It features USA-made Gibson P-90s, laminated maple/ birch body with laminated maple top. The IBJL (“Inspired By” John Lennon) Casino actually has a neck very much like my ES-330 a nice rounded old-style Gibson shape, very comfy. I owned a John Lennon signature Casino for a while but found that the neck was slightly too small for my comfort. Yer Blues Epiphone makes at least four models of the Casino: from the Archtop Collection, the basic Casino and the Elitist Casino and from the Historical Collection, the “Inspired By” John Lennon Casino (this one), and the “Inspired By” John Lennon Revolution. I should also say that I own a Gibson ES-330, which is basically the same P-90 pickup hollowbody as the Casino, so I am familiar with this sort of guitar. Personally, I think the stripped one looked really cool when they played the roof concert. He had it painted “psychedelic” then later had it stripped down to natural. Lennon on the other hand seems to have really bonded with his. George played his some but moved on to other guitars. Paul McCartney got his Casino in 1964 and used it beautifully, playing the solo on “Ticket To Ride.” John and George got theirs in 1966. There are a few other instruments that while not quite as “iconic” as those mentioned above, were nevertheless well known because of The Beatles: the Epiphone Texan, the Rickenbacker 4001 bass and-last but not least-the Epiphone Casino. Several of their instruments became very popular because of their association with The Beatles, particularly the iconic Hofner Beatle Bass, The Gretsch Country Gentleman, the Rickenbacker 325 and 360/12 and, of course, Vox amps. There’s even a whole book devoted to just their gear (Beatles Gear by Andy Babiuk). Even if we have gone down different musical roads, we can still look back at how cool we thought those four lads from Liverpool were.

Many pickers my age started playing guitar because of The Beatles.

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