All user reviews for the Epiphone The Dot

I got it at Sam Ash and I got 60 bucks off the sale price, so it was about 350.

This guitar is amazing. I put a good set of strings on it and it sounded like a dream. The playability is great, and the body looks awesome. I also like how balanced the body is.

It is pretty heavy, and the original strings aren't very good.

The contruction is great. Even if you lok into the f-holes you can see how precise it is. And the grain in the top is beautiful.

BUY THIS GUITAR, or if you have the money get the real Gibson 335, but this is almost as good for a lower price.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I'm a new player and I purchased this guitar in March of this year (2003).I bought it at "Sam Ash" in Huntington NY.Price was $399. plus $75. for the case.

I am really enjoying this guitar. It has the Cherry finish and it looks great, in fact everyone who sees it comments on how nice it looks. The action is low and it sounds nice thru the small Marshall amp I'm using.
The first thing that I noticed when I handled this guitar (after how nice it looked), was the feel of the neck. It felt very smooth and comfortable in my hand. The frets are nicely dressed, which was something I found lacking in many other guitars I tried in this price range.

I played a Gibson ES 335 in the store and it was not all that different than my Epiphone.The Gibson cost $2299. The "Dot" was $399.
I'm not saying they are exactly the same guitar, but it's really surprising how close they are.
I am extremely pleased with the "Dot"

The only thing I would change on this guitar is the shape of the headstock. It would look better with a bit removed off the very top.

The quality of construction seems quite good.The Cherry finish is just terrific. The tuners are Grovers and the guitar stays perfectly in tune.
After I had the store set the intonation and I lowered the action, it plays as well as any of the guitars I've tried (most costing A LOT more.

This guitar is a keeper. It was just what I was looking for.
Of course, there are finer instruments, but for this kind of money, good luck finding them.
If the Gibson ES335 was $200 more, yea, I'd buy it, BUT it is almost 6 times as much. There is a HUGE difference in price, but not in quality.




This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

First off,I started playing about 6 yrs.ago and had to have every guitar that came down the road.I wised up after much wasted time and money and have come to the conclusion that with my 52 tele and Epi-335 if i can't make or play music with these its time for gardening or knitting.I did a Ebay purchase of the 335 and feel i got a good deal.The price w/shipping was 430.00. Besides a gibson 335 can no way sound 2000.00 better.

The overall size and the weight is not bad, then it's not strapped around my neck for 4-5 sets a night.The neck is real nice for this price range,most guitar necks are usually quite out of whack when they arrive.The combination of hollowbody and solidbody is the best of both worlds.

Well here we go. The nut is very cheap and should be replaced.The tuners will do unless your gigging alot.The pickups should go for the real 57 gibson's,classic 57 in the neck,classic 57+ in the neck.The 3way switch change asap. and quite possibly the endpin jack.

The 335 is built very solid. All joints and bindings are real clean and straight. The finish is a little thin at the F holes,must be from the buffing at the factory.

The epiphone ES-335 Dot is the best value semi-hollowbody on the market today.Even with the total gibson upgrades you would have yourself 3000.00 dollar gibson 335 for about 900.00 bucks. That my music brothers is the deal of a lifetime.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I PURCHASED THE GUITAR FROM ROXY MUSIC SHOP IN LAPORTE INDIANA 4 YEARS AGO. I WANTED A GIBSON ES335, BUT THE PRICE WAS STAGGERING COMPARED TO THE EPI. I TRIED ONE OUT AT THE STORE AND WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY IT FELT AND SOUNDED.


I LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS GUITAR. BUT MOSTLY, I LIKE THE TONE IT HAS. ONLY AN F-HOLE SEMI HOLLOW BODY CAN SOUND THIS GOOD. IT IS A BIG GUITAR WITH A BIG SOUND. IT CUTS THROUGH THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS IN THE BAND BETTER THAN MY TWICE AS EXPENSIVE GIBSON LES PAUL. THE BRIDGE PICKUP GROWLS AND MAKES THE GREATEST LEAD TONES OF ANY GUITAR I HAVE EVER PLAYED. AND THE NECK PICKUP IS SMOOTH AND CREAMY LIKE A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE JAZZ GUITAR. AND MAY I ALSO MENTION THAT THE FIT AND FINISH IS EXCELLENT. MINE IS CHERRY RED WITH BEIGE PICKGUARD. SHE'S SWEET.

IF I HAD TO FIND SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS GUITAR, I GUESS THE ONLY FLAW WOULD BE ITS WEIGHT. AFTER DOING A 4 HOUR GIG, MY BACK IS JUST A BIT BENT. BUT HE AINT HEAVY, HE'S MY EPI.

I KNOW THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S A PIECE MADE IN KOREA, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, IF YOU CAN FIND ONE FLAW ON THE FINISH , OR FIND ONE PROBLEM WITH THE GUITAR THAT'S BEEN BEAT ON AT WEEKEND GIGS FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS YOU'RE A BETTER MAN THAN I GUNGHA DIHN. IT'S FLAWLESS. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE GUITAR IS THE PERFECT FINISH AND GREAT BINDING JOB.

IF YOU WERE GOING TO BUY A NEW GUITAR, AND YOU WANTED SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED GOOD AND LOOKED GREAT, BUT DIDN'T COST AN ARM AND A LEG, I'D HAVE TO SAY THE EPIPHONE DOT IS THE BEST BUY ON THE MARKET TODAY.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this guitar for $440 with a nice Epiphone hardshell case at MARS in Maryland while on a business trip. I bought this guitar because I was looking for hollow body electric that I could play acoustically and I really liked the tone of this axe.

I really like the color, it's the all natural finish. I also like the sound of t his guitar, it goes from pure blues to jazz with little or no adjustments on the tone controls. I also like the how the guitar feels when I play it. I'm used to playing Strats and Les Pauls, but this one fits right in the middle of the two.

The pickup switch is really cheap and the second day that I had it, it quit working. I managed to get it working again by sticking my finger in the sound hole and moving the wires around. It comes with .9 gauge strings which I managed to break within the first 20 minutes of playing. A second set of .9's lasted two days before breaking again.

The overall quality is pretty good. I looked hard for flaws in the workmanship but could not find anything of note. The jack was loose, but a pair of pliers fixed that problem. As I have already stated, the toggle switch is a joke and it's getting replaced along with the nut.

I would purchase another one if something happened to this one. For the price, you just can't go wrong. A few of my friends have one and they just love them. I'm a big B.B. King fan and I always wanted a guitar like his, so this is the one, it may not be a real Gibson ES-335, but it works for me.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I couldn't justify the expense of the Gibson 335. I play for fun, so the Dot fit the bill. I searched online first, but the local Ash Music store matched the best online price I saw which was $349. That was three years ago... never had a regret.

Ever notice who plays the Gibson thin hollowbodies? Everyone. Doesn't matter if it's jazz, rock, pop, country or blues. The guitar is that versatile. The Dot is not the Gibson, but at it's price, it's minimal shortcomings are forgotten. Actually, I have even seen the Dot played in recent rock videos as well.

I like everything about the guitar. Are there better pick-ups available? Sure; replace them if you need the small difference in quality. Tone? That's easy. Go to heavier strings (D'Addario is my choice) and the guitar will respond in kind. Action is not comparable with 335, but then neither is the price.

I chose the cherry red finish which appears in everyway to be perfect. Tuners give me smooth performance without slippage. Spray the toggle once in a while for optimum operation. Don't leave it tuned 365 and I suggest you will not have any neck problems.

Value:5 Quality:5 Action:4 Range:5 Tone:5
I have had the opportunity to play a range of electics and had my Dot played by some friends that make their living at pickin'. For the money, there is no better clone on the market and for those of us unable to justify the cost of the 335 there are few (if any) compromises with this guitar, no matter what you play. Happy pickin'

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I decided to purchase a dot because, A) I'd just gotten a promotion and dammit, I deserved a gift to myself, B) I'd never had a guitar with humbuckers, C) Noel Gallaher can't go wrong.

So I went to a local shop in norther VA. I test drove a dot and it felt and sounded good and my dot came in a week later fresh from the packaging. It was $400 and $70 for a hard case.

The other electric guitar that I have is a Mexican Fender Strat. This guitar has served me well, but the Dot offers a much different sound.

The Strat is very twangy and has somewhat of a thin sound. This is fine for a more "pop" sound. But if you want a sound with more meat to it, the Dot is great.

To be honest, in the five months I've had my Dot, I've all but stop playing my Strat. The dot just kicks a little more ass. It also handles mellower sounds well too. It's all around a very practical, pleasant sounding guitar.

There are only a couple of minor drawbacks. The dot can become kind of heavy on the shoulders. So playing with it for 3 hours straight can be tiring.

The nut came off of my dot. I guess the glue dried and it just came off. It's no big deal because when you string it, the strings hold the nut in place.

And the machine heads are loose, but that is common with Epiphones. Bear in mind, this isn't a $2000 instrument.

Overall, I give the Epiphone Dot a 4. A good look, good construction, and most importantly, a good sound for the amount of money.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i got this guitar on an online auction at ebay. i snagged it up for about 320 bucks, which is a steal for this kind of guitar; the list is about $660.

the Dot has a great tone for blues, and also fits in well for any kind of rhythm guitar playing. The two humbucker pickups can get real beasty and fat, or you can flip the pickup selector and you can have an almost acousticly clean sound. Its got a real sassy look to it, and its strung good and low. It plays wonderfully and looks great.

the only hold back is the high end pickup can generate some serious feedback because of its semi hollow design.

The Dot is solidly made and feels great in your hands. The neck makes me a little worried, because its a 2 piece design and i've seen some 2 piece necks fracture at the fault were the peices of wood converge. However, it would take a while for that to happpen, you'd still have a great time on this guitar, and it isn't too common of an occurance. I'd jump to buy a new one if the neck broke.

The guitar rocks! its a blast to play on, it has a great tone and is really versatile. Plus its a great looking guitar.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Although I have played mostly solid body electrics,I have always lusted for the archtop and especially the Gibson ES355,this probably stems from my early rockabilly roots.Unfortunately I could never afford the original so I finally opted for the next best thing the Epiphone Dot and I have never regretted that decision. Through a lot of searching I managed to purchase a brand new unit in a natural finish from an EBay seller for $320, a far cry I must say from the expensive Gibson.

I really like this guitar. The finish is flawless, it has a silky smooth neck and the all around playability is comparable to much more costly instruments. The pickups although not vintage humbuckers are quite responsive and played through a processor are capable of just about any guitar sound, best of all they are whisper quiet. For an extra 50 bucks I managed to squeeze an original hardshell case with the epi logo out of the seller and again the quality is excellent. I have heard some complaints about the tuners and pickups on this guitar, but as far as I am concerned the tuners on the model I have are quite smooth and responsive as are the pickups. Frankly I wouldn't change a thing

There is not a lot to dislike about this guitar, but if I had to be nitpicky I would say it is a rather heavy instrument and a bit unbalanced, making it somewhat tiring to play when standing for any length of time and awkward to hold in ones lap because the lower bout seems heavier than the upper one, I suspect though that this complaint could be lodged against most brands with similar models.In addition to the weight, the attached logo on the pickguard keeps falling off, which begs the question of why it wasn't stamped on in the first place.These minor annoyances aside I would reiterate again that for the quality and price its hard to beat the Epiphone

I have had this instrument long enough to examine it very closely and with the exception of the pickguard logo, from my observations I cannot find a flaw anywhere in the finish or fit up. In my opinion, for the price paid, the quality of this instrument is second to none

I have grown very attached to this guitar and there is no way I would go back to a solid body. There is something magic about the feel and sound of a hollowbody guitar and one that words cannot descibe you just have to experience it first hand, and the Epiphone Dot is a good place to start

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I acquired my guitar in Rockcenter, Buenos Aires, Argentina because my very used Fender was so old. I remeber that I sold my old Fender Squier cheaper ($100) and so after that I could bought the Dot. I paid $640 for "she".

There're three or four points to stand out
1)The original pickups, the colser to the neck gives you a great power sensation with full bass, just like jazz, and the other is a little more brillant.
2)The speed that you could get is muco more high than others guitars.
3)Its pegbox is gives you a perfect tune.
4)You can use various strings width.

I don't like its weight, it's a little more heavy than other ones, and I don't know you but i like to keep clean my guitar and this is something difficult to do.

This musical instruent is very well finished
and the paint details seems to be painted by
Donatello.
The materials used are of high quality
Pickups: 2 Humbuckers
Hardware: Chrome
Scale: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1.68"
Neck Joint: Set
Neck Material: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood/Dot
Binding: Body
Body Material: Laminated Maple
Top Laminated: Maple
Finishes: Ebony

This guitar don't seems to be perfect, in fact it is. When you thing in a guitar you thing.......Epiphone DOT.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this on impulse at Mars Music in Milwaukee for $310 on special.

I own a Les Paul, mid-80's Schecter Strat, Telecaster and several vintage accoustics. 25 years ago I owned a Gibson 355 and a Gretsch Tennessean both of which I sold years ago.

I have been looking around for a jazz instrument for a couple of years but did not like the feel of anything I played. This Epiphone is ideal for my purposes. The guitar is yellow sunburst and the finish is excellent.

My Dot is increadibly responsive and playable for everything frm blues and jazz to R&R and country. "Nashville Cats" sounds great on the axe. Terrific distortion and sustain. Great neck and remarkably fast.

The guitar seems to weigh a bit less than my Les Paul.


Tuners have settled in, the first couple of days were a bit frustrating.

One of the tone controllers is not seated perfectly (when you turn the knob there is a very small bit of waving.

Quality is very good. The grain of the maple on the top is a bit too prominent but not obnoxious.

Very well balanced making it easy for me to play with a strap.

I think this is a remarkable value.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I love my Epiphobe semi hollow body dot guitar.This guitar is so versitile whether your on stage doing some kick ass guitar solos or just strumming to some oldies this guitar has your back.I bought my Epiphone Dot at www.wichitaband.com and they have the lowest prices I have ever seen!!! Believe me when I went looking for the most cheapest guitar I found it, my guitar was origionally $450.00 and that was on a cheap web site but I looked around the web and I found the exact same guitar with hard shell case brand new only $375.00 shipping included.

My Epiphone can deliver screaming guitar solos that would make Slash look like a beginner or it can deliver soft melodys.The hardwear is two pickups 2 volume and 2 tone controls and one schweet toggle switch which lets you choose between the neck pick up or body pick up or if you want the best of both world choose both.It is made out of mahogany and is a cool Cherry red just thinking about my guitar brings a tear of joy to my face.

The only problem I have with the guitar is it is seriously heavy and when your on stage for 2 hours your back and neck start to hurt.I recomend for people who buy this guitar to get a thick guitar strap because a small guitar strap will probaly slice you into two

The construction of the guitar is mahogany and a glued neck.It has a lot of chrome on the tuners to the humbuckers and is fitted with a black pick guard that looks awesome.The two f holes really bring out the beauty of the guitar and believe me this guitar was meant to last after the amount of punishment on stage Ive given too it it still looks like new and even if you do have any problems with the Epiphone dot the good people at Gibson USA will take care of ya

If you want a good guitar that really delivers da goods purchase a Epiphone dot Semi-Hollowbody. It has all the things for any beginning or advanced guitarest and if you want to put your friends to shame on stage when you play I really recomend you buy this guitar

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Nice vintage sunburst. Not the tobacco sunburst of the last few years. More like a nice early 60's sunburst. Two new Humbucker pickups. They are not Gibson humbucker pickups, but do a nice enough job. I won't change them. I am quite happy with the sound. The neck is easy and comfortable.It fits my hand better than the Gibson ES-335,and costs one heckuva lot less. I am not trying to say this guitar is as good of quality as The Gibson.I am no fool.However it is well made and I am not ashamed to be seen in public with it. I am quite happy when I show people just how nice the guitar is.


I have a Gibson Les Paul, Ibanez Rocket Roll SR(1976 Flying V)and A Fender Strat,and Tele.They all stay in their cases these days. I use Guild guitars for my acoustics,and the Dot for my electric.If I need to bring an back up it is usually my Telecaster. I play a wide range of styles,and have been for many moons.This Dot is really great. Has not let me down. I bought this guitar,took it home removed the incredibly clunky,and ugly Pick guard,and went to the gig.Played four gigs in three days,and the guitar was perfect through the whole thing.IN fact on the day of back to back gigs,I relied on this Dot to see me through. It is very heavy,but because of thesize of the body, it seems the weight is well distributed, and very comfortable to stand and play during our 1 1/2 hour sets. If I have a complaint, it would be the cheesy nut they put on it. I am going to have a bone or micarta nut put on it.




Change the nut,and if you are trying to turn it into a Gibson throw some '57 humbuckers on it. They will sound better. I won't because I am satisfied with the tone I get,and happy to have them. I wish they would change the nuts they use though.They are really cheap.



Construction is superb. No visible flaws,and the tuners are fine.They look to beGOtoh tuners but I am not sure.


The bridge is the tuneomatic and it has Stop Bar tailpiece.Chrome hardware,and it works fine. I have had this guitar for a few months and it has become a close friend.


People don't have to like it,ot can rap it all they want.I really do not care.


So far I have had skeptical remarks about the Brand,but not the tone.And after some remarks,those who play it are amazed and impressed.


So all the Nay sayers who have to have their Brand Names on the headstock,or make remarks about "Lesser brands" can Kiss my butt.I own some "Name Brands",and have owned several in the past(Firebirds,Les Pauls,and Other Big names)and this is right up there in enjoyment . And that is why I play.For enjoyment.And I will take this Dot anytime,and Anywhere.




this review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I'd just sold my first electric (a les paul copy, dont laugh, it was great for starting on! and it was cherry sunburst!) and saved up a bit of money and decided i wanted an epiphione semi ala mr gallagher. so i went to my local guitar shop where i saw a beuatiful epiphone casino. but i didnt have the £550 they wanted for it so it was off to leeds. the first 2 guitars a saw were a riviara (which i originally wanted) and the cherry dot. didnt touch the riviara because that was also too expensive. then i noticed that the brand new dots were £400 but the cherry one didnt have a price on it so i asked about it. luckily for me it was second hand and only £250! had a strum and bought it straight away. got a free bag picks and capo so was quite pleased.



love the look of it in cherry. suitable for almost all types of music. sounds great clean staight through my marshall amp. also sounds good distorted although it could do with a more powerful bridge pickup to add a bit more roar to certain songs but theres plenty there for my bedroom! action is perfect, not too high and not too low(no buzz low down). acoustic tone is also excellent!



nothing really! apart from the pickup selector switch sticks on one pickup when its in the middle. a quick tap sorts that out though!



feels very solid! nothing is loose or fragile. heard a few stories that tuners are loose and all that but mine is fine. very well put together, well done korea!



for the money i paid cant think of any other guitar with such a wide range of tones. looks like i got a good one (know there are some bad ones out there). great guitar, glad i bought it!! wouldnt mind a gibson les paul custom though!



this review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com