Epiphone Casino

The Chinese made Casino I have is just a fine guitar. I paid around $700 for it case and all. I.ve never put any different keys or pick-ups on it. The pick-ups by the way, on mine at least, are just excelleny. Even the bridge pick-up has a good "throaty" sound, not tinny at all. The only change I made was taking off the white pickguard, which I think made my cherry finish Casino look better. That's just an opinion though. I got the case that goes w/ it, black w/ Epiphone written on it.

I play a "Beatle-ish" style. I use a Fender Twin, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and I use a Morley Wah and a Boss Rotory Speaker Simulator. I also use an old Boss Delay-Pitch Shifter effect. You can't get 'em anymore, don't know why. I have a Boss 1180 studio that I've been running the guitar through w/ an Ampeg bass amp, getting all the different effects and amp sounds. The Casino sounds good w/ that although if I turn it up too much it'll feed back. That's single coils for you.

The finish is just great, very comparable to great old Gibsons. I like it. The pick-ups were amazingly just about right, right outta the box. I did raise the screws on the lead pick-up.

There's not a thing wrong w/ this guitar. Since Epiphone sold to Gibson way back in the early '60s, it is only now that they again have their very own designated Epiphone factory. until recently, Epiphones have been farmed out to Samick etc. So the Chinese Epiphones are the best that have been made since they were made here in the US so many years ago. Totally dependable.

Never dealt w/ customer support.

I,ve been playing almost all my life and I'm 55 now. I have all kinds of other insruments. I just got this Casino because I thought it'd be a good one and I was right. I really mostly just liked the way it looked though. I also knew the Beatles liked 'em and used them a lot. I relly didn't, for some reason, expect it to be so good. I don't have a vibro bar on this one. I kinda wonder if they stay in tune good w/ a hollow body and all.

1995 korean made casino ch. made at peerless plant korea. bought it used, today. For $450. the original owner put new sperzel tuners on it. thats good, since the stock tuners arent super. This is my third casino. i really want to say. the second casino i bought was made in china. IT WAS HORRIBLE. JUNK. even unpluged, it acoustically was a dud. The korean ones are a better instrument. My favorite guitar is a casino. And i have gibson les paul std., special and american strats. Oh yeah check your serial number here: http://www.guitardaterproject.org/epiphone.aspx

i play 60's style original brit rock...if you like the sound of the kinks, or the beagles (the beatles) this is it. Put on a set of flat wound strings and play through a ac30 or your favorite tube amp and it is phenominal...p90's is the sound of the 60's. Warm rich tone, that you really can only get from this guitar. i use a vox ac30, ac50 and a marshall jcm2000. mostly i use amp dist. but also really like the fulltone ocd.

well this guitar is 15 years old. actally made in 1994. The set up that the previous owner has is pretty good. has a set of 9's standard round strings on it. the bridge, neck, body and head stock seem good. no manufacture defects. but it is used and there are a few scratches and maybe a ding or two. But i think that i gives the guitar more character. i only buy old used guitars. Because their made better and more interesting than new ones.

These guitars hold up nicely. this is a completely hollow body guitar. and just like acoustic guitars their tone improves with age. ive played many shows with this as my main guitar and never had any problem.

I really like this guitar. the only thing better than this would be a gibson 330. which probably sounds a little better. and would be made out of better materials. but that is for a guy with $3000+ to spend. john lennon played one these. and he was a millionare. who could have easily bought one. so there must be something to them.

Made in China, 2008.
22 Frets.
Laminated Maple Top.
2 Volume, 2 Tone and 3-way selector.
2 single coil pickups.
Alnico V P-90 pickups.
Passive Electronics.
Maple body, Mahogany neck.
I believe the finish is polyester.
The body is similar in shape to the ES-335 (or ES-330 which is what this guitar is modeled after) and is completely hollow.
The bridge is Tune-O-Matic and the tailpiece is trapeze.
Tuners are Epiphone stock chrome tuners.
Rosewood fingerboard with parallelogram inlays.

Features sufficient for this type of guitar.

I play mostly 60's music but the best way to describe my style is clean with little or no effects. Tremolo, reverb and light overdrive or distortion is the most I'll use for now.
I am playing through a Peavey Bandit 112 'Solo Series' amp made in the U.S.A.
Now before you shake your head and tsk tsk tsk about Peavey, bear in mind that this amp is made in the U.S.A. is is a much older Bandit than the ones presently being made. It is an incredible amp for the price I paid with a very nice and deep reverb, surprisingly good sounding distortion and crystal clear clean channel.
The guitar sounds like every guitar sound that ever caught my ear and many more that did not. Great classic tone.
It is capable of a myriad of tonal varieties ranging from thick Gretsch-like twong to nasal country twang. Pickups are very bright and glassy although noisy due to their being single coil. Hum does not bother me at all and the feedback can be subdued. The tone more than makes up for this minutiae.
This guitar covers all bases. Rock, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, you name it.

This guitar needed to be set-up. Period. Never expect a guitar to be perfect when you get it. Thankfully the tune-o-matic bridge made intonation easy. The neck did not need adjusting, thankfully. Action was fine when I got it but it can be set very low without string buzz even with thick strings.

However, there are flaws that really shouldn't have been (especially on what is supposed to be Epiphone's signature electric guitar) but for the most part this may be just nitpicking on my part:

The input jack was loose
The poly finish is nice for the most part but there is a spot on mine where it looks rough.
The wood is very nice with nice grain but in certain areas the contours of the body on the top and bottom have inconsistencies in the wood.
The contours of the f-holes are painted black and they could have done a much neater job.
For a guitar that costs eight-and-a-half bills at the store they could have used some better quality knobs and seated them correctly on the pot (some were loose, some seated lopsidedly). This can be fixed by removing the knob and using a flatheaded screwdriver to gently pry apart the pot shaft.
E logo is flimsy and pointless and should have been moulded or set flush into the pickguard.
Selector switch feels cheap and loose.
Tuners could be better.
The pots could be better as well.

Despite the cosmetic flaws guitar seems well built and sturdy.
I don't know how long the poly finish could last. It seems thin and already has inconsistencies. However, if the guitar is well-cared for it will provide years of playing enjoyment. Strap buttons are solid. I do not play live but I don't see the guitar falling apart on you while on stage.

Never dealt with the company.

I have been playing off and on since 1998. I own an Epiphone Viola bass that is a factory 2nd and must admit that it fells like it was built better than this guitar although the bass was made in Korea. I may just be comparing apples with oranges.
This guitar was a great purchase and I am thoroughly satisfied. I was looking for a semi-hollow guitar and I like it much better than the Epiphone Dot 335 that I was looking into. I recommend it to anybody looking for classic tone.

My Casino is a 2008 model made in China with a Vintage Sunburst finish, which looks stunning by the way. It has 22 frets, although it is extremely difficult to reach much beyond the 17th-19th frets where the neck joins the body.
If there's one thing I can fault about this guitar it would have to be the tuners, they don't hold tune very well and it can be very difficult to tune right.

This is where this baby shines, it's tone cannot be faulted at all! Really full, rich and warm sound. It does give out some quite versatile tones, think The Beatles 'I Want You (She's So Heavy), the bright intro progression part as well as the Bluesy lead solo sounds from the verses. At the moment I'm just using a Vox AD50VT-212 amp with it, saving up for a Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker although I might be waiting some time. However, the Vox does seem to bring out the tone of the guitar beautifully (the Boutique Clean setting is really nice, especially if you crank the gain all the way up, great crunchy tone).
I've read people complaining about the P90 pickups being a bit noisy but for me they've been surprisingly clear. Haven't had any trouble with the infamous bridge rattle as of yet.
Although this baby's strongest feature is her clean tones, it can handle some moderate distortion quite nicely, as someone else on here said, think along the lines of Paul Weller's 'Sunflower' and 'The Changingman', as well as The Beatles 'Taxman' and 'Revolution'.

Mine was brand new from the factory and the action did need lowering a little, and of course the strings needed changing. Only had to make a few minor adjustments to the intonation as well, otherwise it was set up pretty nicely.
The Vintage Sunburst finish is absolutely stunning! Although I wish they'd bring back the more orangey sunburst of the late 60s, that was gorgeous.

So far this guitar hasn't let me down, everything is sturdy enough.

Haven't needed any customer support as of yet.

Overall this is a fantastic guitar, the neck is nice and fast (although nothing beats my old strat), and most importantly its a real tone monster!
I've been playing for about 6-7 years and have had a few guitars since the Casino, I started off with an old Squire Strat, although the pickups were cack I've never found another guitar as comfortable to play. Also had an Epiphone Firebird, which was good for studio recordings as the humbuckers on it are silent, but the neck on it was far too fat an awkward for me, plus I hate the shape of it, just wont stand up anywhere. So far the Casino has to be my favorite, nice and comfortable to play, plus the most amazing tone!

It's a new guitar "hand crafted" in China. I've always wanted one and got the plain wood version(John Lennon 1968 onwards). The finish was fantastic; gleaming wood and brightwork, no blemishes at all. However, I thought it was worth paying for a setup and got the standard machine heads replaced with chrome Grover Rotomatics. The guitar now plays like a dream, the action and intonation is great. I bought the guitar new for GBP 347 and spent about another GBP 100 setting up and replacing the heads. Well worth it! As far as I'm concerned, the guitar sounds great, the P90s deliver that authentic Sixties sound and the iconic status of the Casino is a bonus. Overpriced John Lennon "Special" anyone?

It sounds great, either clean or through an effects processor. I've used the Casino through a V-Amp 2 and old combo and you can get a very pleasing range of sounds and tones. Is there a problem with feedback ? - likely if you're cranking up the volume in a limited space. I've yet to try it live on stage. The pickup combination means that you can get a bright, chiming sound on lead and middle settings and a chunky rhythm setting.The mid to late Beatles guitar sound is easily achievable with a bit of experimentation and practice

Paid for a professional set-up. I was happy with the guitar finish and appearance, but had reservations about the action and the machine heads. The set-up cured any minor problems and was well worth it. I would particularly recommend upgrading the standard machine heads to Grover or Gotoh as this will practically eradicate tuning difficulties.

The guitar is equal to long term playing in my opinion and will age well. However, I'm an amateur musician, and not in a position to assess long term durability. The guitar is well made with simple electrics- what's to go wrong?

I've been playing guitar for over 40 years. I have had a variety of inexpensive guitars, some of which are still going strong after 35 years. My amp is an old Laney combo which has seen better days. I have an Epiphone J-200VS which I think sound like its Gibson sister. I researched the guitar fairly thoroughly and sourced it through a reliable and well established online company

Mine says "limited edition custom shop" on the back of the headstock, but it's just a standard Casino. I heard these necks were originally made for the Casino with a Bigsby added. By the way, I installed my own Bigsby on this, more on that later.

The tuners are high-quality kluson-type (made by Kluson?), the hardware, electronics, and pickups are all of medium quality and work fine. The pickups are decent, not really worth switching out for anything else unless you have good ones laying about. Why put $200 pickups in a $400 guitar? I don't get it, but that's what a lot of people do. Just buy a 70's vintage or custom shop guitar - they already come with better everything for not that much more. I saw someone selling one of these Korean Casinos with better parts for $1200 on craigslist and it just blows my mind...

I like the P90's that come with the guitar, but they are not balanced in output and not too adjustable. I would like a higher output for the bridge pickup because I like that one to be louder. If you adjust the screws too high on the pickup the low E string hits the screw with your palm and sounds less than great. If you adjust them too low it tends to have a weaker sound that becomes unacceptable at a certain point (especially since P90's buzz a lot anyway).

There is noticeable hum with these guitars but I would argue that hum isn't a factor when playing with a band or making recordings (just turn at the right angle where there is the least hum) because it blends and gets lost in the mix. I only notice it if I play alone at home, and even then I'm too busy paying attention to the music than being bothered by a little hum.

It does feedback at very low volumes which is awesome for live performances (especially with the Bigsby to manipulate the feedback). What you can't do with these is crank up your amp too loud or with too much gain and stand within a 5 foot radius of it. I learned that the hard way last Saturday night - it squeals like a pig. Hollowbodies are powerful tools in the right hands (is Ted Nugent really powerful, though?), but if you aren't ready to ride the balance, or you play through some expensive overdrive something or other all the time (instead of just cranking your amp like you are supposed to), expect to be humiliated by your guitar. I'm sure you will sell her immediately to find another victim and someone like me who appreciates such things will pick her up and make her sing like she should.

I'm a huge fan of the quality control of Korean CNC Manufactured Epiphones these days, even though they're not perfect by any means. If you've ever played a vintage Kay or Harmony or even a Silvertone, you will know that the cheap "US Made" vintage guitars that are so highly coveted (and overpriced) now were made with crappy whammy bars, thin and sharp-edged frets, horrible sunbursts, non-adjustable pickups, necks without trussrods or that were just plain horrible designs, bad neck-to-body joints, and cheap nuts and bridges that broke and fell apart (that's why people pay top bucks for replacement parts on eBay - suckers!).

Let's put it this way - there were several dead spots on the fretboard when I dropped the action low, partly because the nut was too low and the frets weren't leveled. The pickguard flew off in the middle of a gig one night, and one of the saddles kept breaking high E strings. But I haven't played a better guitar in this price range for action, playability and construction. The neck joint is flawless, the cherry finish is quality without any visible flaws, the knobs all stay on and the jack hasn't come loose after an initial tightening. The pots are smooth (better feeling than my Gibson SG Standard), and the neck is dead-on straight with well-finished frets. All the hardware (screws, plastic pieces, etc.) were properly installed and the tuners are pretty straight (although one of the screws was stripped out - I think that was my fault from hitting it against a cymbal or something). I think it's reasonable to assume that if you want this guitar to play like a Gibson you will need to level the frets, replace the nut with a Gibson one, and file the saddles. This can all be done by a luthier for under $100, no? It's worth it if you play professionally and demand playability from your instruments. If you just play for fun or aren't that serious, a basic setup would suffice, too. I am going to do the work myself because I am poor.

One thing to be aware of when purchasing this guitar, or an ES-330 (Gibson's version of the same thing), is that the neck is hard to reach after the 15th fret because the body connects right there. So you can't play up high (like in A). I don't do that much on this guitar, but it's something to be aware of. Gibson woke up to this and just reissued the 330's with the neck connected the same as the ES-335. If Epiphone has any geniuses working there that read this, they should do the same...

One last thing. If you want to put a Bigsby on this guitar (which I HIGHLY recommend), then you buy the B7 or B70 and DON'T bother buying a new bridge. I installed a B70 in about 30 minutes and bought another bridge that was the wrong size from StewMac. The existing bridge stays in tune just fine for me, and I use this guitar so much more now. You can get a Bigsby B70 for around $90, and they do not cause the top to cave in or anything like that. For me this has been a 100% safe operation. Just make sure that you line up the Bigsby with the old strap button hole (should be dead-center), and make sure the poles that you put the string eyelet on lines up with the saddles (you can pretty much eyeball this or use a piece of string.

Super reliable and durable, I needed a backup guitar for my last tour and put all the old funky "vintage" guitars for this one because it was new. I've had a few minor issues with it (always do with a new guitar), but I can depend on the guitar and the hardware has roughed it through thirty gigs or so without fail. The pickguard is cheap, so it flew off, but you don't actually need that I realized. This is a great workhorse guitar that sounds professional and I don't have to worry about leaving it in the car for more than fifteen minutes or sleep with it next to my head on tour like I do with my Gibson. Once you've had a guitar stolen, you never fully trust anyone ever again...

I bought a guitar. It doesn't come with or need customer support.

Great guitar for the money, sounds great - leave the pickups in and learn how to play the guitar instead of blaming the "cheap overseas" crap on it. Do you know how pickups are made? Do you know what makes a Lollar pickup better than an Epiphone one? Just because things are made on machines with minimum labor doesn't mean they don't sound good. Some of the best pickups I have ever played were on cheap no-name Japanese guitars from the 70's. The original pickups for Fender were made by women who weren't musicians or guitarists, and each one is radically different from the next. Don't believe in hype, and learn to play your ******* guitar before you waste money on **** you don't know anything about!

Love your guitars for what they are - pieces of wood that are fussy and fragile that may not do everything you like all the time. If you're lucky and you treat them right and love them often enough, you might actually get laid by that pretty girl standing under you.

I bought a used 2001 Made In Korea (Peerless factory) Epiphone Casino NAT.

The fit is practically flawless, it is lightweight, has 2 P90 pickups, fully hollow-body, separate V & T controls for each pickup.

The pups have been replaced, and I think they are Seymour Duncan P90s (from discussion on the Epiphone forum).

It has a tune-o-matic bridge, and the tuners are Grovers.

The neck is superb, touch and go. The action is low. It has the famous Gibson Slim Taper neck.

I also have a Gibson ES-330, basically the same guitar, and the Casino is 90% the guitar that the Gibson is for about 1/4 the price.

I would have given it a 10 in features, but I guess you could have added a Bigsby or something else. It is a basic, 2 pickup electric guitar.

The sound is awesome. Note: The previous owner changed the Pups from the stock Epi P90s to what I believe are Seymour Duncans (judging from my description and the responses on the Epiphone forum).

The sound us super clean, bright or mellow, with lots of overtones. From Beatles or early Rolling Stones bite, to mellow jazz tones, to blues sounds, this is one versatile guitar. I wouldn't use it for metal, but I'd use it for just about anything else.

I play in a middle-of-the-road duo http://www.s-cats.com doing mostly country clubs, yacht clubs and private parties for the adult audience (baby boomers and up). IMHO It is the perfect guitar for those ears.

The only flaw I could find on this guitar is a slight gap between the dog-ear pickup cover and the body of the guitar itself right at the spot where the neck almost touches the pickup. Since the original owner changed the pups, I cannot fault the guitar. Besides, the gap is so small, it would take a thin pick to get into the gap.

I am gigging with it without a backup. 'nuff said.

Never had to use support.

I have been playing guitar off and on for over 30 years. I also own/play sax, wind synthesizer (WX5), flute, bass (faux P-Bass), keyboards and drums.

The other guitars Leilani (my wife) and I own are, Gibson ES-330, Parker PM-10, ESP/LTD EC50, Ovation, Alverez Classical, and Epi flat-top.

If I was restricted to one guitar, I would own either a Casino or a Gibson ES-330 (they are basically the same guitar). I'd also choose the 330 since it is worth more for resale.

If anything happened to the Casino, I'd replace it.

Why did I choose this one? (1) P90 tone (2) lightweight (3) great neck (4) "Gibson" scale and radius (5) Gibson style V & T controls (6) I love my 1970 Gibson ES-330, but the 330 is now a collector's item and worth about $4-5K. Since I double on sax, flute, wind synth, guitar, percussion controller, vocals and sometimes keyboards on stage, and since I often have to switch instruments in a hurry, I didn't want to ruin the 330, so I go the closest thing to the 330 that was available at the time. I'm very happy with it. (Note: Gibson just re-issued the 330 so if I had to make the choice now, I'd have to weigh having the genuine Gibson for $2K or the Epi for 1/4 that amount

2008 made in china, vintage sunburst model.

All standard features - fully hollow, 2 p90 pick ups etc..

Not overly feature Laden but great for what I use it for and an absolute steal for ??350 brand new.

Having now had it for 2 weeks and put it through its paces, it's time to review.

Having read practically all of the reviews on here before even ordering the Casino, then waiting for the thick end of 4 months for it to arrive after ordering, it was with some trepidation that I opened the big cardboard box, plugged in and started to play.

I have to say that I fell in love with it instantly, even though I'd pretty much set it up to fail. I use it with my Fender Blues deluxe amp and its like they were made for each other. On clean and on the bridge pup it rings out like a bell. Neck pick up is pure chunky rhythm, or fat blues lead. With the amp on Overdrive mode, I get fantastic lead sounds in the bridge and Neck and great rhythm sounds when the selector is set to the middle.

I play in a band and so have tried the casino with a couple of other amps - Marshall JCM 2000 again sounds very good clean and overdriven, but if you want to use heavy distortion, then it does get noisy (a bit of hum and certainly a whole load of feedback). And some Fender stack amp which suits the casino very well also.

On the issue of feedback, much has been written on these pages, some of it unfairly, some justified. As already written, this thing will feedback - its hollow, no getting away from it. However, its very controllable and very musical. I've been using it as an atmospheric addition to some of my bands tunes and even the other guys in the band think it sounds awesome. However, if you really don't want feedback at all, then look for something else.

The style of music I use it for is similar to early Verve, mid 90s sound. I can get fantastic Paul Weller sounds ranging from great chunky rhythm parts to fairly dynamic leads - think Changing Man or Sunflower - spot on.

If you want it to nail your beatles stuff from 65-68, then you don't have to worry - but it's so much more capable than that.

It doesn't give you a whole spectrum of variety admittedly, but as I have mentioned, for my needs it seems to fit the bill and I love the fact that it feels half the weight of the les Paul, looks beautiful and sounds sweet as a springlamb or as fearsome as a Lion depending on what you're after.

The set up straight out of the box was pretty good if a little high for my taste - it took 2 minutes to sort this out. there is a little string buzz that will take some fine tuning concerning the height of the strings from the fretboard, but nothing to worry about.

The finish is beautiful, the wood grain is lovely and the paintjob immaculate. I have seen better finished fretboards, but they have generally have been on guitars worth at least double this one.

The white pick guard looks ok, but I removed it as a matter of taste.

I will certainly be using this at our next gig, but I would never gig without a back up, because of the spectre of string breakage...

I can't comment on whether it will stand up to the riguours of live performance, but should it fail I will post an update.

I agree with a number of posts here that remark on the quality of the selector switches on their casinos...it seems to be the trade off for the relatively cheap price tag, again the tuners could be better but presumably, you will have tried and tested this guitar before making your purchase, so if these factors are important to you and you go ahead and buy anyway, can you really complain too much?

N/A

Been playing for 11 years now, I also own a Fender Tele '72 deluxe and an epi les paul. Two very good guitars, but this Casino just looks the business and seems to cope with exactly what I want it do (maybe its still the honeymoon period talking) and being the only guitarist in my band allows me to stick with it, rather than change between the other two depending on the needs of the song. I find the P90's very adaptable.

Its my first hollowbody and I would definitely consider investing the money in another of these as I cannot remember feeling this excited about the overall feel from either of my other two guitars. Maybe there's now a little experience coming into play, some refinement into what it is I'm trying to get out of a guitar - this is ticking all of those boxes so far.

If you are currently reading this and mulling things over heres a summary:

Excellent value (350 quid)
beautiful - people respond to this guitar
P90s offer a unique alternative to humbuckers and normal single coil
Will not cope with screaming distortion
Prone to 'musical' feedback
switches, tuners not particularly sturdy
Light!!!!
Provides a real 'kid in a sweet shop' factor

Its a Casino! I'd buy again, I wouldn't change a thing about it - it is what it is and it's for me.

Standard 2-pickup Gibson features.

My custom strat is my main axe, but this work really well for a lot of specialty work. When I bought this guitar I was disappointed in it's sound. For being used by Lennon on every album from 1966 on...it didn't sound much like it to me. Then I discovered Thomastik-Infield flatwound strings. It nails the Beatles. (Try a Boss Blues Driver set pretty light and play Revolver tunes.) It's great for jazz. It's been called the perfect rhythm guitar and after 8 years of owning this guitar, I may finally agree. It's hums. It does suck that it hums. But it's so versatile. The bridge does rattle. I gotta fix that. Once your plugged in and playing though...
In short, put some high quality flatwounds on it and hope for a venue without much hum.

It's a damn good thing sound is most important. The finish around the f-holes is awful. The tuners were badly set and don't hold tune very well. I replaced with grovers. Neck feels unstable. Electronics are cheap and should be replaced. Bridge buzzes. Can't...make it....STOP!
You can't tell from the sound of it, but this is a cheap guitar.

It's lasted me 8 years. It's not my main guitar though. I don't trust this guitar to be a main axe like Lennon's. I plan eventually retire this guitar to the living room in favor of an Elitist Casino for stage and studio. I've seen and played one and it is very much an upgrade.

Great entry level jazz guitar or first beatle guitar. Then you learn to play over the course of time and tune in to a guitar's strengths and weak points. You'll move on to a really jazz hollow body for jazz and an elitist casino for 60's british tones. This is, though, a great entry level hollow body. If lost or stolen, I'd move up to the elitist.

Standard casino with case. The rest has been covered.

I love rock and play mainly brit rock. I will say at first i played a casino on honeymoon in singapore and fell in love with the clear crisp clean sound. When i eventually got home and bought one i was so dissappointed cos i couldnt get the same sound there was loads of feedback every time i looked at an amp. However after sitting down for a few hours and playing with my JVM410H I have got it set up beautifully to the point where i am really keen to keep it now. the only dissapointment is that I cannot use the OD1 or OD2 channels now without horrible squealing feedback. I palyed last night at a gig with the casino for the ifrst time worried that it was just going to squeal and low and behold it did when i switched it on, but i reduced the gain on the amp and turned the guitar volume down and it was no problem sounded sweet! Given 6 cos i can only use half of my amp with this guitar.

It looks immacualte, so cool!! There is a small buzzing sound which i believe to be the metal bratcket that holds the scratch board in place or how close the scratchboard is to the fretboard that when it resonates it vibrates the scratchboard. 9 because of this buzz.

Nothing has failed on it yet but the pickup did come loose but just a nip up and its all good.

not used them yet,touch the guitar.

I havent played anything worth a large sum of cash yet, as i am working my way up the ladder. My first guitar was a rockwood strat which i traded in for a epiphone les paul which will soon be part ex'd for a gibson but not made my mind up which. I also own a telecaster which is also going cos i cant be bothered with it, i love my noisey casino too much.

Two P-90s, Gibson style controls, Tunamatic bridge etc. It's the same as all casinos

First up, it does resonate if you turn it up and don't cover any strings you aren't using. As for feedback, it doesn't. Seriously. I know every other review goes on about feedback problems but that's because they are using the wrong terminology. Strings resonate, pick-ups feedback. Try getting one to feedback with all the strings damped, you'll need a loud amp and plenty of gain, much more than you would need to set a telecaster off.

Anyway, now I've got off my soapbox...

I've always though of P-90s as the perfect cross between single coils and humbuckers. These ones are just what this guitar needs. Not as brutal as humbuckers but warmer than single coils. I usually put it through a Laney VC-30 with the mid & bass up to ten, treble on about 3 and just enough gain for blues. Since I've had this guitar I've nearly retired my Tele and my Les Paul. The casino covers everything I can do with them and more.

As with any single coil pick-ups it is prone to mains hum.

I've only raised the action a little and removed the scratchplate since it came from the shop. I could see myself catching the scratchplate when going for the switch as the are very close to eachother

As far as I can tell there are only two weak points with this model. You really do need to bear in mind that this is a hollow guitar, so you can't stand on them like you can with teles and a hard case is a must. Also, it has the Gibson style of switch which should always be left in the middle position when not in use or it won't last too many years.

I only have a backup guitar in case of broken strings.

Never dealt with them.

I can't believe it's an Epiphone, it's just too damn good.

I owned an Epi Casino for about a month. Its a very, very nice guitar but it wasnt for me. Mine was Korean made, 2002.

The P90s on the Casino sounded vintage great, with plenty of bite - but as they hum at the mere sight of an amp, let alone of a computer monitor (in which case they dont hum, they go berserk) I found it to be a really problematic guitar to record with. There is no self canceling wiring, even when the two pickups are used together. Being a true hollow body, its also extremely prone to feedback wildly, much more than models such as the Dot or Sheraton, which have a center block.

Action was good, playability great and the finish very good. A lovely guitar if you dont mind the problems I mentioned above

I havent had it for long, but it seemed very well made and exudede a quality feel.

If you dont mind the inherent noise problems with the P90s and can manage to keep the feedback under control, its a gem of a guitar. Its light, great looking and just wants to be played.
If you use your guitar in a studio environment a lot, you may want to loook at a model with humbuckers. I eventualy chose a Hofner Verythin Standard.

same old features. natural finish. the only reason I gave it an 8 instead of a 10 is because I had to replace the tuners with schallers and the tailpiece with a Bigsby.

I play indie/alt. pop/rock stuff, and this guitar fits that style perfectly. I'm using a Vox AC15 amp with mainly Danelectro pedals (with 1 Boss Compressor and 1 MXR Phase Shifter thrown in the mix). the tubes in the Vox give the pickups (which are fantastic, by the way) a great chimey sound, but it's still alot darker than models like the Dot.

this guitar can be used for loads of different style. the only complaint I have is that it doesn't sound too great when distorted. I don't mind though, I've got other guitars for that.

I don't notice any feedback. there's the typical P-90 hum, but other than that no real noise issues.

the only complaint I have is that the action was too high. a quick set-up, and that was fixed. other than that, the tuners/tailpiece weren't too great, but that's to be expected from a lower priced guitar.

I've been gigging with this guitar for 6 months and I haven't had any problems so far. now that I've replaced the tuners/tailpiece, the hardware is all completely solid. it takes HOURS of playing to get it out of tune. the finish seems pretty good to me. it's slightly worn down but with the way I play, I'm not surprised. the strap buttons seem solid too, they've not crapped out on me yet. I always bring backups to gigs just in case, but I haven't had to use one so far.

I've been playing guitar for about 10 years. the other electric guitars I own at the moment are a Fender MIM Stratocaster, a Fender '62 Reissue Jaguar, and a Gibson SG Standard. as far as I'm concerned, the Casino is right up there with the SG and Jag.

I was looking for a semi hollow/hollowbody guitar, and also considered the Dot, Riviera, and the Gretsch Electromatic. the Casino floored all of them. if it was stolen/lost, I would definitely get another one. hell, I might get another one regardless. the only thing I wish I had done before buying it was getting one in the black finish rather than the natural one.

I own the Korean made version. Features are just as they were when the Fab Four purchased them back in the 60's. Simple, yet effective. P-90's. Finish is poly and not nitro.

The sound is very distinctive and very 60's. This is the guitar I turn to everytime I want to play Beatles or british invasion music. The tone of the P-90's is wonderful. I love the play of all hollow body or simi-hollow body guitars, but there is somtething about the Casino that just stands out. I also have an epiphone Dot that plays beautifully, but I still prefer the Casino.

It was set up fairly well from the factory. I adjusted the tune-o-matic bridge and now it plays like a dream. Nice wood-work, binding, ect....... I have several "High-End" guitars and this model compares very favorably.....

Seems solid enough for live play.... will find out soon!

Limited lifetime warranty!

I own American Fenders, Gibsons, Taylors, as well as many other quality guitars and I proudly put the Casino in the same class with them..... Simply the most enjoyable guitar I have ever played!!!!!!!

I won't really go over it since its been covered. Mine is a Sunburst model made in Korea.

The sound of this guitar is amazing. Its exactly the sound I've been looking for. I primarily play blues/slide and its perfect for that. Very full, rich, creamy, and nasty. I don't play out, but here's my home setup. Casino>Crybaby Wah>OCD>Epiphone Valve JR head w/2x10 cab. I sometimes also use this setup. Casino>Wah>Fender G-Dec JR. To be honest, the guitar sounds great with any amp. I've tried numerous amps with this guitar and it was all good. I love everything about this guitar.

I've had it a little over a year, and its been through a couple of setups that I did myself. One when I first got it, put .11s on the guitar, and when I switched back to .10s. I had some slight buzz, but it went away after fine tuning. Out of the box it was good to go. The sunburst finish is nicely done. No issues with tuning, frets, binding, etc. The jack comes loose from time to time, but its just a quick tighten. Pickups are awesome and I've kept the guitar completely stock with the exception of removing the pickguard. Just thought it looked better.

I don't gig, but I may start soon, and I would have no problem using this guitar on a gig. The whole guitar seems like it can take a lot of playing and was a solid build. The only reason I might not gig without a backup is that it can be prone to feedback. Its very manageable, but every venue is different so you never know.

Never dealt with them but the guitar has a limited lifetime warranty.

I've been playing for about 13 years now, and I really should be better than what I am, and I've owned lots of guitars that I thought would make me play better. I played Strats for the majority of the time, and I just got tired of them. The sound just wasn't there for me. I always wanted a 335 type guitar, but I couldn't afford one or find one I really liked. On a whim, I grabbed a Casino off the wall at my local music store and was simply amazed. Can't remember what amp I plugged into, but it sounded and played awesome. I couldn't really afford the Casino at the time so I had to sell my Strat to finance the purchase. Wasn't a big deal since I was done with my Strat anyway. I really wanted a Sunburst and all the local shops had was Natural. So I had to order from an online dealer. I loved it once it arrived and played it steadily for a month. I got distracted by the Squier '51 which became an obsession for a while, which turned me onto Teles. I thought Teles were the be all, end of all of guitars and the Casino sat in its case for many months. The second time I tried to sell it, I decided to give it one last play before I put it on eBay. I'm glad I did, and its been my #1 ever since. The Tele has been in its case since. I absolutely love this guitar and can't believe I tried to sell it. Its so versatile and sounds great with slide. If it were stolen, I'd definitely buy another one, but I'd probably go with the Elitist version this time. Awesome guitar.

Custom Shop Ltd. Edition Vintage Sunburst with trapeze tailpiece
2 P-90's etc etc
Made in China

Sound is great. Blues, jazz, Beatles stuff. I prefer P-90s to HB's, but that's a matter of individual taste. Neck pickup is very woody; nice bite from bridge. Neither is as hot as the ones on the 2 Korean Casinos I had before.
There's a little P-90 noise, but less than from my 330.
Could stand a little more brightness form bridge PU, but I'm OK with it as is. See no need to replace them - surprisingly close to my 330 in tone. Very resonant acoustically, too.

I tried twice before to replace my Gibson ES-330 with a Korean Epi Casino, but the Gibson always won. Just sounded better, felt better. Then I tried this Made in China model and whoa!!! This is what I wanted. The switch and V & T pots all felt more solid and worked better. The neck is bigger and more comfortable to play. Frets are well finished - not one needed adjustment. Plu topcoat isn't as thick as Korean models, either. Sold the 330 (handsome profit) and am very happy with the Casino and the Eastwood Airline Tuxedo I got with some of the proceeds.

Always had to replace switch and a pot or two on previous Casinos. Not this time. This baby is glitch free. Feels and looks remarkably well made. Had to make a little trussrod adjustment when the weather got cold, but it's fine again.

Haven't used it

Been playing many years. Have lots of vintage stuff. This guitar enabled me to sell my '66 ES-330 and feel good about it. How great is that? The more I play it, the better I like it, too. Less noisy through amps than the 330. Of course, it's not 100% the equal of the old 330. Not quite the 3-D, woody tone of that beauty, but the price differential more than makes up for it.

Standard Korean Casino made in 1996. Beautiful vintage sunburst with cream/yellow body binding; scores 11/10 for finish. It looks old but cared for. Neck a joy, fingerboard bound. Completely as made with no mods.

Needed two slide guitars for laying in open D and open G. Already have one Korean Casino that I had Fralin P90s fitted to and listening to them side by side, my newer Casino sounds virtually identical. For slide, the combination of P90 and semi-acoustic is unbeatable and through my Peavey Delta Blues these guitars sound like a dream. Bridge pickup is correctly louder and clips nicely through the clean channel. Neck pickup has a sweet mellow sound but it's the two-pickup bell-like jangle that sounds so great for rhythm work and chordy lead figures. Overdriven, the bridge pickup has a healthy, mississippi-mud snarl while the treble pickup is pure George Thorogood. You will NOT need to upgrade the pickups.

This is how good modern Gibsons should be. Both my Casinos are FLAWLESS in this department.
All the Casino colours are gorgeous, I have the natural and vintage sunburst but the cherry is a lovely antique shade. Rosewood on neck is healthily dark, not like that cheap, dry, reddish rosewood you sometimes get. Fretting superb. ANother 11/10

Have gigged one Casino for fourteen years and the only breakdown has been the toggle switch; funnily enough, my new one had the same prob but v easily sorted for UK ??20. Tuners stable, both gtrs show no pitting or tarnishing of metalwork. I gig regularly as these are dependable, sturdy and reliable working instruments.

No need for customer support so far.

Have played for forty years and these Korean Epiphones definitely ring my bell. I'd always have one. Neck narrowish for big hands but I can get my large paws round it ok. Got my newer one for about UK ??300 off Ebay. Both of mine are of identically high quality and that says a lot.
GRIPES? Just two minors: The famous Casino vibration which is, I'm told, due to truss rod rattle. The luthier I use says it's all to do with wood shrinkage in the neck. I tightened the truss rod slightly and, hey presto! the noise has all but disappeared.
GRIPE TWO, the pots aren't the best but they are ok rather than poor and don't cause serious problems. Bearing in mind the price of these
guitars I have NO real complaints.
If you are seriously considering one of these, go for it; you won't regret it.

I purchased the vintage sunburst Epiphone Casino nollow body guitar made in Korea. The guitar has laminated maple top, sides and back. It has a three way selector switch and volume and tone controls for each of the two alnico P-90 pick-ups. It did not come with a case bvut I bought an epiphone case that fits it really well.

I really love the sound of the guitar. When I bought the guitar I fully intended to replace the Alnico P-90 pick-ups but in a short time grew to love the sound from them, especially with 50's and 60's music. I also use the guitar on country using the pick up by the fret board. I read about feed back and noise problems from the pick-ups but have experienced none. I play it through a VOX 15 amplifier and couldn't be happier.

The action was okay direct from the factory but I had it set lower and went from the factory .10 strings to .11 D'Addario strings. I also had a bone nut installed in place of the plastic one. For $42.00 these changes gave the guitar a lot more resonance. With these minor changes this guitar is the easiest plying guitar I have owned including Fende, PRS and Gibson Les Pauls. I have played it against a Gibson 335 and I can tell you that the Gibson is not worth $2,000+ more dollars. The finish was top quality - not a mar anywhere and I am very particular with my guitars finsh!

I feel that this guitar will stand up as well as any. I don't know about the eletronics but if it all goes to hell it won't cost that much to replace it. i will be recording an album soon and have picked this guitar over my American Fender stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul to use in the studio. On acoustic I will use my Martin HD28 so that says a lot about this guitar. I have seen and played the Elite version on this guitar and would not pay the additional $700.00 to move up.

I have no opinion since it has not needed repair. I also would use Dave's Guitar in LaCrosse Wisconsin for any repairs I need done on a guitar.

I presently own the following guitars: Martin HD28, Martin D-16, Takamine 2003 Limited edition, Fender American ash strat, and Gibson Les Paul. If anything happened to this guitar I would replace the same day! As I said it is the most playable guitar I own. I love the sound and the level of variation I can get from the electronics. I can't think of anything I don't like about it.

late 90s Korean made - factory bigsby - 22 medium jumbo frets. 24.75 scale - 2 p90s - turqois color. Medium C neck. chrome hardware. Previous owner upgraded tuners to tone pro ( similar to LP tuners sbasically ), and changed to a roller bridge. I guess I'm not really reviewing the original guitar. These are the two changes that change it to a stable tuned guitar unlike stock.

I played teles and strats into tweed fenders since I was a kid until I found this casino a few years ago. I held off until I could find one of these late 90 factory bigsby models. Bigsby's add some magic to the tone on casinos - shimmer and chime. Also the bigsby makes the whole guitar feel balanced - you know what I mean if you ever compared. No buzz at all on this one ( original Korean PUs ) and feedback is only when I want it - well controlled - really use this alot. Like others have said the transition to hollow body from solid fenders took a while - but worth it - also the change to shorter scale length. I even found out that I had to change to a lighter pick. It makes sense because your not pushing against 9-10 lbs of alder anymore. Now I never play my tele or strat. I didn't make the mistake of running out and buying an AC30. Casinos sound sweeter through 10" speakers - especially 4 of them ( tweed bassman ). I stopped using as many effects when I switched to this. Like others said it has 2-3 incredible sounds - and that's all you need. It has all the bark and growl - mid position is great - I have the neck PU volume backed off to 5 and bridge full - can also be sweet - bridge PU on it's own is pretty special - just enough twang but no tele ice-pick sound. I do add a Keeley mod Blues Driver sometimes but mostly it's straight into the amp. I also stopped using a compressor after I started playing this - that 6th string bark is divine.

Impeccable finish ( unlike some others reviewed below ) No defects - Previous owner had this set up incredibly well so I can't comment on the factory set-up. Tuning stability is better than other Casino's I tried before ( the roller bridge and tone-pros ). Of course it has the unavoidable 3rd string intonation issue - but not bad - I tend to tune it so the 2nd fret A is on - so open G is slightly flat
( anybody who says theirs does not have this problem are lying or stoned ) - All controls are well done - no pot noise - PU selector is solid and quiet.
It has awonderful playability - the shorter scale length and balance just feels right. I get no buzz - all the way up - I use tens- love the slightly higher action ( bend up the third string a whole tone above the octave and you can slide under the 2nd sring - feels right.
As far as finish - this is the first guitar I ever played ( and I mean over 100 guitars ) that brings complements on its looks.

Finish has held up - also the crome. I have been fine with the stock strap buttons - no need to change to strap locks.

I have played too long to admit it - let's just say I've played long enough to use coiled guitar cables, 64 DRs when they were new, Sunn amps. When I started you were only cool if you had a tele or SG. Strats were cheap and stupid looking. I play in a cover band now - gig once a month - usually a local dive - all the goofy dance stuff people like. This was the right guitar to change from solid bodies to - never would have believed that my tele would stay in its case for 5 years. I never have like the semi-hollows. Casino's are not 'semi' at all. I would never change out these PUs - very happy with it. If it needed to be replaced I would be in trouble ( not made any more ) I really appreciate the look, feel, balance, action and tone - hard to find this kind of workmanship in the US these days.

follow up review from 5/30/06;
i sanded off the finish of the geetar, just like john lennon did, and its much nicer because i dont like poly coat finishes on geetars! i also put in 2 duncan antiquity p90's and a bigsby b3 vibrato bar, and after those improvements, the geetar is much more fun to play! i get almost no microphonics from the pickups, and i can waggle chords on it, and thats a nice thing for me! i done a few gigs on this geetar, and it shines, unlike when i originally got it, and there was nothing to it! i plan to put locking tuners on it and have a fret set up soon. i also need a new case for it cause the old one isnt that good

now that i got a bigsby and duncan antiquities, it sounds like a million bucks! epiphones are every bit as good as the gibsons of yesteryear with a little bit of love! i wish i can get a quarter inch shim for the neck pickup, so i can raise it up a bit and not just the pole peices (that just pulls the geetar out of tune)

1997 Epiphone Casino made at the Peerless Plant, Korea.

Vintage Cigarette sunburst in colour, REALLY beautifully done.
Tune-o-matic bridge
Epi tuners
Medium width neck, perfect for rhythm I'd say, because top frets at 19th + hard to reach (not that I mind)
Came with Epiphone case used, which is useful as I believe some Epiphone thinlines are hard to fit in some cases.

2 volume and 2 tone knobs and switch selector, for the 2 P-90 pickups.

Overall pretty good, pretty much perfect for this guitar.

Lovely sound for a thinline archtop, glad I got hold of this rather than an Epi Dot.

Suits a lot of my Indie (Libertines-y), Britpop(Oasis-y), 60s (Kinks, Beatles..especially) style music, however, I am buying a Fender Telecaster soon, if that helps show the gap which is missing in its sound, but what do you expect!?

I really have little problem with feedback that most people seem to have, but I bought it second hand from a caring Mod so I think he might have sorted that out a bit.

You can get quite a kick out of this guitar, like I say, you can get a good Beatles-y, Kinks-y, vintage-y sound from it.

I am giving an 8 purely because I am playing it through a poor Marshall amp, unless it on an AC30 and I think it would be pushing 11 !

Was bought second hand, and the guy had had it set-up relatively recently to the time.

I have 4 minor problems from it being perfect:

1. That infamous Casino buzz! Where it comes from I don't know! It is mighty hard to source, but it is only a problem when played acoustically (which still sounds nice by the way)

2. Neck has very slight 'bleeding' on it, but I shall attend to this soon

3. Hardware not perfect looking, and two of the knobs feel off whilst playing, however bit of thread-tape sorted that.

4. The input jack seems a little bit touchy, sometime got to give it a bit of a nudge to work, could do with a looking at this summer, Casinos aren't easy to get hold of inside mind!

I think a good set-up this summer will perfect it.

Has been gigged before, and in the past, I trust the beaut.
I think everything hardware-wise will last for years to come, good enough for me at least, but I hear many people change tuners.

Strap buttons are good, not perfect, as the neck strap button seems to be a bit tricky, luckily no smashes to the floor yet, but almost once! Might invest in 1 strap lock for that button (they ruin the look, of course)

I wouldn't gig it without a back-up, but I never would.
I could gig it without a back-up though.

Never needed to contact, however, I have contacted Epiphone before, and I found them pretty helpful.

I have been playing for 10 years now (I'm only 18 mind, so I'm not a super guitar geek) and I would love to play this with a Vox amp!

If I could I would get an Epiphone Casino Elitist, as good as a Gibson quality, but still keeps that cool Epiphone Beatles style (In my opinion)

I wish that damn buzz would go away, and I will sort it out, but overall a very good guitar.

I much prefer it over the Sherry and Dot's, however I would be interested by a Riviera, especially Nick Valensi's.

It's a hollowbody of course, and because of this I am buying a Telecaster, the world's strongest guitar, to take to uni, as I would cry if this was to crack...

Gloss finish, "trapeze" bridge, p-90s, blond finish, true hollow-body. No bells, whistles, etc - as it should be.

Perfect for powerpop/rock -n roll. I play it through various amps; 72 Super Reverb, 59 Bassman RI LTD, and Sovtek Mig 50.
It's got chime. It's got growl (pickups rate a whopping 12.50). It's got sparkle. There's not a huge variety of sounds, but the sounds you get are ALL great.
One issue the guitar had was a low mid resonance (not a bad thing) which caused some feedback issues at higher volumes. Not a major problem, but I had my guy put a little foam rubber between the pickups and beneath the f-hole on the bass side. Amazing response. cleared up low mids and added a touch of definition. I can feedback whenever I want and play it like an ebow. Astonishing tone from this one.

Just had the frets cleaned up and the action/ intonation set up. It plays better and sounds better than most 70s Gibson 330s I've played. My luthier fell in love with it the few days he had it.

This is a players guitar. The hardware (all of it) is just fine. I'd never play a show without a back up, but the back up (Epi dot with z-90s) stays in the case. I don't even undo the clasps.

Bought it used so I've got no opinion.

Been playing for 22 years and this is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I've had a 59 Junior, a 74 Tele Deluxe, 70s Specials and Standards, a 90s Rickenbacker, and a few odds and ends, and I have found "the one". I've had it for three years and it has and will be my main guitar.
If it was stolen, I would weep like an aging widow, then I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
The only thing I wish it had was some DNA so I could clone it.

Korean made 2000. P90's, cherry red, chrome metal parts. Bought used on eBay cause I wanted something cheap $$ wise, something to play the Bealtes on and see if I would stay with it this time. Got an Epi case with it also. 2 Vol and 2 Tone controls, switch and standard tuners. Nothing special. 22 frets, standard assembly line built guitar.

Well my thought of cheap$$ got me a great guitar, for the price. I play Rock and Roll, Blues, and any acoustic. Led Zep acuostic songs sounds great. It sounds like a more expensive guitar. Playing though a Line 6 SpiderII and a GNX3 processor. I'm just a guy who like to play guitar, not a pro. But I know what guitars and music are suppused to sound like. And this one has sound. With 10's on it and no amp this guitar has acoustic quaility and that is what I wanted. Not a loud as an acoustic, but could also plu into an amp. Wanted something to play without an amp and still jam as I got better. Never indended to keep this guitar if I stayed with it. WRONG. Everytime I think about selling this to support anther purchase, I put new strings on and then remember why I love theis guitar. especially at the price I paid.

Bought use, so I cant rate factory on setup. Once setup buy my local shop it is fantastic. No the shredder, not grease lightning, but this is not a rock lead guitar. But I can play lead just fine with this as long as I dont try to rip the strings. The finish and fit is just great. It is not custom, but there are no flaws, or mistakes I can see or notices now after 3 years of owning it. Once again I bought used. Bad part: The tuners suck alng with the 3 way switch, but this was easily fixed. Changed the 3 way with a Gibson switch and the tuners with Grovers. Now it stays in tone like forever. The strings go first before the tuning. That was the best 70$ I spent. Intonation is perfect and I get good tone all the way up to 20the fret. HArd to get to but sill has god sound. The pick guard did need some attention as it was touching the PUP

So far it has been great. No cracking onthe finish and it looks like brand new. I love way this looks and if it ages properly I hope to pass this on to some in the family many years from now. Button and all hardware, once replaced (see above, are rock solid. I can always count on this guitar when I pick it up to sound and play fantastic.

Never had to use. NO

For the price I paid I have to give this guitar a 10. I know it cant compare to other 10s for higher priced/guality guitars, but for what I expected and got it deserves a 10. Once the tuners and switch were replaced it is rock solid. I've been playing since late 60's, but have quit playing 3 time over the years for around 15 year total due to other activities. Not a pro, but still love to play. I have a 52 Fender reissue, and Gibson SG standard and have had 73 Tele that I started with and and ovation acoustic. This guitar is a keeper for the sound. The luther who set ip up said this was the best Casino he has ever heard. For what ever that means, but the is HO. Would I but again, yes but not off eBay, Don't think I could get so lucky again. What I don't like is the feedback whan playing loud in front of an amp, but what do you ecpect from as hollowbody. $375 deliverd is hard to beat with a case

1978 Casino, made in Japan by Matsumoku. This was the second generation of Epiphones made in Japan (the first being Shiro Arai.) Absolutely beautiful finish - sunburst with deep brown figured maple. Matsumoku reverted to 1965 USA Epiphone Casino specs on every aspect except changed neck material to 3 piece maple instead of the usual one piece mahogany (not sure why.) Over the years and several owners, some parts of this guitar have been changed including the addition of Grover 108C tuners, a Gotoh nylon saddled bridge, and a Gibson ES-345 trapeze tailpiece. The pickups and electonics are original.

Easily sounds like the Beatles "Ticket to Ride." It can also go to a mellow jazz type sound or a cool, almost overdiven treble sound without effects. I have an old Jen Cry Baby and the P-90s sound great with it. Being a full hollow body, it can sound like an acoustic too.

The guitar had many canges when I bought it, and the action is nice as a result of a new bridge, nut, and trapeze tailpiece.

It's already 28 years old and the wood still looks brand new. The hardware was tarnished, but I removed it.

N/A

Been playing guitar and bass for 30 years. I looked at many guitars off and on for a few months until I saw this one. I bought it the next day.

most likely 2002, made in korea, 22 frets, no money above the 12th fret! maple top, sides and back, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, came with 2 vol/tones, 2 p90's, korean made, hollow 335 style, everything else has already been mentioned in previous reviews

ok, this is where this guitar shines.....got it cause we like the sound of p90 pickups on a hollowbody...very sun records/50's r & b/chuck berry/john lennon, the sound of the pickups fits our bands music better than gretsch w/tv jones filtertrons or rickenbacker high gains. using it with vox ac15 (90's uk) and ac30 (cc2, regular speakers, wattage cut to 22 watts)its noisy, but not annoyingly so. the sound is very rich......think all good music. theres not really much variety with this guitar, and the pickups never seem to loose that lower mids fullness to their tone, but after years of playing, we realized thats a good thing, since other guitars fade in and out of the mix, while this one stays in the mix at all times. the korean p90's it came with sound good, full, and rockin, so we dont think were gong to change them (thats a first for us!) we sanded the finish off the body, since john lennon took the finish off his back in the 60's, and he claimed the guitar 'breathed' more, well we attest that this is true, since no finish makes this lighter, and even with the finish off the neck, it plays smoother than ever. the only thing we would do for customization is that we want to put a b6 bigsby on this baby. this right now is our only professional electric guitar without a bigsby, and we miss that! put a little analog delay on this, and youre in sun records heaven. with the vox ac 30 on full power, and more of a clean sound going, we managed to get john lennon's tone on the later beatle records! all in all, great sounding guitar. does psychobilly better, too!

factory set up sucked. we got it used, and the pickups were totally out of balance, but we got them high to the strings, and working well, and they sound very powerful compared to our other axes now! the action was too low when we got it, but that too was taken care of when we adjusted the bridge. there are tons of flaws on this guitar, but they can be removed easily, or smoothed over, so thats not a problem

this is where this guitar isnt such a hot instruments, or at least til we bring it to our repair guy/luthier/person whom can do a mean set up on a guitar. this can withstand live playing, with better hardware, we sanded the finish off it, so we guess that doesnt apply here. the strap buttons are fine, but we will soon invest in strap locks. we can depend on it, only margainally, because it doesnt feel 100% tight, like our gretsch or rickenbacker. we would gig without a backup, since we always trade guitars with the other band we play with!

never dealt with them, never need to, since we got it used! we did the minor 'repair work' ourselves, but when it comes time to put on the bigsby, well have our repair guy help us out with that.

playing for 15 + years, and had a casino before (w/humbuckers, from the 70's) have gretsch, rickenbacker, martin acoustic, you name it effect pedal (which we dont really use!) vox ac15 and 30. if it were stolen/lost, wed eventually get another one, if the price is right, but this is our travel guitar, sicne we dont want anything happening to our gretsch/ric on the road, but found this one has better tone than either of them for what we do right now, which is funny, cause the whole thing, with everything is less than half of the price than we paid for either of the others. we love the tone of this beast, hate the cheap feel of how this came, but that can be changed. we chose this one because the beatles all played them, and liked the tone, and we feel the same way. we also get the 50's sun records/rockabilly tone, and we like that, too! we just wish it had a REAL bigsby, which we plan to obtain upon our next paycheck, to make it a real rocker's axe! played it saturday night with our side project, and people asked how come were not using the usual gretsch, then told us it sounded better, and we liked that, since it cost less!