Conparison of Epi Sheraton, Gibson ES-335, and Epi Casino
 

For those who haven't seen this video comparison between the Epiphone Sheraton and the Gibson ES335, this may be interesting:



He is using an ES-345 in the video but he has the vari-control set so that it sounds like an ES-335. What I hear in this video matches my own perceptions. The Sheraton is a little darker and does not have the same treble components as the 335. But each sound is very usable for a lot of different kinds of music. As a longtime ES-335 owner, I was impressed with how good the Sheraton sounded.

This same player has a good video on the Epiphone Casino, which uses P90 pickups, giving this guitar a unique sound. I found myself really attracted to the sound of the Casino. :)



- Glenn

Conparison of Epi Sheraton, Gibson ES-335, and Epi Casino
 

The guy put together a couple of nice videos about those epi and gibson semi hollows. I can’t get over the paint color on his 345 though! I swear it looks like Sonic Blue. Just perfect.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Beatle-esque Casino sound. I have much to much history connected with the sound, and the visual of that guitar. And 335’s are an historic rock machine as stand alone icons, especially in red. Sheratons’ were always the step sister to me, never carving out their own identity.

1995 Samack/ValleyArts Charlie Christian
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...948543e9.plist
My beater semi-hollow. I just love it!

Hi Frank,

Jack Fossett, the guy who did the videos -- and he has a whole slew of good videos on electric tones, guitars, and amps -- notes at the end the comparison below between the Sheraton and the Casino that he prefers the Casino because of its unique tone. I have to agree with him.



Hope you're enjoying the holidays Frank! :)

- Glenn

Thanks, Glenn, those were great videos!

I've been gassing for a Heritage H-530, which is essentially an up-market version of a Casino:

https://www.westwoodmusic.com/wp-con...0_DSC_8213.jpg

Oh wow!

What a lovely guitar! Up market is right! Wouldn't that be a great guitar to own!!??

I don't have a guitar with P90s on it. But I have so many great guitars, I can't imagine that I will be able to explain to my wife why I should have another electric guitar just because it has P90 pickups! :D

It's almost laughable! :roll::roll::roll::lol::lol::lol:

- Glenn

If you can find an Epiphone "elitist" 1965 reissue Casino...they are unsurpassed. Made in Japan...tremendous workmanship then sent to the U.S. for Gibson P90's and hardware.

The Casino is fundamentally different in that it’s a full hollow body - hence the trapeze tailpiece. There’s no solid block running down the center like there is in the ES-335 or Sheraton. And no place solid to support a tailpiece, so they used a trapeze. And yeah, P90s. I’m more of an electric player than acoustic - I primarily play a strat, but I also have an SG with P90s. Every time I’ve been without a guitar with P90s, I end up buying another. I personally like them more in solid bodies than semi-hollow or hollow, but I love them regardless. Such a sweet growl...

-Ray

I have one of these. Great guitar.

Yes, I have read about these guitars! Thanks for the suggestion!

- Glenn

Speaking of Epiphone Sheratons, one of my dream guitars when I was starting out two decades ago was this one:

https://happymag.tv/wp-content/uploa...-Gallagher.jpg

Epiphone did a limited run of these five or six years ago and I was (and still am) tempted to track one down, but I already have a couple electric guitars I don't use enough...

Staying with the theme, one of them is this one — photo from the day I brought it home 11 years ago:

https://live.staticflickr.com/2778/4...4624afa6_c.jpg

It's what they called the "Inspired by John Lennon" 1965 reissue Casino. Gibson/Epiphone had done a high-end, limited run of USA-made Lennon Casinos, and then they did another limited run of those guitars built to similar specs but in their factory in China. I'd just graduated college mid-recession, so the latter was as much as I could spring for. I hope someday they do another Beatles-related edition now that I've got a little bit more flexibility in spending money!

Gibson has done some cool things with their Epiphone ES-style guitars though:

First of all, they've refreshed their 335-style "Dot" guitar — it now has the larger, old-style Epiphone headstock and a proper-looking 335-style pickguard. I believe they've updated the pickups as well. Reviews I've seen on this one are good.

They've also started making a USA version of the Casino, in the sunburst we all associate with the Beatles, but also in the earlier "Royal Tan" finish. They've used the earlier headstock on this one as well, which I believe is what's on Paul's Casino, which he bought before John and George got theirs.

Aaaaand, they've started making the Casino in a stripped-back "worn" matte finish, which is kinda cool in a John-Lennon-White-Album-era kind of way. I have to think these would be pretty nice guitars at the price point they're asking. The matte black is kinda cool, reminds me of the Waterloo or current 17-series Martins.

https://www.in2guitar.com/images4/guitwatch.jpg

Bob

That's a lovely sunburst on your Casino, Bob! As I looked through Epi Casinos online, that's the finish I tended to gravitate to, also. Man, I just love that finish!

Good for you!
- Glenn

The new crop of Epiphones has peaked my interest also. I've had a Riviera in my GC cart for about two months. Earlier tonight I finally pulled the trigger on it. This video is the one that sold me on it. It's on backorder so I probably won't be seeing it anytime soon.

Hi Jim,

Well, that will be fun to look forward to! I have really been impressed with how much we can get from a relatively inexpensive Epiphone these days! The Riviera is a very nice guitar!

Did you order the sunburst finish or the burgundy finish? Both look really good!

And those Anderton videos are really informative! I find them very entertaining, as well. I've learned a lot by watching those guys.

- Glenn

Glenn, I went with the burst, same guitar as in the video. I don't own an electric with mini-humbuckers so that was the excuse I used to talk myself into this buy.

That will be a really nice guitar! That's a lovely finish and I thought the Riviera sounded terrific in the video!

I have no experience with mini-humbuckers, but I really like the sound from that guitar.

- Glenn

I've never had a guitar with mini-humbuckers so this will be a first for me. I'm really diggin' the clean tone he's getting from that guitar. It sounds like it can be dialed in to be somewhere between a single coil and a humbucker. That'll be interesting.

I also have a Tone King Sky King amp on backorder with GC. Maybe I'll get lucky and these will show up together.

Well, you have some fun toys to look forward to in the new year!

I, too, liked the quality of the clean tones from those mini-humbuckers. I can't get over how beautiful that finish on that sunburst guitar is!

- Glenn

I REALLY liked what I was hearing from that Riviera in the video (guitar straight to amp with a little reverb, middle position - both pickups). Fat !!

It sold me.

GC is telling me the Riviera I ordered should be in stock on the 11th, so a NGD coming soon. They also told me that stock date for the Tone King Sky King amp I ordered was pushed back into March. Ugh!

At least the wait for your Riviera won't be too long! We'll look forward to the NGD when it happens!

- Glenn

Your video inspired me to experiment with my Casino on the Revolution sound.....cool beans !!!!!!

https://waynekraft.bandcamp.com/trac...-guitar-sounds

and it brought the Mustang GTX to my attention, and I bought one.

Well, that's cool! Good for you! Congratulations!

- Glenn

Yes the GTX 100 is a great amp, I'm very happy with it....

GC missed the original target date of January 11th for the Epi Riviera I bought to be back in stock. They also missed the next date they gave me, January 22nd. They also pushed the earliest delivery for my Tone King Sky King into late March. Oh well... it'll happen when it happens.

Hi Jim,

That's too bad. But hopefully you'll appreciate both the guitar and the amp when they do arrive. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. :)

Be well!

- Glenn

I'm an old Gretsch guy at heart, but I've always had a soft spot for USA Epiphones (New York or Kalamazoo) - played a few Casinos/Rivieras when they were new, others over the years, sorry I never grabbed one when they were cheap back in the '70s (or the NOS Al Caiola Standard - think B.B. King Lucille with P-90's and a cherry finish - Manny's had for $150 at that time); love the fact that Epi's trying to challenge Gretsch on their "affordable vintage" home turf, but those anachronistic '59-style necks on the USA models (that's not why we liked the 60s originals, guys) - as well as the "Slim-Taper D" (which bears no resemblance whatsoever to its sleek Gibson namesake) used on the Chinese stuff since 2008 - were/are a big mistake, and if not for that I'd own one or the other right now...