meaux Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 OK, first post so be gentle... I've been shopping for a Natural Casino in the $400/$500 range... I'm seeing some that state they're stamped '2nd' and some are 'refurbished' w/ no Factory Warranty... My question is, since the Epiphone Factory is in China and so are the Factorys that spit out the Copies, how does one tell which is which besides the obvious clues (extra toggle switch, humbuckers and necks at the 19th fret)??? What keeps someone from buying Bulk Copies and selling em' off as 'seconds' or 'Refurbs'??? Heck, if I want a 'Copy' I could probably save a couple hundred... A few years ago I bought a Tomato Epi Dot Studio with intentions of making a Lennon lookalike... At the time I didn't know the Casino was a much different guitar, and its a real Boat Anchor, so it never gets played... I did install new gold Grover Tuners, Gold Bridge and Stop Piece, Gold Humbuckers and reposition the Toggle Switch... It'll have to go when I find the right Casino... TIA for any info... Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Depending on who you ask, and how technical you want to be, "Real" Casino's were the one's made in Kalamazoo Michigan, until late 1969! Anything, after that, is an Asian "Copy!" But, the current Chinese versions are quite good, and the Japanese "Elitists" are widely considered the "best of the model." Buy only from an authorized Gibson/Epiphone dealer, if you want to be SURE, you're getting the current "real" thing. Generally speaking, If the price on E-bay, or some other Internet site, seems "too good=cheap, to be true,"...It is! As to your Epi Studio Dot...Nice looking, and frankly, I'd keep it! The Casino, with it's 2 P-90's would make an excellent addition, to your tone capabilities, but it's enough different, as well, to allow you to keep the Dot, for it's better upper fret access, if nothing else. IMHO, as always... CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Marlowe Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Don't forget the Casino Coupe is coming out soon. If you found the dot a bit too big and heavy, the Casino Coupe might be a good choice for you. It's in your price range and you can visit a GC or similar to try it out once it's out. Personally I say play one of each and see if it "speaks" to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 the Japanese "Elitists" are widely considered the "best of the model." I absolutely LOVE this guitar. The Bigsby was an aftermarket add, but otherwise it's stock and did I say I LOVE this guitar? BTW, member brianh has a great Casino comparison list that you might search for. In any event, Casino's rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I have several Epiphones, and of all of them, my Casino is my favorite. Actually my favorite guitar, after my Ric 12. I love how it plays, unplugged. And the thing rocks just fine, plugged in. The only mod I would recommend are Lollar p-90s. Otherwise, leave it alone. Every guitar player should have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamonkis Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Well I'm not sure this is the kind of advise you are looking for, but... The Casino sound has a lot to do with the acoustic properties of the guitar. If you want a good one, play it and listen for a good acoustic sound. Compare a few and you will be able to hear when you come across a good one. God bless, Spamonkis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meaux Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Does this look like a Chinese Copy? Will the serial number tell me? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-Archtop-Casino-Electric-Guitar-/111359155256?pt=Guitar&hash=item19ed85dc38#ht_57wt_1039 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meaux Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Disregard the question... I bought the dang thing... 12/2011 out of the Qingdao Plant... I'll report back next week on what I get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old mark Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I have no doubt you will like it. The Casino is one of the old real Epiphone designs that still works very well these days, and they are VERY good, solid guitars and great players. The Epi factory in China is very modern and turns out high quality guitars. Take your time and learn what it can do, and you will be very happy with it. Nothing wrong with the Dot, but the Casino is a whole different beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meaux Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 I have no doubt you will like it. The Casino is one of the old real Epiphone designs that still works very well these days, and they are VERY good, solid guitars and great players. The Epi factory in China is very modern and turns out high quality guitars. Take your time and learn what it can do, and you will be very happy with it. Nothing wrong with the Dot, but the Casino is a whole different beast. Well, it came without so much as a scratch... Looks brand spankin' new and all it needs is a good setup... I did pull the pickguard off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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