1968 Epiphone Casino E-230 TDC Vintage Hollowbody Electric Guitar Cherry, Collector-Grade w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1968 Epiphone Casino E-230 TDC in collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original chipboard case. A stunningly clean vintage example with a positively glossy Cherry nitro lacquer finish, this Casino is notable for having the 19th fret neck joint and one-piece mahogany neck only seen from 1968-69.Highlighting both the clarity and note attack of maple and the smooth, airy qualities of the fully hollow construction, this Casino has a sweet natural acoustic tone that translates well through the pickups. The P-90s have a glassy sparkle and dynamic, percussive cut with a rich, textured midrange character and plenty of bark when you dig in. And while the bridge pickup has a snappier, slightly more aggressive quality, the neck pickup is big and broad, retaining the articulation necessary for complex chording. The guitar is featherweight at 6lbs 10oz, Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and strung with fresh 11-49 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.The one-piece mahogany neck has a slender, fast-feeling C-shaped profile carve at the nut with notable roundness and shoulder as you travel up the fretboard, measuring .795" deep at the 1st fret and .970" at the 12th. And while Casinos pre-1968 meet the body at the 16th fret, 1968 was the first year where the Casino had a 19th fret joint, matching Gibson's 335 model in this regard and offering easier access to the highest registers. On the dark Brazilian rosewood fretboard, the original medium jumbo frets are intact and in excellent shape, showing only very light wear on the crowns of frets 1-3. The guitar plays easily up the straight neck with slinky action in every register, and the truss rod is responsive and optimally adjusted. The original nut measures 1 9/16" in width. On the headstock, the original Kluson Deluxe double line tuners are intact, turning smoothly and holding pitch as they should with clean chrome plating.The electronics are completely stock, with untouched solder joints and original pots and tone caps. A transitional model, the pickups feature one black bobbin and one clear bobbin (a cosmetic variation first seen circa '68). Hardware includes the original ABR-1 bridge with correct patent number and foundry stamp on the underside, as well as the stock Trem-o-Tone tailpiece which has a smooth response. The chrome plating on the hardware is positively gleaming, and the original plastics are near mint including the quartet of witch hat knobs and the original white pickguard, retaining its "E" Epsilon foil sticker (the Epsilon foil sticker on the tailpiece is a modern replacement). Visible through the F hole, the original blue rectangular Epiphone label is present, with a serial that matches the number imprinted on the headstock.The Cherry nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touchup or overspray, vibrant and glossy in its presentation with zero finish fade. There is broad lacquer checking across the body, and cosmetic wear is limited to some light scuffing and a touch of strap wear on the back, with just a few additional faint finish scratches and tiny marks on the body as a whole. The neck profile retains its smooth nitro gloss, free of palm wear.The original black tolex chipboard case is included.