MichaelDH Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Found a 2007 Dot Studio in a pawn shop yesterday. Was well played with some normal wear and tear, but still played and sounded really nice. But, where the neck meets the body, it isn't a nice, smooth transition; you can feel an edge all the way around the back side and the 2 sides of the neck and body joint. First time I've played one so I'm wondering if this is normal, or maybe there was some neck work or damage at some point? It feels solid and the neck seems to be in pretty good shape, just wondering if, for the price ( @ $150 ), it's worth taking a shot on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahajer Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Just checked my Dot and, while there is a slight indentation where the neck and body meet, the transition is pretty smooth and there are no cracks in the finish at all. Mine looks like a well made/well designed transition. And as far as paying $150 for a Dot that you have any questions about at all, and that you know nothing about the history on, I'd pass. Back in Sept. I bought a beautiful cherry red 2013 Dot off Craigslist for $200 with a hardshell case. Both the guitar and case looked like brand new. I even got the original receipt from the seller showing that he paid about $530 for the guitar and case about a year earlier. He just had too many guitars and needed some cash. I paid $50 to have it set up as I like it and another $50 for an upgraded wiring harness/pods/etc. (the weak point of most Dots) which I installed myself. It plays like a dream, sounds great for bluesy, jazzy stuff, and I have about $300 in it. And then recently I bought one of the Genesis Deluxe Pros in dark cherry (partial to red) so I'd have something a little more rock-and-roll. It also was like brand new and came with a cheaper (but very usable) case. Guitar Center was selling this combo for about $550 plus tax and I paid $296 with shipping. I set it up myself and there is nothing at all I want to change on it other than cutting the G string slot on the nut a little wider. I shopped the pawn shops before buying both guitars and found their prices too high for what they were selling. I didn't find anything I'd call a great deal. Bottom line, there are some great deals out there if you look on Craigslist and Ebay, know what you want, and can communicate with the seller enough to be comfortable that your getting what you're paying for. I find that there are a lot of Epiphone owners who decide they "should" or "deserve-to-be" playing something "better" (read that as Gibson, Fender American, etc.) and sell the Epiphones to "move up". If I won the lottery I might spend $3000 on a new Gibson but I absolute love both my Dot and Genesis, and I see no reason at all to "move up". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDH Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Thanks for the response. I'm thinking I'll pass on it, and next time I get to Sweetwater I'll look into the new ones a little more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 most of the Dot Studios I've seen have had this seam that you can feel. as long as it's just the seam and no crack, it should be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt4356 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 The joint on mine is completely smooth on the back and the sides are the same as all my other semis, with a slight dip where the two angles join! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 On mine, the "back" transition is smooth, but where the black binding ends, and the neck starts, there are "witness mark" lines at the junction of the neck to the body. Yes, the lines are not completely smooth, there is a little bit of a "joint mark", which can be felt, barely. It doesn't really effect the playability in any way, at all, to me. Nice price if that is your only concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Zeplin Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Found a 2007 Dot Studio in a pawn shop yesterday. Was well played with some normal wear and tear, but still played and sounded really nice. But, where the neck meets the body, it isn't a nice, smooth transition; you can feel an edge all the way around the back side and the 2 sides of the neck and body joint. First time I've played one so I'm wondering if this is normal, or maybe there was some neck work or damage at some point? It feels solid and the neck seems to be in pretty good shape, just wondering if, for the price ( @ $150 ), it's worth taking a shot on it. It is partly due to the thin finish on the Dot Studio. A thicker poly finish should eliminate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDH Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 I stopped back in today and looked at it again to compare it to your comments. The joint is not smooth at all, the body/neck cavity edge is almost sharp where it meets the neck. You can literally catch your finger nail on the edge. Just gives me the feeling something isn't right with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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