Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Sound: Stock pickups are very hot. So, not as articulate (less dynamics) as they could be if wound a lot less. Also, be prepared for sympathetic ringing. It’s the nature of the beast when dealing with this type of bridge. I used a piece of dense foam that is almost invisible between the bridge and tailpiece to solve the ringing. Features: Has all the bits you’d expect on this classic Ease of Use: I love the neck shape and upper fret access Quality: My only gripe was the ground wire that popped off a pot. It was the wire that connected the jack ground and the rest of the guitar which made it electrically buzz more than single coils normally do. Value: Fantastic value. Even if you gut it and upgrade everything, you will have saved enough on the original purchase to easily afford upgrading parts with top shelf components such as pickups, tuners and nut. Manufacturer Support: No issues The Wow Factor: A Casino in cherry? It’s a classic look. Overall: I liked the specs on the es-339 but didn’t like the neck shape and I wanted p90s. I played a regular Casino at the local store and liked the neck shape but upper fret access was limited. The Casino Coupe has given me all the specs I wanted.I expected to have to do some upgrades on such a low priced guitar. I knew what I wanted and so, after adjusting the action and playing it stock for a few weeks, I first upgraded the pickups. GFS p90 set and black knobs = $80. Next up, Tusq nut and Hipshot locking tuners = another $80. Now, this guitar is EXACTLY what I wanted and still under $700 total but outplays other guitars costing FAR more. The next cheapest hollow body that plays this well are D’Angelicos at $799. Alas, zZounds has a limited selection on those. I’m glad I got the Casino. After the D’Angelicos, the only guitars that I like as much as my Casino cost over $1400. I’ve put my time and half that amount into this Epi and couldn’t be happier.If I wanted to keep it cheap and gig with it, I’d have probably just upgraded the nut and pickups and stopped there. Maybe even just the nut and used the stock pups for high distortion or fuzz only, hehe. My only gripe is that when I removed the electronics to install new pickups, I found a bad ground wire that caused extra buzzing. Between that and being too hot of a wind for my liking, the pickups were a must change item. That said, I measured the tone caps, all the pots and inspected the wiring. Other than the ground that popped off the pot (common issue) and the very hot pickups, the electronics all measured within specs. Even the wiring looked and solder just fine. No need to upgrade to a high priced harness, not worth it.I finally have the hollow body that I’ve wanted for many years. Thanks to zZounds payment plans and a few parts, I got it!Tony

A well built fully-hollow small semi acoustic. It's smaller that a standard casino…only slightly bigger than a Les Paul. Build, hardware, electrics are all good for the price. It sounds great with a distinctively woody sound and is very light. Only let down by very microphonic pickups. Not a problem at lower volume but any overdive is a problem.Much debate online about this, it is definitely the metal pickup covers that cause a loud squeal. It was easily fixed by carefully stuffing some high density foam between the pickups and covers.mistercanetoad

The Wow Factor: Is this a guitar for beginners? Sure…but get a professional set-up. Hollow-bodies, in my experience, "fight back" a little more than a semi-hollow, or LP/SG/Tele/Strat I've played and that can be off putting to beginners. P-90's hum too, it's just the way it is from the design of the pickup. If this would bother you, the Epi 339 is a great little guitar. A good set-up and this guitar plays as comfortably as any of my guitars that cost 3-4 as much. Quality and build wise, it's the equal to any recent electric I played or owned that cost up to $1K…after a good set-up. Overall: Love this guitar! Punches far above it's class, but you'll need to probably tweak a few things first.Instead of starting out with what I love, everyone does, here's the cons I had:Frets needed a little leveling. Not much…but three did, which for a guitar in this price range isn't bad. But one was noticeable right away, the other 2 frets I probably would have wouldn't noticed until I really got in there with a detailed setup. I can dress and level frets, so this isn't an issue with me at all, if you can't take that into consideration. One tuner needed to be replaced. The high E tuner had about an 1/8 of a turn's worth of slack before engaging….but it held tune just fine. I have spares…again for me no big deal, YMMV. The nut cut is cut a little high, but it's still within the norm. Bridge rattle…well if you've ever owned an Epi or Gibson you expect this. It annoys me so the bridge was replaced. For new buyers of an Epi, it's only heard when played unplugged, you won't hear it thru the amp.The pros:I bought this guitar strictly to put a pair of Lollars I have into another older Casino. I've got a very well made '95 MIK from the Pearless era…and the nut width of the guitar is way too narrow to comfortably play. This neck is fairly beefy. If you've played a Les Paul with the 60's taper for example, the D shape will be more of a handful but isn't a baseball bat at all.The build on this guitar over all is the equal to what it's replacing. The finish is flawless. The original wiring and pickups were good. I did play the stock pickups for a week…they sound good. I like lower output P-90's, these are a little hotter but still sound good. The smaller body seems to feedback a little less.The smaller body also makes this a VERY comfortable couch guitar…and it weighs almost nothing. Slight neck dive, my full size Casino has more. The Pau Ferro board on mine is pretty dark…I honestly thought it was Rosewood when I unboxed it.Sounds fairly decent unplugged when you're on the sofa without an amp.David

I had a red 2012-ish era Casino for a few years that I liked but didn't love. I was a big fan of the overall vibe of hollow-body plus 2 P90s, but the pickups were a little dark, and it didn't play very well (small cramped neck, some fit and finish issues, fret buzz even after a professional setup, etc). I ordered this new model back in December and just received it last week (7 months later). It was absolutely worth the wait. It fixes everything I didn't love about the previous model – better sounding pickups, wider neck, improved fit and finish. I wouldn't consider myself a "real" guitar player (mostly just play for songwriting and recording projects), but this new Casino is extremely fun to play and has reignited some of the passion I had for playing back in my teens. The techs at CME clearly did a great job setting up the action before shipping, and the color is truly unique and handsome – my partner has remarked several times about how beautiful of an instrument it is! Highly, highly recommended.Eric S.

First ever guitar that was perfectly setup out of the box. Not only is the fit and finish perfect, all it needed was to be tuned and played. I tried to do some setup, but I couldn't improve on it. It plays as smoothly as any guitar I've ever handled and I love the tone of the P90s on the hollow body. I've had it about two weeks. It took a while to get the hang of the breakup levels through my tube amps. It's definitely different than the humbuckers on my Gibsons. The finish is rich and deep. I have a Chinese Casino in the same finish, but you can tell the difference between them from a distance. Look closely and the USA is absolutely gorgeous. The difference in sound between the two is like night and day and I used to like the way the Chinese one sounded. I haven't found any flaws in fit or finish. I got it out of the box and put my gauges on it. Everything was in spec so I tuned it up. It was a half step low all the way around. Tuned up, the intonation was perfect. I've just been playing it ever since and it gets a little more comfortable every day. I love the neck and being light as a feather doesn't hurt either. This will be my gigging guitar for the foreseeable future.RTonka

Sound: YES COMPARABLE TO MORE EXPENSIVE MODELS THE AMERICAN MADE P90s sound outstanding….However the chrome finish wore OFF in just a few months. And the finish on the GUITAR BODY scratches VERY easy..The bridge saddles move on their own while playing..I would LOOK into that ..or change it to a roller bridge. It plays MUCH smoother and no more adjustments had to be made tuning machines are a little on the loose side .The pickup select switch on mine sometimes DOESN'T ALWAYS make a good connection on the bridge pick up (although I believe it's a switchcraft switch ) Also it took about a month of playing before the BLACK residue from the fingerboard stopped coming up on my fingers. But besides all that minor stuff I love the guitar… and is there any way you could bring the Cutaway up more about four frets?? Overall: It plays and sounds BEAUTIFUL…however the chrome finish wore off rather quickly…also the saddles in the bridge had to be reajusted frequently because they moved on their own.. Also went out of tune alot BUT..OTHERWISE plays like silk and I absolutely love the sustainability and sound of the P-90sLarry

What can you say? Epiphone has always made a good guitar, even before they became part of the Gibson family. The Epiphone SG and Les Paul models are top notch guitars, and are a great value for the price. So if you're looking for a good starter electric guitar, I recommend Epiphone all the way.krimzo_96

Great guitar, looks good, plays quite easily. Barely had to tweak it at all. A lot more economical than a Gibson(most don't realize it isn't.) I am very happy with this guitar and would recommend it to anyone who wants quality on a budget.richa.schau

I am a professional musician and play 5 days a week — I play my Epiphone SG full time. I don't have to take my Gibson 335, Les Paul, SG or Tele. This guitar holds it's own with any of them. I've been a player for 50 years. Highly recommend…musiclane301

I had a red 2012-ish era Casino for a few years that I liked but didn't love. I was a big fan of the overall vibe of hollow-body plus 2 P90s, but the pickups were a little dark, and it didn't play very well (small cramped neck, some fit and finish issues, fret buzz even after a professional setup, etc). I ordered this new model back in December and just received it last week (7 months later). It was absolutely worth the wait. It fixes everything I didn't love about the previous model – better sounding pickups, wider neck, improved fit and finish. I wouldn't consider myself a "real" guitar player (mostly just play for songwriting and recording projects), but this new Casino is extremely fun to play and has reignited some of the passion I had for playing back in my teens. The techs at CME clearly did a great job setting up the action before shipping, and the color is truly unique and handsome – my partner has remarked several times about how beautiful of an instrument it is! Highly, highly recommended.Eric S.

First ever guitar that was perfectly setup out of the box. Not only is the fit and finish perfect, all it needed was to be tuned and played. I tried to do some setup, but I couldn't improve on it. It plays as smoothly as any guitar I've ever handled and I love the tone of the P90s on the hollow body. I've had it about two weeks. It took a while to get the hang of the breakup levels through my tube amps. It's definitely different than the humbuckers on my Gibsons. The finish is rich and deep. I have a Chinese Casino in the same finish, but you can tell the difference between them from a distance. Look closely and the USA is absolutely gorgeous. The difference in sound between the two is like night and day and I used to like the way the Chinese one sounded. I haven't found any flaws in fit or finish. I got it out of the box and put my gauges on it. Everything was in spec so I tuned it up. It was a half step low all the way around. Tuned up, the intonation was perfect. I've just been playing it ever since and it gets a little more comfortable every day. I love the neck and being light as a feather doesn't hurt either. This will be my gigging guitar for the foreseeable future.RTonka

Sound: YES COMPARABLE TO MORE EXPENSIVE MODELS THE AMERICAN MADE P90s sound outstanding….However the chrome finish wore OFF in just a few months. And the finish on the GUITAR BODY scratches VERY easy..The bridge saddles move on their own while playing..I would LOOK into that ..or change it to a roller bridge. It plays MUCH smoother and no more adjustments had to be made tuning machines are a little on the loose side .The pickup select switch on mine sometimes DOESN'T ALWAYS make a good connection on the bridge pick up (although I believe it's a switchcraft switch ) Also it took about a month of playing before the BLACK residue from the fingerboard stopped coming up on my fingers. But besides all that minor stuff I love the guitar… and is there any way you could bring the Cutaway up more about four frets?? Overall: It plays and sounds BEAUTIFUL…however the chrome finish wore off rather quickly…also the saddles in the bridge had to be reajusted frequently because they moved on their own.. Also went out of tune alot BUT..OTHERWISE plays like silk and I absolutely love the sustainability and sound of the P-90sLarry

I had a red 2012-ish era Casino for a few years that I liked but didn't love. I was a big fan of the overall vibe of hollow-body plus 2 P90s, but the pickups were a little dark, and it didn't play very well (small cramped neck, some fit and finish issues, fret buzz even after a professional setup, etc). I ordered this new model back in December and just received it last week (7 months later). It was absolutely worth the wait. It fixes everything I didn't love about the previous model – better sounding pickups, wider neck, improved fit and finish. I wouldn't consider myself a "real" guitar player (mostly just play for songwriting and recording projects), but this new Casino is extremely fun to play and has reignited some of the passion I had for playing back in my teens. The techs at CME clearly did a great job setting up the action before shipping, and the color is truly unique and handsome – my partner has remarked several times about how beautiful of an instrument it is! Highly, highly recommended.Eric S.

First ever guitar that was perfectly setup out of the box. Not only is the fit and finish perfect, all it needed was to be tuned and played. I tried to do some setup, but I couldn't improve on it. It plays as smoothly as any guitar I've ever handled and I love the tone of the P90s on the hollow body. I've had it about two weeks. It took a while to get the hang of the breakup levels through my tube amps. It's definitely different than the humbuckers on my Gibsons. The finish is rich and deep. I have a Chinese Casino in the same finish, but you can tell the difference between them from a distance. Look closely and the USA is absolutely gorgeous. The difference in sound between the two is like night and day and I used to like the way the Chinese one sounded. I haven't found any flaws in fit or finish. I got it out of the box and put my gauges on it. Everything was in spec so I tuned it up. It was a half step low all the way around. Tuned up, the intonation was perfect. I've just been playing it ever since and it gets a little more comfortable every day. I love the neck and being light as a feather doesn't hurt either. This will be my gigging guitar for the foreseeable future.RTonka

Sound: YES COMPARABLE TO MORE EXPENSIVE MODELS THE AMERICAN MADE P90s sound outstanding….However the chrome finish wore OFF in just a few months. And the finish on the GUITAR BODY scratches VERY easy..The bridge saddles move on their own while playing..I would LOOK into that ..or change it to a roller bridge. It plays MUCH smoother and no more adjustments had to be made tuning machines are a little on the loose side .The pickup select switch on mine sometimes DOESN'T ALWAYS make a good connection on the bridge pick up (although I believe it's a switchcraft switch ) Also it took about a month of playing before the BLACK residue from the fingerboard stopped coming up on my fingers. But besides all that minor stuff I love the guitar… and is there any way you could bring the Cutaway up more about four frets?? Overall: It plays and sounds BEAUTIFUL…however the chrome finish wore off rather quickly…also the saddles in the bridge had to be reajusted frequently because they moved on their own.. Also went out of tune alot BUT..OTHERWISE plays like silk and I absolutely love the sustainability and sound of the P-90sLarry