Epiphone Casino

New "98" Korean made thinline hollowbody with HSC. Double cutaway, arched top and back. Laminated maple back and sides. Laminated spruce top. 24.75" scale mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard. Parallelogram inlays. Radius appears to be apprx. 9.5". Thin feel from fretboard to back of neck. 22 low wide frets. Neck joins body at 17th fret. White single-ply binding on front, back and neck. However, binding does not cover fret ends. Chrome covered dog-eared P-90's (2), Kluson style machine heads, ABR bridge and trapeze tailpiece. Tailpiece has a nice diamond relief pattern. Great for engraving. Apprx. 1 5/16" measurement of outside E-to-E at the nut,(a little narrow for thick fingered chord pickers like me. So up onto the tips.) and apprx. 1 10/16 at the 12th fret. Dark Cherry finish with what looks like nitro cellulose lacquer. White triple-ply (w/b/w) pickguard. Gold volume (2) and tone (2) knobs with white lettering and numbers. White three way switch. Perhaps more info can be had at the Gibson/Epiphone websites.

The Casino is Epiphone's version of the Gibson ES330, which was a student model. I would agree whole heartedly that a student would do very well to start off on one of these gems. Right out of the case and straight into the amp, this guitar speaks volumes. Great bite at the bridge pickup without those piercing highs, and nice tight bottom. Full definition in the middle position, and great warm colors at the neck pickup. No mud to be found. Blues? Oh Yeah! Jazz? It's in there! Clean? Sooooo nice! Add a little gain and your in crunch heaven. Great palm bridge mutes. Notes, chords, all have air and body to it. It breathes. Lennon stripped his so as to make it breathe even more! Perhaps that is something to look into after I do not care about the life-time warranty anymore. Right now I am favoring this Casino through a Fender Pro Junior.

Gibson/Epiphone say that they ship out the Casino with 10 guage strings. I'm pretty sure mine came with 9"s. The nut was shaped and slotted very well, with the wound strings sitting in their slots at half their diameter. Neck relief measured with capo on 1st fret and D string depressed at the 17th fret - Feeler guage read .008 at the 7th fret with the Casino in the playing position. Pretty straight. However I adjusted to .005. String height was measured with ruler at the 12th fret (w/o capo) with Casino in playing position.- Reading was 6/32 on bass side, and 4/32 on treble side. This was adjusted via the bidge posts to 4/32 bass, and 3/32 treble. D'Addario 10's, nickel wound and the Buzz Feiten tuning system installed (highly recommended) and this beauty does all I knew she could do and more. Great sustain? Not really. But keep that finger vibrato going, and I think you'll be pleased. For more flexibility of intonation, all the saddles were placed so as the angles were facing towards the tailpiece. Also ( I don't know why Gibson/Epiphone does this, it makes it difficult for adjustments as, the pickup gets in the way) I reversed the bridge so the screws would face the tailpiece. Much easier! Pickups, tone and volume pots all work smoothly and are noise free. P-90's noise free? Pretty impressive. The pickguard will recieve static from your hand, and discharge it onto the P-90 causing some crackle. Lennon removed his pickguard...?

Time will tell. I just hope I like the sound of the pickups after they've aged for 30 years. Oh Yeah. Get some strap locks.

As the tuing system has not voided the lifetime waranty, and as Mark at Bentley is realy quite knowledgeable and helpful, I'm sure I won't be losing any sleep.

Been playing at it for some 30 odd years, and have had many many guitars. Name brands, no name brands, top shelf, and basement bargains. Some of those bargains played and sounded better than some of the top shelf pieces. Try. Listen. Buy. I am very pleased with the quality of this Epiphone product. I know from past experience that this is not always the case. But I think, and hope that their QC dept. is getting better. This aquisition leads me to belive this may be true.

This is a Korean made Epiphone Casino. The colour is Vintage Cherry Sunburst, just like John Lennon's. 22 frets, two P-90 single coil pickups, one 3-way selector two volume two tone knobs. The top is Maple, I believe the neck is Mahogany. Its an archtop guitar, with a tune-o-matic bridge. The tuners are the factory instaled, and they seem to be fine. I got it with a case.

I play classic rock, alot of Beatles and this is the perfect guitar for it. Of course this was John Lennons main guitar from 1965 to well into his solo years- he loved his Casino. I use it with a Fender chorus amp, and it sounds fine. It has a full, deep sound. I love this guitar's sound- just listen to Day Tripper of Revolution.

The factory set up was OK, but I did run into a big problem. There was a nasty buzzing sound coming from the bridge, due to the screws being loose. It was so annoying I got it fixed, and now it sounds great. It was just an annoyance though, because it would get picked up on my amp, which was good.

I imagine this guitar will last with some attention. The finish is brilliant and I believe it will stay for a while.

I got it repaired, but not through Epiphone.

This guitar is the next best thing to a Gibson E330, which no real human can afford. I cannot stress the following enough: THIS GUITAR IS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!! I highly reccomend anyone looking for an archtop to get this guitar. Maybe someday Ill put a Bigsby on it- it just begs for one.

Semi-acoustic double cutaway archtop, laminated maple body, mahogany neck (21 frets, 16 to body). Two dog ear P90s A birthday present; given to me as a replacement for my 1964 Gibson ES330, which I stupidly sold about 10 years ago. This is a Korean-made version of the "original" US made Casino, which was essentially identical to the Gibson ES330. The Korean Casino seems to be essentially the same guitar as the original US made model. The ES330 and original Casino were amongst the cheaper models in the Gibson/Epi range. The Casino is now one of the most expensive Epis, probably reflecting the work and materials required to produce a proper archtop. This is not a cheap mass-produced plank with cheap second rate PUs but a decent replication of the original with its own sound and character. It compares well with the ES330. Not all-singing all-dancing, but if you want that, you won't be buying this axe anyway.

Sounds exactly like the original US made Casino/330. A great guitar for blues, jazz or rock. On the clear channel, the bridge pickup has real attack. The P90 is cleaner than a humbucker but with more guts than a Strat. Great for rock when slightly overdriven, terrific for blues solos or for that 60s sound. The neck pickup has a wonderful smooth jazzy tone, great for vamping. You can just drag chords up and down the neck and the sound just goes on sliding. This guitar has a pretty versatile range of sounds, but don't expect it to sound good if you are into heavy metal. Too much overdrive and it starts to get anonymous, and don't expect bags of sustain. However, what it does do, and it does plenty, it does brilliantly.

First the good news. The quality of the construction and finish is excellent. This one is a beautiful cherry, which shows off the grain of the wood and will no doubt get even better with age. The wood is all of good quality and the finish is essentially flawless. 10 out of 10. The bad news is that quality control and the set-up were abysmal! Because this was a surprise present, I didn't get to play it in the shop before purchase, otherwise I would have insisted on it being fixed before taking it home. It came with a PU selector switch that did not work in the middle position and a crackly pot on the bridge volume control. McCormack's fixed the crackle and replaced the switch, but the new switch vibrates at some frequencies making an irritating buzz. It will have to be changed again. The action was set very high, and the truss rod was so loose that the neck was obviously banana-shaped. The nut was also so high that there was about 2mm between the 6th string and the first fret. It has been b back twice and is now "getting there", although the relief on the neck may still need a bit of tweaking. There is nothing basically wrong with the guitar, it had just never been set up! (1 out of 10 for set up)

I gigged a Gibson 330 3 times a week for several years without backup and it never let me down. I haven't played professionally for many years now but I suspect that once the teething problems are solved the Casino would be similarly reliable.

Haven't tried to deal with Epi/GMI. Dealer fixed switch and pots under warranty and did the set up free. No more than I would have expected for a guitar at this price. Warranted for life.

I have been playing for about 35 years. In my younger days (ho ho) I played semi pro in a variety of blues rock and pop bands, but haven't played seriously for some time. I have played Strats but may favourite was the Gibson 330, after I bought that, I never felt like I wanted anything else. I always regretted selling it and now have got the next best thing. I always loved the feel and sound of a Gibson archtop. I love the thin neck and the whole guitar is a pleasure to play. Would I buy another if it was stolen, well I suppose in a way I have answered that question already.

Made in Korea, 2 P-90's, 2 tone, 2 volume. Sunburst finish laminated maple body, spruce top, set neck. Trapeeze tail piece- A Gibson 330 copy.

I play classic rock (Stones, the Jam, Beatles, Hendrix) and some modern, (Verve, U2, Sloan) not a great variety. This guitar sounds fantastic. Now I know why P-90's are making a come back. This guitar is very bright on the bridge setting, and very deep at the neck. Their is not much sustain, though. It also feeds-back a lot, but who gives a shite??? I play it through a hot rod deluxe- ohhhhhhhh, the harmonics!!!!!

No complaints so far, beautiful finish set up decently, no warping, fretwork great, tuning pegs fine.

Played it live many times. Its a hollow body, so done be smashing it on any amps, and don't bother about bringing and backups- you won't need them

Never had to deal with them

I was in the store planning on looking at a Gibson Les Paul Standard, but this guy was testing this one out. Went in the next day and bought it. I was worried about the "Epiphone" thing but WOW!!!! For twice the amount, I couldn't have gotten a better guitar/sound. If it was lost, I would buy another in a heartbeat. Other equipment includes Fender 62 reissue, Gibsin SG.

I believe it was made in 1996, and is aqua blue in color. Comes with two genuine P-90's (not some off-brand humbuckers). Bought it on a Memorial Day Sale from the local Guitar Center at the end of the day. I low-balled them but, as a result, didn't get any goodies to go with it except an extra set of strings. Have always been curious about Casinos ever since the Beatles ordered a few. I had been looking for a double cutaway hollow-body thinline guitar to fill a hole in my collection without spending the big bucks for an ES-335. I had been eyeballing this one for a few months and was ecstatic when it dropped to well within my price rang. This IS NOT a cheap guitar. It has a set neck and is beautiful to look at. It has a trapeze tailpiece and a Tuno-O-Matic bridge. For further details, take a look at the Gibson web site.

My Casino doesn't have a broad range of sounds but the ones it does have are quite good. It doesn't have barbed-wire highs, nor head-banger lows but does have a good smooth, mid-range that I have found sounds great for blues. It has a thin and very fluid feeling neck and with a set of .010's the strings bend effortlessly. I plug it into a Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive pedal and then into the clean channel of a Fender Ultimate Chorus. The combination gives an exceptionally sweet sound with an almost human voice sustain. I've heard others mention that the P-90s may be a little noisy. I haven't experienced this and tend to think it might be an ambient thing. I'm sure any noise could be easily dialed out.

The setup when I received it was comfortably low and the intonation was surprisingly good. No complaints. I leave this guitar on a stand in my house and look at it every day. It came with absolutely no flaws, scratches, dings, or other imperfections. Can't see the wood because of the finish but the catalog says it is maple with a laminated spruce top. The action is a dream, as good or better than what I've found on much more expensive guitars.

With common sense, this guitar should last. Because of the set neck I don't plan on beating it on an amp. The finish is smooth, glossy, and tough. I've had it for a year and if there are any scratches, you couldn't tell. Also, the chrome hardware and tuners have shown no evidence that they will rust or the finish will wear off. I have a lot of confidence in this guitar, but would never gig without a backup.

I'm a regular at the local Guitar Center and they treat me like a king. They will bend over backwards to make things right. Haven't had to deal with the company.

I've been playing 36 years and currently own eight guitars. Everything I have is brand-name (Ramirez, Taylor, Fender, Gibson, etc.) and I was a bit leery on buying what I consider an "off-brand" like an Epiphone. But you know what? More often than not, when I reach for a guitar I reach for my Casino rather than any of the others. It sounds good, looks great, is light and very comfortable to play. If it was stolen I would not hesitate to replace it, might even get one with a Bigsby. Can't say there's anything about it not to like. I consider it an excellent intrument, period. No matter who made it and what it cost.

OK, the Casino has some hum, but does she ever sound SWEET on a 5 watt class A amp fully wound. Play the "Maybe I'm Amazed" riff on that, then try a solid body. You'll start wondering about why everyone wants solid body guitars WITH sustain! Notes on this axe "honk" then die. A solid body sounds two dimensional and compressed. I'm gonna try mine with P100s and report back...

The shortnecked version has great action. Not "too much neck" to control. This is the perfect guitar for noodling on around the house. Acoustically, it's just what you need with no amp; and bodywise, slim and portative- unlike a dreadnaught.

Thin, double cutaway total hollowbody of laminated maple with laminated spruce top. Two P-90 passive single coils, two tone and two volume controls (top hats with inserts I believe). Three-way selector. Chrome hardware. Set mahogany neck. Rosewood fretboard with parallelogram inlays. Vintage cherry sunburst. Epiphone hard case and key for truss rod included. For additional details visit the Epiphone homepage.

This guitar, with hollowbody and dual P-90 configuration is primary a blues, bluesy rock and jazz guitar. If your are looking for a metal or hard rock guitar, then I don't recommend this one. The P-90 have a distinct hum, but they should have that as far as I know. Both volume and tone controls should be kept low, not reaching the upper settings. In case of high tone/volume combinations the hum increases, the tone becomes indistinct and shrill. Not good. On low settings combined with overdrive or distortion, a nice sound can be created though. The sounds are good for blues and '70 blues/rock. By varying with pickup selectors, tonem volume and amp different sounds can be achieved. Remember: the guitar is used with a Marshall, no effects, so it may sound differently with other stuff.

The factory setup was OK, but adjustments with pickup screws had to be made too get a balanced loudness between strings. The guitar also have too be played a while, only then will it sound right. Neck was set alright, good fretboard (smoother and nicer to look at than Epiphone Les Paul fretboards). The finish (vintage cherry sunburst) is well made, but a few minor mistakes, like a brighter stain on the top, a small stain on neck (at an invisible spot, between the neck and neck pickup). However, this is not disturbing. On the other hand, the bridge pickup volume control crackles a bit when turning. In overall, excellent shapes and a delight for the eye.

The guitar isn't solid, so a bit of carefullness wouldn't hurt I guess. The hardware seems to be OK. Finish isn't extremely thick, but that is what the massive pick guard is there for. The strap buttons are small and should be replaced with strap locks, but that goes with almost any guitar. I wouldn't use it without backup, but on the other hand, I wouldn't use ANY guitar without backup. If you don't use it as a hammer it will last for a long time I believe.

Haven't had any problem, so I don't know.

This guitar is a really nice one if you are looking for a well made nice sounding semi, and don't want to spend a lot to get an ESS335. It is lightweight, not much more in depth than a Les Paul, and has that unique P-90 sound. If it were stolen/lost I would get another one or another semi from Epiphone, because of their price/value ratio.

dual p-90 pickups, set neck, total hollowbody

Using on princeton chorus amp, boss effects. Sounds cheap with factory strings, replace with heavy gauge for rich sound, also will stay in tune much better. A little humming sound on lower pickup, but I play using both for a fuller sound. Good for blues sound.

Finish is superb in the vintage cherry, action can be lowered to taste with the manual adjustments, just dont go to far or the "buzz" starts scale makes fretmork a little trickey, best for rythem playing straight chords

just bought

excellent lifetime warranty

good value for blues guitar or 335 copy