mydeadblues Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 This just popped up on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Epiphone-Riviera-electric-guitar-1993-US-made-/280631888982?pt=Guitar&hash=item4156f6cc56 is this legit? The color of the tuners look a little off to me and the seller describes it as a USA made p-93 riviera. It definitely isn't a p93...but is it a real, limited run, made in the USA riviera? The serial number matches up on the guitar dater project. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydeadblues Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Well it just started and the reserve hasn't been met yet, so if it is real I'm guessing it'll go for at least $1,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Real or fake (I believe it is real), that is a very nice guitar. I wonder what the reserve is ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydeadblues Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Here's a picture of the headstock of the USA riviera on ebay (left) then a MIK Riviera, then an epiphone dot. I've never seen a made in USA riviera so this is just speculation. The epiphone logo on the USA riviera looks like it is placed higher on the headstock and/or is a bit smaller font size (it could just be the angle of the picture though). This is suppose to be a riviera but it has the emblem of a dot. Also, the color of the tuners don't look correct and finally, the truss rod cover only has 2 screws instead of the usual 3. I know gibson only uses 2 and this is suppose to be made in the same plant. We all know how much headstocks can vary MIJ vs MIK. To me, it just looks like a dot with mother of pearl inlays. I know they did make some dots with mother of pearl inlays but I think they were all flametops. The inlays on the USA riv look more like that of a normal riviera than a dot (smaller and slanted rather than larger squares). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 This just popped up on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Epiphone-Riviera-electric-guitar-1993-US-made-/280631888982?pt=Guitar&hash=item4156f6cc56 is this legit? The color of the tuners look a little off to me and the seller describes it as a USA made p-93 riviera. It definitely isn't a p93...but is it a real, limited run, made in the USA riviera? The serial number matches up on the guitar dater project. What do you guys think? Yes very much legit! Here is what is mentioned in the book "Epiphone the complete history" by Walter Carter, on page 107:- Later in 1993, Epiphone recognized it`s own rich tradition. At Henry Juszkiewicz`s suggestion, the Riviera and Sheraton were reissued in a limited run of 250 made in Gibson`s Nashville plant. "They sold out immediately," Rosenberg says. "There was a lot of demand for us to build more, but the fact is it wasn`t practical to build them in the Nashville plant because the Gibson Nashville plant had it`s hands full building their own ES models, and actually the equivalent model in the Gibson line, like the ES-335, was easier to produce and less costly to produce than the Sheraton model" They were Nitro finished as well! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I understand that these USA built (at the Nashville plant) are more expensive (or just as expensive) to make as a Gibson ES-335. Those were made almost 20 years ago. With Epiphone's commitment to "Japanese quality control" methods, continuous improvement and Kaizan, I would think and hope that Epiphone could bring back this as well as similar "MADE IN USA" Epiphone's at a reasonable price. 20 years to learn how to efficiently make high quality, low cost USA made guitars should be enough time to "improve" just about everything, cost, quality, worker pride...management... That is real "value" wouldn't you think ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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