I didn’t plan to buy a new guitar but we passed a shop in MK on the way to my birthday lunch. Well not exactly passed as the shop is on an industrial estate on the outskirts of the city and not in any way shape or form on the way to the centre from where we live 😉
I’ve never owned a semi and I thought this Epiphone Casino was a brand new instrument at a really good price but it turns out it was being sold on behalf of a local lady, it was her fathers and he had passed away. When I got it home I found the original receipt in the case which revealed it was bought in Guitar Centre Kirkland WA in 2006. I’m going leave my receipt in the case along with my story and when my daughter sells after I’m gone the story of this guitar will pass on to the next player.
I did a bit of research and it turns out that The Beatles used Casinos through the 60’s and John Lennon had his sunburst sanded down to the bare wood and removed the scratch plate. He used it pretty much all the time, take a look at the pictures of the Apple rooftop gig, you can see it in use.
Another surprising thing is that I’ve always been a Fender fanboy and not a lover of P90s. This guitar has changed my opinion in a big way – but I’m not ready for a Les Paul yet.
Last night I took it to band rehearsal (60s Jukebox) and it sounded so sweet, it’s absolutely perfect for the music we play and I can see why John removed the scratch plate 🙂