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Chinese Epi Casino


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I had planned on buying my 1st hollow body electric yesterday and was dead set on a Epi Casino till I saw it was Chinese made so I decided to hold off on buying the guitar at $509. I left the store quickly last night before I could talk myself into buying it.

 

I've read quite a few reviews of this guitar since I left the Guitar Center and nearly all are good. However I have no faith in reviews anymore. Why are all reviews good? Who are these perpetually happy content people and how come I don't know anyone as happy as they are?

 

Does anyone have any advice about Chinese Epi Casinos? Are they decent guitars? Will I have fret buzz? Are they well made?

Did you have any issues with your Chinese Epi?

 

Anyone know a good cheap case for the Casino at Guitar Center? I will need to buy a case since the Epi doesn't come stock with a case(another turnoff)

 

Anyone think I'll get home and regret buying a Chinese Casino?

 

I really have my suspicions of Chinese made guitars.

 

Does anyone think a comparably priced Ibanez archtop is superior to the Epis?

 

I may go back to Guitar Center this evening and give the Casino another look. I'm not sure what to do at the moment.

 

PS: I specifically want an archtop with P90s. I don't want another humbucker guitar. I do not own any guitars with P90s and want to experience the P90

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I really have my suspicions of Chinese made guitars.

 

They've been quite well-made for decades.

 

Does anyone think a comparably priced Ibanez archtop is superior to the Epis?

 

Nope. You might get a different answer on an Ibanez forum.

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Epis used to be Korean and Japanese made. The China thing is recent.

 

they started producing them at their own plant in China around 2002. you can get an Elitist Casino that's made in Japan but they're about 1700.00

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I got a Chinese Casino a couple of weeks back and its a very good guitar - no fret buzz - intonates and plays perfectly all over the neck [which is a bit chunkier than a Korean Casino that I tried out] it really is a very well made instrument, believe it or not a chinese factory worker can operate a CNC router & glue and paint gun just as well as an american factory worker. I don't like to buy chinese instruments unless they are 2nd hand as I do not like to support exploitive labour markets by feeding there stats and supply chains through purchasing guitars and gear new. The one I bought was mint with case, see this thread I started; My link

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I too believe the Chinese Casino mfg is relatively recent...

 

Previously Korean(Peerless) and other locations like Japan

 

The Peerless Songbird is quite close to a Casino nowadays....well built guitar... [thumbup]

 

I have played a friend's Chinese Casino often and found it good VFM with some cost cuts in vol/tone knobs and usual rubbish jack socket

 

The very top end today is the Gibson ES330 USA made and priced accordingly

 

A 335 size case is worth trying out from Epi or elsewhere...

 

V

 

:-({|=

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if roughly 13 years is recent to you; then yes, Chinese manufacturing is recent. since Epiphone started manufacturing them in China they have made thousands upon thousands so it's not like Chinese Casinos are anything new. like anything else though... sometimes there are good ones and sometimes bad.

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I own a Chinese Casino Coupe made in 2014. It's superb, plus you must keep in mind this is a $450 (or less) guitar.

 

The only change I made was to drop in vintage style Grovers but the original tuners worked fine. I recommend this model.

 

The Epiphones from China are made specifically for Gibson/Epiphone so the QC is quite good.

 

Ken

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Most recent Ibanez products are also made in China.

 

A particularly good Chinese-made Epi Casino was the '61 50th Anniversary model, with Gibson P-90s and Switchcraft parts. And used Elitist Casinos are often priced reasonably. The Lennon "Assembled in USA" (AIUSA) model cranked up the quality even beyond the Elitist, with it's body made by Terada in Japan, then shipped to Nashville for hardware & assembly.

 

But the best bet is to personally play them & decide for yourself. Over the years, with all the different manufacturers that have been utilized by Gibson/Epiphone, tone and playability considerations will not be the picture of consistency.

 

Keep looking, and you'll find one you like.

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Well I missed out when I went back. They had sold the Casino since I left last night. They have a bunch of humbucker archtop Epis still available. Archtops with P90s sell before an archtop with hummers. I also went back by a local independent guitar shop which had a Casino but it was gone too.

I might have bought the Casino last night but it was red. I wanted the sunburst or maple.

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They probably are hard to find in stores (the P90 archtops specifically).

 

I got mine online from sweetwater, that way I could look at photos to pick the one I wanted. It wasn't the cheapest way but I was happy with the purchase... Ken

 

 

PS a quick glance at Sweetwater indicate NO casinos in stock, but will 'arrive soon'. No coupes or full size in any of the finishes. Presumably this is good news for Epiphone's business outlook.

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I ordered a Casino used from Guitar Center w/case for $400 including tax and shipping. Should be here Weds.

This is a 2014 model. The Epi site specs say the 2015 has a Basswood braced top where as the ES330 uses Maple/Poplar/Maple.

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Bought a 2014 Casino VS, replaced pickups for Creamery Classic 61's, rewired with Area 59 CTS pots, Switchcraft long through switch and jack, PIO Russian caps, 50's wiring schematic, TUSQ nut, Stringsaver graphtec saddles, full setup, removed pickguard, new tuners and still came in more cost effective than any other version I could find.

 

Great guitar. All the talk of old Korean vs new Chinese is IMHO null and void apart from neck profile preference.

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I ordered a Casino used from Guitar Center w/case for $400 including tax and shipping. Should be here Weds.

This is a 2014 model. The Epi site specs say the 2015 has a Basswood braced top where as the ES330 uses Maple/Poplar/Maple.

 

I think you'll find that the bracing on the 2015 (i.e. basswood) is probably the same on the 2014 and has nothing to do with top construction.

 

The maple/poplar/maple of the ES330 refers to the laminate top ply spec (i.e. 3 ply) whereas the the Casino is 5 ply.

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I think you'll find that the bracing on the 2015 (i.e. basswood) is probably the same on the 2014 and has nothing to do with top construction.

 

The maple/poplar/maple of the ES330 refers to the laminate top ply spec (i.e. 3 ply) whereas the the Casino is 5 ply.

 

I've learned recently that the laminate construction on the Gibby and Epi hollowbodies are a deliberate design feature. It isn't a method to reduce costs. The laminates provide strength and manage hum better than a solid one ply/one piece body.

 

Signed Pete Best Casino

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