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Epiphone Dot
List: $700
The Dot is Epiphone`s attempt to replicate the tone & feel of the infamous Gibson ES335. Through & through, it`s strictly an attempt.
The weight of this semi-acc was all wrong- it`s not too different from a solid, average Epi LP. However, this heftiness was due to the Dot`s maple nature, ditto the neck. It lacked that `springy` unplugged tone one would expect from a semi so this reviewer had to almost immediately plug this guitar in, to hear what it`s all about. True enough, the amplified tone would win many fans over; it`s warm with added bass. Very much different from the Ibanez AS75 which I auditioned subsequently. It has a very polished upper end, making it sound sweet with crunchy drive. However, this was also the Dot`s undoing as the reduced, inherent treble gave way to ill single note definition (in other words- mud…) under lots of gain, the neck humbucker suffered the most especially at the upper frets. It`s a very fine guitar to play clean but limit your metal outings with this one, otherwise embrace a solid body instead. Please do not expect an immaculate replica of the ES335 tone from this Dot either, the pickups lack the depth to do so.
The particular audition model had very poor finish around the F-holes. Messy paint jobs were evident around both cavities. The neck-body joint wasn`t a clean one, you could feel the excess neck material virtually `bumping` out of the finish all round. Messy paint jobs were again evident, this time at the gap between the overhanging fretboard (near the neck humbucker) & the body. One would wonder if this particular guitar escaped the QC`s scrutiny, it`s a real shame really, but these blemishes were invisible at a glance. There weren`t other faults in the fit & finish department, same goes for the electronics except for the pickup 3-way toggle lever- it could have been less stiff.
If you think the Dot is an easy avenue to the revered ES335 tone, then you`ve gone astray. The critical omission here is a mahagony neck, which would help enhance a 335-type tone. The Dot didn`t fail miserably, in fact should you fall in love with this guitar, it`s because you deem it to be a good instrument in its own turf.
Rating: 7/10
