the lower power pepco gear 6v6 SE . There is an 809 model with a single 15" out there. My buddy had one for his organ back in the day, similar basket.


----------



## alwaysflat

Oh and by the way... great thread ... dig that Pepco gear. Where do you guys find these bargains ?? Its not like I haven't been looking !
I found my 211 covered in boxes at an antique market. Line cord was chopped off ( probably by some angry parent that knew I was going to replace it anyway ). $60


----------



## keefsdad

I had one that was branded " Imperial Cobra Mark 2". Love that name.


----------



## Frenchy99

alwaysflat said:


> I'm not so sure Frenchy's 809 has a Marsland. Looks nothing like the Marslands in my Sears D45R/Garnet ( and those certainly carry the later Marsland stigma for dark sounding speakers. )



>It has a DW code on the speaker ...


----------



## Frenchy99

alwaysflat said:


> There is an 809 model with a single 15" out there. My buddy had one for his organ back in the day, similar basket.


I got this Paul model which I think is model 207 Bass combo that came with a 15" ...


----------



## Frenchy99

This one is clearly a Jensen Radio Speaker of Canada ...


----------



## alwaysflat

Frenchy99 said:


> >It has a DW code on the speaker ...


I sourced a reference here:
Per "Dating Garnet Amps" https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&ved=0ahUKEwiCovLmnPbWAhUn74MKHXuwBogQFghUMAs&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tdpri.com%2Fattachments%2Fdating-garnet-amps-rev-5-pdf.421652%2F&usg=AOvVaw1cUvOOZui8THL0dPfnuDaF

The original post isn't search-able, google presents a cached version. 
In the first two pages, the author identifies Garnets sources + codes used, plus Common Manufacturer's Codes. 
--- paste--- 
Dating Components
By using the Canadian manufacturer’s codes and the EIA codes (listed later), you can approximate the date of
manufacture of your Garnet amp. Keep in mind that if you find a component date code, it is the earliest possible date of
manufacture of the amp. The component could have been sitting in a supplier’s warehouse for months, or even years. In
addition, it could have been sitting in the Garnet parts bit for a considerable time as well. If you can find several date
codes, it will give a more accurate approximate manufacturing date.
Some electronic components made by Canadian based companies used a unique Canadian manufacturer’s coding
format (compared to the EIA system used in the USA). Speakers, transformers, capacitors, and other components may
have a manufacturing/date code in the format MCX#, where:
MC ‐ Manufacturers’ code (DG = Marsland, AE = Aerovox, etc.)
X ‐ Month of the year (A= January, B= February, C=March, etc.)
# ‐ Year of manufacture 
Note: only the last digit of the year is know, so a “9” could mean 1959, 1969, or 1979, so it’s best to look for other
component date codes to help determine the approximate year of manufacture. 
In addition, you can use the production dates on the Garnet site in helping you determine the approximate date of
manufacture. See: Garnet Production Data - garnetamps.com - Home of the Garnet Amplifier Company.
Speaker Part Numbers
Most Garnet amps used speakers manufactured by either Marsland or Radio Speakers Canada (RSC). Note that Marsland
also supplied power and output transformers. The speaker part number format is GTSSPP, where: 
G ‐ Garnet Specification Speaker
T ‐ Type (application); L = Lead Guitar, B= Bass Guitar, V = Vocal
SS ‐ Speaker size in inches
PP ‐ Power in watts
------------------------
--- more ----
Common Manufacturer’s Codes
AE ‐ Aerovox (capacitors)
CS ‐ Cambridge (speakers)
DE ‐ Mallory (capacitors)
DG ‐ Marsland (speakers & transformers)
DY ‐ Motorola (transformers)
DW ‐ Radio Speakers of Canada (a.k.a. RSC) (speakers)
HD ‐ Hammond (transformers)
AN ‐ TBD (transformers)
EE – TBD (transformers)
FH – TBD (transformers)
DJ – TBD (potentiometers)


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Found some info on other potential Riviera branded products. Must be rare cuz I can't find a pics of these things mentioned. In fact, I would be inclined to take the following with a grain of salt, seems like the guy may be mixed up with Traynors (talks about how tough Rivieras are in the bit before the part I quoted; dropped from height and still working etc - I don't think my Riviera stuff would hold up to that, and originally they were supposed to have horrible grounding schemes with flimsy connections - my 725 has been gone over and the tone stack at least completely rebuilt, so no idea, but it's what I have heard) but who knows:

"About 1973 or so a buddy of mine purchased a new Riviera amp from a local music shop in Bedford, Nova Scotia. This one was a super deluxe two channel four input job with a six ten cabinet! They also sold a 4 channel P/A head. I think that all of these amps used the same 2x 6V6, 2x 12ax7 and 5V4 tube arraignment."

I still can't find any reference to the 4x12 model I have. The 4 input amp mentioned above may in fact be a 530 model (3 imputs and only 1 channel but 73 was a long time ago). I also suspect that the entire Riviera line consisted of the 725, 730 and the 1x15 in the earlier years and then they branched out to expand the line to keep people from moving up to Traynors just before the whole thing folded (judging by the original speakers in my 4x12 it was towards the end). That would explain the rarity and why you never see the larger cabs around (or even the PA heads - have we?).

Anyway - anybody know where I could find mid 60s/early 70s Simpsons catalogs to look at?


----------



## cboutilier

Granny Gremlin said:


> Found some info on other potential Riviera branded products. Must be rare cuz I can't find a pics of these things mentioned. In fact, I would be inclined to take the following with a grain of salt, seems like the guy may be mixed up with Traynors (talks about how tough Rivieras are in the bit before the part I quoted; dropped from height and still working etc - I don't think my Riviera stuff would hold up to that, and originally they were supposed to have horrible grounding schemes with flimsy connections - my 725 has been gone over and the tone stack at least completely rebuilt, so no idea, but it's what I have heard) but who knows:
> 
> "About 1973 or so a buddy of mine purchased a new Riviera amp from a local music shop in Bedford, Nova Scotia. This one was a super deluxe two channel four input job with a six ten cabinet! They also sold a 4 channel P/A head. I think that all of these amps used the same 2x 6V6, 2x 12ax7 and 5V4 tube arraignment."
> 
> I still can't find any reference to the 4x12 model I have. The 4 input amp mentioned above may in fact be a 530 model (3 imputs and only 1 channel but 73 was a long time ago). I also suspect that the entire Riviera line consisted of the 725, 730 and the 1x15 in the earlier years and then they branched out to expand the line to keep people from moving up to Traynors just before the whole thing folded (judging by the original speakers in my 4x12 it was towards the end). That would explain the rarity and why you never see the larger cabs around (or even the PA heads - have we?).
> 
> Anyway - anybody know where I could find mid 60s/early 70s Simpsons catalogs to look at?


I've seen the 6x10 cabinet before somewhere but never the two channel amp. I have the 3 input, one channel 730. As far as I can tell it is a Princeton Reverb clone.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Well I found this:

Pepco LTD Riviera ER30 Head

30 watt EL84 based amp with 2 channels, but with the basic controls it hardly qualifies as 'deluxe.' What is interesting is the assertion that Riviera/Pepco became the North American licensee producer/distributor for British WEM amps.

Still no sign of pics of the 6x10. Mostly I am curious if it is the same cabinet as the 4x12, just with a different baffle cutout and speaker compliment. Quite sure 6 10s would fit and that would explain the nonstandard size of my 4x12.


----------



## jb welder

Granny Gremlin said:


> Anyway - anybody know where I could find mid 60s/early 70s Simpsons catalogs to look at?


Toronto reference library. Though I couldn't seem to find a listing of the years, they seem to have many:
Simpsons-Sears Limited--Catalogs.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Right, great idea; totally forgot about that place.


----------



## Frenchy99

I took a look at some adds late afternoon and saw this kit for dirt cheap. Sent the seller a message that I would take it and the seller told me he had 2 persons coming to see it. if the first didn't take it, it was to the second person, and if the second didn't take it he would contact me... so , left it at that thinking this baby is sold and I missed my chance...

3 hrs later, the seller calls me and both potential buyers did not show up !!!  WTF...

So... here's my new Riviera 725 half stack 


And may I say that these large diagonal 412 cabs are F... Huge !!!


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Congrats bud, youre gonna love that for low volume bass. If you want more hifi sound when you open her up then talk to me about alt speakers that work great for bass in there. It also benefits greatly from some stuffing.


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> Congrats bud, youre gonna love that for low volume bass. If you want more hifi sound when you open her up then talk to me about alt speakers that work great for bass in there. It also benefits greatly from some stuffing.


Thanks,

The head is in the shed right now since it stinks of cigarettes ( wife's orders) and the cab is still in the trunk of my truck. Tomorrow will be a clean up day for me on these.

The one thing that I did notice is that this 725 head which is tubed rectified has smaller transformers compared to my 212 combos with 6L6 in them. So I can confirm that the combos and the 725 are not the same model.

For the cab, I'll be in contact with you since I know its the weak spot on these , just like on some of the smaller Traynor and Garnet s... I saw you stuffed yours in the pics and added great speakers in yours. I don't have any decent 12s for this cab. The cab is still overkill for this head in my mind !

Was real surprise as to the size of this cab, think its larger then the Traynor 810 cab ! 

The seller had told me it was a small 410 on the phone... lol  Small !

EDIT: Just verified, this cab is 30 X 41 and the Traynor 810 is 30 1/2 X 41 1/2 !!!


----------



## Frenchy99

Rainy day here, no tornados like in Gatineau though ! 

Set myself up on the porch to clean the head today. This thing was dirty as hell, all the chrome was golden. Gotta love smokers ! 


Looks like the PT was changed in the past, 15 th week of 1967


----------



## Frenchy99

OT

Phillips rectifier

6V6 power tube

Both pre amp tube are from Japan


----------



## Frenchy99

Previous work was done to change the PT

Nice mustards

Cleaned up nicely.

The head is clean.

Tomorrow all rain again, will try to do the cab.


----------



## Frenchy99

This morning I took out the cab, smells real bad...


Its incredible how bad Cigarettes can smell after its accumulated for 50 years.

So, pulled it apart and gave it 3 full good wash with a huge brush.... changing water frequently...

The cab is very well constructed and can be very useful once speakers are upgraded.

The speakers are nothing special, 15 to 20 watts each... Max 60 watts for such a huge cab ! 


Aug of 1972, 8 omhs 12 inch Radio Speakers of Canada


----------



## Frenchy99

Left it to dry for a bit, then assembled it.


It clean up nicely.


The head and cab are a perfect match material wise.


Very nice set but big for what it is.


Its in the house .


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Told you the cab itself was surprisingly well built.


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> Told you the cab itself was surprisingly well built.



Yep, real nice.

One could very easily convert it in a 610 cab.

Question for you, when you lined it, did you do all the sides and back also or just the sides ?


----------



## Frenchy99

Also what do you think of 4 of these as replacement speakers ?

Yorkville Sound - 12 Inch 16 Ohm 225 Watt Raw Speaker


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Frenchy99 said:


> Also what do you think of 4 of these as replacement speakers ?
> 
> Yorkville Sound - 12 Inch 16 Ohm 225 Watt Raw Speaker


Never used em but for that price worth a shot (considered it myself). Neo mags so lightweight, but cast frame so lower distortion. Looks like OEM by Eminance.

As for stuffing - lining the inside walls is for bass reflex. For a sealed cab like this literally stuff it (not tight, but like fill'r loosely). Especially going from those stock RSCs to those Yorkies (or anything else more modern, which is darn near everything) which have double the XMAX and a good 50% more Vas (the RSCs are a rather shallow cone; better for guitar depending on taste).


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> Never used em but for that price worth a shot (considered it myself). Neo mags so lightweight, but cast frame so lower distortion. Looks like OEM by Eminance.
> 
> As for stuffing - lining the inside walls is for bass reflex. For a sealed cab like this literally stuff it (not tight, but like fill'r loosely). Especially going from those stock RSCs to those Yorkies (or anything else more modern, which is darn near everything) which have double the XMAX and a good 50% more Vas (the RSCs are a rather shallow cone; better for guitar depending on taste).



Thanks, will stuff this cab as mentioned.

At this point, any new speaker would be an upgrade.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

I had way to many 12s kicking about (including a bunch I had never tried in a cab yet) so I sold off the Weber Neomag 12s. RIP cuz they are awesome, but they were the most valuable speakers of the bunch so funds for more gear. Before I decided to do that, I tried the pair of Cerwin Vega Er-124s I got a while back in the Riviera 4x12 (along with the pair of Faitals I've had in there for a bit). They are supposed to be JBL-inspired, and I hear that, but in this application I think I actually prefer them (and also since they're not half as spendy, part of it may be just not being worried about damaging them, LOL). The cab is a bit heavier now, but still imaginable - no where near as bad as when I originally replaced the stock speakers with a pair each of EVs and JBLs - that was darn near immovable.


----------



## sambonee

GG THATS AMAZING! I can’t wait to hear it. Where did you pUy it? 





cboutilier said:


> I've got a whole thread about it on here. I also have a Pepco Model 211 head which is a single 6v6 5 watter with a single knob tone control + tube reverb and tremolo


Please show us pics of the 5 watt you have. I’m very curious.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Doooood, you were playing through it the other week (also the Musicman 1x15 with the Altec). Next time I can unplug the 15 and you can hear the 4x12 solo.


----------



## cboutilier

sambonee said:


> GG THATS AMAZING! I can’t wait to hear it. Where did you pUy it?
> 
> Will do. Once I find them
> 
> 
> Please show us pics of the 5 watt you have. I’m very curious.


----------



## sambonee

Granny Gremlin said:


> Doooood, you were playing through it the other week (also the Musicman 1x15 with the Altec). Next time I can unplug the 15 and you can hear the 4x12 solo.


It was killer. No fart at all. I thought it was a recent acquisition.


----------



## Granny Gremlin

sambonee said:


> It was killer. No fart at all. I thought it was a recent acquisition.


The 15" Altec was new.... the CVs may not have been in the 4x12 either last time we jammed; not sure.


----------



## troyhead

I used to have one of the 5-watt amps with Reverb and Tremolo! Plugged into the right speaker, it was awesome! I sold it to a forum member in Guelph, and not sure what happened to it after that. 

The thing was as light as a feather. Cranked up it had some cool overdrive, but 5 watts is still mighty loud! I’m not sure if someone before me did some work on it, because I’ve tried a few other similar Pepco amps and they were not quite the same.


----------



## cboutilier

troyhead said:


> I used to have one of the 5-watt amps with Reverb and Tremolo! Plugged into the right speaker, it was awesome! I sold it to a forum member in Guelph, and not sure what happened to it after that.
> 
> The thing was as light as a feather. Cranked up it had some cool overdrive, but 5 watts is still mighty loud! I’m not sure if someone before me did some work on it, because I’ve tried a few other similar Pepco amps and they were not quite the same.
> 
> View attachment 289788
> View attachment 289790


That's identical to mine, but my grill cloth is in better shape!


----------



## cboutilier

sambonee said:


> GG THATS AMAZING! I can’t wait to hear it. Where did you pUy it?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Please show us pics of the 5 watt you have. I’m very curious.


@troyhead just posted one identical!


----------



## Frenchy99

This pop up for sale for dirt cheap sooooo..... 


This one is different then my other Riviera, its not tube rectified.


All original tubes in it.
6V6`s

Pre amp


----------



## Frenchy99

I plugged it in and had almost no sound... after Fu.... around swapping tubes and cleaning the sockets, all's good.

Turned out to be oxidised pre amp sockets.

The insides.


I continued to inspect the amp. 

-Fuse holder is broken, needs to be changed.
-Fuse was wrapped in tin foil, changed the fuse and powered up to see if it was going to blow. OK...
-Need to change power cord.
-Previous repair was done to change the power switch, wrong type of switch was added. One lead is almost touching the chassis which will make the chassis live. need to change the switch.

Not bad... just a few things to fix.

Happy camper !


----------



## Granny Gremlin

Man I love these.


----------



## Frenchy99

Granny Gremlin said:


> Man I love these.


Very , very under rated ! 

Good for us !


----------

