Epiphone Casino

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.

Brand new 2001 made in Korea,22 medium jumbo frets. Total hollow body
just like a Gibson ES330. 2 volume and 2 tone controls and a 3 way
switch. 2 P-90 pickups. The body is laminated maple and the top is
also laminated maple (even though the Epi. website says spruce, Gibson
USA confirms that is indeed laminated maple). The neck is mahogany.
The finish is a semi-transperant Cherry with some type of laquer. The
body style is, of course, a 335 style, 2 f-holes. Tune-o-matic bridge
with a trapeze tail piece. Non locking Grover-style tuners. The neck
has been re-worked (thank goodness) to more of an ES335 style neck.
And, they FINALLY changed that riduculous 1.62 nut to a normal 1.68,
which makes it much easier to play down on the neck. A rosewood finger
board. Pretty basic deal here, not many features, but you don't need
them on this style guitar. Case was extra.

I play alot of The Beatles,Eagles,blues and of course a bunch of
Skynyrd. I'm playing through a Yamaha DG60 with 1-12" speaker and I
use the normal 2 channels, one clean, one dirty with an occasional
stereo chorus. It really isn't that noisy, the middle position has
been wired for hum cancelling. Hey, they are P-90s! The sound is very
rich and 'chimmey' in the treble and full and warm in the middle and
rythum positions. Likes and dislikes? well, as we have seen in many
other reviews, the switch is a little suspect, but for the time being
it works. I think the weakest spot on this fine instrument is the nut.
CHEAP,CHEAP,CHEAP!! It's just a little piece of cheap,weak plastic.
I'v seen better nuts on guitars from Sears for Christs sake! Other
than that, the machine heads seem to work fine, it does'nt go out of
tune, even after bang'in on some Skynyrd. The pickups sound VERY good,
there is no reason to change them out(wheew!).

It was set up decently right out of the box. Crappy strings, but the
action wasn't bad at all. But it was professionally set up by Danny
Hoefer at the American Music store in the Freemont area of Seattle.
Everything looks great. A beautiful semi-transparent Cherry. I took
off the pick guard and had Danny put a black switch washer on it
with Treble and Rythum in gold, looks incredibly great!! This is an
excellent instrument, even "for the money", so to speak. Great
comfortable neck and incedible action, plays very smooth. Excellent
accousticly too.

I've been playing for 25 years and on all kinds of guitars(I currently
own a Les Paul Classic, a Fender strat. and a Fender tele.).And I
think that this is a VERY well made instument (save for the nut) and
will stand up easily to just about any style of playing you want, un
less of course, you are Pete Townsend. Don't be fooled by the light
weight, this is a solid, dependable guitar. I don't think you should
gig live with out a back up of some type, but I wouldn't be too worried.
Not a good Heavy Meatl axe. Hollow body = SQUEALING FEEDBACK
with alot of drive (distortion) at high volumes.

Never had to deal with them. Epiphone has a limited life-time warranty.

Been playing for 25 years. If it were stolen (heaven forbid), I would
buy another one (and couldn't wait to get it). A great instrument with
great sound for a great price, tough to beat that with a stick! At one
point, years ago, I had a Gibson ES225, this is very similar. Although
this is a quality built guitar, Epiphone could spend probably just a
few more pennies on better electronics (save for the pickups) and nut.
If your local store does not have an Epiphone Casino, and you want one,
Good luck!! Because they are extremely slow in producing and shipping
this model. The one I ordered I had to wait 3 months to get.
But it certainly was worth the wait!! I played a John Lennon 65 model
and in reality, there is not that much of a difference. Except for the
fact that you can buy 5 of these for the same money as 1 John Lennon model.

My guitar is laminated top, natural finish~and couldn't be a more beautiful finish. Pickups are P-90s, with a tuno-matic-bridge and trapeze tailpiece. I just ordered a bigsby vibrato to replace my trapeze, because I like the look, and the light tremolo effect! The only trouble I have had is the three way selector switch. In the middle of practices, I'll change the selection to "treble" and it won't sound. I have had all the volumes right and everything, but sometimes the "treble" won't pick up, and then it will kick back in after about 5 or 10 min. Also, the screws that fasten the pickups sometimes buzz, but a little tightening makes it sound like a beauty. My Casino also sounds great unplugged! Sometimes I favor it over my Epiphone acoustic.

The Casino is best for rock/country of the 60s and 70s. I can get some gutsy blues effects out of it too, and I use it every week in my school Jazz band. The rhythm selector sounds great when you turn the tone to 4-5, almost like an acoustic. The treble selector can ring in a perfect "Johnny B. Goode" or early Beatles riffs. Changing up the tone gets good late Beatle tones as well. My only dislike is a lack of solid sustain on some "would be lead solo" that I try and play sometimes. I don't complain though, because otherwise, I wouldn't trade this guitar for any other electric.

When I received my guitar from Musician's Friend, it was perfect. They had set everything up superbly. I have made personal adjustments for my own tastes, but the action: you couldn't ask for better. The selector sometimes seems a little loose, but good manipulation make isn't hard to do. Like I mentioned earlier, I had to tighten the pickups so they wouldn't buzz, and they did buzz! But it was only a few turns with a screwdriver! Action, Finish, and fit are wonderful.

This thing will last me forever. The only adjustment I would make is my selector switch, because of the two occasions it faded out unsuspectedly when I selected the "treble" I wouldn't want that to happen in a concert. As of right now, I don't have a back-up electric, and I don't intend to get one for a while...The Casino is my top choice. (Though I have played some casino's in shops that weren't as great as mine...needed big time check ups.)

One year warranty, but the guitar is great, and epiphone is reliable.

I have played guitar for 3 and a half years. I have an Epiphone acoustic that I bought cheaply, but I wouldn't trade that one either. It sounds incredible. I love my Casino, I play a lot of oldies, more new stuff recently. Brings in perfect Beatles (clear tones) good Oasis (with distortion) and good jazz and blues. It covers a great variety of styles...what else can I say? I've played other guitars, Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, Rickenbacker <--nice! but they don't compare to the acoustic yet so electric tones.
any questions, feel free to email me! peterburd@cs.com

Probably made in year 2000 and supposedly from Korea but had a sticker saying "100% Inspected and Setup in USA by Epiphone". Cherry body with white pick guard. They've discontinued the Vintage Sunburst color..too bad that was my first choice but the cherry turned out beautiful. 3-way selector for 2 P90s (single coils), 2 volume and 2 tone controls. Tune-o-matic bridge, silver hardware. Epiphone hardcase was $69 extra. Light weight axe. Comfortable. Reasonable fair price for the given features, quality, and hardware.

I wanted the Beatles sound...clean tones and the blues tone. Sounds nice even without an amp since it's hollow. I use a practice amp, the Vox Pathfinder, which is highly rated by Harmony Central Reviewers. This guitar also was highly rated here and in Musicians Review website. Get the new Hal Leonard Beatles Songbook transcriptions, this guitar, a Vox amp and you get close to those Beatle sounds without being in a studio. Sounds good in overdrive too.

Compared to some other axes I examined at the local stores, this one was perfect..no flaws, nice finish, no messy glue or paint blemishes..smooth surface..this one must've been built by the best Korean guitar maker for Epiphone or maybe it was made in the USA, I couldn't tell from this one. Maybe Epiphone quality control is really tight like it should be with all makers? Action fine, strings felt like 9s. I did, however, had a noisy (static) pickup switch that caused the neck pickup to go out after a few hours play but I easily took care of it by cleaning the switch contacts...maybe it wasn't noticed during inspection? Do they ever hook these up to an amp or do they use a chromatic tuner to test?

If you go to the Stewart McDonald Guitar Shop Supply site (www.stewmac.com), you'll see how cheap guitar components are. As with everything, the price of things are controlled by labor costs, normally 2 -3 times the cost of materials. When you consider, I could never build a guitar like the Casino for $ 600 myself even if I had the skills and tools, this purchase was a value. Reasonably priced for what I got..fully satisfied. Like anything else, things last longer if taken care of. I could depend on it.

Epiphone warranties must be submitted within 15 days of purchase by website or mail-in card registration. Limited lifetime on body and neck, one-year on electronics, warranty good only to original owner. When I had the pickup switch problem, Musician Friend said take it to the nearest Guitar Center store for a technician to check it out. They have a 45 day trial period. Musicians Friend would reimburse me for the swtch repair or replacement and send out a new P90 if it was a pickup problem. My local Guitar Center had no technicians but had the $10 switch. They recommended a local luthier but he had a 30 day backlog. I called Epiphone/Gibson, they said take it to their authorized repair stations (this in not necessarily the same as a Gibson/Epiphone dealer!!). Unfortunately, the closest one was a hundred miles away. You might want to consider this in your purchase of any guitar by any maker...They should require a guitar technician at all guitar stores. Anyway, I fixed the switch problem by cleaning the electrical contacts by rubbing a piece of paper across them. The Stewart McDonald web site provided tech tips and diagrams of the pickup selector switch and harnessing otherwise I would've hesitated this task as I had never disassembled a guitar. I would have given a higher score it there was a Gibson or Guitar Center repair shop closer by.

Just resumed playing after a 22 year absence. Still have a beautiful sounding 1967 Gibson 12 string acoustic (B25-12N). Plan to add to the collection maybe a Rickenbacher 650D Dakota and a Fender amp for another type of sound. Check out the reviews in www.harmony-central.com..really helpful in narrowing my selection for a ES335 type axe. I also looked at a Hamer Echotone ($519 @ Guitar Center) but saw cosmetic flaws. Mainly liked the reviews and the Beatles sound I wanted. If it got lost or stolen, I'd get another because I'm the type of guy that usually replaces a lost or stolen item with something new and better...not knocking the Casino, it's a good axe.

This review is a of a newer Korean made Casino made I think around '94 based on the serial number. 22 medium-jumbo frets. Laminated spruce top. 2 volume and 2 tone controls with three way swicth, 2 chrome covered Epiphone P-90 high output single coil pickups. Spruce top, laminated maple body, mahogany neck (appears to be 2 piece with the only joint between the neck and headstock). Beautiful cherry red poly finish (sadly not lacquer). Totally hollow body like a Gibson ES-330 with f-holes, body and neck binding. Chrome ABR-1 tune-o-matic style bridge screwed stright into the wood. Cheap chrome plated Kluson style tuning machines. 24.75" scale rosewood fingerboard with pseudo-pearloid trapezoid inlays. Optional accessories are a hardshell case and Vibrotone tailpiece. I got mine used with a real Bigsby already installed. I've since changed the bridge and tuning machines with higher quality nickel plated Gotoh parts. The Gotoh tuning machines are much better quality and "stiffer" than the originals. I don't go out of tune as quickly now. The electronics seem kinda cheap and I will be replacing them in the future.

The Casino sounds like no other guitar I've ever played (apart from an ES-330 of course). The P-90's sound bright and crisp but with good strong midrange and bass. Actually, the Epi P-90's sound a little muddy and I plan on replacing them eventually with some Fralins or Antiquities. The P-90's are fairly noisy ike any single coils. I've been told though that the metal covered P-90's are actually a little noisier than plastic covered ones, so I may try out a set of white plastic covers. The neck pickup is reverse wound so the pups are humbucking in the middle switch position. Playing through just a POD and monitors right now (hopefully a Vox in the not too distant future) I think this is the best guitar I've ever played for clean to slightly overdriven sounds. I also use a Teleaster with 52 reissue pups which sounds really weak in comparison. I may have to get some hotter pickups for the Tele now. Overdriven the Casino sounds really midrangey and unique, lots of resonance, but realtively low on sustain due to the hollow body and short scale. I also really like that it has a good amount of volume when played unplugged. that's nice when I'm playing at night and can't plug in and even the acoustic is too loud.

The action is great, you can get it pretty low without much ill effect. The pickups aren't height adjustable, but do have adjustable pole pieces. The finish looks really great for the most part. Around there f-holes the masking job was a bit less than perfect, but that's not very noticable. The finish it typical modern thick catalyzed polyester/polyuretane finish. I'd much prefer nitrocellulose lacquer, but that would've increased the price by a few hundred dollars I'm sure since its application is more labor intensive. I got the guitar used, so I don't know if it's a new problem, but a few of the upper frets have come unseated just a little. It doesn't look bad, but it does cause a little buzzing. I will be getting that fixed, and that's something that can happen to any guitar so I don't really hold it against the manufacturer. Otherwise, everything seems to be very well made. I've really fallen in love with the feel of the guitar, the 12" readius fingerboard is very comfortable, and the body style is really comfortable. I finally have a guitar that I can hold a little higher that doesn't make me look kinda geeky.

I've only had it for about a month, so I can't comment on reliability that much. It's held up for several years so far, but that deosn't mean much. The only things I worry about are the neck joint and the finish being easily chipped (I hate that about poly finish, nirto doesn't really chip like poly). I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlop locking buttons. My strap came off the buttons fairly easily without them. The chrome plating on the hardware seemd kinda cheap looking. I've reaplaced most of it with better qualty parts with nickel plating which I prefer the look of to chrome anyway. Another thing that kinda puzzles me is why they didn't use real pearloid fingerboard inlays. The logo on the headstock is pearloid, but the fingerboard inlays are just kinda silvery, no pearlescence at all. I mean how much would it have cost to use real pearloi inlay, $25? I'd have payed the extra amount for the improved appearance. One other thing, the tickness of the headstock seems a little too thick to me. Compared to my '65 Gibson J-50 it muct be about 3/16" thicker, which means the tuning machine posts are pretty short making it difficult to get more than two wraps of the larger strings around them. I don't get it.

I've never dealt with Epiphone so I don't really have any comment here.

The $520 I paid included the guitar that came with the Bigsby and case, plus the amount I spent on the new bridge and tuners, a very good deal imo. I think this is the coolest guitar I've ever owned. It looks and sounds so good, and it's not one that you see everyone playing, like a Strat or Les Paul. I pay 60's and 70's inspired pop like the Elliott Smith, Jon Brion, Beatles, Big Star, Aimee Mann, Jellyfish, Beach Boys, Matthew Sweet, etc, and the Casino fits the style very well. As much as I like this guitar I obviously have some complaints, and I'm hoping I'll be able to afford a 60's ES-330 eventally to replace the Casino. Replacing the hardware made a big improvement and after putting in new pickups and electronics I think it will make a really good guitar close to great.

Epiphone Casino (purchased new) - Korean - Natural WC - Made in 2000?
22 fret rosewood fretboard, laminated maple hollowbody with spruce top and f-holes.
2 P-90 pickps.
2 volume and 2 tone controls with one selector switch.
I read that someone's neck was pieced together mahogany. Not sure what he meant by that, but the neck seems to be one piece on mine.
Same specs as the others - Included hex wrench.

I play alot of different stuff - some of my influences include: Them, Animals, Velvet Underground, Flamin Groovies, Chocolate Watch Band, Rolling Stones, Joy Division, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, X, the Pretty Things, the Mummies, and many more. So, I can't really describe a style - figure it out for yourself. As far as the sound of this guitar for all of the above - yes, its all there. I play my Casino on a small 5 watter 6V6'er I made, and on an old Stromberg & Carlson P.A. from the 40's with a 4x10" Argos Thunder Column (with those old, lovely 10" Jensens.) No tone controls... just volume! Needless to say, this guitar &^#$@#%* rocks on them!
%^$#^%$ rocks like you'd never believe! Bright twangs and low bumps. Push the volume on an old tube amp and this guitar has no equal as far as distortion pedals or fuzz boxes go.
Feedback is excesive at superhigh volumes, but very controlable and harmonic. If you can control feedback, you'll love it!
*Note to others: If you don't like feedback, don't stand so close to your amp! ...Yes, I realize that always can't be helped.
I have noticed a little bit of hum on the upper toggle selector position, but hey - back in the day when only tube amps existed, hum was a good thing because it meant it worked! - It doesn't bother me one bit.
Acoustically, this guitar is great for late-night tunes that pop in your head. Not too loud, not too quiet, and the quality is definately there.
In other words, I love the way this guitar sounds.

Set-up from the factory was perfect! I'll admit, since I purchased this guitar on-line from Musician's Friend and never had a chance to play it, I was a bit scared as to exactly what I would get (this goes for all other catagories too.) But I was not let down! As my father put it: I... "bowed to the east, stared at it, and polished it for hours." Truely a beautiful guitar. No flaws* in the wood or inlay. *The dark stain around the inside of the f-holes did, however, bleed a little into the finish... but wait! It's not as bad as it sounds! It is not noticable unless I really nit-pick and examine it.
Action and playability is perfect.
I noticed other people commented that their's wouldn't stay in tune.
I have had no problem with this, but for the guitar's sake, I may replace the tuners with higher quality ones just to be safe.
I may also muster-up the funds for a Bigsby for it, and, if I can get one, a tortoise-shell pickguard.
Near-perfect score, due to the stain around the inside of the f-holes.

I haven't played a live show for a few years but I think this guitar will handle anything as long as you take care of it. No Tommys or Kurt Cobains here, OK? Just watch out for extreme temperature variations! Being all-wood and hollowbody, extreme hot or cold or both could seriously damage this guitar, as it would with any hollowbody, semi, or any really expensive guitar. I baby my guitar, so I expect it to last. If it doesn't then I'll come back and change this rating and give Epiphone hell!
I never played with a back-up and I used cruddy guitars back then... I believe I could depend on my Casino.
The finish seems durable enough, but just encase, I leave my pickguard on.
The selector switch is less-than-perfect. I am going to replace it and check out the wiring.
Near-perfect rating because it's not "rock solid" and because of the selector switch.

I haven't had any problems with this guitar as of yet - God, I hope not! It comes with a limited lifetime warranty though. I did, however, write Epiphone a letter before I bought mine, inquiring as to why they discontinued the Natural Sunburst Epiphone Casino, how I could obtain one, and I made it known that I very much wanted one in that color. The response they sent me was brief - They said yes, Natural Sunburst is discontinued but available on one of the John Lennon issue Casinos for... oh, how ever many thousands of dollars. That kind of ticked me off. But I won't let this spoil the over-all rating of this guitar - I just wanted to get my frustration out because I was not happy at all with their response. Lets hope other areas of their customer service are more... how should I say? ...more personable and less interested in making a buck?

I've been playing guitar for almost 10 years now. I've owned low-end Fenders which fell apart on me, and up until now, I've been playing a Univox Mosrite which was given to me in 2 pieces (Body w/ the neck and part of the body detached.) I fixed it and believe it or not, it has been my favorite and best guitar so far... until I got the Casino. I've had it for a couple of weeks and I love it! I really wish the Korean Casino was available in Natural Sunburst, but I don't regret getting the Natural finish.
I was considering a Gretsch, but chose the Casino for the f-holes.
Also, I was checking out some sales on a couple of Rickenbackers but that was still a little bit too much bread for me.
This is the only expensive guitar I've ever owned. I've played on real Gibsons, and some USA Fenders and was impressed, just as I am impressed with my Casino - But what makes the Casino rise above them all, however, is the fact that you don't have to go broke to own a QUALITY guitar. If this guitar ended up lost, stolen, or damaged beyond repair, I would buy another one. No questions asked. I would recommend this guitar to anyone who was thinking of buying it.

Just picked up this used Epiphone/Gibson Casino. I paid $1000 for it, dealer said it was a "transition" model built in '69. I removed one pickup and it had a "79" on the end of the neck. He said this was built during the Japan period but I think it's more Korean. This guitar has features of a Gibson 330 and an Epihone Casino. The pickguard is single-ply blk and shaped like 330. The headstk is narrow type Epi and the fret inlays are Epi slanted blk. The frets are low and wide and plays smooth. It has a bound fingerbrd. and short neck which meets the body at the 16th fret. The body is finished in this beautiful oldtime sunburst which does not have any red or yellows in it. This is a feature that makes me beleave that it is not an american model. It is very dark, nearly black, and is very attractive looking. The body is single bound and is the usual hollow with no center block like 335. Electronically, it has 2 P90 dog-eared in very tarnished nickel. It has a trapeze tailpc with a diamond and a tuneamatic bridge which doesn't look like Gibson. It has more curve to it that matches the fingerbrd better. It came in this real beatup hardshell case. It has the usual 2 tone & volume setup.The tuners are Kluson nickel. Regardless of what it really is, it plays and sounds good.

With the P90's you'd get some buzz but I just shift my body to eliminate it. The sound is very acoustic and mellow jazz like. You can play mellow or open the tone up and get more treble and definition. The bridge pickup sounds good alone or with a little treble on setting 4. It does not sound like a 335 but more alive and airy. It has an older sound like the Beatles in a way and maybe some early jazz recordings. The frets are low and you have to get accustomed to it. It was fashionable during this period, 1979. It's so cool looking and if I forget...it is very light. I weighted it and it only weighs 6 lbs. It makes a very good rhythm guitar. The new Epiphone Casinos cannot sound as good as this guitar. I mainly use it through Polytone amps to get a mellow tone that I like.

Plays like butter and it sounds so good. The tarnished nickels only adds to the vibe. I hate looking at shiny chrome and gold on guitars. This has a relic look but without the dings and gouges. The case is so beat up though. This guitar is built real good like the very early Ibanez models when all the Asian companys were trying to build good guitars. I remember seeing mid-70's Ibanez that were better than the American models.

This guitar is already 30 yrs. old, it will last longer than I will live. No backup is needed, it can do the job very easily. The strap buttons are OK cause I don't do much jumping around.

I have no warranty, i bought this used and it is 30 yrs old.

I've been playing for 40 yrs..play professional on stage 2tice a week. This is a very nice sounding guitar and has the right look. Tarnished nickel. It sounds better than the custom Gibsons that I've wasted my money on. It only has 1 nick in the face so I'd say it's in excellent shape. I compared it to old Gibson 330's and the new Epiphone Casinos. I even tried the John Lennon models and this sound so much better. The blk pickguard cannot be seen from a distance so it looks like it is not there. I like the way this guitar is..whether it is a Epiphone or Gibson doesn't matter much to me. It does say Epiphone in pearl on the headstock but the sound is all that matters in this universe. May the force be with you.

Natural finish, 2 P-90's. 2 tone, 2 volumne controls,...etc.

I picked this guitar up on a whim, but I can't believe how beautiful it sounds! When played with the selector switch in the middle position, it has a nice, jangly sound reminicent of a Rickenbacker, but distinctive in it's own way. It sounds wonderful through my Vox Pathfinder when played with high volumn, low gain. It sounds a little muddy with the gain boost swittched in, but since I almost never use that feature, It makes no difference to me. This baby has exactly the sound that I've been looking for.

The finish on this one is perfect. I've seen quite a few natural finish Casinos before and since, and this one that I happened to get has the most beautiful one I've seen. The action was well set up at the time of purchase. but there does seem to be a minor problem with the selector switch. I doesn't seem very well made (the switch, I mean), and if you accidentally jiggle it while playing, it distorts the sound breifly. However, I've found that if I jiggle it intentionally while notes are ringing, it makes a neat phasey/tremoloey effect.

The body itself seems sturdy enough. I'm a little suspicious of the tuners and of the tunomatic bridge. They seem a little cheap and I may replace them. The strap buttons seem solid. I don't like to gig without a back-up generally, but if I HAD to, I would choose this guitar to do it with.

Haven't had to deal with them yet, but it has a lifetime warantee, which is reasuring.

I've been playing for 12 years, and I currently own a Rick 325, an Epi Les Paul Standard, and an ES-335 copy. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would be deeply depressed, and would replace it as soon as humanly possible (although, I don't know if I could find one this beautiful). Other than some minoe hardware issues (Cheap tuners, questionable bridge, questionable switch) it is almost perfect. It very quickly became my main axe, and I drag it with me just about everywhere I go (much to the chagrin of my boss, teachers, etc.)

This one's mad in Korea, cool tailpiece, you'd think the sound will be old and harmonic no, it actually plays rock! It's very verstaile, you can work with it plugged or unplugged.

It sounded better than expected, this is the ultimate!

It was hand-made and the originals since the 60's mine's a nice lacquer natural finish, great.

Hasn't broken down or anything yet

Hey, it has a lifetime warranty doesn't it?

No better guitar out there

This is a Korean made 1999 Epiphone casino. Natural finish. 22 frets. Laminated maple body. 2 P-90 pickups. @ volume and 2 tone controls with one switch. The pickups are marked Epiphone. The neck is multi-piece mahoghany and obviously pieced together. The finish is a clear gloss, but I can't tell if it is nitro or ployurethane. It smells like nitro and is hard, not soft like poly. This is the Es-330 shape without a solid center block. There is a little 1"x1" block in the middle of the guitar between the top and back, but surprisingly the bridge does not connect to it. It has a tuneomatic bridge with a trapeze tailpiece. Tuners are enclosed and look like imitation Klusons. Fretboard is rosewood. The frets are jumbo but low. Neck came in typical Gibson dimensions. No accessories.

I haven't plugged it in. It came with a loose rear pickup. Playing without the amp, it does have a good acoustic sound, which is loud enough to practise without an amp.

Actually I was pleased with the action, fit and finish. This was a guitar sold by one of those places who advertise on online auctions like Yahoo and Ebay for slightly damaged guitars. It was misrepresented, since the fellow said it was "new". There was no mention of any defects in the auction. I was the only bidder. When I got it the rear pickup was loose and rattled. It needs to be resoldered to the chrome cover. It was stamped "used" so i guess I can't take it to Epiphone for warranty fixes. But no problems with the action or the finish as delivered.

Proably the guitar got a bump during shipping from Korea to the US The bump was hard enough to knock the solder off the chrome cover of the rear pickup on both sides. there is a slight indentation in the finsih where the chrome cover apparently made a dent when hit. The solder on the cover didn't look too good, sort of messy and was probably a cold joint. Otherwise it looks ok. This is probably a minor repair but irritating.

It was sold by an online company that sells damaged goods and stamped "used" so there is no warranty. I took a chance since it was $200 less than the mail order catalogs

I have been playing for mucho years and while in high school actually played a friend's original Epiphone Casino, around 1970. The friend then sold it without telling me. I wanted to get into the John Lennon groove. When I get it fixed I should be able to get a Beatles-60's groove out of it.

made in Korea. this casino have great features.
This is 22 fret, and like ES335 hollow body shape.
But it has special bridge like ES195.
4 knob (2tones, 2volumes).
and 3 way picup selecter.
Fret boead is consist rosewood. neck is mahogany. and body is maple.
My casino has cherry color.
all hardware is consist chrome.
I'm korean.. so I could buying cheep price than other people who bought casino.
Guitar : US $350 Hardshell case : US 50$

It is perfect sound what playing blues.
but casino can playing well other music style.
Rock, Metal, rock & roll, etc..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haven't had to deal with them.

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

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

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

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

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

haven't had to, did the adjustments myself.

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

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

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

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

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

Ditto.

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