I got a Casino recently, the John Lennon model exactly like one of yours. Such an amazing guitar. John Lennon got an interesting tone in this guitar in songs like Get Back and Don’t Let Me Down, he kinda simulated the neck pickup in the bridge. At first you may think he is playing in the neck position, but he is at the bridge, with the tone halfway closed that gave this warm and heavy sound you would expect from the neck position
Thats some p90 magic for sure. Look at people with single p90 juniors emulating a neck pickup by rolling off the tone knob. Truly is the perfect pickup 👍
@@gregfeo8639 I was on a wait list with Sweetwater, I got an email on Monday alerting me they were back in stock, I called the next day, they were all already gone. So now I'm on the list for mid May delivery.
As a struggling beginner player with an eye out for a Casino most of this stuff is beyond me, but kudos for the clear explanation in a way that is enjoyable. Well done!
From Leo: You clearly know your way around the Epiphones. I have spent some time experimenting with different height shims as you mentioned on the dog ear P-90's. Eventually I find the compromise. I don't know why I never tried to just use the EQ pedal, esp. since I have a few of them. Good tip. I chased rattles on a Joe Pas Epiphone. Some tips. I held the wires in place with a few globs of latex caulk. It holds good enough to stop the rattle and the wires will still pull out if you want to change things later. On buzzy bridges, after making sure I liked the intonation. I put cardboard under the bridge to protect the guitar, and drip clear nail polish any place two pieces join together. Seems to hold up fine. Looks like you have a great family
Try a Callaham bridge for real tone! And if feedback is a problem (most foreign mades are five-ply, so a bit less feedback), try stuffing some foam rubber into the upper bout "f" hole ...
The magnetic poles of the pickups are slotted and using a screwdriver you can adjust them up or down individually. This brings the poles closer of further from the strings. That is like adjusting the pickup height up and down. No need for using shims to obtain different heights for the pickups. - Peter age 72 P.S. I'm surprised jack does not understand how well adjusting the pole heights work!
Between your videos and Mick from TPS, I was inspired to join the "Casino Craze". Bought a Cherry Red Casino Coupe, replaced the pickups with black cover Lollar Dogears (overwound Bridge, shimmed), Gotoh Locking Tuners, TUSQ nut, black speed knobs, 50's wiring, new switch, Tonepros bridge, removed the pickguard, etc... It was the perfect modding platform and now it plays like none of my other guitars! Cheers Jack.
Odd you mentioned rattle. I recently was plagued by this. I could not figure it out until I tried something I was sure wouldn't work. I simply tightened down the screws on both sides of both pickups. Surprise! It worked!. Thanks for this fine video, Jack.
Spent 3 months in hell when I got mine 4 years ago. Did my own setup, then took to my luthier for more setup, changed bridge, spent money, buzz would come and go. Finally took pick guard off and found pickup cover screw was loose. Eventually wrote a song about Lucinda putting me through hell then you find out the guitar is named Lucinda with a happy ending. Cheers!
Just the guitar I've been thinking about for a long time, or a Casino-coup, so appreciated. And also appreciate the picture at 6:57. There are so many guitar channels now, that I can't begin to keep-up with all of them, keep finding new great channels all the time. There are a few channel creators who play so well, I always look forward to their new videos. I won't name names, simply because there are too many of them, but certainly Jack Fossett is towards the top - something about his playing that resonates with me...
had both love both but the coupe is just perfect First impressions thought it toy like things played more than all my other guitars and I've some nice guitars
great rundown from a Casino player....I use a Boss eq into a Blues Driver and have no pickup volume issues at all...I may actually put two EQ pedals on my board for switching guitars or even switching pickups...EQ is the most underrated pedal in my view
Thank you for that information.. I bought myself one for Christmas ( the natural finish) and am looking forward to dialing it in.. your video gave a wonderful jumpstart on that endeavor
I took mine to a luthier who did the Peter Green phase trick. Sounds great to me. My biggest/only gripe with mine which I’ve had for 18 years is the feedback. But that’s just what it is so you just have to manage it. Other than that, I love the Casino
This is great information. I've been playing Ibanez Artcores for years and one of them was "modded" to be a "Casino" - meaning it's still an Ibanez AF though with P90s. With the right spacers we were able to get more accuracy in pickup height and thanks to someone on a facebook Archtop group we did a magnet swap on the import Kent Armstrong dogear P90s installed. Two alnico II magnets for the neck and two alnico Vs for the bridge and the thing sings. I'm still in the market for a good Casino... though honestly I have that sound covered and, to your point, I think it sounds great and handles gain though it's still really shines for cleans. Also, the information about the EQ is immeasurable. Same thing - with my archtops using an "always on" EQ and doing like you did, cutting 400 hz and boosting 800 really yanks out the nastiest of things and helps make a hollow guitar really be present. This is all to say get a Casino if you can... though grabbing a cheap hollowbody with humbucker holes it's near perfect for P90s if you don't mind screwing holes in the top. Great video and wonderful information.
I put Seymour Duncan Antiquities in my Casino, had it rewired with new pots, caps, switch, jack, and put a new bridge and nut on it ... completely different guitar, and yes, a better guitar, more range and nicer overall tone. I love how it sounds now.
That EQ was magic. I use a Tech 21 Q-Strip always on with the lower mids rolled way off and the mids and upper mids whenever it sounds good to me. I engage the Q-Strip's high pass filter as well. I also use always-on dual compression (Origin Effects Cali 76 Compact Deluxe and Xotic SP) at moderate settings. This and a few other effects as appropriate to me is how I get a very authentic, touch-sensitive, and dynamic studio sound, which is what I like best. I have an Epiphone Casino Elitist strung with an Optima Gold, .09 Brian May set. I changed the bridge for an old TOM that I had in my parts box. As you know, It's superbly made, plays and sounds great, and stands up very well to a vintage one but at a fraction of the cost - and no rattling. Highly recommended. I have used this Casino to record acoustic parts and it works very well. It's main attribute is that the engineer doesn't have to attenuate the lows and low-mids as is generally done when recording/mixing acoustic guitars. That is built into the Casino.
Great video. I have 4 Casinos, a standard red one, a sunburst with a Bigsby, a 1961 custom elite reissue and a John Lennon Revolution model. My own custom Lord JS Casino is still being built. I get all my replacement parts for Epiphone Casinos from a friend in Australia. Usually I use a Vox or Marshall amp with my Casinos.
Great stuff again, thanks! Gotoh GE103b is a perfect drop in replacement for the garbage stock bridge that has the rattling retainer wire. Another top upgrade is a Tusq XL nut, as these work perfectly with Casino/Gibson style 3+3 headstocks. Casinos are fantastic, I own two. So massively comfortable and easy to play with all the classic tones. Terrific looks too!
LOV: LOVE LOVE your honesty about paid-for promotions. People on youTube pretend the7y're doing it all for you guys' -rubbish! thanks for your honesty . We all have mouths t9 feed my man. Well played! Appreciate ya from the uk.
Great video. Thanks. I have the turquoise coupe. i put a B7 on it with a roller bridge. HipShot locking tuners and an earvana nut. I also took the pick guard off the instant I got it. It stays in tune better than any guitar I've had and I think it sounds fantastic. I'll try some of the eq tips you just gave.I really love your style of play.
3:30 - when the Beatles really started to think long and hard about their guitar tones in the studio they tended to go with hybrid amps (half solid-state) ALL Proof that, before reaching for our wallets, we should start making the most out of what we’ve already got and if we can’t make the most out of what’s there then we gotta try harder! And if it still doesn’t do it for you sell it until you can afford what can (Took me forever to learn this basic fact!!)😉
THE Aclam Dr. Robert pedal copies the tone stack of the Vox hybrid amp the Beatles used on Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's. (If you like that sound.....). Sounds great with a Stratocaster too. (The opening riff on Sgt. Pepper 's.)
Love your sensible down to earth approach and this video upholds that 👍 Having bought my Epi IBJL ‘65 Casino not long after they were introduced it’s obviously been with me for some years now. Gigged and for recording, I’ve found this guitar at times challenging but also highly rewarding. Have achieved some good sounds working with other Vox or Fender valve (tube) amps. Live can be more tricky, not just the feedback issue ( which can be a lot of fun) but also when changing between the Casino and Strat or Tele single coil guitars. I found I needed to turn up to treble and lower the bass eq on my Deluxe Reverb. A neat trick here if you are able to is to have an amp with two separate individual channels so doing a guitar change isn’t a drama, hence my getting a 68/Custom Deluxe Reverb. Thought I’d mention this in case anyone considering gigging the Casino also has to change guitars.
I replaced all hardware: - CTS pots - Switchcraft switch & jack - self-cut real bone nut - Gotoh SD90 tuners (you'll have to sand down the back of the insert rings a little) - Gotoh GE104B bridge (I also replaced the posts: glued in wood and inserted the 4 mm posts - cream-colored pickguard - rubber in the string anchor to prevent vibrations - Mojotone 56 Q-coil noiseless P90 - a switch washer with "Helter Skelter" printed on it
I purchased a asian market epiphone casino 12 years ago and the pickups are perfectly balanced and any tone n volume level and its very sparkly bright jangly with a good bit of grit...So you must have picked up some lower grade ones maybe the earlier ones are just better?
Jack, great video! I have replaced everything but the frets and tailpiece on mine (also the bridge, but I replaced the saddles) Q for you: What tailpiece would you recommend that would be a worthy upgrade?
About 1973, I was at the local music store and another customer walked in with his Casino. He needed to get cash to buy a Strat, so he could some country songs with his band. So I bought it on the spot for around $275 or 300. The new Caino's don't have the same necks. Mine has a narrow fingerboard, and I've never seen a new Epiphone with a similar neck. How does it feel to have an incredible 50-year-old guitar?
Lollar pickups sell a set of shims specifically for raising the bridge pickup higher so that the output is more even. I think the shim set costs around twenty bucks, if I remember correctly.
I have a 2015 Casino Coupe. I replaced the pickups with underwound Lollar P90s. They were wound for this guitar and and have plastic covers. It’s now an awesome player. I recommend Lollars for any P90 application. Let him know what your intended application is. Trust him, he’s that good. They don’t hum much and are not feedback prone.
Jack, How about a quick lesson, if that’s possible, on how to use these pedals to get the best tone out of our guitar. As you said there are inconsistencies in the pickups themselves so how do we dial them in ? Thanks for all of your help and patience.😊
I changed the tuners on my Casino and put open-back Schaller Grand Tune butterbean ones. This improved the tuning but also, to my big surprise, the tone of the guitar. The sustain improved, and some rattling disappeared.
Interesting. I'm wondering why. I replaced the nut with a "bone nut" to help sustain. I understand Schaller is a good brand ( i just bought Schallar strap locks) I'll look into it.
This has to be one of the best demos! Awesome job man! I’m looking to buy this guitar to make rock sounds from the 60s but I hear a dirty just after breakup tone that these guitars feedback a lot. Is it true?
Thank you kindly! Yes they do feed back quite a bit - there are ways to control it, but generally you won't have a huge problem unless you play with a lot of gain in a small room/club.
Hey Jack, thank you for the really informative video! Instant sub! I've just received my first Casino yesterday. Got myself the Worn Blue Denim and it's an absolute gorgeous sounding and looking guitar. It has one issue however and since you seem to be some sort of expert with casinos I thought I'd ask if you've encountered something similar and eventually know how to deal with it. There is a buzz / ring sound coming I think from the bridge, it's rather hard to make out where exactly it does come from. Funny thing: it only or very obviously occurs when I play a D note (no matter on which string or fret I play the D on) it just seems to be that frequency somehow. I'm fairly certain by now it's not the pots, switch or input jack. In most forums they talk about the little wire on the tune-o-matic bridge to likely be responsible for this kind of ringing. I tried to push it against the bridge / keep it from potentially being able to resonate while plugging the D but it did't help. I'm quite sure it's not transferred through the pickups but it's reeeeally loud and annoying acoustically so that I can still hear it rather prominently when plugged in. Acoustically it's very resonant and vibrant but the ring / buzz when playing a D note is so annoying that I almost can't play it unplugged though I'd really love to. Any tips would be very much appreciated! Cheers & greetings from Austria :)
Hi Jack! I’ve loved your videos for a long time now, using them to help me finally pull the trigger and buy myself a casino coupe. Immediately it became my favorite guitar. I do have a couple things I want to change purely for my own taste. What pickups would you recommend for a blues-rock sound? I have a couple other upgrades that I plan on doing but I’m not too sure which pickups would be right for me
I've found it's essential with Casinos to switch to 50s wiring (factory is modern wiring) so you don't lose all your treble when you lower the volume. It's a simple mod. Also P90s and more especially Casinos seem to like good capacitors to get more usable tone (orange drops or similar quality poly/mylar caps - paper in oil are not suitable for 90s in my experience.) I agree with the hardware upgrades to get a less muddy tone. You also got some hungry mouths to feed tone to over here, and you always deliver. Thanks Jack!
Jack - What do you think are the major differences in tone and playability between the regular Casino and the Casino Coupe? (I believe you have both, right?)
In short, the coupe is more low mids punchy and mid focused in general, full casino has extended bass and treble (that always comes with bigger sizes).
@@JackFossett Maybe you get interestet in this type of music, so heres the story, i moved to the very small town im living in right now and found out it had a big, a very big musisal history, a band called Nektar lived here and they have been world wide top acts in the maybe 70 to 80 and their guitar player Roye Albrighton had a very special one a HMM 355 with a looking more as a P90 in the neck and a Di Marzio PAF in bridge, what you think but sounds great, enjoy and maybeit will get you ideas for new songs ruclips.net/video/ku_LUs6usTk/видео.html
The P90pros, on any Casino, 2014 and on, are the probucker version of P90's. The nicely and silver base metal ratios, screws, wire, cover, magnets etc... Everything is identical to the Gibson P90, just made/wound overseas. No need to swap covers. I adjusted the pole pieces on mine and got a much better tone from them. It was exactly what I was looking for. They were pretty dull and uninspiring before the pole piece adjustment. This was a regular Casino, not the Coupe.
A few notes after six years with my casino: Replace the nut. I still have the stock nut on mine and it has plagued me since the beginning while tuning. Just because I keep putting it off doesn’t mean you have to. The culprit of my casino’s buzz was the thin wire on the stock bridge that holds the intonation screws in place. It was rattling against the screws constantly, but rather than upgrade the bridge, my cheap ass just wedged a small, folded up piece of college ruled paper between the wire and the bridge. It shouldn’t have worked but it’s been on there for years now, no more buzz. Maybe I should upgrade the bridge, but… eh. One of my favorite things to do with the casino is alternate tunings, beyond the usual drop D & slide tunings. Open D6 (DADF#BD) and a fake cello tuning I came up with (DAEBBE) both sound magical on this guitar. Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles got me into odd tunings, and it totally alters how you look at the guitar. Good stuff.
Hi Jack! Have you ever tried an Ibanez ASR70? It's built like a Casino guitar, with a full hollow body. I'm asking because I'm tempted by a used one at about half the price of a used Casino. Thanks!
They are making pickups too hot for what a vintage P90 should be. Mine measured 12k on both pickups. Had them revound in around 7,8k and 8,3k range and that is a big improvement.
My Casino Coupe arrived for my birthday 5 days ago, but I have to wait another week till my birthday to play it, Its like a vow of chastity, I'm dying.
I've had mine for almost a year (Chinese not American) and I love the guitar but it is almost unplayable because of constant buzzing. I can't tell if it's coming from the bridge and that little wire or from the bracket that the strings are fed through. Any thoughts? Definitely not fret buzz.
HELP.. i have a chinese casino at the moment, and i LOVE the casino, its my favorite guitar but i wanted to get another one and im stuck between a few.. i was unsure of which model to get.. do you think itd be better to get a elitist casino or an older 80s-90s matsumoku or terada? Sucks that i dont have them infront of me and itd be an online purchase. Im just weary of making the wrong decision
the one thing that improves the tone drastically, are big fat strings. I got me a .012 set and replaced the wounded g-string for a .020 plain string, which is still bendable. you need some steel to get that hollow body resonating.
Question: I’ve never seen or held one IRL (local shops here sell mostly folk and classical instruments); how light are they compared to a tele, and how is the acoustic sound? Do they sound like those old archtops with only neck pickups?
Nice video. I would not buy a Chinese Casino. I absolutely love the Elitist Casino built in Japan by Terada. Still not so sure about the USA Epiphone Casino.
I just bought a Casino for a spare while my Gibson ES330 is being repaired. It has a different but good neck and the build is decent. However the sound when compared to a Gibson with P90s is just terrible. The pots are poor quality too. As a spare it will do til I get my Gibson back. If it was rewired and real Gibson P90s put in I think it could be used professionally as its quite good to play as far as feel is concerned and it looks good. I have the Chinese made casino. Your Coupe would be Chinese but I dont know when and where your Lennon Casino is built.
epiphone bridges are guff the only issue on all my epi's but so worth it my coupe is just epic pups really balanced but gonna try yoyo eq thanks for the video
Yeah it always blows my mind that people don’t realize they can use an EQ pedal to shape tone. It’s great for playing chords, then you can click it off if you want to play a lead with more woof or low end ‘beef.’
I actually dislike, "jangle." (Give me a Martin over a Taylor, any day...) The clean Jazz tone is how my Casino earns it's place in my stable of guitars. None of my other guitars matches it. Thick, buttery, with a "pop" to the notes that provides articulation on single note runs. The stock pickups emphasize melodic lines, making fingerpicked (ala Chet Atkins) tunes sing out with ease.
Sometimes I'm am a bit too a logical guy but... I'm wondering why spending money on a guitar with so many issues when you can buy something pretty similar and/or even better in terms of price, features and tone but not so tricky, I mean something to just quickly set up, ready to go and with no crap under the hood... Ok, maybe one like "that" look, I get it, so... well... I wish him/her the best fun anyway! Bye!
The magnetic poles of the pickups are slotted and using a screwdriver you can adjust them up or down individually. This brings the poles closer of further from the strings. That is like adjusting the pickup height up and down. No need for using shims to obtain different heights for the pickups. Jack said they can be adjusted only a little bit, in truth they can be adjusted to do what you need to do concerning how a pickup works. Adjusted magnetic poles looking like teerth is an absurd statement by Jack I have no idea where he's coming from. Having a pickup with individual pole piece height is more effective than adjusting the treble end and the bass end of a pickup like most other pickups. That is a fact!- Peter age 72
Loud neck pickup and thin and weak bridge pickup? It's a regular occurrence with all the Gibsons I've played..Not only at Epiphone.. A pair of PAFs or P90s are mostly unbalanced. A friend bought an original pair of Dirty Fingers. Neck pup sounds much better..
I got a Casino recently, the John Lennon model exactly like one of yours. Such an amazing guitar. John Lennon got an interesting tone in this guitar in songs like Get Back and Don’t Let Me Down, he kinda simulated the neck pickup in the bridge. At first you may think he is playing in the neck position, but he is at the bridge, with the tone halfway closed that gave this warm and heavy sound you would expect from the neck position
Thats some p90 magic for sure. Look at people with single p90 juniors emulating a neck pickup by rolling off the tone knob. Truly is the perfect pickup 👍
Could you link where you bought it please?
@@JamesMcCarthy17 I bought from friend who had a Beatles tribute band. But you can easily find this on any guitar shop
Source?
@@gregfeo8639 I was on a wait list with Sweetwater, I got an email on Monday alerting me they were back in stock, I called the next day, they were all already gone. So now I'm on the list for mid May delivery.
As a struggling beginner player with an eye out for a Casino most of this stuff is beyond me, but kudos for the clear explanation in a way that is enjoyable. Well done!
From Leo: You clearly know your way around the Epiphones. I have spent some time experimenting with different height shims as you mentioned on the dog ear P-90's. Eventually I find the compromise. I don't know why I never tried to just use the EQ pedal, esp. since I have a few of them. Good tip. I chased rattles on a Joe Pas Epiphone. Some tips. I held the wires in place with a few globs of latex caulk. It holds good enough to stop the rattle and the wires will still pull out if you want to change things later. On buzzy bridges, after making sure I liked the intonation. I put cardboard under the bridge to protect the guitar, and drip clear nail polish any place two pieces join together. Seems to hold up fine. Looks like you have a great family
Try a Callaham bridge for real tone! And if feedback is a problem (most foreign mades are five-ply, so a bit less feedback), try stuffing some foam rubber into the upper bout "f" hole ...
The magnetic poles of the pickups are slotted and using a screwdriver you can adjust them up or down individually. This brings the poles closer of further from the strings. That is like adjusting the pickup height up and down. No need for using shims to obtain different heights for the pickups. - Peter age 72
P.S. I'm surprised jack does not understand how well adjusting the pole heights work!
Between your videos and Mick from TPS, I was inspired to join the "Casino Craze".
Bought a Cherry Red Casino Coupe, replaced the pickups with black cover Lollar Dogears (overwound Bridge, shimmed), Gotoh Locking Tuners, TUSQ nut, black speed knobs, 50's wiring, new switch, Tonepros bridge, removed the pickguard, etc...
It was the perfect modding platform and now it plays like none of my other guitars!
Cheers Jack.
They r good guitars Brian, check out a Gibson ES 330.. a little bit expensive but damn they sound nice and solid
I don't think we should ever label a hollow or semi-hollow as a "perfect modding platform" cause they are a royal pain to mod
Odd you mentioned rattle. I recently was plagued by this. I could not figure it out until I tried something I was sure wouldn't work. I simply tightened down the screws on both sides of both pickups. Surprise! It worked!. Thanks for this fine video, Jack.
Spent 3 months in hell when I got mine 4 years ago. Did my own setup, then took to my luthier for more setup, changed bridge, spent money, buzz would come and go. Finally took pick guard off and found pickup cover screw was loose. Eventually wrote a song about Lucinda putting me through hell then you find out the guitar is named Lucinda with a happy ending. Cheers!
Just the guitar I've been thinking about for a long time, or a Casino-coup, so appreciated. And also appreciate the picture at 6:57. There are so many guitar channels now, that I can't begin to keep-up with all of them, keep finding new great channels all the time. There are a few channel creators who play so well, I always look forward to their new videos. I won't name names, simply because there are too many of them, but certainly Jack Fossett is towards the top - something about his playing that resonates with me...
What’s the local guitar gonna charge me to do that , give or take ?
had both love both but the coupe is just perfect
First impressions thought it toy like
things played more than all my other guitars and I've some nice guitars
great rundown from a Casino player....I use a Boss eq into a Blues Driver and have no pickup volume issues at all...I may actually put two EQ pedals on my board for switching guitars or even switching pickups...EQ is the most underrated pedal in my view
Thank you for that information..
I bought myself one for Christmas ( the natural finish) and am looking forward to dialing it in.. your video gave a wonderful jumpstart on that endeavor
I took mine to a luthier who did the Peter Green phase trick. Sounds great to me. My biggest/only gripe with mine which I’ve had for 18 years is the feedback. But that’s just what it is so you just have to manage it. Other than that, I love the Casino
that eq pedal is really, really good. my son and i each have had one for a long time, and it is solid and quiet and really good.
In the Beatles' Dear Prudence the Casino was supposedly used acoustically for the main guitar track
Wouldn't surprise me. Its an unplugged electric (not sure what) that plays rhythm on Paul Simon's Me & Julio
This is great information. I've been playing Ibanez Artcores for years and one of them was "modded" to be a "Casino" - meaning it's still an Ibanez AF though with P90s. With the right spacers we were able to get more accuracy in pickup height and thanks to someone on a facebook Archtop group we did a magnet swap on the import Kent Armstrong dogear P90s installed. Two alnico II magnets for the neck and two alnico Vs for the bridge and the thing sings. I'm still in the market for a good Casino... though honestly I have that sound covered and, to your point, I think it sounds great and handles gain though it's still really shines for cleans. Also, the information about the EQ is immeasurable. Same thing - with my archtops using an "always on" EQ and doing like you did, cutting 400 hz and boosting 800 really yanks out the nastiest of things and helps make a hollow guitar really be present. This is all to say get a Casino if you can... though grabbing a cheap hollowbody with humbucker holes it's near perfect for P90s if you don't mind screwing holes in the top. Great video and wonderful information.
I'm impressed with the EQ pedal's ability to create a bright tone for the Casino!
I put Seymour Duncan Antiquities in my Casino, had it rewired with new pots, caps, switch, jack, and put a new bridge and nut on it ... completely different guitar, and yes, a better guitar, more range and nicer overall tone. I love how it sounds now.
Seems like you bought the wrong guitar! After all that money spent, you could have just bought the right guitar the first time!
That EQ was magic. I use a Tech 21 Q-Strip always on with the lower mids rolled way off and the mids and upper mids whenever it sounds good to me. I engage the Q-Strip's high pass filter as well. I also use always-on dual compression (Origin Effects Cali 76 Compact Deluxe and Xotic SP) at moderate settings. This and a few other effects as appropriate to me is how I get a very authentic, touch-sensitive, and dynamic studio sound, which is what I like best.
I have an Epiphone Casino Elitist strung with an Optima Gold, .09 Brian May set. I changed the bridge for an old TOM that I had in my parts box. As you know, It's superbly made, plays and sounds great, and stands up very well to a vintage one but at a fraction of the cost - and no rattling. Highly recommended.
I have used this Casino to record acoustic parts and it works very well. It's main attribute is that the engineer doesn't have to attenuate the lows and low-mids as is generally done when recording/mixing acoustic guitars. That is built into the Casino.
by far the most informative and useful 335 video I have seen
thank you
so much here I can implement
It is a treat to see you with your kids! 😊❤️
Nice tips! Thank you fellow Casino lover.
Great video. I have 4 Casinos, a standard red one, a sunburst with a Bigsby, a 1961 custom elite reissue and a John Lennon Revolution model. My own custom Lord JS Casino is still being built. I get all my replacement parts for Epiphone Casinos from a friend in Australia. Usually I use a Vox or Marshall amp with my Casinos.
I've been using an ES330 .. I find it a little bit better than a casino
@@pgroove163 Okay. Nice. I'd get an ES 330 if I could find one for a good price. What color is yours?
You know what you are doing with that Eq....just subscribed. Good video. Thanks.
Sounds good with the EQ pedal, but it accentuated the hiss coming through the amp as well. A band-aid on muddy pickups that are noisy to begin with.
nice tips, I like the overdrive but not the EQ, and the slide sounds so good!
Great stuff again, thanks!
Gotoh GE103b is a perfect drop in replacement for the garbage stock bridge that has the rattling retainer wire. Another top upgrade is a Tusq XL nut, as these work perfectly with Casino/Gibson style 3+3 headstocks.
Casinos are fantastic, I own two. So massively comfortable and easy to play with all the classic tones. Terrific looks too!
Thanks this was a great approach to talking about the Casinos and eq.
LOV: LOVE LOVE your honesty about paid-for promotions. People on youTube pretend the7y're doing it all for you guys' -rubbish! thanks for your honesty . We all have mouths t9 feed my man. Well played! Appreciate ya from the uk.
Great video. Thanks. I have the turquoise coupe. i put a B7 on it with a roller bridge. HipShot locking tuners and an earvana nut. I also took the pick guard off the instant I got it. It stays in tune better than any guitar I've had and I think it sounds fantastic. I'll try some of the eq tips you just gave.I really love your style of play.
3:30 - when the Beatles really started to think long and hard about their guitar tones in the studio they tended to go with hybrid amps (half solid-state)
ALL Proof that, before reaching for our wallets, we should start making the most out of what we’ve already got and if we can’t make the most out of what’s there then we gotta try harder!
And if it still doesn’t do it for you sell it until you can afford what can (Took me forever to learn this basic fact!!)😉
THE Aclam Dr. Robert pedal copies the tone stack of the Vox hybrid amp the Beatles used on Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's. (If you like that sound.....). Sounds great with a Stratocaster too. (The opening riff on Sgt. Pepper 's.)
Try sticking a set of flat wounds on the natural one 👍 That’s what I’ve done on mine sounds great
Love your sensible down to earth approach and this video upholds that 👍
Having bought my Epi IBJL ‘65 Casino not long after they were introduced it’s obviously been with me for some years now. Gigged and for recording, I’ve found this guitar at times challenging but also highly rewarding.
Have achieved some good sounds working with other Vox or Fender valve (tube) amps.
Live can be more tricky, not just the feedback issue ( which can be a lot of fun) but also when changing between the Casino and Strat or Tele single coil guitars. I found I needed to turn up to treble and lower the bass eq on my Deluxe Reverb. A neat trick here if you are able to is to have an amp with two separate individual channels so doing a guitar change isn’t a drama, hence my getting a 68/Custom Deluxe Reverb.
Thought I’d mention this in case anyone considering gigging the Casino also has to change guitars.
Great video, thanks! Been searching for a way to make my Casino sound a bit cleaner. Where would you recommend putting the EQ pedal in the chain?
I cant wait to get one! I play John Lennon and ringo.
Hello - Thanks so much for the great video! Could you use this guitar also for R&B?
You bet!
I replaced all hardware:
- CTS pots
- Switchcraft switch & jack
- self-cut real bone nut
- Gotoh SD90 tuners (you'll have to sand down the back of the insert rings a little)
- Gotoh GE104B bridge (I also replaced the posts: glued in wood and inserted the 4 mm posts
- cream-colored pickguard
- rubber in the string anchor to prevent vibrations
- Mojotone 56 Q-coil noiseless P90
- a switch washer with "Helter Skelter" printed on it
Mick from that pedal show put a set of Lollar p90 in his cassino and it made a big improvement. Like he had a blanket over amp
Great video Jack. Your great touch on the Casino also improves the tone.
Excellent video. I also use a Boss 7 band eq pedal. It sounds great thru my home made Fender 5f1 Champ thru 1963 Vox blues speakers.
I purchased a asian market epiphone casino 12 years ago and the pickups are perfectly balanced and any tone n volume level and its very sparkly bright jangly with a good bit of grit...So you must have picked up some lower grade ones maybe the earlier ones are just better?
Hey-oh Jack...
LOVE the family photo!!
Jack, great video! I have replaced everything but the frets and tailpiece on mine (also the bridge, but I replaced the saddles)
Q for you: What tailpiece would you recommend that would be a worthy upgrade?
I have a 67 Epiphone Casino, great guitar but you need to watch the feed back. From clean to dirty it’s awesome if you know how to work em.
About 1973, I was at the local music store and another customer walked in with his Casino. He needed to get cash to buy a Strat, so he could some country songs with his band. So I bought it on the spot for around $275 or 300. The new Caino's don't have the same necks. Mine has a narrow fingerboard, and I've never seen a new Epiphone with a similar neck.
How does it feel to have an incredible 50-year-old guitar?
I put passive bass cut pots in a lot of my guitars, I find it very useful
Lollar pickups sell a set of shims specifically for raising the bridge pickup higher so that the output is more even. I think the shim set costs around twenty bucks, if I remember correctly.
I have a 2015 Casino Coupe. I replaced the pickups with underwound Lollar P90s. They were wound for this guitar and and have plastic covers. It’s now an awesome player. I recommend Lollars for any P90 application. Let him know what your intended application is. Trust him, he’s that good. They don’t hum much and are not feedback prone.
Jack, How about a quick lesson, if that’s possible, on how to use these pedals to get the best tone out of our guitar. As you said there are inconsistencies in the pickups themselves so how do we dial them in ? Thanks for all of your help and patience.😊
The EQ puts you almost in Tele territory. What gauge strings? I find .09s or .10s to be too "floppy" on the Casinos...
Hi!
It would be fantastic if you could make a comparison between de Epiphone Emperor Swingster and the Gretsch Electromatic!
Cheers
I changed the tuners on my Casino and put open-back Schaller Grand Tune butterbean ones. This improved the tuning but also, to my big surprise, the tone of the guitar. The sustain improved, and some rattling disappeared.
Interesting. I'm wondering why. I replaced the nut with a "bone nut" to help sustain. I understand Schaller is a good brand ( i just bought Schallar strap locks) I'll look into it.
This has to be one of the best demos! Awesome job man! I’m looking to buy this guitar to make rock sounds from the 60s but I hear a dirty just after breakup tone that these guitars feedback a lot. Is it true?
Thank you kindly! Yes they do feed back quite a bit - there are ways to control it, but generally you won't have a huge problem unless you play with a lot of gain in a small room/club.
@@JackFossett Cool. I wouldn’t want to use high gain with one.
Hey Jack, thank you for the really informative video! Instant sub! I've just received my first Casino yesterday. Got myself the Worn Blue Denim and it's an absolute gorgeous sounding and looking guitar. It has one issue however and since you seem to be some sort of expert with casinos I thought I'd ask if you've encountered something similar and eventually know how to deal with it. There is a buzz / ring sound coming I think from the bridge, it's rather hard to make out where exactly it does come from. Funny thing: it only or very obviously occurs when I play a D note (no matter on which string or fret I play the D on) it just seems to be that frequency somehow. I'm fairly certain by now it's not the pots, switch or input jack. In most forums they talk about the little wire on the tune-o-matic bridge to likely be responsible for this kind of ringing. I tried to push it against the bridge / keep it from potentially being able to resonate while plugging the D but it did't help. I'm quite sure it's not transferred through the pickups but it's reeeeally loud and annoying acoustically so that I can still hear it rather prominently when plugged in. Acoustically it's very resonant and vibrant but the ring / buzz when playing a D note is so annoying that I almost can't play it unplugged though I'd really love to. Any tips would be very much appreciated! Cheers & greetings from Austria :)
I recommend a Klon overdrive (or any clone of that, I use the EHX Soul Food) for a nice transparent overdrive
Hi Jack! I’ve loved your videos for a long time now, using them to help me finally pull the trigger and buy myself a casino coupe. Immediately it became my favorite guitar. I do have a couple things I want to change purely for my own taste. What pickups would you recommend for a blues-rock sound? I have a couple other upgrades that I plan on doing but I’m not too sure which pickups would be right for me
Work with the ones it came with. That's what this video is all about.
I've found it's essential with Casinos to switch to 50s wiring (factory is modern wiring) so you don't lose all your treble when you lower the volume. It's a simple mod.
Also P90s and more especially Casinos seem to like good capacitors to get more usable tone (orange drops or similar quality poly/mylar caps - paper in oil are not suitable for 90s in my experience.)
I agree with the hardware upgrades to get a less muddy tone.
You also got some hungry mouths to feed tone to over here, and you always deliver. Thanks Jack!
Very much agree!
Jack - What do you think are the major differences in tone and playability between the regular Casino and the Casino Coupe? (I believe you have both, right?)
In fact I’ve shot a video of just such a comparison! ruclips.net/video/7WwktS-XDss/видео.html
In short, the coupe is more low mids punchy and mid focused in general, full casino has extended bass and treble (that always comes with bigger sizes).
@@JackFossett Thanks Jack
@@georgefromgreece4119 Yes, I can hear the differences from Jack’s video on them. Thanks for your input too.
@@3cardmonty602 which one do you prefer?
Thank you
I do not get the exclusive jazz and blues guitar thing ES 330 is the same thing,..Any guitar is what you want to play on it !
Great! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Big thanks for this vid, im a solid body player and you gave so much info on classic ones, NICE :)
Glad you enjoyed!
@@JackFossett Maybe you get interestet in this type of music, so heres the story, i moved to the very small town im living in right now and found out it had a big, a very big musisal history, a band called Nektar lived here and they have been world wide top acts in the maybe 70 to 80 and their guitar player Roye Albrighton had a very special one a HMM 355 with a looking more as a P90 in the neck and a Di Marzio PAF in bridge, what you think but sounds great, enjoy and maybeit will get you ideas for new songs ruclips.net/video/ku_LUs6usTk/видео.html
😊😊😊😊😊good playing also you're a pro
Great stuff. Still à learner.
Great video.
Thanks!
Any tips on reducing feedback?
The P90pros, on any Casino, 2014 and on, are the probucker version of P90's. The nicely and silver base metal ratios, screws, wire, cover, magnets etc... Everything is identical to the Gibson P90, just made/wound overseas. No need to swap covers. I adjusted the pole pieces on mine and got a much better tone from them. It was exactly what I was looking for. They were pretty dull and uninspiring before the pole piece adjustment. This was a regular Casino, not the Coupe.
Do you use steel or pure nickel strings? Gauge?
A few notes after six years with my casino:
Replace the nut. I still have the stock nut on mine and it has plagued me since the beginning while tuning. Just because I keep putting it off doesn’t mean you have to.
The culprit of my casino’s buzz was the thin wire on the stock bridge that holds the intonation screws in place. It was rattling against the screws constantly, but rather than upgrade the bridge, my cheap ass just wedged a small, folded up piece of college ruled paper between the wire and the bridge. It shouldn’t have worked but it’s been on there for years now, no more buzz. Maybe I should upgrade the bridge, but… eh.
One of my favorite things to do with the casino is alternate tunings, beyond the usual drop D & slide tunings. Open D6 (DADF#BD) and a fake cello tuning I came up with (DAEBBE) both sound magical on this guitar. Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles got me into odd tunings, and it totally alters how you look at the guitar. Good stuff.
For as iconic as these guitars are, I still find them to be extremely underrated.
Did you mean overrated ? I mean, if they are iconic then there not underrated, or perhaps you meant underwhelming.
I know exactly what you mean - and I totally agree!!
I noticed that the red Casino and the yellow have different neck depths. Does this mean that the red Casino has a central block?
Hi Jack! Have you ever tried an Ibanez ASR70? It's built like a Casino guitar, with a full hollow body. I'm asking because I'm tempted by a used one at about half the price of a used Casino. Thanks!
Planning on purchasing a coupe. Will I get close to the same sound as the regular Casino with it?
They are making pickups too hot for what a vintage P90 should be. Mine measured 12k on both pickups. Had them revound in around 7,8k and 8,3k range and that is a big improvement.
My Casino Coupe arrived for my birthday 5 days ago, but I have to wait another week till my birthday to play it, Its like a vow of chastity, I'm dying.
Was the red one a coupe?
There is a huge different between us manufactured Casino and the China build Casino. Wich one is this?
Jack - have you played the new USA casinos? Interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
No I haven't! Would love to though.
I've had mine for almost a year (Chinese not American) and I love the guitar but it is almost unplayable because of constant buzzing. I can't tell if it's coming from the bridge and that little wire or from the bracket that the strings are fed through. Any thoughts? Definitely not fret buzz.
Why us the neck joined at a different fret on the red casino. Ive NEVER seen that.
HELP.. i have a chinese casino at the moment, and i LOVE the casino, its my favorite guitar but i wanted to get another one and im stuck between a few.. i was unsure of which model to get.. do you think itd be better to get a elitist casino or an older 80s-90s matsumoku or terada? Sucks that i dont have them infront of me and itd be an online purchase. Im just weary of making the wrong decision
the one thing that improves the tone drastically, are big fat strings. I got me a .012 set and replaced the wounded g-string for a .020 plain string, which is still bendable. you need some steel to get that hollow body resonating.
Is the lack of easy access to the upper frets on this model ever a frustration for you?
Question: I’ve never seen or held one IRL (local shops here sell mostly folk and classical instruments); how light are they compared to a tele, and how is the acoustic sound? Do they sound like those old archtops with only neck pickups?
I have a 1961 that is a little under 6 lbs and a ‘64 that is a little over 6 lbs
Never forget the Beatles had access to EMI Abbey Road’s microphone locker, recording desks, and engineers to fuel their creativity.
Nice video. I would not buy a Chinese Casino. I absolutely love the Elitist Casino built in Japan by Terada. Still not so sure about the USA Epiphone Casino.
Your "Coupe" has an unusually 'bulbous' carve (that's a good thing)
Is it a regular Chinese Epi?
Do you like the USA casinos?
I haven't played one - they're a little pricey
I just bought a Casino for a spare while my Gibson ES330 is being repaired. It has a different but good neck and the build is decent. However the sound when compared to a Gibson with P90s is just terrible. The pots are poor quality too. As a spare it will do til I get my Gibson back. If it was rewired and real Gibson P90s put in I think it could be used professionally as its quite good to play as far as feel is concerned and it looks good. I have the Chinese made casino. Your Coupe would be Chinese but I dont know when and where your Lennon Casino is built.
Jack I'm an Epiphone lover but some of the budget guitars found on Amazon are giving them a run for their money.
Interesting vid, guitar sounds nice but seams a bit of a chew to get there, so think I'll give getting the 1 of them a miss
I'm joining the casino players cult
epiphone bridges are guff the only issue on all my epi's but so worth it my coupe is just epic pups really balanced but gonna try yoyo eq
thanks for the video
I put foam spacers/ shims on mine. That gives me the flexibility to raise and lower the pups. I purchased them from a fella in Florida.
Yeah it always blows my mind that people don’t realize they can use an EQ pedal to shape tone. It’s great for playing chords, then you can click it off if you want to play a lead with more woof or low end ‘beef.’
What do you think of the Casino Coupe?
I actually dislike, "jangle." (Give me a Martin over a Taylor, any day...) The clean Jazz tone is how my Casino earns it's place in my stable of guitars. None of my other guitars matches it. Thick, buttery, with a "pop" to the notes that provides articulation on single note runs. The stock pickups emphasize melodic lines, making fingerpicked (ala Chet Atkins) tunes sing out with ease.
👍🏾
Sometimes I'm am a bit too a logical guy but... I'm wondering why spending money on a guitar with so many issues when you can buy something pretty similar and/or even better in terms of price, features and tone but not so tricky, I mean something to just quickly set up, ready to go and with no crap under the hood... Ok, maybe one like "that" look, I get it, so... well... I wish him/her the best fun anyway! Bye!
People want the "real deal".
After that, better to buy another model of guitar
Remove that lacquer! Sounds and looks way better..
tip number 1- get rid of those pot metal pup covers- they cause mud and clang and horrible eddy currents
The magnetic poles of the pickups are slotted and using a screwdriver you can adjust them up or down individually. This brings the poles closer of further from the strings. That is like adjusting the pickup height up and down. No need for using shims to obtain different heights for the pickups. Jack said they can be adjusted only a little bit, in truth they can be adjusted to do what you need to do concerning how a pickup works. Adjusted magnetic poles looking like teerth is an absurd statement by Jack I have no idea where he's coming from. Having a pickup with individual pole piece height is more effective than adjusting the treble end and the bass end of a pickup like most other pickups. That is a fact!- Peter age 72
That eq is way too hummy to me!
Loud neck pickup and thin and weak bridge pickup? It's a regular occurrence with all the Gibsons I've played..Not only at Epiphone..
A pair of PAFs or P90s are
mostly unbalanced. A friend bought an original pair of Dirty Fingers. Neck pup sounds much better..