Epiphone Casino Elite

Epiphone Elitist 1965 Casino, Made in Japan, 2008 (?) model, Vintage Sunburst. One piece mahogany neck, laminated maple body, 2 P-90 pickups, trapeze tailpiece, tune-o-matic bridge. Bought new/demo from a dealer on Ebay. NO ONE in Los Angeles had any Casinos in stock ANYWHERE to try, not one store. I have played some great 60's ES 330's and Casinos so I kinda knew what to expect. For 1268.00 new I decided to take a chance on this one. I took it to my techs at Renson Guitar in Studio City, CA who work on McCartney's Casino and they pronounced it a good one. Its really lightweight, not quite as light as my buddy's 1960 ES 330 dot neck but close enough. Plays great, stays in tune and looks bitchin' - very inspiring to pick up and play. The urethane finish feels better than I thought it would, I still prefer lacquer but at this price what the hell. Pickups are nice and clear, reverse wound rear pickup is a nice touch - no noise in the middle position if both pickups are all the way up. These don't sound quite as good as the vintage 60's models I've tried but some of that could be age. I wish the bridge pickup could be raised because it sits lower than the neck pickup resulting in less output but its not a dealbreaker, Workmanship is pretty top notch, frets feel really good, appointments (trim) are well done. Elitist case is nice.

If you like the Beatles chimey thing this one gets it. Sounds good so far through Vox, Fender and Marshall amps, nice and woody. Great for blues, gets a nice Grant Green jazz sound and perfect for Oasis type material. Feeds back on cue if you're next to the amp and want to do an "I Feel Fine" intro. Kind of a 3 or 4 trick pony which is exactly what I expected.

Factory setup was just fair but isn't it always? Came set up with .010's, I had my guys set it up for .011's, much better. I wasn't gonna put Pyramid flatwounds on it or anything, I put them on my '67 Country Gentleman and I still don't know..... Had to flip the low E bridge saddle around to achieve good intonation and the slot is just SLIGHTLY off center but that can happen on a stock Gibson too. Switches and pots seem good.

Seems very dependable, I would gig with it without a duplicate Casino, seems built to last.

None of these manufacturers are gonna be much help in the real world unless you are a really high profile artist. If you get a good guitar and have a good tech that's about all you can do.

Have been playing since 1968, have about 60 really nice guitars, maybe 35 amps, mostly do studio work in Los Angeles. If this one were lost or stolen I'd probably spring for a John Lennon or maybe a vintage Casino or ES 330. But this one's damned good for the money. Highly recommend it. I have a lot of cool vintage guitars but right now I keep going back to this one, I REALLY like it.

I have a new 2008 Elitist Casino 1965. It's workmanship is top notch and it has a beautifully shaded sunburst on the top, The back, sides are walnut see-true brown and wood grain can be seen. I like the shape of the headstock and Epi logo is inlayed pearl. It has unique shape inlays on the rosewood fingerboard. The neck meets the body at the 16th fret and it has a narrow neck width at the nut. Very nice shaped neck and it plays effortlessly. I adjusted my action lower and it does not fret out or buzz anywhere up the neck. It has 2 chrome P90s, a fixed tunematic bridge and a traditional trapeze tailpiece. I like the trapeze better because the tone is a little warmer than the heavy semi solid 335 style. This guitar is very light. As you know, all Casinos are actually hollow guitars with no solid block down the center. The tone is more acoustic although it may tend too feeback if played very loud. To remedy this, I just use duct tape on the upper F-hole. May not look too nice but it works and I've been doing this to solve feedback problems for years. I am not a rocker so feedback really is not a problem for me. This is a very well made guitar and I can't find anything wrong with it. I am able to practice quietly around the house without plugging in because it has a very good acoustic tone.

The tone of this guitar is mello and warm sounding. If you use the bridge pickup of course, it will sound bright but this is not my preferred tone. I mostly use the neck pickup with the tone knob on 5 or straight open to 10. I probably could do without the second bridge pickup. I use no effect pedals at all and either plug directly into a Mackie mixer and speakers. If I rarely use an amp, I'll just use my Roland Cube 60 which is adequate. I don't make a big fuss about what I plug into because the guitar in itself sounds good. I play in a stage show so I am more conscientrated on what I am playing than what kind of amp or strings I use. But, speaking of strings, I do feel it's better to use a 11-50 set for stable tuning and string tention.
This guitar sounds good, not really too versatile butit works for me.
I'm anold school giezer, working musician. I just plug in, tune up and play.

Very good action once I tighten the trussrod a bit. It has no rattles or buzzing. The finish and workmanship is very good, Regardless of where it is made, it is a beautiful instrument and very easy to play. When I play it around the house, I do not plug it into an amp and just use it acoustically. The pickups are good, I have been using mostly guitars with humbuckers but P90s are fine to my ear. I was playing in high school in 1965 so I know what Epi Casinos can do. I like it.

I have used this in many live shows that I do and it works for me. It may want to feedback but I turn my volume down between songs and I many times put the palm of my hand on the bridge to choke out any notes that may want to feedback. It's not a problem for me because I have been playing electric archtops for 40 years. I play with no backup and just use this one guitar. It is dependable, if it wasn't a guitar that could do the job I'd leave it home or sell it. The finish and the color is top notch. Even the binding is a little yellowed and not that bright white like that other company. It came with a false alligator case which is better than expected. Japan makes very good guitars and this cannot be compared to the cheaper Korean Casino. Play them back to back and you will agree. Don't throw this guitar around or think you can step on it. This guitar has a classic look and the tone and fit is very good.

I have not dealt with the company. I find nothing that is an issue. I bought it from a dealer friend and he would help me if needed.

I have been playing for 45 years and I love the tone and very light weight of this guitar. It plays very easily and is so light and comfortable to hold. I always liked the idea of Casinos being full hollow so I can play it around the house acoustically. I even serenade my dog in my private backyard. It would be nice if i could find some black pickup covers instead of the shiny chrome covers on the P90s. I'd would prefer the metal to be nickel plated and highly tarnished abd beatup like me. Enjoy this beautiful instrument which won't empty your bank account. A very fantastic value in this world of over priced guitars.

Epiphone Casino Elitist 1965 Vintage Sunburst with hardshell case.

The Gibson American P-90's have the tone that makes this guitar the choice of many. This guitar can sound as warm or as nasty as you want it to be.

I ordered my guitar thru Music 123 and out of the box I was very impressed with the action and quality of the finish. I couldn't find a flaw. I know some people have complained about this area but perhaps they just had bad luck. Getting the guitar site unseen I was very satisfied with the craftsmanship of this 1965 Elitist.

This guitar is a true hollow body guitar but from a durability standpoint its solid. The pots and p-90's are top notch on the elitist. I've seen Gibson's for 2K plus with less than what this Casino has to offer in this dept. I don't foresee any issues if guitar is taken care of.

n/a

In order to understand the Casino you have to play one. The Korean Casino which sells around $599.00 is nothing like the specs of the original Casino's which the 1965 Elitist is based on. I would encourage anyone interested in a Casino to invest in the 1965 over the Korean. The 1965 Neck joint at the 16th fret is exact to the original and a HUGE difference to the other model that calls itself a Casino. The Korean Specs are "way off" to that of the original. The 1965 Elitist Casino is exact to what you would have bought back in the mid to late 60's. You have to really pick it up and play the 65 to the Korean if possible to know the difference. Once you do that you'll never buy the cheaper model.

I'd say that if you looking for a keeper then the Elitist 1965 is a great guitar for the money . Plays great and has tone that makes the guitar rock big time. The over all value of this reissue is very high and the historic Vibe alone makes the price of admission worth every penny.

Features have pretty much been covered. Laminated maple top, mahogony neck and P90s. The one feature that I love about this guitar is that they used metal saddles on the bridge instead of the usual nylon ones. The nylon ones make it sound too much like a jazz box. Some of the features are actually better than the John Lennon Casino, which costs $1200 more. The elitist has real mother-of-pearl inlays, a bone nut and nickel grovers. The only place the John Lennon wins is the fact that it has a nitrocellulose laquer finish as opposed to the elitist which has a polyurethane finish.

The Casino sounds fantastic through my 68 Deluxe Reverb. That's the thing with Casinos. Since they are hollow, they tend to be boomy. So you need an amp that tends to be on the bright side. These sound great with backface and silverface Fender combos, not so good with tweed amps. I use it with a Maxon OD-808 set to clean boost, with no gain. When I hit the pedal, it produces some of the best overdrive I have ever heard. Very smooth and creamy. That's the great thing about P-90s. They have the chime of single coils and the fullness of humbuckers. By the way, these pickups make no noise whatsoever. Having metal covers helps to shield them, plus they're reverse wound. I had a John Lennon Casino before and actually prefer the sound of the Elitist. It seems to have more chime to it. I play mostly blues and rock. Everything from the Beatles through to Clapton.

I purchased mine from the good folks at Sweetwater Sound. They do a 50 point inspection before they ship it to you. So everything was adjusted perfectly when I received it. All I had to do was tune it up. The top has some mild flame to it. All in all a very well made guitar. No rattles or problems of any kind

Since Paul McCartney is still playing his Casino that he purchased in 1964 live, I can only assume it will stand up to years and years of use. Unless you drop it and break the headstock. Everything is solid and I have used it without a backup. I have been playing it pretty much non-stop since I got it and no problems.

The folks at Sweetwater are great. They call you when the ship it and then again about a week after you get it to see how you like it. As far as Epiphone goes, I have never had to call them, so I have no opinion on their customer support.

I have been playing for about 35 years. I also have a Fender Stratocaster and a Les Paul. Also a tweed Bassman. If this were lost or stolen I would definately buy another. But be prepared to wait. These are hard to come by. It took me 3 months to get mine. My favorite feature is the sound of the P-90s with the hollow body. Also the fact that it doesn't weigh too much is also great. Overall, just a great guitar to have in the arsenal. I highly recommend it.

I ordered this instrument back in December of 2004 and received it in June. So, I guess that makes it a 2005. Many of the above reviews detail where these guitars are built and the features so I'll skip that.

I was really disappointed that the pots felt so stiff and I couldn't get the nice turned down sounds that a properly wired old style Gibson/Epi will get. So ... I removed the electronics to find that they are some ugly little mini pots. I was expecting CTS vintage style. I like the wiring scheme where the tone cap goes from center lug to center lug between the volume and tone pots. NOT HERE! More skimping and lying from the Gibson folks. They claim USA electronics. Why can't they just wire them like the year that they are copying? I've ordered an upgrade kit ( this pisses me off ) of CTS pots that look just like the old Centralabs and am spluring on the Hovland Musicaps which look real nice. Also, the pickups measured 8.5 each and should have been balanced for neck and rear output. No way. More lying from Gibson. So, I am getting them rewound and also a shim made to raise up the rear pickup.

Very good action. Great spacing and height at the nut. The fret ends where they sit on the board were sharp. Not cool. There is a spot around where the neck joins the body where it looked like a last minute quick grind on the frets. That's sad because the rest of the fretwork was very nice. The finish is just beautiful. And seems nice for poly. When you flip her over the brown finish on the maple is extremely reminiscent of a '65 Epiphone or Gibson. NICE. I'm thrilled that the spacing at the bridge is perfect. Probably precut saddles. Phew! Overall, really pretty .

At this point in my life I am enjoying my instrumets mostly at home and letting my teenage son have fun with them, too. It's a hollow body Epiphone so it's not as rugged as Tele. What is? But I think it is put together well and with reasonable care should hold up just fine.

I have very little faith in Gibson. I just got the guitar, so I don't really know.

This is one of the first guitars that I bought sight unseen. The reputation and reviews of the Elitist instruments is very high. And this factory in Japan is supposed to be great. Today Made In Japan is a good thing. I've been playing since 1970 so that wasn't always the case. I had some fun with the Korean Casino's but wanted something a bit nicer and this certainly is. I have a bunch of other guitars my current favourite being a 1960 Aged Historic 2002 Les Paul Plaintop. Eight Pounds, Burstbuckers. I replaced the pots and caps on that one too and it sounds great. I've got some custom made stuff coming soon but I wanted a Casino. And hopefully, with the electronic mods it will be a lot of fun. I'm going to try the Thomastik Bebops on it. I had a set of Pyramid flats but the D string would not intonate. I'm also going to use a plain 18 for the G. The Thomastik strings balance real well and are the best made strings out there. The metals they use are so far above anything else I have tried there just is no other choice.

All been said before.

Mine is a natural finish.

This guitar sounds amazing. I've been playing Beatles songs all day on this thing. Also sounds great playing any sort of 60's english rock. Glad I went for the elite with the USA P90 pups and elctronics.

What a joke. This guitar came complete with horrendous buzz/rattle when played acoustically at no extra charge. This guitar is supposedly setup here in the US by Gibson. How can they with any conscience QC an instrument like this and let it leave the factory. Pure crap!!!

I think the buzz/rattle is coming from the bridge. It almost sounds like the snares on a snare drum.

Hopefully, when I get it setup the tech can fix it.

Other than that the natural finish and the maple is beautiful. Everything else looks to be put together fairly well. Although I noticed the volume/tome knobs slide of pretty easily not tight like on my SG.

I think its hit or miss with Gibson. It should have to cost me extra money to fix their fuck ups. but cheaper than sending it back and waiting months to get another one or the problem fixed.

Only time will tell. I don't play live.The polyurethane finish looks like it will last forever.

FERGETABOUTIT!!!

really wondering if i should have shelled out the extra money and gotten the USA revolution casino. but all in all the guitar sounds amazing. just ticked that it came in such crap condition after epiphone advertises it as a Lexus. well I should know better a Lexus is still a Toyota and made in Japan!!!

Just a quick follow up for Matt with the buzzing Casino.
My Casino too developed a mysterious buzzing that came and went. I tracked it down to a barely loose nut on the tailpiece. It was one of the two small ones facing the bridge. A quick turn of the wrench and presto-- a silent Casino !!!

Check www.epiphone.com its made in Japan to "lexus standards." La dee Da!

Great sound! Best I ever heard IF there was no underline buzzing coming from some where, out of no where, from time to time. I can't figure it out. You can feel the F%^&ing notes in the palm of your hand.

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I bought this from good old Musicians Friend but I think this is Epiphones fault and the good old "Lexus standards" guitar factory in Japan where it is made. I pull this bad boy out of the box and was awe struck by its finish and shine. But instandly I noticed a nice 1 inch smug under the liquor that looked like some one took a dark brown "vintage sunburst" marker and tried to draw the mississippi river or a penis. I can't believe the "f"ing guitar got past any of the "inspectors" at epiphone. I hope some Jap worker is force to commit suicide over this guitar. And this isn't just a darker ring of wood either it looks like a machine with vintage sunburst juice on it crashed into the area between the tail piece and the bridge. While the japanese workers shout "No Bueno!"

Hmmm, Its light so I probably wouldn't step on it. But, whatever they sealed it with liquor or "Uncle Roy's" brand spray sealet, its pretty hard, I think you could shoot it with a B.B. gun and probably have little damage to the guitar.

Well Those "f"ers screwed me in the butt by sending me a guitar with a finish error. Now a got to R/A the s.o.b.

Its sounds great, after a really setup that hasn't been done by drunk hicks in GIBSON USA, and there was no buzzing, I think it would be the best guitar I have heard in my life. The buzzing may never go away, even after a good setup. Well I won't know in a while because mine is back in the box due to that brown penis of a mistake on the body. It is a great sounding guitar though. I would have kept it if it wasn't for the penis. I might try another one.

Mine was made in November of 2004. It is mysteriously unlabeled as to country of manufacture. I have heard they are made in Japan in the place where Gretsch's are made. Having traded in a Gretsch Country Classic JR. for the Casino, I would say it is very possible. The specs are available at the Epiphone website. Mine is a BEAUTIFUL natural finish. It is a very honey tinted maple finish, nothing like the natural finish on the Korean Casino. It is a bute!! Came with an outstanding case. Kinda fake lizard top with a cool texture, and a really cool purple plush interior with a nice raised bottom to support the body and neck perfectly. No truss rod tool. :-(
Of course having bought WAY too many guitars over the years I have one that fits just fine. My rating of 10 is because the features it has are PERFECT for me. Not because it has 5 humbuckers with coil taps and built in digital gymcrackery.

It sounds killer!! Even a dedicated Les Paul (Custom Shop$$$$)and Strat (again Relic$$$$) friend of mine swooned the moment he saw it in it's case from across the room. He played it unplugged and fell in love with it right away. Plugged in he was convinced. Made me swear on the spot if I ever want to sell it....etc.I use it with a small 10 watt all tube (all 1 preamp and 1 output tube!) and a new Fender Cyber Twin SE212. Is it noisy? Off course it's !#%@#&^! noisy!!! They are P-90 pick-ups, the choice of tone hounds worldwide. If you want quiet, buy a humbucker guitar. Let those with ears- hear!! Seriously, it is not ALL that noisy. I mean listen to a Hendrix lp or really any analogue recording with headphones and you will hear noise. Guitar noise. Finger noise. Amp noise. Tape noise. Besides I LOVE NOISE!! My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Sonny Sharrock, Neil Young (acoustic and electric) of course Jimi, Ride, Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Public Image LTD., I could go on all day........but you get the picture. AND YES I love the Beatles, at least some of their stuff. Especially Lennon's first LP where his Casino never sounded so good or rocked so hard!!! So to some it up, this guitar sounds like an acoustic with a pickup in it. I can get Beatle sounds, cranked 335 through a Marshall stack Ride sounds, Steve Earle sounds (saw him live with one) I think you can make it sound like pretty much anything except really authentic metal. Oh yeah, it feeds back pretty easy, but again I think it a positive!!! No need to wake the neighbors or chase rodents needlessly to get nice feedback.

Set up was about as good as I have seen. PERFECT!! OK, I will under oath swear that with a magnifying glass (!!) I can see that on the B string, the nut is cut maybe, let me repeat MAYBE 1/2 of 1/64 of an inch too high. If I feel realy anal I can get it cut down for perfect height across the nut. (ain't gonna happen!!) It DID come with roundwound 10's (BLASPHEMY!!) After apologizing to the hollow-body gods I quickly put on a nice set of flatwound Thomastik-Infeld 11's. Soooooo smooooth. And great sounding as well.

Will it withstand live playing? Depends. Are you a spandex sporting baffoon who does gymnastics onstage to impress brainless females?
Probably not the guitar for you. Do you treat your guitar with the respect it deserves? It should last a lifetime, me thinks.

hmmmmmmmmm. Like all things it depends on who gets your inquiry. I have had both excellent and rotten support from most companies; Zachary Vex being the exception. (answered my e-mail in less than one hour!!!)

I have been playing 20 years. Bought WAY too many guitars. If I bought this back in 1985 I could have saved myself a lot of trouble and $$. I also own a Korean Casino that is really pretty nice, especialy for the money, and 2 Genuine Gibson Melody Maker LP's (also with the aforementioned holy grail P-90 pickups) that I bought brand new for $400 each!! Proof the Gibson CAN make really nice guitars cheap if it wants to.

Late 2003 model bought in '04. Specs are quite adequately covered in the other reviews on on the Epiphone Elitist site. It offers what it offers very well (a current issue approximation of the stock mid-60s Kalamazoo Casinos). The hardcase is the nicest I have ever seen with any guitar -- kudos to Epiphone for going the extra mile there.

I play Beatles with it certainly, and it delivers the expected tones. It's not just a vintage rock box, though -- jazz, rock-a-billy and country (back the volume knobs down, of course)... It's quite versatile. The P90s are excellent pickups and cover a very broad musical range. My particular Elite Casino has a reverse wound bridge P90 so the middle setting on the three-way switch puts the guitar in humbucking mode. In neck- or bridge- only you get the expected 60-cycle hum (only a problem if you're a whiner).

I play through an AC30, a Traynor YSR-1 head & Mesa Cab, and through a Vox Valvetronix head.

I love the sound of this guitar. It does what I bought it for, and more.

For the most part the guitar arrived factory-fresh as expected. Frets, finish, inlays, wood, electronics are all outstanding. Shortly after buying the guitar, though, I replaced the stock bridge with a TonePros locking tune-o-matic, partly out of preference for the TonePros bridge but also because the stock bridge was buzzy and rattly. I've also replaced the upper strap pin with a more substatial piece. The stock pin was working loose (though I doubt that it would have come out alltogether).

So I can't give the highest marks for fit & finish because of the bridge and the strap pin; but everything else is truly great. My rating reflects a mixed bag.

I think the guitar is well built and will be reliable. It is a full hollow, so more care should be taken with it than with a solid body (IMO). I've gigged with it repeatedly with no problems (but I always carry a back-up).

Never dealt with them.

Years playing -- 30
Replace if stolen -- yes
Reasons for buying this particular model -- wanted a high quality Casino & this was the middle way between the MIK models and the USA Lennon model.

I have played a USA Lennon 65 Casino, and it was to my feel a bit nicer than the Elite 65. Was it worth more than twice as much? No way. What was nicer about the USA Lennon was the lacquer (as opposed to the poly finish on the Elite), and the Lennon felt just a bit heavier (different type of 5-ply construction--the Lennon is maple/birch/maple/birch/maple while the Elite is all maple). Tonally the Elite may be a bit brighter, but than can be handled with the tone knobs (duh).

As far as feel and playability this is as good as anything I've owned (and that's a long list of really good stuff). The neck, especially is absolutely a joy. If you're toying with the idea of buying one of these instead of a Lennon model, my suggestion is to get the Elite (and get an AC30, or a J-160E, etc. with what you save vs the USA model). This guitar is the real deal.