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If you're buying a Casino, then you're buying it because it has P-90 pickups! That's the whole point and if you say that you'd like to change the pickups to give a different quality/timbre of sound then you shouldn't be buying a Casino in the first place. It kind of defeats the object!
At 68 I am still learning and sadly forgetting the great stuff you teach. Man I wish we had You Tube in the 70s. We put records on slow. Lol. Wore them out learning songs and licks. I have a 335 and 72 Custom shop les paul. 65 black face. Tele and strat. Still fun after 55 plus year
At 69 I grew up in the same era. Used to sit in front of my Dads JBL 15 inch mono speaker and listen to 45's trying to figure out chords. Was hard to find guitar sheet music to learn from. Had a garage band and made do with what equipment we could afford and modify. Was a diiferent era.
Keith Richards endorsed the Casino in ads before McCartney bought his and Lennon and Harrison bought theirs. I started playing a Casino copy in '85 and that was some of the best live plying I've ever done onstage. McCartney used his Casino on a recent album and was amazed at how different the tones were that he got. The new Casinos are definitely worth getting if you are serious guitarist.
I bought a casino at the end of 2023. There was a partially glued fret and several high frets causing a lot of buzz. However, about $350 worth of warrantee work was done and NOW it's amazing. Don't buy used, get a new one and get the frets done under warrantee if need be.
I was at a local guitar store today, enjoying a look around while the tech guy set up my wife's guitar, and I saw this gorgeous Epiphone standing in a corner. I took it and plugged it into an amp they had sitting in the booths and started throwing out some Beatles rooftop gig songs and solos. Get Back, Dig A Pony, and I've Got A Feeling. The Epi sounded gorgeous, and I loved the resonance of the hollow body, with the raw but mellow P90 sound. Just fantastic! I put it back in the stand. Ten minutes later, I asked about it before they closed shop. They had just sold it! Probably to somebody who had heard me play Beatles on that thing, and saw me put it back. So I feel like I might have actually helped sell an Epiphone Casino today... Now I want one, badly!
I think one thing is overlooked here which The Beatles didn't', this guitar has a major advantage: it is very light and unplugged has a decent volume. When composing or figuring things on guitar, it is a hassle to plug in, plug out, switch the amp on and off etc. A full acoustic is too large and often to loud, and a semi too heavy and maybe too silent. a Casino comes in very handy. And there are only a few guitars, if even not, that offer this 'practicaliness'.
I got in a funk many years ago and sold a great 1966 Casino that had belonged to Charlie Louvin, cheap! Still kick myself! Product of going through a divorce almost 30 years ago. Lesson? Don’t make rash decisions when you’re down and out. Wait. Life will change. I hope someone has treated it well.
I learn something about playing guitar every time I watch your channel, and I've been playing for 50 years. I had a newer John Lennon edition Casino that I sold a couple of years ago. Just too many guitars. But I miss it now. Very playable with a wide range of sounds, as you so expertly presented. By the way, your jazz runs around 7:05 on the tape were awesome!
..I had for a very short pd of time in 1972, a sunburst E230TD Casino, about a '67-68 guessing. Didnt have the iconic pickguard, had different chromed tuners in lieu of the button Klusons..had to give it up, sold it cheap..totally regret it!!
Picked up a 2014 Casino from a Craig's List ad for $300 a few years ago and modded it with Tyson Tone Lab low output P-90's, Bigsby B3 and a 50's upgraded wiring harness. It's a tone monster and plays like a dream. What a unique sound. Great video on a special guitar, Thank-You!
I put those same tyson tone low output p90s in my epi coup. I second guess that I should have bought the normal output, but it's much improved over the woody epi p90s it came with. I also sanded mine down to wood cause I didn't like the poly feel. (took way too much time)
My favourite guitar. The tones that come out of it for the price are amazing. It's great for jazz, blues and some rock. A great all rounder. P90s help that of course. It's not a heavy rock or shredder type guitar and sounds more humbucker than single coil obvs. It's a joy to play. Also you can practice on it without needing to plug it in. It's lot as loud as an acoustic of course but loud enough to not need an amp to practice. A great Beatles guitar too for Beatles fans.
7:59 I played a Casino for years, all types of music from Jazz to Rock to Blues to more modern "classical" compositions. I stumbled across the guitar volume=low, amp volume=high tip on my own while using that guitar. I eventually switched to a 335 style guitar because some venues were poorly wired and the Casino would hum like it didn't know the words when we played there. I also found the Casino hummed with some good but less expensive amps. So, maybe something to consider when buying a Casino, try it with the amp you will be playing it through.
I found an incomplete custom made Casino copy and paid the student luthier to complete it. It had a thick Maple top and nearly 10 lbs. It had a heavy acrylic finish that cracked because it froze one Winter. It sounded way better after I removed the acrylic flakes so it was nearly unfinished.
I had an Elitist Casino. Fantastic guitar and it got stolen. That’s a hard one to get over but I’m a huge Beatles fan and love the Casino, light,sounds,plays and looks awesome
I adore my casino coupe. Same specs as the casino, but with a 339 sized body. Great for my 5'7 stature. I replaced the stock p90s with Lindy Fralin hum cancelling p90s, alnico magnets in the neck for a more balanced sound, Screw magnets in the bridge for a bit more snarl. It's a lot of fun - I also added a bigsby and hipshot locking tuners. It's a gem.
A Casino is a tone monster of a guitar! Unfortunately the fretboard was too narrow and the strings were too close together for my cigar fingers .......but I kept it for seven years just because of the way it sounded! Lol
I have the George Harrison model from a few years back with a Bigsby tremolo. I love it so much. Just wish it had a little longer scale neck. I'd like one between this and a strat because the string tension just feels too loose.
Hi Corey, congrats on breaking 60K subscribers! Great to see the traction you have with musicians around the world. On a separate note, I took on the call to adventure and started my hero's journey on W.C.G.!
I have a China made Casino and the sustain and beautiful tone you already get acoustic can top the USA made Casino. I have trouble to lay this beauty down since I got it. Rest assured, it still has the versatility of the sixties Casinos and for the money, you will get an immensely versatile guitar....that, due to the fully hollow body, can also be used unplugged in hotel rooms.....remember why the Beatles used this workhorse so intensively.
Yep, I too am now a Casino believer after listening to Cory play his and picked one up a few weeks ago. Really surprised at the versatility. Not to woofy like humbuckers is good description.
It's great to hear a review by a fabulous guitarist. Too often reviewers resort to massive amounts of distortion and attacking the strings at a hundred miles an hour.
Great review Corey I got this exact guitar for Christmas a couple years ago and love it. The only caveat I'd give to your viewers is the buzz I started to hear after a while. It was driving me nuts trying to figure out where it came from until I realized the Tune-O-Matic bridge on the Chinese model has a little wire in it that buzzes. If that happens there are other bridges specifically the GOTOH brand (no affiliation) that work like a charm without that wire.
This rarely happens to me, but I bought a new Casino (a red Coupe) expecting to swap the pickups for Lollards or Fralins, but realized that I like it stock. I can hear and understand why a pro would want a ‘66, but I don’t, and that makes me very happy, because it makes my guitar even more of a bargain! Mine has a bone nut, a better bridge, Ratio tuners, and it’s done. A great foil to my Tele.
I was gifted a casino recently. Absolutely blown away at its awesomeness. It was never on my radar during 35 years of playing and workinh5music retail for 15 years. Not even a Beatles fan, but the casino does the job I would usually think of playing a tele, Gretchen, or 335. Game changer.
Nice work! The guitar is magnificent in every way. So versatile and expressive. I bought one a while ago and never even thought about getting another hollowbody.❤❤❤
I have a 7 year old MIC lefty Casino I bought new for super cheap. You're 100% right Corey, the pickups do need an upgrade, IMO. That said, I still have the stocks in. I love the guitar, now if I coud only get some Congillo tone outta my finers, I'd be all set. I'm one of the guys who's commented on your old Casino. Man I love that guitar. Thanks for a great upload and good luck to all who enter the contest, nicely done, Sweetwater
3:48 yeah, man, your tone is so great I can't even tell whether you're playing "Sweet Home Alabama" or "What I am" Bravo You are exactly what I don't admire in a guitar player
This is a most excellent video presented and played by a superb guitarist who knows how to get that tone using the guitar in his hands. Thank you Corey!
I bought a used Epi Elitist Casino (made in Japan) about a year ago and figured I was overpaying a bit because of the Get Back effect. But the prices have continued to rise, so I don't feel bad about it now. It has US-made Gibson P-90s that sound great, so I wouldn't change a thing. And it's still a lot cheaper than a Gibson ES-330!
Lovely Grant Greenesque playing ! I had one of those back in 2015 but I had to get rid of it for unfortunate reasons. The sound was awesome but the output jack nut had something wrong with it and kept sinking inside the guitar every 12 bars at least, leading me to fish the bloody thing out with tiny forceps, I had to carry a pair of those in the gig bag in case this happened.
Been playing for years and learned a lot from this video. Own a Epiphone already and totally agree. Also great skill on the axe and way to tell us about it w/o too much tech info
Fun video - can't go wrong kicking off with a bit of Beatles! Your 61 sounds exquisite. That said, the stock Epi sounded just fine. I bought one a year ago and put in Lollar P90's / 'vintage' wiring and a bone nut. Worth it, I think to really bring out the innate character of it - probably closer to your '61 and the American made Casinos the Fabs were playing. A lot of the time I just pick it up and play acoustically on the couch - perfect for that, too. Thanks for the overview.
Just got one of the the drab olive green worn ones of these. Really like it, very vibey. It's totally different to my Sire H7V 335 style, and I appreciate it for that. It's dirtier and more articulate and doesn't over-boom on the neck pickup when you up the drive on the amp. Love the edge of feedback sustain. It's funny people complaining about feedback - when feedback and it's creative control of it is such a big part of electric guitar playing history. Definitely planning to swop out the pickups for Lollar, Mojo or Creamery ones, and the pickguard for a black one. You have some guitarists that go between 335 type guitars, and sometimes players now using Telecasters for articulate sounds. To my mind, the Casino lives in it's own space, somewhere in between those. It can do some lovely Steve Cropper soul lines (Paul Weller's 90s recordings on Casino are good examples of that). But can also do wiry scratchy country lines, a bit like an earthier, dirtier tele sound. Then the classic rock n'roll sounds just spit out of it. Which I guess is why a player like Keith Richards was known for playing both. And his sound had a consistency. Maybe partly because he went into dropped tunings on his Tele, so it went into that dirtier / growlier Casino soundworld anyway.
Thanks Corey. Another great demo. I appreciate how great your recordings sound. Also, it's interesting how the volume and tone knobs can help dial in sweet tones. Have a great weekend!
50s wiring is great for the neck pickup when you ride the volume control. The bass responds different from standard. I also think you need A3 or A4 magnet f the neck io the standard A5. Mine's a Lollar as is the bridge..less woofy and bass heavy. Clearer.
If you want to pay somewhere between the MIC Casino and the $3k+ USA made Casino checkout the Eastman V64. You get Lollar P90’s , optional Bigsby , Ebony Board, and a killer “worn” finish. I love mine. The Lollars seem a bit darker which is cool. Provides a real vintage tone.
Man; you are a great player!! Great video! I just thinking of getting one of the casino worn models. I think it's pretty much the same as the one you're playing except for the finish and some details...i guess.
Best video on the mighty Casino out there, from a real Casino connaisseur! I love my little made-in-China Casino. With flatwound strings, slightly less hot pickups kindly provided by Epiphone (the stock ones were out of spec), and a little tender loving care, it's become my bebop guitar of choice. You aptly demonstrate why in the amazing Grant Green section ;D Re: comparison. While your vintage one is a sight to behold and sounds lovely, I thought the new one held up great. Thanks for the video!
Cory you rock, I've taken a few of your blues courses and it made a difference in my playing. You push the envelope. There is actually not too many guitar teacher who can compete with your teaching structure. You are one of the best guitarist in the world. Would love to see you and Joe Bonamassa live together.
I have one of these cheap Casino's and it's a pretty great guitar, but it sounds nothing like the way Corey plays it. This guy could make a broomstick sound professional. It's really fun watching you get those sounds out of a guitar I own and can't.
I've had a Casino Coupe for a few years. I prefer smaller bodied guitars. I found the stock pickups a bit too bright. I had them rebuilt with A4 magnets at 8.3k/7.8k in place of the A5 12.1/11.6k pickups. I quite like the new ones. Nothing else had needed modification, so far.
I always loved John Lennons later Casino sound (Abey Road era), and bought one a few years back. I loved it instantly although the guitar dit have some kind of of a rattle or should I call it hum? Anyway, replacing the bridge helped, but there is still some noise left I hope to deal with. I think I'll try taking off the pick guard. I actually like the pick ups, even if they are a little less hot (I found out by following a pup replacement video). I wonder what aging does to a 50 year old guitar: how did it sound 50 years ago? Were the pups always hotter or can pups seem to become hotter - in relation to the maturing wood of the guitar?
Dang Corey, until now I'd only heard you demo acoustic guitars. You play a mean electric guitar. I agree about changing pickups. Get this, a pickup change elevated my $350 Epiphone es 335 above my $2,900 Gibson es 335. I'd installed new pots and DiMarzio 36th PAF humbuckers into the Epiphone. A couple years later I bought a Gibson 335 which I exclusively played for a couple months before finally deciding to pull the Epi out and A/B the guitars. In spite of what I was hearing, due to the headstock logos and countries of manufacture, it took me another month too finally admit to myself that the Epiphone was the better guitar. It wasn't just the pickup change either. I took some measurements and the top was thinner than the Gibson plus the Epiphone was a quarter inch deeper giving it greater bass response, deeper resonance with a wider range over all. So I sold the Gibson and put that money into a Martin J-40, and I know that you know all about those.
Being a Beatles fan the Casino is one of my most desired guitars, your in depth review has shed some light for me with regards to its many capabilities. Questions: How do the Worn Casinos compare to the two you showcased here? What pickups would you recommend that can enhance the Casino? Thank you again for your awesome work, it is greatly appreciated by us guitar aficionados, and congratulations on your subscriptions and success on your channel, may God Bless you always Corey!
What tonal difference do you want? The stock P90's are slightly overwound and the metal covers roll off the high end above ~2kHz. You could first try changing the covers to plastic if you want a bit more highs. That might be good enough. Then, consider lower inductance pickups, and the magnetic power. AlNiCo V is a good average. IV is a bit warmer/fatter. II is lower power less crisp. III is lower power, but maybe more balanced sounding than II. I'd probably pick VIII over ceramic 8 if you want max power. FI, you might like IV in the bridge and III or V in the neck. Magnets can usually be swapped out of P90s. Philadelphia Luthiers has them. I'm sure the Lollars are good, but is any guitar pickup worth $115 when you can swap magnets and change covers cheap? The Lollar P90 shim pack is a good idea, though. Coil height is a big part of pickup sound. If you want a bit better clarity and grit without harshness, GFS has vintage Dogear P90s wound to standard specs for ~$35. I have a GFS Vintage spec neck p90 w/AlNiCo V in an XV-585 and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Again, you might want AlNiCo IV or even II in the bridge. Mojotone makes quiet coil P90s if you don't want the hum. They might be worth the price. Demos sound good. Consider the guitar cable capacitance with any pickup. It matters less with higher inductance Fe core pickups like P90s, but it does affect the resonant peak. Something in the 200~400pF range would be good. Closer to 200pF is better for lower inductance pickups.
I bought an open box chinese open box Casino from GC last year and it is very nice guitar. I replaced the tuners with Grovers and it plays like butter with great tone. All for just over $400 with hard Epiphone case. Great deal!
As usual just great playing. So much of a guitar sound is in the player and their skill and this proves that Corey making that stock Casino sound amazing.
When you are touring and being put up in hotels, having a Casino helps you to practice any time you want too because it's loud enough to hear without using your amp. Playing acoustic prevents the possibility of annoying other people in other rooms so the management appreciates that. The acoustic capabilities of the casino also saves a lot of trouble of lugging a guitar amp into your room every night and afternoon. When it's time to perform on stage she is also an electric guitar and can be used to play any style that any other electric guitar can play. Those features are what makes the casino a great guitar. Remember the thinner body of a Casino makes it more comfortable to play in bed at night and that's when I appreciate the instrument. Lastly the acoustic volume of my 2017 Epiphone Casino is absolutely loud enough to enjoy playing in bed yet it won't awaken the wife! - Peter age 72
Corey, I have an Original '64 Casino, bought it about 40 years ago. I use it now mostly for jazz, but I played that guitar 6 nights a week for over 10 yrs. Finally had to replace the neck pickup when it quit on me about 15 yrs ago. Put a stewmac p90 in, Glad I did. I have many and build guitars so I wont be getting rid of my Casino!
Great values those Epiphone Casino guitars are. I opted for their more expensive 2011 50 year anniversary 1961 reissue, which has dot fretboard markers like your original does. It also has Gibson electronics, they send the husk (body and neck with frets and hardware) to Nashville, where Gibson finished them off with their P-90 pickups, wiring, pots, switch and jack. The neck is chunky too, I wonder if your original neck is a chunky rounded C like this reissue...? I paid over $1,200USD on Reverb, and they can sell for even more - if you can find one. If you get the regular production version, changing the wiring and pots will help the tone even more than pickups. I was surprised the originals were hotter than the reissue P-90 pickups!
I had a 60's ES 330 years ago. It was a fantastic guitar but because of the hollow body it used to feed back like crazy at gig volumes with even a hint of overdrive. Now that Sire have brought out a 335 type with P90's I'd love to see you do a review of that.
I went to buy either a Casino or an SG 18 months ago, late 2021. 50th birthday permission from the wife. Came home with an Epi '66 Century. Later realised it was a 2017 and likely one of the very last new gats in it's model. Epic guitar. Basically the same as a Casino without any cutaways. A typical old Jazz F-hole archtop with a single P-90. And a massive body. Century was a 1930's everyman's Epiphone, re-released in 1960s as a thin body with a P-90. Anyway, killer guitar. Would I love the Casino's cutaways, second pup and neck binding? Sure. Does it really matter to me? Nah. I have enough guitars and my Century plays Get Back and Blackbird just fine. Mortgage and kiddo's future take priority.
Hey Corey, thanks for the lessons. And the demos. And thanks again to Sweetwater for another free guitar. I've had my eye on these for a couple of years and haven't yet found anything quite like it. Lately I've been thinking I'll drop a dogear P90 into my MIJ Coronado clone (just haven't decided which position yet) -- it has a couple of those hot single-coils like Teiscos and Univoxes. But if you send me this one, you'd save me a lot of trouble. And by the way, I enjoy the tones Gary Clark Jr. gets out of his Casino more than the Beatles stuff (they were good, too).
I played one and didn't care for it. Then I played one of the new US made ones and bought it immediately. Paying almost 5x what the one made in China cost was a tough pill to swallow. Realizing later that the Chinese one was a dud and that some (maybe most) are nice was tougher. Still, it's nice to get a guitar that you love without changing a thing compared to knowing you need to upgrade the pickups and hoping it works out right.
I bought the Natural finish Casino and I had to sell it. I didn't like the feel or playability. I ended up biting the bullet and buying a Gibson ES 335. I'm sure a better guitar player would not be bothered by the Casino. I also wanted P 90s in my set of guitars so I am having p 90s put into my '61 Standard SG.
Enter to win this Epiphone Casino!
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Get the Tracks and TAB here!
working-class-guitar.teachable.com/courses/best-of-corey-s-youtube/lectures/45721438
Check out the Casino
imp.i114863.net/epicasino
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@@KK-CH3M2P25H-I-WLTH yes unfortunately
If you're buying a Casino, then you're buying it because it has P-90 pickups! That's the whole point and if you say that you'd like to change the pickups to give a different quality/timbre of sound then you shouldn't be buying a Casino in the first place. It kind of defeats the object!
@@ABWEndon That's a ridiculous uniformed statement
At 68 I am still learning and sadly forgetting the great stuff you teach. Man I wish we had You Tube in the 70s. We put records on slow. Lol. Wore them out learning songs and licks. I have a 335 and 72 Custom shop les paul. 65 black face. Tele and strat.
Still fun after 55 plus year
Same here, one positive point is we developed our ear better than if we had someone showing us everything. Keep rocking brother.
Long as you have fun it’s all good!
At 69 I grew up in the same era. Used to sit in front of my Dads JBL 15 inch mono speaker and listen to 45's trying to figure out chords. Was hard to find guitar sheet music to learn from. Had a garage band and made do with what equipment we could afford and modify. Was a diiferent era.
Keith Richards endorsed the Casino in ads before McCartney bought his and Lennon and Harrison bought theirs. I started playing a Casino copy in '85 and that was some of the best live plying I've ever done onstage. McCartney used his Casino on a recent album and was amazed at how different the tones were that he got. The new Casinos are definitely worth getting if you are serious guitarist.
I bought a casino at the end of 2023. There was a partially glued fret and several high frets causing a lot of buzz. However, about $350 worth of warrantee work was done and NOW it's amazing. Don't buy used, get a new one and get the frets done under warrantee if need be.
Where did you buy it, and did you have to send it back to where you bought it to have it fixed?
I was at a local guitar store today, enjoying a look around while the tech guy set up my wife's guitar, and I saw this gorgeous Epiphone standing in a corner. I took it and plugged it into an amp they had sitting in the booths and started throwing out some Beatles rooftop gig songs and solos. Get Back, Dig A Pony, and I've Got A Feeling. The Epi sounded gorgeous, and I loved the resonance of the hollow body, with the raw but mellow P90 sound. Just fantastic!
I put it back in the stand. Ten minutes later, I asked about it before they closed shop. They had just sold it!
Probably to somebody who had heard me play Beatles on that thing, and saw me put it back. So I feel like I might have actually helped sell an Epiphone Casino today...
Now I want one, badly!
I think one thing is overlooked here which The Beatles didn't', this guitar has a major advantage: it is very light and unplugged has a decent volume. When composing or figuring things on guitar, it is a hassle to plug in, plug out, switch the amp on and off etc. A full acoustic is too large and often to loud, and a semi too heavy and maybe too silent. a Casino comes in very handy. And there are only a few guitars, if even not, that offer this 'practicaliness'.
I got in a funk many years ago and sold a great 1966 Casino that had belonged to Charlie Louvin, cheap! Still kick myself! Product of going through a divorce almost 30 years ago. Lesson? Don’t make rash decisions when you’re down and out. Wait. Life will change. I hope someone has treated it well.
We’ve all been there my friend. The important thing is you’re here and hopefully happy and healthy
Lesson for me: never get married!😌
@@davidharding200yes! Thank you.
Amen!
Was the adultery worth it in retrospect?
I learn something about playing guitar every time I watch your channel, and I've been playing for 50 years. I had a newer John Lennon edition Casino that I sold a couple of years ago. Just too many guitars. But I miss it now. Very playable with a wide range of sounds, as you so expertly presented. By the way, your jazz runs around 7:05 on the tape were awesome!
..I had for a very short pd of time in 1972, a sunburst E230TD Casino, about a '67-68 guessing. Didnt have the iconic pickguard, had different chromed tuners in lieu of the button Klusons..had to give it up, sold it cheap..totally regret it!!
lennon's recordings convinced me long ago that it's a versatile guitar.
And brother, you took it even further! Gracias!
I got the 61 reissue when they came out as a birthday present to myself (born 1961). Super light and killer tone from those P90's.
Picked up a 2014 Casino from a Craig's List ad for $300 a few years ago and modded it with Tyson Tone Lab low output P-90's, Bigsby B3 and a 50's upgraded wiring harness. It's a tone monster and plays like a dream. What a unique sound. Great video on a special guitar, Thank-You!
I put those same tyson tone low output p90s in my epi coup. I second guess that I should have bought the normal output, but it's much improved over the woody epi p90s it came with.
I also sanded mine down to wood cause I didn't like the poly feel. (took way too much time)
Does it do a tastey jazz tone as one of the sounds with this custom config?
Great guitar demo and your jazz guitar tone approach is an eye-opener!
Corey...you're a gifted guitarist that gave by far, the best review of any guitar I have seen or heard. Thanks. Good luck to all.
Too intelligent for TH-cam. This guy is a proper musician. Thanks.
Paul Weller known for his vintage Epiphone casino. Such beautiful guitars
My favourite guitar. The tones that come out of it for the price are amazing. It's great for jazz, blues and some rock. A great all rounder. P90s help that of course. It's not a heavy rock or shredder type guitar and sounds more humbucker than single coil obvs. It's a joy to play. Also you can practice on it without needing to plug it in. It's lot as loud as an acoustic of course but loud enough to not need an amp to practice. A great Beatles guitar too for Beatles fans.
Your delivery is so damn good.....Such a complete musician......
Appreciate that. Very kind of you
7:59 I played a Casino for years, all types of music from Jazz to Rock to Blues to more modern "classical" compositions. I stumbled across the guitar volume=low, amp volume=high tip on my own while using that guitar. I eventually switched to a 335 style guitar because some venues were poorly wired and the Casino would hum like it didn't know the words when we played there. I also found the Casino hummed with some good but less expensive amps. So, maybe something to consider when buying a Casino, try it with the amp you will be playing it through.
I found an incomplete custom made Casino copy and paid the student luthier to complete it.
It had a thick Maple top and nearly 10 lbs.
It had a heavy acrylic finish that cracked because it froze one Winter.
It sounded way better after I removed the acrylic flakes so it was nearly unfinished.
I had an Elitist Casino. Fantastic guitar and it got stolen. That’s a hard one to get over but I’m a huge Beatles fan and love the Casino, light,sounds,plays and looks awesome
I adore my casino coupe. Same specs as the casino, but with a 339 sized body. Great for my 5'7 stature. I replaced the stock p90s with Lindy Fralin hum cancelling p90s, alnico magnets in the neck for a more balanced sound, Screw magnets in the bridge for a bit more snarl. It's a lot of fun - I also added a bigsby and hipshot locking tuners. It's a gem.
Which model of Bigbsy can you recommend for Coupe?
A Casino is a tone monster of a guitar!
Unfortunately the fretboard was too narrow and the strings were too close together for my cigar fingers .......but I kept it for seven years just because of the way it sounded! Lol
The recent ones have a wider neck than many of the older ones, you might want to give them another try.
@@MyDrugHell I didn't know that. Thnx
Hello from England, great channel, just subbed. I have the epi casino, I'm an old 77 year old player. I find this video most helpful, thank you.
I have the George Harrison model from a few years back with a Bigsby tremolo. I love it so much. Just wish it had a little longer scale neck. I'd like one between this and a strat because the string tension just feels too loose.
Hi Corey, congrats on breaking 60K subscribers! Great to see the traction you have with musicians around the world. On a separate note, I took on the call to adventure and started my hero's journey on W.C.G.!
I’ve always wanted a classic Epiphone but that new one doesn’t sound half bad… really impressed. Great video, love the gear vids!
I have a China made Casino and the sustain and beautiful tone you already get acoustic can top the USA made Casino. I have trouble to lay this beauty down since I got it. Rest assured, it still has the versatility of the sixties Casinos and for the money, you will get an immensely versatile guitar....that, due to the fully hollow body, can also be used unplugged in hotel rooms.....remember why the Beatles used this workhorse so intensively.
That jazz interlude was awesome. Very tasty playing.
Yep, I too am now a Casino believer after listening to Cory play his and picked one up a few weeks ago. Really surprised at the versatility. Not to woofy like humbuckers is good description.
Corey, you are one of those guys that has an ear for great tone. Very tasteful playing too!
Appreciate that!
It's great to hear a review by a fabulous guitarist.
Too often reviewers resort to massive amounts of distortion and attacking the strings at a hundred miles an hour.
Great review Corey I got this exact guitar for Christmas a couple years ago and love it. The only caveat I'd give to your viewers is the buzz I started to hear after a while. It was driving me nuts trying to figure out where it came from until I realized the Tune-O-Matic bridge on the Chinese model has a little wire in it that buzzes. If that happens there are other bridges specifically the GOTOH brand (no affiliation) that work like a charm without that wire.
That opening - great, colouful soloing without the mindless shredding. Superb
wow beautiful jazz blues solo!! great info on tone control!!
This rarely happens to me, but I bought a new Casino (a red Coupe) expecting to swap the pickups for Lollards or Fralins, but realized that I like it stock. I can hear and understand why a pro would want a ‘66, but I don’t, and that makes me very happy, because it makes my guitar even more of a bargain! Mine has a bone nut, a better bridge, Ratio tuners, and it’s done. A great foil to my Tele.
The current Epiphone P-90's are equal or SUPERIOR to Gibson P-90's.
This is the best i have heard this guitar sound, it is not as muddy as other demos, i think default pickups seems fine!
I have the John Lee Hooker 100th Anniversary Epiphone. Mini Humbuckers ! Only 1000 editions we're made in the world. Just lovi'n it !
Sounds nice. I have an Epiphone Sheraton that was a birthday gift about 12 years ago. Pretty nice sounding guitar as well. Have a great weekend!
I was gifted a casino recently. Absolutely blown away at its awesomeness. It was never on my radar during 35 years of playing and workinh5music retail for 15 years. Not even a Beatles fan, but the casino does the job I would usually think of playing a tele, Gretchen, or 335. Game changer.
Corey - you pee me off. I've been playing the guitar for years and when I hear you playing, I feel like throwing my guitars away. You ROCK!
Ha! Sorry man! But thx!
I have this model and the worn version. Both 2021. The cheaper worn version is the winner.
Nice work! The guitar is magnificent in every way. So versatile and expressive. I bought one a while ago and never even thought about getting another hollowbody.❤❤❤
I have a 7 year old MIC lefty Casino I bought new for super cheap. You're 100% right Corey, the pickups do need an upgrade, IMO. That said, I still have the stocks in. I love the guitar, now if I coud only get some Congillo tone outta my finers, I'd be all set. I'm one of the guys who's commented on your old Casino. Man I love that guitar. Thanks for a great upload and good luck to all who enter the contest, nicely done, Sweetwater
Vintage has more clarity, but the modern one is quite nice. I used to own a natural finish model years ago.
3:48 yeah, man, your tone is so great I can't even tell whether you're playing "Sweet Home Alabama" or "What I am"
Bravo
You are exactly what I don't admire in a guitar player
I have one like the newer model made in china but sheesh it’s one of my favorite guitars ever! It’s definitely my favorite Beatles guitar.
Man, you are making this thing sound great like always Corey! Thanks for the chance to win it 🙂 Hope you are doing well.
This is a most excellent video presented and played by a superb guitarist who knows how to get that tone using the guitar in his hands. Thank you Corey!
I bought a used Epi Elitist Casino (made in Japan) about a year ago and figured I was overpaying a bit because of the Get Back effect. But the prices have continued to rise, so I don't feel bad about it now. It has US-made Gibson P-90s that sound great, so I wouldn't change a thing. And it's still a lot cheaper than a Gibson ES-330!
What a great guitar...!!!
Authentic Beatles tones are built right in a Casino 😉👍
Playability is so good on these guitars.
😎👍❤🖖
This really has a nice, natural grit to it.
The chicken scratch is a plus...not many get that style of playing.
Lovely Grant Greenesque playing !
I had one of those back in 2015 but I had to get rid of it for unfortunate reasons. The sound was awesome but the output jack nut had something wrong with it and kept sinking inside the guitar every 12 bars at least, leading me to fish the bloody thing out with tiny forceps, I had to carry a pair of those in the gig bag in case this happened.
Been playing for years and learned a lot from this video. Own a Epiphone already and totally agree. Also great skill on the axe and way to tell us about it w/o too much tech info
Fun video - can't go wrong kicking off with a bit of Beatles! Your 61 sounds exquisite. That said, the stock Epi sounded just fine. I bought one a year ago and put in Lollar P90's / 'vintage' wiring and a bone nut. Worth it, I think to really bring out the innate character of it - probably closer to your '61 and the American made Casinos the Fabs were playing. A lot of the time I just pick it up and play acoustically on the couch - perfect for that, too. Thanks for the overview.
Just got one of the the drab olive green worn ones of these. Really like it, very vibey. It's totally different to my Sire H7V 335 style, and I appreciate it for that. It's dirtier and more articulate and doesn't over-boom on the neck pickup when you up the drive on the amp. Love the edge of feedback sustain. It's funny people complaining about feedback - when feedback and it's creative control of it is such a big part of electric guitar playing history. Definitely planning to swop out the pickups for Lollar, Mojo or Creamery ones, and the pickguard for a black one. You have some guitarists that go between 335 type guitars, and sometimes players now using Telecasters for articulate sounds. To my mind, the Casino lives in it's own space, somewhere in between those. It can do some lovely Steve Cropper soul lines (Paul Weller's 90s recordings on Casino are good examples of that). But can also do wiry scratchy country lines, a bit like an earthier, dirtier tele sound. Then the classic rock n'roll sounds just spit out of it. Which I guess is why a player like Keith Richards was known for playing both. And his sound had a consistency. Maybe partly because he went into dropped tunings on his Tele, so it went into that dirtier / growlier Casino soundworld anyway.
Thank you. A very intelligent review, just enough non-ego playing which was fabulous.
Thanks Corey. Always a treat to see and hear you.
Very nice demonstration and excellent guitarist. Bravo!!
That guitar sounds killer, and so does the player. I subscribed.
Corey you are such great player and teacher. Thanks for sharing !
This guitar really does everything, everyone needs one
The sound is close to Fender Guitars, wonderfull, clear, articulate, beautiful.
Thanks Corey. Another great demo. I appreciate how great your recordings sound. Also, it's interesting how the volume and tone knobs can help dial in sweet tones. Have a great weekend!
That jazz blues solo is burnin’-nice!
That vintage one is something else!
50s wiring is great for the neck pickup when you ride the volume control. The bass responds different from standard. I also think you need A3 or A4 magnet f the neck io the standard A5. Mine's a Lollar as is the bridge..less woofy and bass heavy. Clearer.
If you want to pay somewhere between the MIC Casino and the $3k+ USA made Casino checkout the Eastman V64.
You get Lollar P90’s , optional Bigsby , Ebony Board, and a killer “worn” finish.
I love mine. The Lollars seem a bit darker which is cool. Provides a real vintage tone.
Man; you are a great player!! Great video! I just thinking of getting one of the casino worn models. I think it's pretty much the same as the one you're playing except for the finish and some details...i guess.
Best video on the mighty Casino out there, from a real Casino connaisseur! I love my little made-in-China Casino. With flatwound strings, slightly less hot pickups kindly provided by Epiphone (the stock ones were out of spec), and a little tender loving care, it's become my bebop guitar of choice. You aptly demonstrate why in the amazing Grant Green section ;D
Re: comparison. While your vintage one is a sight to behold and sounds lovely, I thought the new one held up great. Thanks for the video!
I put a set of Lollar P90s and 50s wiring in mine and it elevates it to an all new level.
Love the detailled reviews as usual!! thanks Corey!
Cory you rock, I've taken a few of your blues courses and it made a difference in my playing. You push the envelope. There is actually not too many guitar teacher who can compete with your teaching structure. You are one of the best guitarist in the world. Would love to see you and Joe Bonamassa live together.
Why do you want them to live together?😉
@@SaintFredrocks Certainly an unconventional request.
😊
Great info on things like rolling the volume pot a bit... great playing... sounds really nice to me.
I have one of these cheap Casino's and it's a pretty great guitar, but it sounds nothing like the way Corey plays it. This guy could make a broomstick sound professional. It's really fun watching you get those sounds out of a guitar I own and can't.
I've had a Casino Coupe for a few years. I prefer smaller bodied guitars. I found the stock pickups a bit too bright. I had them rebuilt with A4 magnets at 8.3k/7.8k in place of the A5 12.1/11.6k pickups. I quite like the new ones. Nothing else had needed modification, so far.
first time viewer, the jazz improv was not expected but dayuuuuum
We need the tab for that first lead in this video ! Great stuff
I always loved John Lennons later Casino sound (Abey Road era), and bought one a few years back. I loved it instantly although the guitar dit have some kind of of a rattle or should I call it hum? Anyway, replacing the bridge helped, but there is still some noise left I hope to deal with. I think I'll try taking off the pick guard.
I actually like the pick ups, even if they are a little less hot (I found out by following a pup replacement video). I wonder what aging does to a 50 year old guitar: how did it sound 50 years ago? Were the pups always hotter or can pups seem to become hotter - in relation to the maturing wood of the guitar?
Dang Corey, until now I'd only heard you demo acoustic guitars. You play a mean electric guitar. I agree about changing pickups. Get this, a pickup change elevated my $350 Epiphone es 335 above my $2,900 Gibson es 335. I'd installed new pots and DiMarzio 36th PAF humbuckers into the Epiphone. A couple years later I bought a Gibson 335 which I exclusively played for a couple months before finally deciding to pull the Epi out and A/B the guitars. In spite of what I was hearing, due to the headstock logos and countries of manufacture, it took me another month too finally admit to myself that the Epiphone was the better guitar. It wasn't just the pickup change either. I took some measurements and the top was thinner than the Gibson plus the Epiphone was a quarter inch deeper giving it greater bass response, deeper resonance with a wider range over all. So I sold the Gibson and put that money into a Martin J-40, and I know that you know all about those.
I bought one of the new USA made casino’s. It’s my favorite guitar I own.
Wish I could play my Epiphone Casino like you!!! Your good Man! I have a 2003 Casino. I love it.
What a great player you are, you make this cheap Casino sound great.
A P-90 IS a single coil. The sound is probably more humbucker than fender. Great pickups.
Being a Beatles fan the Casino is one of my most desired guitars, your in depth review has shed some light for me with regards to its many capabilities. Questions: How do the Worn Casinos compare to the two you showcased here? What pickups would you recommend that can enhance the Casino? Thank you again for your awesome work, it is greatly appreciated by us guitar aficionados, and congratulations on your subscriptions and success on your channel, may God Bless you always Corey!
I got the worn and put some standard lollar p90s in it and me and all my guitar buddies agree the thing is amazing
I did have to get it set up though
@@aidanparker9543 Hi Thanks for the feedback, I will look into those pickups so as to consider them once I get a Casino!
What tonal difference do you want? The stock P90's are slightly overwound and the metal covers roll off the high end above ~2kHz. You could first try changing the covers to plastic if you want a bit more highs. That might be good enough. Then, consider lower inductance pickups, and the magnetic power. AlNiCo V is a good average. IV is a bit warmer/fatter. II is lower power less crisp. III is lower power, but maybe more balanced sounding than II. I'd probably pick VIII over ceramic 8 if you want max power. FI, you might like IV in the bridge and III or V in the neck. Magnets can usually be swapped out of P90s. Philadelphia Luthiers has them.
I'm sure the Lollars are good, but is any guitar pickup worth $115 when you can swap magnets and change covers cheap? The Lollar P90 shim pack is a good idea, though. Coil height is a big part of pickup sound. If you want a bit better clarity and grit without harshness, GFS has vintage Dogear P90s wound to standard specs for ~$35. I have a GFS Vintage spec neck p90 w/AlNiCo V in an XV-585 and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Again, you might want AlNiCo IV or even II in the bridge. Mojotone makes quiet coil P90s if you don't want the hum. They might be worth the price. Demos sound good.
Consider the guitar cable capacitance with any pickup. It matters less with higher inductance Fe core pickups like P90s, but it does affect the resonant peak. Something in the 200~400pF range would be good. Closer to 200pF is better for lower inductance pickups.
The Epi P-90's are EXCELLENT.
Maaaan this guitar sounds good!! You've clearly done a great job recording it, too!
I bought an open box chinese open box Casino from GC last year and it is very nice guitar. I replaced the tuners with Grovers and it plays like butter with great tone. All for just over $400 with hard Epiphone case. Great deal!
Solid deal!
As usual just great playing. So much of a guitar sound is in the player and their skill and this proves that Corey making that stock Casino sound amazing.
When you are touring and being put up in hotels, having a Casino helps you to practice any time you want too because it's loud enough to hear without using your amp. Playing acoustic prevents the possibility of annoying other people in other rooms so the management appreciates that. The acoustic capabilities of the casino also saves a lot of trouble of lugging a guitar amp into your room every night and afternoon. When it's time to perform on stage she is also an electric guitar and can be used to play any style that any other electric guitar can play. Those features are what makes the casino a great guitar. Remember the thinner body of a Casino makes it more comfortable to play in bed at night and that's when I appreciate the instrument. Lastly the acoustic volume of my 2017 Epiphone Casino is absolutely loud enough to enjoy playing in bed yet it won't awaken the wife! - Peter age 72
I’ve got one of these with Thomastik flat wounds and it sounds lovely.
Nice riffin'!! You make that thing sound GOOOOOD!
Corey, I have an Original '64 Casino, bought it about 40 years ago. I use it now mostly for jazz, but I played that guitar 6 nights a week for over 10 yrs. Finally had to replace the neck pickup when it quit on me about 15 yrs ago. Put a stewmac p90 in, Glad I did. I have many and build guitars so I wont be getting rid of my Casino!
Thank you Corey, great playing as always and appreciate you demoing that casino also thanks to Sweetwater for supplying the guitar
Great values those Epiphone Casino guitars are. I opted for their more expensive 2011 50 year anniversary 1961 reissue, which has dot fretboard markers like your original does. It also has Gibson electronics, they send the husk (body and neck with frets and hardware) to Nashville, where Gibson finished them off with their P-90 pickups, wiring, pots, switch and jack. The neck is chunky too, I wonder if your original neck is a chunky rounded C like this reissue...? I paid over $1,200USD on Reverb, and they can sell for even more - if you can find one. If you get the regular production version, changing the wiring and pots will help the tone even more than pickups. I was surprised the originals were hotter than the reissue P-90 pickups!
I had a 60's ES 330 years ago. It was a fantastic guitar but because of the hollow body it used to feed back like crazy at gig volumes with even a hint of overdrive. Now that Sire have brought out a 335 type with P90's I'd love to see you do a review of that.
Incredible. I loved this demo. They are selling for crazy discounts atm, £387 @Thomann. Stunning sound
You’re a monster jazz player.
The pickups sound absolutely fine. In fact very good.
I went to buy either a Casino or an SG 18 months ago, late 2021. 50th birthday permission from the wife. Came home with an Epi '66 Century. Later realised it was a 2017 and likely one of the very last new gats in it's model. Epic guitar. Basically the same as a Casino without any cutaways. A typical old Jazz F-hole archtop with a single P-90. And a massive body. Century was a 1930's everyman's Epiphone, re-released in 1960s as a thin body with a P-90. Anyway, killer guitar. Would I love the Casino's cutaways, second pup and neck binding? Sure. Does it really matter to me? Nah. I have enough guitars and my Century plays Get Back and Blackbird just fine. Mortgage and kiddo's future take priority.
Hey Corey, thanks for the lessons. And the demos. And thanks again to Sweetwater for another free guitar. I've had my eye on these for a couple of years and haven't yet found anything quite like it. Lately I've been thinking I'll drop a dogear P90 into my MIJ Coronado clone (just haven't decided which position yet) -- it has a couple of those hot single-coils like Teiscos and Univoxes. But if you send me this one, you'd save me a lot of trouble. And by the way, I enjoy the tones Gary Clark Jr. gets out of his Casino more than the Beatles stuff (they were good, too).
I played one and didn't care for it. Then I played one of the new US made ones and bought it immediately. Paying almost 5x what the one made in China cost was a tough pill to swallow. Realizing later that the Chinese one was a dud and that some (maybe most) are nice was tougher. Still, it's nice to get a guitar that you love without changing a thing compared to knowing you need to upgrade the pickups and hoping it works out right.
I bought the Natural finish Casino and I had to sell it. I didn't like the feel or playability. I ended up biting the bullet and buying a Gibson ES 335. I'm sure a better guitar player would not be bothered by the Casino. I also wanted P 90s in my set of guitars so I am having p 90s put into my '61 Standard SG.