Epiphone Rivoli EBV232 Electric Bass Guitar (1964)
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Item # 11479
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Epiphone Rivoli EBV232 Model Electric Bass Guitar (1964), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 177574, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This Epiphone EBV-232 Rivoli Bass is one of the truly iconic instruments of the mid-1960's, along with its Gibson-branded doppelganger THE classic electric bass of the British Invasion as played by many of the most successful bands of the era. With the notable exceptions of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones most major UK bands at least tried out this instrument, and many (most notable the Animals and Yardbirds) used one pretty much exclusively. That said today this authentic 1964 Rivoli is actually quite rare, especially here in the US.
This was Epiphone's first electric bass model, announced in 1958-9 but only produced in limited numbers before being officially discontinued in 1961. It seems likely much of the unsold stock was "dumped" overseas, many sent to Epiphone's newly engaged distributor UK Rosetti. Over the next two years the instrument unexpectedly became very popular with emerging "Beat Group' players, leading to unexpected re-orders and a return to production in 1963-4. Over the next few years the sales totals ramped up dramatically, but not relatively few were actually shipped in 1964.
Oddly enough, the Rivoli was not even mentioned in the US Epiphone pricelists until 1965, appearing to have been produced in 1963-4 almost exclusively for Rosetti. Most if not all were sent overseas and these "UK Pattern" basses without the mute or handrest but with the early wide neck and light sunburst finish seldom surface stateside. This bass has all the classic 1964 features: light shaded sunburst top, all nickel hardware including the heavy cast bridge, gold metal-capped knobs, no mute assembly or handrest and most important the big, wide chunky neck that was dramatically narrowed in 1965.
Do not confuse this bass with the relatively common 1966-70 Rivoli and EB-2 models! this true 1964 example is the real "invasion" deal, a breed apart and one of the coolest heavy thump machines out there! A large proportion of professional UK acts used this exact bass or the nearly identical Gibson EB-2 in the first years of the British invasion and this one still delivers the essential tones for the Animals, Yardbirds, Manfred Mann and beyond!
Overall length is 44 3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 1/2 in. (775 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This venerable bass has seen some use and shows minor wear overall but considering it is nearly 60 years along remains pretty clean, one of the nicer Rivolis from this year we have seen. It is largely original, with no major wear or repairs. The sunburst finish is mostly unfaded and the nickel plating has some minor wear; the tuners have some clouding and corrosion but could be further cleaned up if desired. There are some dings and dents to the headstock and tiny laminate checking lines to the body back, with some minor belt buckle dents and scratches into but not through the finish.
The face shows a few small dings and chips but no major wear; there are two tiny screw holes in the top (one under the pickguard) from something once mounted these; it was likely some sort of handrest but not an original Gibson piece as the spacing is different. The large bridge height adjustment screws have some screwdriver marks and corrosion to the slots in the top. There is some loss to the silver paint on the "E" epsilon logo on the pickguard. The electronics including the 2-way baritone switch perform as they should; there appears to have been some internal rewiring long ago but nothing was changed functionally at least.
The original frets show some minor wear but the bass still plays extremely well, and sounds exactly like it should! It is strung with Nylon flatwound strings giving an authentic edge to the huge room filling thump which can be cut to a tighter klunk in the "baritone" switch position. It includes a modern Epiphone case and makes for a "Fab" time machine back to the brief period when this bass was a more common sight on black & white TV than a Fender! Excellent - Condition.
This Epiphone EBV-232 Rivoli Bass is one of the truly iconic instruments of the mid-1960's, along with its Gibson-branded doppelganger THE classic electric bass of the British Invasion as played by many of the most successful bands of the era. With the notable exceptions of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones most major UK bands at least tried out this instrument, and many (most notable the Animals and Yardbirds) used one pretty much exclusively. That said today this authentic 1964 Rivoli is actually quite rare, especially here in the US.
This was Epiphone's first electric bass model, announced in 1958-9 but only produced in limited numbers before being officially discontinued in 1961. It seems likely much of the unsold stock was "dumped" overseas, many sent to Epiphone's newly engaged distributor UK Rosetti. Over the next two years the instrument unexpectedly became very popular with emerging "Beat Group' players, leading to unexpected re-orders and a return to production in 1963-4. Over the next few years the sales totals ramped up dramatically, but not relatively few were actually shipped in 1964.
Oddly enough, the Rivoli was not even mentioned in the US Epiphone pricelists until 1965, appearing to have been produced in 1963-4 almost exclusively for Rosetti. Most if not all were sent overseas and these "UK Pattern" basses without the mute or handrest but with the early wide neck and light sunburst finish seldom surface stateside. This bass has all the classic 1964 features: light shaded sunburst top, all nickel hardware including the heavy cast bridge, gold metal-capped knobs, no mute assembly or handrest and most important the big, wide chunky neck that was dramatically narrowed in 1965.
Do not confuse this bass with the relatively common 1966-70 Rivoli and EB-2 models! this true 1964 example is the real "invasion" deal, a breed apart and one of the coolest heavy thump machines out there! A large proportion of professional UK acts used this exact bass or the nearly identical Gibson EB-2 in the first years of the British invasion and this one still delivers the essential tones for the Animals, Yardbirds, Manfred Mann and beyond!
Overall length is 44 3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 1/2 in. (775 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This venerable bass has seen some use and shows minor wear overall but considering it is nearly 60 years along remains pretty clean, one of the nicer Rivolis from this year we have seen. It is largely original, with no major wear or repairs. The sunburst finish is mostly unfaded and the nickel plating has some minor wear; the tuners have some clouding and corrosion but could be further cleaned up if desired. There are some dings and dents to the headstock and tiny laminate checking lines to the body back, with some minor belt buckle dents and scratches into but not through the finish.
The face shows a few small dings and chips but no major wear; there are two tiny screw holes in the top (one under the pickguard) from something once mounted these; it was likely some sort of handrest but not an original Gibson piece as the spacing is different. The large bridge height adjustment screws have some screwdriver marks and corrosion to the slots in the top. There is some loss to the silver paint on the "E" epsilon logo on the pickguard. The electronics including the 2-way baritone switch perform as they should; there appears to have been some internal rewiring long ago but nothing was changed functionally at least.
The original frets show some minor wear but the bass still plays extremely well, and sounds exactly like it should! It is strung with Nylon flatwound strings giving an authentic edge to the huge room filling thump which can be cut to a tighter klunk in the "baritone" switch position. It includes a modern Epiphone case and makes for a "Fab" time machine back to the brief period when this bass was a more common sight on black & white TV than a Fender! Excellent - Condition.