Casino Feedback

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 5:08 pm

This title could take us in many directions both musical and otherwise. I am asking, however, how others are able to minimize feedback from their amplifier while playing an Epiphone Casino.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:23 pm

I've always wondered about that myself, when the boys would use those huge Vox amplifiers, how they stopped the feedback.

I think Musician's Friend maybe (Some mailorder company, I can't remember who.) used to carry these foam pads that you pushed into the cutouts to stop the feedback. I don't know anything about how they worked or anything though.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:26 pm

I've always wondered about that myself, when the boys would use those huge Vox amplifiers, how they stopped the feedback.

I think Musician's Friend maybe (Some mailorder company, I can't remember who.) used to carry these foam pads that you pushed into the cutouts to stop the feedback. I don't know anything about how they worked or anything though.

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:21 pm

Oddly enough I never had that much of a problem with feedback on my Casinos and only once had a bad situation in a small rehearsal room where the sound level was loud and the Casino became a sound chamber for all the other intruments as well and would annoyingly feedback.

As Dusty mentions stuffing foam in the body is a common method and I've also heard of people taping over the F-Holes. But I kind like the abilty to have the Casino feedback on command.

Which version Casino do you have (Lennon Sig, MIK, MIJ?) I had a problem with a microphonic nickel pup cover on a Casino once.

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:28 pm

Guys, maybe I'm nuts to think this, but it's seeming to me that flatwounds aren't as prone to feedback as are roundwounds. I'm playing flatwound 11s on my Elitist Casino at the moment, and I can sit right in front of my AC30 (less than 10 feet away) with it running at over 1/3 and I get no feedback whatsoever. When I had roundwound 10s on the guitar it would feed back on me right off in the same situation.

??

fireglo · Post by **fireglo** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:21 pm

Would the ES-335 be the Gibson equivalent to the Casino?

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:36 pm

Nope. The Gibson equivalent is the ES-330 (no longer made), which is full hollow like the Casino. The 335 is semi-hollow (center block for pickup mounting and for feedback reduction).

spencer · Post by **spencer** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:48 am

You could have the pickups potted (coilwire sealed in wax) or I've heard alot of Gretsch players stuff the body with foam or cotton and put black paper inside, behind the f-holes.
I've got a 335 and it's one of my favorites, but completely different from a Casino. Semi-hollow with humbuckers, as opposed to totally hollow with single coils.
I'm in line for a Casino right now, thinking about swapping my PRS for one, and getting a bit of change back.

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:57 am

I understand that it is possible to control feedback from the Casino effectively by installing two posts constructed of balsa wood and wedged between the bottom of the bridge and the back of the guitar, inside the body cavity.

I too have noted less feedback using flatwound strings.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:46 am

I have no idea what kind of tailpiece it has but this works for uprights which have a huge problem with feedback in front of big amps: wedge a piece of foam rubber between the tailpiece and the body if it has a floating tailpiece.

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:20 am

Hey. It's a full hollow, so it has a trapeze tailpiece.

My 2003 Elitist Casino:
Casino

spencer · Post by **spencer** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:24 am

My 335 had a trapeze in the beginning of it's life, but someone drilled it out for a stop-bar at some point. You can still see the shadow where it used to be. If there's wood underneath for it, I'd rather have a stop bar.
Lawton - I've played alot of the cheaper Korean made Casinos, but never an Elitist. Is there a huge difference?

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:21 am

Spencer,

I've had an MIK Casino as well as the MIJ Elitist Casino I now own & play. The difference is significant, but probably not "huge." The particular natural-finish MIK Casino I owned, though, might not be a good one for the comparison. It had been "Lennonized" by it's previous owner (Gold Grovers installed, Fralin P90s, all the electronic hardware swapped out for USA hardware, etc.). That has to be taken into account, I think, because much of the "complaint" about the MIK Epiphones seems to center around the electronics, not so much around the construction & fit issues. After saying all that about the MIK guitar I do have to say that the MIJ Elitist Casino is really a very well made guitar that stacks up construction -wise against the Guilds & Gibsons, etc., that I've owned. The MIJ Elitist models are made alongside current higher end Gretsches (same factory). I suppose the apt comparison for this venue will be to stack my Elitist Casino against my 325C58: the Casino is close.

I'll also agree with you that a stopbar tailpiece is better on a semi-hollow. I've owned a really nice Guild Starfire IV in the past (stopbar tail), and it sustained very well and stayed in tune a bit better also.

spencer · Post by **spencer** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:33 am

Thanks, Lawton.
Same factory as Gretsch? That's funny because I have a Tennessean on it's way from that factory right now. I understand the electronics issue, I've swapped out everything on a Epiphone LPDC that I had for awhile. I'm more concerned about the wood and how well it's made. Although replacing all the guts of a Casino is more of a pain because of fishing through the f-holes. I'd probably hold out for an Elitist.

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:22 am

I would highly recommend that you do hold out for a Elitist Casino rather than upgrade the MIK Casino.

The better build quality is pretty apparent in the Elitist. I owned both and was able to compare them side by side.

Unplugged the MIK didn't sound as loud acoustically and the Elitist was much more vibrant with clearer, louder brighter tone.

Also worth noting is that the Elitist's neck joins at the 16th fret vs. 18th fret on the MIK. The neck profile is also slimmer on the Elitist.

Currently I own the Lennon sig Casinos which have their slight differences to the Elitist