The Rivera Double Shaman is a dual overdrive pedal from Rivera Amplification with two individual footswitch-selectable voices, announced in January 2011 as part of the Shaman range of distortion and overdrive pedals1. Its two channels, L.A. and Austin, are voiced for very different things: Premier Guitar describes the L.A. channel as ranging to an '80s hair-metal feel of a modified Marshall, and the Austin channel to hot, Gibbons- and SRV-style Texas tube tone2. It sits in the wider family of overdrive pedals alongside its single-channel sibling, the Rivera Blues Shaman.
Controls and how it works
Each destination has its own controls for Level, Tone and Drive, plus a Stack/Combo selector1. Both channels share the same simple layout, and two stomp switches handle the switching: Destination, which selects the channel, and On/True-Bypass2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level, Tone, Drive (per channel) | Sets output level, tone and amount of drive for each voice2 |
| Stack/Combo toggle (per channel) | Selects between two voicings of each channel2 |
| Destination stomp switch | Selects between the L.A. and Austin channels2 |
| On/True-Bypass stomp switch | Engages the effect or switches to true bypass2 |
The Stack/Combo switch changes the character of each channel noticeably. Premier Guitar's reviewer said his preference, especially in the L.A. channel, was to stay in Stack mode: "It achieved maximum punch and bottom-end tightness"2. On the Austin side, he found Combo mode gave his favorite Texas-boogie tones with a Les Paul2.
Power and connections
The pedal takes a 9-volt adapter input and can also run from a battery. The battery compartment is accessed through the back panel's four Phillips-head screws2. There is a single 1/4" input and a single 1/4" output2.
The enclosure is built from 16-gauge stainless steel with colorful graphics printed on polycarbonate panels, a construction shared with the Blues Shaman2.
Where it came from
Rivera's press release describes the Double Shaman as a distortion/overdrive pedal with two individual footswitch-selectable voices, offering what the company calls "a vast range of versatile tones"1. Each voice carries its own controls for Level, Tone, and Drive, plus a Stack/Combo selector1. The pedal shares its construction with the Blues Shaman: both are built from 16-gauge stainless steel with colorful graphics printed on polycarbonate panels2.
What reviewers said
Reviewers treated the two channels as the whole story of the pedal. Premier Guitar's reviewer found both channels highly specialized and very different, writing, "I've never come across a pedal that moved between two extremes and made them work so well together"2.
On the individual channels:
- L.A. channel: "a ridiculous amount of gain on tap, and the mids sounded focused for maximum cut and wailing tone," though the reviewer found it not a super-versatile tone2
- Austin channel: Vintage Guitar's reviewer found it "reminiscent of '60s-era American combo amps and, tonally, could easily be mistaken for something shaking out of Muscle Shoals"3, and Premier Guitar's reviewer found it offered a wider range of tones than the L.A. side2
The main criticism was about flexibility between the two voices rather than their quality. Premier Guitar's reviewer wrote, "At times, I wished there was a third stomp switch that added a boost capability for each channel," noting that while one channel can be set hotter as a boost, the tonal differences between the channels make this ineffective in some contexts2. His buying advice was to buy it if your playing incorporates '80s hair-metal sounds and '70s Texas grit, and to skip it if you do not need such radical variance in lead tones2.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Rivera Amplification
Rivera Amplification
Questions
Is the Rivera Double Shaman true bypass?
Yes. The pedal carries a stomp switch labeled On/True-Bypass, and Rivera's press release for the Shaman range describes true-bypass footswitching. When the pedal is bypassed, your guitar signal passes to your amp without the overdrive circuitry in the path.
What does the Stack/Combo switch do on the Double Shaman?
Each channel has a Stack/Combo toggle. Premier Guitar's reviewer found Stack mode gave maximum punch and bottom-end tightness, especially on the L.A. channel, while Combo mode produced his favorite Texas-boogie tones on the Austin channel with a Les Paul. The two positions shape how each channel's drive character is voiced.
Can you use one channel of the Double Shaman as a boost?
Not as a dedicated boost. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted the pedal lacks a third stomp switch that would add a boost capability for each channel. You can set one channel hotter than the other, but the two channels are voiced so differently that this does not work well as a straight boost in every context.
How much did the Rivera Double Shaman cost?
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $299. When the Shaman range was announced at NAMM 2011, MusicRadar reported that the Double and Metal Shamans were expected to be just under $300.
Sources (3)
- 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
