They also made it a striking stage or TV guitar. Subtle details such as this, the white pickguard with ‘E’ logo, as well as the different headstock shape, were enough to give the model a personality of its own. On an ES-330 both horns would feature solid colour, whereas here the ’burst follows the body outline right round. You can clearly see the difference between Gibson and Epiphone ’bursting here. However, that didn’t deter some very famous players as well as the aforementioned, we can count Paul Weller, The Edge and Gary Clark Jr as Casino stalwarts. E230TD CasinoĪs well as physical limitations, the guitar’s all-hollow nature rendered it tricky to use in big-volume, high-gain situations due to howling feedback. Finish, too, is exemplary, the nitrocellulose lacquer being flat and buffed to a perfect gloss.

The scalloped spruce bracing lends rigidity and flexibility without sapping the instrument of tone, as heavy bracing can do. Peering inside, the guitar is put together cleanly, as good as anything else out there (vintage Gibsons and Epiphones could be quite scruffy in that regard). Whereas Gibson sunbursts usually form a teardrop shape on the guitar’s front and back, Epiphones follow the body’s outline with an even band of colour all the way round. The Frontier is a great all-rounder for almost any occasion – but on stage it will really look the business!įret markers are slotted rectangles in mother-of-pearl, and the body is edged front and back in multiple cream and black binding. Of course, the Frontier stands out visually due to that striking pickguard, with what Gibson calls a ‘lariat and cactus’ themed engraving. Tuners are gold-plated Gotoh takes on the Kluson ‘keystone’ style found on so many Gibsons – and indeed the Frontiers that the company produced. As usual with electrified acoustics, there’s an endpin jack, plus there’s a second pin on the guitar’s heel so the Frontier comes stage-ready. It also has the excellent LR Baggs VTC under-saddle pickup with soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls. The top is solid Sitka spruce with scalloped bracing, the fingerboard Indian rosewood, with the nut and bridge saddle both in bone. What a handsome thing! Built in Gibson’s acoustic facility in Montana, the Frontier features solid flamed-maple sides and back.

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