Epiphone Casino

I belive a Korean made 1999 Casino. 2 tone 2volume. 2 P-90 pick-ups. Nice Cherry red finish. Standard eS-335 only complelety hollow. Trapeze tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge. Kluson style key winds wich actually stay in tune for me. Every thing you need to get that unique sound.

Very versitile. The hollow body, lack of sustain, P-90's, and 4 contols allow you to get excellent clean tones and wild overdrives.
The hollow body makes overdrives have an "on the verge of feedbacking" sound wich suits any distortion style exept metal and the oher heavy stuff. Clean in beautiful. If you tweak with your EQ and tone controls a bit you can get a nylon string sound(the lack of sustain helps out too.) who says you need sustain to have good tone? You know that feedback at the beginning of I Feel Fine? Yes, it works.

Action was great. Needs 11 gauge strings at least. Pick-ups are the best. Epiphone isn't like other second rate guitar companies, it's almost like Gibson never bought them and they are still independant. They do very good work. Next to Rickenbacker, I hold Epiphone as top brand for me. Screw Gibson.

I gig with it as my main guitar. Toggle switch doesn't look the BEST, but it good enough right now. good strap buttons. Never gig with out backup. (in case you bust a string) Finish will last. It's hollow, so don't knock the crap outta it. (8 cause it's hollow)

epiphone's web site isn't that good...but a Life time warrenty is fine by me!

I play alot of beatles. John, Paul, and George all had one of these, so that works out great. I love this guitar! My friend is into all that Heavey Metal stuff, but I showed him this guitar and now he loves 60's british rock and wants one of these for himself. A real Bigsby would be cool...but it's not necessary. I love this Guitar! And it's not expencive!

Bought mine in japan on holidy, korean made '98.
Other stuff pretty much same as the other reviewers.
Came with a cool case, not too sturdy though.

I like the sound switched to the neck pickup, gives it more of
an "acoustic" feel.
Theres a problem with the switch though, sometimes when i switch it to the bridge pickup, the signal doesn't get through and theres no sound output from the bridge pickup, but if i switch it to the middle then it works. Must be some wiring problems which i gotta get fixed.

What can I say... oh yeah... Perfect Action!
Smooth to play, its like a dream.


there was a problem with a buzzing sound which for the life of me I couldn't find where. But its gone now, good riddance.
That was when i first bought it though, so the guitar probably had to adjust to the difference in humidity/weather from Japan and my home.

Well, its not gonna withstand serious knocking but just take care of it like its your baby and it'll last.

I've not been playing long but i was looking for a guitar for 1 year, reading reviews, researching stats about the guitars...etc.
I initially was gonna get a solid body but once i saw the casino, it was love at first sight.
Its a great guitar, not to mention good looking one!

Standard Epiphone Casino (Korean) with 2 P 90 pickups, Natural Finish, mine came with an Epiphone case (pretty cheap looking but nice)

Love the sound of this guitar, it is quite a raunchy sound on the bridge pickup, very bright and nice smooth sound on the neck pickup. I also own an ES 335 and when i saw this guitar in a second hand shop I thought why would I want to buy a cheap Korean version but when I picked it up and played it I can't put it down!! It definately have a sound of its own with the single coil P-90s and the hollow construction!! I love this guitar as much as my ES 335!! Only complain is the tone knobs when I turn them all the way down, the volumne seems to diminish quite a bit as well, but its not like you will be adjusting your tone knobs during a song anyway so its just a minor complaint. I like it on 10 anyway. It tends to feedback quite a bit when you turn it up but if you face away from the amp its orright.

Picked up at a second hand shop but it seems pretty well setup, low action and nice finish. And I especially love the neck, it is a lot smaller and smoother then the standard electric guitars, I believe its the only Epiphone with the neck radius of 1.62" ?! You have got to try it to believe how nicely the neck plays!! My hands are not that big so it is perfect for me. The tone/volume knobs are okay they are a bit noisy when I try to turn the tone knobs but that can be easily fixed. It is very very light though I almost feel like I am holding a toy guitar, wished it could be a little heavier but then again thats probably because I am used to my 335.

Being so light it does seem a bit fragile even though the construction seems to be pretty solid it is just so amazingly light for an archtop guitar, I'd be a bit careful handling this. The strap buttons are good , nice and big there will never be the problem with straps falling off.

Bought at a second hand shop so there is no warranty.

Always wanted a Casino (being a big Beatles fan) and I am telling you, its so MONEY man!! It is so easy and smooth to play and also light as well (compare with the Rivera or the other Epiphone semi-acoustics) thanks to its hollow construction, also the P-90 add a nice punchy sound. Definately a good alternative to the standard ES-335 sounds!! Buy this guitar and be happy !!

Standard recent Korean-made Casino. Black finish, cream binding on body and neck.

Casino's are as distinctive as Strats, Teles and Les Pauls. The single coil tone is fabulous for both rhythm and leads - especially blues and jazz. Back off from full volume a hair and the sound really opens up. Mixing the two pickups leads to millions of variations.

I haven't spotted any flaws. Purchased from a guitar repair pro who did a first rate set-up.

You should probably have one in your collection, and thank God Epiphone makes 'em cheap enough to. THere are sounds you can't get from any other guitar. These guitars are great. I've played for 30 years, had Strats, Pauls, etc. Now, I'm trying to figure out why I never even heard of a Casino until a couple of years ago. The only way I'm giving this one up is if they can pry my cold, dead fingers from it.

Made in 98. Laminated maple, thinline hollow-body with 2 P-90 pickups. Has a 3-way selector and separate volume and tone for each pickup. Natural with glossy polyurethane finish. Tun-O-Matic bridge with a trapeze tailpiece. Tuners are a bit cheesy looking, but they work just fine so far. I bought a case with mine and the dealer threw in a couple of cables.

I play mostly roots-type music--rockabilly, blues, jump blues, swing. I have a couple of Peavey amps, but I play this guitar mainly through my POD. The pickups are very quiet for single coils. It has kind of a thin sound, but nice. Acoustically, it just doesn't make much sound. But it sounds good through an amp. I just re-strung it a few weeks ago with Pyramid flatwound 11s. Now it has a really nice jazzy tone, especially on the front pickup.

The factory set up was fine. Everything was properly adjusted. The action was nice and low, with no buzzes. I wish it had binding in the f-holes. Even so, it's a very well-constructed guitar.

I don't play out, but I suspect this guitar would take it. It's very well put together. I have had it for about a year now and it's holding up just fine. I would depend on it.

I don't know. I haven't had any problems with it. I am buying another Epi though, based in part on my experience with this guitar.

I've been playing seriously for about a year and a half. I messed around for about 10 or 15 years before that. If this guitar were lost, I would buy another one (or maybe a Sorrento). I absolutely love the neck on this guitar. It is the easiest guitar to play that I own. It's an outstanding value for the money.

'96 Non-trem Casino. etc etc....

At stage volume, it *loves* to feedback.... but its not always the good knid. I would also suggest turning on any "Bright"-type switches on the amplifier to bring the tone alive a little. Otherwise, it sounds great.

Everything is nice except the tuners are complete junk. ALso, the nut spacing is quite narrow for the width of the neck. Mine has been switched to one with wider spacing.

It doesn't exactly instill the utmost confidence in me as far as how long its going to hold up. I wish it had a touch more weight to make it feel a bit more solid and perhaps reduce the feedback problems.

Its a hello of a lot better than most new guitars out there now. The sounds is excelltent. The craftsmanship? Not *too* bad, but not great. If you plan on playing this guitar a lot live, I would buy a new set of your favorite tuners at the time of purchase and ditch the stock ones.

Same as all the others on the list. I think mine was made in 98. Archtop, P90s, trapeeze bridge, etc...

Basically I just wanted to write this for other people who might be wondering if this guitar is "right" for them. First off, I play mostly old school punk / Ska (the Clash, Misfits, Specials, Rancid) type stuff. I really don't have much intrest in Blues or Jazz, so I won't even try to say whether this guitar is good for those. This guitar is however, excelent for the music I am playing. It has a very full rich tone when played unplugged, the top end is sparkly without being peircing. The clean sounds translate very well through an amp. Even better though is how it sounds with just enough drive to make it crunchy, When playing big open chords through an overdriven amp alot of guitars sound kind of mushy, the casino does not, The bridge is wonderfull for palm muting, and the lack of sustain makes it so that you can actually hear each time a chord or note is picked, rather than just causing it to all mush toghether. The pickups are unfortunatly a bit noisy when only running one at a time. The guitar is also prone to feedback when played at high volumes, However, on the good side, it is genuine string and body feedback and not just a high pitched squeal, also it has the same wiring as does a les paul, so you can simply turn down the volume of the pickup you aren't using and switch to it when not playing. The only other thing that I think people should be aware of is that due to the tailpiece and the fact that the strings extend past the bridge, If you hit a chord and then quickly stop it, the body and strings past the bridge will continue to ring for a second. Personally, I don't mind this, but it's something you should be aware of. Of intrest to me was the fact that Tim Armstrong from Rancid uses a casino, as did Johnny Marr of the Smiths, and both of Morrissey's guitarists-Alan Whyte, and Boz Boorer.

The Action and neck of my casino was great upon getting it. I would actually say that I think the neck is probably one of the best I have ever played. The Guitar is also very comfortable to play, because the body is almost as thin as a solidbody. The pickups are adjusted well and the strings have a very even level between them. Lookswise the guitar is absolutly stunning (If archtops are your thing) Mine is cherry sunburst and I love the way that it looks like a real instrument, like a cello or string bass, and not a mass produced piece of plastic. However, It did come with a few problems, the pickup selecter switch feels flimsy and badly connected. The tone and volume knobs are somewhat scratchy sounding, and the intonation is off slightly. The bridge also has a slight buzz, but it is not audible through the pickups and so isn't much of a problem.

I was amazed at how light this guitar was when I first picked it up, however it seems well built, and strangely enough, mine came with straplocks. I don't imagine it would stand up to as much abuse as would a solidbody, but if your trying to destroy your guitar, thats your own fault.

Ive been playing about 10yrs and am extremely pleased with this guitar, I find it to be perfect for the music I'm playing, and would encourage anyone else looking for a good guitar for traditional type rock should look into a casino. I would definatly buy it again

This is a 1996 Korean reissue of the Epi model made famous in the mid '60's by The Beatles. It is a 335 style thinline double cutaway consisting of a laminated maple body/top and multi-piece mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard. Electronics include two chrome dog-ear covered passive single coil P-90 pickups controlled by a three-way switch and one volume and one tone per pickup. Finish in my guitar is a polyurethane cherry stain but it also comes in natural, sunburst (as the ones used by The Beatles) and as of lately custom colors such as sea green. Bridge is a Tune-o-Matic style with a hinged trapeze tailpiece (just like John Lennon's) but as of lately the model is also offered with a Vibro-Tone vibrato unit, which is Epiphone's version of a Bigsby unit (by the look of it, I wouldn't be surprised if it's manufactured for Epiphone by Bigsby). Tuners are imported metal oval head Kluson style chrome plated units. Neck scale is Gibson style 24-3/4". The frets are medium and the neck is a real substantial baseball bat, which is a feature that I love. The guitar came in an Epiphone hardshell case with adjusting tools, case keys and warranty card and manual. The case is made out of particleboard and covered in black tolex. The case is adequate for the price range of this instrument but I think judging by the quality, the guitar deserves better.

This guitar does everything it's expected to do. The sound is real balanced being full and gutsy but detailed at the same time; this guitar would probably work in the majority of musical styles including jazz. It wouldn't work very well in a heavy metal format due to its hollowbody; as expected, the guitar can't be played at high volumes unless you're Ted Nugent (I don't know how he can control the feedback playing those Byrdlands like he does). Due to the nature of single coils, the guitar is noisy but I don't consider that a problem as long as the tone is good. Sometimes, when playing the guitar loud, controlled musical feedback is attainable depending on how it's set up, where you're standing with respect to the amp, type of effects and amp and so on. Surprisingly, the pickups themselves are not microphonic at all. I tend not to use it as much on my gigs, unless I know in advance it's going to be a low volume situation.

Although I couldn't recall anything wrong with the woodwork, fretwork and finish, I find that the tuning pegs feel kind of cheesy. Those can be replaced for $30.00 or less though. Another area for improvement is the pickup switch which I replaced with a Switchcraft unit (which will cost around $12.00 to $15.00). By just doing those two mods, you turn this guitar into a real pro instrument. The rest of the controls such as the pots feel real smooth and nice.

This guitar will withstand whatever a 335 or 330 can withstand. Finish work is awesome and if taken care of will last just like the finish on a nice vintage Casino. Strap buttons are ok (just like your run-of-the mill vintage ones). With regular maintenance such as wiping after using, hardware will also hold up even though the chrome plating on the pickups and the trapeze tailpiece could be a little bit thicker. As I said before, by replacing the tuners and pickup selector, this instrument can be turned into a real pro tool (just like on Fender Squire instruments, with the exception of the pickups, which also need to be changed on Squires).

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing for 20 years and have every type of guitar and amp for every type of classic guitar tone. This is certainly one of my bona-fide tools for classic tone. The price for this much quality is unreal. Incredible value. If it were stolen or lost, I would certainly buy it again.

bought July 1996 Laminated spruce top, maple body, mahoghany neck, no vibrato, turqoise color. A beautiful guitar, looks totally vintage, but at a low price. I got it for $550 without a case. You'll be just staring at this one all day when you get it cause it looks so cool. Did I mention the neck? Its a thing of wonder! Very thin and rounded on the back, great for small hands, the opposite of those 80's metal guitars! One of the best necks I've ever played barred none!

an original sound, doesn't sound like a solid body at all, great tone though a clean amp, not harsh or thin at all. both pickups sound great, the word is with Epiphones you should replace the pickups, well you won't need to with these, they sound great. Distorted it sound wonderful as well but will feedback at high volumes, even then it sounds good! This guitar even sounds good direct into a board or through a zoom unit, cause its got so much tone from the body. A good practice guitar unplugged cause its got some volume from the hollow body.

Only weak point was here, try out a few, or have a guitar shop do some adjustments. The fret ends were a little rough and i got out a nail file and smoothed them out, not too hard now it feels great. The bridge had a buzz at times so I had to unscrew the bridge pickup take it out and tighten up the bridge screw from the bottom, now its fine. The volume and tone controls? Worthless, now they sound very scratchy, I live in a humid climate, maybe thats the problem, but I usually leave them on 10 anyway. These could be hard to replace by yourself because there is no backplate and the only way to reach them is the f holes, maybe a guitar shop could do it. Tuners are ok, they look vintage and are low mass, not great but I wouldn't replace them.

had it for 3 years, been great except for the vol. tone pots.

haven't had to, did the adjustments myself.

great guitar, has an original personality, maybe my fave guitar to play while recording cause it has such a cool vibe. For the money a great deal.

The features are well documented here and on gibson.com. Here's the skinny... it's a ES330 style guitar with 2P-90s pickups, 3-way toggle, 2 tone controls, 2 volume controls, chrome hardware, 24.75" scale, 1.68" nut, a set neck joint mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, parrellelgram inlays, bound neck and body, laminated maple back and sides, laminated spruce top, all archtop, white pickguard. It is a true hollowbody; no block down the middle like ES335's and such. Mine has a natural finish and a trapeze bridge. It was made in Korea.

Oh, baby. I love the tones of this instrument. Just enough fat acoustic tones to put out great rock, blues and jazz sounds. It goes from rich to bright easily with the electronics setup. It will NOT give you heavy metal sustain. As I said, it's a real hollowbody. But the pickups and hollowbody make a great combo for classic tones. Just listen to the Beatles on Ticket to Ride, Day Tripper or Revolution. They bought three of them in '64. Lennon's is being duplicated to the greatest detail in a replication model (http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/1999/jan29b.html).
But it puts out great blues tones and it's fat enough for some jazz. The pickups will hum and feedback a bit. The output on the pickups is HIGH. I compared it to the Gibson Blueshawk with their Blues P90s, and the Epi puts out a much bigger sound at the same volume.
I would give it a ten if they could perform a miracle and get rid of the hum, but Gibson couldn't do it with a third pickup hidden in a solidbody Blueshawk, so I don't know how they could do it on the Epi.

The strings had to go immediately. The action had to go down, but that was simple enough with a few twists on the bridge. There is a slight flaw in one of the parrellelgram inlays, but nothing too objectionable. The finish and wood appears flawless. The jury is out on the tuners. They're smooth, but I'm waiting to see how well they hold their tune. It appears they will perform at the level for this price guitar. Apparently, it's adjusted and inspected in the USA according to a tag. The action is easily adjusted with the bridge/trapeze combo. You'll get it just how you like it. I set mine up very low. It's soooo smooth. The neck is comfortable to play for a long periods (I can't put the thing down). And it's drop-dead gorgeous. Like a beautiful woman, it's a head-turner. I'm hanging mine on the wall.

Can't honestly say yet. I promise to report back if it gives me any problems.

Ditto.

I've been playing for over 20 years. I've got a Peavey Classic 30 right now. I occasionally plug a Zoom 505 into the effects loop, but this guitar sounds too good on it's own to muck it up with effects.
I only wish I had bought this guitar when I was starting out. I was too stupid then to even consider an archtop, I guess. Doh! It would have made me a better player right out of the blocks.
I've owned LP's, SG's strats, even all graphite high-tech axes. I wasted my money and time on them. This guitar has the tone, and really, that's go to be the number one thing to look for in any guitar.
If I lose this guitar, after a good cry, I buy another. And, if I ever win the lottery, I'm buying the Lennon Revolution replica guitar.