Riviera identification

[samkat]

Hello out there.

 

I have this guitar that I've had a hard time identifying. I saw one on Ebay that looks just like it and they said it was a 'rare' japanese made Riviera. Has anyone seen one of these? There is no SN on the back or on the sticker inside. It looks like a small, long sticker was removed from the back of the headstock but there is nothing stamped on it anywhere. Here are a couple pictures.

 

Thanks

[charlie brown]

This may help, somewhat...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orville_by_Gibson

 

Scroll down to: "Epiphone Japan!"

 

"Light Brown Lable," is for 1980-1985, produced guitars.

 

Quote: "The Aria Epiphone Japan models, that were made by Matsumoku, from the early 1970's,

and ending before 1987 do not have a reliable serial numbering system, but can be approximately

dated, using their Epiphone Label Colours!"

 

Blue Label: Early 1970's-1980

Lite Brown label: 1980-1985

Brown Lable: 1985-1987

 

 

Cheers,

CB

[RobinTheHood]

CB is definitely in the ballpark. Yours is an early Matsumoku Riviera. I believe it was between 1980-1981 or 82 that they had the frequensator tailpiece and the open-coil cream humbuckers. Most of the Matsu Rivs you will see will have a stopbar tailpiece and chrome covered humbuckers.

[frenchie1281734003]

Your Riviera should carry a seven digit serial on the back of the h/stock, and as this version of the Riviera was imported to both the US and UK during the early part of the 80s, it would probably be a safe bet to assume it does (The Tan label confirms 81-85 production). That serial will confirm it for you. As an example if the serial was 2106347, then the first number "2" is the year 1982, the next two "10" the month October, and the last four are the production number.

 

I hope this helps, and nice guitar by the way.

 

Steve.