90's Epi Rivoli bass (on the bay)

[slinkp]

Fascinating. Does that work on EB0s as well?   One of my complaints with my 69 EB0 is the lack of output from the E string, even with the polepiece as high as I can safely raise it.

[Highlander]

From what I remember of the discussion back then was yes was the answer to that question...

When I stripped mine down to do the coil split I weighed up the idea of using neodium magnets from a hard drive at either end to complete a magnetic "loop" but planned to play with that idea when I got round to gold-plating the cover... mine doesn't appear to have any sound loss on the E, mind you...

[Sven]

Worked on mine. It's a no cost reversable mod. Just give it a try.

[Dave W]

I found what seems to be the first thread about this.

http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=3047.0

No reason it wouldn't work on an original mudbucker.

[Pilgrim]

Oh, I thought that was a mod for Gibson mudbuckers. Duh. I stand (or sit, at the moment) corrected!

[Grog]

Just noticed another similar Rivoli bass on Craigslist. The sellers main complaint is the pickup also............

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/msg/5078004095.html

[Chris P.]

I bought my Rivoli second hand with a repaired but clearly visibe neck break. It was dead cheap so no problem. When I came home I inspected the bass and I noticed it had a Seymour Duncan Querter Pounder Jazz Bass pickup (sawn off at both sides) underneath the chrome cover! And you know what? The bass sounded exactly as I expected it to sound:)

It now has a Darkstar in neck position and a second pickup added: a Duesenberg bass humbucker. The natural finished bass looks like a brother of that Strokes Epiphone guitar now.

It still has some grouding issues, so I need to take it to a tech.

[leftybass]

I just sent a PM to an inactive member who I think owned one. Maybe he'll pop in. Also, Ronn (leftybass) may have one.

Sold mine locally a few months back for $400 including OHSC.

[Nocturnal]

This one has been on Craigslist for at least 6 months, Started out at $700 IIRC.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/msg/5059311188.html

[Droombolus]

Sold mine years ago when they were in demand   

Replaced the stock PUP with just about any replacement I could find at the time and finally settled on a DiMarzio Willpower. Later on I mounted a Supertone bridge as well and she really sounded great. Problem was that I really wanted a 2 PUPs version, which was nowhere to be found for a normal price, so I crossed over to the DeArmond Starfire. I liked the neck on the Starfire better also ( wider top nut ) so I never returned to the Ravioli.

She was a real looker though ......

[daan]

OK thank you all for all the excellent replies. So the consensus on these is, "nice bass, doesn't sound like a "real" one, easy enough to mod. Oh, and thin neck, which I hate...
So do I start a new thread about other hollow basses, or schmutz this one up?
I've been looking for another hollow bass, I sold a bunch of my music crap and I have a little $ to get something (preferrably not a project, unless that's the only way)
I used to have THIS

(Hofner 500/4) and really dug it, I got broke and had to sell it.
Ibanez ASB-140 it felt and played so nice, but sounded "meh", I got broke and had to sell it before I could even think about modding it. So I really like hollow basses but can't justify spending 4-digit prices for something. Right now Ibanez is selling THESE
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ibanez-ASB180-4-String-Electric-Bass-Brown-Sunburst-/191607035104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9cab54e0
which I'm ASSUMING are like my old one, except 2-pups (I've searched everywhere and nobody's selling a 140 like my old one)
There's also THESE
http://www.rondomusic.com/spb11002ts.html
which looks pretty much JUST like my old IBanez, other than the headstock (which I don't care about)
So if nothing is really gonna sound like an EB-2, which I can't afford anyway, what would you experts all say of these options I see would be a good choice? (I know, opinions are like navels or whatever,) It just seems like any bass I stumble across, someone on here has had one.
Thank you guys!

[Pilgrim]

See if you can lay hands on a Gretsch 5123 - it was sold in orange as a Guitar Center special, now a current model in burgundy. The body is fairly deep - about an inch deeper than my 335-copy Univox.  But it has a pair of ThunderTrons and is a nice playing bass.  If you're a big guy, it is an easy fit - if you're a small guy, it might be big on you.

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/new-gretsch-electromatic-hollowbody-bass.713507/page-3

My bass is shown in post #49.

[dadagoboi]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ibanez-ASB180-4-String-Electric-Bass-Brown-Sunburst-/191607035104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9cab54e0
which I'm ASSUMING are like my old one, except 2-pups (I've searched everywhere and nobody's selling a 140 like my old one)
There's also THESE
http://www.rondomusic.com/spb11002ts.html
which looks pretty much JUST like my old IBanez, other than the headstock (which I don't care about)
So if nothing is really gonna sound like an EB-2, which I can't afford anyway, what would you experts all say of these options I see would be a good choice? (I know, opinions are like navels or whatever,) It just seems like any bass I stumble across, someone on here has had one.
Thank you guys!

I wouldn't be surprised if both of them were made in the same Korean factory.  I'd prefer the Douglas since it's 32" scale and probably sounds pretty good with the single pup where it is.  I've had good luck with Rondo in general (about 20 basses) and Douglas/Brice/Agile in particular.  No problems with any of my Ibanezes either.

[leftybass]

I had a Douglas 32" scale hollowbody. Sounded and played great but it was a righty so I didn't play it once I got my lefty Gibson Midtown.
Sold the Douglas for $80.

[chromium]

I used to have THIS (Hofner 500/4) and really dug it...

You could always go Bonaduce-warp-factor-ten and find an Ovation Typhoon.  I think they can still be found in the mid-to-upper 3-digit price range, and the bodies were sourced from Hofner as I recall (similar body as your 500/4).