September 7, 2009

Video Review of the Epiphone Riviera P93

Guitar Epiphone Riviera P93, Review, Video 128

Just uploaded my first YouTube video ever 🙂 It’s a quick overview of the Riviera P93, along with some demos of the three P-90 pickups individually, and my thoughts on possible mods/improvements.

I’ve got some more videos and audio examples, coming soon, so stay tuned…

128 Comments

ALeary
September 16, 2009 @ 10:42 am

John,
I had to snicker when you said “graphite impregnated nut”! 🙂

Guitar looks great, and sounds smooth. Looking forward to hearing some more.

Reply
- John
  September 16, 2009 @ 10:44 am
  
  Teflon, man! It’s all about the teflon!! 🙂
  
  Reply
mnewman
April 26, 2010 @ 6:51 am

I just bought a P93 used, put half-round 12’s on it. Sounds real good. Actually, pickup-wise, I like it better than my elitist riviera although the guitar itself can’t compare. For the price, it’s hard to beat. I like the flat response of the pickups and the fact that the bridge pickup is not harsh. It does in a sense, though, sound like an mp3 as compared to an LP. Would pots fix this?

Reply
- John
  April 26, 2010 @ 10:23 pm
  
  Congrats on the guitar! Yeah the stock pickups were very mellow, but as you say sometimes lack a little clarity.
  See my videos on pots for a bunch of comparisons. Depends on how you use your pots. If you leave your tone up full most of the time, doing the no load mod can really brighten up your sound. Also, I found the tapers on the stock Epi pots to be closer to linear than log – so I changed them to a set of CTS pots which have a nicer taper. I also did end up changing the pickups which dramatically changes the sound of the guitar – probably not what you’re looking for.
  
  Reply
Sean Melton
September 5, 2010 @ 4:12 am

how much did the set up you had done cost?

Reply
Darrell
October 31, 2010 @ 7:06 pm

Hey John, I was wondering what you think of this–a guy wrote this on a Musiciansfriend review:
“I did some research, a guy on youtube had one of these that he was changing everything around trying to get it to brighten up. One thing he noted was that the center pick up is always on no matter what position the toggle is in, unless you turn it off via the volume, when the volume was off there wasn’t any improvement in sound. He further explained that there is a problem with the way it was wired so that it was sucking power whether on or off,causing the dark sounding output. I tried my own simplified test, I cut the center pickup wire taped it up and removed center pickup. WOW what a difference!!! it sounded so bright and beautiful. I left out the middle pickup and covered the hole with a cut piece of black gloss acrylic.”

He’s probably referring to you, right?

Here’s my main question: if I were to ever do that (cut the center pickup wire to experiment), is it easy to just solder back together again?

Thanks,
Darrell

Reply
- John
  October 31, 2010 @ 7:51 pm
  
  Hi Darrel,
  No that wasn’t me, exactly. I did the experiment of wiring a single pickup directly to the output jack to hear how that sounded, and it’s definitely brighter in isolation. See here:
  https://www.planetz.com/?p=98
  
  However, I didn’t permanently eliminate the middle pickup. But I did replace all three with new P-90’s. See my overhaul here:
  https://www.planetz.com/?p=390
  
  In any case, I do think that removing the middle pickup will have a number of benefits, so I’m planning on changing the middle volume to a push/pull pot to switch off the middle pickup. Stay tuned for that…
  
  -John
  
  Reply
  - Darrell
    November 1, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
    
    Thanks, John–I’ll be very interested in your conclusions about that. Your idea of having the option of switching off the middle pickup gives the best of both worlds, if all works well. Thanks so much for your detailed, informative videos! They are appreciated.
    
    So regarding my prior question, if I do cut the middle pickup wire, (and if I then wonder what in the world was I thinking), is it just a matter of soldering it together again, or would it be more complicated than that?
    
    Thanks again!
    
    Reply
TechnicalFreak
November 14, 2010 @ 3:08 pm

That is a nice guitar, are you a member of Gibson / Epi forums??

Reply
Macsk8ing
November 27, 2010 @ 12:58 pm

This guitar is so beautifull , to bad I don’t play Blues or Jazz.

Reply
Nick Harrison
December 4, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

@johnplanetz Gorgeous guitar John. I have a Telecaster and would love to
own a semi holo-body. I’m torn between the Riveria or the Sheraton II. The
Sheraton is a little pricer but I’m aware that the Riveria would need a
little work. Suggestions?

Reply
jbaggins3
December 10, 2010 @ 4:18 am

i say you get a casino

Reply
redowen333
January 8, 2011 @ 12:02 am

@johnplanetz Hey I think thats a good job you’ve done there, have you tried
it on a higher volume – on stage you wouldn’t need much more top end if any
and the sound is pretty rich from those P90’s. One idea though is to put
gibson pickups on it – I had a Riviera and put a ’57 classic on the bridge
pickup – it made a truly sweet sound man. The guitar is now dead due to
having it’s neck snapped but I’ve kept that gibson pickup, still wondering
what to do with it.

Reply
Tim Turner
January 27, 2011 @ 7:39 pm

Hi, Just got a Riviera Ltd.P93 on sale – nice, I like it, but my other guitars like an EPI SG400 have a brighter treble sound. I’ve noticed you put a lot of work & time into modifying your Riviera P93 – Can you tell me if the Gibson Black Dogear pickups would fit easily, or would I be better off going with a different manufacturer? (The Gibson Dogears are about 70+ each in black on sale at MF), what do you think of their(gibson) sound, & what might it cost to have them installed? Would this make a difference in tone?

Thanks,
Tim
Thanks,
Tim

Reply
- Tim Turner
  January 27, 2011 @ 8:02 pm
  
  Hi, I just commented about the price of the Gibson P90 pickups – they were recently on sale in Black only, now it looks like they’re waiting for a new shipment to arrive…updated price $120. Ooops.
  Tim
  
  Reply
John
January 28, 2011 @ 11:56 am

Hey Tim,
Those Gibson P90’s should drop right in. Should be very easy to install yourself if you have some basic tools/skills. You can just unscrew the old pickup. When you remove them, leave a little slack, and cut the wires. Then solder the new pickup wires to the old. Looks like you can find those for about $90 at some other online stores.
I replaced my pickups with Vintage Vibe Guitars P-90’s. You can hear those in my before/after video here:
https://www.planetz.com/?p=390

-John

Reply
theguitarphilosopher
February 1, 2011 @ 9:06 pm

I just wanted to thank you for the in depth review. You have confirmed my
decision to buy the P93 Epi. It is also funny that I was looking to pair it
with the Vox VT30 as well; before I stumbled upon your review. Thanks for
donating your experience to those of us who need it, and all for no other
reason than to help the world to make more beautiful music. Know that
somewhere in Ohio, there is a guitarist who appreciates your insight and
passion for music.

Reply
bebenavole
February 9, 2011 @ 2:30 pm

link?

Reply
John
February 9, 2011 @ 2:31 pm

@bebenavole – youtube doesn’t allow links in comments. you can go to my
blog at planetz.com and search. i’ll send you a link via private message.

Reply
GeorgeJohnPaulRingo
May 9, 2011 @ 6:38 pm

Given my time over, I’d have not bought the P93. As someone not interested
in the dark, evil world of hollow body mods, I was hoping for something
more or less playable as stock. As John accurately states in this vid, the
brightness in this guitar is virtually non existent, and had a very
undynamic tone, regardless of heather you’re softly strumming, or hacking
the crap out of it.

Reply
Frankie Nicolazzi
June 7, 2011 @ 1:19 pm

i have this guitar i love it but it has a vibration any suggestions?

Reply
John
June 7, 2011 @ 5:11 pm

@cyprus2943 – see my other video on the buzztastic tune-o-matic. it’s the
bridge wire and/or screws rattling. the comments in that video discuss lots
of possibilities for fixing it. or you can replace the bridge.

Reply
MrBIGJIMH
August 8, 2011 @ 12:55 pm

Beautifull Guitar- I likiee

Reply
Ariel Serrano
August 29, 2011 @ 5:42 pm

hi love the id, how much was the setup in total im deciding wether i should
get the riviera or a ibanez artcore

Reply
GodoftheLobsters
September 13, 2011 @ 3:39 pm

@12arrow12r Hey, I’m in the same problem actually! I’m wondering have you chosen one yet, if not have you made up your mind? Because I really am unsure

Reply
edisongla55
September 14, 2011 @ 8:29 pm

Thanx for a honest review. That sux about that guitar. I was gonna get that guitar too.

Reply
John
September 15, 2011 @ 3:23 pm

@JoshLNeville – casino is a full hollowbody while riviera is semi-hollow like the es-335 and sheraton. You’ll get a slightly more acoustic sound with Casino, but more prone to feedback. Try both.
And who doesn’t like to say “teflon impregnated nuts!” 🙂

Reply
- JoshLNeville
  October 10, 2011 @ 11:55 am
  
  @johnplanetz thanks very much, i’ve decided on maybe getting an es-335 guitar in cherry one day, as my grandad has a sheraton and I love the sound, although not until i have a fender tele…
  But yeah, thanks dude
  
  Reply
John
September 15, 2011 @ 3:49 pm

@ROBandTHEfuzz – fair enough. I love the ES-335 too. But it’s $2000 more for the Gibson name. If you have the skills and interest to work on the guitar, then you may take a $400 guitar and get it very close to the ES-335, and use the savings for something else. And you may learn a lot along the way. If you don’t want to spend the time or energy on it, or if it bothers you that it says Epiphone and not Gibson, well then you’ll just need to save up to pay the big bucks. Personal preference.

Reply
- ROBandTHEfuzz
  September 17, 2011 @ 8:10 am
  
  @johnplanetz oh yeah that makes sense it doesn’t bother me but i don’t think u under stand what ur paying for in a gibson, ur paying for a guitar that didn’t have just a couple of pieces thrown together by a machine, all the wood is the same type of wood and changing the wood on the guitar is just changing the model of the guitar, and after a while of modifying it its not even the guitar u bought anymore so its more than just the name but i defitnatly wouldn’t want spend that much on a guitar
  
  Reply
PF1964
September 24, 2011 @ 7:41 am

Is it the same shape as a gibson Es 335? or more like a ES 339?

Reply
- John
  September 24, 2011 @ 10:53 am
  
  @PF1964 – it’s the same as es-335, sheraton, dot
  
  Reply
nutmegger1957
October 8, 2011 @ 1:26 pm

Just came home today, with my own “Epiphone Riviera P93 WR” and I’m embarassed to say that I don’t know what the “WR” means. Do you? The set up was pretty dang good, and I didn’t know the pattern of the switch, so thanks for that explaination.

-Nutmegger1957

Reply
- hopestarbright
  December 19, 2011 @ 10:36 am
  
  @nutmegger1957 Wine Red the color
  
  Reply
John
October 8, 2011 @ 9:04 pm

@nutmegger1957 – Wine Red? Congrats on the new guitar! Enjoy.

Reply
roge69charger
October 21, 2011 @ 3:11 pm

I own both Gibson 335, an ole one around 1979, And, I got several Epi’s, I usually play more on the Epi’s, I’d say they’re about 90%. the same. I don’t even bother to mod them, Then I’ll use the Gibson. I have the whole gamut of guitars, And, Epi’s and Inbanez. make great copies.

Reply
Ichigoxdd1
October 24, 2011 @ 6:19 pm

Hi!! Can I install P-94 pickups on my Epiphone Riviera?

Reply
- John
  October 26, 2011 @ 10:33 am
  
  @Ichigoxdd1 – a P-94 is a P-90 pickup in a typical humbucker housing- designed as a drop-in P-90 replacement for a humbucker.. So, I can’t see the point in trying to replace these dog-eared P-90’s with humbucker-sized P-90’s.
  
  Reply
bigjavo36
October 26, 2011 @ 10:20 pm

is there anyway to get like a 6 position pick up switch so i could have the it have the 5 positions of a strat + the all 3 pick ups setting?

Reply
- John
  October 27, 2011 @ 10:51 am
  
  @bigjavo36 – you could try the Free-Way 6-position switch at stewmac, or a 6 position rotary switch. See my planetz blog entry on February 4th, 2011 “Ideas for Treble Bleed Problems”.
  
  Reply
LFGSDJ
November 1, 2011 @ 9:25 pm

Its better a Les Paul that sucks XD

Reply
imfromzbs
November 11, 2011 @ 2:39 pm

Wait, but can you play on this guitar acoustically- without amp. Like a Epiphone Broadway?

Reply
- John
  November 11, 2011 @ 2:48 pm
  
  @imfromzbs – it’s a semi-hollowbody. Playing without an amp, it’s louder than your typical solidbody, but not nearly as loud as an acoustic guitar, and not quite as loud as a fully hollowbody.
  
  Reply
fuelfreak108
November 28, 2011 @ 2:42 pm

Agreed on the setup! This guitar is AWFULLY set up from the factory. Once I finally got down to it and set it up though, it sounds and plays pretty well, especially for the price. This thing can get bright if you turn the middle pup all the way down, but still not very.

Reply
fuelfreak108
November 28, 2011 @ 2:44 pm

And don’t waste money on getting it set up by a “pro” – you can do it yourself for free with a little research and a couple of simple tools.

Reply
VolkOseba
January 17, 2012 @ 11:27 pm

All the different pickup replacement options keep running through my head on this one… M-3 guitars has a mosrite-style pickup, and I’m interested in what lace is doing with their alumitone series… most recent one was a dog-ear p90…

Reply
wedontknowone1
January 30, 2012 @ 4:26 pm

do you now if these are still available at guitar center? and how long theyll be available for?

Reply
- John
  January 31, 2012 @ 10:08 am
  
  @wedontknowone1 – I still see them at guitarcenter and musiciansfriend. I don’t know how much longer they’ll be available- but after a couple years now, it sure seems like “limited” doesn’t really mean much 🙂 They also have a number of other models now, like the ES-345 and ES-355, which have two humbuckers instead of three P-90’s
  
  Reply
Nick80R
January 31, 2012 @ 9:05 am

I spent a lot on getting my 97 riviera to play better. They do have issues.

Reply
InfringedProductions
February 13, 2012 @ 2:18 pm

How does this guitar handle gain?

Reply
schiffnhauser
April 8, 2012 @ 9:35 am

I just Modded my Les Paul,And now it’s on to my Yamaha sa503 ,Exactually same looking guitar with bigsby, She has 3 p-90’s I hate the sound,I own 14 guitars so I have a Choice in this matter.But Anyhow ,I am going to replace all of these pickups. I will probally put a Seymour Duncan P-90 up there on the neck, and a Humbucker in the middle and maybe a Seymour mini firebird at the bridge.

Reply
- John
  April 8, 2012 @ 9:43 pm
  
  Changing the pickups is certainly the most effective way to change your sound.
  See my video “Epiphone Electronics Overhaul, Before and After Comparisons” for my before/after comparison with my pickup replacements.
  
  Reply
Pastapipo123
April 9, 2012 @ 3:05 am

I’ve got an Epiphone Dot (china). Do you think I would benefit upgrading to this guitar or do you think I should stick with the dot and upgrade the dot with the money?

I play pop/rock (Oasis, Arctic monkeys).

Reply
- John
  April 9, 2012 @ 10:21 pm
  
  The dot and the p93 have a very similar body and quality. Unless you really want 3 p90s and a bigsby, I think you’d be better off upgrading your dot than starting over with the p93. You could upgrade your humbuckers, and you could consider adding an aftermarket bigsby if you want.
  
  Reply
JazzCam237
April 16, 2012 @ 7:41 pm

@johnplanetz Hi! I just bought an Epiphone Riviera Custom Royale and I dont know how to use the knobs and the switch and how to select the P93’s and how to use the tone and stuff…can you help me man? Thanks a lot!

Reply
- John
  April 16, 2012 @ 8:38 pm
  
  The Riviera Custom P-93 Royale controls should be the same as I demonstrated in this video starting around 0:58
  
  Reply
JazzCam237
April 16, 2012 @ 9:43 pm

@johnplanetz Ok got it! But which pickup do you suggest me to use to get a very very jazzy sound? Thanks for the swift answer!

Reply
- John
  April 16, 2012 @ 10:43 pm
  
  Start with the neck pickup, alone. But it’s really a subjective thing. Experiment and find what you like!
  
  Reply
Thurmond3264
April 30, 2012 @ 2:17 pm

I have the same guitar and usually have the middle pick up muted. I usually turn the bass down in my amp and pedal. And I am also looking toward replacing pickups. What pickups where you considering? I love the guitar but I just want a little more diversity out of it.

Reply
- John
  June 8, 2012 @ 10:58 am
  
  I used P-90’s from Vintage Vibe Guitars. See my video “Epiphone Electronics Overhaul, Before and After Comparisons”
  
  Reply
japet2025
May 31, 2012 @ 8:15 am

subbed 🙂

Reply
japet2025
May 31, 2012 @ 8:16 am

you look like todd downing 🙂

Reply
MuseFan971
June 4, 2012 @ 3:37 am

i wanna have a sound similar to oasis, arctic monkeys, ocean colour scene, etc. would i achieve that with this guitar through a marshall mgfx30?

Reply
- John
  June 8, 2012 @ 11:01 am
  
  I haven’t tried that combination, so I can’t really say. But I can assure you that just having the same guitar/amp as the band doesn’t necessarily make you sound like them. Many other things contribute to their sound, including the pedals, the mic’ing, the recording process, not to mention (most importantly) your playing technique.
  
  Reply
flyingsoundmachine
June 9, 2012 @ 6:27 pm

I’ve heard nothing but good things about these Rivieras. I’m personally going through somewhat of a strat fetish at the moment, but I might take a look at one of these in the foreseeable future.

Reply
- fuckingfuckdude
  June 9, 2012 @ 11:48 pm
  
  I have one of the ltd pearl white ones, with the orange binding. Fantastic instrument. I really enjoy pushing it through some meaty, compressed fuzz. It “feels” right for that sound. And clean, very enjoyable.
  
  Reply
NickDiNunzio
June 26, 2012 @ 9:02 am

I’m sorry, but my friend Brian had this exact guitar, and it was a piece of shit.

Reply
- vikingfortiesfaeroes
  February 14, 2013 @ 10:24 am
  
  Epiphones are always hit-and-miss. I was once planning on buying an original Riviera, but went for a Washburn instead because it was much higher quality than the Riviera in the shop.
  
  Reply
zefer07
June 28, 2012 @ 5:27 am

Always wished that I’d have gotten one of these instead of the Dot, but after this review, I know my Dot is overall better. The Riviera is only slightly more expensive and has WAY more features, but I guess they’ve cut back on the quality too much and lost out on what could have been a good guitar. My Dot, with the stock PUPs and a retrofitted Bigbsby is £360 + the cost of modifications and is more solid than this. 🙂

Reply
marcusvao
July 17, 2012 @ 4:52 pm

fala pra caralho e nao toca porra nenhuma pra ouvir, toca essa merda com fuzz meu amigo, pra gente sentir a guitarra e para de falar!

Reply
rossome
August 2, 2012 @ 1:39 pm

Hey man, great work on a well-made, intelligent, cohesive review. Hard to find on YouTube.

Reply
Jack Edwards
August 29, 2012 @ 1:41 pm

I take it, its a bit to clean for rock and/or metal.

Reply
alan19844
September 11, 2012 @ 2:28 am

I love Epiphone, can’t beat them for the price. I’m looking into getting a 335, but your P93 looks really nice there! Enjoy!

Reply
Beatles781
September 15, 2012 @ 5:45 pm

I dont now if I should get this, the dot, or the casino

Reply
CRAMOND123
October 19, 2012 @ 1:08 pm

If you had to chose between the p93 or the ES-335 Dot which one would you recommend

Reply
- John
  October 19, 2012 @ 1:12 pm
  
  When I bought this guitar, I wanted a semi-hollow ES with bigsby. The P-93 was the only model at the time that had that. In retrospect, the three P-90’s are a bit of a pain, and I should have held out for a guitar with two humbuckers. Epiphone is now making the ES-345 and ES-355 models which are nice, but pricier. If those are too pricey, and the bigsby’s not important to you, I’d probably recommend a dot, if you can find a good one.
  
  Reply
coltonfoshizzle
October 30, 2012 @ 7:34 pm

Hey, I’m debating between a guitar like this, or one of the MIM Teles. Which one do you think I should go for, i noticed the guitar in the background and I was just wondering what you’d think? I’m only able to spend around $570 at the most.

Reply
- John
  October 31, 2012 @ 12:23 pm
  
  Those are two very different guitars. Find a place where you can play a tele and a semi-hollowbody side by side, to see what feels right and sounds best to you.
  
  Reply
inertia3112
January 14, 2013 @ 7:49 am

Hi I spotted you said the 3 p-90’s were a pain in your comments, Im looking to get into rockabilly, would this be a decent place to start, Its at the top of my budget for the time being. cheers.

Reply
- John
  January 18, 2013 @ 2:40 pm
  
  Sure it would be a decent place to start. But you should really find a place to compare P-90’s with humbuckers which are the more common choice for rockabilly (e.g. the Swingster). You may like the P-90’s just fine…
  
  Reply
rulesofstupidity
January 24, 2013 @ 4:09 pm

it is annoying todeal with th is guitar on stage i have one and its super quirky with the pickup selector switch

Reply
- John
  January 24, 2013 @ 4:16 pm
  
  Putting a push/pull on the middle volume-control helps a lot.
  
  Reply
rulesofstupidity
January 24, 2013 @ 4:11 pm

but try the line6 jtv 89f semi model in the store for your sel its an awsome guitar for the versatily.

Reply
- John
  January 24, 2013 @ 4:15 pm
  
  The line 6 is a cool technology guitar, but so completely different from this one, you almost can’t really compare the two.
  
  Reply
vikingfortiesfaeroes
February 14, 2013 @ 8:34 am

A lot of guitar for the money; shame it doesn’t have a 5-way selector switch.

Reply
pavol stastny
February 17, 2013 @ 3:15 am

this guitar is similar with Gretsch G5422tdc electomatic…good choice john

Reply
sam tam
February 27, 2013 @ 10:53 pm

did you replace the pickups? I have ibanez amf73 semi hollow ans same vox amp. I am thinking of trying p90s with semi hollow. listening to this video i might change my mind on p90s.

Reply
- John
  March 8, 2013 @ 2:11 pm
  
  Yes, I did replace the pickups. See my video “Epiphone Electronics Overhaul, Before and After Comparisons”: watch?v=fxc6s6tXefE
  
  Reply
HANZEL DA GRIMM
March 3, 2013 @ 4:41 am

hey man how that cost i wanted to buy just like your guitar i am having a second thought due to some fake epiphoe i dont what to be a victim of fakes

Reply
- John
  March 8, 2013 @ 1:53 pm
  
  It’s still US$499. Can often get a good deal from guitar center, musicians friend, etc- and you’ll be confident that it’s not a fake.
  
  Reply
  - HANZEL DA GRIMM
    March 9, 2013 @ 3:58 am
    
    thank you sir for the reply but how about the quality of this guitar? does this sound good i am new to this thing chances are i am making a mistake the only the only reason i want this guitar is because recently i am become a oasis fan since no es 355 is around so i decided to go to buy this what are the pros and cons fo this guitar thank you sir for the help
    
    Reply
    - John
      March 12, 2013 @ 9:08 am
      
      Epiphone quality is ok, a bit hit or miss but generally pretty good. Try it before you buy it (or buy it somewhere you can return it).
      
      Reply
  - HANZEL DA GRIMM
    March 9, 2013 @ 4:01 am
    
    and which one is the best amplifier for this guitar it is marshall or fender if any suggestion which one is to get i ma open for sgeetion thank you sir
    
    Reply
    - John
      March 12, 2013 @ 9:10 am
      
      Very subjective question. Depends what you like, how you’re going to use it – practice amp vs stage use, etc, etc. There are many more amps to choose from than just Fenders and Marshalls.
      
      Reply
Benjamin Smith
March 5, 2013 @ 3:24 am

Thanks for this. Nice review.

Reply
HANZEL DA GRIMM
March 10, 2013 @ 5:48 am

can you rate this guitar in scale of of 1 to 10 i am getting this guitar in a few weeks i learning as much as i can

Reply
HANZEL DA GRIMM
March 10, 2013 @ 6:29 am

if i will make a choice between es 345 limited edition or p93 riviera which one will i make choose?i am reading your blog and i amn leraning the prons and cons of this guitar

Reply
- John
  March 12, 2013 @ 9:07 am
  
  If you’re a diehard oasis fan, you’ll want a red es 345 or 355, two humbuckers. The Riviera with three P-90’s will give you a different tonal palette.
  
  Reply
  - HANZEL DA GRIMM
    March 16, 2013 @ 3:06 pm
    
    yep i am a die hard oasis fan and ive been learning a few chords just play there songs i think i will for go for es 345 or 355 thank you so much sir for giving me this idea which guitar to buy and i see that you been doing a lot of modification of this guitar how about a guitar amp which one do you think is the most promising amp that will suit the sound of es345
    
    Reply
    - John
      March 20, 2013 @ 3:01 pm
      
      Oasis used Vox amps on the earlier records, as far as I know. I’m a fan of the Vox AC15- but you really need to try some amps to see what you like, personally.
      
      Reply
      - HANZEL DA GRIMM
        March 20, 2013 @ 7:36 pm
        
        thank you sir for the suggestion i will try it out
        
        Reply
  - HANZEL DA GRIMM
    March 16, 2013 @ 3:09 pm
    
    thank you sir i am really really new to this guitar thing your videos and suggestion really help me a lot to make the wiser decision thanks again
    
    Reply
PolaroidSupercolor
April 16, 2013 @ 9:00 am

Hey Johnplanetz !
I’ve been looking into getting a new electric guitar. I don’t know much about the technical side of guitars at all but i know i want an overall smooth and nice sound. Nothing metal ish more clean and maybe some harder sounds but nothing too hard. I was thinking about getting the Epiphone The Dot CH Cherry one but now i’m seeing this one has a pretty sweet sound too. What would you suggest ?

Reply
- John
  April 16, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
  
  If you can, find a store where you can play them both and get a feel for their sound. The dot with two humbuckers will have a different tonal palette compared to the P93 with three P-90’s. The two-humbucker dot is the more common pickup configuration.
  
  Reply
filthypit
May 3, 2013 @ 12:29 pm

Hey bro ~ appreciate the time spent & info imparted… its very helpful. WORD: work on your audible pauses as they are REALLY distracting (“ah” “um” etc). Public Speaking classes are helpful in this area. With your knowledge/experience, you’d be a powerhouse!

Reply
- John
  May 3, 2013 @ 1:29 pm
  
  Understood. Those “uh”s are the worst. This was the very first video I made, a few years ago – one-take, unscripted. I like to think I’ve improved since then, over the last 50+ videos. 🙂 If you’re interested, see my channel for my recent videos on guitar pedal artwork, etc.
  
  Reply
robertgolfetto
May 6, 2013 @ 3:28 am

You remind me a lot micheal manring! You have the same way of talking! However thanks for this well made review, now i know that i can go forward into buying this guitar to my brother! Thanks a lot again!

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danstune
May 18, 2013 @ 1:49 pm

Thanks for the review. I love my Riviera P93 and it sounds good played through a tube amp, such as my Peavey Classic 30. Mine is stock and sounds and plays great!

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richardgarcia4497
July 1, 2013 @ 2:59 pm

i own a les paul with 2 p90s but i always wanted this guitar…im wondering if its going for rock music?

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- John
  July 11, 2013 @ 8:48 am
  
  Sure. P90’s are good for rock, blues, whatever…
  
  Reply
Ron Patrick Horton
July 2, 2013 @ 10:01 am

“That’s as bright as it’s going to get.” (You could run it through an eq) Personally, I really dig the bridge pickup sound you were getting.

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- John
  July 11, 2013 @ 8:48 am
  
  It’s not a bad sound- I just wanted something brighter 🙂 Yes, you could use an EQ.
  
  Reply
Ron Patrick Horton
July 11, 2013 @ 11:47 am

Coolness – yeah, I’ve actually got the same axe ordered at present. enjoyed your video preview of the sounds I can expect.

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harry coates
July 13, 2013 @ 3:25 pm

awesome demo man! I really want one of these now. for a huge fraction of the price of gibsons, imo it looks cooler than a normal 335.

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Francisco Quilarque
August 10, 2013 @ 12:37 pm

I bought mine october last year, i’ve been loving her just the way she came out from the store but after watching some of your videos i feel the need of making some changes, great videos and great guitar, thanks for all the info

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TheMrMr9guitarelectr
September 23, 2013 @ 12:20 am

This is my favorite acoustic to leave sitting around the house to play whenever I get time. Due to the price it’s one I’m not afraid to leave out (but still well out of the way)and not worry too much about it getting damaged. Sounds great and plays really easy. Mine had a nice low action on it when I got it.

here is the link to it in case anyone is interested:amzn.to\1fvViin

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Caio Augusto
October 13, 2013 @ 6:26 pm

Dont know if you still answer to comments, but, do you think it would sound nice on a Fender Princeton 65 for some John Lee Hooker sound?

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- John
  October 18, 2013 @ 11:43 am
  
  Hard to say- the only way to really know is for you to try playing it through your amp.
  
  Reply
Daniel Pomykalski
December 20, 2013 @ 8:57 am

Were you honestly surprised the guitar’s set up was bad when you got it? It
came from a factory where the workers are paid nothing…

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Elliot Rodgers
January 24, 2014 @ 4:49 pm

Very nice demo and mods. I’ve heard complaints about this guitar, people
say it’s too heavy and the pickups too muddy. Is hat true? BTw yours
sounded killer to me.

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saffordpastor
June 2, 2014 @ 12:10 am

I picked one up in a deal…planned to resale it. but after g40v having it
for a few

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saffordpastor
June 2, 2014 @ 12:11 am

days I decided to keep it….just a little setup and this guitar sounds
great

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John Brost
June 8, 2014 @ 2:49 pm

I purchased one of these used for about $300. Sounded “ok”….but…neck
was sloppy and the sound was muddy. I spent another $300 on a really solid
setup, leveled and polished frets, added a treble bleed, changed the volume
controls to black speed tones. Now it looks better, sounds better, feels
better. I am still figuring out how to get a nice articulate rhythm tone,
but the P90s sound really cool when playing leads. Might get locking
tuners sometime….has trouble staying in tune.

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Bill Dallas
July 23, 2014 @ 9:58 am

Important. I bought this guitar several years ago. The wiring for pickups was bad. I brought it back to the store they sent it to Gibson custom shop and I got a new one. Wiring mistake was from factory rather than redo they provided a new one to me shipped from Gibosn custom USA

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- John
  July 23, 2014 @ 10:04 am
  
  Nice to hear they took care of you!
  -John
  
  Reply
John Collier
July 29, 2014 @ 7:02 pm

shitty fuckin tone man, that sounds terrible, it sounds so crappy.

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Matthew Fleetwood
August 12, 2014 @ 7:17 pm

He said Grover machine heads they are wilkinson 14:1

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hi1guy1
January 6, 2015 @ 10:15 am

the surprising thing about the shitty setup is that epiphone puts that huge
sticker on the back of the headstock “setup entirely in the USA”, so please
stop bashing china. human rights violations, pollution, child slave trade;
bash china for that. these guitars are butchered in the setup right here in
the good ol’ USA

Reply

Video Review of the Epiphone Riviera P93

128 Comments

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