1991 Epiphone Casino Vintage Electric Guitar Pre-Elitist, Figured Maple w/ Case, Japan Terada

Up for sale, a 1991 Epiphone Casino in exceptional 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) blister maple figuring across the top, this is an early Epiphone reissue which preceded the current "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 9oz, 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 shoulder at the nut, gaining more roundness and heft as you travel up the fingerboard, measuring .795" deep at the 1st fret and .935" at the 12th. The rosewood fretboard features pearloid parallelogram inlay and original medium jumbo fretwire. The frets have plenty of meat, with moderate wear, predominantly concentrated under the plain strings, on frets 1-7. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4" scale with a straight neck and responsive, ideally 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 the hardware includes a nickel-plated trapeze tailpiece and dogear pickup covers which are quite clean, with just a light dusting of patina on the ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge. Plastics include the elevated pickguard with “E” epsilon badge and a quartet of replacement black 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.This is an extremely well-kept example, and the three-tone Sunburst gloss finish highlights prominent figuring across the maple top. Cosmetic wear is limited to a patch of faint buckle wear on the back, and just a few small dings and faint finish scratches on the body as a whole. The smooth gloss finish on the neck profile is practically perfect.The original black tolex hardshell case with gold plush interior is included.