The Riviera
The Riviera is the flagship model of Rana Guitars. Our owner has always believed that the original S-Style guitars were the template for the best and most versatile electric guitar available. We have taken that traditional template and made it as good as we believe it can get. Options are available for customization of the Riviera. Contact us and let us know how we can build your Born in Texas guitar.
Custom Pickup Options
The standard Riviera ships with MojoTone ’59 Clone pickups. These were the most authentic pickups that we could find to capture the spirit of the vintage instruments that the Riviera was originally designed to reproduce. From the Mojotone website:
“Mojotone has cloned the original 1959 Strat® pickups that recreate the unmistakable 1959 tone. These pickups are an important part of the evolution of guitar electronics and we knew we needed to recreate them in the most ideal way possible. We copied a specific set of original 1959 Strat® pickups that really caught our attention and stood out as something very special.
Each coil is handwound to the exact same specifications. We painstakingly went out of our way to use the exact same materials and manufacturing methods. Sand cast Alnico 5 beveled magnets, vintage-spec heavy Formvar coil wire and lightly wax potted just like the originals.
These have amazing warmth and clarity that absolutely nail that 1959 Strat® sound.”
You can choose your own pickup configuration. SSS, SSH, HSH, HH…it doesn’t matter. One of our customer requests had DiMarzio Area 58s in the neck and middle and a DiMarzio Dreamcatcher (John Petrucci) in the bridge. Just let us know what you want.
All Rana Guitars are completely shielded with copper foil tape and properly grounded to ensure quiet operation.
Below is a video from YouTube of a Limelight by Rush being played with a Riviera.
Wilkinson VS100N Bridge
The Wilkinson VS100N tremelo offers superior tone, adjustability, and stability. The two post pivot is smooth and easily adjustable. Saddle height and intonation are easily set. The secret to the performance of this bridge are the set screws on each saddle that lock everything down. Not only does it lock everything in place, but it provides maximum connection into the body, increasing sustain and maximizing tone. The height and tightness of the bar are adjustable and stay set once tuned to the players preferences. Combined with the unbleached bone nut and Schaller locking tuners, the Thom Rana Signature Riviera stays in tune with trem usage better than any other setup we have encountered.
Schaller M6 Locking Tuners
The Schaller M6 is the ultimate tuning machine. They look beautiful and they perform better. These tuners have a 1:18 gear ratio, which provides precise and smooth tuning. The feature self locking drives and lubricate, enclosed gears.
Combined with the unbleached bone nut and the Wilkinson VS100N tremolo, the Thom Rana Signature Riviera offers incredible tuning stability for an S-style guitar.
SPECIFICATIONS
BODY
| Body Construction | Solid body |
| Body Wood | Alder |
| Top Wood | Standard is same as body. Customization available. |
NECK
| Neck Construction | One piece |
| Neck Wood | Torreified Figured Maple |
| Fretboard Wood | Rosewood |
| Fretboard Radius | 9 1/2" |
| Scale Length | 25 1/2" |
| Truss Rod | Dual-Action Spoke Wheel (Wheel at heel) |
| Frets | 21 (22 on request) |
| Assembly to Body | Bolt-on |
HARDWARE
| Tuners | Schaller M6 |
| Bridge | Wilkinson VS100N |
| Nut | Unbleached Bone |
ELECTRONICS
| Switch | CLR 5-Way |
| Pots | CTS 250k |
| Neck Pickup | Standard is Mojotone '59 clone set (customer choice) |
| Middle Pickup | Standard is Mojotone '59 clone set (customer choice) |
| Bridge Pickup | Standard is Mojotone '59 clone set (customer choice) |
| Controls | Master Volume; Neck Tone; Middle Tone; (If humbucker in bridge then Auto Split in Position 2) |
| Control Cavity | 100% shielded with copper foil tape |