Epiphone E360TD Riviera, Royal Tan (1964)

1964 Epiphone E360TD Riviera semi-hollow electric made by Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigain just into the shop on consignment!

Talk about underrated...

Gibson-made Epiphones are some of the very best in vintage guitars you'll find. High quality counterparts to legendary Gibson electrics, many Epiphones like this Riviera have features and configurations distinct to the lineup that were not shared with their bigger brothers. In fact, the mini humbuckers found in this guitar were designed specifically for the Epiphone models, and have become a part of the signature sound of these great 60s electrics.

This '64 Riviera is no joke, people. We've handled lots of great 60s Epiphones, and there's just something a little extra special about this one that makes it very difficult to put down. First and foremost, it has one of the best neck profiles we've come across on any Epiphone from this decade. Nearly exact to that of a 1959 Les Paul or ES-335, it has a super comfortable and round Medium/Full C carve with a slightly fatter taper reminiscent of some '57/'58 carves. Combined with a wide nut (technically measuring 1.65"), it feels like a cheat code in the mid 60s Gibson world. Sometimes you'll get a narrow nut, sometimes you'll get a slim carve with an aggressive taper. This one feels so right in so many ways, that it really does seem to dictate the overall performance of the instrument. But we know it's not all about the neck, important as it may be. The original mini humbucker pickups are amazing sounding! In the neck position, you've got this really sweet and chimey response with dipped midrange and an almost strat-like attack. The bridge position is clear and defined with excellent punch and a surprising amount of warmth. Together they work beautifully for a classic dual-pickup tone that is amazing for R&B, soul, funk, and blues. But honestly, this guitar could handle almost any situation you throw at it. It sounds amazing into a gained up amp!

The original Royal Tan finish looks excellent, with some nice natural fading that still retains a fair amount of color in the burst. An early swap of the Frequensator tailpiece to a vintage Bigsby B3 tailpiece brings in some lovely vibrato that works really well with this model, too.

The guitar had suffered a minor headstock break in what we assume is quite old based on how the repair presents. The work done was very clean, and it's nice and stable with no issues. The original tuners remain, and a recent refret has the guitar playing very smoothly.

It's paired with its original grey Epiphone case made by Geib, which is in nice shape with the exception of a replaced handle.