Pricing Factors

Discerning the differences will help inform your buying decisions – here’s a quick lowdown

Originality Of finish As with all vintage instruments, collectors value original, vibrant finishes on the Casino. Sunburst (pictured left) is the most common, with cherry or burgundy also cropping up. Epiphone also used custom finishes like the Pelham Blue, as well as a unique colour dubbed ‘Silver Fox’. These custom finishes can more than double the value over a standard Sunburst specimen.

Breaksandrepairs As a fully-hollow guitar, the Casino is susceptible to breaks in the body, not to mention at the headstock (an endemic issue for all Gibson-made guitars of this era). Naturally, the extent of a crack or break and the repair done to it can vary widely, and issues like these can reduce vintage valuation from 10 per cent for a minor crack on soundboard to 70 per cent for a neck break with a mediocre repair job.

pickups Like the ES-330, Casinos were produced in both single and double pickup configurations. The single pickup versions earn less than their more common double pickup counterparts. Pricing varies depending on the era, but generally, a Casino with one pickup will be priced about 30-40 per cent below a double-pickup guitar from the same year. Remember, case-by-case assessment of originality, condition and playability can also impact a guitar’s value.