Epiphone Dot Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar - Cherry Reviews

This is a really good guitar. In fact, I'll go as far as to say it's as good as any you could get for the price - and better than a whole lot of other guitars you'd pay considerably more for. Fit and finish are first class, and it plays and sounds better than you'd expect. Beyond that, it's also the perfect guitar to use as a platform for modifications. There are certain things that Epiphone does to save on cost, to keep the price down, that can easily be up-graded. Things that can turn this into a truly GREAT guitar. Despite being really good out of the box, I installed a Tusq nut to replace the plastic one, put in some Lindy Fralin pickups, a premium vintage 335 wiring kit (with PIO caps and Bournes pots), locking tuners, etc. Everything silver/chrome/nickel (every screw, bracket, pickup cover, tuners, speed knobs - everything except the frets) was replaced with black, including a Tone Pros bridge and tailpiece I put on. None of this is necessary for the Dot to be a really good guitar, but now, she's a GREAT guitar. Looks mean as hell, too! She's every bit as good a guitar as my Am Pro Strat and my Gibson LP Standard, which cost...more, even after all the mods. Some might scoff at the idea, but I wouldn't trade my Dot for a...Gibson 335. Seriously. Now, do you get a little neck dive from the classic Epi headstock, and because of where they put the strap button? Yeah - but nothing too bad. So, whether you want a really good inexpensive guitar right out of the box, or you want to put a little extra into it to make it a truly great guitar, you can't go wrong with the Epi Dot.

I can't say enough about my epi dot. I happened upon it purely by accident while window shopping in a local shop. She was used but had no fret wear and when I plugged her in I was amazed. Thankfully there was a gent there that saw me ogling her and he asked if wanted to hear her go... I said I did and he plugged her in and went to town! I have not learned enough to make her sound like he did that day but I have her in hand every day working towards that goal. I play her through a line 6 spider v mkii and she is absolutely versatile! So much you can do with this guitar. Very happy with this guitar and doubt you could find this value and versatility elsewhere. I highly recommend it.

I am reviewing this here to provide anything useful to someone trying to make a buying decision about one of these semi-hollow guitars. I went looking specifically for a semi-hollow guitar in 2005 because I was writing songs for a band I was forming and would need a wide variety of tones. Some of the songs were acoustic folk style, some reggae influenced, some were loud rock tunes. I wanted one guitar to handle all of those things and was never once disappointed. I did take it to a luthier to set it up for the strings I prefer at one point and that also was a wise investment. However, I will tell you that I still play this guitar all the time and am never disappointed. I have had this guitar longer than any other guitar I've owned and every time I play it, it sings to me and makes me smile. When I bought the one I did, I went to a store and tried many guitars of this style in this price range. The Dot that I ended up purchasing just sounded and felt the best out of all of them. If you're looking for a review to help you decide - I hope this will be encouraging as someone who has enjoyed one of these for 15 years.

I got the cherry red Epiphone and it is beautiful. It plays wonderful and I am a beginner. The neck and strings are easy to play. Very happy with my purchase. Would highly recommend it. It sounds wonderful and I am using a cheap amp from Walmart. Would be amazed if I had a good amplifier. If you purchase you will not be disappointed.

I knew from online demos and reviews that I would get the bluesy, woody tone I wanted from the Epiphone Dot and I was not disappointed. The big surprise was how beautiful this guitar is. The finish and workmanship are flawless. The cream colored binding with the cherry finish is very classy. The high resolution photos that John Beckas emailed me were great and much appreciated, but the guitar is even more beautiful than that. I was just blown away. The Epiphone Dot has to be one of the best guitar values out there. I tend to like smaller, lighter guitars, so I was a bit concerned that the Dot might be a bit big and heavy for my tastes. That concern turned out to be misplaced. This guitar is a joy to hold and play. It feels so good in my hands. Thanks again to John Beckas for the excellent customer service.

I am an old man of Eighty years and have owning guitars all of my life. Got my first one when I was 16, A LesPaul JR. It was all I could afford at the time. For my birthday when I turned Eighty My chhildren handed me an envelope with the $$$ to buy the Epi Dot. This is by far best made guitar I have ever owned. The Wood used on it is beautiful.. The techs at sweetwater set it up for me and did a wonderful job. Thanks fellows, or ladies or whatever.

the Dot was made in Indonesia. The tone on it is wonderful. The tone and volume controls are noiseless. I did buy a case for it, but it spends it days in my hands and nights in its stand. Best thing I ever did is buy this guitar from sweetwater and Dave Snow. Thanks Dave I really am very happy with this beautiful guitar.

Roy

I had a 335 pro that met an unfortunate demise so I got the dot as a replacement. I seriously think the dot has better fit and finish. The buckers don"t split but that"s OK by me. The dot has a woodier, darker sound...again, fine by me. The tuners are better too. Epiphone is really putting out nice guitars lately.

I researched this guitar for awhile, and finally pulled the trigger on it. There were 2 of these in their guitar gallery, and I was able to pick the one I wanted. I am so happy with this guitar. Been playing for almost 40 years, and am a strat Guy, but had been wanting a semi hollow. Wasn"t shelling out $... for the Gibson, so went with this. This guitar was nicely set up, played beautifully, and I am in love with it. I may switch the pickups out down the road, and also the nut, but the stock materials on this thing are very good. Not a ton of output, but that"s not hard to manipulate. Very well made guitar. Extremely happy with this purchase.

I just got this guitar last week, right from the first look at it, this thing is gorgeous. I have bought over half a dozen guitars from sweetwater. This I asked Caleb, to please have this guitar set up with my favorite 9.5 diadarrio strings. It plays perfect, nice d shape neck, great sustain. And the quality of construction beats Gibson by a mile. I've bought 3 new Gibsons over the years, had to send them back. There seems to be no quality control at Gibson. But this and my other Epi I bought from Sweetwater a Epiphone Les Paul are perfect. I have been a satisfied customer of Sweetwater going on 10 years. Their customer service should be used as a benchmark to all companies dealing with the general public!! Patrick Dennis my usual salesperson, has been just fantastic in customer service to me. He bends over backwards to make sure that I'm happy with my purchases. And if Patrick is not there Caleb and the sales staff, are pleasant, helpful, cheerfull and totally customer oriented!! To anyone interested in this Epiphone Dot, Please don't hesitate to buy it. Dealing with Sweetwater is like having a friend in the business!!!!

I went to a local music store to try out all ES-335 type guitars including Gibson, Epiphone, Ibanez and D'Angelo. I'll say up front that I was ready to fork over the money for the Gibson. Over an hour I tried out numerous guitars through a Burgera amp. The Ibanez artcore had a killer neck but the overall sound was too hot and was not going to give you an ES-335 sound. Great guitar though. The finalists were the Gibson and the Epiphone and I went back and forth between them both many times comparing the neck feel and overall tone. I even asked the salesperson if he honestly could hear a big difference between the two. I certainly could not. Sure you can get a nicer paint job on a Gibson but for eight times the price its really not justified unless you just have to have that Gibson name. I cut the 10's off as soon as I got it home and put on 9's and lowered the action. It's currently pretty low but not super low like my Gibson Les Paul Classic Custom. My guitar tech can probably get it lower as I still haven't brought it to him. For whatever reason your fingertips will turn black for the first month (depending how often you play it and where on the neck you play. I play all over so it took about a month for this to stop. It seems this is common with Epiphones. I love this guitar and can't believe the Gibson-like quality and sound for the low price. To hear it check out my video "Pete's Bluesy Jam" on YouTube and you'll get to hear the amazing tone of this guitar without too much gain on the amp. It sounds awesome really cranked up too but the crispy, hollow tone really comes through with less gain.

Finally replaced an Epi Dot that had been stolen several years ago, along with purchasing a Fender Mustang amp and some other accessories. I was not aware of Sweetwater Sound until I started searching for the guitar, and was immediately impressed with the pricing, the financing, the personal and prompt service, and of course the products. Nick Magnani answered all my questions, gave me good advice on various products, and seems genuinely interested in his customers - a real credit to the company. Purchasing a guitar on-line without being able to pick it up, feel it, check it out, look down the neck, etc. is always an iffy proposition, but this could not have worked out better. Thanks.

I watched some You-Tube videos comparing the Epiphone Dot to the Gibson Dot. You cannot tell the difference in look, sound, or quality. This is a Gibson Dot at a fraction of the cost. I put chrome knobs on mine. This guitar sounds just like its Gibson sister. The neck is thin like back in the 60's. The pickups are great. I've been playing this guitar a lot.

As a musician I always look for the best value for my dollar. I have a great job, but I can't spend all of my earnings on expensive equipment. Especially when there is so much great equipment to buy! Epiphone Dot allows me to have a variety of setups and guitars without invoking "don't you already have 3 guitars" from my spouse.

In addition to the price point, the quality is top notch! American made axes cost a lot. Because we have a very high cost of living - God bless America - when Americans work, they demand high pay. Asian made products tend to run far less because their cost of living is dramatically lower than ours. But that does not mean the quality is diminished. Not in the least. The Dot is a quality build. All the parts that count from the neck, frets, body, and finish are all high quality. It's a great guitar and anyone who trashes it because it is not American made is just dead wrong.

Now the hardware is a different story. I generally love the Grover tuners. They get to stay. And the pots and switch are good quality as well. But on my guitars, the first thing that goes is the tail, bridge, and pickups. I prefer TonePros and Humbucker-sized P90s. The stock pickups have no life. The swap is super easy. Oh and I usually replace the pickup rings and knob with cream.

So take a modest priced guitar, add $600 to it and like magic, you have a pro-spec guitar. I should also say here that my setups are frequently traded to my friends for their expensive, American axes...

Be good!

I bought an Epiphonne Dot/Block (ES-335 with blocks instead of Dots) 9 years ago and this guitar has been my favorite of all I've had. I replace a Casino with this one. I loved the Casio, but it squealed and feedback too easily. I have had Tele's/ Strats/ ES-339, and others, but this one feels great in my arms and hands and I can do any tone from country to hard rock. It is the most balanced guitar I own. If I'm going to play for someone, this is the one I pick up. I have played this guitar hard and pulled on the neck to get sounds out and it still stays tuned and the action is smooth. If you don't own one, it is worth trying it out and seeing if you can get your sound. The pickups are strong on mine and the three-way switching makes useful and different tones to your liking.

VERY WELL MADE GUITAR. PLAYS NICE AND WORTH THE MONEY MANY TIMES OVER.

I bought my ES 335 in addition to a Gibson Lp 58 just because I didn't have the money to buy a Gibson 335. What a luck I was broke that day. When I bought it I had to carrie it out of the shop in a cheap plasticbag. It all seemed so cheap. Then when I came home and plugged it into my Crate 3112 and cranked it up a little the circus really started. First;the playability is way better than any, set up to a lowaction just the way I like it it had me going on playing for hours. A little minus for the tonality of the humbucker. I switched them out with a pair of Kent Armstrong 57 classic alnico 2 magnets with maple dividers and that did it. I would say that my Epi now has the same tonality perhaps even better as a far more expensive Gibson 335 available. There is a warmth and glassy tone to it that almost makes me addicted to it.

It's hard to imagine a better value than the Epiphone Dot. The tone and playability are very close to a Gibson 335. I bought this as a platform for adding a bigsby and possibly upgrading the electronics. Even still, without any modifications, it's a great guitar!

Ordered it on a Tuesday morning and had it in my hands in time for my Thursday lesson. Came out of the box, had to tune a couple of strings and it was ready to go. I'm just learning but even I sounded better on this guitar. what a sweet instrument, and what great service. I even got a phone call thanking me for my order and offering any help or answer to questions. Made me feel like Sweetwater cares about me as a customer. I will be ordering again.

There have been seveal generations of this guitar by Epiphone. I have one of the ones that far surpasses the price paid. I owned one that I purchased about fifteen years ago, and in a fit of stupidity let it get away. I thought that if the Epi had been that good, the "real thing" would have to be really great. So...I bought a custom shop Gibson ES 335 which turned out to be one of the worst guitars I've ever owned. I got rid of the Gibson and bought another Epi soon as I found one. Still have it, play it regularly with a band and like it so well I purchased a natural finished Sheraton which is every bit as good but different. If you play guitar you know what that means.

I read all of the reviews (well, most of them) and nearly all spoke of the quality and craftsmanship in this guitar. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box and found this perfect instrument inside. The Sweetwater setup was perfect and I only needed to tune the
G string slightly to start playing it. Great action, awesome sound from the pickups,and just beautiful to look at. I got the cherry one. When I wasn't playing it I couldn't stop staring at it. I couldn't be more pleased. My main guitar has always been my Strat and it won't be forgotten but now I have this to take on some other styles that just never seemed quite right with the Strat. This Dot is so much warmer sounding. It's large bodied and has a thicker neck than I'm used to but it didn't take long to adjust to it and the sound was the reward, I would recommend this guitar to anyone looking for this type of instrument. You won't be disappointed.

i recently received my new Epiphone ES335 DOT from Sweetwater. I had and swapped a Gibson ES335 thirty years ago and always regretted it. This was my "poor man's" choice. What a wonderful surprise! The Epi is a fantastic guitar - beautiful action; sweet tones and immaculately put together and set up. I think its every bit as good as my old Gibson. I also have a '72 Telecaster which I love dearly. The Epiphone will be a great compliment to it. I now have those warm bluesy tones that the Tele lacked. Thanks, Sweetwater for the great set up and prompt delivery. You guys rock!

Great guitar, just what I was looking for, beautifull finish and solid construction with a great resonance acoustic body that gives you sweets warm tones. In my opinion this is the best website to buy your instruments. Excellent and fast attention, also the fact that you can see real photos of the gear you are buying is amazing.

I bought it to upgrade and have had it for 3 years. My main guitar is a Clapton Strat. It covers 80% of what I do (blues, roots and boogie). But I needed something for 5 or 6 songs per night to cover B.B., Freddie, early Clapton type tones. Couldn't justify the price of the Gibson 335 for this. Besides, several new ones I played needed work right off the bat. Any guitar I buy gets a new nut right away - solves most or all tuning problems. This Dot was no exception-really needed it. The Dot does exactly what I wanted - gets the semi-hollow humbucker tone I was looking for, great tone and sustain, nice chubby neck - very well done. After upgrading wiring and pickups it's even better. I have about $750 in it total. I might be a little happier with a Gibson 335 but could have 2 or 3 more upgraded Dots for the same price. In fact, I recently bought another Dot to use for slide in open D tuning. Sounds great!

I really like it. It's sounds great. I enjoy playing it off the amp while my wife sleeps. Then plug it in & get nasty after she goes to work! It's large enough to be a lap axe....but works as a good neck hanger.
Can't say enough great things about this piece of wood & wire. Just get one & you'll see how hard it is to put down.
Play the Ole Southern Blues & it'll make the Cats cry & the Dogs howl.

I've been a guitar player for 10 years. I've always played solid body guitar, from SG's to Strat style guitars. I have to say my preference changed when I received the Epiphone Dot. Having never played a semi-hollow guitar before, I never even really thought about it. I was worried that I wouldnt like the sound and that it would lack the punch of my other two favored guitars (A Samik SG, and Yamaha Pacifica). When I plugged in the Epiphone Dot, all i had to do was tune it up and start pickin away. The crew at Sweetwater did a perfect job at setting up my Dot! no adjustments were needed. I play everything from The Black Keys to Crosby, Stills and Nash to Zeppelin to ZZ Top and this guitar can serve all those styles. It can handle heavy distortions and griddy fuzz tones from my fuzz face and the sustain is to die for!! through all the morph changes and distortion levels the Dot keeps it tone without getting noisey or having a load of feedback. It even cleans up to a perfect sounding acoustic when the time comes to do some classic strumming. The neck is nice and wide and easy to get a grip on without any fuss or fighting. An absolutely perfect gutiar for a great price!

This Eppi-Dot is everything I could want in a guitar.I compare this Ax to an ES-335 Gibson,except for the price difference.The wider neck makes it very playable,the stock eppi humbuckers have a great tone and sound. This guitar is very well built and as for it's looks,it's like a piece of art .

I have had the guitar for 2 days and I am very happy with it. I am putting it through a Fender Vibrolux. The tone is fantastic. For $399.00 it is a steal!

Just recieved this the other day and, I could not be more satisfied! First of all this guitar is absolutely beautiful, the cherry red color is breathtaking, the feel,look, and, sound is everything you could ask for. I have owned a Gibson ES330,335 and, an older model melody maker. After I got married I didn't think I would gig anymore so I sold them, well after a couple years I realized how much I missed playing music and, I've been on a roll every since. This guitar will give you everything that you will expect form it. I have nothing against the Gibson's at all but, they really have got out of range in price for the average performing musician. I own a Epi Les Paul Plus Top and, an SG 400, no modifications done to either one and, they sound and, play wonderfully! All I ever do is lower the action and maybe a new set of strings and, that's it. I lowered the action on this one and, that is all it needed to play just right. I have played and, owned just about every guitar out there, Started playing Gibson's in the 60's, went to Fender's in the late 70's, but I always remembered that first cherry red 335 that I saw when I was a kid and, dreamed someday of owning one, now I do. I still have my Fender's, a PRS and, several more other really great instruments but, this one will have a special place in my collection.

Looks like Epiphone isn't kidding around anymore when it comes to quality. I really think the DOT would do well in a blindfold test with the Gibson counterpart. I really love this guitar for its warmth, nice tone, and surprising flexibility. The only complaint is the "e" on the pickguard kept coming off so I eventually just took it off myself. All it needs now is a bigsby tremelo arm!

I have played many guitars in my day(I'm 46yo)however I love my Epiphone ES335 dot the best, It plays better than some of my more expensive guitars.
I hear a lot of people make many hardware mods (pups, volume, tone pots etc. Why?) to these Epihones, I however like the sounds mine gives as per stock (I've not had cause to change any of my hardware, as it works fine, no defects etc.) I suppose it all boils down to what one expects thier guitar to sound like.
Epiphones are not Gibsons, so why would I want it to sound like a Gibson, it however is not short of the Gibson ES335 sound by much.
Many blogers have complained about loose bits and pieces , I have not found this to be the case with my Epi.
It is priced well within the average guiarists budget.
Had I had access to this quality guitar when I was younger it would have saved me a lot of hardship trying to raise the money for a Gibson ES 335 Dot.
As far as I am concerned my Epi is my main tool of trade.
Why would one spend thousands of dollars on a Gibson when you can own a Epi for less than half the cost of the afore mentioned.
As i have mentioned, I have not modified my Epi Es335 dot, I like it the way it is, it plays beautiful through my JTM 45 Marshall amp.
Also I have found the quality of the Epi to be just as good as the Gibson, if not better than some of the Gibson ES335 dots.
I think the Americans are starting to "slip" a bit with thier product quality.
My Epi can be sweet or it can be agressive, I can ballad on it or I can AC/DC on it, it's a very well finished instrument, AND it is considerably more cost effective.
Mine is a blond not a cherry, I find the cherry to be too common, every one seems to own one!
All in all a very nice guitar, no complaints here.
Keep em com'in Epipone.
Ready to play straight out of the box, not like some of my other more expensive guitars, just about all of my more expensive guitars, needed some set up work done on them, not the Epiphone, it was ready to rock and roll right from the start, well almost, I changed the srings to Gibson vintage.
Why pay excesive amounts of money for a Gibson (just because it is made in yanky land?).
I suspect there are those amungst us who like to stand up and say, hey look at me,I've got the real thing!
Well a Epiphone is not a Gibson, so as far as i am concerned I've got the real thing, an Epiphone real thing, not a Gibson.
If Epiphone ES335's were good enough for the Beatles, they sure are more than good enough for me.
All this aside, as I have mentioned, I love my Epiphone, my wife is very jealous, she complains, you never hold me like yo hold that guitar!haha.

My 335 DOT was manufactured in May 2011. I bought it used a year ago (Not from Sweetwater). It was way out of adjustment so I got to work. I adjusted neck, string action, pickup height, & pickup poles. All of this would have been done already if I had bought from Sweetwater Music. I set it up per Epiphones specs without any problems. I can not find anything wrong with fit or finish, very well crafted. It reacts to how you play it, from soft attack & tones to good rock crunch when you push it. It'll play country & blues to early metal and sounds great doing it. The Alnico Classic & Classic Plus pickups have a great tone, alot like Gibson 490R & 498T with a little more brightness and power. The only thing I found is 2 of the Machine heads have tight spots in them when you turn them, even without strings on. I will be changing them out soon. All and all, a great guitar. I would dare any one to play it & a Gibson 335, and be able to tell the difference. It has become one of my favorite guitars.

This is a beautiful instrument. Very well made with not a flaw I can see. Sure I like the Gibson satin cherry one but for $1000's less I chose the Epiphone. If you are looking for a semi hollow ES335 style guitar, that is GREAT and won't brake the bank, this is it. I didn't want coil splitting humbuckers and I like the dot inlays on the fret board. This is why I chose the Dot over the Epi ES335 Pro. As far as sound and tone I couldn't have been more happy when I started playing with the Dot. Just the style and tone I wanted to compliment my Tele and Strat. Fun to play with vintage style and vibe.

I have wanted a es-335 style guitar for quite a while! I have played a lot of 335's over the years including a 1968 Gibson that a friend of mine owned! I usually prefer solid bodies and have several Les Pauls and Firebirds both Gibson and Epiphone! This Epiphone Dot is one of the best sounding guitars right out of the box! I can't wait to get my favorite strings on her! This was a retirement gift from my wife so I haven't really hot you know her yet as I still have one month until I retire! Thank you Patrick Coley and the entire team at Sweetwater!

wow what a great guitar. cant put it down ,feel bad for all my other guitars. well made, great finish,best of all sounds great . very pleased with joe c at sweatwater great job

Great build quality, finish is exceptionally well applied. Neck is a slim D profile which is not my forte, but I find it easy to play, and I experience no hand fatigue. Setup out of the Sweetwater box was very good, limited tweeking needed. Hardware and electronics are very nice quality. I see no need to swap pickups, just spend a little time adjusting and you can find some very nice tones! I'm normally a high end guitar snob, this one made me realize there are some great budget friendly guitars being built these days. I ordered an Epiphone hard case the next day, as this is a case worthy guitar. If you can't/won't swing the +$3K on a USA made Gibby, this not a bad alternative.

I HAPPEN TO OWN BOTH AN ''AUTHENTIC' 1986 GIBSON 335 STUDIO, AND A 2013 EPIPHONE DOT. I BOUGHT THEM BOTH NEW,.. AND I CAN SAY WITHOUT HESITATION, THE DOT DEFINITELY IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE VERY AFFORDABLE AND VERY DESIREABLE ALTERNATE CHOICE. WHILE ONE HAS THE LARGER PRICE TAG, THE EPIPHONE IS A MORE THAN VIABLE CHOICE IF PRICE IS A FACTOR. THERE ARE SOMWE DIFFERENCES TO BE SURE, BUT FROM THIS OWNERS PERSPECTIVE, IF I COULDN'T AFFORD THE GIBSON, ID SNAP THE EPIPHONE UP IN A N.Y. SECOND. THE PLAY , SOUND, FEEL, LOOK, AND ARE BASICALLY THE SAME. THE GIBSON MAY HAVE A BIT MORE BITE, BUT ALL IN ALL, IF PRICE IS A FACTOR, GET THE EPIPHONE DOT. IVE USED BOTH ON THE JOB, AND WHEN I WATCHED AND LISTENED TO THEM BOTH , THEY WERE NECK & NECK OVER ALL. THE NECK WIDTH MAY BE NARROWER ON ONE THAN THE OTHER, BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. THEY BOTH ROCKED. ITS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FIREBIRD, AND A CAMERO; A BONNIVLLE, AND A CATALINA, ... SOME DIFFERENCE , BUT PRIMARILY THE SAME, ITS YOUR CHOICE IF YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE TRY THEM BOTH AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. LETS PUT IT THIS WAY, IF I FOUND ANOTHER ''DOT'' AT A DECENT PRICE, ID SNAP IT AS A BACK-UP.

ENJOY! GB FROM CT.

I went with the Dot instead of the 335 Pro or the Sheraton. Just a matter of personal preference, but I liked the feel of the unbounded neck and the sound of the mahogany neck and center block better. It is important to me that any electric guitar, solid body or otherwise, have a good sounding unplugged "acoustic" sound. I have never played a bad sounding Dot although I have encountered a few bad sounding Sheratons & Pros. I think the usual pecking order of USA/Japan/Korea/Indonesia/China doesn't apply to the Epiphone Dot. These Chinese Epiphone Dots are the best ones ever made. They are manufactured by Gibson in their own Chinese factory while in the past the job was farmed out to other guitar manfacturers. Some pre China Dots do not use mahogany necks and blocks...and for me...that's a deal breaker.

Great guitar for the money . i've been playing it so much my strat is getting jealous.

I had one before, but traded it away for another guitar from Sweetwater. I regretted trading it in so I had to get another one. It is a great guitar for the price. It is good for Blues, Rock, Country, Jazz, or just about any music needing a electric guitar. The look of it is classic, the feel of it is also classic. The quality of this guitar is really good for the price you pay. The quality of Epiphone has really improved over the past few years, a lot of the hardware used on these guitars are the same used on some of the sister company, so that means a quality guitar. I would highly recommend this guitar for those on a tight budget, but still get a HIGH quality instrument. You won't regret it!

This guitar is beautiful and plays quite nicely. It has good sustain. My only issue with it is playing harmonics. It just does not do harmonic notes nearly as well as my much cheaper Dean guitar.

This guitar offers great value for the minimal cost compared to the Gibson 335. The guitar's fit and finish is immaculate. I was a little disappointed in the sustain and the tuners. I expected a more significant sustain based on other reviews. I have had some problems maintaining the instruments tuning but I can certainly live with that or change tuners. Overall I still believe the guitar is a great value. I am also pleased with Sweetwater's service as I received the guitar in two days well packed. Chris also emailed me pictures of the instrument to drool over while I awaited delivery. Great service.

This guitar was absolutely one of my favorites. I traded it in for another guitar from Sweetwater. I am seriously thinking about getting another Dot again. It played really great, had super tone when played through a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue. I regreat trading this guitar away. Oh well, learn by your mistakes! I would highly recommend this guitar for any type of music from jazz, country, rock, rockabilly, etc... This guitar can handle any type of music.! It is a really good buy at this price listed.

This must be one of the best bargains in the guitar world. The guitar is well made and plays very well. It also stays in tune like a much more expensive Gibson 335......It you are looking for a semihollow and cannot afford the price of a new Gibson 335, this is the answer.....

Unbelievable value for the price. The looks and sound are great. Set neck, 18:1 Grovers, Rosewood fretboard and mahogany center block. Plus...the guy at Epiphone told me the humbuckers use Alnico II magnets! Unreal. There isn't a better guitar for the money in this style. I would have marked it a 5 but I'm not a big fan of the D neck profile...but it's not a dealbreaker. Fantastic quality at a stupid price.

Can't believe the features on this for the money. Laminate maple body, mahogany set neck, rosewood fretboard, 18-1 Grover tuners and Alnico humbuckers. Wow! A pure bargain for a quality guitar. I will swap out the strings for GHS burnished pure nickel rocker 10's. They have a fat, warm sound which I prefer.
My only complaint is minor. I've never been a big fan of the D neck profile but I can live with it. But if they'd put a Gibson SlimTaper C on it, it would have been a 5 for me. Great guitar. Nothing out there with this kind of value for this price.

Studio ax ready for work. Not a Gibson so get over it. Dot will do.

IF THEY COULD BUILD THESE ES 335'S LIKE THIS IN 1958 EVERYONE COULD AND WOULD OWN ONE.NOW THINGS (CNC) UNITS ARE TAKING OVER... THE HAND MADE GOODIE ARE GONE AND FOR THE BETTER AS WE ALL CAN SEE....

Been playing guitar off and on for 40 years. I have played and owned tons of guitars. I favor Fender Strats, I prefer the "long" scale Strat neck. But there has always been that urge to own a Gibson ES335, and this is the closest I will ever get to realizing that dream.

So the guitar...starting with what is most important, the sound. The pickups are better than I expected. Perhaps a bit wooden, they are missing something that I can't quite put my finger on. The word that comes to mind is soulless, but that is really harsh, and in the right hands, probably not true. Perhaps lack of color is a better description. With that said...

The treble (bridge) pickup has good bite and is clear through clean amps, dirty when overdriven. Exactly what I was looking for. The neck pickup has a deep bluesy / jazzy sound but is missing the richness I was hoping for but did not expect at this price range. Regardless, for my style and level of playing the sound is fine. Just the right amount of grunt and bite. Great for rock, perhaps not as great for jazz where color and nuance make more of a difference. Of course pickups and caps are fairly inexpensive to swap out, just a bit of a pain on semi-hollow body guitars.

The look and feel of the guitar is outstanding. The action is perhaps a tad high, but out of the box I was very impressed. The neck is straight and true. Intonation is spot on. The tuners have a good feel to them and the guitar stays in tune. The neck plays well however I miss a note or two here and there given the shorter than Fender scale. It is amazing how a small dimension can make such a great difference when you are accustomed to something else. The neck feels fat, which I prefer given my large hands.

The finish is incredible for a guitar of this price. I also own an Epiphone Les Paul that I bought for a song a few years back. The fit and finish are incredible on both guitars...and not just for the price. Love the cream binding around the body. The neck - fret edges are nicely finished. A real joy to play.

The guitar feels solid, almost heavy. The top strap location places the neck in a slightly different position than my strats, which exacerbates the shorter scale leading to a few note misses. But that is no fault of the guitar. The pots have that great viscous feel to them. No hum from the pickups. Chrome plating seems deep and looks great.

If I were an ES335 nut and played bars, this is the guitar I would be travelling with. And for an amateur like me, this guitar fits the bill perfectly. Could not be happier with it, honestly. I rated it 4.0 trying to compromise between how it fits my playing level and the sound quality of the guitar. If it were just me, I would give it a five, perfectly happy with it. However, compared to the real thing, it is probably a 3.0 or 3.5. But I am not Larry Carlton, for me it is a very good guitar and an even greater value.

Thanks to Sweetwater for the before sale check (did miss a knob that was not squarely installed) and the quick delivery. I have purchased several guitars sight unseen from Sweetwater and have not been disappointed even one time!

Loved my purchase of my Epiphone Dot Cherry. It's the closest thing to a 335 that I could get for half of the price of a 335. My only issue would be I may want to switch out the pickups for Gibson 57's. Other than that it is awesome and plays great! Very easy action.

I have an epiphone dot with the cherry red finish and it looks beautiful and plays pretty well. The stock pickups were decent at best. I swapped them out with gibson 57's in the neck and bridge. Once i did this, the guitar sounds fantastic. It sounds so nice now but the only thing i don't like about the guitar other than the stock pickups is the action on the bridge. I have adjusted it over and over again, and i cannot get it as low as i'd like without it buzzing. Other than this, it is a fantastic value

I have several Epiphone DOTs. While they don't have the luxurious feel of a Gibson 335 or even an Epi Sheraton, for that matter.... they still play very nice and stay in tune just fine. Also they have a great warm tone that I just LOVE!! They sound phat and lush through my all tube Marshall or my Peavey Classic 30. I play classic rock, country, blues, and hard rock and the DOTs work well for any style. At first I was worried about un-controllable feedback with higher gain and volume.. but that's not a problem at all. The DOTs play good, sound great, and look BEAUTIFUL!! And are extremely affordable!! I love 'em!!!

Being an Intermediate guitarist, my old electric was not working anymore. it could not do what i needed it to do for me, and the tone was horrible. i needed a new guitar fast. i went to my local music store, and i tried out a few different guitars, with little success. Then, i tried out the Dot. it was love at first sight. not only did it have a warm, full tone, its playability was better than some of the more expensive models i had tried. it works on any style of music that i play, and i have never had any problem with it. The best part is, it was affordable. this is one of the best guitars you can get for under $1,000. i highly recommend getting one.

30 years ago I owned a Gibson ES 335, and foolish youth that I was I didn't keep it. Last year when I decided to take up guitar playing again I looked for for a 335. Have you priced them lately? Or even a 333? Then I found my Epi Dot. Everything good I recall about my Gibson is present in the Dot. It will sing. It will growl. Wonderful sustain with the set neck and semihollow body. The action is comfortable. A few blemishes in the finish but nothing major. I realize I'm an amateur and perhaps look at things differently than a pro, but I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this immensely playable guitar. When you factor in price you can't go wrong with the Dot.