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NGD Riviera Custom P-93


Fullmoon1971

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Okay so as some of you know I've picked a couple of nice sheratons recently pretty cheap, well earlier in the week I was told of a virtually mint Epi Riviera Custom P-93 being sold by Cash Converters for £275 so I had a look on their website and it did look pretty spotless, so I clicked BIN, thats when CC's computers decided to go offline. I knew it was in my basket so theres shouldn't been a problem so I waited till store opening and phoned them. I was then told they can't take orders over the phone and tried to sort out the ordering from both sides of the internet. Anyway in the long run there was nothing we could do (i could add & remove items but it wouldn't let me pay for them) In the end I asked the guy if he could hold for till friday and he agreed, so I made the round to check it out.

 

while we were discussing the guitar I noticed the jack socket was loose, I pointed it out and asked if he had a wrench, he produced a wrench and tried to tighten it (because I hadn't yet paid a member of staff had to do the adjustment) problem was he turned the wrong way and guess what it dropped into the guitar body. I feigned regret and the guy asked how much it would cost to get it fixed, I pointed out that because of working through the F-holes techs charge more for work on semi's, by now it was lunch time he asked if still waited the guitar with a discount to get it fixed (i was gonna get the guitar anyway) I said yes and he asked me give him 30 mins to make some phone calls and he'd sort something for me. when I got back in the store he told me phoned a couple of techs and based on their quotes (they all said it would a full setup as well) and all the hassle over trying to order it over the internet earlier, I could have it for £150. so of course I snapped their hands off. just as I was leaving one of the other asisstants shouted me, it turned there was a had case included in the sale (it's a thomann one) so end result guitar and hard case = £150

 

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Since I had to fish around with the electrics I decided to replace the wiring and pots (it's what I would of ended up doing anyway) so 2 hours work later and a lot of swearing (I hate working through f-holes) the guitar is finished (still need "Duane Eddy" trem arm and might swap toggle switch for cream one).

 

First impressions that any serious player might take away could include: Those gold-plated Wilkinson machineheads and Bigsby B-700 tailpiece offer a touch of refinement (though I will be swapping the arm for a Duane Eddy one) - good to see in a mid-priced instrument". It's lighter than I expected and certainly lighter tahn my 2 sheraton's I've tried recently especially the natural one , the 1960s SlimTaper neck profile is a real joy to play P-90's Well, there's a bona-fide tone guarantor of vintage snap, spank and attitude"; and "Oh, yes, you can see there are decades of breeding, with pedigree Epiphone appointments such as the sloped dovewing headstock."

 

It has a great spine, with a mahogany neck glued to a laminated maple body, and a rock-solid LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge holding everything in place.

 

It has a great playable feel, with its classically Gibson/Epiphone scale length and lithe neck accommodating to a fault.

 

Some people have been critical of the 3 vol, 1 tone set up, however this is the same as one of my all time favorite guitars the Gibson ES-5. To my mind it's actually 3 guitars in one, follow my logic for a minute and you'll see what I mean.

 

Guitar 1 = a Twin P-90 equipped ES-335

Guitar 2 = by blending the middle pickup in the with either of the other two you can get close to a twin humbucker ES-335

Guitar 3 = by just using the middle pickup on its own you basically have a Gibson ES-225 (these had just a sngle p-90 in the middle (this sounds fantastic for slide work)

 

Its voice is perfect - why more guitar aren't fitted with P-90's I'll never know. The neck unit has a round, bell-like voice that’s not at all wooly—even with the tone rolled back significantly. It also exhibits the same capacity for harmonic detail that the bridge humbucker displays in spades, and feels alive and of a piece with the semi-hollow construction at lounge-jazz volumes—delivering silky-but-spectral, Wes Montgomery-style octave tones and mournful, mellow blues colours and yet let rip and it's certainly capable of of hard rock and southern rock & strong-armed blues without breaking a sweat.

 

Here she is with her Epi sisters

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Congrat's on the Epi Riviera Custom P93 guitar. I have the Black Royale model. I bought mine new in 2014. I can relate to the issue with the jack. The nut on mine kept coming loose and almost fell into the cavity a few times. I eventually bought a ES-335 wiring kit and upgraded all of the electronics (ex. pickups) with USA made components. The kit came with a Switchcraft jack and it has stayed tightened ever since. I hope you enjoy your guitar as much as I have mine!

 

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