John Lennon’s Epiphone Casino made a bigger impact on the imaginations of Beatle fans than any of the several other guitars he played during his career, and became an iconic instrument in the process. The fact is, though, that this guitar is revered in two entirely different incarnations: many love it in its original state as a vintage sunburst 1965 Epiphone Casino, while others admire its “Revolution-era” appearance from around 1968, after Lennon stripped it and altered some of its hardware. Now both versions of this historic electric guitar are available simultaneously in the form of the Epiphone “Inspired by” John Lennon Casinos, which offer the look, tone, and feel of Epiphone’s acclaimed U.S.A. John Lennon Signature Casinos, but at a more affordable price.
In any guise, the Casino is a classic tone machine. Outwardly, this model may appear similar to Gibson’s legendary ES-335 but several details make it quite different. In addition to the obvious P-90 pickupswhich produce a meaty, grainy, punchy tone that many players preferthe Casino has a fully hollow thinline body with an arched top, and a neck joint that is set further into the body, placing the bridge at the optimum point to maximize resonance. As a result of all this, the Casino has a warm, rich, open voice, but with plenty of bite and definition, making it a great all-around instrument for rock and roll, blues, roots-rock, jazz, or just about anything else.
