The Epiphone DOT STUDIO model is one of the best bang for the buck musical instruments out there, good for Rock, Blues, Pop, and Punk as well as Jazz and Country. The ES 335 DOT style body shape and scale length that it is based off of is a time proven classic of 1950's Ted Mccarthy era Gibson design, and while this humble Asian made entry level model may lack the flash and elegance of it's American made counterparts, it more than makes up for it in affordability and quality for the price point. This model features a set maple neck construction, laminated ply mahogany top back and sides and Asian made AlNiCo 5 humbucking pickups. The stock electronics sound fine, and many people but the most discerning player would be perfectly happy with them. When put into perspective and judged against all the entry level arch top and semi hollow bodies of the 1960's, it stands up very well. When judged against modern offerings of electric guitars with a street price of often under $300, this instrument is very hard to beat. In the last few years of touring and recording I have been surprised to see quite a few indie, rock, and punk groups using these guitars on the road, often only changing the electronics from the stock pickups and potentiometers (which are quite adequate) to American made Gibson parts, and therefore having a guitar that sounds every bit like an American made hollowbody. This and the more nicely finished model, the Epiphone DOT (glossy finish) are both great guitars. I hope this guide is helpful to you and please check it as being a good and informative guide! Thanks!Read full review
Pros...outstanding quality for the price, cherry finish allows the wood grain to show thru, excellent neck profile for chords or solos, no problems at all yet from the switches or knobs so notorious for failing or simply falling out, handles pedals well for my taste, I am so glad I finally got the semi-hollow sound from a tube amp I had been looking for. Cons...maybe a few will appear after owning this guitar for a longer time, but so far I have found nothing to discourage anyone from purchasing an Epiphone Dot.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Why I bought: I have always wanted an ES-335, but the price takes it out of reach. The Epiphone Dot is the next best thing (Epiphone Elitist is actually the next best thing, but now they are going for $900+) so I decided to buy a good quality used "Epi Dot" and "Gibsonize" it, if need be. What I bought: The Epiphone Dot I purchased is the newer "EE" serial number (made in China instead of Korea) and has the "natural" finish. It is quite an attractive guitar. Nice light binding around the body, black sealer around the "F" holes and even though the neck is not bound, they do use a nice shellac to seal and smooth the edges, so the lack of fingerboard binding (which the Gibson ES-335 guitars do provide) is not a real big deal. What I like: The guitar is a good-looking instrument! The neck is a nice solid thickness from fingerboard to back-side, definitely something solid in your hands, but not a baseball bat. By the way, the back of the fingerboard is stained a dark brown (pretty much the same as the ES-335 necks) regardless of the body color. Grover tuners that are included is a nice plus.In my opinion, the neck pick-up stays on, it is every bit as good as my '57 classic plus. Pots are good, no problem with them. Fret wire size is a good choice. What I don't like: The bridge pick-up has to go, no bite, no personality at all. I will replace with a '57 classic + or a 498T. My biggest complaints concern the fingerboard.... The fingerbaord is kind of a rough surface (pretty typical for Asian manufactured guitars)that needs to be smoothed-out and oiled. Worse, the frets are not all leveled which makes the action go higher until I can co-plane all of them.Read full review
The EPIPHONE Dot Es 335 copy is a great guitar to play. I love the wood , the tone from the EPIPHONE hardware, and the weight of it. The neck pickup is warm and true to the tone and the bridge is not to hot but you still get the Tele Twain’s in between the two pickups. If you don’t want to fork up a ton of cash, for a Gibson , please consider the EPIPHONE Dot 335 copy, you will not be disappointed. Go for it, the newer models are definitely worth the time to try one out. I w have a 2005 made in Korea model Dot. The hardware is awesome and I won’t need no pickup change ever.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought this guitar for an excellent price, knowing that it may need some adjustments. The components were better than a "stock" model; Bigsby, hotter pickups & stronger tuners. The company I got it from, Bazaarguitar was excellent in communication and delivery. I had some difficulty in the truss rod adjustment, but repaired it to function as it should. i would recommend both this model guitar and the ebayer I bought it from, to anyone who asks!
Verified purchase: Yes
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