NGD- Epiphone Casino

[ataylor]

Despite its iconic status, I think the Casino is underrated and deceptively versatile. I personally think it's the definitive P-90 guitar and makes a great complement to other iconic guitars — like that Telecaster in the photo.

Great minds think alike — my two electrics are also a Tele and a Casino

[Ralph124C41]

Sorry, but shouldn't this post be best suited for the Electric Guitars subforum? Is it, after all, primarily known for its amplified sound.

BTW, I had a somewhat similar guitar in the same finish ... the Epiphone Sheraton II. It sounded great ... but its neck felt like a giant slab of wood and was really uncomfortable for me. I ended up putting it up for consignment and sold it.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

The new Peter Jackson "Get Back" documentary must be selling a huge number of Casinos.

I bought a brand new one when the FIRST Get Back movie came out.

If the OP goes out and gets a rosewood Tele we'll know for sure!

One word of warning there: I remember picking one off the display nook years ago. Even though I believe the body isn't solid rosewood, it was heavy.

[PerryE]

I am sorry - maybe this should have been in the electric guitar subform. However - it is really extremely loud even without amplification so I suppose it is almost OK



I have been playing my Casino more or less nonstop since I bought it and it is more than even hoped for. To the comment above about getting a rosewood Telecaster - never going to happen since my Butterscotch Blonde plays is perfect. low action, perfect neck and couldn't be better. I do have to say that the Rosewood looks nice but nothing beats a Butterscotch



I have been fiddling with my Katana and the tone is shaping up nicely. I have a Boss NS and Keeley Compressor pedal before and then I have tweaked the EQ, tone and added a touch of reverb and delay. Mainly use the neck pickup since this is what I enjoy for now



A good compromise between a 335 and a proper George Benson jazz guitar - having Flatwounds in 11-50 gives a totally different feeling



Right now I am playing Wildwood by Paul Weller and works fine with that kind of music as well. Tomorrow I will switch to my Yamaha LL16 and compare



Again - this has been an excellent addition to my instruments! My selection of a Rozini classical nylon string, Yamaha LL16 steel string, Telecaster and now a Casino couldn't be better! My main instrument is piano however and my 1958 Grotrian-Steinweg I have had since 1979 will be neglected during the next few days I believe


Wow - now I checked the links DeRosa included. Great information but far too advanced for me! I am just 5 years into my guitar journey and although I am pretty serious in my approach I am still a beginner. I want to be a solid rhythm player and do the occasional solo in the bluegrass band I am playing. My first generation 50w Katana has loads of possibilities that I am still trying to unlock. My steel string LL16 through the Katana doesn’t sound too bad - even better with my TCH Play acoustic that I seldom use.

I have the gear I need now - need to learn to use what I have

I was either going to buy a 00-size steel-string or a hollow electric guitar since I needed something more comfortable. It happened to be this Casino which will do for now.

[PerryE]

Short update - have been playing it every day since I bought it but is beginning to change my mind regarding strings. Now I have Daddario Chrome flat wounds in 11-50 with a wound g-string. Action could come down a little bit but will probably switch to nickel-wounds 10-54. I really want to have something easier to bend and a brighter sound.

Will give it to a guitar tech tomorrow and hope for the best!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by PerryE

Short update - have been playing it every day since I bought it but is beginning to change my mind regarding strings. Now I have Daddario Chrome flat wounds in 11-50 with a wound g-string. Action could come down a little bit but will probably switch to nickel-wounds 10-54. I really want to have something easier to bend and a brighter sound.

Will give it to a guitar tech tomorrow and hope for the best!

Perry, congrats on the Casino! Yea, there's no way my fingers would survive a wound G string with the amount of bending I do. Same with an 11 set.

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by PerryE

Short update - have been playing it every day since I bought it but is beginning to change my mind regarding strings. Now I have Daddario Chrome flat wounds in 11-50 with a wound g-string. Action could come down a little bit but will probably switch to nickel-wounds 10-54. I really want to have something easier to bend and a brighter sound.

Will give it to a guitar tech tomorrow and hope for the best!

Nobody on the Electric guitar sub forum knows flatwounds and their benefits to certain guitars better than Steve DeRosa. Period.

But, they are an acquired taste, like escargot. Lower action? OK, I get the physics’s of the shape vibrating in a different space. The TAK-TAK-TAK sound they make, reminiscent of the fifties and early sixties semi hollow guitar slingers and jazzers has its allure to some, I’m sure.

So don’t feel like you are giving up the ghost, Perry. Variety is the spice of life!
And if the string height is on your mind, go with a set of 10-48 or 9.5-46’s. You don’t need a 54 on the bottom. It’s an electric guitar after all, not a dreadnaught!

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Nobody on the Electric guitar sub forum knows flatwounds and their benefits to certain guitars better than Steve DeRosa. Period.

But, they are an acquired taste, like escargot. Lower action? OK, I get the physics’s of the shape vibrating in a different space. The TAK-TAK-TAK sound they make, reminiscent of the fifties and early sixties semi hollow guitar slingers and jazzers has its allure to some, I’m sure.

So don’t feel like you are giving up the ghost, Perry. Variety is the spice of life!
And if the string height is on your mind, go with a set of 10-48 or 9.5-46’s. You don’t need a 54 on the bottom. It’s an electric guitar after all, not a dreadnaught!

I had 10-46s on my Historic Gibson ES-330 and they sounded great. Just like any other guitar, the Casino needs to be set up for the strings that the OP is going to use. I sold my ES-330 to buy my Gretsch 6120T '55VS, but I wish I never sold it because it sounded great. Just couldn't afford to keep it! I didn't like flatwounds on that ES-330. The strings I used were Pyramid Maximum Performance.

https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/pyr...ght-10-46.html

[PerryE]

Just left it at the guitar shop and they will make a complete overhaul and optimize for 10-46 nickel wounds and as low action as possible. Playing should not be a struggle

I can make quite big changes of the tone using my Katana amp

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by PerryE

Just left it at the guitar shop and they will make a complete overhaul and optimize for 10-46 nickel wounds and as low action as possible. Playing should not be a struggle

I can make quite big changes of the tone using my Katana amp

Let us know how it goes. When are you getting the Casino back?

[PerryE]

Maximum two weeks- probably earlier. The plan is to have it optimized for easy playability since I hope it will be easier to bend with control and less force

Will get back for sure !

[rmp]

loading 10s on there and getting away from the heavier flatwounds for that is a good call for both playability and for tone.

P90s just have a "snap" about them that you would definitely loose with flatwound strings.

I think you will be very happy with the transformation.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by rmp

...P-90s just have a "snap" about them that you would definitely lose with flatwound strings...

Got three P-90 guitars in my stable - Godin CW II, Gibson LP Studio '60s Tribute (limited-edition goldtop), and a Carlo Robelli (Sam Ash house brand, this one made by Peerless) '53 ES-5 knockoff - all with flatwounds of varying gauges...

Run them through a variety of tube and solid-state amps - Bugera V5/V22, Randall RB-120 "gray-stripe" 1x15" combo, Fender '65 Super RI/Frontman 212R, '64 Ampeg Rocket, '80s Peavey Studio Pro 60...

Godin serves as backup for my Gretsch 5622 all-arounder, LP goldie is my classic rock and surf axe...

Can't seem to find that missing "snap" you're talking about...

[VoidBringer]

I'm not sure if it was addressed in the series, but that Casino was the same that John played earlier in his career. The natural finish was just the normal finish sanded down. Always thought that was cool.

[seannx]

In the last 40 minutes or so of part three of the new Beatles documentary, when they are playing on the roof, you can see and hear John playing the guitar lead part on three or so takes of “Get Back” on his Casino, through a Fender amp. Such a great sound!