Epiphone USA Collection John Lennon Limited Edition 1965 Casino Sunburst, Near-Mint w/ Case, COA, Tags

Up for sale, a 2000s Epiphone USA John Lennon Limited Edition 1965 Casino in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case, COA and hangtag Not to be confused with the later (and lesser) "Inspired By" line of Lennon instruments, this top-tier Casino was born of an agreement between Gibson USA and Yoko Ono, limited to 1965 instruments worldwide, of which this is #1662.To create this faithful iteration of Lennon's Casino, Gibson had access to Lennon's original 1965 Casino, with body measurements and photographs taken and tracings performed to ensure all details were accurately represented. Premium features include a gloss nitro lacquer Sunburst finish, Gibson USA electronics and nickel-plated hardware. The fully hollow five-ply maple/birch body construction with spruce bracing is true to mid-1960s Gibson/Epiphone Kalamazoo, MI factory tooling specs. The body is paired with a one-piece mahogany neck capped with a bound rosewood fingerboard, meeting the body at the 16th fret. The instrument is featherweight at 6lbs, and the lively, dynamic acoustic qualities of the guitar translate faithfully via the Gibson USA P-90 pickup pair, offering glassy cleans, rich midrange bark, and thick overdriven sizzle. We've had this John Lennon Casino professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action and accurate intonation.The mahogany neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with round shoulders in every register, measuring .825" deep at the 1st fret and .945" at the 12th. On the bound rosewood fretboard, the medium jumbo fretwire is flawless, and the guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nylon nut measures 1.650" in width (correct for 1965 spec, and a middle ground for Gibson nut widths in the era). On the headstock, the Kluson-style metal button tuners function smoothly and even the small "Assembled in USA" sticker is still intact.The electronics function flawlessly, with the dogear P-90 pair governed by dedicated pairs of Volume and Tone knobs as well as a three-way pickup selector switch. Hardware includes an ABR-1 bridge with vintage-spec nylon saddles and a trapeze tailpiece. The nickel plating on the hardware is positively gleaming, and all original plastics are intact and near-mint. Visible through the F hole is the vintage-style serialized blue Epiphone label as well as the additional John Lennon label noting the limited edition number.The gloss Sunburst finish is stunningly clean, and cosmetic wear is limited to just a couple stray finish scratches in the clear coat of the gloss on the body as a whole. The gloss finish on the neck profile is flawless.The original brown Lifton-style hardshell case with Lennon graphic on the lid is included, along with the COA and all original hangtags and factory paperwork.