Both had the more common Epiphone-style headstock and were fitted with gold-colored Volume and Tone knobs. Lennon’s was unusual in that it had a small black ring mounted around its pickup selector switch. The most obvious difference between these two virtually identical guitars was Harrison’s had a Bigsby vibrato, while Lennon’s had the standard Epiphone “trapeze” tail. In the spring of ’66, during recording sessions for Revolver, John Lennon and George Harrison decided to join the Casino club. McCartney used his Casino extensively in the studio with The Beatles, including the memorable lead-guitar break on “Ticket To Ride.” He also used it throughout his solo career, and still owns the guitar.

A strap button was added to now-inverted upper treble bout. McCartney altered it for playing left-handed, turning the guitar upside down, re-stringing it, and modifying the bridge for correct intonation. McCartney’s sunburst Casino has serial number 84075, and according to Gibson’s records shipped November 1, 1962. Another picture shows McCartney and Harrison examining the right-handed Casino, evidently discussing how they would alter the guitar so the left-handed McCartney could use it. Photographs taken in December of ’64, during rehearsals for the Beatles’ Christmas performances at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, show Paul playing a new Epiphone Casino still strung right-handed. The Epiphone Casino ES-230TD that McCartney purchased at the end of ’64 has an early-style Gibson-design headstock rather than Epiphone’s later hourglass-shaped headstock. He got a hollowbody after to get that tone.” When people get together and listen to records, they talk about all kinds of things related to the music, so obviously we must have touched upon the instruments and it struck home. “I showed him my hollowbody guitar that I’d bought when I was in the army in Japan in 1955. I was turned on after that, and an Epiphone.” Mayall recalls the late-night record sessions. King, Eric Clapton… he was sort of showing me where all of Eric’s stuff was from. Influenced to purchase it by his friend, blues musician John Mayall, McCartney said, “You’d go back to his place and he’d sit you down, give you a drink, and say, ‘Just check this out.’ He’d go over to his deck, and for hours blast you with B.B. Paul McCartney was the first Beatle to acquire a Casino. Paul McCartney’s Epiphone Casino courtesy of and copyright OutLine Press UK.

Each owned a Casino and used it for countless recordings and performances. Of all the guitars the Beatles made famous, the only one that John, Paul and George had in common was the Epiphone Casino. John Lennon with his Epiphone Casino in December, 1968, on the set of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus.” Lennon photo: Andrew Maclear/Redferns.

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