This thing seems to definitely replicate the Beatles vibe as noticed before. (the casino is a very light hollowbody) But, I started playing with the tone pots, and noticed I could quiet things up considerably. (more later on this) Also, the guitar's sustain, as predicted, was very weak. As you all may know, I'm trying to replicate Trey Anastasio's tone somewhat, and I was a little disappointed that out of the box, I could not do this. The P-90 pickups are a little too bright for me actually I was surprised by that. I brought it up with several Guitar Center employees who didn't really comment on the Elite series, and seemed either unaware, or were not sharing information with me about them. I only discovered the line due to this board. Overall, based on my Casino Elite, I think the Elitist instruments are overlooked in the industry: i've never seen them in guitar centers or other stores. That's a tangent thought, but I would love to hear others' opinions on that. I notice the LP Elites are selling around $5-600 on ems like a steal compared to dropping $2K for a Gibson LP standard plus at guitar center. the quality of the other Elitist instruments from Epiphone) I'm so convinced of the quality, that assuming Epiphone's quality standard is the same for the other Elite models, I've already decided if I ever get an LP, I will not waste my money on a Gibson LP, and instead stick with the Elitist line and get an Epiphone LP elitist? (can anyone back me up re. (not sure if its due to different pickups/craftmanship, etc.) The folks in Japan who crafted this guitar get major points for the care put into this machine. Well, I feel there's a substatial difference in playability and looks with the Elite, and I feel like there's a noticeable difference in tone as well. Ok, as some of you may know, I had only played a regular casino in stores, and really liked that model, and especially the $500 price tag. That's my rig for testing/playing with the Casino.

Last week, I also bought a Boss RC-20XL and a Boss GT-6 effects unit to keep me busy.

I'm falling in love with playing guitar again b/c of this guitar (note: this is my first electric after 10 years of acoustic playing) I had the action set a little low, and the neck is very smooth and fast. The finish is first class, and the wood is impressive. It fits the guitar like a sleeve as well. The case that comes with it is very nice too, with I think 5-6 different buckles to ensure safety. Out of the case, this thing is beautiful. As promised, I wanted to post a review of this new guitar I just got delivered last week, an Epiphone Casino Elite.

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