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I actually have the Godin and think it’s cool but something about it is off to me. Not totally sure what. I play classic Chicago blues style stuff and it just has a tone maybe that’s not too great for it. I’ve had some friends recommend the Casino or harmony H44 style guitar. I love the Harmonys but they’re wildly expensive now. Just curious if anyone has tried both and their thoughts?
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07-26-2023 05:05 PM
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Casinos are a bit inconsistent, but the good ones are things of beauty. As long as you can 'try before you buy' that shouldnt be a problem though. They are very light in weight, and the good ones are very comfortable to play. They are great value for the pricetag, and even on the cheaper models, the P90s have a decent tone palette. The neck pickup is very suitable for jazz tone, particularly if you like the edge associated with players such as Grant Green; you can get a pretty decent blues tone also, and all at a reasonable price. I played one for a few years, it was good on gigs, pit bands and studio work, a very reliable and fairly versatile guitar, good value for the money.
I've never played a Harmony though, so I can't really do a comparison - but if money is an issue, then a Casino is worth checking out. Hopefully someone with some experience of the Harmony will comment at some point.
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Casino.
But, you have to be aware of which Casino! There are many iterations.
It has P90's for sure. They are great and a classic flavor. Capable of many a great night!
It's kinda like "you get what you pay for". Bottom of the line models, and more and more upscale versions.
You should play the guitar before purchasing. I love them and have a great one, a 1961 RI. One of my faves for all time after 50 years of playing.
It's a deep well with Casinos but when you find a good one, it can be great - sort thru the barrel!
Many threads on them here and elsewhere, good luck in any search.
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Somewhere between the super cheap casinos and the super expensive ones is the Peerless Songbird. I used to have one: loved it, only sold it to afford a ES-330.
Here’s one Peerless Guitars Songbird Electric Guitar (Dallas, TX) | Reverb
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As far as Casinos go, I always wanted one. I have played a lot of them. Some really nice ones, some that need a good amount of work even though they are new.
I ended up with an Eastman Romeo LA. It is pretty close to the Casino vibe. I am guessing that the P90 alnico 2s in the Eastman is different the P90s in a typical Casino. I would assume those are alnico 5s, but I have never checked.
My Eastman plays incredible and sounds solid. It came with 12s for strings. It was perfect, but I put on 9s. The high strings sound a little thin. (… due to CTS, I have to keep tension low). I think about changing PUs, but right now I just throw a tone shaping type pedal in front of the amp. Seems to be working really good.
The bigsby-ish tremolo is really sweat. I like it more then my other three guitars that have bigsby on them.
The neck is fatter then I would like, and high fret access is a bit tricky. If I had to guess, I can get up to the 17th or 18th fret easy enough. The last few suck. Typically I would just throw my thumb off the back of the neck, and let it float, but even when I do that it still sucks.
Like I said, I consider the Eastman as the best Casino type guitar I have ever played.
One last thing, there is no tone knob for the neck PU. However there are some really tasty tones balancing the two PUs volumes.
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But the Eastman is semihollow, no? So it’s not a “Casino-type”. I’m sure it’s great a great guitar though.
Originally Posted by st.bede
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It looks like the Eastman “Casino” would be a T64, which I’m sure is great value given their other guitars Originally Posted by blille
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I forgot it has a small block under the bridge. I tend to not worry too much about that. Sorry if I mislead. I tend to think in practical terms. Can I do x with y, instead of is x and y the same. Originally Posted by blille
First, neither are built to be an acoustic guitar.
Second, I focus more on sound. My experience suggests they do about the same thing, and Eastman is a little better at it. Then again, I only ask my guitars to do a certain range of things.
Third, maybe that gives me an excuse to find a good epi elitist Casino.
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Apples to oranges again? Had a Casino for a short while. Too narrow fretboard at nut; rattling TOM bridge. Had a 5th Ave Kingpin for at least 10 years until got it sold a couple of months ago. Good but not great. To me it doesn't make sense to compare these two - too different. I currently have a Casino Coupe. Cheap, but I love it and get very good jazz sounds from it. A visiting jazz guitarist from Philly seemed to agree.
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I had a Korean made Cherry Red Casino from the 2000's. I traded it for some crap I don't have anymore, wish I kept the guitar... it was perfect.
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So wouldn't a PRS SE Hollowbody Standard or II fill the same niche at about the same price? Hollow with a small block under the bridge? Not traditional in looks, though, if that's important. Originally Posted by st.bede
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I also own a PRS Hollowbody II. The differences between mine and the SE are not know to me. I bought mine way before PRS was making less expensive guitars. Originally Posted by dconeill
I do not pick up my Hollowbody II to really play jazz type stuff. I think of it as a killer blues machine. It feels like there is a huge difference between the Romeo LA and PRS. I am thinking it could have to do with the carved maple top and back. I am not sure if that is just my feelings or if that is about something more objective.
My impression of the PRS piezo is that it fully exhibits the bad qualities of that system. (… goose, goose, goose, Duck). I had one of the Taylor T5 and I own a Parker Fly Deluxe. The piezo on the T5 was the best sounding use that I have ever come across, and the Fly has a very useable sound. I never use the piezo on my PRS. (However, I do not run an acoustic amp. I also tend to always have at least couple pedals on a board).
Regarding PRS and LA: If I was going to use my intuition, I would speculate: both are bright, and have that added sense of air that is not as round as a full hollowbody but more alive then a full simi. The PRS is a round type brightness, where as the LA has more of a jangle, with better note separation. That is a guess.
It has been a good amount of time since I played the PRS.
It is funny that this comes up, because literally, I am taking my PRS to my tech on Tuesday this week. I should be playing it next week.
… again, I have no knowledge of the SE line.
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