The Rivera Blues Shaman is an overdrive pedal from Rivera Amplification, part of the three-pedal Shaman range the company unveiled at NAMM in January 2011 alongside the Rockcrusher attenuator, its first pedals under the Rivera name in thirty years12. Rivera describes it as emulating "the tonal and dynamic range of a small tube amp, with buttery warmth and soft clipping in its overdrive"1, and Vintage Guitar characterized it as "an overdrive designed to produce the tone and response of smaller class A amplifiers"3. In practice, that means a pedal aimed at vintage tweed-combo sounds rather than modern high-gain flavors.
The range was designed under Paul Rivera, whose reputation comes from his amplifier work. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted the build reflects that pedigree: "the knobs and stainless-steel housing suggest Paul Rivera isn't the slightest bit interested in skimping"2.
Build and power
The Blues Shaman is housed in 16-gauge stainless steel with colorful graphics printed on polycarbonate panels, long-life heavy-duty footswitches, rubber feet, and LED function indicators21. Inside, Premier Guitar found WIMA wound caps, low-noise FET and bipolar transistors, and Analog Devices chips mounted on double-sided PCBs, with metal-barreled jacks2.
Power comes from a 9-volt battery or a 9-volt AC/DC adapter1. The battery compartment sits behind the back panel's four Phillips-head screws, so a battery swap takes a screwdriver rather than a quick pop of a clip2.
Because the battery compartment is screwed shut, players who want battery power should expect to open the enclosure each time the battery needs changing. A 9-volt adapter avoids this entirely.
The controls: Stack/Combo switch and Ascension boost
The control layout centers on two stomp switches and one voicing toggle:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| On/True Bypass | Engages and bypasses the overdrive2 |
| Ascension | A second footswitch that delivers a gain boost when engaged23 |
| Stack/Combo mini toggle | Switches between two amp-style voicings2 |
| Tone | Shapes the voice from darker to brighter and fizzier2 |
The Stack/Combo toggle is the pedal's signature control. Vintage Guitar described it as "a Combo/Stack switch that changes the dynamics to simulate an open-back combo amp or a closed-back stack"3. Premier Guitar's reviewer heard the difference in the low end: in the Combo setting the pedal takes on "many of the qualities of an open-back cab with its airy" and less bass-heavy character, while Stack mode thickens and tightens the bottom end and emphasizes the low mids2.
The Ascension footswitch, which Rivera's press material called a "feisty gain boost"1, sits alongside the main on/off switch so both can be kicked independently. On the Tone control, the reviewer found it "effective and has a very wide range," shaping the voice dimensionally from darker to brighter and fizzier without sacrificing bass2.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the Blues Shaman alongside the Double Shaman and came away positive on feel and versatility2:
"The Blues Shaman nails that tweed sound and so much more."
Premier Guitar, 20262
The reviewer found the pedal "translated picking dynamics superbly," with the whole rig feeling "lively and very touch sensitive" and "very organic sounding," and judged both Shaman pedals "dynamic, sensitive, and responsive to different guitar voices and playing approaches, just like a great tube amplifier"2. The reviewer went as far as saying they would happily take it over a '50s tweed Deluxe in some situations2. On buying advice, the verdict was to buy if you need a wide range of tweed-style tones in a single pedal, and to skip it if your overdrive tastes run toward modern flavors2.
Vintage Guitar's review pointed at the same quality from another angle:
"Tonally, this pedal impresses with its dynamic response to pick attack, invoking the sensation of being plugged straight into a nice tube amp3."
Vintage Guitar, 20133
Where it sits in the Shaman range
The Blues Shaman is one of three Shaman pedals Rivera introduced in 2011, each voiced differently: the Blues Shaman for small class A amp character, the Double Shaman, and the Metal Shaman1. All three share the same stainless steel construction, dimensions, true-bypass switching, LED indicators, and 9-volt power arrangement1. At launch, MusicRadar reported the Blues Shaman priced around $2504; Premier Guitar's later review lists it at a $249 street price2.
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Rivera Amplification
Questions
Does the Rivera Blues Shaman take a battery?
Yes. It runs on a 9-volt battery or a 9-volt AC/DC adapter. The battery compartment is reached by removing four Phillips-head screws from the back panel, so swapping a battery is not a quick job mid-gig. Most players will want to power it from a pedalboard supply.
Is the Rivera Blues Shaman true bypass?
Yes. Rivera gave the Shaman pedals true-bypass footswitching, which the company says minimizes coloration of the instrument's signal when the pedal is not activated. The On/True Bypass stomp switch handles the effect on/off, and a second switch engages the Ascension boost.
What does the Stack/Combo switch do on the Blues Shaman?
It is a mini toggle that changes the pedal's dynamics to simulate two different amp styles. Combo mode gives an airy, less bass-heavy open-back cab quality, while Stack mode thickens and tightens the bottom end and emphasizes the low mids, like a closed-back stack.
What is the difference between the Blues Shaman and Double Shaman?
They are siblings in Rivera's three-pedal Shaman range, alongside the Metal Shaman, and share the same stainless steel build, single 1/4-inch input and output, true bypass, and 9-volt power. The Blues Shaman is voiced for the tone and response of smaller class A amps, while the Double Shaman carries its own voicing in the same format.
Sources (4)
- Rivera Introduces Shaman Distortion/Overdrive Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2011-01-21
- Rivera Blues & Double Shaman Pedals: In-Depth Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-05-17
- Rivera Shaman Series Pedals, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2016-05-25
- NAMM 2011: Rivera unveils Shaman pedals, MusicRadar, 2011-01-17
