Epiphone Casino Coupe Bridge Rattle Fix

This poor little Baby Casino has been stuck in Rattle-town far too long...
Instagram: / joeytheguitarplayer
Website: jpguitar.com
Patreon: / jpguitar
Guitar: Epiphone Casino Coupe
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FULL DISCLOSER: Some links in the description are Amazon Affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, it will not cost you any extra money, but it will provide me with a small kick back. Thanks for the support to the channel!

[@danwilkinson1620]

Lovely little guitar. I measured my bridge on the Coupe, and got 72mm centerpost to centerpost. The Gotoh GE103B specs read 74mm on Sound House, a Japanese dealer's website. Might be wise to measure before you buy. Mine's a 2017. UPDATE: I got more specific in measuring the post-to-post distance. It was 73.4mm, tops. I bought the Gotoh bridge, which dropped right in. To my ear, it also much improves the tone. Thanks very much for the advice!

[@brunolannoo]

Hello, have you changed the posts ?

[@yanblondin7490]

I did it on mine. I changed the crappy bridge, for a Gibson Les Paul bridge, in black, and a black tail piece. The Gibson bridge wont fit. I had to redrill the bushing holes. (Metric vs imperial). I unsoldered the pick up cover, paint em black and resolderd it. No more rattle, looka way better. Next? The nut, the tuners and the pots

[@steverolfeca]

Same deal with my 2020 Cherry Coupe, but there was more to it than just the bridge. The studs and adjustment wheels were hilariously loose, causing the bridge to lean drunkenly. A touch of loctite fixed the loose posts, and a Gotoh 103B fixed the rest. Now it intonates well, and sounds much better.

[@samplings]

What a high quality video! Can’t wait for more people to discover your channel. My Collings I30 has the same wire retained bridge, I think it’s just what they came with 50 years ago. Thankfully mine doesn’t rattle but good to know what to look out for just in case it starts to.

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Thanks for the support Sam! Ooh I've always heard that Collings are fantastic. But, never been able to try one yet.

[@samplings]

@@joeytheguitarplayer I love mine, hopefully someday I’ll watch your review of one!

[@steverolfeca]

@@samplings Collings' hardware is on a whole different level, compared to a budget Chinese Epiphone...

[@Dirkjanbuijsz]

I tried everything for mine. New tonepros bridge. Melt wax in. New tail piece. 0.11 strings with wound G string.. after all it wasn’t one of these : The pickup screws were rattling like hell. I simply screwed them a little. And it’s GONE! After that I did a finetune on the pickup screw heights. Especially the G string on both pickups was very soft compared to the rest. Heightened that and some other adjustments. Now it’s a fantastic guitar. If you still have problems, TRY THAT!! it would have save me hours…

[@sssidney]

Cheers for the vid ,I purchased a Epiphone Casino nee online a while back and have noticed a rattle develop.I tried the saddles to see if there was play and two of them move so thanks as I’ll be ordering a new bridge tomorrow.Apparently this is a common problem on Casinos

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Sorry your Casino has got the same disease Jase. But, yea it seems to be quite common. The Gotoh helped calm it down a lot.

[@FroGGi1989]

thats the cleanest best description box I've ever since

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

thanks!

[@yanblondin7490]

I changed the bridge on my 2014 coupe. I put a Gibson Les Paul bridge. But i had to redrill the holes, cause the bushings are bigger. I also changed the tail piece ( all black). Removwd the pick up cover, paint em black, resolder em. No more rattle. Looks way better. Next is the nut ( i want a Tusq) , the tuners and the pots. After the pots, ill see if change those hot as hell pick ups for good p90's. They are so hot, they push my tube amp to break up way earlier then my Gibson Les Paul's humbucker.

[@luccsimoes]

looking foward for the review! can you mic it unplugged too?? thanks

[@paullaughton3440]

Hi Joey, sometimes the pickup covers can make a rattle noise (vibrate against the screws), something to also check out if the noise persists.

[@yanblondin7490]

They are solderd, how come they could rattle? Maybe the screws are loose?

[@antWales1]

Thank you for replying, Joey. It looks like some bridges have 4mm posts (as per the one I ordered, which would on checking, fit my Gibson LP) and others have 8mm (my Casino.Coupe). I want to love this guitar but so far, it is stretching me to the limit and compared to my Fenders, China-made Gretsch and Indonesia-made PRS SE, it doesn’t come close. Unless the new bridge transforms it, it won’t be a keeper.

[@qddk9545]

My Casino also has 4 mm posts. Sometimes I measure the distance from the wheel to the post on Tuno-matics and put washers between, for sustain and better stability.

[@ryanlowe4413]

My coupe didn't have a much of rattle, but the excess length of strings between the saddle and hanging bridge kept on "twinkling" faintly with every note i played. It was driving me so crazy that i eventually just stuffed a stack of index cards in the gap underneath. Not the most elegant solution, but it worked like a charm. Heres a question: is the nut on your coupe's input jack also constantly coming loose?

[@bryangarcia662]

Great video! Gotoh Bridge is on the way. What did you use to file down the saddle slots? Thanks!

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Nice! I have some nut slot files from StewMac. I used those for the bridge too.

[@arybatik]

Amazing😍

[@tracyc7813]

I don't know how old this video is but this is a design flaw that is common to all Tune-O-Matic bridges that use the tension wire. Regardless of what brand of guitar it is on. It is not unique to the Casino or Epiphone. I typically replace them with Gotoh bridges as you have. The metric size is common to most import guitars. Not much of a gamble at all and Gotoh is probably the best choice out there. Just make sure to get a metric one if your guitar is an import and select the correct post size. It's either going to be the small posts or the large posts (The large posts have a screwdriver head for a flat blade driver). I am a new owner of a Casino Coupe myself. Thus far my bridge does not rattle but it probably will eventually... They all seem to start doing that eventually.

[@brunolannoo]

Hello, have you changed the posts ? Thanks a lot!

[@blueeyedsoulman]

What did you cut the bridge slots with? I may need to do this :(

[@eddyb9472]

How do you file down the slots?

[@antWales1]

Hi Joey. I have just bought a Coupe, brand new with the same problem so I ordered the Gotoh bridge you recommended, but the post holes are 4mm against the original’s 6 mm, so it doesn’t just drop in. What size posts are on yours? I guess I either need to source 4mm posts or return the bridge and buy a different model. Thanks.

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Hey Anthony. Sorry to hear man.. that is frustrating. I don't have the Coupe anymore, so I cant measure for you sorry. But yea mine was a drop in replacement no adjustments required. Did they send you the correct bridge model?

[@hepgeoff]

Was thinking about getting the Casino Coupe, but after your experience, I’m not sure now. I’m not good at guitar repairs, so I’d have to pay someone.

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Understandable Geoff. As an idea, if you have a chance to play one in a shop rather than just grabbing a random one online, you'd know right away if it's one needing a bridge swap or not. Some of them I hear are just fine.

[@draxlerchronicles5851]

I had a Casino coupe for 2 years and this wasn't an issue. I recently got a Gretsch and the bridge is rattling after a few weeks.

[@sssidney]

I’m going through all of this myself.The luthier installed the Gotoh bridge but says there’s still a slight rattle unless you hold the selector ?Also he’s saying there’s a ringing noise that you can’t do anything about ? I’m losing faith in my much loved Epi Casino

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Sorry to hear Jase. There is what might be called a "ringing", sort of the frequencies from all the strings behind the bridge. But that's normal I think. Part of the Casino Character. Not bad, and kinda cool actually. But, the rattling is very different. Def not desirable. Could be the pup selector just needs tightening on yours?

[@sssidney]

@@joeytheguitarplayer That’s going to be my next step ,try tightening the selector switch,I was hoping the new bridge would sort it but I’ll get there

[@paullaughton3440]

Hey another noise on the casino is the pickup covers, they vibrate against the screws in the pickup. Something else to consider. Hold the covers when you strum hard try it out.

[@s-j-e-1]

same with my epiphone lucille, and now my emily wolfe sheraton,...

[@rikirex2162]

and you managed to fit the bridge the wrong way...!

[@seanmolloy4123]

I know since you have to coupe but will the bridge work for the full size casino?

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

I believe so Sean. When I was looking up replacements, the only forums I found were on full-size Casinos. That's how I came across the Gotoh

[@seanmolloy4123]

@@joeytheguitarplayer Thanks!

[@seanmolloy4123]

@@joeytheguitarplayer also what string gauge do you use for your Epiphone casino?

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Ernie Ball 10-46 across the board

[@seanmolloy4123]

@@joeytheguitarplayer Thanks again!

[@TheLastFraudster]

I got a Casino earlier this week but I had the same problem I think. Rather than messing around with custom repairs I'm just going to send the guitat back. In my view it's defective and the store should not have shipped it to me like that.

[@bobbillnolan7644]

Where is the fix?😂😂

[@thirdgearband]

Chinese guitars go figure.

[@qddk9545]

It can be a problem on all guitars with Tuno-Matic bridges actually.