Epiphone Casino

This Casino was made in Korea, probably 2001. 22 frets, hollow-body, cherry red finish with rosewood fingerboard. 2 P-90 dog ear pickups with a 3-way pickup switch. One volume and one tone control for each pickup. Trapeze tailpiece.

I love the sound this guitar can make! By adjusting the volume and tone on the two pickups, you can play anything from a sweet high to a growling low. I play this through a Fender Stage 100, which also adds a lot of flexibility with the sound, especially with a little reverb and drive. But watch the volume on the amp because this hollow body will give you feedback if not careful! The pickups are a little noisy, but I expected some of that with the P-90's. These are not humbuckers!

Being hollow body, you can play this without plugging it in, which is great when the wife is asleep and I still want to practice or just play around.

Action is fantastic, no additional setup was required, although Guitar Center does an excellent job of checking it out before you leave the store. Everthing that I could see about this guitar was flawless. It's a beautiful piece. Probably the only flaw I saw was the Epiphone "E" glued onto the pick guard. It fell off within a few hours of playing. This guitar feels great, is smooth and, of course, light weight. Be careful - with all the weight in the neck, it's easy for this strapped on guitar to take a drop if you let go.

There is one major flaw - the pickup selector switch. Sometimes, the neck pickup will cut out. Wiggling the switch, you get a lot of static which tells me it probably should be replaced. I've heard this is a common problem with Epiphone, but should be covered under the lifetime warranty.

I see no reason why this guitar can't withstand live playing or would fail to last, with reason. Being hollow body, it's more delicate than a solid body, yet it's built well and should hold up as long as you care for it as you would an acoustic. I can only see using a backup if you wanted another guitar with a slightly different sound or if the feedback became too much.

As I said, I bought it from Guitar Center, who did an excellent job of letting me try it out, ask questions and checked it out before I left the store. I do need to have the pickup selector checked out or replaced and, with the Epiphone warranty, I'll need to return it to an authorized repair shop. Fortunately, there's one in town. Haven't dealt with them. For some, this could be the sticky point, since not all shops would be authorized by Epiphone.

Been playing off and on for around 20 years. Primarily, my focus has been bass, but I started on guitar years ago. I've played a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and this is as good quality as that instrument. I wanted something not as heavy as the LP, and this was it. I also wanted something that would give me a variety of sounds, from blues to rock. This guitar fit the bill. I'd buy one again if I lost this one. On the other hand, I've been looking at the Fender Strat just to give some flexibility in sound.

The hum and the pickup selector are the only two annoyances. I feel the hum is probably more due to where I play it in the house, picking up a lot of electrical disturbance from appliances and such. The selector is a manufacturing defect, which hopefully can be fixed.

OK, my guitar is in fact a VT Casino, made in Korea. The "VT" stands for "Vibratone", which is a very accurate reproduction of the Bigsby design, right down to the alloy used in its construction. Besides that feature, my guitar sports a silver sparkle finish, flawlessly executed. Chrome hardware, including the "dog ear" P90's, Kluson-style vintage tuners, 22 medium frets (well dressed and crowned), bound rosewood fingerboard. The neck acess is quite restricted (neck joint at 19th fret), but with superb playability. Hollowbody design with laminated materials (maple on top), 2T-2V control configuration. Comes with an Epi hardcase - nothing too flashy, but nice enough.

Since I play a wil variety of styles, I prefer to find the right tools (guitars, ahem) for each one of them instead of trying to find a jack-of-all-trades. For retro-pop, janglin'rhythm guitar work - or even for Neil Young-inspired feedback rides (the bigsby helps a lot), this guitar is perfect. The P90s installed have the level of hum you'd expect from most single-coil pickups that don't have tone-sucking devices to make them quiet - and I like it that way. The brodge position yields a bite that'll cut in even in dense mixes, adding clarity to rhythm and lead work. The neck pickup provides a warm and round sound - this guitar can even double as a jazz axe (even though I doubt ANY jazz player would dare to mix a silver sparkle guitar with tweed jackets and whatnot...). Combined, both pickups will serve you with a robust tone that can be further adjusted with clever playing with both tone and volume controls. I spent two hours with the guitar before actually buying it, and I just couldn't dial nary a bad sound out of it.

For a non-US guitar, the finish is almost flawless. The pait job is nothing short of spetacular, very smooth and even - and the silver sparkle will behave wildly under stage lights, believe me!! The pickups height cannot be adjusted - you'll have to rely solely on the po'lepieces to provide string balance. In my case, that was not necessary - very good job. The fretwire was well dressed, and the medium gauge used provides a nice playing feel. The neck needed a little adjustment, but just to suit my taste with higher action. The Vibratone Bigsby copy peformed very well - it's not designed for divembombs or Diamond Darrel-squeals, but performs nicely for adding subtle vibrato effects. All in all, this guitar proved to me that Korea CAN build top-notch instruments. My only complaint is the cheap feel of the pickup selector - it cracks a bit and does not feel very solid. Anyways, the visual aspect of the instrument is striking: the cool retro vibe is only augmented by the Bigsby vibrato.

Well, this ain't a Tele, so it won't serve you as a bat in your next stage invasion experience or other riot-related road casualties. As any hollow (or semi-hollow) guitar, it's more delicate and I don't think it can withstand major abuse. The hardware, with the exception of the pickup selector, feels solid. The Kluson-copy tuners are not that great, but I never experienced any serious tuning problems yet, even with constant use of the bigsby. The strap buttons are solid, but as with all my other instruments, I discarded them in favour of Schaller straplocks. Since I'm not that wild onstage, I'd gig with this guitar with no backup - but I can't resist not bringing at least one more axe to a gig.

Lifetime warranty

I've been playing for 16 years. Since I operate a project studio, I won't mention all the gear involved. My main electrics are a PRS Custom 10 Top, a Telecaster '52 RI and a Fender Relic Strat. I play thru a variety of amps, though generally I rely either on a Doctor Z Route 66 or a Mesa-Boogie combo. My pedalboard is in constant mutation. Right now it's down to a RMC wah, Fulltone '69 Fuzz and Full Drive 2, Voodoo Labs MicroVibe and a Line 6 Delay Modeler. I tried the Casino thru this setup and straight to my beloved Vox AC30. Needless to say, I was in Tone Heaven. The P90s sounded amazing thru the '69 Fuzz, and sound surprisingly tight with other distortion boxes in my arsenal (specially my Menatone Red Snapper).
Like I said, I didn't expect versatily - I expected that this particular instrument would provide me a specific set of tone colours. It passed the terst in absolute triumph. It's not a cheap guitar like other Epis, but it's a bargain considering the vibe and sounds you can coach out of it. A winner.

Made in Korea, in the year 2000. You know the rest.

It sounds beautiful on anything you need a clean sound for. It's great for rock and roll. The distorted sound isn't bad either. Right now I'm using a Marshall Valvestate amp, I might move up to either a Fender/ Vox/ Marshall tube amp. The sound is very full, great for rhythm playing. It can be very bright and it can be very jazzy, meaning very bassy sort of sound. It does feed back a lot on distorted settings but it's another color to the sound. O like everything about it.

Got it straight from Epiphone and the set-up was very well done.

Should last with proper care, not too much care, just proper care. We tend to mess up things when we're too careful.

Been playing for almost 4 years. And guitar/music playing is the only vice that I have. It satisfies me most of the time, probably 98% of the time. I love it more than anything else. I'm very glad that I bought this guitar, whenever I start playing it, it's so hard to put it down. Very pleasant sound. I wonder why all guitarist's don't have a Casino, it's just a great piece of work. I recommend that you BUY IT. GO FOR IT MAN!

2001 model, cherry red finish mahogany set neck, maple back and sides. MAPLE TOP!!. According to Epiphone specs, the top is supposed to be laminated spruce, but I have yet to encounter one with a spruce top. You have to be careful when you check out specs on Epi's instruments cause the info on wood types is sometimes not accurate. Two "dog ear" p90's, fake pearl position markers on boundrosewood fingerboard, but looks like real pearl logo on headstock. Trapeze tailpiece. Fully hollow bound body.

I know most people acquire these instruments to get the John Lennon sound, but I decided to get it because it has the same specs as a Gibson ES-330, without the ridiculous rip-off price of that instrument's reissue (which is often even more expensive than the vintage originals from the 60's!).
I play jazz on the instrument, and for the price it really sounds wonderful. Gives me a good approximation of the Grant Green sound. I run it straight through a fender or Peavy Classic tube amp on clean. The P90's sound suprisingly rich for korean cheapies.

Action was wonderful right out of the box. It came with 10's, but I switched them to 12 guage flat wounds. The action required a little tweaking after that, and I 'll probably need a neck adjustment to compensate for the harder tension. Intonation was fine. Finish was flawless.

The hardware is cheap, but we'll see how it holds up. The instrument is really well made, so I'm sure it will stand up to the rigors of live playing.

I have been playing for over 20 years, and I bought this guitar to take around without worry because I have a very expensive jazz guitar that I do worry about and do not want to drag around. Now I can use it just for recording, cause the Epi is fine for all other applications. If it got stolen I would probably get another one. For the price, it's a great instrument. Note: Don't buy one from a store cause you will overpay a lot. Get it from ebay or another auction site. I have seen some stores selling these guitars for up to 700 bucks! That's to much for a Korean istrument.

My Casino is Korean made probably in 2001 and features double cutaway and a natural finish. The top is laminated spruce, and has two P-90 single coil pickups. There are two volume and two tone controls with a toggle to distribute the sound between the pickups. The body is maple laminate and the neck is made of mahogany. The headstock appears to be made of three pieces. Neck and body are bound and there are two F-holes with no binding. The bridge is fully adjustable with a trapeze tailpiece. The neck is delightfully thin and slick. The entire guitar features a shiny lacquer finish.

The sound of this guitar is why I purchased it. I play mostly rock and blues and this fits the bill real well. The sound seems to be somewhere in the middle between the sound of my Strat and a full hollow-bodied jazz guitar. It doesn't get extremely bright highs nor deep lows, but rather takes the middle ground beautifully. I absolutely love the sound of this guitar! Play it clean through my Hot Rod Deluxe and the sound is sweet and mellow. Crank up the reverb a bit, and it's surprising how she can screem!
One of the things I am particularly crazy about is that this guitar is a hollow bodied guitar...there is no center block, and as such it is loud enough to use for practice sessions when you don't want to plug in. This is great for those late night urges when you feel like playing without waking the entire household! The hollow bodied feature also makes this guitar light as a feather and so it very easy to hold. Because of the thin body design it seems to just snug up to my side.
On the negative side, I've noticed that I am getting some buzzing from within the body when I play it acoustically. Sounds like one of the wires inside vibrating, but this does not effect the sound when plugged in and really isn't at the point of being annoying.

This guitar is made in Korea, then shipped to Gibson in the USA where it set up. The way it came from the factory was really perfect.The action is smooth and slick.
The wood on this guitar is absolutely perfect and fit and finish is amazingly flawless. Aesthetically, this is a very beautiful guitar! The entire package is certainly eye pleasing to say the least.

Will this guitar hold up over time? This is difficult to say, but it seems to be well made and I think it will last a long time. If there is one thing that seems a little cheesy I would say it is the machine heads, and I am thinking of changing them with a set of vintage Grovers.

I have had no reason to deal with the company, so I really can't say.

I started playing almost 40 years ago, but took a long break ( about 30 years! ) while I was taking care of family matters. For the past four years I've been caring for myself and one of those things I've been doing is a lot of guitar playing.
Back then, I wanted a Gibson ES330 but I couldn't afford it. Now I can afford it, but Gibson no longer makes it! This guitar is identical in every respect to the Gibson ES 330 so I guess you might say I'm fulfilling a youthful dream.
Overall what amazes me about this guitar is the high level of quality from a Korean guitar, and considering some of the crap I've seen from Gibson USA for enormous amounts of money, this guitar is a real bargain!

this is an epiphone casino that i purchased used, so i'm not sure of the exact date, but i would estimate that it was made in '00 or '01. this guitar is totally hollow. this is not like the epiphone sheraton or the gibson es-335 which have a solid block in the middle, with hollow 'wings' on the side. i'll talk more about what this means later.
this guitar has two p90 pick-ups (single-coil) each of which has it's own volume and tone control and they are wired to a standard 3-way selecter switch. the pickups are excellent on this guitar, but the tone controls are aweful. it's the only major flaw on the guitar. when you roll back the tone, you kill the volume and end up with a muddy sound. i've found that if i turn the tone knob halfway back, then i can get a decent muted tone.
my casino is turqoise, for the first few weeks i didn't like the color that much, but it's growing on me. like most casino's, this guitar has a trapeze tail piece, a tune-o-matic bridge, and non-locking tuners. it has a set-in neck (not bolt-on like fenders), and a nice meaty neck. all in all, it's nothing fancy, but it's got what you need to get a good sound.

i play a wide range of musical styles (rock, blues, reggae, etc.), and i find that the casino fits these styles pretty well. this guitar has a lot of bottom end, so i could see it being used in a punk or metal context, however, people who hit the strings really hard might find that their strings rattle a bit and their sound gets muddy.
i usually play through an electar tube-30 amplifier without any effects. i say that a guitar should sound good without a lot of effects to doctor up the sound, so i keep my rig fairly simple. the casino sounds great through this amp. when i play it through a solid state amp, it loses some of the open, singing sound that i get with it through a real tube amp.
the p-90 pickups sound great (in muy opinion), but they are prone to a little bit of single coil hum. i found that to be a real problem only when i was standing right next to the amp and when i had my gain cranked up high. it has a rich sound, not real bright and ringing, but it has a sort of swampy feel. i think it sounds great when its just a little dirty and you mute the strings with your right hand...like butter :)
i talked about the tone knobs earlier...they're not that great. this makes the guitar not the most versital in terms of tone. it'll sound good in any context, but it will always sound like itself. if this is going to be your first guitar, look for something else (a strat has a lot more versatilty), but if you're looking to fill in your arsenal, this baby rocks! (by the way, you can get some killer feedback from this thing...i like to pretend i'm jimi hendrix!)

i got it used, so i assume the action and the intonation were tweaked by the previous owner (when i got it it was perfect except for some slight buzzing on one string which was easy to fix). everything else looks alright. the pickups are well matched to each other (in terms of output), and it looks great. there were a few tiny cosmetic flaws around the trapezoid inlays, but i'm being really picky. they don't interfere with play, and after all, you buy a guitar to play it...not put it on display. The strap button is on the back of the guitar at the heel of the neck, this isn't a problem for me because i rarely venture past the 15th fret, but if you like that obnoxious shrill sound of ridiculously high notes, you may find that the strap button interferes with access to the highest frets. also, the body of the guitar is bigger than a solid body, so if you're a small person or have short arms, it may be a little uncomfortable to reach the strings. since i got it used, i'm going to leave the rating blank.

i've begun using this guitar almost exclusively with my band. it is a well built guitar and i'm confident that it will stand the test of time. it is a hollow guitar however, and it won't take as much abuse as a solid body, but i've bumped it and knocked it and haven't seen any signs of my carelessness. i don't usually gig without a backup guitar because it seems like an unecessary risk, but if i had to i would be willing to play this without a back up. i'll give it a seven, just because it's hollow.

i've never dealt with epiphone before...hopefully i won't ever have to.

i've been playing the guitar for about five years now, and i've owned a couple strat copies, a 1976 yamaha accoustic, and a guitar i built myself. if this guitar were ever lost i would replace it with another casino, it would never be stolen because i hardly ever stop playing it and the theif would have to pry it out of my kung-fu grip. i really like the sound of this guitar. it doesn't look as flashy as a flying v or an explorer, but it has a wide open sound that a solid body can only dream of. it's light weight (hollow) so it doesn't wear me out after a gig. i would recommend this guitar to any moderate to advanced player. don't buy this as your first guitar though because it is not as versital as some. this however would make an excellent second guitar because it compliments and contrasts the sound of a solid body. overall, an excellent guitar, i can see why john lennon, noel gallegher, and others relied on these guitars as their primary axe.

NOS 1999 imported (Korean) 'reissue' model purchased late 2000. If you're familiar with this breed you know the specifics, otherwise check out the Epiphone site or some of the other Casino reviews for details. The original Casino was basically a copy of the Gibson ES-330 but with a few changes such as inlay markers, etc. The body is of typical thinline laminated maple construction and though the catalogs say the 5-ply top is spruce, the top/outer face is maple as well. But the main difference is that unlike say an ES-335, this one is a true hollowbody and only has a small wood block directly under the bridge. This one has the glossy natural 'Lennon' finish which is a perfect compliment to the body's mild flamey figure and darker mahogany neck. White-cream binding on top/back body and fingerboard add a touch of class. The pickups are generic P90 types with nicely plated dog ear covers. Typical Epiphone hardware (tune-o-matic style bridge & trapeze tailpiece) though the tuners are the Kluson copies with the round metal buttons and stay in tune pretty well. Plastic nut and milky plastic inlay markers in a rosewood fingerboard with medium frets. Purchased new, this one didn't come with a case and since I don't like the plain black cases with gray liner opted for a nice aftermarket ES-335 style case which is black with a maroon liner. A standard guitar with the features I need but the cheap inlays knock it down a notch to 9.

This guitar suits my style of blues & alt-country very well indeed. Being hollow, it is perfect for picking up when everyone's in bed and even an acoustic would be too loud. As such it is very prone to feedback when amplified though, especially at high gain settings. I wouldn't recommend it for any hard rockers out there but as I'm used to playing in three-piece bands, my style is somewhat busy and can control it fairly well. I still would not take this one along for a real loud gig. The pickups are really wonderful for a cheap guitar and sound their best at clean to moderate overdrive levels, where each note just blooms from the amplifier. Higher gain settings tend to sound muddy and even more fuzzy than humbuckers. Other than the single coil hum and feedback howl at high volumes it is not noisy, and the controls don't add any scratches or pops when used. The overall sound is bright & snappy but with very pronounced bass & midrange, even at the bridge setting. Capable of making your basic two-pickup variety of sounds, but with more variety than humbuckers. Its no wonder people have rediscovered the P90 as a viable and useful pickup. Soundwise I can't complain but because of the feedback problem rate an 8.

This guitar sat unsold for nearly two years but the factory or dealer setup was so good I haven't had to change anything. Shame some of the more expensive Gibsons I've had didn't come set up this well. Action is low-to-medium but plays very fast with .010" strings. The neck has a nice meaty profile though more comfortable than some Gibson bat necks. Pickups are nonadjustable save the polepieces which are screws. Everything was done well on this one, all the hardware is installed straight, etc. Remarkably there are no finish flaws nor any wood defects neither. I've owned Historic model Gibsons that had little defects in the binding etc, and they cost much more than this little gem. Again the body displays some mild curly figure, something I haven't seen on most other Casinos. My only bitch here is the crappy plastic nut and cheezy looking plastic inlays. Hey even the 'USA' Revolution model is made overseas (don't freak folks but its true, Gibson only finishes and puts them together here, same for the John Lee Hooker Sheratons) and has the right MOTO pearloid inlays. Would be a 10 but those plastic parts irritate me so it gets a 9.

This guitar seems a little more fragile due to the hollow construction than say a semi-hollow thinline, but is well made and should hold up to live playing fine. Still I wouldn't drink too much and drop this one a lot folks. The hardware is okay but the plating is a little thin (one pickup cover had a little plating chip off within a week) but not as bad as some recent low-end Gibson stuff I've heard about. Plus if you've ever played an Epiphone with a tune-o-maic copy bridge, you know the saddles hurt your hand after a while. The finish is a thick polyester which is more durable than about anything I can think of. Unlike lacquer-finished guitars, this one won't show all those little pick & handling scratches as well, especially with the light natural finish. Strap buttons are standard fare and well placed though some won't like the upper/heel location, but I'm an SG player so its no big deal. I'd say this guitar is highly dependable though always recommend a #2 for a backup.

Thankfully I've never had to deal with Gibson/Epiphone regarding a warranty claim so have no opinion here. They're fairly helpful in answering emails regarding other matters though.

I've been playing about 16 years and have gone through a lot of gear trying to find MY sound. Other current gear includes a reissue ES-335 Dot, '63 Les Paul/SG Standard, Historic '61 Les Paul/SG Custom reissue, 1973 Dove, 1987 paisley Telecaster (first year), a prototype handbuilt custom neck-through thinline electric, and a cheapo or two. If killed or MIA, I'd probably find another in the same color. What I love most about this guitar is its LIGHTweight comparable to an SG and inspiring tones. My only real complaint is regarding the short neck joint which is restrictive when playing high up the neck. It makes me think I'd really like a late 60s ES-330 with the long neck joint like an ES-335. As such its not a good choice for soloing on. Being a huge Beatles fan I've always admired their Casinos and jumped when Epiphone released this model. Before buying this one I tried one of the stripped Revolution models and was not impressed as it sounded and felt dead. Maybe that was a bad example but at least all of the imported Casinos I've tried have the same feel to them and are consistent. I had originally planned on converting mine to a Revolution model (stripping the finish, spraying lacquer sealer, new tuners, etc) but have since changed my mind. This one plays and sounds fine as is and I'm sure the polyester finish would be a pain to strip anyway. For what you can buy these for new or used on ebay they are a bargain. For everything else I rate mine a 10.

This guitar is an Epiphone Refurbished Casino manufactured in Korea. Judging from the serial # it was made in 1997. This hollow body sports 22 medium frets, with a laminated maple top ( Thanks to fellow Casino reviewer, Ted Dascoli for the info on that one) back and sides and a mahogany neck w/rosewood fingerboard. I'm sure you know the skinny on the electronics configuration, so I won't delve into it here. This one has a Turquoise finish( my fave) and is in the Gibson 335 shape, f-holes with neck and body binding, and all that. it also has the standard trapeze tailpiece with a tune-o-matic. Tuners are Kluson style with a sexy,thin, fast neck in 24.75" scale. i have to agree w/the previous poster who happened to buy a refurb Casino from Musician's Friend the same time as I did, and that is I could not find anything overwhelmingly flawed in this guitar. In fact, It came with a real bone nut! Seems like more improvements were made on this guitar than there are on a factory 1st model.

Man oh man! Let me tell you, I used to own an Epi 335 dot deluxe that I wasn't too fond of and exchanged it for this lil' beauty, and it totally blew me away. It's true what they say, The natural acoustics of this hollowbody make it exciting and pleasing enough to go unplugged and strum it in your livingroom! I play a lot of Oasis, Beatles, U2-ish stuff so it fits like a glove. I plug it into my MusicMan 112RP 65 watt hybrid combo and the natural overdrive that this guitar produces in conjunction with the my amp is kick-ass. I haven't been able to get a good overdriven sound using the dot and a ibanez that I own, using this same amp. This particular guitar was made for it! On clean, it produces those expressive warm tones everyone raves about and although, as I'm sure you've read that it lacks sustain it hardly seems relevant to what this guitar sounds like overall. I do have to mention that initially there was a slight little rattling buzz emitting from near the bridge area. Turns out one of the pickup covers' screws were loose. I guess what can you expect for a guitar that has been refurbed. nothin's perfect eh?

the action on this guitar was perfect for me. It is extremely comfortable to play and that combined w/the slim width of the neck it was just plain sweet. The pick-ups may need to be adjusted some to suit my individual tastes. The finish is sharp though not flawless. I say that because the headstock region where the turquoise paint ends and the blackface of the headstock begins, the finish looks "fuzzed" a bit. other than this subtle flaw I can't see any imperfection finish wise. No scratches, dents or cracks in this 4 yr old but newly purchased axe. The hardware has the slightest bit of oxidation particularly on the trapeze tailpiece where the strap button is located. I wiped it cleam and it practically rubbed all off with some guitar polish. Also the pick-up selector was a little crackly at first but then after flicking it back and forth a few times, seems to have eliminated the crackle. All these minor flaws were expected considering this guitar isnt brand new and has been refurbed. The price of $379.99 was a steal!

Will this guitar withstand live playing?! Sure it could. In fact, this is an area that seems to be a bit particular and unique to each individual player. Think about it, you knock this bitch around a bit and of course it's gonna be all banged up and things are gonna come loose etc, etc. If you treat it w/ a little respect like it was a 3,000 axe and it'll last a lifetime. I think this applies really to most any decent guitar. Besides, you should take pride in your posessions that bring you great joy. ( I probably sound like your mother).
The strap buttons need to be replaced with locking ones definitely. My strap has slipped at least 9 or 10 times being gentle w/it. I think you'd be alright using this guitar w/out a back-up.

i've dealt with both Gibson and Epiphone before and every single time, they've helped me out w/any questions and concerns i had. Never had anything repaired under warranty nor out of warranty.

I've been playing coming up on 9 years. No virtuoso talking here, but I've played enough guitars to be able to do some educated comparison. Best Epiphone in the Hollow or semi-hollowbody family that I've ever played or owned. I love Epiphones because not only are they cheap but they are well known enough to have been played by legends. of course, I'll agree the quality was different back then. Kind of iconic playing one. I also own a john lennon ej-160e acoustic/electric that I bought used that sounds great, and an old Epiphone Ft-135 acoustic that is one of my faves.
I love this guitar for its superb tone and it's aesthetics . One thing I wish they could have done differently was to provide different tuning machines. Maybe Grovers ( sheesh I sound like every other Epi owner syaing that!)
This guitar beat the 335 Dot bar none in versatility and good natural tones. The Dot has it's own merits (ie: good sustain, quieter electronics) but like I said, the Casino's lack of sustain doesnt detract from all the great qualities it has to offer in contrast to the Dot.

Made in 2000 or 2001, in Korea. It's a hollow body, no solid block in the middle, just like a Gibson ES-330, without the ridiculous price. The body is made from laminated maple I believe, with a mahogany neck. It's also a "lefty" and you all don't know how difficult it is to find left handed guitars without special ordering and paying lots of extra bucks just because it's a left handed guitar. The finish is called "vintage cherry sunburst" and it looks beautiful. Two P-90 pick-ups, with two volume and two tone controls. Pick-ups sound great to me, I doubt I'll replace them unless they develop some problem in the future. Unknown brand of tuners, seems to stay in tune, but will probably replace these in the near future, along with the pots and selector switch. I haven't had any problems with them, but since most everyone else has stated they've had problems, I'll upgrade soon. The neck is nice and thin and feels and plays great. I bought the guitar from the Musician's Friend website and the price was reduced because it was a "refurb". When I received the guitar it was stamped "2nd" on the back of the headstock. I've looked it over very thoroughly and I'll be damned if I can find anything wrong with it. Although I've read that some people don't like the big "E" on the pickguard, I think it's cool. I've been an Epiphone fan since my neighbor played one in the early 60's. I've found that they make a great guitar for the money. The few areas where they have had to cut back to keep the price low, i.e. electronics, can be remedied for a few bucks and then you have a fine instrument at a sensible price. No Gibson I've ever played was $1,500 to $2,000 better than this guitar. I gave it a 9 because of that damn "2nd" stamped on the back of the headstock.

I knew this guitar would sound great when playing old Beatles and Byrds, a nice bright sound, but I was surprised at how good it sounds when overdriven. I play most everything from the 60's and early 70's and it even sounds pretty good when playing Hendrix and Clapton. You have to stay far away from the amp though cause it will definitely "feed back" with the hollow body. Not much sustain, but that is to be expected with a true hollow body.

I bought this from the Musicans Friend website. It came by UPS and I received it two weeks earier than promised....can you imagine? As I stated previously it was listed as a "refurb" and stamped as a "2nd". I can find nothing wrong with the guitar. The frets seem to have been dressed, because they don't tear up your fingers the way alot of Korean guitars do, the edges are nice and smooth, much better than on my Fender Strat...had to have the frets filed on that. Maybe the reason I haven't had any problems with the selector switch is that they replaced it during the "refurb"? Maybe they filed the frets during the "refurb" too? Who knows, but I'm not complaining, it's a great playing and sounding guitar. If getting a "refurb" guitar means they fixed things that were wrong, I'll always buy a "refurb" in the future. There is one small, and I mean small, spot on the back of the guitar, which appears to be a "knot" in the wood. It is completely smooth, I guess that poly finish will cover any imperfection and it doesn't affect the playability or the looks. Also, the fret markers have not had a bunch of filler applied. I noticed only two which could have used some filler, but I'm not complaining, the small gaps don't affect the playability and I don't like all of that filler crap smeared all over the fret board. The action is good, although I'll have it set up at the German Village Music Shop where they work magic on new or old guitars. My rating is given based upon what this guitar is. You know like Slick Willie said...it depends on what your definition of "is", is. I'd give it a 7 if it was put out by the Gibson Custom Shop. But since it was made in Korea, (probably at the Samick factory), shipped to somewhere in the U.S.A., where some guy checked it out, then shipped to Oregon, where my friends at Musician's Friend allegedly checked it out again and then shipped it to me.... considering ALL of that, it's an easy 9.

I'm sure it would withstand live playing, if you were careful with it. Like any hollow body, it's not intended to be used like you were playing with the Who. The finish seems to be pretty tough...typical poly finish. Strap buttons seem solid. The hardware is OK, but they have to cut back somewhere considering the price...this is probably where they did it. You can replace the buttons, tuners, pots and selector switch for a little bit of nothing. If that's done, I can't imagine anyone having a complaint about this beautiful instrument. I haven't played a gig in around 30 years and I only had one guitar back then....so I had no choice, but I imagine it would be a good idea to have a back up.

Haven't dealt with them, but there's a lifetime warranty on the guitar...not sure what that means....they probably have so many restrictions, the warranty may be worthless.

I've been playing off and on for 35 years. I also have a Fender American Standard Stratocaster, an Epiphone G-400, and a Crate GFX212 amp. I really like this guitar, it gives me the sounds I want and plays great. I wouldn't change anything about the guitar. This has become my favorite guitar, particularly since I can't just pick it up and play without having to use the amp. I play for my own enjoyment and the annoyance of my neighbors and this guitar is fun to play. I could afford to buy a Gibson, but I just don't see that much better quality for the price. Maybe if I was a professional musician... but since I'm not, I'll keep on playing Epiphones. Remember, all ratings here are for an Epiphone, not a Gibson Custom Shop model.

Purchased new in 1985 for $595 Australian. I asume it was made in Japan. It has all the standard Casino features in a cherry finish. It came in a acoustic style hard case, made for it, very rugged construction ... velvet lined and with Epiphone embosed in gold (well not gold but...) on the case.

The sound is exellent! Perfect for many different styles of music. you can get great tonal range from the p90's .. perfect for soft mellow jazz .. great bluesy sound fom the neck pickup with a beautiful p90 ring to the note, sounds great muted or semi-muted too .. Its has a great rock sound too, the bridge pickup delivers a crisp sharp note great for rock riffs. I play my Casino through a 130 watt tube amp. (music man 212 hd one thirty) when the pre amp is turned up this guitar just rocks! I tend to play with the tone controls down (enck pickup set to 4, bridge pickup set to 7) I believe that it comes into its own at those settings, perfect for the roar rock sound I like so much, tho i do alter the sound when its needed. Overall you would be hard pressed to get a better soundng guitar than this. It is increadable value for money.

The guitar wasn't set up too well when I got it ( or maybe it was just me, afterall this was the first "real" guitar I had purshased). So I spent some time tweaking the bridge and the neck. The nut is a bit sus ... cheap plastic .. the switch ... well I've read a lot of complaints about the switch on the Korean made Casinos not operating or causing static, but I have never had any trouble with it on my guitar, and have never needed to alter or even clean it at any stage. The picks do hum a bit when close to diferent electical sources .. just a matter of positioning yourself away from them ( unless you know a way of eliminating it all together, though I dont mind, it means it works! ). The thin neck is exelent to play exspecially for people with stumpy little fingers like me :) ... From what I've read the detailing is better on earlier models like mine. The only other problem I've had is some corrosion and tarnish on the trapese and the bridge pickup .. but thats what you get prom playing in a hot gararge in the middle of summer and not cleaning your guitar afterwards .. I suggest you take good care of your Casino ... it is a quality instrament and taken care of will outlast your lifetime. The action is good ... I'm not the greatest gutarist, but this one fits my hands nicely .. and it looks good on me too !

With the amp is cranked up it will feedback .. o.k. if you want that .. good for those last cords that you use the switch to cut in and out ... The pots are huge wire wound .. top quality .. the switch as I said before I have never had trouble with .. p90's .. well the're p90's buzz a little but exellent sound ... tuning heads on mine are exellent. I dont know what type they are but are smooth to operate and the guitar stays in tune for a long time. strap buttons seem solid enouth though thay are big and a cheap strap can come off if not carefull .. I suggest you use one that will fit it properly to avoid this. It is a very dependable guitar and it is the only electric I use live, though I do also use an acoustic as well.

I didn't realise there was customer support at the time of purchase.
It has never needed repairs (just a little tweaking)
It has a lfetime warrenty

I have been playing 21 years now ( oh god is it that long )i also own a Kramer Ferrington ... its an acoustic with pickup and controls ... that I'm not happy with and intend to sell ... and my amp is a music man 212 hd one thirty. It's a gutsy tube amp which is excellent with the casino. If my casino was lost or stolen? I would try to buy another one from the 80's again. From the sound of the Korean Casino's they just dont match it to the jap Casino's ( tho I'm sure the sound is no dfferent :) I wouldn't compare it to anythign else, it is a unique guitar, and I'm not really interested in anything else ... own one! And you'll see why.