Epiphone Casino Hollowbody Electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

I love all guitars. I've owned guitars ranging from cheap/budget-friendly Squiers to Fender Custom shops and Signature Artist Models — all of which were fantastic in their own way; and all of which, however, are now gone. Guitars come and go… well to me at least haha. Ive learned along the way that more expensive guitars and bigger, "better" brand name guitars aren't always better.

I've always been on the hunt for "The" guitar for every guitar type category: Strats, 335s, 330s, SGs, Teles, etc. I have my dream Strat, which is actually just a simple first edition, made in 2011, Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster (alder/rosewood version) that's been partscastered to my exact liking — although it still retains some of its original mojo from the factory. This Casino, though… mannnn, oh, man. I'm very sure (convinced — rather) that I've found "The" 330-style guitar for me. It's so simple yet so effective… and the best part? I didn't need to change a single thing on mine (besides swapping out the knobs for aesthetic reasons). I "house" mine in an Epiphone E519 hardshell case. The two are meant to be together, and this Casino is meant for me. Hands down the best 330-esque guitar I've ever had the pleasure of playing and now owning!

I will honestly say, this guitar blew away any expectations I had, it has growl, it has punch, but it also has soft, and mellow. Whether it be a smooth jazz, punk, R&B, The Beatles, The Stones, 50's era through the 2000's it does everything.

I bought this about 3 months ago, and so far, it's become my "go to" guitar. The playablity is outstanding, and it sounds killer. The P90s are as advertised, and just the sounds that I can get coming out of it, without having to layer effects make it so easy to play different genres of music without having to heavily modify your tone.

Another thing about it is the looks. I was worried that it might not look so great with just the natural finish, but it's beautiful.

The Chinese made Epiphone Casino plays and sounds as good as any electric six string I own or have played. I buy US or German made instruments almost exclusively, but I took a chance on this Casino.
The closest guitar I have to it is a Gibson Custom Shop ES 335. The Casino plays as easy/fast and sounds every bit as good as the ES 335. I would not have believed this if I didn't compare them side-by-side through the same Fender Twin Reverb amp. Straight out of the box from Sweetwater, the intonation and low action were perfect. The Epiphone in the photo has the "Gibson" strings that came with it; the Gibson has brand new D'Addario's. I am a guitarist, not a technician.
I cannot understand how Epiphone can make and sell such a quality instrument that sells for $. My local guitar shop friends, all with many years of experience with all makes and ages of guitars, tell me that the Epiphone likely has cheaper hardware than the Gibson. Logically that makes sense, but I discern no difference other than the Gibson weighs more. I also bought the recommended hardshell Epiphone case for $. This case fits the Casino perfectly and is considerably
superior to the rectangular hardshell cases I have had to buy in the past for about $, because some other guitars came with only a "gig bag". This Epiphone Casino has exceeded any expectations I could dream of. Now I'm wondering what it would be like to play a US made Casino?

First a big thank you to Andy Rice, my Sales Rep and the crew at Sweetwater. After receiving the guitar I let it sit for a full day before pulling it outta the box and giving it a whirl. The Maple top is beautiful and when it's in your hands you can see some nice figuring on the body. The fretboard plays fast and the Indian Laurel fretboard almost looks like rosewood… it's that nice. The guitar need no additional set-up, just a simple tune up and it was ready to play. Being a completely hollow guitar I thought I might get some unpleasant hum out of my Fender Blues Jr. IV. But the Humbuckers are exceptional on this guitar… warm and creamy when you want it. Exceptionally voiced and articulate. Dial up some gain and you get some super distortion for Rock and even Metal. Haven't put it down since I got it. It's a lot of guitar at this price point. Grab one today, you'll be happy you did. LONG LIVE SWEETWATER! Thanks, JD.

I'm a die hard Beatles fan and always wanted a casino. So I finally got one, and haven't put it down since I got it.

First, as always a big thank you to by Sales Associate Andy. His service and communication are exceptional. I feel like he's and old friend.
Epiphone really hit the high note either this new Casino. The craftsmanship and finish are exceptional on this guitar. You can't tell in the photo, but top top and neck have some great figuring in the maple top and the Indian Laurel fretboard looks like Rosewood (adding nice contrast to the body). Love the P90s… plugged into my Blues Junior IV the pickups deliver a wide range of sound. Dynamic and resonate, clear and articulate. And at rest exceptionally quiet. I thought I might get some sometimes unpleasant hum that comes with pickups in a fully hollow body guitar (not here). Nicely finished frets finish off a great guitar. I let this acclimate for a full 24 hours to my house, tuned it and played it straight out of the box. The factory set-up was perfect. Crank up some overdrive and you get some nice distortion for leads. Thank you Andy and thank you and the crew at Sweetwater. What they have to offer can't be beat. What an exceptional Company. JD

As a guitar player and a huge Beatles fan, I felt obligated to purchase this guitar. It is more than just looks. It gets me the sounds that I want. The neck feels comfortable to me, and the finish is smooth. Anyone that likes classic rock or just regular rock should at least try it out for themselves.

Out of the box, the guitar seemed to be perfect. Fretwork was excellent, nut was cut well, setup was good, and intonation was good on every string. I would have given it an enthusiastic five stars except that after a couple of days the output jack came loose and fell into the body of the guitar. I fixed it myself rather than request an exchange because other than the jack issue the guitar really is stellar. For someone who isn't comfortable working on a hollow body guitar, however, the guitar would have been unusable. I debated whether I should give an even lower rating because of the jack but decided to deduct only half a star because it was just a minor annoyance for me. It really shouldn't happen on a guitar at this price range though.