HNGD...The Riviera P-93 LE has arrived!!

[charlie brown]

I went over to Harmony Central and this guitar generated five pages in five days' date=' it might get beat with this thread.

 

CB, what is the normal price for this guitar? Is it an exclusive through GC?[/quote']

 

Honestly, I don't know...I found out about it, the same way you all did....on this forum. I wasn't even

looking for another guitar, much less another Semi-hollowbody, and (frankly) I put it in "my cart," and

back out again, 3 times...before I finally "Caved" and just went ahead and bought it! (My Birthday

Present, to myself...LOL!) I saw it on MF 2 days before it was spotted on the GC web site...so, I don't

know what the deal there, is? I don't think any of us do! Why, it's on "Clearance," and "New" too...

is a mystery. Unless that's just the way MF does it. Someone said (forgive my lousy memory) that GC

doesn't actually stock them, but will "order them, IF you want," etc. So...??? But, at this point...I think

anyone that wants a "Semi-hollowbody," and loves P-90's, would probably really love this one! Even

if later, you wanted to change to different P-90's (Gibson, Fralin, GFS, etc.) and wiring...it's still a bargain!

But NOT "Bargain Basement" at all...IMHO! "Honeymoon" phase, that I'm in, or not! LOL!

 

CB

[charlie brown]

My gas has been released. i wil be ordering soon. just scored a gc 10% coupon. for sale this weekend' date=' but, i am calling tomorrow to see if they will honor before weekend. Wish me look.

 

 

CB, NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE:d/

 

 

[/quote']

 

Thanks Wardog...Good Luck!!! Hope it works out!

 

CB

[charlie brown]

It is very very cherry! I like the looks' date=' the red and gold, a lot. HNGD![/quote']

 

It is a nice combo, for sure! You'd best get one, Jeff, while you still can! ;>) LOL!

 

CB

[Just Strum]

CB,

 

I think you are everyone's "better half's" worst nightmare. You might want to locate Solomon Rushdie and stay with him for awhile until things cool off.

[charlie brown]

CB' date='

 

I think you are everyone's "better half's" worst nightmare. You might want to locate Solomon Rushdie and stay with him for awhile until things cool off.[img']http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h16/auroraohio/Smiley/poke.gif[/img]

 

LOL...Well, at least you have a "better half!" Guitars are great (I love 'em), but they're a bit cold

and hard, to snuggle up to! Of course, if the "snuggling days" are "WAY OVER,"...LOL...they (guitars) don't

give you "that look," or their cold shoulder, either. So...what can I say?

 

Soloman...save me a space! ;>)

 

CB

[JefferySmith]

I hope to hell that the interest that this guitar has generated here and on HC will motivate a second production. I need time to get the nerve to order one. My wife doesn't care about the money...it's the sight of guitars that drives her nuts. I would be better off owning 5 Gibsons at $2.5K a pop than 10 Epiphones at $500 a pop. The trouble is, I'd rather have 10 Epiphones than 5 Gibsons. I don't have a hangup about status symbols. I like Epiphones of all origins.

[charlie brown]

More info....the wiring is WAY different, than the standard 2 pickup volume/tone configuration.

When I dial off, what I thought was the tone knob, for the bridge pickup, it took out mid-bass,

and left treble...so the bridge pickup gets a sharper edge to it. I'm still messing around

(AKA "Dazed and Confused"), but it seems quite different all the way around, than the standard

layout. Those of you with 3 pickup LP's or SG's (G-400 Customs) may already know what I'm

talking about, but it's WAY new, to me. LOL! Verlly Intelesting! OK...back to more experimenting...

 

CB

[charlie brown]

OK...seems like the knob, that would be the normal tone control for the neck pickup, is kind of a "master" tone control?

Then, sometimes it acts like a "blender" control...like that little knob on the Rickenbackers. It may be, that it's messing

around with the middle pickup, so turning it adds or deletes, mid-range, when the toggle is on the bridge pickup position. ??? Still experimenting. It does, at other times/positions, seem to be more like a normal tone pot, too.

The cool thing is, that when the switch is in the upper or lower position, you can dial in some "quack" with that tone

knob, to get (almost) that "in-between" "Strat" tone, with a 5-way switch...if that makes any sense?

But, it seems to depend, on the toggle switch position. (Obviously, I'm NOT a wiring expert, here!) I'm one of those guys,

that as long as it works, I'll get used to it...LOL! But, it's kind of cool too, how it's done. As I stated previously, some of you

may know about this, already...but it's NEW to me! The only 3 pickup guitar I've ever owned, prior to this one, is a "Strat!"

I wonder what a Vari-tone switch would do? Can't split the coils, 'cause they're single coil to begin with. Anyway...not

going to do anything yet...until I know how this works, and if it's "Cool" or "A Pain?" So far, it just seem "different," but

not bad...you know?

 

CB

[kt620498]

I hope to hell that the interest that this guitar has generated here and on HC will motivate a second production. I need time to get the nerve to order one. My wife doesn't care about the money...it's the sight of guitars that drives her nuts. I would be better off owning 5 Gibsons at $2.5K a pop than 10 Epiphones at $500 a pop. The trouble is' date=' I'd rather have 10 Epiphones than 5 Gibsons. I don't have a hangup about status symbols. I like Epiphones of all origins.[/quote']

 

you really think the big wigs over at epiphone and gibson are on this site reading threads? why do away with the elitist line? there are a ton of threads about everyone being pissed off about that, if the big wigs were on here dont you think they would have seen how much the elitist line was loved by their customers?

[davidg3333]

Nice looking guitar, CB! You are giving me GAS and I have resolved not to play for a while until my tendonitis subsides! which sucks major vacuum, by the way...

[jcwillow777]

CB - that is a sweet guitar. Thanks, I think, for the pics. Must sell some guitars before I can buy this one. It was interesting to hear that there is not the normal hum of a P90. I am going to shield the cavities in my '56 Goldtop because with the overdrive, boost and compressor I use there is way too much noise. I may opt for a GFS reverse wound P90. I love the guitar but it is really unusable for me right now. I got GAS when I first saw this Riviera, but thought about the problems I was having with P90s. I may have to pick one up. Yours sure is purdy adn I am a sucker for a guitar with a Bigsby.

[charlie brown]

Thanks again...everyone. JC...the only other guitars I have with Bigsby's are my Gretsch CG and Duo-jets. So, I'm

definitely going to have to do some "experimenting," to see how this one compares (or, differs) from those? In all

honesty, I don't really use the vibrato bar, much...if at all. BUT, that may change...LOL!

 

As to the P-90 "hum?" It's there, barely...but NO where near, what my other guitars with P-90's have! My Faded LP double cut, has been shielded, extensively, too! Without OD, it's fine..but you crank in that "Blues Driver," and up comes the hum/hiss as well. I can see this Riviera being an awesome "Rock-a Billy" or "Jazz" guitar, as well as that old warm/smooth Blues tone. Semi's with P-90's, seem to excell at that, without the feed-back problems the "Jazz Boxes" can (sometimes) have.

The wiring, for the 3-pickups, is different...but, once I get used to it, I think it will prove to be different, "in a good way?" We'll see... Of course, all that can be "re-done" or altered to one's own needs/tastes...so, "no biggie!"

 

CB

[GAS Man]

 

The pickups seem strong' date=' if a bit "Dark," in character. Cheers,

CB[/quote']

 

Hi CB,

 

I just joined this forum to add to this thread. I usually hang over at HCEG.

 

But your comment above strikes me as common to the Epiphone P-90s. I've had that as a serious concern with the tone on my Wildkat, but I figure they will be a bit brighter on the P93 with the maple semi hollow construction versus the Wildkat's chambered mahogany/maple design.

 

Mine's scheduled to arrive this Thursday. With 3 p'ups, I doubt I'd consider upgrading them, I'll just mess with the pole pieces and I understand there are tone knobs on my amps.

 

Thanks for the pics. These things look great. I was thinking about buying an Elitist Casino, but I thought I'd give this one a try for 1/3 the price. Plus it actually looks better. LOL

 

8-[/

[charlie brown]

 

Hi CB' date='

 

I just joined this forum to add to this thread. I usually hang over at HCEG.

 

But your comment above strikes me as very common with the Epiphone P-90s. I've had that as a serious concern with the tone on my Wildkat, but I figure it will be a bit brighter on the P93.

 

Mine's scheduled to arrive this Thursday. With 3 p'ups, I doubt I'd consider upgrading them, I'll just mess with the pole pieces and I understand there are tone knobs on my amps.

 

Thanks for the pics. These things look great. I was thinking about buying an Elitist Casino, but I thought I'd give this one a try for 1/3 the price. Plus it actually looks better. LOL

8-[/ [/quote']

 

Welcome GAS Man....and Stick around! You might enjoy it, here. Good folks, with lots of good information,

and very controlled "egos/attitudes," for the most part. Very helpful, and a fun bunch!

 

Part of my "initial" response, on the darkness of the pickups, was before I discovered how they wired

them up. After some experimentation, there are a lot of combinations, and tones you can get. Even a hotter

(brighter/edgier) treble from the bridge pickup. Which, initially, I was surprised was not all that bright, compared

to my Casino. However, after figuring out (kinda...I'm still experimenting) how it was wired, and what did what to what...LOL, it's been quite interesting. But then, I'm kind of new to "Gibson/Epiphone" 3-pick-up guitars! Have a

bunch of the 2 pick-up variety, so this was an eye opener. But, it seems like it could be really interesting, tonally.

 

CB

[GAS Man]

Good to hear it has some good tone versatility. I'd been tempted for some time now to also pick up the Yamaha Troy Van Leeuwen guitar, and not having been all that thrilled with my prior Yamaha purchases, this seemed like a good way to go for a 3 P-90 semi hollow.

 

Wifey is going to think I'm whacked. I've been hitting the gear a bit heavy lately. Got a Gibby arriving shortly before this, but I couldn't resist this P93 deal.

[JayGLongBeach]

Congrats CB!

 

oh yeah, i did experience gas on the last thread but

i've been fishing on craigslist lately...

 

Enjoy!

[captmidnight]

Congrats there Charlie Brown...but looking really close at that guitar I see something really wrong! IT'S NOT MINE! LOL I would love to have one but want to keep the family jewels hanging where they are and not on the wife's rear view mirror

I'll just keep playing my wildkat and enjoying it for now.

Capt

[charlie brown]

Congrats there Charlie Brown...but looking really close at that guitar I see something really wrong! IT'S NOT MINE! LOL I would love to have one but want to keep the family jewels hanging where they are and not on the wife's rear view mirror

I'll just keep playing my wildkat and enjoying it for now.

Capt

 

Thanks, JGLongbeach! And, Captmidnight...Family Jewels are important! LOL!

 

And...Wildkats are awesome, themselves.

 

CB

[charlie brown]

Oh...and you'll want to invest (if you don't have one, already) in a guitar cord, with a right angle plug, on at least one

end. With the input jack being where it is (on the top), a straight plug will block the free swing path, of the vibrato arm.

With the right angle plug, that's not a problem.

 

My Gretsch's (which all have bigsby's) all have the input jacks on the edges, so "straight plugged cords" are not a problem, with them.

 

CB

[jook]

I'm really amazed at the thin finish. It doesn't seem at all like the thick ones on most new Epiphones. Is it trick photography? The official photos don't look anywhere near as nice as your real one!

[28v6r]

AWESOME CB!! A fantastic aquisition... How may is that you own now??

 

Do you have any plans for her.... Dare I say" MODDING" her?

 

Are you gonna put a vid on "You Tube" to let us see it in action?

 

Nice One!!! Enjoy!!:) =D> =D> =D>

[Glenn F]

Congrats CB! That is a great looking guitar! Not available here, unfortunately (or, fortunately, from my wife's perspective!)

 

Enjoy!

 

Glenn

[RobG]

Congrats CB!!! Glad it is exceeding your expectations so far.

 

Couldn't resist and ordered one for myself on Sunday before the MF 10/19 discount expired. Was hoping someone would post a review before my guitar actually shipped...just in case. $450 seemed to be too good of a deal to pass up. Feeling better about the purchase now. Supposed to arrive on Friday. Will have to make sure I get home before my wife does that day or I'll have some big time explaining to do.

 

Rob

[tulsaslim]

Mine arrived about 7:30 last night. The UPS guy was working late.

 

First let me say that in 45+ years of playing and owning over 75 guitars this is the first true hollowbody electric I have owned. It's also the first guitar I've ever owned with a Bigsby and the first one with 3 P-90s.

 

Yes, it is a full hollowbody. Yes, it does have an arched top although it doesn't seem as pronounced as my dots (but it could be just my imagination).

 

The neck is thinner than the dot but not as thin as the P-94 elitist Sheraton I played awhile ago. Still very comfortable.

The P-90s sound great except for the fact that the guitar has a 3-way switch so you can only use one of them at a time. (A 5-way switch is in my immediate future).

 

Like all my Asian-made guitars, the frets need leveling.

 

This guitar is very different from just about all my other ones. It is built for jazz and blues (and definitely NOT built for hard rock or metal!). The sound is very warm & accoustic-like (although I'll be able to tell a lot more after I replace the factory strings).

 

The action was very good but I can make it better.

 

It's gonna take me some time to get used to the Bigsby. I've never had one in the past because I've always thought that they did little other than to knock your strings out of tune (which certainly happened every time I used it last night).

 

I'm very glad I bought it & would certainly recommend it. As soon as I play it a little more and let my brothers & friends give it a go it will be down to my guitar tech for a fret job and a 5-way switch. With new strings and the action set even lower than it came out of the box I will be able to give you all a much better review of it.

[snowbum007]

Ok, so I'm a little lost. The first poster said is was a semi-hollow and now you are saying it is a full hollow. I already have a dot and am gasing for a full hollow. If this is a full hollow body, I have some serious gas for it. Please clarify.

Thanks.