SemiSolid Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi, a newbie here in need of a little advice if you'd be so kind. I'm thinking of getting a new (new to me, at least!) Elite or Elitist semi-acoustic but I'm not sure which of the three main contenders, namely the Dot, Sheraton and Riviera, would suit me best. There are some areas which are making it difficult to decide, aside from the issue of not being able to try the guitars in person. These are: 1 How do the necks compare? I noticed that the Riviera's nut width is a little narrower than the other two but do they all have a similar profile? 2 Are the NY mini-humbuckers overtly bright? I like the fullness of normal humbuckers but sometimes wish I could get that ringing clarity of single-coils; however, I'd rather forsake that ringing clarity if it threatened to get harsh sounding. 3 Are there any problems with the various tailpieces? I read in one place about the trapeze type being 'noisy' but maybe it was someone trying to sell a guitar with a different type! If there are any other points which you think I should take into consideration, please let me know. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I think it's going to boil down to the pickups you prefer; you have to decide if you want the full humbucker tone or the mini-humbucker tone. Then it becomes a question of style, since the Sheraton is a much fancier guitar than the Riviera. Also there will be a tonal difference between the Riviera and the Sheraton since they each have a unique tailpiece; again, it'll be your decision whether to go for the stop or the trapeze. All I can add is that I am very pleased with my Elitist Dot and if you were to decide to get one I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSolid Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 I think it's going to boil down to the pickups you prefer; you have to decide if you want the full humbucker tone or the mini-humbucker tone. I know from experience that the mini-humbuckers can sound quite bright on the Riviera 12 but I'm not sure how much of that I should attribute to the fact that 12-strings are generally bright by their nature! Could you tell me what the neck profile is like on your Dot, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 The Riviera Elitist is out of production, so it may be hard to come by. And remember that the Byrdland is a semi-hollow with a spruce top and short scale. If you lean more toward jazz and less toward heavy metal, it's a wonderful instrument. If popularity means anything, the Sheraton gets the nod. And the Achilles heel of the Riviera seemed to be those teensy pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSolid Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 As much as I like jazzers, they're not really good for my styles of music, so I should try to be practical. Too often I've bought guitars because they were things of beauty and nice to noodle on but not really of use to my main musical requirements. The thinlines are where it's at for me, I think. If popularity means anything, the Sheraton gets the nod. And the Achilles heel of the Riviera seemed to be those teensy pickups. Should I count the pickups as a weak spot on the Sheraton too in this case? Or is there something which makes them less successful on the Riviera but not on the Sheraton? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Mini-humbuckers, are Great! And, DO (to my ears, anyway) exactly what you say you want. Fullness (almost) of a standard humbucker, but more biting...and the neck pickup is more articulate (less "mud") than the full sized can get, at certain settings. So, by what you've asked, I'd say a good used Elitist Riviera, or if a bit more "bling" is desirable, the Sheraton, Either way, you can't go wrong. "Dots" are nice, too...but more like a standard 335 in tone. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 By the way...."Welcome the to forum!" Hope you'll enjoy it. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSolid Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 Thanks for the welcome. As for the guitars, I may end up having to get all three! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captmidnight Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Welcome to the forum SemiSolid...and that is the way to think!!! get all 3, lots of the folks here seem to have that same problem and end up with a few of both...lol BTW you should look up and ask Svet, he is our local semi and hollow body expert. He has about 20 of them or more! He has all 3 and then 3 of each of the 3 and a few not of the 3...lol Capt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Yeah, Svet....you old Semi-hollow body...what say you?! :>) CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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