Epiphone Riviera

The Epiphone Riviera is a hollow-body electric guitar, based closely on the Gibson E335 and originally manufactured between 1962 and 1969. It has a maple side and top, one-piece set mahogany neck, and a rosewood fretboard with trapezoidal pearl inlays.

How to read guitar tab

Learning how to read guitar tab is an essential task for anyone new to the guitar. Most guitar players, unlike say violinists or pianists, are self taught and many have never learned how to read music. For guitarists who are able and happy to learn everything they want to play by ear, that’s not a problem. For the rest of us it makes it very difficult to learn new tunes, or it would if it wasn’t for guitar tab.

10 ways to make sure you don’t get scammed buying a guitar on eBay

Following the post last week on the dangers of buying an Epiphone guitar on eBay, I thought it would be a good idea to post a few tips on how to avoid being scammed. There are two key factors involved in fraudulently selling fake guitars on eBay - the copies are often very good (at least until you play the guitar) and the prices are very, very attractive.

The combination of those two elements sucks lots of people into bidding on and buying these guitars only to regret it later. Don’t be fooled, just because these Epiphone guitars look like the real thing doesn’t mean they sound or play like a real Epiphone. They don’t. They’re poorly and cheaply made, the wiring is usually dreadful and the finish slapdash.

Most famous Hendrix guitar to be auctioned off

Danny has a great story on Guitar Players Center about the guitar that Jimi Hendrix infamously set on fire at the London Astoria in March 1967 being up for auction.

The 1965 Strat will feature on the front cover of the August issue of Guitar and Bass magazine and is expected to raise £250k.

Epiphone Byrdland

The Epiphone Byrdland, part of Epiphone’s Elitist range of guitars, is a stunningly beautiful archtop hollow-body electric guitar that was born to play Jazz.

Originally designed and built by Gibson in 1955, the Epiphone Byrdland takes its name its two designers, jazz guitarists, Billy Bird and Hank Garland.

The current incarnation of the Byrdland has a single Venetian cutaway, the same as the original Gibson Byrdland. Gibson modified the cutaway between 1961 and 1968, using the deeper and more rounded Florentine cutaway.

The dangers of buying an Epiphone guitar on eBay

A recent post on the My Les Paul forums flagged up the dangers of buying an Epiphone guitar, or any guitar for that matter, on eBay. And as we publish eBay listings on Fretboard, it seems proper that I should warn you.

The original poster bought a new Epiphone Les Paul Custom on eBay for what seemed like the too-good-to-be-true price of £150 ($300 approx). The seller claimed that the Epi was the real deal and would ship directly from the Epiphone factory in China. Having bought and paid for the poster then became concerned because he was unsure whether Epiphone made guitars in China and South Korea.

Win an Epiphone SG

Clash Music mag is giving away an Epiphone SG signed by The Subways in an online competition. All you have to do ia enter your name and email address and agree to receive at least one newsletter from The Subways.

The 10 best songs ever played on an Epiphone guitar

Everyone loves a list, so I thought I’d put one together containing what I think are the ten best songs ever played, either live or on record, on an Epiphone guitar. I’m sure there will be much disagreement, so please feel free to argue in the Comments.

Read on for Fretboard’s run-down of the 10 best songs ever played on an Epiphone, and don’t forget to tell us what you think.

Does it matter that Epiphone is owned by Gibson?

Scott is concerned that guitar manufacturers are becoming conglomerates and that this is harming the guitars they make. I don’t think it matters one jot. The guitars made by a company, any company, should be judged on their own merit, not on which factory they were built in and where that factory is located.
Besides, Gibson [...]

Wiring diagram for a three-pick-up guitar

If your about to tackle the electrics on your guitar, or just want to know how they work, check out Danny’s post which has an Wiring for Stratocaster & Three-Pickup Guitars“>excellent wiring diagram for a three-pickup guitar.