Epiphone Dot

The Epiphone Dot is a semi-hollow archtop electric guitar manufactured by Epiphone, a subsidiary of Gibson. It was introduced in 1997[2] as a more affordable version of the Gibson ES-335, at the high end of entry-level pricing.[3] Reviews describe it as a robustly-constructed, versatile guitar with a smooth, powerful sound, suitable for jazz, blues and some rock styles, but lacking the high output required for heavy metal.[2][4][5][6]

Epiphone Dot
Left-handed version in Cherry finish
ManufacturerEpiphone
Period1997–2019
Construction
Body typeSemi-hollow
Neck jointSet
Scale24.75"
Woods
BodyLaminated maple top, back and sides, maple or mahogany centre block
NeckMaple or mahogany
FretboardRosewood or Pau Ferro (2019 models only)
Hardware
BridgeFixed
Pickup(s)2 Humbuckers (2 Alnico Classic)
Colors available
Sunburst, Cherry, Ebony, Natural, (2011: Pelham Blue - Limited Edition. 2019: Aquamarine, Blue Burst - Limited Edition)[1]

Construction

The Dot has a semi-hollow body made of laminated maple. Two hollow "wings" with f-holes[7] sit on either side of a solid block of mahogany[8] or maple[9] on which the pickups, bridge and tailpiece are mounted, which makes it less prone to feedback than a fully hollow-bodied guitar.[4] It has a glued-in neck of mahogany[10] (before 2008, maple)[2] and a rosewood fingerboard.[11] The name "Dot" is in reference to its fretboard markers, which are simple dots, unlike other Epiphone archtop guitars such as the Casino or the Sheraton, which have more elaborate block inlays.[5] It has two alnico humbucker pickups, each with its own volume and tone control, a three-way selector switch allowing the player to choose one or both pickups,[11] a Tune-o-matic bridge and a stop-bar tailpiece.[7] Formerly made in Korea,[10] since 2002 the Dot has been made in Epiphone's factory in Qingdao, China.[12][13]

Variants

Also available is the Dot Studio, described as a "stripped down" version of the Dot, with a body made of laminated mahogany, one volume and one tone control,[14] uncovered pickups, no pickguard, and no fretboard markers.[13]

Models formerly available include the Dot Deluxe, with a flame maple laminate top and gold-plated hardware;[15] the Dot Super VS, with a flame maple top and mother of pearl block inlays (2006);[16] and the Dot Royale, with gold-plated hardware and a pearl white finish.[17]

Notable users

References