i have a Rivolta Combinata XVII in Toro Black; the same guitar but with a roller bridge and Duesenberg Les Trem it came with white plastics; i bought the gold plate and metallic P90 covers from Rivolta. note : the pickup covers are not metal. they are plastic with a metal foil covering when i changed the plate, i did my own loom with CTS pots, switchcraft switch & jack and a russia PIO cap it plays and sounds great. and it looks awesome very happy with it
I bought one of these about 12 months ago and it instantly became my #1 guitar. I love the pickups and how it looks like a Rickenbacker but sounds and plays more like an SG. I had the same issues with the nut binding and some pointy frets (easy fix). The one thing I will say is it came set up so well out of the factory, incredibly low action with no fret buzz, but I took it apart to install locking tuners, change the pickup covers for cream ones file the nut and fret ends, and I just cant get the action as good as it was. My bad. Still it's the best guitar I've played, the middle position with a fender amp is beautiful and the neck with crunch really growls. Ebony fretboard is beautiful. I cant recommend highly enough. Lastly - as a big guy, I really appreciate the bigger body size. I love strats etc but they look like i have a peanut stuck on my shirt. Good one Dennis Fano - I'll be buying the other Rivolta models too.
I own the version of this guitar with a Duesenberg Les Trem on it. It is simply fantastic and is my absolute favorite instrument. Rivolta makes damn good guitars.
Clicked only because I check out pretty much any video Phil does, but dang, that guitar sounded great and looks good too! For some reason, that surprised me.
One of my Eastwoods also had a small nut problem resulting from a change in string gauge. Michael was very good to deal with & sent the repair cost to me in Australia.
I watched Ron's video and your video with Mike's interview. Mike made a few comments that inspired me to purchase this model but with the Bigsby trem. After tuning the guitar I literally couldn't put it down. It feels great in my hands and plays extremely well from the factory. I took the guitar to my guitar tech for refinement, basically to get the Bigsby working its best. (all my guitars, new or used, get refined by my tech) I think the guitar is an absolutely wonderful instrument and I would encourage anyone who is thinking of purchasing one to do so. I'm completely satisfied with the guitar and I believe you will be too. I was also very impressed by how quickly the company responded to my emails....great experience. My credibility.... I've probably owned about seventy guitars. The ones I have at this time are all high end Martin, Gibson, Fender and Guild guitars along with a few other brands. If nothing else, check out Phil's interview with Mike.
I own an early one in Palmadoro Red Mettalic (discontinued color), ebony fretboard, and deluxe hardshell case. After the first couple years they now ship with Pau Ferro fingerboards and a Bag instead of Hard case. These guitars are a steal, very Rickenbacker like, they play and sound as good as anything Made IMHO. Build quality is impeccable. Good stuff, love mine, get one today! @ 1100 bucks new with a bag. Hard case now cost extra,ebony no longer available on this model.
@@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885 that’s one reason I want to get it. The regular ones sound great. After getting a Rivolta I know they are solid. If I do get that one I will make a video before I do terrible things to it.
i love you, i love your personality, I love what you do, I just am very very happy to live in the same age as you, you're a wonderful human being, each time I watch ur videos I almost tear up thinking: this man changes the guitar industry/ world without even getting paid for it.... i love you man, god bless and protect what/who you love, you are an indispensable asset/ help to the guitar world... and the human world too through protecting and keeping your integrity. God words cannot explain, all I can say this: every second of your existence on this planet is a divine gift... thank you so much for existing, thank you for being you and doing what you do. You're one of history's greats!
Because I think it's important for builders to know that YTers have influence, I hadn't seriously considered an Eastwood until I'd seen that interview you did a while back. Now, I'm watching each video to see which model I like the most, as I definitely want to support them. Thanks for the video, Phil.
just picked up a Combinata XVII in Acero Glow, and i must say, i am in love with this guitar. the neck is just a touch chunky and so comfortable, and the P90s sound incredible. i am mostly a flat top acoustic player, but needed something for my home studio, and the neck, size proportions, and semi hollow body aspect of this guitar, make it a nice transition from my OM or Dread to add electric guitar tracks and frills. i recommend it highly! (thanks, phillip, for another honest and detailed demo!)
Wow, a Burr test, to see if there are any Burr's sticking out on the frets. A very impressive inspection with all your other things you did. I doubt I will ever buy this guitar, but you do such a great job of inspecting and telling others how to do an inspection, I can't stop watching this video.
Love the way you do reviews and specially how you show somethings can be easily address by the end user so they have that choice/option if the don’t want to deal with sending guitars across the country for minors things. Count me on that group.
I wanna say thank you for the review cause after I knew I wanted one so I got the model with the trem and it’s become my main guitar and the playability is beyond anything I’ve had before
Phil, again an honest review. Thanks. I like the balanced sound and it looks great. I'm glad you brought up the point of minor nits at the end and that people making these (and other) instruments are working to fill a lot of demand while trying to stay safe themselves. I recognize this is a $1k + guitar but remember we buy cars that cost many multiples of this that need warranty work as well. Its not an excuse, just reality.
I have owned this model for about a year and absolutely love it. I ordered it with the optional Duesenberg Tremolo which operates smooth as silk. This guitar is high quality and has great tones available as you have shown here. If you are looking for a versatile guitar that looks like no other I recommend this one.
LOVE these guitars! I'd have one if I hadn't have just bought a Bill Nelson Astroluxe Cadet guitar from Eastwood. I seriously applaud what Eastwood is doing. Making reasonably priced guitars interesting again. Voted most dangerous guitar company by my wife!
This has been on my wish list for a long time, and this review is definitely keeping the Combinata on that list. BUT - do I really want to pay $1200 and still have to mess with the nut? After it's supposedly been set up at Novo???
I have a Rivolta Mondata with 2 mini-bucks from the Eastwood company. Aside from feeling a little heavy after a Bigsby install, it looks great, plays great, & feels great too.
I have a Combinata XVII that I love. But the roller bridge caused tuning issues, so I replaced it with a Compton that I had on hand, and it works great! Also I replaced the vintage tuners with a set of Ratio locking tuners. Took a little work, but fully worth it!
these are great guitars, had my pomodore red one for awhile now and love it. It is a bright guitar so I usually run the tone knob at 50% for clean but then if needed on the gain you have the extra to relieve any muddyness that a tone of gain can give you. The neck is the best I've ever held.
1st thought, $1,200+ for a guitar they setup themselves and the string was binding like that during tuning? Definitely points off for that. Great body shape & sound, not sure I like the block inlays, they're so dang big.
The shape isn't for me, but it sounds great, and I love the full block inlays. They're right up there with my favorites, the Jackson 80s style, and yes, PRS birds lol
Great video Phil. I have the RJ Ronquillo custom baritone of this guitar. It is one of the nicest guitars I've ever played, certainly the nicest baritone. There was a small issue with the out-of-phase switch but they sent a new one, I soldered it in and problem gone.
@@bthalko It's my first P90 guitar ever, and my only recent reference is my MIM Tele. So I can't really say how it will compare to your HB. I've had a couple of humbucking guitars before, but that was... in a past life. 🙂 I do a lot of clean playing and rarely have the volume all the way up on any guitar. What I can say is the 290 overall is a lot hotter sounding than the Tele, so in a few words it's louder, has more push and sounds darker. Which is what I expected, more or less. How much of that is the construction (korina, set neck, 24.75" scale) vs. the pickups I don't really know. But I reckon the bridge 9A5 is a little on the hot/dark side. I find even with the bass rolled all the way off (nice control to have, by the way) I still go for brighter amp settings than with the Tele.
I have a Reverend Contender HB made in the Mirr Music factory, and it's a phenomenal guitar. I'd pick up a Rivolta in a heartbeat, thanks for the review Phil!
@@allenstowe660 The pickups are nice, full-character humbuckers - roll off a bit of the bass contour and tone and it fattens up really well. Sadly they discontinued the Contender HB model this year, but Reverend makes great guitars, and other models (Roundhouse) are offered with a 2 HB configuration. 100% recommend.
I have the same guitar except mine has the factory fitted Duesenberg Les trem. Great guitar, the P90s sound great and not noisy at all. It stays in tune probably the best of all my guitars.
Currently a/b'ing the Mondata and the Combinata, this was a very helpful overview. Still don't know which one I'd like to go with because they both seem like a great choice but it's gonna be one or the other.
I almost pulled the trigger on a Combinata VII at xmas. Had to travel interstate (no dealers here in Sydney Australia) to try one, only one in stock and not the colour I'd like (want the Ice Blue). But... It was $2k off a list of $2200 in a market where Player Strats street for around $1100 (not $3k has Phil might've suggested in podcast once). Man, it was close call. So much about the Combinata VII, as an alternative to my small army of T- and S-style guitar, is so appealing as its own unique thing. If I can just get one closer to $AU1500 in the cooler I want...
Awesome looking, and sounds great ! If it had a 1.650" nut-width it would be everything I wanted. If the fretboard has rolled edges though I could easily live with the bit wider nut. I love the looks.
I bought one of these for the body shape. Wanted a Gibson style neck, P90s and the controls way away from the strings. I love telecasters and find Les Paul bodies feel too small. This body shape is great. The Wilkinson tuners rattled so I switched those out. I find myself playing this guitar more and more.
Great video as always. This is the third video of this guitar I’ve watched. The pickups don’t sound pleasant to me. Hard to describe what I’m not liking about them. Obviously to each his own. Love the look and workmanship seems very good.
I know I'm probably in the minority here but I don't get all the love for the offset guitar craze. The look of the Novo guitars really do nothing for me. I do have to say though - the P90's on this sound friggin awesome. Nice playing too!
Interesting idea...the block on the first fret does seem to clash with the headstock. I've really liked this guitar prior to review, but now you've got me looking at it & I'm not sold on the block inlays at all now. I keep seeing them as 'vertical' when the rest of the guitar appears 'horizontal' (if that makes sense😦). Perhaps the clash is just due to the body colour. I'll have to look at the variations available out here. They sell for ~$2300 out here, which prices them against some serious all USA made guitars. Shipping back to the US, only to be shipped back out to the world surely adds some serious $$$, that could easily be alleviated. Hmmmm 💡
What type of "SG" model is that to your left,my right with the natural sunburnt finish? Beautiful,almost looks like a g400 model by the body shade.As per usual,thanks for the great content.👍
