4/13/2022

Epiphone Casino Elitist Review

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Epiphone Casino Elitist Review Rating: 9,6/10 8401 votes

3 user reviews on Epiphone Elitist Casino. It is an 'elitist' model, made in Japan by experienced luthiers. It is a very close model of the Gibson ES 330. This new Casino Elitist model has a few modern updates, like larger frets, grover tuners, and a second strap button. This is a light guitar that weighs about 6lbs, which comes with a tune-o-matic bridge and a bone nut. Here’s a video review of the Epiphone Elitist Casino.

Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Guitar Review :: Electric Guitars Reviews

Epiphone elitist 1965 casino review

rich, smooth tone, sustain and versatility.

The Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus features grover tuners, rosewood fingerboard, 1-pc Mahogany neck set at the 16th fret, 22 fret, Book-Matched Maple top, Book-Matched African Mahogany back, 50SR (USA Humbucker), 60ST (USA Humbucker) pickups, 2 Volume, 2 Tone, and 3-Way Pickup Selector controls, and 24k Gold hardware.
The Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar has it all: rich, smooth tone, sustain and versatility. The Elite series musical instruments are made with premium woods, fitted with American pickups and circuitry — even American-made toggle switches and Grover tuners. All they lack are the nitrocellulose finishes of their Gibson counterparts. This Epiphone electric guitar represents the Paul legacy with distinction. It features a bookmatched flamed maple top on a bookmatched mahogany back, and is fully American equipped.

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Sound of Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar

  • the tone is great;
  • the bridge P/U sounds a little harsh;
  • crisp, clean, and brilliant, rich, smooth tone;
  • the pickups aren’t that great for heavy distortion, but sound really good for clean/blues/rock;
  • the pick-ups are more than adequate, from sweet and clean to growling distortion (but not heavy);
  • you can play classical or thrash metal, classic rock, blues;
  • great sounds from Duane Allman slide, to greasy honky-tonk to ZZ Top-like pick harmonics to the tone Mark Knopfler used on “Brothers in Arms” and “on every street”.

Pros of Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar

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  • Epi uses a rounder fret wire that is easier on your fingers, especially when sliding up and down, than the Gibson’s, which use jumbo fret wire;
  • it’s every bit as good as a Gibson, but on a much lower price;
  • good playability and sound;
  • it makes a bad guitar player sound great;
  • beautifully crafted instument;
  • the attention to detail is obvious;
  • reccomend to anyone looking for a high quality, very playable instrument that is a fantastic value;
  • the width of the nut is exactly the same as the Gibson thinline neck on the LP Plus, but the fret profile on the Elitist is flatter than the Gibson, and there is less tendency for string roll-off with the elitist;
  • the appearance and quality is top-notch;
  • sustain, versatility, easy to play;
  • the 4 knobs gives it great sound control;
  • metal tuners on it are superior to the plastic ones on American-made;
  • this guitar is made like a ’59 les paul used to be made.

Cons of Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar

  • pretty heavy, many Gibsons are heavier;
  • the pickups aren’t that great for heavy distortion, but sound really good for clean/blues/rock;
  • the frets are short, about half the size of a Gibson fret in height;
  • some complains on the pickups.
Epiphone

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Suggestions for this Epiphone Guitar

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  • if you want a “November Rain” tone, replace the P/Us with Alnico II Pros;
  • if you want the Slash sound, replace the pickups with Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 pro;
  • if you want a great distortion use a Digitech Grunge distortion pedal;
  • not for punk;
  • .10 gauge strings;
  • on playing open-tuning slide – replace the high E with a .11 string and it intonates perfectly w/slide all over.

Amps & Effects used by users – Line 6 amp, TonelabSE, Marshall, Digitech Grunge distortion pedal (for great distortion)

Epiphone Casino Elitist Reviews

Features + Technical Specs
TunersGrover
FingerboardRosewood
Neck1-pc Mahogany, 22 fret
Neck JointSet, 16th fret
Nut1-11/16″, Bone
Scale24-3/4″
TopBook-Matched Flame Maple
BackBook-Matched African Mahogany
Sidesn/a
Rhythm PU50SR (Gibson-made USA Humbucker)
Treble PU60ST (Gibson-made USA Humbucker)
Controls2-V, 2-T; 3-Way Pickup Selector
Machine headsGrover
StringsGibson USA
HardwareNickel
FinishesFaded Cherryburst, Honeyburst, Vintage Sunburst

There’s not much more classic than an Epiphone Casino Guitar. You’ll probably immediately think of the Beatles. You’ll love the light weight and comfortable neck of the Epiphone Elitist 1965 Casino. The Elite series are instruments that approach custom shop perfection. Crafted with premium woods, fitted with American pickups and circuitry—-even American-made toggle switches and Grover tuners-they’re made at a special factory devoted to their manufacture where they receive a high degree of hands-on luthier attention. You’ll find the Elite 1965 Casino true to the original made famous by The Beatles. A finely crafted, great-sounding, and easy-playing instrument that beautifully blurs the line between Epiphone and Gibson. Includes hardshell case.

Many young bucks might think of Epiphone as the cheap guitars at Guitar Center (which they are), now knowing about a time before Gibson owned them. Gibson acquired Epiphone in 1957 because they were their main rival (from the 30’s up until that time). The 50’s and 60’s were a golden age for Epiphone because they weren’t the cheap alternative that they are today – the quality rivaled that of any Gibson being sold at the time.

When Gibson acquired the rights to Epiphone in 1957 the company had stopped producing bass guitars (because they just weren’t making money with them). It was becoming harder and harder to compete. Gibson was smart when they acquired the rights to Epiphone, they decided to take some extra Gibson overstock, and just slap the Epiphone logo on it. They shipped many of these models to dealers that previously couldn’t get Gibson stock. The Casino is a great example of a Gibson guitar with an Epiphone label. This model was first sold in 1961 as the ES-330. This model Casino is known as the Beatles model because all 3 members bought this guitar and used it extensively. This new Casino Elitist model has a few modern updates, like larger frets, grover tuners, and a second strap button. This is a light guitar that weighs about 6lbs, which comes with a tune-o-matic bridge and a bone nut.

Here’s a video review of the Epiphone Elitist Casino:

2 customer reviews
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There are all kinds of Epiphone Casino’s on eBay in both used mint and new reissue condition:

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