RobertoCarlosMX Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hello guys, I have a question for you... According to your experience and knowledge and talking in terms of "Quality"... What version of the Epiphone Casino is the best? An Elitist? the 1961 Anniversary? The inspired by Lennon? Or the AIUSA Lennon? I've had the opportunity to play all the "modern" versions of the Casino, and for me the best of them is the AIUSA model. What do you think? Kind regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 The best one for you is the one you like best. Trust in the evaluation you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midiman56 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I own a '61 Anniversary, and I can't imagine the Elitist being THAT much better ... but I still want one just in case it is! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingman180 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I had the chance to try both the 61 and the Elitist and I thought the Elitist was far superior in all regards. For me it was worth the extra money. Just try as many as you can. Not everyone is happy with the narrower neck on the Elitist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old mark Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I have an Elitist and an old regular Korean made Casino. Both different, but I can not say one is better. I like them both. IMO it comes down to personal preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burchster Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I've never played any other Casino but everyone that's played my 06 Unsung MIK have loved it. It even has a nice dark one piece neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I have an Elitist and two of the Assembled in USA Lennon models, the Revolution and the '65. I prefer the AIUSA models to the Elitist. That said, you're not likely to find many guitars at any comparable price level better than an Elitist. The AIUSA Lennon Casinos are basically Elitists with vintage wiring, vintage spec nuts/saddles, nitro finish, and some other true-to-the-era appointments. The Japanese Terada facility where both models were/are made is among the best in the world (Gibson put the electronics, tuners, and other hardware on the Terada-made and finished bodies in order to call the AIUSA Lennon models "Assembled in the USA"). I've also heard it said that Gibson outsourced the body of the Eric Clapton ES-335 to Terada, as there were no forms for a 60's ES shape (pointier horns) in the USA at that time. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I've also heard it said that Gibson outsourced the body of the Eric Clapton ES-335 to Terada, as there were no forms for a 60's ES shape (pointier horns) in the USA at that time. I've seen information from an industry source (and former Gibson employee) stating that the Clapton body was "outsourced." Imho, this could only mean Terada, given Gibson's long standing relationship with the company in the realm of hollow & semi-hollowbody electrics. Their build quality is absolutely first rate. I'm fortunate enough to have three Terada built guitars (AIUSA '64 JLH Sheraton, '64 McCartney Texan, Elitist Casino), and they are exceptionally fine instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingarmadillo Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I have an Elitist and an old regular Korean made Casino. Both different, but I can not say one is better. I like them both. IMO it comes down to personal preference. Same here - a 2005 regular MIK and a 2010 Elitist. The Elitist is a nicer guitar, but for some reason I end up playing the Korean one more but I wouldn't get rid of either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I have a 2010 Elitist (see avatar). I love this thing. I agree with Macca, that if I could only have one guitar... That said, any Casino is better than no Casino. I can honestly say that the workmanship on mine (thank you Terada) is second to none. Have I said that I love this thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyvn Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I have a 2010 Elitist (see avatar). I love this thing. I agree with Macca, that if I could only have one guitar... That said, any Casino is better than no Casino. I can honestly say that the workmanship on mine (thank you Terada) is second to none. Have I said that I love this thing? Dennis, I presume you added the Bigsby to your Elitist? is that a B7 model? Weren't you concerned about screwing into the top face? I'm wanting to put one on mine, but I was thinking about the B3 model, so I wouldn't have to use screws. Or is yours a B3 model? Thanks for sharing any info you might have... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Dennis, I presume you added the Bigsby to your Elitist? is that a B7 model? Weren't you concerned about screwing into the top face? I'm wanting to put one on mine, but I was thinking about the B3 model, so I wouldn't have to use screws. Or is yours a B3 model? Thanks for sharing any info you might have... John John, It's a B7, and for this one, I had my luthier do the install. I figure if Macca and Harrison's Casino's have lasted for decades with the Bigsby, I'd be okay. I did do the install on my Dot (a B700), and found it to be no big deal, but I'm still thinking that on the Casino, I'd still have the luthier do it. FWIW, I bought the Bigsby on Amazon for a lot less than anywhere else, and he just charged me labor for the install (I'm guessing about $50 because I had some other stuff done at the same time). Have at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyvn Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 John, It's a B7, and for this one, I had my luthier do the install. I figure if Macca and Harrison's Casino's have lasted for decades with the Bigsby, I'd be okay. I did do the install on my Dot (a B700), and found it to be no big deal, but I'm still thinking that on the Casino, I'd still have the luthier do it. FWIW, I bought the Bigsby on Amazon for a lot less than anywhere else, and he just charged me labor for the install (I'm guessing about $50 because I had some other stuff done at the same time). Have at it. Thanks so much... With Macca and the rest, I figure that those were factory installs with extra bracing for the Bigsby (not sure about that). I should check with Mike Voltz at Gibson to ask whether their Bigsby installed ES330's have any extra bracing. Hmmmm. But thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omni43 Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Macca and Harrison also have unlimited resources to take care of their instruments at the highest level. Not to say that other people don't do a good job. But they are in a totally different league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Macca and Harrison also have unlimited resources to take care of their instruments at the highest level. Not to say that other people don't do a good job. But they are in a totally different league. True that, although I trust my luthier (that did this install) enough to have advised me if he felt there might be an issue. The Bigsby's been there for a couple of years now, and no prob's. I think I'd have noticed something by now. In any event, the Elitist Casino is the "sweetest" guitar that I own, and my "go to". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Dave Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I have a 2006 Elitist Casino. I like it very much. I had a chance to play a recent standard and an MIJ. I found this Elitist on the net for sale and tried it then bought it. It's one of my favorite guitars Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zentar Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Macca and Harrison also have unlimited resources to take care of their instruments at the highest level. Not to say that other people don't do a good job. But they are in a totally different league. What they had back then was crude compared to today. They took their guitars to a luthier sometimes and did the work themselves sometimes. They didn't use the guitar tech guy like the big rockers all seem to have today. A lot of the Beatle instruments had screw holes in several places as they moved pickups around. Lennon stuck Grover tuners on his Casino himself. They strung their own strings. They painted their own guitars with cheap paint and fingernail polish. Ringo was notorious for doing self mods to his drums. Read Steve Babiuk's book "Beatles Gear". They didn't spend big bucks on instrument maintenance. They did it themselves mostly. Lennon's Casino had several different paint coats as well as stripping done to it. He did get a guy to spray paint it once. He did pay a guy to strip it once but mostly the Beatles were very hands on type musicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I've got Babuik's book, and you're right. For as famous as they were, they were NOT gear whores, and did do a lot of their stuff themselves (probably dates back to the Hamburg days). I was at the NAMM show a few years ago and spent about half an hour just staring at George's "old black Gretsch" (the DuoJet), rotating in a glass cage. Nicks, dings, scratches, wow...let's not forget that he had the back and sides painted black to match Lennon's Ric, which had also been painted black (Teddy Boy's, remember?). George also hand painted his Strat, and the Gibby LP "Lucy" was repainted to the red color (can't remember if that was before or after he got it). And Lennon's history of his mod's to his guitars, both Ric's and Casino's, is well, history...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.