A Near Mint 1965 Custom Color Epiphone Riviera.

1965 Epiphone Riviera E360-TDC.

This all original, custom color Epiphone Riviera guitar weighs just 8.00 lbs. Single-bound, sixteen-inch wide, one and three-quarter inch thick laminated maple body with a maple central block. One-piece mahogany neck with a nut width of just under 1 5/8 inches, a standard Gibson 24 3/4 scale length and a medium profile. Black-faced 'long' headstock with inlaid pearl "Epiphone" script logo and pearl vertical 'cloud' inlay. Two-layer, black over white plastic truss-rod cover with  stylized "E" logo, secured by two screws. Individual Kluson Deluxe 'double-line' tuners with oval metal buttons. Rosewood fretboard with 22 original jumbo frets and single-parallelogram pearl inlays. Four layer, white over black plastic pickguard with silver and black Epiphone "E." Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch. Black plastic ribbed-side conical-shape "Witch Hat" control knobs. Gibson Tune-O-Matic (retainer) bridge with metal saddles and Epiphone 'Frequensator' tailpiece. The 'custom-color' sparkling burgundy metallic finish is bright, fresh and unfaded. There are two very small surface marks on the treble-side back of the neck just by the sixteenth fret. The original jumbo frets show very little sign of wear and this forty-nine year old guitar plays and sounds just as it should. We are pleased to give this fine instrument a strong (9.25) near mint rating. Housed in the original Gibson four-latch, black shaped hardshell case with orange plush lining (9.25).

Introduced in 1962, the Riviera was Epiphone's equivalent of the Gibson ES-335 and had the same maple central block. According to Epiphone's records, the Burgundy Mist finish was only offered from 1966 to 1967, yet this guitar is clearly a 1965 model, and therefore must be one of the very first to receive this spectacular color treatment. Riviera's were used by many many great players, including Stevie Ray Vaughan.

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