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1989 Epiphone Casino Vintage Electric Guitar Pre-Elitist, Figured Maple w/ Case, Japan Terada

$2,599.99

+ shipping

Up for sale, a 1989 Epiphone Casino in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. Produced in Japan at the Terada factory and featuring prominent (and very uncommon) birdseye maple figuring across the top, this is an early Epiphone reissue which preceded the "Elitist" line.

Acoustically, the fully hollow all-maple body has a smooth, bright tone, offering an ideal platform for the stock pair of P-90 pickups. The pickups are wound to vintage spec with plenty of midrange bark, and a glassy, percussive quality. Whether you want articulate cleans or thick overdrive, the P-90s can produce either with an ease and refinement far beyond most other modern Casino reissues. Featherweight at 6lbs 8oz, we’ve had this Casino professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action and spot-on intonation.

The three-piece maple neck has a slender and fast-feeling C-shaped profile carve with modest shoulders at the nut, gaining just a hair more heft as you travel up the fingerboard, measuring .800" deep at the 1st fret and .865" at the 12th. The rosewood fretboard features pearloid parallelogram inlay and original medium jumbo fretwire. The frets have plenty of meat, with moderate wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-9, with wear growing fainter until the octave. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The original carved bone nut measures 1 9/16" in width, and the headstock retains Kluson-style tuners which turn smoothly and hold pitch as they should.

The electronics are untouched, and there's uniform surface patina across the nickel-plated parts including the dogear pickup covers, ABR-1 bridge and trapeze tailpiece. Plastics include the quartet of gold reflector cap knobs. The orange oval label visible through the F hole has the five-digit serial number sequence used during this era of Terada production.

The birdseye figuring on top is extremely vibrant, highlighted by a rich Sunburst with a deeply ambered center and subtle ring of red transitioning to deep brown edges. There are some finish scratches and minor dings, largely concentrated on the back, and some wear similar to buckle worming central to the back of the headstock. The smooth gloss finish on the neck profile is practically perfect.

The original black tolex hardshell case with gold plush interior is included.