Gibson acquired former rival Epiphone in 1957 and began producing Epiphone® guitars in its Kalamazoo factory. Some of the models developed for Epiphone® were variations on current Gibson® models. The Casino, for example, was essentially a Gibson® ES®-330 with Epiphone® P-90s with metal covers. John Lennon was particularly fond of the Casino, and continued to record with it long after the breakup of the Beatles.
