Vintage Epiphone Electric Guitars

John Lennon together with his Epiphone Casino in December, 1968, on the pair of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus.” Picture: Andrew Maclear/Redferns.[/caption]Of all guitars the Beatles made popular, the only one that John, Paul and George had in common was the Epiphone Casino. Each possessed a gambling establishment and tried it for countless recordings and performances.

Paul McCartney was 1st Beatle to acquire a Casino. Affected to purchase it by his buddy, blues musician John Mayall, McCartney said, “You’d return to their spot and he’d sit you down, offer you a glass or two, and say, ‘only check this out.’ He’d look at to their [tape] deck, and hours shoot B.B. King, Eric Clapton… he was kind of showing myself in which all of Eric’s stuff ended up being from. He gave me only a little evening’s education. I Became turned on after that, and [bought] an Epiphone.” Mayall recalls the late-night record sessions. “I showed him my hollowbody electric guitar that I’d bought whenever I was at the military in Japan in 1955. When anyone get together and pay attention to records, they speak about all sorts of things pertaining to the music, therefore demonstrably we ought to have moved upon the devices and it also struck house. He got a hollowbody after to get that tone.”

The Epiphone Casino ES-230TD that McCartney purchased at the conclusion of ’64 has actually an early-style Gibson-design headstock rather than Epiphone’s later hourglass-shaped headstock. Pictures consumed December of ’64, during rehearsals when it comes to Beatles’ Christmas shows at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, tv show Paul playing a unique Epiphone Casino nonetheless strung right-handed. Another photo shows McCartney and Harrison examining the right-handed Casino, obviously discussing the way they would affect the electric guitar and so the left-handed McCartney might use it.

McCartney’s sunburst Casino features serial number 84075, and in accordance with Gibson’s documents shipped November 1, 1962. McCartney altered it for playing left-handed, turning a guitar ugly, re-stringing it, and modifying the bridge for correct intonation. A strap key ended up being included with now-inverted top treble bout. McCartney utilized their Casino extensively in the studio aided by the Beatles, including the unforgettable lead-guitar break on “Ticket To Ride.” He in addition used it throughout their solamente career, whilst still being is the owner of a guitar.

in spring of ’66, during tracking sessions for Revolver, John Lennon and George Harrison made a decision to join the Casino club. Decreasing distinction between both of these virtually identical guitars was Harrison’s had a Bigsby vibrato, while Lennon’s had the typical Epiphone “trapeze” end. Lennon’s ended up being uncommon in that it had a tiny black colored band mounted around its pickup selector switch. Both had the more typical Epiphone-style headstock and had been fitted with gold-colored amount and Tone knobs.

The first time Lennon and Harrison performed using their almost-matching gambling enterprises ended up being whenever Beatles seemed regarding well-known Uk TV show “Top associated with the Pops.” On June 16, 1966, they entered BBC’s London studios to mime both sides of the brand-new solitary, “Rain” and “Paperback author.”

Once the team began its ’66 trip of Germany, Japan, as well as the U.S., Lennon and Harrison find the gambling enterprises as their main instruments for the trip.

By ’67, The Beatles embarked on the sessions that will create their particular masterpiece record album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Present and utilized throughout had been all three Casinos. Plus it had been of these sessions that Lennon painted their by spraying a white or grey outline on back of the human body and throat.

During the early ’68, The Beatles headed to Rishikesh, Asia, to examine transcendental meditation using the Maharishi and pals, including Donovan Leitch. There, Donovan persuaded the trio to sand the finish off their instruments, informing all of them just how a guitar appears better without much finish. After returning to London, during sessions when it comes to self-titled “white record album, ” Lennon and Harrison sanded their gambling enterprises. Lennon mostly played his newly stripped Casino for sessions. Harrison stated that when they’d removed the final, they became far better guitars. “i believe that works on some guitars, ” he explained. “If you are taking the paint and varnish down and get the bare lumber, this indicates to sort of breathe.” Aided By The conclusion regarding the white record album, promo films were filmed for solitary “Revolution”/“Hey Jude.” The videos revealed Lennon using their normal Casino.

On December 11, 1968, Lennon appeared as a particular visitor for the filming regarding the Rolling Stones’ tv special, “Rock ’n’ Roll Circus, ” including a memorable overall performance by the supergroup Dirty Mac, whoever users included Eric Clapton on electric guitar, Keith Richards on bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Lennon playing their Casino. Dirty Mac’s popular overall performance of “Yer Blues” was the show’s shows.

Lennon proceeded to use his Casino during Beatles’ “Get Back”/“Let It Be” shooting and recording sessions. On January 30, 1969, shooting climaxed using Beatles’ celebrated overall performance on the roof of their Apple Corps office building, in London. It had been the past public overall performance provided by The Beatles as a band and was reported by a slew of movie digital cameras whilst still being photographers – and an 8-track tape recorder rolling in the Apple cellar studio. Lennon played his Casino.

The final studio energy discovered the Beatles back at EMI’s Abbey path Studios, where they recorded their swan tune, Abbey Road. “The End” ended up being meant to end up being the last song on Abbey Road, and gives the listener an all-too-brief glimpse of a great three-way electric guitar duel. McCartney, Harrison, and Lennon, because order, each just take a two-bar solo, cycling around three times. McCartney used his Casino, Harrison’s tasks are pure wailing Gibson Les Paul, and Lennon tends to make an aggressive, altered howl along with his Casino.

John, Paul, and George would continue using their Casinos on numerous solo projects and tracks. McCartney still utilizes his, even discussing it as his favorite electric. “If I'd to decide on one guitar, it will be this, ” he said.

’66 Epiphone Casino

By George Gruhn & Walter Carter

Within the Epiphone line of the 1960s, the Casino occupied middle surface. In features in addition to electronic devices it rated really underneath the semi-hollow Sheraton and Riviera or even the solidbody Crestwood Personalized. But due to the Beatles, its most likely the best-known of Gibson-made Epi designs.