Your key to the other world is the Rivera Blues Shaman, a relatively simple affair with three knobs: Level, Gain, Tone, and a Combo/Stack toggle that emulates open/closed back speaker cabinets. Rounding out the controls is an "Ascension" footswitch that adds a gain and volume boost that’s great for lead work.
We tried the Blues Shaman with two different Les Paul’s – one P90 and one Humbucker – through 6V6 and KT66 amp heads into a 1x12 G12H30 Cabinet. With the gain set straight up (noon) give or take a bit depending on pickups, there’s nice old time Class-A dirt that has a bouncy low power feel to it. Rolling back the guitar volume a bit cleans up the sound. At higher gain settings the amp takes on a fuzzy creamy tone, just like a small amplifier that’s been dimed. And at all settings the Shaman remains nicely touch sensitive To tailor the overall sound character, the Combo/Stack switch allows the player to choose from a brighter, tighter “Combo” mode or a deeper and warmer “Stack” sound. The Combo/Stack switch effect is very natural and organic sounding, and is great for making a small cabinet sound bigger and deeper.
In either cabinet mode boot the "Ascension" button and off you go: Deeper, fatter and thicker with yet more grainy drive and sustain. We got the chance to compare a Blues Shaman to a clone of a '50's Fender 5-watt amp. The Shaman comes very close to nailing those brown 5-watt tones, regardless of what size amplifier it’s plugged into. A pedal that makes your amp sound smaller? Yes, that’s a good thing.
For those looking for an older, looser tone and feel but need the volume of a higher-powered amplifier, the Rivera Blues Shaman is a worthwhile addition to any pedal board. The Blues Shaman uses any standard 9 volt power supply, and does not use batteries.
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