“Even today, whenever I go to a guitar show, if I see an Epiphone electric or acoustic that’s in great shape, I get it.

“Epiphones were great guitars back then and affordable,” recalled Tallent. It was also less expensive than other Gibson Thinline models, which caught the attention of young rockers like Garry Tallent, future bassist of the E Street Band. Most of the original Thinline series, like the Sheraton and the ES-335, featured a mahogany center block on which the pickups were mounted the Casino held the distinction of being a true hollowbody. The idea of a Thinline electric with the look of an archtop was not much of a departure for Epiphone because the company had established a stellar reputation as an excellent archtop builder. In 1961, the Epiphone & Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was one of the premier instrument factories in the world, and the Casino was merely another instrument in a series of “Thinline” electrics first introduced in the late 50s that helped announce a new era for Epiphone after it became part of Gibson. By design or by accident, it’s perfect, just the way it is. Whether it was the era or the number of instruments produced, the Casino-a full hollowbody with two P-90s (another Kalamazoo invention)-was destined to be considered an Epiphone classic. Though the Casino, first released in 1961, was essentially Epiphone’s version of the Gibson ES-330, the Gibson version never caught on with fans.

These two guitars-the Gibson J-160E and the Epiphone Casino-are legendary instruments heard on many Fab Four sessions.īut over the last decade, thanks to a diverse group of artists like Gary Clark Jr., Radiohead, Paul Weller, and Brendan Benson of the Raconteurs, the Epiphone Casino has transcended its Beatle connection and become a must-have for any player’s collection. The Epiphone Casino might be the House of Stathopoulo’s most iconic instrument thanks to its association with The Beatles.

Epiphone casino guitar