335 vs and Epi Dot

[Bard2dbone]

I got a deal on an Epiphone Dot. Yes it's definitely the "Poor Man's 335", but this one plays really nicely and I couldn't beat the price.

 

But MAN that pickguard is ugly. the 335 is what that type of guitar is SUPPOSED to look like. The Dot is better with no pickguard at all, but still not quite right. It needs a properly shaped pickguard. And I guess we can agree on what the proper shape looks like. :-

 

Will the normal 335 pickguard fit? I think the spacing on the pickups LOOKS the same. But it'd be a real bummer to find out it was ALMOST the same.

[Andre S]

it should, i saw people on utube that did, but dont take my word on it, and if i may may i direct your attention to the beautiful epiphone lucille, normal pickguard varitone for different tones, and just 300 more?

[Bard2dbone]

But I don't like black instruments. I REALLY don't like gold hardware. I don't like varitones. And I already have the Dot.

[bobv]

Spend a few bucks on a good setup, it's likely that Dot will need a fret dressing and might have some fret sprout after all that intercontinental shipping and they weren't leveled and crowned at the factory anyway. Nut slots always need work and you might want to just splurge on a new bone nut with proportional string spacing. Next would be the wires, upgrade them and you won't be sorry (I found an awful lot of extra wire in my Dot, as if it were a Les Paul wiring harness with an extra length for the toggle switch to be far away, and the wire was cheap and not well shielded). The pots are okay, but the jack isn't a Switchcraft. These mods will transform the Dot from an awfully good value into an awfully good guitar. If the strings aren't well spaced from the edges of the fretboard you might want to consider new saddles or bridge with professionally cut notches instead of the default centered notches on the Epi saddle. I also upgraded the pickups to Gibson 490R/490T but that's an expense that you should weigh carefully. The fat neck profile took some getting used to, but it reminded me of my first guitar (my grandfather's Gretsch New Yorker) so it's allright. Bottom line is it's a pretty guitar that I wasn't afraid to mess with, and I'm happy with the results.

[Bard2dbone]

Every new instrument gets a professional setup for teh first time around. I'll do the routine ones. But I want someone better than me to do the major ones.

 

Part of the appeal of getting the cheaper model is less feeling of desecration when I mod it.

 

So we'll definitely be getting all new wiring, pots, and switch. For pickups I'm considering a fairly radical change. I love the sound of a 330 or a Casino, which are 'mostly 335-types' but with P90's.

 

The catch is they are fully hollow and tend to feed back at stage volume. So why not have the best of both worlds and drop P90's in one with a center block?

 

But the other catch there is finding the best humbucker-sized P90's.

 

I keep giving myself projects.

[djroge1]

The best place to have your questions answered - Will Gibson parts fit my Epi? is over at the Epiphone forum. In fact this has been asked before so you can do a search and probably find the answer. Either way they are a great bunch of guys who are really knowledgeable.

 

If I remember correctly, things like Gibson pots will not fit Epiphone unless you widen the holes. Again, go to the Epi forum site and ask around as they love their Epi's and will gladly help you find the answers you seek.