Casino Royale

I know there's already a 'Hollow, how are you?' thread for hollowbodies in general, but I believe the Casino merits it's own special place in the club zone. Post 'em if you got 'em! Here's mine...tied with my Telecaster as my favorite guitar:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/rob3566/P3100539-1.jpg?t=1253763474

Cmon', there's got to be many more of us here!

Saw this in GC couple of days, always liked them, it was haunting my dreams, so...

Got them to lug it down from it's high perch only to discover the input jack nut gone & the jack somewhere inside, also missing the scratch plate bracket. Played it accousticly & the set up was fine so I set down to negotiate. Before I could say much the saleshuman said $500 out the door as is but with warrenty. That's what I was going to offer so...$25 bucks to a local tech, (Catalina guitars, great service) & he found the bracket inside.

I'm likin it!

I love it when a plan comes together, wish I had a plan.

I'd love a Casino... I just have way too many guitars already though... :oops:

I'd love a Casino... I just have way too many guitars already though... :oops:

Impossible!

Love my Tele. It's my babe.

However, the Epiphone Casino I just bought is pretty dang mellow. It's got a great sound and feels great to play.

I've read a lot of bad press about Casinos - fit, finish, etc. - and I have to agree that this Chinese model has some issues, but they seem to be mostly cosmetic, so I'll probably keep it anyway.

The guitar seems well built and although I haven't set it up yet, there is no bridge rattle or buzzing.

Anyway, the Casino seems like the perfect compliment to my Tele with the kind of music I play - mostly blues and rock.

Fact is, I pretty pumped!

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/mk2maniac/MyCasino01.jpg?t=1270677027

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/mk2maniac/MyCasino02.jpg?t=1270677060

That's mine. 2009 Chinese built Casino. It's beautifully made, absolutely flawlessly finished. And it sounds fantastic.

I'm throwing in the towel.

Sending my Casino Natural back to GC.

Cosmetically a mess. I doubt I'll get a better one if this is what's coming out of China.

Specifics: The sanding, all around the binding on both front and back, is lighter and obviously the result of sanding, than the rest of the wood. It really shows.

Now the question: Abandon the Chinese Casino and look for a made in Korea Gretsch or maybe just reorder a Casino with paint.

Then there's always DeArmond.

Swoop's burst looks mighty purty. Hey, red looks good, too.

This guitar sounds fabulous, but I don't want a 'second' looks-wise after paying full price.

Opinions?

I picked up a Casino here in, of all places, Beijing China not far from its birthplace in Qingdao. Got it new for a great price with a Warwick hard case. It is my first hollowbody and sure is different from the rest of the herd but I can finally hear some of these Beatles songs correctly when I am playing it. Yes, there are some cosmetic issues (the little "e" logo on the pickguard wasn't glued on well and came off) but I didn't notice any finishing problems around the binding.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4499121859_847d814827.jpg

Kingfish, if you see any of the same problems in my guitar, I don't want to know, I am loving it too much! Here is a link to a slide show, enter at your own risk.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wulfh/sets/72157623793751948/

Wulman:

YOW! I guess I sound like the boogy man?

Your guitar looks great.

Mine had definite and apparent issues - your guitar doesn't seem to.

I wonder if I should just order another natural and hope that the workmanship is better. Or just go for the red model.

I loved the Casino and it was a hard decision to send it back.

The Gretsch 5120 is not without its detractors either.

Problem is my local GC doesn't have much of anything besides Dots to try out. So it's mail order bingo finding a good axe.

My first Tele American Standard natural had a huge knot right on the fret board. I sent it back and got a really sweet one - which I kept - and dearly love...

I'm leaning back towards the Casino in red.

I'll sleep on it.

I've got one (Chinese) and it's well made and a dream to play but the bridge pickup has almost half the volume of the neck pickup when they're both full on.

So I turn the bridge pickup to 10 and the neck to 6 and then they're evenly matched.

How about yours?

Mine has the same neck/bridge volume differential. I have read to just raise the pole pieces which I have done. I think it helps a bit but there is still a noticeable volume gap.
I like the idea if you are playing rhythm on the bridge and switch to the neck for a solo but not vice versa.
Here is a picture of the bridge pickup now:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4499294577_18cfc505fc_b.jpg

Does anyone know if this is the case on older Casinos or just a case of using the same output pickups for bridge and neck?

A Casino that is!

Another thread that I missed. Here's my 2007 MIK Casino.

Before I took off the pickguard:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2288/2466586792_41127d05ba_b.jpg

After:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2962280917_5dde0dec99_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/2963126368_922aff578b_b.jpg

Since I am playing (or trying to play) jazz non stop for the past couple of years, this has become my #1 guitar. I don't take it to band practice often, but I play it every day at home. It has the sound I hear in my head when I play it through my Twin Reverb.

Still kind of new to this site but thought I'd chime in here on this subject. I have had my Casino since I was 14. My dad bought it for me after he came home from Viet Nam in 1967. While it still looks and plays good,I was rough on it in my younger days. It does show some age in places. I still work with a local band ,but this guitar rarely leaves the house. When the band gigs,I have my Allen ManshipTelecaster and my acoustics for that. Here the last several years I have been wanting a natural finish 335. At this time the way economy is along with some other things,I can't afford to get one. But what is funny to me now is when I was in the music store where the Casino came from,I was sitting in there playing a 335 trying to decide which guitar I wanted,could've had either,but I chose the Casino. It had the tremelo/whammy bar tailpiece on it.

Just got mine the other day!

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x385/ja189807/P1010074.jpg

Just got mine the other day!

Welcome Hobo! Nice looking guitar!

Here's a couple of shots of my 2005 MIK during a little modding exercise last week. Installed new Tulip tuners...

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/mk2maniac/CopyofMyCasino01.jpg
Just another shot of mine.

I had a few upgrades done recently. Had it fully rewired with CTS pots, Switchcraft switch and jack, and some PIO capacitors. I went for the normal .022uf in the bridge, but went for .015uf for the neck, which brightened it up just a touch and makes the neck position a bit more useable, not so boomy. Gives a better balance between the neck and bridge too, so the middle position is gorgeous, really fantastic clean tone.

I had it wired vintage style, but with individual volume controls, which I find very useful. Also went for linear taper pots for the tone controls, which I like. It's a very gradual and subtle roll off of treble. Kept the stock pickups, because they're great. Really love the way it sounds now, and it was already great before.

I also had a bone nut fitted, which has made a noticeable improvement in sound too. A bit more sustain, beautiful harmonics, and an almost Tele-like twang, depending on how you play. I highly recommend upgrading all of these things, it's well worth it!

I've put this up on other threads but here's mine. Never been one for black guitars and was looking for a natural or a dark red one but it has grown on me.

http://www.thepopmodule.com/bin/casino.jpg

Mine is my number 1:

http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/bynapkinart/P8300014.jpg
http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/bynapkinart/P8300004.jpg

This is my 2004 Korean-made model, according to the serial number. I've owned it for the last six months or so. I don't use it quite as much as my CV Tele (which is a bit of a 'beater'), but its still something different and fun to play now and again. Through the AC30TB mode on the Vox VT50 it pretty much nails the Revolver-era sound. It sounds at its best with the gain cranked up for me. Also, playing the intro to Sunflower by Paul Weller, it just sounds right,

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj150/SmithersJones87/DSCF6715.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj150/SmithersJones87/DSCF6719.jpg

If I must criticise, it seems a bit neck-heavy which is a bit of a bummer when playing stood up, and generally I'm a bit more used to Fenders than I am Gibson/Epiphone-type guitars in terms of the neck, etc. However, in terms of the Casino's sound, its something a bit different for me and it's got a something you'd struggle to find in other guitars. Its still an interesting guitar to play.

And it just looks superb as well. :)

I'm in, a 2007...

This is one of my favorite Clubs!!
Here is my Korean built Casino Natural.
As good as anything coming out of Memphis.

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/bbarber805/Guitars/DSC_0131-2.jpg
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/bbarber805/Guitars/DSC_0143-2.jpg
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/bbarber805/Guitars/DSC_0132-2.jpg
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/bbarber805/Guitars/DSC_0138-2.jpg
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/bbarber805/Guitars/DSC_0140-2.jpg

Thinking about getting one of these for the weekends that I play rhythm. If I do get one, I'm going to mod the heck out of it. Aside from Lollar P90s, Bigsby, new wiring, and new tuners, any recommendations for switches, pots, etc.?

Swoop has some good mods. What else? I've never modded any of my guitars before, so treat me like a layman.

There's a guy trying to sell a chinese one in red for €330.
I've thought about give him €300 for it but man, I can't find a guitar to sell in order to keep my guitar limit number.

2011 Inspired by John Lennon Casino with Gibson P-90s and a neck wide enough for my hands. My third Casino and one I'll hang onto.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o67/echorrigan/IBJL_Casino.jpg

My 8-2006 Saein Korea:

I loved mine so much, I bought a second.

Natural - Inspired by Lennon
'Burst - Standard Casino that I Lennonized

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv224/taxmanharrison/casinosblue004.jpg

I own a 1996 black Peerless Epi Casino. The P90s are stamped "Sanyo"

Peerless may have a great reputation as a builder but they must have been partying the day they built mine because it isn't quite as nice as some of the Cort-built DeArmonds I own.

Dispite that I have hung onto it for eight years because it is a decent guitar.