The Dot is well made. Its medium-sized frets are lightly polished and well shaped, the neck joint is clean, the hardware robust, and the finish is flawless. Weight is a moderate 7.5 lbs.
Dot
Reviewed by:
williamsanders, on october 13, 2007 7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 567
Purchased from: Muziek & Visie Antwerp
Features: 2002 Korean made (Un Sung) Cherry Red dot. 22 Medium frets, pressed into a rosewood fretboard with dot markers (hey, what's in a name). Neck is made out of mahogany, the body is made of (laminated) maple, with a nice grain! Neck has the '60s profile, much shallower than the fat '50-ies model. The finish is a High Gloss Cherry-red. The guitar is designed after the Gibson es335, so it's a semihollow one. Standard Gibson features, like a 24.75" scale length, 2 vol & 2 tones, 3way Switch and two alnico humbuckers. TOM-bridge and stopbar tailpiece. My guitar features Gotoh "Epiphone signature" tuners. I received my guitar with a Epiphone case and strap, strings, picks, cloth. Even a Gibson t*shirt! // 10
Sound: I play mainly blues & classic rock, and together with the Epiphone G400 "SG", this is the ideal combination for playing everything between the Elvis, over Big Brother & The Holding Company, to The Doords, Led Zeppelin. I run the dot thru a Fender Blues Deville, and the tubes are doing the guitar justice. On the neck pickup, you het the nice soft & warm bluessound, while the bridge pickup gives you a nasty twang. Both pickups delivers you the sound, ideal for strumming. The guitar isn't at all noisy, although it isn't shielded. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: Guitar was set up perfectly, though I recommend to change the strings to GFX flatwounds. Nothing to say on this one, the guitar was build to stand for years (if you would handle it with care). The woodwork was done properly, as wel as the hardware. The chrome won't come off. // 10
Reliability & Durability: It's a Epiphone, sure it would withstand liveplaying, but you'll have to be carefull, because the body sides are very thin, and can be damaged quickly when you drop your guitar (hollowbody's don't bounce like a Telecaster). The finish is "Bullet proof", I can't get a scar in it, but the wood dents very fast. // 10
Impression: Like I said, mainly blues & classic rock, and it's a very good match fot those styles. Also, it's a classic design, it looks really nice! I've been playing over 8 years now, and this is the best Epiphone I've put my hands on. I would guard it, so it won't get stolen, but if so, I'm gonna buy another one, but with the '60s profile. // 10
Dot
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on march 05, 2012 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: eBay private seller
Features: I have 2 Epiphone Dots... I bought a 2002 Korean made Ebony Dot last October for about $240, and I liked it so much I bought another Dot in November... #2 is a 2010 Chinese version. They are different guitars. The Korean guitars - I think they were made by Samick - it all maple and has a very good smooth and comfortable neck. It has stock Epi pickups. The Chinese Dots are made with mahogany necks and maple bodies. Mine is a Natural and has Gibson HB pickups from a Les Paul - the 490 series - in it. Tuners are standard Grovers on both, TOM bridges and standard fine quality hardware. // 9
Sound: I play a lot of blues and the standard Epi pickups are GREAT for blues and jazz sounds. They are very full and smooth sounding, and get better after I set them up exactly as I wanted with a simple screwdriver. I set up the neck pup first, because I use that for solos most. Then I adjust the bridge pup to match the output, tailor the individual sounds by setting the pole pieces to get the sound best to my ears.
The Chinese Dot is a real rock n roll guitar with the Gibson pups and the neck is slightly different, but also very fast and a great player. The Dots are ALL really under rated guitars because they are not expensive... But they are the best bargain out there. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: I can't speak to this because I got them both used. But adjustments are very easy to make. I had NO problems with either except the newer one had a loose jack nut. I ALWAYS check all the screws, etc. On every guitar I buy, new or used and fix what needs fixing. I did adjust the truss rod and bridge on both guitars because I play light gauge strings and I set the intonation and string height a little high because of how I play... a lot of bends. There were NO problems with either guitar... I did buy a hard case for one of them because they are too good to be in a bag. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I don't play live any more, but I did for almost 20 years. I have NO problem playing either or both of these Dots live... They are very rugged and simple, and I would not expect any problems with either of them. I played in bar bands from 1963 till 1980, as well as a few recording sessions. I NEVER carried a backup. // 10
Impression: Blues, jazzy blues, rock n roll and starting to play jazz. These Dots are near perfect for all of those and you can easily overdrive them to sound really distorted. They are very simple guitars with humbuckers... You can do anything with them that you can with any other HB guitar. Playing since 1962. Love my Dots... I may even get another. // 10
Dot
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 02, 2009 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: C$ 450
Purchased from: John Bellone's
Features: I believe mine is a 2007, and it was made in China. This guitar has 22 frets, the high ones being very easily reachable due to the cut-out style. I purchased mine in Ebony with the cream trim, and the finish is quite satin-like and reflective. It could be a mirror. It features a tune-o-matic bridge, and I had to buy the case separately. It has controls for each pick-up (two tones, two volumes) and the selector Switch is three-way and is well attached (one of the only guitars I own where the Switch head doesn't unscrew itself everytime I hit it...not a big deal but rather convenient). I attached a Bigsby B7 to mine and it functions beautifully, even though it's just minor vibrato (I wish you could buy 335's with one like you could a Gibson 355...Varitone Switch would be genius as well). The guitar has all of the features you would expect for a Standard semi-hollowbody guitar. // 9
Sound: This guitar is perfect for the type of music I play. I play mainly 60's and 70's influenced rock and progressive rock and some blues, and this guitar is perfect. I play lots of Rush and this guitar is a warhorse if you're aiming for an Alex Lifeson-esque sound. I run it through a Vox Valvetronix (which runs through a Marshall 4X12 cabinet) and it seems to be a very dynamic combo. When put together with my Boss CE-20 and the rest of the toys...wow. The clean sound is very crisp and mesmerizing with a beautiful warmth, and through the gain channels this guitar has that unique stinging bite and undertone growl that the Gibson 335's have. There is also that trademark semi-hollowbody feedback squeal that would probably attract dogs from across town, use at your own risk! This guitar can be used for nearly everything: blues, funk, progressive rock, classic rock...however hevy metal might be challenging, but running through the right equipment it could probably work. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was assembled to par, as far as I have seen. The only thing I had to bring it in for was to get it professionally set-up, and I had to lower the action. However, I usually do that with all of my guitars. After a few months of playing though, the input jack fell into the body and I didn't have the proper tools to get it out...but the repair guy Who had the right tools fixed it right in front of me for free. I don't hold any grudges for that, and I still think that it was one beautifully made guitar. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This guitar withstands and will withstand more Live playing. I suggest though, if you like to exercise a bit on stage, that you purchase some locking straps. After all, semi-hollowbodies are larger instruments and some care should be put into making sure they don't slip out of a regular leather strap. The hardware will do fine (one thing I might change over time is the nut, because ever since I attached the Bigsby it has been falling out of tune a little easier) and the current specs will work for years. I would always take a back-up, that's just how I am, but I fully rely on this baby anyway. Oh, and the finish is quite strong, so far after over a year of owning it and playing it ALL the time there hasn't been one fade or anything. // 9
Impression: I play lots of old classic rock and prog rock (Rush, King Crimson, The Who, Cream etc.) and this guitar is perfect for those styles. I've been playing a few years now (first guitar was in grade 6...off and on til grade 12...now i'm almost 20. Put it together...probably 7 years, but only 2 1/2 years seriously)and I'm fortunate to own a lot of other fun and exciting guitars and accessories, but this one is by far one of my true gems. If someone stole this guitar, I'd never be the same (I'd probably perform some not so legal acts to whoever stole it and end up in prison). I'd buy another for sure, but I'm very sentimental towards the one I have right now. I love The Feeling of picking it up, I love the weighting of it, I love the thickness of the neck...I guess I love just about evrything about it. I had been considering a Fender Stratocaster but settled with the Dot because I felt it was a better guitar for MUCH less money. One thing though is that I wish they came with tremolo bars on them, like a 355 does, but still, it's not hard to put one on yourself. Also, the black pickguard on the black guitar with the 'e' didn't quite cut it for me...so I fixed on a cream pickguard to match the trim. Yet again though that's quite changeable. // 10
Dot
Reviewed by:
JayLacelle, on march 02, 2009 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: C$ 425
Purchased from: Steves Music
Features: This guitar is semi-hollow body, I got the cherry coloured model. It has 22 frets with a laminated top. The neck is Mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. It has groover tuners and all the hardware is chrome. It has 2 stock Epiphone passive humbuckers (same as most Epiphone les pauls, etc.) Each pickup has a tone and volume control. The guitar had a tunomatic bridge as a 3-way pickup selector Switch. Only thing included with this guitar is an alan key and a small 1/4 inch cable. // 10
Sound: I play every kind of music imaginable, from classical to blues to punk rock to metal. I play through a Vox valvotronix 30 watt amp or my Laney 212, along with assorted effects. This guitar is the MOST VERSATILE guitar on the market. Gives amazing cleans and nice bluesy overdrives. When you crank up the gain the beautiful tone is still dominent. Personally I keep the tone knobs fully open because the pickups have a pretty balanced natural EQ. The pickups have no noise at all. The best thing about this guitar is the infanite sustain. The semi-hollow body design causes the pickups to continue to "pick up" the sound even after the strings have stopped vibrating. Imagine the exact tone of a les paul with more sustain. That about sums up the sound of this wonderful guitar. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was set up almost perfectly right from the factory. The only flaw was the A string had some fret rattle. At first I thought the action was too low, but it turned out the string was slightly damaged. I put in some new D'Addario regular light strings and the problem was completely fixed. No fret rattle at all anymore. No other problems at all. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This guitar is structured pretty solid for a semi-hollow body. I would definetely gig with this guitar. Pretty hard to scratch this baby. Unless you jump on the hollow "wings" of the body, this guitar is built to last probably longer then the player. If you plan to travel a lot with this guitar then I would suggest a hard case or a high end padded gig bag. // 10
Impression: Overall this is the best guitar I have ever played. I imagine the Gibson 335 (what the Dot is modelled after) is slightly better, but IS NOT worth the extra $2500 unless you have the money to spare. I haven't even thought of upgrading this guitar because everything it has now is perfect. This guitar is as beautiful to look at as it is to play, and the tone counldn't get any better. // 10
Dot
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 03, 2008 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 230
Purchased from: Andertones
Features: Made in China year 2007, 22 medium jumbo frets. solid Vintage sunburst top. an Alder body and mahogany neck with ebony fretbord, I was suprised as well, it may well be rosewood.A ajustable tune-o-matic bridge. pickups are Epiphone standards. comes with grover tuners. the body woods are exquisite for a guitar of this price and the tuners are on par with anything on a Gibson. I was very impressed. // 8
Sound: This guitar is easily more veritle than a Strat becuse of it's semiacoustic body. You can easily get away with playing acouslticaly and although it's obviously not as loud as a full on dreadnought it is fair.The problems start with the pickups they have a very averge sound quality and depspite the price they are the same pickups Epiphone use in most of their Standard les pauls, and a decent squire sounds so much better than this. havind said that they are versitle you can easily acheve woman tone for some soulfull blues and they can handle most of the gain you can throw at them and so they are aceptable for metal. I play most early metal and rock and it handels it fine but I'm not blown away. // 6
Action, Fit & Finish: THe action was absymall from the facotry however I got a free setup from andertons and when I had it returned it was brilliant. the guitar can have differnt wood paterns you just need to look for it. mine has a small wood knot I chose becuse I liked the imperfection but is ver sublte and you can choose a flawles wood. The lacquer finish was very neat.it looks the part and is very handsome. // 7
Reliability & Durability: this guitar has stood up to much Live playing and is now my main guitar. This guitar feels like it's built like a brick bog house despite being hollow. and will take lots of beating before you see a scratch. this guitar fell like it's ready for a journey of long useage which is amazing considering the price. // 10
Impression: THis is the most satisfying guitar I have ever owned dispite the problems I have listed this thing feels like it's a solid big round fat noise machine that is very easy to improve. all this thin woulld need is replacemnt pickups and then it would become the ultimate axe as the main problem is those cheep Epiphone pickups which for the reputation Epiphone has is unacetpable.when playing away you fel that massive rear end in your waist and you think. 'I am playing someting special'. this guitar has attitude and guts and for that I love it. Easily better than a standerd les paul becuse of it's majesty. Gives a great fat sound. I would love for it to have better pickups, then it would be a unsung hero. // 9
Dot
Reviewed by:
squierstratdave, on june 27, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 300
Purchased from: eBay
Features: I believe my Dot was made in 2008 and was made in China. The guitar has a maple body and a mahogany neck, mine has the cherry red finish and everything about it is standard, including the Epiphone USA pickups, The Grover tuners are worth mentioning, I've done 3 gigs on seperate nights in the space of 2 weeks and didn't tune it for any of them, this guitar nearly always stays in tune. The Hard Case was included in £300 price. // 9
Sound: I bought this guitar because I didn't have enough money for the Sheraton II, because in my opinion its a better looking guitar, however sound wise I couldnt ask for a more versitile guitar, I've played it in blues bands and Indie rock bands and also done some Acoustic sets with it and have always been really happy with the tone. I use a Marshall MG100DFX I only have the reverb on and the gain turned up full on the clean channel, I also use a DigiTech digi delay to play music similar to U2 and the Editors and it handles it really well. I started off playing alot of Oasis stuff and I got a really similar tone with just adding distortion. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: I'll be honest the action was pretty poor when I got it brand new from the factory, I had to get it set up again and I've had problems with some frets buzzing ever since, saying this though I gig with it literally twice a week and it is completely playable, its just still not right for me. Other than the action there really isnt much more to say the finish is imaculate, really simple looking but a really pretty guitar. // 6
Reliability & Durability: Like I said I gig with it all the time and I love it, the strap buttons are safe, I thought when I got it and looked at it that I'd have problems keeping the finish intact but its been great the past 3 years. My only worry is, like a lot of the Epiphone archtops, the pickup selector somtimes just cuts out the sound when you change pickups, this can be embarrasing and I have to keeping flicking between the pickups untill it decides to come back to life, its only happened live twice but its still annoying. // 7
Impression: I love this guitar, I learned to play on an Acoustic guitar and never felt comfortable with electrics but this guitar was great for the change over. Shame about the poor action when I bought it but if I got it properly set up again I'm sure it would be fine, I love the sound this guitar to me is a jack of all trades, you can play it safe, buy one, and play many different genres. I love the way it looks and sounds but that pickup selector does my head in and is always in the back of my mind playing live. To me it sounds just as good as the sheraton, but having said that, if it was stolen I would save up the extra money and buy a Sheraton, only because I think it looks slightly nicer. You can't go wrong soundwise with this guitar. // 8
Dot
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on may 24, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 430.00
Purchased from: Local Guitar Shop
Features: Mine is a 2010 model made in China with the Standard 22 frets, Maple Top, Body and Neck, and Rosewood Fingerboard. It has a beautiful cherry finish that never fades. It has 2 tone selectors, 2 volume selectors, and a three-way pickup selector switch. Oh, and the Grover tuners are freaking amazing. // 9
Sound: I play Blues, Rock, Jazz, and a little country and it has a great tone for Blues, Jazz, and Country, and a pretty good tone for rock. This guitar is extremely versatile and great for pretty much everything, However I got a little annoyed by the lack of output from the pickups and I put some Gibson pickups in recently (Btw if you replace the pickups this guitar has 99% the sound of a Gibson ES-335). The natural sound of the guitar is great overall and the stock pickups are fine unless you're going to be playing studio gigs or at a professional level. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up decently at the factory but it had some problems with intonation so I brought it back to the music shop to get it set up (something I do for all my guitars). They did it for me for free and now it is absolutely perfect. There were absolutely no flaws in anything besides the set-up on the guitar. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This guitar withstands live playing during even extended live playing and is extremely solid. I use this all the time for live gigs and I've never to go to my backup unless I break a string. The guitar's finish is like a tank, I've bumped this guitar into all sorts of stuff but it has never broken through to the wood. // 10
Impression: This guitar is perfect for Blues, Jazz, Country, and Rock, and pretty good for hard rock. I actually preferred this over my Gibson LP once I replaced the pickups. If anything ever happens to this guitar I would definitely buy it again, I think it was the best guitar for the price I've ever had. Oh, and I've been playing guitar for 10 years. // 9
Dot
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on january 05, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 300
Purchased from: Ebay
Features: Made in Korea, Semi Hollow Body, Transparent Red. Double cutaway. 3 Way Switch etc...Light, and comfortable to play.
Deffinatley not a Gibson USA 335, But it Holds its Own. This is the Only Epiphone I own. Had it over 10 years, Still has original pups and Hardware. Sounds good and plays good. Its deffinatley not a Custom Shop guitar, but for the price its a great guitar
No complaints, ITs not a Gibson but the build quality is pretty good on this one. // 7
Sound: I play Old 1980's HardcorePunk Rock, Thrash, Oi! and some Rock'A'Billy. I have alot of Highend guitars and this one deffinatley holds its own.Sounds good in all my amps. I use No effects with it. Plugged straight in. Has a Full Variety of tones. Very Versatile for what I play. I've owned ALOT of Guitars. This is a Cheap one and still one of my favorites. Sounds great Distorted or clean. It can be noisy but its a Semi Hollow Body with Gibson USA pups Its to be expected. // 7
Action, Fit & Finish: Nice action for a cheap guitar. I haveit set up with the Action low and fast.I bought mine used, but it was still in very good condition when I got it. Stays in tune and takes a beating. The finish is nice for a Cheap guitar, Fret is smooth. Stays in tune. Hardware seems to be decent. I've had this for 10 years at least, and had no problems at all with it. // 7
Reliability & Durability: I've used this playing out ALOT. It stays in tune. Hardware has no problems keeping up with me. Replaced the strap buttons with strap locks. I can depend on this without a back up. I play really hard and aggressive. This thing keeps up and takes a hell of a beating. Always does great and never lets me down. // 8
Impression: Over all this is one of my favorite guitars. Only Epiphone I've owned but I like it. I have or have had Gibson USA's, Fender USA's. Gretsch's, Rickenbackers, Vintage Fenders, Vintage Peaveys etc...
It keeps up with them all as far as Playabiity goes. Stays in tune, Sounds good out of the Box with a few minor adjustments and really takes a beating. I keep this one around because its comfortable to play. If it were any nicer I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it to Live Hardcore Punk shows. Cheap enough to not care if it gets a ding, Nice enough to be the first one I grab when going to a gig. // 8
Dot
Reviewed by:
willwelsh816, on august 03, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 399.99
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: This is my first real guitar. I've been playing on a Jay Acoustic for about 3 years, and when I got this guitar, I found out how good I acually was. The Dot I got was made in 2009, in May. It was made in Korea (like all Epiphone dots). It has 22(count 'em) frets. There was nothing wrong with them. It has a Laminated maple top. The neck is mahogany and the fretboard is made of rosewood. It has a 335-style body, and it is very classy looking. It has a darkish-red(cherry) finish, with cream body binding. The bridge is a Tune-O-Matic and it has Passive electronics. There are two volume, two tone, and a 3-way selector, just like a Gibson 335. There are two Alnico Classic humbuckers(stock), that sound very nice. They are double vacuum waxed and have Enamel-coated wire in them. The tuners hold tune just fine, only if you string it the "correct" way. For an extra $170, my Dot came with a case and a handful of picks. // 8
Sound: It suits my music style very well. I play Chicago, Delta, and Western-style blues. I occasionally play some Chuck Berry and Wes Montgomery. I'm using it with an Epiphone Valve Junior Half Stack with no effects. It is not noisy at all(what are humbuckers for?). It has a very nice, full sound to it. By the way, I fingerpick, so the sound is very mellow, and cool when I do that. When I tried to use a pick, the sound was noticably brighter. I'm not good with picks, so I stay with my fingers. This guitar can handle anything that you'd throw at a Gibson with 57' Classics in it. Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock...you name it. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: My Dot was set up perfectly from the factory, the pickups were all in line, the action was nice and low(although that makes it nearly impossible to do any slide), and the neck was straight as an arrow. The finish is flawless, and there are no knots in the wood at all. Although my only complaint is that, charactaristically, the "E" fell right off as I pulled off the plastic coverings of the pickups and scratchplate. I restuck it on the case. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definately withstand live playing, and everything looks long-lasting. The wood at the F-holes is about as thick as an Ipod Nano. I will depend on it, but I cannot trust any guitar without a backup, as strings don't last forever. Very good for it's reliability & Durability. // 10
Impression: A good summary of the style I play is fingerstyle blues, and This is a perfect match. I've been playing for 4 years now, and I have a beloved (now slide guitar) Jay Jr Acoustic, that I modded a Strat pickup into. I wish I had asked for some polish or something similar before taking this home, and there are fingerprints on it, and I don't like that. I hate that I didn't get this a year ago, and I love that I got it this year. My favorite feature is being able to Switch pickups. // 10
Dot
Reviewed by:
BurnzyRock, on january 19, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: C$ 649
Purchased from: franks music centre
Features: This particular guitar was made in china, with 22 frets, and a red transparent finish. It has 2 volume dials and 2 toner dials, for the 3-way selector. It has non-locking tuners, and has 2 pickups, though I can't tell the brand. It came with a hardshell case, and the guitar has still held up. // 9
Sound: I myself play lots of genres of music, and this guitar sounds well in all categories. I use it with a Line 6 Spider III 75 amp, with no added affects. It has almost no distortion, with a full sound, although you can't make many different kinds of sound. and, to make it noisy, you have to have the right amp. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: This guitars action-perfect. The wood is solid and fine, the pickups are perfectly aligned, and the guitar seems to have been perfectly set up at the factory. The controls are solid, and easy to use. When I bought the guitar, I also bought a bottle of guitar cleaner, and that stuff keeps the guitars Shine like new. // 10
Reliability & Durability: The guitars finish is very thick, and seems to last. The strap buttons are very solid and perfectly sized. The hardware lasts, and it will withstand Live playing. I myself would bring a backup, although that's just me. I have dropped it once, the finish held up, and the guitar sounded and looked exactly the same afterward. // 9
Impression: When I was guitar shopping, I had to choose an Epiphone G-400 (SG), an Epiphone Les Paul, and this guitar. I chose this guitar because the Les Paul was quite a bit heavier, and the SG was just not my type. If this guitar was stolen, I would definitely buy this guitar again. Although, maybe in black. // 9
Dot
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on october 30, 2012 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: A$ 590
Purchased from: Musicians Pro Shop
Features: My Dot was purchased from Musician's Pro Shop in 2009, my Dot is no different from any other Epiphone Dot around. My dot has 22 frets in it's rosewood fingerboard and Mahogany neck, the body is laminated maple with a Vintage sunburst top. The tuners are Grover and the pickups are alnico. Overall its not a really 'frills' kinda guitar but it does it's job well and without defect. However the only things I will say is that the G-string (no innuendo intended) doesn't stay in tune as well as it should, and the cutaway doesn't accommodate long stretches at the highest frets, but apart from that it's a pretty solid guitar. // 9
Sound: Well I as a musician tend to play too many genres ranging from Jazz to Metal (the shred-y stuff) and even some Pop as well (yes Pop is a genre that can be played on the guitar). I hook up my Dot to a Boss GT-10 which then goes through my computer straight to the speakers or my headphones. What I will as about the Dot is that it is a great Vintage sounding guitar in that, it handles and can play the whole myriad of genres pre-dating metal wonderfully. The tone of the guitar is extremely warm and works well with most genres especially blues and fusion jazz. The one major down side to this type of guitar is that it really falters (in my personal opinion) when it encounters and 'hi-gain' setting. But the way I see it is that since this guitar was supposedly to be a tribute to the Vintage sights and sounds of yesteryear that is really a huge problem, plus if you really want something to shred you shouldn't really be looking for an Epiphone. Either way the sound is very good considering the price. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: When I got this guitar there were no flaws, maybe because it was already set up by the shop, either way my opinion is void. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I've been playing this guitar for a couple of years now, and I really see no reason why I wouldn't be playing this guitar for many years to come. // 10
Impression: If you guys want to buy a starter guitar I would seriously recommend you take a look at the Dot, it's warm, playable and most of all a quality instrument for an affordable price. I love my Epiphone Dot to bits so much so that I will at some point buy a Gibson Dot to play live with just to ensure that I will be as B.B. King once said "...Play this thing to the day I die".
Dot
Reviewed by:
guitar351, on november 25, 2008 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: CRP music and recording
Features: it was made in '97, idk where it was made, I think it was usa, maybe korea.There are 22 frets, rosewood fingerboard. I have the cherry finish and it looks amazing when polished, finger prints show easily.It is a double cutaway, semi hollow, witch means there is a maple block running down the center.Tune-O-matic Standard, and passive electronics.2 volume, 2tone, 3 way selector. the tuners are good, but needs better. // 7
Sound: It suits some of my music style, like jazz, blues, classic rock and some lightly distorted things. I am running it through a Vox DA5, until I get a bigger amp. It has a nice, full clean tone, but gets noisy at heavy distortion. There is a lot of tonal variety, and is great for jazz bands and such. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: I didn't get it from the factory, so it was set up perfectly.Everything was great, exept for a few small chips, but what can you expect when you buy from a friend? I had to replace the pickup selector, but that was a cheap fix. the wood is great, everyone commenting on how hot it looks. The tuners re good, but locking would always help. This guitar, being pretty old, sat in my room un- air conditioned, and apperently, the wax pot melted, easy fix by my friends at CRP. // 7
Reliability & Durability: This guitar will stand Live playing, and has been to a few gigs with me. The hardware is all solid and will keep on goin for years to come. I would deffinetly gig with a backup, not because of the guitar, buut because I need a different guitar for heavier things. I have staplocks on it, but the factory ones were great. The finish is also good, but would wear off after 20 years of playing, if you still have the guitar. // 9
Impression: I play anything from jazz to blues and metal. it's a great match for the softer spectrum, but not good material for heavier. I have been playing for 4 years, and I own a Yamaha acoustic, my Dot, soon to be another guitar for x- mas; P. If it were lost/stolen, I would get another, but it's pretty hard to lose, seeing as it's almost as big as my acoustic. I just wish it had more frets, but ts a Gibson copy, so what can I expect? Buy it and you wont regret it. Thanks. // 9
Thats looks really close to a semi-hollow double cut Les Paul, does that even exist?
im sorry but that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard. and its not actually original the dot is based off the gibson ES-335 which although it was made after the les paul has no design off it. anyone with half a brain would have said it looks like an SG because the horns are nearly in-line. and also the les paul is about 3/4 the width of this. the back end of this is maybe, 18-19 inches wide? im not sure im used to metric. seriously tho. that is the stupidest thing ive ever heard. and epi semi/full hollows are usually much better then their epi solid body brothers.
There is no way this is a 10, it's a epiphone. Aside from that this review sounds like a manufacturer wrote the review.
No, I'm a student. This guitar outclasses the gibson Faded-series in terms of playability & construction work. Apart from the other headstock, you would say you are playing a 2500€ Gibson 335
epiphones and gibsons are basicly the same thing anyway, epiphones are just made in the eastern countries such as china n that, so i dont see any reason why this guitar shouldnt be rated 10. its brilliant
epiphones and gibsons are basicly the same thing anyway, epiphones are just made in the eastern countries such as china n that, so i dont see any reason why this guitar shouldnt be rated 10. its brilliant
yea no kidding.. its just like fender.. a mex fender isnt much diff from an american.. expesually if you get a deluxe because often its the same as an american. people shouldnt spend 3000 bucks on an es 335 instead of 400 on the archtop dot. they are reletively the same.
I have this guitar and I was going to write a review of it but he said everything I would have. It's a awesome guitar but like he said the wood dents easily so you have to be cery careful with it
Thats looks really close to a semi-hollow double cut Les Paul....
HAHA roflmao. mate, a "semi-hollow double cut Les Paul" is better known to half or more decent guitarists as a gibson ES-335. the dot is copy of it. you should know that, im do and im only 13
Agreed, I play all epiphone SG-G400, Les Paul Custom and an AJ-100 and from the quality ive found in all these I am considering and will not hesitate to pick up a Dot, Les Paul used Epiphones machines after hours to create the first semi-Hollow anyways so cant say too much about craftsmanship when the "source" Les Paul used Epiphone as his base for everything...now selling the idea and product to Gibson I know nothing about that, guess when ya need a buck whoevers got they're hand out first gets it right.. Anyways Epiphone=Quality...Gibson wouldn't have a crap name in they're family.
My buddy has one of these and he swears by it! I've tried it and in terms of construction, finish, and sound its pretty impressive. The only reason I haven't run out and bought one for myself is that the body feels pretty huge in my hands. (like many semi-hollow bodies) All the tone in the world means nothing to me if I don't enjoy playing it.
Epiphone-guitars are not bad, they can have very good quality if you find a good one, but just as with Gibson some of their guitar should never leave the factory. But it's a lot worse if it's a Gibson that should never had left the factory, they cost so much more.
I've heard that Epiphones semi-hollow guitars should be very good guitars, much better than their other Gibson-copies (they're not generally bad either).
I would buy one certainly if I had the money to it, but when I play mainly metal I think I need another type of guitar at the moment. I will have one in the future, though. If I just could convince my friends to start a band that plays such music that these guitars are made for...
Just bought one and it's a very good and nice looking guitar. The sound is just great and I think as my first electric guitar, I'll be very happy for a long time...
Thats looks really close to a semi-hollow double cut Les Paul....
HAHA roflmao. mate, a "semi-hollow double cut Les Paul" is better known to half or more decent guitarists as a gibson ES-335. the dot is copy of it. you should know that, im do and im only 13
Sigh, there is in fact such a guitar as a semi-hollow doublecut les paul, it is smaller than an es-335 but similar.
So don't insult someone's guitar playing skills before you know what you're talking about yourself, and even then don't slander someone else's guitar skills.
ok ppl let me tell u u get what u pay for! the gibson are made in america thats why its more. and theres better wood. the sound is better too. this guyitar is supposed to be rated like 6
There is no way this is a 10, it's a epiphone. Aside from that this review sounds like a manufacturer wrote the review.
wow that comment was close minded at ALL....but anyways, this guitar is awesome. i purchased it from the gibson showcase room in memphis. it is very nice. the sound is great. to h4v0k, the guitar that i bought had extremely high action, but changing the action is very simple. no i have it a very nice heighth with no buzz. its a great guitar, and the main difference between this and a gibson is the name and nothing more.
i want a really versatile guitar, i want to be able to play blues jazz etc but also heavier stuff would this guitar do well, if not what guitar do you recomend?
I have a Dot. Excellent guitar, serves me well playing a range of stuff from alternative Radiohead-y stuff to more indie rock Bloc Party and bluesy rock. No reason this shouldn't be 10/10.
johafa3 :
I'm trying to upgrade the pickups on my epiphone 335 dot and don't know what to get - play foo's stuff mostly?- i pay through a vox ac50 cph
Well Gibson '57 Classic Humbuckers are what's on the ES-335, might well make you're Epiphone sound a million times better. Probably better for someone else to say though.
I just picked up a beautiful natural Dot from the pawn shop. Great price. It doesn't play better than my Strat or Teli. It plays different. It is a different tool for a different job.
did the dot ever have trapezoid inlays? I saw what i thought was a dot at a pawn shop the other day. I didnt look at it for more than a minute
Nope. Dot never had trapazoid inlays. I did the same thing, what you saw is a sheraton, pretty much the same guitar just nicer looking and more expensive (not badly priced though).
johafa3 :
I'm trying to upgrade the pickups on my epiphone 335 dot and don't know what to get - play foo's stuff mostly?- i pay through a vox ac50 cph
get gibson burstbuckers if u can afford them, if not, seymore duncan SH-2 and SH- 4 pickups. they sound very similar, the only difference would be the SD's ability to get the exact same tone as dave and chris at high gains.
I have a epi dot with flamed top
I put in seymor ducan "pearlygates" p/u's in the neck and bridge..now my little"dot" goes from butter to crunchy screamimg demon at the the flick of a switch.
did redo the action and adjusted the neck a little.
using light gage strings helps
can the dot play punk? i am a fan of blink, fall out boy, as well as the more classic stuff like zepplin, and thin lizzy, I know the classics loved the les paul but i don't have the cash, but the pop punk are fans of strats and SG's do you think the dot can get it done?
There is no way this is a 10, it's an epiphone. Aside from that this review sounds like a manufacturer wrote the review. [/quote]
Hate the people who say "squiers and epiphones can't be 5-stars guitars, only fenders and Gibson’s can be". Actually the epiphones are getting really good. I've played several epiphones and they are surprisingly good, especially the epiphone custom that guitar has the sound of a real Gibson. There are a lot of musicians in my town that use epiphones instead of Gibson’s because it’s not worth the extra money
There is no way this is a 10, it's a epiphone. Aside from that this review sounds like a manufacturer wrote the review.
Hate the people who say "squiers and epiphones can't be 5-stars guitars, only fenders and Gibson’s can be". Actually the epiphones are getting really good. I've played several epiphones and they are surprisingly good, especially the epiphone custom that guitar has the sound of a real Gibson. There are a lot of musicians in my town that use epiphones instead of Gibson’s because it’s not worth the extra money.
What's better.. one of these or a Fender Standard Telecaster?
I would say this because it doesn't buzz at the heavier stuff. Single coil pickups (like the tele has)are rather noisy when you add some gain to it. The hum bucker gets it's name because it stops hum, so that's why people who play metal, punk (etc) usually use hum buckers. So this would probably be better.
I play a number of styles; classic rock, soul, punk, blues and ska, what would you recommend???
Epiphones are just fine. I saw Jimmie Vaughan destroy with one on jazz a few weeks ago in Austin. So does h have bad taste or just like crappy guitars?
I bought a DOT and found the set up was, like any "off the shelf guitar" poor at best. I had a luthier put on a graphite nut, polish the frets and adjust the pups and now it plays and sounds great. Check You Tube for a head to head comparison of a Gibson 335 and a Dot. No difference in sound...
to be honest, i hate trying to compare the "lesser" product to the " beloved" one. If John Lennon walked into my house grabbed my dot and played it it would sound like John Lennon. Where I'm going with this is that a good player can take any guitar and make it sound like something you want to have. Its in the fingers. save money on the guitar end and spend more on the lesson end
best money i have ever spent on a guitar. I've read reviews, i've played with plenty of gibsons - the 335 sounds exactly the same, and the DOT is a fraction of the price. Just from reading reviews online and from recommendations, this guitar seems to be a bargain - but its more than that. It's perfect, i'd happily pay well over £400 for this, but i got it for £240... I'm recommending this to everyone.
i just received an Epiphone Dot for Christmas and I don't know how my wife did it but she hit a home run with this gift. I have often told her that buying a guitar for me as a gift is like giving a pet as a gift....you just don't do it! I tried to explain to her that it's not in the name of the product but in the feel. She fluked out. It was brand new out of the box and red just like the one pictured. The factory set up was very good. The feel was excellent and right from the moment I put it in my hands I knew I had a new friend. The sustain, a fast neck it all felt right. I had been in the market for sometime looking for a hollow body but now I can safely say my search is over for now.
I love my DOT...Have had it for 4 or 5 months now, and I may change out the pups eventually, as they are not fantastic, but more than adequate for now. It is a well made guitar for the price, and the finish is very nice. Of course, it doesn't sound as nice as my friend's 335, but his was made about 40 years ago! With a set of PAF humbuckers, the DOT would be super sweet.
UPDATE.. My Dot is now equipped with a set a Golden Age Vintage humbuckers,and Graph-Tech nut and TOM Bridge and tail-piece.
This guitar has become what I thought it would..fantastic. The tone, sustain, and overall feel of this DOT is superb.
I would stack this DOT against any ES-335 any day of the week. So, lets see... DOT..$399....Graph-Tech parts...about $100, new pickups from Stewart-Mac..$139.
Comes to about 638 bucks.....Try to find a Gibson ES-335 at that price...good luck!
Basically it comes down to people who paid 3+ grand for a Gibby have to think that every single Epi ever made has to be inferior in sound and quality .....to justify the price they paid.
The Dot has never had trapezoid inlays – it’s called the “Dot” because of… wait for it…. the dot inlays!
Can it play punk/Beatles/balls-out classic rock? Yes. Joshua Homme has used a standard Dot for years. It’s only since he toured with Them Crooked Vultures that he had a Mason pickup placed in the bridge – it’s been one of his main live and recording guitars for around six-plus years. Tom DeLonge has used a custom 335 – they’re pretty much the same guitar, although cheaper components are used in the Dot that the Gibson equivalent. Other notable 335 users have included Clapton (in the late ‘60s), Dave Grohl (a DG-335), Larry Carlton, Alex Lifeson, Alvin Lee, Slash (studio use), Dave Kushner, Rich Robinson… There’s plenty across a variety of genres.
What’s the action like? Ask for a set up if you’re buying one new. Face it, if the store wants repeat custom from you then it’s in their best interest to sort out any potential problems. Once set up it plays very well indeed.
Epiphone were building archtop hollow and semi-hollow bodies long before Gibson bought the company. Some of the ‘60s examples surpass the quality of Gibson electrics of the time (bear in mind that the Les Paul was discontinued for much of that time) and can command suitably high prices, not always as expensive as the equivalent Gibson models out there. Which is a bit of a bargain for any potential vintage guitar collectors. The main difference between the Gibson and Epiphone models now? Place of construction is a major factor to consider. Epiphone have a plant in China which means labour is considerably cheaper than the us. The woods used are not quite of the same quality (although Epiphone tend to use better wood than many companies at a similar price point), that said there’s not much in it when it comes to the higher priced Epiphone models. Hardware and electrics are also of cheaper origins. In the case of the hardware, it’s still of a high quality – just not the same calibre as Gibson use in the US. The pickups, pots, switch and wiring is a lower standard, too. Epiphone pickups tend to lack the clarity of Gibson versions and the pots don’t allow enough roll off of frequencies or clean up your volume enough. A few simple upgrades to the Dot and you make a pretty decent guitar sound and feel amazing, quite frankly.
Thanks for clearing things up,... but I have a Dot with trapezoid inlays. It's got a flamed maple top, cherry red finish and other very nice details not found on standard Dots. It's called a "Dot Super, Limited Edition," made in specially for the AIMM (Assn. of Independent Music Merchants. Try an online search and you'll find it.
I bought it new and would give it a 7.5 as delivered. The frets & fretboard were not very well finished and the sound was mushy in the low frequencies. I smoothed out the uneven frets below the 11th fret with a fine diamond sharpening stone. Then smoothed the rough fret edges with fine (600 & 1000) emery paper. Then I polished the fret edges, fret board and frets with 0000 steel wool, fine pumice and then rottenstone. I replaced all the electronics with Gibson 57 classic pups, CTS pots, Switchcraft switch and Mojotone oils filled caps. I adjusted the trus rod, action, pickup height and intonation and put on flat wound 10's. After all that, I would give it about a 9.2. It plays very well and has that mellow jazzy tone I was looking for. The Gibson (or other good pups) are a very big improvement tot he sound.
I also replaced those puke coloured knobs with black Gibson knobs. Large improvement to the visual appeal. The Epiphone logo fell off the pick guard - another improvement.
I wanted something different but a classic guitar at the same time and I got a black one. Its a great guitar and with a wider neck and big body, its fantastic to play and they look brilliant. I was expecting a more mellow sound and maybe I'll look into changing pick ups but in general for £247 it good, very good.
Been playing strats for over 20 years, tried LP for a change (and back to strat). Picked up a Dot as a try-out for some more jazzy stuff and haven't been able to put it away since! Great player for blues, r&b, indie and ... whatever. Sorry strat...
My last pay check was $9500 working 12 hours a week online. My sisters friend has been averaging 15k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out. This is what I do, Fox92dotcom
