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EPIPHONE | ELECTRIC ACOUSTIC GUITARS | RIVIERA

Epiphone Riviera E360TD

Thinline semi acoustic

Epiphone EmperorEpiphone Riviera
Model: Riviera E360TD
Available: 1962-1969
Pickups: Two mini humbuckers
Scale: 24 3/4"
Body: Maple top sides and back with black and white binding. 16" wide (lower bout), 19" long, 1 3/4" thick
Neck: One-piece set mahogany with binding, rosewood fingerboard with pearloid inlays. 22 frets, body meeting the neck at the 19th fret.
Hardware: 2 volume and 2 tone controls. Tune-o-matic bridge with frequensator tailpiece.
Finishes: Royal Tan (until 1965), Shaded (from 1965), Cherry (from 1966)

The Epiphone range of the 1960s closely followed the Gibson guitars of the same time. From 1958 until 1969, both brands were made side by side in the same facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, using the same woods, construction methods and much of the same hardware. The Epiphone Riviera corresponds to the Gibson ES335 having the same dimensions, semi-hollow construction, and built from the same materials, but with different tailpiece, pickups and headstock. It was one of the last 1960s Epiphone models to launch, with the majority debuting in 1959 or 1960.

Like the ES335-12, the Riviera also had a 12-string version produced from 1965. 1967 was the peak year for both models (in 6 and 12 string variations) but the Gibson version heavily outsold the Epiphone; a ratio of almost 8:1 for the 335, and 5:1 for the 335-12. Interestingly enough, the Epiphone was the same price or more expensive than the Gibson. For owners CMI, offering these two equivalent products was a way of increasing the availability of Kalamazoo-made guitars; it allowed their product to be available through a wider network of dealers. However, by the end of the 1960s, the guitar market had changed, with far greater demand for student guitars, and far greater pressure to reduce production costs; producing parallel lines of almost identical instruments at very similar prices was no longer feasible, and when Norlin took over in late 1969 these Epiphones were dropped.

Epiphone Riviera vs Gibson ES-335TD

Sales for the period 1962-1969

 modelshipping totalprice (1/10/66)
EpiphoneE360TD (Riviera)2556$395, $435 with tremotone vibrato
GibsonES-335TD19222$365, $380 cherry
 
EpiphoneE360TD 12 (Riviera 12)446$410, $425 cherry
GibsonES-335TD-122016$410, $425 cherry

The fact that two almost identical instruments (335-12 and Riviera 12) at exactly the same price, should sell in such different numbers underlines the dominance of the Gibson brand even when Epiphones were made side by side in the same factory. Ironically, the 1967 publicity for the Riviera (right) claims the following...

Dealers don't push 'em a lot, celebrities don't endorse 'em lot, but Epiphone sells a lot. hmmmmmmmmmmm
No wheelin'. No dealin'. No hoopla. So why would Epiphone be one of the best selling guitars in the business?

Epiphone Riviera shipping figures

Shipping figures do not differentiate between Royal Tan and Shaded finishes, though Cherry Rivieras are listed separately. When Epiphone production started with Gibson, several specific burst finishes were named - Royal Tan was a two-colour burst, basically red to yellow. Shaded was typically three colour, black to red to yellow. It seems that by the end of the 1960s, these were all lumped together as Shaded. Model codes are as follows: TD = thinline double pickup (all models) ; V = tremotone vibrato ; C = Cherry finish ; 12 = 12 string. Guitars with no finish code will either be Shaded (Sunburst) or Royal Tan

  1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 total
Epiphone Riviera E360TD 40 56 170 274 421 563 150 119 1793
Epiphone Riviera E360TDC 4 354 81 46 485
Epiphone Riviera E360TDV 97 17 19 133
Epiphone Riviera E360TDVC 93 40 12 145
Epiphone Riviera E360TD 12 2 78 183 19 2 284
Epiphone Riviera E360TDC 12 4 134 17 7 162

As can be seen 1967 was the best year by far for the Riviera, with over 40% of the total production shipping that year.

Epiphone Riviera catalogue appearances

Epiphone 1962 full line catalog
1962 'guitars, basses, amplifiers' catalogue

An exciting new Spanish electric guitar with double cutaway construction and two humbucking pickups. One-piece mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod joins the body at the 20th fret
Epiphone 1964 full line catalog
1964 full line catalogue

The 1964 catalogue was the first to show the Epiphone Riviera in colour.
Epiphone 1966 full line catalog
1966 full line catalogue

Today the electric Spanish guitar is found everywhere... orchestras, combos, jazz bands and as a featured solo instrument. Epiphone electric Spanish guitars suit the need of every player, from the top professional, to the semi-pro, to the amateur.

Epiphone Riviera original advertising

Electric guitar advertisements originally published from 1964 onwards. Click on the images for larger copies. Check out other vintage Epiphone advertisements

Epiphone Riviera - These are instruments that go to the top

Epiphone Riviera - These are instruments that go to the top (1964)
British advertisement for Epiphone guitars - placed in UK publication Beat Instrumental by distributor Rosetti in November 1964. The guitars featured represent some of the hollow and semi-hollow gu...
[more]

Epiphone Riviera - More and More People Every Day Find Us Just That Little Bit Better - In Every Way

Epiphone Riviera - More and More People Every Day Find Us Just That Little Bit Better - In Every Way (1966)
Epiphone (seen 'em on TV lately?). Late 1966 advert from British music magazine Beat Instrumental placed by UK Epiphone distributor Rosetti. The instruments shown were some of the more popular guit...
[more]

Epiphone Riviera - Now! The Shape of Things To Come

Epiphone Riviera - Now! The Shape of Things To Come (1967)
Epiphone ad featuring the Riveira 6 string electric
[more]

Epiphone Riviera - Is There Something Fishy About Epiphone Guitars?

Epiphone Riviera - Is There Something Fishy About Epiphone Guitars? (1967)
Crazy 'psychedelic fish' Epiphone ad from 1967. This advertisement is quite unlike other Epiphone instruments of its time, not least for being in colour, but also instead of featuring a well regard...
[more]

Epiphone Riviera reissues

1982 Epiphone Riviera (Japan)

Production of the Riviera was resumed in the 1980s, and modern day Epiphone Riviera guitars are widely regard. Higher end Elitist, and signature models (Nick Valensi - The Strokes, Jorma Kaukonen - Jefferson Airplane) have also been available in limited numbers, aswell as the three-pickup P93.

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1966 Epiphone Riviera Cherry Sunburst - Gibson-USA Made Vintage Guitar! es-335,

1966 Epiphone Riviera Cherry Sunburst - Gibson-USA Made Vintage Guitar! es-335,

Lee's Summit, Missouri, 640**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$6999


1966 Epiphone Riviera Cherry Sunburst - Gibson-USA Made Vintage Guitar!
Great vibe on this beautiful 1966 Epiphone USA Riviera. Made in the old Gibson Kalamazoo factory right next to ES-335's, 355's etc! These Epiphone's have a slightly different flavor than their Gibson counterparts like slightly longer scale, mini-humbuckers and different branding of course, but the build quality is identical. The mini-humbuckers sound amazing as usual. This guitar is a great ... more
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1967 Epiphone Riviera - Sunburst, Gibson-made ES-335

1967 Epiphone Riviera - Sunburst, Gibson-made ES-335

Lake Stevens, Washington, 982**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$6500

Up for sale this lovely 1967 Epiphone Riviera. This is the Epiphone counterpart to the ES-335 with the distinctive Epiphone appointments. These include the hourglass shaped headstock, mini-humbucker pickups, and frequensator tailpiece

1960s Epiphones were built in the same factory and by the same people that built Gibson guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Gibson bought the Epiphone company in the 1950s, and moved production to their Michigan factory. Starting about 1970 production went ... more
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1967 Epiphone Riviera XII 12 String Thinline

1967 Epiphone Riviera XII 12 String Thinline

Brooklyn, New York, 112**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4500


This Epiphone Riviera XII was made by Gibson in the USA in 1967. This guitar shows only light play wear with no structural damage. It is all original. It has been pro-setup and plays great. It weighs 8 pounds 5 6 ounces and comes with a non-original hard shell case
If you have any questions, please message us
We ship Worldwide! Message for international shipping rates.... more
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1967 Epiphone Riviera E360TD 12 String XII Sunburst with Hardshell Case

1967 Epiphone Riviera E360TD 12 String XII Sunburst with Hardshell Case

El Cajon, California, 920**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3800

1967 Epiphone E360TD 12 Riviera XII
The serial number is 102064 which dates it to 1967. The body is in very good condition overall, but has some small dings, scratches, scuffs and finish checking. Someone decided to install a master volume pot on the pickguard and cut a small hole on the lower f-hole. It's pretty crazy what people did back in the day, but the hole is covered up completely by the pickguard. The pot was sticking up quite a bit and didn't really fit in the hole, so I replaced it... more
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Extr Rare Epiphone Riviera MIJ, 1980, Split Parallelograms, Cherry red, StopBar

Extr Rare Epiphone Riviera MIJ, 1980, Split Parallelograms, Cherry red, StopBar

Pottersville, New Jersey, 079**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2995

More photos and specs coming 6 / 8 -
Truly an extremely rare version of this model, perhaps a one-of-a-kind Matsumoku-made Epiphone Riviera in Cherry Red, made exclusively for the Japanese domestic market. It features beautiful, very hard to find split parallelogram fretboard inlays, similar to those found in higher-end Gibsons. Few of these ever left Japan, and I'm yet to find one similar in this color combination and these type of inlays ever sold commercially in the US. Hard to ... more
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19 70s Epiphone Riviera MIJ Matsumoku BueLabel Players Grade

19 70s Epiphone Riviera MIJ Matsumoku BueLabel Players Grade

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 295**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$800

Excellent playability. It's had repairs to the neck pocket are. The repairs are obvious but in the cutaway where they're not noticable. The fret board binding had separated and I filled and fixed it. They could be obscured with some cherry red and vintage clear
I focused on playability. It plays like butter. Factory wiring works flawlessly. I filled in the large bushing holes and installed a vintage style ABR-1 bridge. The fill is obscured by the bridge.
The tuners are the only non ... more
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1966 Epiphone - Riviera - Player 335 Style - ID 3245

1966 Epiphone - Riviera - Player 335 Style - ID 3245

Emmering, 82***, GERMANY

€3065

Vintage 60' Riviera
Zustand: Gut
SerNr: 851246
Gewicht: 3, 8 kg Versandklasse: Large
Koffer / Case: ja
Parallel zur Gibson ES-335 gabs die Riviera von Epiphone, wie die 335 hat auch die Riviera einen Centerblock, was ein Aufschwingen bei grosser Lautstärke minimiert
Die Riviera wurde auf Stoptail umgestrickt und neu lackiert
Am Hals wurde ein 1972 Gibson Humbucker eingesetzt, der Bridge Mini Humbucker ist original
Der Hals war an der Kopfplatte angeknackst, das wurde ... more
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1977 Epiphone Riviera Walnut, Made in Japan Matsumoku Factory, Blue Label, MIJ

1977 Epiphone Riviera Walnut, Made in Japan Matsumoku Factory, Blue Label, MIJ

Leeds, LS11***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1985

1977 Epiphone Riviera Walnut, Made in Japan Matsumoku Factory, Blue Label, MIJ
Available now is a rare and completely original 1977 Epiphone Riviera from the esteemed Matsumoku Factory in Japan. This Blue Label example boasts a vibrant Walnut stain finish, with a tasteful vintage patina, accentuated by a stunning rosewood fretboard with split parallelogram inlays. It comes complete with a Japanese ES-shaped hardcase with orange fur interior.
These Matsumoku Factory Rivieras, crafted ... more
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1975 Epiphone Riviera Cherry, Made in Japan Matsumoku Factory, Blue Label, MIJ

1975 Epiphone Riviera Cherry, Made in Japan Matsumoku Factory, Blue Label, MIJ

Leeds, LS11***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1985

1975 Epiphone Riviera Cherry, Made in Japan Matsumoku Factory, Blue Label, MIJ, Oasis, Gallagher
Available now is a rare and completely stock 1975 Epiphone Riviera from the esteemed Matsumoku Factory in Japan. This Blue Label example boasts a vibrant Cherry stain, accentuated by a stunning rosewood fretboard with intricate grain patterns. It comes complete with a custom-shaped hardcase
These Matsumoku Factory Rivieras, crafted exclusively for the Japanese market, are celebrated for their... more
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1967 Vox Stroller

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1977 Gibson ES Artist 'prototype'

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1959 Hofner Committee

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1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean

1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins TennesseanThe Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean, or model 6119 was Gretsch's best selling hollow body of the 1960s. This wonderfully faded example from 1965 was originally Dark Cherry Red, but has turned a mid-orange brown. The original color, however, can be seen underneath the pickup surrounds. 1965 specs: maple body, two-piece neck, Brazilian rosewood fretboard and Hi-Lo 'Tron single coil pickups. Nickel plated Gretsch Bigsby tailpiece.

1965 Gretsch 'For the Spectacular Sound of the Times' guitar and amp catalog

1965 Gretsch catalogThe 1965 Gretsch catalog, or catalog #32, featured 10 hollow body electric guitars, including the newly launched Gretsch Viking; four solid body electrics, including the Astro Jet - making it's only catalog appearance; just one bass, the single pickup PX6070; nine acoustics and 12 tube amplifiers. Pride of place went to the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman that adorned both the front and back covers. 24 pages, six of which are in full color.

Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret ends

Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret endsLoose frets are especially problematic in certain old guitars, but are generally very easy to fix. You'll be amazed at the difference you can make with just a few tools, a bit of knowledge, and a little time. Fixing loose frets can eliminate fret buzz, remove sharp fret ends, and greatly improve the tone of any guitar. If your luthier bill will be greater than the value of your guitar, definitely time to have a go yourself!

1966 Hagstrom 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog (Merson USA)

1966 Hagstrom guitar catalogHagstrom guitars were distributed in the mid-1960s United States by Merson of USA. This eight page 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog, printed in two-colors contained six solid body electrics, three solid body basses, two electric acoustic guitars, two electric acoustic basses and five acoustics.

1965 Hofner President

1965 Hofner PresidentThe President was produced by Hofner in Bubenreuth, Germany, specifically for Selmer, who distributed the brand in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other commonwealth nations. The President was a hollow body electric acoustic, available as a full body or thinline, and with blonde or brunette finish. It was a great playing guitar that sold fairly well in the second half of the 1950s, throughout the 1960s, and into the very early 1970s. The example shown here is a full-body depth guitar in blonde - and as a 1965 guitar, one of the last to feature the rounded Venetian cutaway. From late 1965 until 1972, the President sported a sharp Florentine cut. Naturally, such an electric acoustic suggests jazz and blues, but many of the original British Hofner President players were part of the rock 'n roll, skiffle and beat scenes of the late 50s and early 60s.

1963 1964 Fender catalog

Fender 1963 catalogue"The Choice of Professional and Student Musicians Everywhere" This eight page catalogue was included as an insert in the 1963 annual "school music" issue of Downbeat magazine (September 1963). As well as keyboards and pedal steels, this catalog contains seven guitars, three basses and ten amplifiers - from student guitars such as the Musicmaster and Duotone to professional models like the new Jaguar.