frenchie1281734003 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 As some of you may know, about four years ago I was the proud owner of four Epiphone Casino`s, three of them were early 80s Matsumoku`s, and the other was a very nice John Lennon signature 65 reissue. Over the years they have all passed through my hands, usually for financial reasons, or to fund the latest G.A.S. attack! The Wine Red Casino resides with my friend Marcus up the road, so I get visiting rights. However the only one of the lot that I really missed was the first one, and that was the 83 Blonde. The Lennon reissue may have had a slight edge in the tone department (smoother but not quite as raunchy), but that 83 Blonde just felt right, and played superbly! So it was with some surprise that I got an e-mail recently from the current owner (Dane) sying he was looking to sell and was I interested. He had a firm offer on the table, but wanted to give me first option. We agreed a reasonable fee of £600, and on Wednesday evening, I travelled down to Telford to pick her up. Dane told me he felt as though he was the custodian of her until I ready to take her back, which was nice, and the guitar was in virtually the same condition as when I traded her back in 2009. Anyway, I couldn`t be happier to have "Cassie" back, and here she is in all her glory, the best Casino I have yet played. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Reunion of old friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 I would have wanted that one back too, congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Beautiful guitar...bet you're glad to have her back. I too have owned a couple of matsumoku casinos, and the best guitar I ever owned was a matsumoku riviera that I regret selling everyday... I just got a Japanese casino, I don't know too much about it. The seller said it was from '95. It's one of the domestic market models in a faded sunburst. Very nice too. Enjoy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 I would have wanted that one back too, congrats. Thing is I got sellers/traders remorse with this one almost immediately, and tried to get the guitar back a few months later. Dane wasn`t interested at the time, and I thought that was that, until the surprise e-mail! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 I just got a Japanese casino, I don't know too much about it. The seller said it was from '95. It's one of the domestic market models in a faded sunburst. Very nice too. Enjoy... Post some pictures Jonny, would love to see it, and can probably help with the details and info you need. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staticpc Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Really decent of the guy to give ya first offers on the Casino mate, its a stunning looking guitar! great story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Superb !! if it sounds as great as it looks, you're a lucky guy to get it back !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Nice wood on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 Really decent of the guy to give ya first offers on the Casino mate, its a stunning looking guitar! great story. Very decent of him indeed, but I`ve found Dane to be great genuine guy. I am over the moon to get it back. I remember back in 84, wanting a Casino just like Lennon`s, and going to Denmark St one Saturday afternoon to try out the Japanese re-issues that they had in stock. I played a nice wine red coloured one, and asked an assistant if they happened to have any blonde ones in stock, only to be told that they were only available in dark sunburst or this wine red shade. They did however have a blonde Sheraton which was £20 dearer, and I ended up leaving with that (Another guitar I wished I`d kept). Only later on did I realise that the majority of export Matsumoku Epiphone semi`s were only available in those two finishes, and although there were several other finish options available such as blonde, cherry etc, those usually stayed back in Japan. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Post some pictures Jonny, would love to see it, and can probably help with the details and info you need. Steve. I'll try and get some pics up. Not sure how you do it as I'm not too technically minded. It can't be that hard!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Here is a basic pic, shows off the nice burst finish. I'll try and get more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 I love the sunburst on yours Jonny, Terada made late 80s-mid 90s I`d say. Some more pics would be nice. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 I love the sunburst on yours Jonny, Terada made late 80s-mid 90s I`d say. Some more pics would be nice. Steve. I'll try and get some more up...seem to have used up my upload quota. I figured the same regarding origin of it. There's one identical on eBay from Japan at the moment. It doesn't quite feel as nice as a matsumoku casino and the neck pickup doesn't quite have that almost acoustic quality that my matsomoku's have had but its very good indeed. What amp/pedals do you play your casinos through? I'm using a Marshall class 5 an usually a big box EHX deluxe memory man and a strymon flint, great sound but think I need a fender amp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 I either plug it into my Vox AC-30 or my little Laney VC-15, no pedals or effects. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eor Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 what is the nut width on these older mij casinos? i thought they were even thinner than usual. also, interesting to note that yours has a multi piece maple neck. do you prefer that to the hog neck versions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 what is the nut width on these older mij casinos? i thought they were even thinner than usual. also, interesting to note that yours has a multi piece maple neck. do you prefer that to the hog neck versions? If you look up the specs for these Matsumoku Casinos on line at sites such as Epiphonewiki, they will tell you the nut width is 42mm or so (1.56 inch), but on the three I`ve owned, two were 43mm and this one is almost 44mm (almost 1.75 inch)! If Gibson had carried on making the Casino into the 70s I am pretty sure it would have ended up getting a three piece Maple neck anyway, just like the ES-340, and some Les Paul models did. On this guitar it feels great, a little shallower but wider than the 64 ES-330 I used to play, and much more preferable to me, than the John Lennon 65 reissue I used to own. I couldn`t get on with the fret end binding on that one, and it was closer to 42mm. Here`s a link to an ES-340 http://www.themusiczoo.com/product/7392/Gibson-ES-340-TD-Natural---Used/ Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock N Roll Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I just ordered a John Lennon inspired Revolution this morning from zzounds. Can't wait to get it! Will post pics as soon as it comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 I played one of those IBJL Casino`s aout a year ago, and was very impressed, I did`nt find the neck as skinny as on the Lennon 65, but more like the profile of the IB-64 Texan. Hope you get a really good one. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eor Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 the lack of consensus on nut width concerns me. i'd hate to roll the dice and end up with a skinny one. not a good feeling. the 1 10/16" is manageable, i guess, but i'd prefer that not be the case. as for the neck, the maple is an interesting idea, but i think i'd rather have a hog one. i fear a maple neck would make things brighter, which would make it sound a little more like my other guitars. i want it to be as different as possible. but maple means i can use flatwounds, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyg Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 There's an '84 Casino in Antique Sunburst up on UK eBay at the moment. It looks in nice condition but it has a roller bridge, which I don't think was originally fitted (I may be wrong), and it's missing the original case. I think the £1249.00 ($1895.00) 'Buy it now' price is a bit optimistic but you never know. Although it would make a nice match for my '83 Riviera it's £500.00 more than I'd pay. Here's the link 84 Casino AS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 There's an '84 Casino in Antique Sunburst up on UK eBay at the moment. It looks in nice condition but it has a roller bridge, which I don't think was originally fitted (I may be wrong), and it's missing the original case. I think the £1249.00 ($1895.00) 'Buy it now' price is a bit optimistic but you never know. Although it would make a nice match for my '83 Riviera it's £500.00 more than I'd pay. Here's the link 84 Casino AS I agree, the price of that is £400-500 above what I would pay. I would also get a replacement Gotoh ABR-1 bridge back on it too, don`t see the point of a roller bridge without a whammy bar! Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Yeah nice looking guitar but on the pricey side. £750 would be my offer for that one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 There was an 84 that went on U.K.ebay last week for £908, that one had a nice sunburst and a Bigsby. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1984-VINTAGE-EPIPHONE-CASINO-RARE-MATSUMUKO-GUITAR-WITH-NICKEL-HARDWARE-BIGSBY-/130912275170?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=3V5QKtgssG%252FM7HSUIkpx9SgE8hA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_345wt_958 There is also a nice Blonde 82 in Japan at present, just like mine, for £712 BIN, but postage is £118 plus VAT and handling charges. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121119005216?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_33571wt_1030 I think I had a bargain getting mine back for £600 Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 That sunburst with the the bigsby was a lovely looking guitar...almost bid myself. Been looking at the natural one too...any idea how much import costs would be anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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