Epiphone Elitist Nick Valensi Signature Riviera

Made in Japan. The features are basic: three-ply laminated maple top sides and back, mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, a vintage-style tune-o-matic bridge, Grover tuners, Frequensator tailpiece, narrow but thick, comfortable neck, 22 vintage nickle frets, Gibson P-94 pickups, two volume and two tone controls, a three way selector switch (actually all electronics are Gibson); it's the QUALITY that is noteworthy here. This is the pinnacle of Epiphone's Japanese luthiers' art... I am also the guy that wrote the other review here... I liked the Vintage Natural one so much I bought another one! This one is in the Vintage Sunburst...BEAUTIFUL!

Sounds best with a quality tube amp, running direct (without out effects), I think these pickups are amazing! They are very responsive to pick attack, volume and tone adjustments, and amp "push-back". VERY musical...just gotta work with them...get the feel, etc. I play moslty classic rock, electric jazz and contemporary Christian music and this guitar suits the styles well. The P-94s' hum is minimal, depending on many things, such as the gain on the amp, how close I am to my amp, etc... If you want the clarity of a single coil, you just accept these things (like a vintage strat)...

Guitar is stock from the factory, set up with 10s (unknown brand, probably Gibson, though). Quality is BETTER than what I found on a satin-finished Gibson 335 that was hanging right beside it for nearly $1000 more! There are NO finish flaws, no hardware issues, etc...!

I believe this guitar will stand up to any demands I will make of it; however, since it is styled after a 'vintage' guitar that made it's debut in 1962, let the reader beware that it will require tender, loving care! It's NOT the type of guitar you can just bang around like a strat or tele (they're practically indestructible, I have some!), it's the kind of instrument you carry with care and treasure (while you play the heck out of it!) I believe it will bring MANY years of pleasure! I wouldn't want to 'gig' with it unless I had a back up, but that's just me...not the guitar's fault! It appears to be TOTALLY dependable!

It's so well made I don't think I'll have any problems, but if I did, I'm sure I'd be taken care of (Gibson, Epiphone and Musician's Friend)! Customer support from both M.F. and Gibson has been superlative! I've called several times with questions and have been taken care of quickly and courteously; M.F. even sent me some free switch tips and tone/volume knobs to replace some that were damaged in transit... EXCELLENT service!

I'd always wanted a Gibson 335...not any more...get it? THis is just as good as (if not better) than the real thing... The only thing I might consider in the future is a semi-hollow with a conventional tailpiece instead of the Frequensator like this one has...only for something 'different', not because I'm dissatisfied with this one, though... Remember, I chose this one over a real 335 because it was better quality, more playable, and an overall better value!

2006 or 2007 manufacture (made in Japan); natural (polyester) finish; ES-335 body style; two Gibson P-94 pickups (P94R and P94T in neck and bridge positions respectively); all Gibson electronics; Grover tuners; 22 vintage frets; 5-ply maple top, back, and sides; a thin but rounded Gibson-style one-piece set mahogany neck; a bone nut; tune-o-matic bridge; and Frequensator (trapeze) tailpiece. Came with nice Epiphone Elitist form-fitting case. Very vintage vibe; looks the part as well...a real looker!

I play everything from Classic Rock to jazz. This guitar's acousting resonance is exceptional (addicting); it has a nice, even responsiveness across the tonal spectrum; its unamplified volume indicates appropriate selection of the woods used in its construction. Amplified, the P94s are amazing! I'd never heard of them before, but they've made me a true believer! I've played lots of single coil guitars before but these particular pups come across as very articulate without being over 'trebly'. Minimal hum. I prefer to play thru my Fender tube amps with the volume on these pups around 6-7; it give a nice warm and clear tone. These pickups can really scream, though; when you bring the volume up, you can hear the growl come up as well! VERY responsive to volume changes and pick attack. Definitely not the kind of pickups you want to just run wide open with your volume and tone controls. The middle position is hum-free, by the way...

I got this guitar for only $199 as it had a broken headstock (completely off!). I had it professionally repaired for $184. That said, I will never depart with this guitar! The craftsmanship of this guitar is what I have come to expect from the fine workmen in Japan; I also own vintage Electra and Yamaha guitars from the 70s, this is as good a quality if not better! Apart from the repair job which is barely visible, I could not find ANY construction blemishes anywhere on the guitar, not even in the sound holes! The ONLY flaws I could find were not related to the manufacture of the guitar, but it's assembly: 1) the tone and volume pots needed a little tightening and 2) the glue on the back of the pickguard bracket failed to hold.

This guitar weighs a ton! But it's a toneful ton! Its nickle-plated hardware looks like it's built for the long haul! I'd gig without a backup, I'm a hobbyist anyway. Everything about it oozes vintage vibe and QUALITY! At the new price of around $1200 (if you can even find them) it's pretty good deal, it was a STEAL for what I got if for!

Epiphone/Gibson was VERY responsive to my emails and phone calls! I am very happy with their support and this product! If I wouldn't have bought it at the Musician's Friend Clearance Center, I have no doubt that they would have done whatever they could have to assist in "making it right."

I have many other guitars (Parker Fly Deluxe, Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster, Yamaha SG3000S, Peavey Impact 2, Electra Maple Pro (335 copy), Schecter Ultracure, Ibanez Iceman, Gibson SG-X) all of which I picked up for their uniqueness and what they had to offer that was "out of the norm"; this one has earned its right to be a keeper! Hardly anyone uses the P-94 pickups and hardly anyone uses (or has even seen) a Riviera. WHen I bought this, I had no clue who Nick Valensi was, but I knew I held a unique guitar in my hands. I'm glad I took the chance and snapped it up; no regrets here! If I could get another one, I'd get it in a heartbeat! Any of the Elitist series are worth taking home! BTW, I know tone: I have a Carvin Legacy half-stack, Fender Silverface Deluxe Reverb, Pignose G40V, Fender Super 60 combo, and a vintage Gibson GA-19RVT Falcon...