Epiphone Dot

Epiphone Dot, Made In Korea. Hollow body archtop guitar with a rosewood neck (22 frets), twin humbuckers, 3 way switch and 4 pots (2 volume and 2 tone controls). Great look...

Considering the price this guitar sounds really good. I play mainly folk-rock music (Beatles, Wilco, Elliott Smith...) and this guitar is a perfect fit. I was looking for a warm tone for rich rythm guitar and this Epiphone gave it to me. Its sounds fat (not thin as my strat) but not to muddy. I really like to way it resonate.

I use a little peavy classic 30 and it sounds great. I must say that through my performer 1000 (transistors) it sounded a bit more thin...

i wouldn't use it for funk or heavier stuff (anyway who would want to play heavy metal with a guitar that look like this!).

i bought it used. It was in mint condition. The previous owner had put grovers keys and strap lock on it. The action was good. I just changed the saddles since strings were always breaking (even though i'm using 0.13 strings). The "7" is for the saddle problem...

It has survive 1 year and about 25 concerts, and is still in good condition. I don't plan changing in for the next 5 years...

NA

I've been playing for 13 years, mostly with a strat and for the past year with this guitar. Even if I didn't think I would trade my strat for another one, I did! I really think it fits my style of playing. The dot offer a great warm sound perfect for folk tunes.

The Dot is the Epiphone version of the Gibson 335. It has a semi-hollow body with dual f-holes. 22 frets, dual humbuckers, 2 volumes, 2 tones, 3 way pickup selector, tune-o-matic bridge. I could go into more detail, but you can just look it up...you're here for the review so i'll cut to the chase.

To be honest when i first bought this guitar I was buying it because it is beautiful instrument...well you shouldn't judge a guitar by its appearance because this thing sounds WAY BETTER it looks, which is hard to believe seeing how great it looks. I was absolutely blown away by range of sounds that come out of this thing. I run it straight through a Fender Deluxe 90 and play anything from jazz to rock to punk. I know that this statement has become kind of a cliche here, but it handles all styles with ease. The tone on the neck pickup is beautifully warm (and sounds particularly good with a hint of overdrive) and the bridge pickup can really scream. Huge versatility.

Everything was pretty well setup from the factory. there were the mandatory intonation modifications but since then I havnen't touched it. The action is more typical of an archtop than a strat, but it was perfect when it arrived and I havne't had to change it at all. Like I said before, this is a beautiful instrument. Mine is in natural finish with chrome hardware. The pick-guard is in the Epiphone shape and to be honest (and I'm not being a Gibson hater here) I like it way better than the Gibson 335 pick-guard. All in all, it looks amazing, which is almost as good as it sounds.

So far so good! I have gigged this guitar about 10 times already and it has held up to everything I can dish out. The stock tuning machines keep the thing singing on key throughout the set and I have yet to notice any wear on any of the hardware. Finish looks pretty heavy so I'm not at all concerned about wear. Very reliable guitar.

No need so far.

I think that for the price this is one of the best guitars out there. It sounds great, looks amazing, and is extremely reliable. The only thing worth noting is that its pretty heavy. This doesn't affect anything about the guitar, but you'll feel it after an hour and a half of jumping around on stage! The guitar is amazing and I really commend Epiphone for creating such a stellar guitar :)

I bought mine about 5 months ago, so I'm thinking mine was made in 2003/4. Usual Epi fare - 2 Humbuckers with volume and tone controls for each, Grover non-locking tuners, tune-o-matic bridge with stop tail piece, etc. Neck feels more substanial than my previous 2 guitars (a Squier Strat and an Epiphone Les Paul).

My Dot comes in a lovely looking tobacco sunburst, which I had to ask the shop I got it from to get from their other branch, as all they had were cherry ones. Comes with a hard case too. which my Epi Les Paul (Bought from the same shop 3 years before) didn't.

This guitar sounds great. I've never played a gibson, so I don't know how much difference there is. I'm currently using a Marshall MG30DFX, and an Electro-Harmonix USA Bug Muff Pi (Soon to be replaced by a RAT). I'm currently a bedroom guitarist, but the kind of music I like to play ranges from Britpop (I can do a good version of the solo from Blur's "This is a Low", which Graham Coxon played an ES335 on), to Manic Street Preachers, to Smashing Pumpkins. It's a versatile guitar, but probably not for the more extreme metal sounds. Having said that, why would a metal guitarist even be lookng at semi-acoustic guitars like this??

Perfectly playable out of the case, nothing to fault here.

This guitar certainly feels durable and feels like it will last. But let's be honest here why wouldn't a decent guitar like this last, unless your name is Pete Townsend?

There are a couple of minor problems to mention here:

The strap buttons did work loose after a few weeks, however, I took the guitar back to the shop I got it from, and they sorted this out for me.

Also, the toogle switch is the usual epi piece of crap, It's not totally screwed yet, but I've had very occasional problems with it, and it feels loose, so I'm going to get that sorted out.

Never dealt with Epiphone in relation to this or my Les Paul. Because I bought this in the UK, I think my Warranty is with the shop, not Epiphone themselves (Correct me if I'm wrong here), but the shop I bought it from - Gamlins' music centre in Cardiff, have been very helpful to me whenever I've asked them.

I've been playing guitar for almost 7 Years, and this is the best guitar I've played. I've never played any Gibsons, and don't intend to. Besides the guy who sold me my Dot said he doesn't feel there is that much of a difference for the price.

If I want a better sounding guitar, I'm goint to consider changing the Pickups and Pots first. A few hundred isn't much when you consider that a significantly better guitar will proably cost a hell of a lot more than one of these and new pick ups.

Taken as it is though I am happy woth it, but I am going to get a new switch fitted asap. that's the only thing stopping it from getting a 10 (and nothing is perfect is it? thought this is close).

I have a 2002 Dot in Natural finish. You all know what the Dot comes with. Bought mine used, didn't come with a pickguard for some reason. I might put a Gibson-style pickguard on it, since the Epi ones are kinda ugly. Also, this is nitpicking, but I wouldn't mind having a bone nut, instead of the ugly black plastic one they got on their. Just for aesthetics' sake. Neck binding would have also been nice. The tuners also kinda suck.

This sucker sounds awesome. A lot of people complain about the stock Epi pups, but they sound decent to my ears. It's plugged into a 15W Ibanez Toneblaster, and it sound fantastic. The only style I wouldn't used this for is high-gain distored metal. With the gain turned up, the pups don't sound all that great. But for Yer Blues and hard rock, the Dot kicks ass.

Action was fine. The finish is flawless. You can see the screw holes where the pickguard is supposed to go, but that is hardly Gibson/Epiphone's fault. Chrome hardware is holding up nicely.

I would definitely gig with this guitar (with a backup, in case you pop a string or something). This sucker has the tone to impress the folks that might come to your live show. I can tell they built these things to last. I don't exactly treat my guitars as well as I should, but it still looks and works as good as they day I bought it.

I haven't had to deal with them yet. Since it was used, the warranty was void.

I love my Dot. It's the only guitar I'll need till I can afford a real 335, which is not in the forseeable future. The Dot is all about tone, tone, tone. If it were stolen, I would save up towards that 335, and just mess around on my crappy Strat copy.

2004 Made in China. Beautiful cherry finish. Dual humbuckers. This model has been well discribed in past posts.

This guitar is a huge step up from the Squire Strat that I started out with. Sounds good unplugged, even sounds good through my little 10 watt practice amp. (I rented a blues junior and it sounded amazing through it.) Suitable for almost any style.(I play rock, blues, country, ect) I changed the strings out right away and this helped it to sound even better.

The set-up was good from the factory. The action needed to be lowered a touch but no big deal. I've taken it under advisement that the nut and the switch should be changed out ASAP but I haven't had any difficulties with either. The guitar looks mighty fine, if I do say so myself.

I haven't been playing for all that long, so I don't play live (unless you count the wife, kids, and the bunny), but this guitar seems very sturdy. Being a semi-hollow body I wouldn't be chucking it around though.

This is something that I'm very happy to say that I have no opinion on whatsoever.

I've been playing for about a year and a half, and I'm very happy that I purchased this guitar. I also own a squire strat and a cheap 10 watt amp. I played alot of guitars in the shop, as well as researching on this and other websites before I made any decisions, and I can say that I found the guitar that suits me perfectly. If this guitar were to be stolen, I would rush down to the shop and purchase this model again.(Elite maybe?) If I were to lose it, I would rush down to the local bar and drown my sorrows for being such a tool. It's a great guitar, no excuses needed.

Epiphone Dot Studio, colour black with body binding in cream, made in China, 22 Frets on rosewood neck(Gibson standard), laminated top, 1 volume control and 1 tone control, togle swich pickup selector, 2 uncovered Gibson type Alnico Humbucker Pickups, black grover toners and black hardware(which are looking really great!). I just fell in love with that black in black look of the Dot.

It fits perfect for my kind of music, that moves between Pop (Beatles like), Rock (no nu metal stuff!)and a little bit of Jazz. I use this guitar for homerecording with a korg ampworks guitar modeler and a small crate glx 65. The sound is very warm, bright and full when I play it without any effect. When I use distortion it sounds very fat and powerfull. I chose the Dot Studio becuase of the more agressive tone of the bridge pickup, that sounds even hotter than that one of the normal ES 335 Dot. So you can play this axe also with harder rock stuff. Really impressing good sound!!

I tested 10 Dots (Dot Studios and ES 335 Dots as well) and this one was fitting perfect! It fullfills my needs in every single way! Playability, finishing, sound ... everything really works out fine!

First of all I dearly care about my instruments, but I think the Dot Studio is built in a very solid way and it will please me for many years. As I said before I use the Epi in my homerecording studio but if the stuff will come out on stage it will also workout fine.

I play guitar and bass since 1978. I owned an Ibanez Guitar(don't know the type), a Fender Strat, a Fender Dreadnought Acoustic, a Hofner 501 Bass, a Rickenbacker 4001 Bass, an Ibanez Musician 924 Fretless Bass ans an Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature Bass. Actually only the Fender Acoustic, the Alembic and the Epiphone Dot Studio have "survived". All other equipment moved away through ebay. But I never would give my Dot away! I always wanted an archtop and was looking for one with a good price-value level. And then the Epiphone passed my way. I just love this guitar. Look, shape, sound and feel are great. For that price you couldn't make a better deal. I definetly would buy another one if this one would get lost or stolen. But I take good care of my baby!

Keep in mind as you read this review that this is a factory refurbished (to factory specs) guitar....

Features:
-Semi-hollowbody Archtop
-Two Gibson designed humbuckers with Alnico magnets,
-Chrome hardware..Grover tuners,
-24.75" neck scale
-Nut width 1.58"
-Set maple neck
-Laminated maple body
-Stopbar tailpiece
-two volume and two tone controls,
-3 way selector switch
-Rosewood fretboard
-Pickguard

I am very pleasantly surprised by how well this guitar sounds and plays. I own three other guitars at the moment ('69 and '72 Tele Thinline reissues, Hwy1 Strat) which are all Fenders. This is my second Epiphone.

I play mostly blues, R&B, soul, funk and some disco stuff in the band I'm in now (http://emerge.home.att.net). Will this guitar suit all of those styles? Probably. I can't see doing without the Strat on all stuff. I played the '72 Tele Thinline reissue for a long time in the same band and it has two humbuckers, so I certainly could get by with the Epi if needed.

When I bought the guitar from Musicians Friend, I had in mind that the Dot would deliver a big fat sound. I wasn't dissapointed there! It sounds huge through my Bassman. I also have a Line6 Spider II 112 and it was a little more difficult to dial in a great sound there. I got the bridge pup just right, but it was a little too muddy when both pups were selected. With the Bassman both pups sounded good together. Will have to do a little more experimenting with the Line6. I've read some complaints of reviewers about the pups, but the sound you get really does depend on your amp and the settings you use..no complaints about the sound here. It sounds as good to my ears as the Ibanez Artcore archtop I once owned.

The guitar is very resonant and a joy to play even without an amplifier.

Again...heep in mind that this is a factory referbished guitar.
Factory setup is excellent and the action is as good as any guitar I've owned. Very playable. Both pickups seem to be adjusted properly. One little flaw is a little worn paint on one of the f-hole edges...no problem there. That could have happened in shipping. Paint seems to be flawless as is everything else on the guitar other than the worn paint mentioned.

It seems to be built like a tank. One concern is the selector switch...feels cheap. Other reviewers have identified this as a problem as well.

I emailed Gibson shortly after ordering the guitar. The string gauges weren't listed and I wanted to know. They were very prompt in their reply...so customer service is very good.

I'm 48 and have been playing since the age of 13. As mentioned above, I own three Fender guitars, a Line6 Spider II 112, a 59 Bassman, Tweed Deluxe, and a Peavey Delta Blues 210.

It's going to take a little time to get used to the larger physical size of the guitar vs. that of my Strat or Tele's. But I can see myself really enjoying this guitar on stage. It's not often you see anyone playing an Archtop. Ought to be a good conversation piece.

It plays like butter simply put. Very nice action and feel to the neck for my hands. Big sound, high quality for the money spent. I'm a happy camper.

No need to repeat the features other than semi-hollow, 2 humbuckers, and gibson-style controls (2 vol, 2 tone, 3 way selector switch). These can be great guitars if you're willing to put a little work into them....new nut, new pickups, new wiring, err...everything but the wood! But I don't mean that in a bad way actually, I like doing that kind of stuff so it seems worth it to me. What's the alternative? $2500+ for a gibson 335?

The sound from the stock pickups is a little thin and bright compared to gibson stock or any other replacements. It depends on the amp, really, Or what kind of sound you're going for. Not every guitar has to sound like a reproduction of 60's british blues or american acid rock. I use alot of effects (reverb,delay , chorus, etc,) to get a washy sound. I like the guitar to not always sound like a guitar..depends on what the song needs.

I've owned 2 of these and they both had a decent setup when I got them. I'm a guitar repairman and always setup my guitars anyway...I remember the intonation being a little funky and the nut being a generic plastic one with improper string spacing.

The electronics on Epiphones tend to crap out, especially the selector switches, so be prepared-hopefully it will happen in practice! The bridges are made of a softer metal and tend to develop burrs and ruts pretty easily so string breakage can be a problem. Those burrs can be filed out or you could just replace the bridge. I changed out the tuners on mine to Schaller Gibson style green ones more for looks than anything.

I fix all my own guitars so I've never dealt with them. If you're electronics go bad within a month or so you should be able to take it back under warranty.

I've been playing for about 12 years, gigged, toured, recorded, repaired, built, bought, sold, and played almost every guitar out there. I think I have gear ADD. I've built guitars and basses (amps next!) and work at music store as a repairman. I've seen just about every guitar come into our store. So basically-- Epiphone= electronics bad, hardware decent, looks shiny! They can be great if you want to finish the job for them.

I purchased the guitar at the 'Guitar, Amp and Keyboard Centre' in Brighton. It was made in Korea, and has a mapel back, sides, top and neck. Mine was produced in 2002. All of the parts function. I'm not going to give the guitar 10/10 in this catagory because of the Epiphone head but apart from that minor fault, everything else is good. 22 frets. 2 tone and 2 volume. Lovely neck and body shape.

This is going to be a honest review.

I like to play blues/rock, and this guitar suits my style perfectly. It has a lovely raucus Gibson tone that's great for Rythmn and lead. I'm starting to flirt more with semi-accustics now than ever before. I use the guitar with a Marshall MG30 and I think this electronic device is only used to it's full potentional when played with Marshall equipment (Gibson + Marshall=Umm). It is easy to moderate the volume using the knobs, this also applies for tone. To apply emotion to a song, just select the rythmn pick-up and for some exciting Rock soloing, the treble pick-up is perfect. The guitar has a mellow sound and it can be quite haunting if you use reverb.
It has a unique sound, this is great but unfortunately this means that if you want a 'Les Paul' or 'Telecaster' sound you have to buy another guitar. Personally, I love the sound.

The set-up, when I purchased the guitar, was OK. I had to grind down the frets and adjust the height of the pick-ups. Fortunately I had no serious problems. The finish is spectacular, Ilove it and I think that anyone who likes to have a rich and glossy finish on their guitars will love it to. The pots are fine and the pick-up selector is also fully functional. Bridge and tail-piece are good. The machine heads are of a very high standard for such a well priced guitar, #315.

I have owned this guitar for about 7 months now and I have never had any problems. Nothing has broken and the hardware I think is going to remain working for years to come.The strap buttons are good. The finish looks very durable indeed. I can confidently perform live without worry

I have not had to use customer service so i am content with that.

I started playing 10 years ago and I that time I have owned a Gibson SG, a Fender Strat, an Epiphone Les Paul, a home-made guitar and the 335. The Epiphone 335 is definitely my favorite. I would like to know how they can manufacture this guitare and then sell it for such a good price. If it was stolen I would immediatly buy another. I would never lose it because I treasure it. I love the sound, it's wonderful and it suits all styles. I have difficulty thinking of things that I hate about it because a good guitar from every aspect. I compared this guitar with many guitars before I purchased it but at the time i felt that purchasing another guitar would leave me forever wondering if i made the right decision. It's a marvellous guitar for a beginner, an expert, or someone who just wants to sample a melodic Gibson tone. Don't spend #1000-#2000 on a Gibson when you can buy this guitar because when you buy the Gibson you're only buying the label.

2002 Natural finish Korean madeDot purchased new. Maple back, sides, top, and neck, Mahogany center block. Top is much plainer than Gibson version, but really nice for the price. All stock except for that ugly Epi pickguard, which I modified to a more attractive shape. I will probably replace with a Gibson version. Controls are standard 2 vol, 2 tone, with 3-way selector. Nice thick but not too thick late fifties Gibson type neck, 22 frets.

Real good thick Gibson type tone, cuts through a little more with the maple neck. Clean tones are nice and airy, not flat at all, really sings through a Fender Deluxe Reverb 2. Fantastic crunch for AC/DC-type rock through Spider 2 amp on the Boogie setting. Great B.B., early Clapton tones on neck pickup. Sounds good on old Sabbath tunes, too. Not very good for modern metal, but who the heck buys a big semi-hollow for that, that's what Jacksons are for!! Bridge pickup was a little flat until I bent the mounting screw tabs so the pickup was parallel to the strings, much better now. Might replace with a Duncan or a Burstbucker 2. Neck pickup is really sweet, and it isn't going anywhere,

Factory set-up was o.k., action was typically a little high so it wouldn't buzz at all in the store. Had to do a little fret polishing to get a good buzz-free low action. Stock strings were garbage. Bridge pickup was mounted with the screw polepiece side a good 1/8th" further from the strings than the "slug pole" resulting in a flat tone. After bending pickup mounting tabs, pickup now rests parallel to strings, much better tone.
The tuners work just fine, some of the best stock units I have used. The bridge and talipiece are good quality, but will probably be replaced with Tone-pros units.
One major gripe, the lead volume pot crapped out less than a month after purchase. Fortunatley I always have a bunch of spares, but still, come on!! Also, the selector switch does not always work, and you have to wiggle it some to get it to function. All the pots and switches need to be replaced, but I'm too lazy to do it. I gather this is a common problem with Epi guitars.
All the wood parts of the guitar are fine. The finish over the natural wood is as flawless as can be and seems to be holding up to hard playing just fine. While it doesn't in any way look like an old laquer finish, the clear coat is aging quite nicely and the guitar is taking on a nice pleasing warm look to it. Not the same as a '58 Gibson original, but very pleasing for an under $500 guitar.
The one thing I cannot stand is that ugly-ass stock Epi pickguard. They need to use one more like the Gibson.

Had the guitar for nearly 2 years now, and no major problems except the above stated electronic problem. The finish is as tough as can be. It stays in tune very well. I have not had to adjust the neck since I first bought it. The bridge has held it's adjustment well and seems to be resisting wear fine. Although I never gig with one guitar, it would be fine so long as I didn't have to switch pickups in the middle of a song. That would be rectified with an electronics swap-out.

Have tried to get in touch with Gibson several times on issues not related to this guitar, not too easy to deal with. They used to be really helpful in the late '80s, early '90s, now not so much.

All in all a very nice sounding easy to play attractive guitar, desptite ugly pickguard and annoying electronic issues. I may very well buy another just because ( it's a sickness).