 | 1967 Cherry Epiphone Casino - E230TDC.
Photo ©2007 Andy Brauer |
 1961 full line catalog
The 1961 description mentions humbuckers rather than the single coil P90s more usually associated with the Casino. This anomaly is corrected for the 1962 catalogue
 Powerful humbucking pickups with individually adjustable polepieces provide clear tone and wonderful sustain |
 1962 full line catalog
Brilliant new guitars in a wide range of finishes - dramatic in appearance and tonal qualities. Ultra-modern, thin-body, double cutaway styling in single and double pickup models - with or without trem-o-tone vibrato |
 1964 full line catalogue
This is the first catalogue to show the Casino in colour |
 1966 full line catalog
Today the electric Spanish guitar is found everywhere... orchestras, combos, jazz bands and as a featured solo instrument. Epiphone electric Spanish guitars suit the need of every player, from the top professional, to the semi-pro, to the amateur |
| Model | Casino E230T | Casino E230TD |
| Available | 1961-68 | 1961-69 |
| Pickups | One single coil dog-ear P90 | Two single coil dog-ear P90s |
| Scale | 24 3/4" |
| Body | Maple top sides, bound. 16" wide (lower bout), 19" long, 1 3/4" thick |
| Neck | One-piece set mahogany with binding, rosewood fingerboard with pearloid inlays. 22 frets. |
| Hardware | 1 volume and 1 tone control. Tune-o-matic bridge. Tailpiece is either a trapeze, Frequensator or Tremotone vibrola. | 2 volume and 2s tone control. Tune-o-matic bridge. Tailpiece is either a trapeze, Frequensator or Tremotone vibrola. |
| Finishes | Shaded/Sunburst, Royal Tan, Cherry from 1967
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The Epiphone range of the 1960s closely followed the Gibson guitars of the same time; they were both made in the same fatory in Kalamazoo. The Casino corresponds to the Gibson ES330 having the same dimensions and construction, but with different headstock shape and (sometimes) tailpiece. The 1961 models came equipped with the Tremotone vibrato, which was optional by 1962. The Frequensator tailpiece was used on a number of models - the point being that it would lengthen either the three thickest or three thinest strings, maximising treble and bass response.
 The most famous Casino users were Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, and John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles, who were given a pair of Casinos in 1965. Both had a sunburst finish, Georges had a Bigsby vibrato, whilst John's had a stop tailpiece. It was Lennons of course that had the most use; he was widely pictured with it, and used it extensively live and in the studio. He also had it stripped down in 1968. Epiphone make two John Lennon signature Epiphone Casinos - one based on the unstripped 1965 model, and one, the 'Revolution' Casino based on the stripped instrument. Epiphone engineers studied the original guitar to get these signature instruments as exact as possible
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| | E230TD | E230TDV | E230TDC | E230TDVC | E230TDRT | E230T | E230TV | TOTAL |
| 1961 | 439 |
| 1962 | 381 |
| 1963 | 376 |
| 1964 | 731 |
| 1965 | 853 |
| 1966 | 1655 |
| 1967 | 1814 |
| 1968 | 468 |
| 1969 | 140 |
| Total | 2852 | 2141 | 440 | 467 | 39 | 764 | 154 | 6857 |
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Shipping figures for 1960s Epiphone Casinos The earliest Epiphone catalogue to feature the Casino (1961) lists just the single (E230T) and double (E230TD) pickup models - with vibrola as standard. These shipping figures suggest that non-vibrola models were shipped later in the same year. Early finishes were Royal Tan and Shaded (sunburst), and figures do not differentiate between the two. From 1967 Cherry became available (C), and Royal Tan was given the designation RT. From '67 models with no colour code were Shaded
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