NVED - 67 Riviera

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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22danielp
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by 22danielp » Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:54 am

that is so beautiful I wanna cry... congrats dude!
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Ex Lion Tamer
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by Ex Lion Tamer » Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:47 pm

Woa! Pretty guitar! Congrats!

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sliceopie
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by sliceopie » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:46 pm

i realize this is an old thread but I'm enthralled by this guitar. do you still have it?

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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by sookwinder » Tue Feb 20, 2018 4:46 pm

Yes I still have this 67 Epiphone Riviera.

I replaced the tremotone vibrato with a NOS frequensator tail piece.
While the (Epi) tremotone works great on the solid body guitars, I felt it did not perform as well as I wanted on the hollow body style guitars. Also experienced the same with one of my 60s Casinos .. maybe the years of playing offsets and strats may have spoilt me!.

I also discovered one of the PUPs was dead and found a replacement PUP from 1966.
This Riviera has a more compressed "rock" sound than my 1965 Riviera, which has a bluesy sound.
The nut width is narrow but the depth of the neck makes it all work, so after a while you don't realized the nut width is on the thinner side.

Fellow OSG member jimboyogi loves this 67 Riviera.
If I am ever burgled and only the 67 Riviera goes missing I know who to call !
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jimboyogi
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by jimboyogi » Tue Feb 20, 2018 6:31 pm

:ph34r:











:D
It's a beast of a guitar, I was lucky enough to play it last Sunday, cranked through Sookwinder's Vibro-Groove amp. So much fun.

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lususnaturae
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by lususnaturae » Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:59 pm

:)
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sookwinder
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by sookwinder » Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:47 pm

^^^^^^^ mmmmm :?

here is my 67 beast with the frequensator fitted

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Telliot
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by Telliot » Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:54 pm

So much :? in this thread. :-*

I’ve never had a guitar with a Frequensator, but I’ve always loved the look of them. Pardon my naïveté, but what’s the advantage/disadvantage of having one versus the normal trapeze tailpiece?
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by sookwinder » Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:53 pm

Todd, that's a good question.
This particular 67 riviera of mine was originally manufactured with the epiphone tremotone vibrato.
I did not particularly like that design of vibrato... It never seemed to always go back into tune after uses it. As I said, maybe I am spoilt with the JM and strat tems. So I initially replaced it with a trapezoid tail piece, some as the Casino, post 64 335s, Sorrento etc.

Then I located a 67 Chrome version of Frequensator (around 65 they went from nickel to Chrome) and replaced the trapezoid with the Frequensator. Luckliy the Frequensator and the trapezoid tail pieces use the same mounting holes in the end of the guitar body AND the guitar was originally drilled for both tremotone and frequensator tail pieces.

So in short I have tried almost all possible (bar bigsby)tail pieces on this Riviera.

I think the Frequensator adds definition and snap to the lower strings. By extending the length of the string more tension is required to bring it up to tune. This also works with the higher strings, but is more noticeable on the bass strings. What I mean by this is that while it isn't noticeable in the sense that I will comment about them, what I do know is that I am never commenting on how "floppy" the bass strings sound, which does happen on some guitars. It also maybe an interaction with the mini humbuckers as well.

So besides looking cool there is an effect upon the sound in a positive way IMO.
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sliceopie
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by sliceopie » Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:30 am

i'm forever searching for one with the epi tremolo. very hard to come by. if you ever want to sell lemme know! :?

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Musjagjazz
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by Musjagjazz » Fri Mar 02, 2018 10:28 am

This particular 67 riviera of mine was originally manufactured with the epiphone tremotone vibrato.
I did not particularly like that design of vibrato... It never seemed to always go back into tune after uses it.
I just picked up a Wilshire reissue with a Tremotone and the stock bridge is a roller bridge, maybe that is part of the reason why your Rivera would not stay in tune with the v slot TOM bridge?

I find it stays in tune ok if I give it a gentle wobble - no dive bombs of course.

Also agree with you on the jangle and brightness of the mini-hums even though mine are ceramic magnets, they are not overwound.

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kamillebidan
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Re: NVED - 67 Riviera

Post by kamillebidan » Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:26 pm

Now THAT's a tailpiece I can get behind! :-*

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