Epiphone Casino

The Epiphone Casino is a completely hollow-body electric guitar distinguished by its thin profile and double-cutaway design. Introduced in 1961, it was engineered to share basic dimensions with Gibson's ES-335 but without the solid center block that characterizes that model, resulting in a distinctly resonant, woody tone. epiphonewiki.org The original specifications called for a pressed three-ply laminated body—maple outer plies with a softer inner ply, typically poplar—measuring approximately 16 inches wide and 1.75 inches deep, with a one-piece mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. guitar.com Early models featured either a pale orange-yellow sunburst or dark sunburst finish, with white plastic binding and traditional f-holes.

The Casino gained cultural prominence through its adoption by rock musicians in the mid-1960s. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones used a Casino to record the demo for "Satisfaction" at Chess Records in Chicago. gibson.com Paul McCartney purchased one in December 1964 and famously restrung it to play left-handed; John Lennon and George Harrison acquired their own Casinos in 1965 and used them extensively on the Beatles' Revolver sessions and final world tour in 1966. guitar.com This association with the band drove a doubling of sales from 1965 to 1966, cementing the Casino's place in rock history.

The guitar's construction and tonal character—attributed to its completely hollow body, 17-degree headstock angle, and neck joint at the 16th fret—created a sound most closely associated with Lennon and the Beatles. web.archive.org After original production ended in 1970, the Casino was revived through Japanese manufacture in the 1980s and has since appeared in numerous reissues and signature editions, including limited-edition John Lennon models created in cooperation with Yoko Ono. web.archive.org The recent introduction of USA-made versions signals the model's continued relevance across six decades.