The 330 was available at first with one or two pickups, and the October/November 1959 issue of Gibson’s Gazette promo magazine announced the pair as “beautiful professional-type guitars, economy priced by Gibson”. To understand how Gibson positioned the new Casino in its revised and reworked Epiphone range, let’s briefly consider the ES-330.

The Sheraton remained as the only semi-solid among the Gibson-made Epiphones until it was joined in ’62 by the Riviera, which broadly corresponded to the 335. This extremely rare 1961 Casino might be the only example ever made in Royal OliveĮpiphone’s semi-solid Sheraton (originally intended to be called the Deluxe) was roughly equivalent to the Gibson ES-355 in its fancy appointments, while the Casino was a close relation to Gibson’s hollow 330. They were quick to apply some of these approaches and ideas to the new Epiphone lines. These were the stereo 345 and the high-end 355, and also a full hollowbody version, the ES-330. Gibson had recently introduced the ES-335, its groundbreaking semi-solid double-cutaway thinline electric, and in the wake of its success the company’s bosses created a series around it, adding a few more models in the same style.