“You say you want a revolution…” Well, he certainly gave us one. Seventy years after his birth, and three decades after his untimely passing, John Lennon’s musical revolution remains as strong and as present as ever. His message of peace continues to touch the masses, and his songs still resonate in the hearts and minds of fans around the world. At the request of Yoko Ono, Epiphone Guitars is proud to offer two 70th Anniversary John Lennon Casino models to celebrate the legacy of this extraordinary artist. Only 35 of each version will be produced—for a total of 70 guitars—and all will be hand-numbered, with soundhole label and Certificate of Authenticity, both hand-signed by Yoko Ono.
John Lennon’s Epiphone Casino has always loomed large in the imagination of Beatles fans, but in truth there are two iconic incarnations of this guitar.
During the recording of Revolver in 1966, John Lennon and George Harrison both acquired 1965 Epiphone Casinos to match the guitar that Paul McCartney had bought before them. Representing the original state of this instrument, the John Lennon 70th Anniversary 1965 Casino retains its original vintage sunburst finish and all original hardware and period-correct appointments such as the correct “burst” pattern on front and back, an accurate neck joint at the 16th fret (rather than the 17th fret), vintage Kluson™-style tuners with small metal keys, a black plastic washer around the toggle switch, and the historically accurate rectangular blue label inside the upper f-hole. Amid a growing trend for stripped “natural” guitars, Lennon sanded down his Casino’s original finish in 1968 and covered it with a thin, satin finish to create a natural (aka blonde) look on the guitar. Around the same time, he also removed the pickguard and replaced the original Kluson™ tuners with gold Grovers™, a popular upgrade of the era (a period-correct pickguard and bracket, and a set of black “top-hat” knobs are included in the case of the Revolution Casino).
Lennon first used his stripped “natural” Casino during recording sessions for The White Album in 1968, and this is how the guitar exists today. These instruments are reproduced in every detail by the John Lennon 70th Anniversary Revolution Casinos. Both perfectly nail the vibe and tone of the instrument that proved to be Lennon’s favorite guitar through the last five years of his career with The Beatles, and together they represent the nearest things to embodying this legendary artist’s own instrument, in both iconic guises. The Vintage Sunburst 1965 Casino mirrors the look of the guitar seen in Lennon’s hands in several of the band’s concert in Japan during their last world tour in 1966, while the Natural-finished Revolution model is the spitting image of the Casino Lennon played on The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus TV show in 1968, and the legendary Apple rooftop concert in 1969.
In addition to its hand-signed label and CoA, every John Lennon 70th Anniversary Casino includes a period-correct Epiphone hardshell case, and owner’s manual and adjustment literature, an Epiphone poster and bumper sticker, and literature for Epiphone’s Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Support.
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