The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: 2013 Epiphone Riviera Custom P93 Electric

Review: 2013 Epiphone Riviera Custom P93 Electric

The Epiphone Riviera Custom P93 electric is one of those guitars that make you wonder how they got all of those features into a 500.00 model that looks so good. In addition, it's appearance differentiates it from pretty much 90% of the semi-solid guitars in its class.

The Riviera is a model that originated as a model to compete with the ES-335 but had no Gibson equivalent. The version here is a faithful, though lower cost recreation of that 60s model. Though the sales ads use the usual magic words “Like a Gibson ES-335” it's really a very different animal.

For one thing, you have three closely placed P-90 style pickups instead of the usual double humbuckers, and the sound is both brighter, and more, well, loud sounding. Its sound is really a little more related to the 60s Gibson SG than an ES at full volume, but there are some similarities.

The Riviera also has a laminate body instead of mahogany like the original version but that type of body is common in higher end jazz guitars because it reduces feedback. The use of a full plywood body changes the sound quite a bit. The original had a warmer, jazzier tone. The use of plywood isn't fatal of course, the classic Gibson ES-175 jazz guitar is all plywood also, and it frankly wasn't such a famous guitar that there's a generation of rock players out there who remember what one sounded like.

In the context that it's more likely to be used for now, which can range from alternative to retro, the plywood body and mahogany neck work just fine. The craftsmanship is good, though not impressive, but the cosmetics are very nice. You'll hear a lot that cosmetics aren't important, but of course it is. The more you like a guitar, the better it sounds and the more effort you'll invest in making it sound good.

It's a very comfortable guitar to play, and the range of tones one can get with the three pickups (each with its own volume knob) is pretty wide. Add to that a decent Bigsby tremolo, and you have a pretty fun package.

The one flaw is that the Epiphone P90s aren't as good as the Gibson type. A bit flatter and dryer in tone, but mainly in clean or low volume settings. I've noticed that from guitar to guitar, the sound of this model can be more or less resonant than the next, which can make a difference in how rich the tone is on a semi-solid, so it's important to try before you buy (unless you have 30 days to return it, etc).

The version I tried sounded OK in the store, and like I said earlier, is a very fun package with a lot of things one can do with the sound. At 500.00, it's hard to pass up.

When I tried it at home, through various size amps, and with a friend playing it (with me just sitting and listening), I got a better feel for what it's strengths and weaknesses were (to these ears, anyway).

Because the Epi P90s aren't as full as the Gibsons, the Riviera Custom sounds OK as a blues guitar in the T-Bone Walker or jazzy mode but doesn't really cut as a harder edged Chicago machine. On a small amp, it does the older raw blues just fine. Its jazz tone is pretty average, and it's not recommended for that use except maybe as a backup.

As a rock and/or alternative guitar, it's as good as you want to make it. At higher volume, the Epi P90s work fine, and give you a nice throaty sound that can sound trashy, bell toned, or raunchy in a retro way. It's too retro for metal per se, though that's why God permitted man to create effects pedals and high-tech amps (both made by industries that aren't as reactionary as guitar makers).

I thought it was a fun guitar, particularly at high volume. It's a package that is worth more than 500.00 for sure, and if you're looking for a guitar that has a different visual look, than this one is worth a try. I returned it because I happen to be old enough to remember what old P90s sound like, so it didn't measure up in terms of sound.

I could have, of course, upgraded the pickups, but my philosophy is that each guitar is designed as a package, and in this case, the cost cutting measures in a mid-priced guitar would make putting in stock Gibson P90s a gamble that would add a few hundred dollars to the cost of the guitar and perhaps not improve it enough to my liking.

In other words, upgrading the pickups would create an $800.00 or 900.00 guitar. At that price, one can get an American made Tele or Strat (at least used) and there's US made Gibsons that are in that price range. To me, not worth it.

On the other hand, like I said earlier, the Riviera has a feature set is easily worth more than 500.00, and for a younger player who plays certain styles, it's a very nice guitar with a distinctive look. I'd rather have this Riviera than an Epiphone Dot or any other ES-335 copy.

I ended up not buying the Riviera Custom, but it's the kind of guitar that if someone else bought it and thought my opinion was wrong, I wouldn't be offended. I don't love Les Pauls much either, so I'm probably wrong about a few things as it is...

- Al Handa

2013

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa