The Epiphone Dot is based on Gibson’s ES-335 hollow-bodied electric guitars which were first produced way back in 1958.
The Epiphone Dot has a laminated maple body, glued-on maple neck, a dot inlaid rosewood fretboard. The Alnico Humbuckers are controlled by volume and tone pots whose bonnet knobs are period accurate. There’s chrome hardware and a Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece. The f-holes and shaped pickguard complete the look.
The Epiphone Dot is available in Cherry, Ebony, Vintage Sunburst, and Natural. And there’s also a left-handed Cherry model.
In a review of the Dot in 2000, Guitar Magazine’s Art Thompson noted “played through a variety of amps, the Dot does a decent job of evoking the plump shimmer of a real 335. Higher gain settings yield some of the meaty rhythm colors and round, sweet lead tones associated with Larry Carlton and Robben Ford, but the pickups definitely lack the detail, dimension, and vibe of early Gibson humbuckers. The Dot get you in the 335 ballpark-just don’t expect the box seats.”
Epiphone also makes a Dot Studio which has open-coil Alnico V Humbuckers, a set neck, and no fret inlays. It also has only one volume and one tone control, and black, rather than chrome, hardware. The Dot Studio is available in Worn Cherry, and Worn Sunburst.
In his review of the Dot Studio in Guitar Player in 2005, Michael Molenda said ‘Overall, the Dot Studio is a delightfully pugnacious little guitar that also happens to be a tremendous bargain.’
Check out the Epiphone Dot Deluxe Flametop Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst at Guitar Center.
