Epiphone Original Riviera - sparkling burgundy top

An alternative to the Gibson ES-335, which was popular among blues and rock musicians of the time, the original Epiphone Riviera was produced in the U.S. from 1962 to 1969. It has been reintroduced at regular intervals, notably as a Japanese-made model in the early 1980s and as part of the Elitist series in the 2000s.
The Epiphone Original Archtops Collection Riviera (EORSBUNHR) is a superbly crafted version aimed at the general public. It is built to similar specifications and shares the model’s fundamental tonal character and versatility.

Thanks to its design—which combines a maple and poplar body, a set mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard (24.75" scale, 22 frets), this semi-hollow-body electric guitar with a central block excels in a wide range of musical genres, including blues, pop, jazz, classic rock, and hard rock.
The maple center block enhances sustain and minimizes the feedback issues inherent in hollow-body guitars with a body. This feature allows the Riviera to handle relatively high levels of distortion.

The pickups are Epiphone Mini Humbucker PROs, inspired by the eponymous Gibson models that first appeared in the early 1960s on Epiphone guitars produced by Gibson. They notably went on to equip the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.
They deliver warm, dynamic tones with added brightness and precision thanks to their narrower magnetic field. You can fine-tune the tone using the volume and tone knobs (separate for each pickup).