Epiphone Limited Edition Riviera Custom P93 Electric Guitar  

Everything I write is based on the fact that this is a cheaper guitar, and that's a very good thing. So let's start with features. The three P93 pickups are much better than I expected. This is my 3rd Epiphone semi-hollow body guitar, and so far it is clearly my favorite. The reason is the pickups. They give me so much more expression and tonal quality than my prior models (Dot and Sheraton II). Both prior models are good, but the addition of this 3rd pickup really seems to offer me more in the way of style choices. This is especially important since I wanted to make clear changes between styles of music I was playing. With the P93 options I can easily go from a late 70s era pulsing-rock (Taking Care of Business sounds better than on any other guitar I've every heard) to the warm tones of Jazz and Blues. Add to this the tremolo and overall good looks to see why this has quickly become one of my favorite guitars.

The neck design is my second favorite thing about this guitar. I've grown accustomed to the slightly wider neck of my Taylor acoustic, so finding a similar feel in an electric was important. Since I'm a bigger guy the wider neck also gives me a bit more room to move around the neck and still get quality tones. Again, the money issue is very important, and if I had the money to buy a really nice Gibson then I probably would. But given that I needed to stay affordable this is the perfect option for size, playability, and tone.

Finally, when it comes to features the overall look of the guitar is a big plus as well. I chose the Cherry finish and it is stunning. The offset of gold hardware and tailpiece make this that much better looking. The first day I took it to jam with some friends at a local watering hole and I had just about everyone commenting on how great the guitar looks. I also know that Epiphone guitars typically hold up pretty well to use, and I have do doubt this guitar will be the same.

Two things keep me from giving this guitar a 10 for quality. The first are the knobs. I don't know why, but most of the Rivieras that I've looked at had the same oddity on the knobs. They look okay, but they wobble. It's almost as if the plastic part is not fitted very well to the metal potentiometer underneath. Not quite lose, mind you, but just not on straight. It's almost as if the inside of the actual knob is routed 1/32nd of an inch too big for the shaft underneath; then it was glued in place by a 7th grade shop student.

The second thing is the dang "E" on the pickguard. That is one UGLY plastic add-on for such a beautiful guitar. My Sheraton had the same gawdy stick-on piece on the pick guard. Fortunately, you can easily remove the darn thing. The guitar looks 100% better with it off. It's not as if someone would not see the "E" on the cover for the truss bar on the headstock. That's fairly decently done. And it's not just the Epiphone trademark symbol tha makes it ugly. It is the actual stick-on that is used. It looks cheap and doesn't add anything to the guitar.

Other folks have noted a few problems, but so far I haven't. The quality is good enough that I was able to start playing some great music within minutes after unpacking. Take the time to clean the guitar, though. Use a good cleaner. There is a residue on the neck (and I assume other spots as well), so if you don't clean it you'll end up with dirty fingers really quickly. My guess is this residue is some type of moisture barrier for the packinging. Once

Tuning the guitar was quick and easy. The tuning heads allowed for precise tuning and the instrument stayed in tune for a surprisingly long time. I expected that it would fall out of tune quickly (new strings, new guitar, etc.), but it didn't. In fact, I only made minor modifications during the first hour or so of playing. Later, when I came back the next day, the guitar was still moderately well tuned. After a couple days the strings and neck were in place and it has maintained very good tune even with extended playing time.

I dumped the included chord right away and used my wireless system. There was no discernable noise or hiss, which a few others had complained about. The connections all seem sturdy, and the overall quality of the instrument is high enough that I think it will hold together well while on stage or when practicing. I can see getting many years of enjoyment from this instrument.

I'd rate this as "moderate" to "exceptional" in overall value. In part because the price is just so dang low. I've played $1500 Less Paul and Stratocasters that didn't feel or play as good as this instrument. The ONLY semi-hollow that I've played that I liked better was an ES335 Gibson, but the price was also much higher.

Among mid-price market guitars ($500 to $900 range), I'd say this is does exceptionally well. Compared to lower price (especially hollow body or semi-hollow body) guitars then this is surely an exceptional guitar. In fact, I'm not sure you can find a simarly priced guitar that will be better.

I'm giving it an overall 10 simply because it has that rare combination of great looks, very good tone, and wonderful price. As noted, if you want something that will sound great for jazz and blues, especially anything like Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, or BB King, then this is the guitar to buy. I'm not a big country player, but I can sure see this one fitting into country really well, too. As for rock, I'd stick with this one for classic rock, especially with songs from the mid-60s through late 70s. As I noted, I cranked this baby up to play Takin' Care of Business and was shocked at how quickly I found the perfect sound (playing through a Spider amp at fairly clean settings). I have also been able to quickly emulate a lot of great Les Paul sounds with this guitar. I'll stay away from the Strat sound, but for that I have a Strat anyway. As it sits, with the group I play with I'll take my Strat and this guitar to 90% or more of the gigs, and I'll likely play this guitar for a good 50% of what we do. It has that much versatility and overall sound quality that I can use it for a lot of different songs and different sounds.

This is sharing play with my Strad, Has a great (loud) sound, you can get any sound out of this instrument. I have had everyone comment on how beautiful the Red/Gold combo is.

3 P90's, gold accessories and a Bigsby, Grover tuners.

Needed some setup, but once it was done, awesome. The knobs for the volume/tone controls don't site entirely square to the top of the guitar, but that might be common to most guitars.

Bang for the buck, absolutely top knotch

Very happy

For a guitar out of the box, this rig is good. Aesthetically it is one of the prettier guitars around. The Bigsby is Awesome!!! The ability to arrange the pickups is nearly endless. I will admit, however, the set up is a little confusing at first. All in all, you can't ask for many more features. As time progresses, I may want to tinker with the pickups and/or the electronics as a whole, but I have no complaints for the stock set up and features!

The bigsby is GREAT feature that caused me to consider the P93. I am glad I did. Great tremelo system, easy to use! (aren't all? well... I have my issues with some)

The quality is superb for the price range. Please note that I own everything from a low end hondo through a PRS custom 10 top and about 15 rigs in between. Out of the box, I will admit that I was very concerned. The fretboard felt cheap and almost plastic. I was very concerned.. I plugged it in to my Traynor all tube amp, and start playing... mostly on the lower frets, just trying to play with the tone and such. After maybe 30 minutes of playing, I noticed a major change in the feel. I proceeded to work the fret board top to bottom letting the oils from my fingers start to season the wood and work off any excess wax from the frets. It feels great now!!!  This rig has now passed up one of my Epi Standard LP's, one of my Strats and a Sheriton II as a player in my collection. The jury is still out on the pups but, it must be noted, these are my first P-90 style pups I've owned. I don't dislike the tone, it is just different than what I am used to.

FYI- I am running it through a YCV20WR and a YCV40WR- Pedals are mostly my mxr dyna comp, OCD overdrive and/or my Maxon 808.

Absolutely an incredible value! I know that there are many creative ways that a manufacturer can cut costs. As a modest player of 30 years, I have spent plenty of time around many level of guitars, I can tell you that this guitar and Epiphone for that matter have exceeded my expectations for the money more often than not. I have paid twice as much for guitars and not been a drop more impressed with the overall package! It's a laminate top, guess what, I can't tell! And I definitely could not justify paying 2-3 times as much just to know that it is. For the Money, counting the Bigsby? Are you kidding me? Jump on this guitar right now!

For comparison, my Sheraton II is sitting in it's case right now. A little different feel and tone, but I can't say better or worse. This guitar build is very comparable but ads the Bigsby.

Overall this is a GREAT guitar for a sub the price range. Don't take my 9 ratings as a knock, in fact that is a huge compliment.  Though I have had this guitar for only a few weeks and it still shares time with my others, it is gaining traction everyday as a great little rig! My style of play will likely never allow this guitar to become my main player but it also is already inspiring me to expand my horizons! Which, isn't that what we often apperciate the most from our new gear? I hate to pile on the Bigsby, but that is just icing on the cake that makes me love and appreciate this guitar! I am so impressed with the intonation and the "smooth" of the whole set up!

Very nice neck, sturdy and a little heavy, I like that. Grover gold tone tuners are a nice feature. Just love the gold Bigsby it is very high quality. The body and top is laminated maple, very high quality and it shine perfectly, no scratches on this Polyurethane finished baby. The 3 pickups are excellent, 3 Alnico-V P-90 dog-ear single coil, just love the sound and when you combine that with the Three volume controls one for each pick up and the master tone control let alone the 3-way toggle switch, I can come up with thousands of variations. Although it could be improved with a six way toggle switch. The C shape neck is my favorite and the one on this Epi P93 is perfect. The locktone bridge - tune-o-matic is exeptional as close as you can get to the ones on my Gibson's.

th.  When you play this..there is no doubt you got a guitar in your hands.  I agree with the other posts about the pickup....while out of the box you wont be disappointed.  But if you are a good player and want super clear sustain then replace the pickups.  I bought it with the intent of replacing the pickups immediately.  Out of box the action is slightly too high, but the parts are there to lower it on your own and get a better feel.  When I opened it I was amazed.  I bought the gold model color.  It has alot of sparkling gold flakes in the clear coat which I couldnt tell from the picture online...it looks amazing and very nice.  Im always glad to strap it on.  This guitar is heavier than it looks.  Get a bass guitar strap.  Great purchase..Im very happy with it..and so is the rest of my band.

The finish on this guitar is perfect in every way. I just love it, it is amazing I have the wine-red color. Most of us can find flaws in more expensive guitars, swirls and maybe a scratch or two. Not on this Epi baby, it is perfect in every detail. Just can not believe that I could get a guitar of this quality for the price I paid. A very happy camper am I. The neck is very smooth and perfect. I like it just the way it was set up. There is a note that says "This guitar has been professionaly set up by a U.S.A. Expert." I believe that, I have used my micrometer on it the next is perfectly straight. Used my turner and made sure that fret 5-10-12 were as perfect as possible. The strings are not the best but I will not change them for a few months because the sound great. I am overly impressed with the quality of this Chinese guitar and will not hesitate to buy another Epiphone.

Price wise, I thing I got a steel. The quality and playability of a 2 thousand dollar guitar for less that a forth of the cost. Just Love it.

I have owned this guitar for just over a month and have gigged with 4 times already. The rest of the guys in my bands just love to play it also. This guitar will be a permenant additition to my play list.......