Controls on my P93

[pete424]

This feels like a really dumb question but here goes. I have a Riviera Custom P93. I am having some issues with one of my potentiometers. The guitar has 3 volume controls and 1 tone control and I have always thought I knew which volume control adjusted which pickup. Now I find out I was wrong or maybe wrong. Can one of you give me some help identifying which is which.

[Dennis G]

I don't own one of these, but as with a lot of things in life Google and YouTube are your friends. Good luck and sorry I couldn't be more help.

[Little Jerry]

Hello – I have an Epiphone Riviera Custom P93 Black Royale guitar. Here’s how the controls work on my guitar.

 

For a right handed guitar, assume you are holding your guitar in a playing position so the neck of the guitar is to your left and the tail piece is to your right. Looking down, there are four controls sort of forming a slanted rectangle. The knob furthest to your right is the tone control. The knob furthest to your left is the bridge pickup volume control. The lowest knob towards the bottom of the guitar is the middle pickup volume control. The highest knob towards the top of the guitar is neck pickup volume control.

 

The three way switch works as follows. In the bottom position, the bridge and middle pickups are engaged. In the middle position, all three pickups are engaged. In the top position, the neck and middle pickups are engaged. The middle pickup is always engaged and not controlled by the toggle switch. You have to turn the volume all the way down on the middle pickup volume control to isolate the neck and bridge pickups.

 

Good luck!

[Little Jerry]

Can one of you give me some help identifying which is which.

After re-reading your post, perhaps I should have answered your question directly about how you can identify which control is tied to which pickup. Put the toggle switch in the middle position so all three pickups are engaged, then turn all of the volume controls completely off. Turn the volume up on one control, then very gently touch one of the magnet pole pieces on a given pickup with a metal contact, say a screwdriver. You will hear a sound through the amp when the screwdriver makes contact with the pickup that's turned up, you will hear nothing through the amp when the screwdriver makes contact with a pickup that has its volume turned off. Go through each of the pickups and controls until you've identified which pickup is tied to each respective control.

[pete424]

Thank you! You have helped a great deal.

[pete424]

Thank you! You have helped a great deal.

[Little Jerry]

Thank you! You have helped a great deal.

Your welcome. I don't know about your guitar, but I bought mine new and I was surprised that the Epiphone Owners Manual that came with the guitar did not have a "Control Layout" page for the Riviera Custom P93, or for that matter, any other three pickup guitar. I had to ask the luthier who did my initial set-up to draw me the control layout.

 

Also, if you are having trouble with one of the potentiometers, you may want to consider upgrading the electronics of your guitar with premium American made components. I had problems with the stock electronics on this guitar and did the upgrade, although I did keep the stock P90 pickups (they are noisy, but they sound sweet). My first post on this forum describes my experience. The change in tone was dramatic, so much so that I felt as if I had bought a new guitar.

[pete424]

I bought mine new and it also had no information on triple pick up guitars. I don't play mine a lot because it isn't really appropriate for rock and roll. I use it mostly for jazz. I will consider switching out the electrics. Thanks for the information.