One event more than any other led to the Casino’s enduring popularity. Keen to redress the balance for those with smaller pockets, Epiphone has launched the new Indonesian-made ‘Inspired By’ John Lennon Casino – £1,200 cheaper than the former USA model and £400 more expensive than the standard Chinese-made Casino. This tale isn’t unique among Epiphone’s American-made guitars. Retailing on the cusp of £2000, for many guitarists not even the high build quality could compensate. While the calibre and heritage of Epiphone’s discontinued, USA-made John Lennon 1965 Casino can hardly be questioned, it had one major drawback: the price!