Epi Casino on sale

[tjcurtin1]

Seems to me I've heard some of you gassing for a Casino; just saw this sale price on MF - don't know if it's a buy (looks like it, tho - $100 off) - but thought I'd mention it in case...

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Casino-Electric-Guitar?sku=518295

 

[wingsdad]

Well, it's on sale for the pre-$100-price-increase price..it was at that price a year ago. Such a deal :whatever:

Figure another 90 or so for the Epi hardshell case that fits 335 bodies (it was 75 a year ago), or up to 150 or so for a TKL or an SKB molded case, Guardian case around 100, give or take. But beware if not an Epi case: the body (bout) sizes can vary on Casinos, Dots and Sheratons depending on where they were made, and you may not get a good fit.

 

[ZMAN]

Thanks for the heads up TJ. But I agree with WD, last years stock at at least years price. Maybe the retailers are starting to get it! Those price increases could not come at a worse time. I would love to see what the noised and feedback issues are with these. The Sheraton and Dot hve a block and humbuckers that reduce feeback. These are full hollowbodies with p90s. If anyone has experience with them I would be happy to hear.
And if you think the recessopm hasn't hit instrument sales. I am on my way to a closing sale on a music store that has been in business for 50 years.

 

[wingsdad]

... I would love to see what the noise and feedback issues are with these. The Sheraton and Dot have a block and humbuckers that reduce feeback. These are full hollowbodies with p90s. If anyone has experience with them I would be happy to hear....

As a kid in the 60's, I had a Gibson ES330, same guitar as the Casino, and back then, they were both made by Gibson in Kalamazoo. Today, I've got an '05 Casino that was made in Korea (by Peerless) which I bought used last year, with an SKB molded case (fits perfectly). I've also got an '01 Sheraton II (Korean by Samick), also bought used w/ the Epi hardcase 5 years ago.

They are very different birds. Night & Day different.

Why do people confuse a hollow body with a semi-hollow? (just sayin'...)

First off, with its hollow body, the Casino is much lighter than the Sheraton, and way louder unplugged, and that's enuff to tell you how susceptible it can be to feedback. Beyond that, as for noise, like most single coil pup guitars, prone to some hum on 1 pup or the other with your amp pre-gain cranked, but with both on, you've effectively got a single humbucker with its coils/poles spread several inches apart that pick up the body's acoustic resonance with the abscence of the tone block inside.

Pehaps the critical difference in the 2 guitars is the Casino's strings are suspended over the guitar by nature of its harp tailpiece while the Sheraton's are playing off the stud tailpiece thru the body's tone block, much like Les Paul. Thus, the Sheraton is capable of much fatter tones and 'woman tone' sustain.

Played clean, the Casino is far more capable of 'jangle' and bell-like harmonics (from its resonance and controlling the 'feedback' of the 2 pups with each other) than the Sheraton.

Sure, if I stick it face-first toward my amp, it howls like mad. Just turn it away. Some people stuff foam rubber or rags in it; OK, that controls the feeback, but kills the purpose of the hollow body. They might as well feed it to a wood-chipper.

The Casino is a great rock n' blues rhythm guitar, capable like any hollow box git of mellow, jazzy tones, but can get growly and mean. I s'pose that's why it became a favorite of all 3 of the Beatles' guitar slingers, and has always been the #1 go-to electric for McCartney, the 1st one of them to get a Casino, and Lennon ditched his Rick 325 once he got his. You hear Casinos handled by these 2 at work all over Revolver and Abbey Road.

 

[ZMAN]

Yes that is exactly what I thought. Two completely different animals.
I have a 335 and a Shertaon also A 2001 Samick. I have never played a Casino but I have two P90 guitars. Never having owned or played a full hollowbody type of guitar with a harp tailpiece and P90s I often wondered about the feedback etc. I love the tone from my semil hollow guitars and really love the playing position afforded by a double cut guitar. Access to the upper frets is amazing.
thanks for the feeback, No pun intended. LOL

 

[wingsdad]

Z-
Yeah, I've known, and we've discussed around here how you & I share the glories of an 01 Samick Sheraton II.:AOK: So I know you understand what the differences would be vs. a Casino.

You're mention of the upper fret access, though, reminded me of one other critical difference I forgot to mention earlier: the Casino's neck joins the body several frets higher up I'm playing hooky at work here...so not sure how many) that's kinda major if you like to go up there, say past the 15th fret or so. But as I said, it's a great rhythm guitar, and upper fret access isn't much of an issue that way.

 

[ZMAN]

I don't give my Sheraton much due. I am kind of into an LP mode now, but I really love the neck on the Sheri alot. I am currently looking for a set of 57Classic/57 Classic Plus pickups. Although I don't mind the orginal pickups. They are kind of cool for the Blues. Mine is a Natural and is quite a bit lighter than the Ebony Sheraton I had. Yes it is very nice to be able to play the higher frets without crabbing my hand. The Sheraton, ES335, SG, and my Esprit all have that access.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

The Casino is a great rock n' blues rhythm guitar, capable like any hollow box git of mellow, jazzy tones, but can get growly and mean. I s'pose that's why it became a favorite of all 3 of the Beatles' guitar slingers, and has always been the #1 go-to electric for McCartney, the 1st one of them to get a Casino, and Lennon ditched his Rick 325 once he got his. You hear Casinos handled by these 2 at work all over Revolver and Abbey Road.

Paul Weller uses them too.