ES 330/ Casino

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Dave Gentner
Posts: 63
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:25 pm

ES 330/ Casino

Post by Dave Gentner »

I'm considering building an ES 330/ Casino style guitar for a friend. I've made an ES 335 and am pretty sure all the ES style bodies are the same. I have a CNC and have programmed it to carve the top and back. My question is how was the 330 braced? I know it was fully hollow as opposed to the solid center block of the 335. Did it have bridge posts to support the TOM bridge? How about the P-90's? Are they supported or just screwed onto the top?
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Barry Daniels
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Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: ES 330/ Casino

Post by Barry Daniels »

I was also curious about this so I did some web searching and found this. There are some interior photos on the second page of the thread.

Epiphone Casino
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Dave Gentner
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Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:25 pm

Re: ES 330/ Casino

Post by Dave Gentner »

Wow, Barry, thanks for the reference. The bracing appears to be spruce and is fitted to the inner contour of the top like on the 335 without the kerfing. I assume its 4" wide to accommodate the TOM posts. I wonder about the neck block. Is it 4" wide also and just long enough to handle the neck tenon? I'm thinking this is what I'll go with.
Keith Howell
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:54 am
Location: Cape Town South Africa

Re: ES 330/ Casino

Post by Keith Howell »

I have a ES330 copy which I am restoring (top is somewhat bust up)

From what I can find the ES330 top bracing is exactly the same as the ESS335. Ie is the made out of spruce, profiled longitudinally, kerfed and glued to the underside of the top. And yes it is the same width as the ES335.

The 330 employs a trapeze tail piece so no studs into the top. Not that I can find anyway.

I will see if I can find the pics i located.
Keith Howell
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:54 am
Location: Cape Town South Africa

Re: ES 330/ Casino

Post by Keith Howell »

Allyson Brown
Posts: 118
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2023 2:08 am

Re: ES 330/ Casino

Post by Allyson Brown »

Keith Howell wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 6:07 am Found them

Have a look here:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... 65/page-14
They look nice.
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