Epiphone ES-335 Dot Studio - Cherry Reviews

I'll keep this short. I'm a Sweetwater customer, but I didn't buy my Dot Studio from them.

I have a total of 11 guitars covering every style. Strat. Superstrats. Superstrat with a Suataniac. Les Paul.

What I've never had and always wanted was a 335 style. I just purchased a mint cherry finish For Studio and I'm so incredibly blown away. 15 years into my playing journey, and this has infused a new level of desire to my development.

The quality of this guitar is beyond question. Yours may need a setup, but it's easily the best hollow body guitar in it's class.

I tried them all in several price ranges but I'm only going to talk about four guitars under $500. Bang for buck, dollar-for-dollar, penny for Penny this guitar is great. So I have to give it 5 Stars based on the cost versus quality, playability, tone, and the cost. This particular model is made out of a solid laminated mahogany top, sides and back. I'm not sure what the center block is made of but I'm going to make a guess that it is mahogany. Before I purchased this guitar I tried the Epiphone Dot, a beautiful appointed guitar for the money. I also compared them with Ibanez as53 and an Ibanez as73 also very good for the money. All four of those guitars were really good and worth the money with slight differences in tone. The Ibanez seem to have louder pickups and a little more twang in between a Gretsch and a Gibson tone. However I was looking more for a Gibson tone. When I tried the Epiphone Dot Studio I was impressed with 3 things. I was impressed with the finish. The Finish was not nearly as saturated with urethane lacquer and for that reason the neck felt better to me. Both Epiphone dot & dot Studio have identical pickups so the difference in telling lies in the body. The Epiphone Dot is made of solid laminate maple body And the Epiphone Dot Studio is made of solid laminate mahogany body. I felt the mahogany lent a warmer tone to the guitar. That was the second reason I bought the Epiphone Dot Studio. One more reason I bought the Dot Studio and a very good one is that it was less then the Epiphone dot. However money was not an issue but it's always nice to save money. I don't lend myself to buying name brands all that much anymore but I've owned every big name guitar under the sun because I've been playing 53 years. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these guitars I have mentioned above under $500. It comes to a matter of individual preference. The Epiphone dot is definitely Nicer-looking but for me it's all about playability and tone. After trying several other guitars brands as well, oddly enough this little inexpensive guitar is the one that decided upon and did what I was looking. My preference only. I hope this review helps you find your preference.

I purchased a slightly used Dot studio mostly because the cherry red finish with the black binding is beautiful. I also liked that is has one tone and one volume, kind of like a hollow body telecaster. I played it on stage for a year or so, always got great compliments on the tone. The pickups are great, gives that rich satin blues sound or if you want to get tight hit the back end and it really can scream. Good for everything from country to jazz, rock a billy...Then I traded it in. I regret that. I went back to the store to see if they still have it. It was gone the day after I traded it. I'll get another someday soon. If you are thinking about a great guitar for not a lot of money this will definitely surprise you.

I bought this to use with my punk band and I gotta say, I'm so pleased by it. The amount of tones you can get from it is unreal, you can do whatever you want with it. Looking forward to gigging with it for years to come.

For the money this is without a doubt my favorite guitar and I have owned over 40. Workmanship, sound and playability are all fantastic. Stock pickup is good but I tried a SD Pearly Gates in the bridge and it set this guitar in a completely different category. i miss inlays on the fretboard but not enough to keep me from giving this guitar 5 stars. Sweetwater service was also top notch, my Dot Studio was a replacement for a different model (and brand) that had fret buzz issues. The techs tested this guitar and called me with a report before sending it out. Their assessment was spot on and i couldn't be happier with my purchase and service.

The dot is one of the best guitars I think I've ever bought, simple, nice tone, good action.
We'll worth the money

First, let me heap big praise on Sweetwater and my sales consultant, Kurt Cripe. The service I have encountered from both can only be described as exceptional. Now on to the guitar! I was just wanting to dip my toe into the semi-hollowbody waters by purchasing a base, working-man's model. What I received was WAY BEYOND that. Fit and finish was perfect as was the overall set-up. Intonation was spot on as well as string height which was low with no flat spots or buzzes. Somehow, it was even still in tune after shipping when I put it on a digital tuner! This has to be THE BEST bang-for-the-buck purchase I've ever made and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. When I plug into my Mesa, I uncontrollably grin...Nuff Said!

This is a great guitar. I could have spent a few more bucks on a more feature laden semi-hollow body guitar, but I prefer the streamlined looks and simplified controls of the Dot Studio instead. I also like the fact that the output jack is on the side rather than the top.

First off, the gloss cherry stained finish is just stunning - the pictures do not do this guitar justice.
Next, the hardware all seems to be of good quality, the tuners,knobs, switch and jack all feel good. Even looking at the wiring through the f-hole, it looks like good quality stuff.

The neck has a nice feel to it and I am VERY impressed with the sound of these pickups. They have a great clarity and warmth without sounding harsh on the top end or thin on the bottom. There is also a very nice balance between the two. I also found the tone pot to be very useful - It doesn't put a blanket over the tone like some others, it just rolls off the highs in a very musical way.

My guitar has a couple small issues; the edges of the f-holes are brushed in black paint, and in one spot some of the paint got on the top and was clear coated right over. On a more expensive guitar, I might send it back as a blem, but this thing sounds so good I don't even care, and it's hardly noticeable unless you look close up.

The other issue is that the nut is a little high at the G and B strings, so they fret ever so slightly sharp on the first couple frets. Not terrible, but I am a stickler for great intonation and tuning so I need to file the nut just a bit on those 2 strings.

Beyond that, this is a guitar that looks, sounds and plays great and it is also very affordable.

I'm very happy.

Ok. It's not a Gibson ES335 style guitar. However I would put this up against the Gibson Studio and dollar for dollar, this is a bargain. Mine was shipped on a Mon morning and I had it by Thurs before noon. The Sweetwater packing was great and the guitar was in tune except for the open A(a little flat)but no big deal. The cherry finish is awesome and the guitar feels and plays great. The Grover tuners keep the guitar in tune and the pickups provide enough output for my needs. I primarily play bass but wanted to learn some lead. This is a best buy for the money. My sales rep Joel Helton was very helpful with my purchase and made a follow up call to see if everything was ok. I'll continue to buy from Sweetwater.

I received the Dot Studio on Thurs 9/24. When I wrote my 1st review I had only played the guitar for about 1 hr. Since then I can't put it down. I play through a Behringer GTX 60(not a tube amp) but I'm happy with the overall sound. I primarily play bass, but wanted to learn to play some lead riffs. This is a no frills guitar, but the electronics really make it sound like an ES335. The finish is of high quality and the guitar plays great. Sweetwater's 55 point evaluation and setup on my guitar was spot on. After shipping all I had to do was tune the A(a little flat)but all other strings were spot on. You can pay 4-5X or more for a 335 Gibson but I'd put this up against their entry level 335 anytime. My sales rep Joel Helton was helpful in my buying decision. Give him a call.

I'm primarily a bass player but wanted to enter the electric guitar genre with out breaking the bank. Found this, and with input and feedback from my Sales rep Joel Helton, decided this would be a good choice. Don't let the simplicity of the controls or pickups fool you. This guitar provides ES 335 sound and playability. Sweetwater's 55 point set up was outstanding. Action and intonation open and at 12th fret were spot on. The finish on mine was much better than what guitar gallery makes it out to be .I ordered mine on a Tues morning and it was in my hands on Thurs morning before noon. The guitar was well packed and there were no marks from shipping. If you are on the fence, make the plunge and buy this guitar. You'll also get an accessory package from Epiphone, but you only have until Sept 30.

I have a 1961 Epiphone Rivera which was damaged beyond repair. I was heart broken.
My main guitar is a Gibson J-200 but I love to play and often play electric. Since I bought the "Dot", I have only picked up the Gibson a couple of times.
Before I checked out Sweetwater I wouldn't have considered purchasing a guitar I did'n pick up and play first. Now I wouldn't think about buying anywhere else. I AM blown away by how well this guitar was set up and preforms. Also, by the convenience, value and rapid delivery. This guitar plays as well as a similar Gibson model costing 3 times more.
Good job Sweetwater.

This guitar is awesome..great to look at and sound great.Although I am not a pro, I feel this was an awesome buy and worth every penny. Aaron at Sweetwater is terrific and always there when I need him. He always answer your questions and work with you.
Thanks Aaron!

Long Story.. I ordered a Gibson Lucille to send to BB King and have signed. It's already in Las Vegas waiting for him to return from tour to sign it as he said he would.
First, if you are considering purchasing a guitar from anyone else, DON'T DO IT. Sweetwater has gone above and beyond all expectations I had of shipping, quality, customer service and set up of BOTH guitars. Attention to detail is outstanding. Their personnel are the best in the business, period. They are friendly, professional and knowledgeable.
Now about this guitar. I bought it to have something similar to my "Lucille" to play while it is away and didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. After reading the reviews, I made the purchase.
First impression: GORGEOUS, FLAWLESS AND HIGH QUALITY. It looks like a 2 thousand dollar guitar. Then, I put a strap on and plugged it in and started playing "House of the Rising Sun". WOW, it was perfectly in tune and mellow. It has such a deep, rich sound with so much tone adjustment. I can not believe how good this guitar sounds. I am going to change the strings as I prefer a different feel and am brand loyal t a certain brand after trying everything. Other than that, this one is hard to top. I'm not so sure my Gibson Lucille is going to sound any better, but that's a good thing. Then I wont have to wear it out!
If you have any doubts about purchasing this one, don't. Read the reviews and believe them, this is one fantastic guitar at ANY price. I firmly believe you would be hard pressed to find a nice guitar fro 5 times the price. It's my first Hollow Body and I love the tone it delivers. The action is low, frets are perfect, great sustain, neck is just the right size, stays in tune so well and even feels nice. It is not as heavy as I thought it would be. She's a big girl, but I like how it feels, looks and sounds.
Thank you to My customer service Rep. Ryan Holquist and to Justin Dunbar for going so far beyond making the customer happy. If you only knew what lengths they went to to make everything right. Sweetwater is a fine company and puts the service in customer service, a rarity nowadays. You have a customer for life. I am already looking for a nice acoustic.

I have two other Epiphone 335 type guitars besides this one: a 2004 black Dor Studio and a 2005 cherry Dot. All are fabulous, including my 2012 cherry gloss Dot Studio. I once owned a 1969 Gibson ES-335 - all of my Epis are better guitars. 335s have long been my favorite Gibson design, and my other Epis: 1275, G-400 and Les Paul Plus Top are also incredible guitars.

I was ambivalent on purchasing this guitar. I usually stick to brand names like Gibson or Fender. After receiving this guitar and checking out the action, intonation, and electronics I was simply amazed at the level of workmanship put into this guitar. If you are thinking of buying an ES-335 you should try this guitar out. The tone is just awesome. The quality of construction is superb. For this price point you will not find another guitar that matches the quality of workmanship put into this guitar. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I own two Gibson's, Fenders, Jacksons, and a Charvel. This guitar has more than met my expectations. I would have gladly paid over $1000 for this axe. When I plug it into my Marshal DSL stack it almost plays itself. I was concerned about excessive feedback seeing that it was a semi hollow body. It was not an issue at all. The tone is sweet. Suitable for blues, classic rock, and especially the tones that Alvin Lee gets from his ES-335. If you are on the fence due to the low price, take the leap. It does everything I was looking for.

For a guitar that ships for $299 the quality is superb. The action and intonation were dead on. Once again with the assistance of my sales engineer Mark Chapman, delivery and quality were excellent.

The Epiphone Dot Studio is one of the best I've played in awhile, and the price is unbeatable. The finish is beautiful.

I didn't expect a lot for this price, but this guitar is built and set up flawlessly. Most other retailers are selling the old ones with a dull finish and black hardware, but this one is all about shine and chrome. It has wide black body binding. I truly don't think the body is mahogany. It has an open grain and is almost white if you look inside the f holes. The Epiphone site lists it as mahogany, but they also list the hardware as black. I'm no expert, but I think the body may be laminated maple and the neck and center block are mahogany. Whatever it's made of, it still has that twang. As a rusty guitarist who hasn't played for a while, I do miss the dots, but I ordered some decal dots until I get used to playing again. It does have the side dots. At this low price, I could afford the case which fits it perfectly.
Sweetwater couldn't be better with the ordering process, the shipping time and the packaging. The padded box inside a bigger padded box made it pretty much damage proof. Thanks for a good deal and good service.

Beautiful finish. Ready to play right out of the box. I dont believe you'll find a better value anywhere. And the staff at Sweetwater couldn't have been more helpful unless they delivered my Dot themselves. Fast, friendly service and many contacts to be sure I had what I wanted and was satisfied with my order.

Fit and finish are exceptional for this price point. A little tweaking here and there and it's ready for the stage or studio.

I have always...ALWAYS...been a bit apprehensive about ordering the "off-brands" for major guitar manufacturers. Squire with Fender, LTD with ESP, Epiphone with Gibson. I'm not going to pretend that I had a rational reason for it, but I have. I've been looking for a semi-hollow guitar for a while and found this one at a price I just couldn't turn down. I'd read several reviews on it and they were mostly positive so I decided to give it a shot. Let me tell you, it was a great decision. The guitar is very playable, the finish on it was immaculate (which is probably as much a credit to Sweetwater as it is to Epiphone), I didn't really have to make any adjustments to it before plugging in and going at it. The only gripe I really have is that the finish on the "rosewood" fingerboard wears off on my fingers so that I have a brown stain on them when I finish playing. I thought it might be the strings but I put brand new ones on it the day I after I got it and it still continued. I contacted Epiphone's customer service about the problem and after about a week I finally got a response to try cleaning the fingerboard with lemon oil. (Just to speak again to Sweetwater's customer service, I heard from Evan, my Sweetwater representative, at least three times between the time I contacted Epiphone and got a response back from them. And Evan was just calling to find out how I liked the instrument, I had reported no problems to them!) So, to recap, if you're looking for an affordable, QUALITY, semi-hollow guitar and you're on the fence about Gibson's budget guitars, GET OFF THE FENCE.

Always wanted an ES style hollowbody this one has just what I was looking for three really strong sounds and a great feel. The fit and finish are good and it was setup almost the exact way I wanted when I took it out of the box. Very pleased with this guitar and the service.
Thanks

A great variety of music sounds good on it.
This is not my first guitar, but because I am not a professional, I consider the tone quality good enough for my level of ability. It even makes practicing more enjoyable.

The guitar is everything I expected and more. The customer service has been extraordinary. I'm very happy with every aspect of my purchase.

I recently ordered this ephi studio, I was worried for I haven't bought a guitar without playing it first. All I can say is, don't worry. The guitar came double boxed and had no sign of damage. The techs at SW did a great gob checking it out because it played well right out of the box. This guitar does come with Grover tuners and mine has been very good about staying in tune. Finish was good for a axe of this price, very flashy. It will take a little breaking in for the frets but I don't see this being a problem. Thanks Sweetwater.

for the money this a very good guitar. I had to file all the frets because of the rough edges.

The first one I got was beautiful but the action was so bad it hurt my fingers. Sweetwaters great staff quickly sent a replacement. The action on this one is good but there are three blemishes and a "blur" on the body.Disappointing.This was to be a gift for our grandson but now we aren't sure...