Epiphone E360TD Riviera Sunburst (USED, 1965)

Description

When we first cracked open the case to reveal this guitar, initial thoughts were that we were looking at a recently made import model reissue. Imagine our surprise to find out we were looking at a 55 year old guitar. It simply doesn’t get much cleaner than this, folks.

Perhaps one of the cleanest vintage pieces to ever grace our presence, this 1965 Epiphone E360TD Riviera is a time capsule instrument in the purest sense. Featuring a gorgeous original and unfaded sunburst nitrocellulose lacquer finish maple top with the equally incredible deep walnut colored maple back and sides, it’s a show-stopping instrument. Everything about the guitar is original - dual Gibson-made mini humbuckers, ABR-1 bridge with factory nylon saddles, frequensator tailpiece, gold reflector knobs, Kluson tuners, and even a pristine factory white pickguard with the ‘E’ foil logo fully intact.

Gibson/Epiphone went through a lot of changes in 1965, more specifically in neck width and hardware. Nut width is reduced from 1 11/16” to 1 9/16”, which is what this Riviera’s neck features. Another significant change was the move from nickel plated hardware to chrome plated hardware. In many instances, we see 1965 examples with a mix of these parts, but in the case of this Riviera, the guitar is outfitted with all nickel parts. 

The guitar plays wonderfully, with a nice medium neck profile that pairs well with the smaller nut width. The mini humbuckers offer up a distinctive tone that marries single coil clarity and fidelity with a slightly bigger, tighter low end commonly found in traditional humbuckers of this era. Plug this into a blackface Fender and you’ve got a jazz/blues rig for the ages, but the fun doesn’t stop there. We’re loving the way this guitar sizzles with overdriven tones. There’s a reason that players like Otis Rush, Robbie Robertson, and Nick Valensi have gravitated towards the Riviera.

If you’ve longed for a quality Gibson-made vintage semi-hollowbody electric in borderline museum condition that won’t break the bank, you’ll find it here in this ‘65 Riviera.

Price includes original lined chipboard case and original Epiphone hangtag.