2011 Epiphone Casino 1961 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Guitar Gibson USA P90

Up for sale, a 2011 Epiphone Casino 50th Anniversary 1961 reissue model in exceptional, near mint condition and in perfect working order. Limited to only 1,961 guitars total, this reissue sold out quickly and these guitars are already becoming scarce and highly desirable. Expertly crafted to reproduce the features of the very first year of the Epiphone Casino, these guitars boast factory stock Gibson USA P-90 pickups and wiring! The tone is nothing short of pure 1960's goodness, delivering the classic growl and midrange presence of the P-90 pickup, matched with the fully hollow maple body, making this guitar a direct descendent of the Gibson ES-330 and identical in all but cosmetic appearance. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and strung with 10-46 strings, this Casino plays comfortably, sounds great and has barely a scratch on it!

The neck is delightfully chunky, with a notable amount of heft and depth, despite Epiphone's claims that the neck has a "slim taper" design. While not a baseball bat profile by any means, the neck is quite substantial for a medium C, with the 1 11/16" nut width used by Gibson/Epiphone in the early '60s and considered the ideal width for chording and accurate lead lines. The frets are in great shape, showing only light wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-3, and virtually no wear up the neck. The neck is straight, the truss rod is responsive, and the guitar plays well in all registers with no buzzing or dead spots. On the headstock, this Casino uses Wilkinson Deluxe tuning machines which are fashioned to be nearly identical to the original Kluson design and featuring a reliable and smooth 14:1 turning ratio.

No detail of the original ’61 Casino has been missed. Since the original Casinos incorporated parts and electronics from the Gibson factory, the 1961 Anniversary Casino has followed the same philosophy. Epiphone has recreated the original black P-90s using a Gibson USA P-90R dog-ear pickup for the neck position and a Gibson USA P-90T at the bridge. Widely known as Gibson's first successful single-coil pickup, these lean and mean P-90s offer a stellar combination of high output and biting treble response. They also feature vintage two-conductor, braided, shielded wiring and black plastic covers. Other electronics faithful to the original Casino include a Switchcraft 3-way toggle and 1/4" output jack.

Cosmetically, the guitar is near mint, with a vibrant Vintage Sunburst finish and spotless nickel hardware. There are a few extremely faint finish scratches in the clear coat, but even these are so minimal that you could easily find an instrument selling for new on the showroom floor with similar wear. This Casino has virtually lived in the case since new and has been in the care of a collector.

Specifications:

• 5-layer, laminated maple/burch body
  
• Set mahogany neck
  
• Medium C "SlimTaper" neck profile
  
• Rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays
  
• 22 medium-jumbo frets
  
• Gibson USA P-90T bridge single-coil pickup
  
• Gibson USA P-90R neck single-coil pickup
  
• 2 Volume, 2 Tone control
  
• 3-way Switchcraft toggle
  
• Switchcraft 1/4" output jack
  
• Trapeze tailpiece
  
• Nickel hardware
  
• Body and fingerboard binding
  
• Wilkinson Vintage-style 14:1 ratio tuners

The original hardshell case, hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity, manual, and strap are included. The smooth gray tolexed case is clean as can be, with the "Epiphone" logo on the exterior and a blue plush interior.