Dot Deluxe Questions

[pacho]

I recently purchased a Dot Deluxe VS, EE 11/07 Serial coding (made in QingDao) and with a made in China sticker. It is labled Custom Shop Limited Edition.

In attemptimg to get a little more info on the construction of the guitar it appears that Dot Deluxe's are discontinued models. Anyone know why?

Other questions are:

- What does Custom Shop Limted Edition really mean for Epiphone , and

- What is the nature (where and what) of the setup done in the US , as labeled on the back of the headstock?

 

I'm very happy with the guitar, the finish is flawless, it has good resonance and sustain when unplugged and nice range of tones when amplifed. Its a good value for the money ($399).

[davidg3333]

I have a Dot Deluxe I purchased new from MF. It came with a card saying that it had been set up and intoned, string height was xxx at the 12th fret for the high and low E strings. This is probably what is meant by being intoned. As to the construction, I speculate it has an luan or similar block, three piece neck (but rosewood fret board), plywood body with a contact print maple veneer to make it look flamed.

 

There have been posts about Custom Shop before. I don't quite recall what they said since I didn't pay much attention, I don't think it is terribly special - jn this case just a custom release of the Dot that has gold hardware. I think they are discontinued since they were just a special release. They may occasionally re-release the Deluxe.

 

I don't mean all the above to sound disparaging. I am realistic about what has gone into this guitar but I am happy with it. For the money I paid it has been a wonderful instrument to own. I have set the intonation on my own (you need to do this for whatever strings you settle on, I use 11-50), and eventually will take care of the action. I don't know about the frets.

 

Enjoy!

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

I believe the Dot Deluxe was a "made-exclusively-for" the MF community of ownership - I'm not even sure I saw one on GC, come to think of it, but I believe I saw them at both MF and M123. That's pretty much what the "Custom Shop" label seems to mean, that it was built to specifications set out in a contract, rather than having been produced with "regular" options. Its also purpose built to a price point, usually bringing some limited "higher end" options to a less expensive model. Kind of like buying a Civic with all the performance options.

[byrds1965]

I don't think there is anything to the deluxe Dots other than the gold hardware and a better top cap with more figuring in the grain. I had a cherry one around 2004 and sold it when I got my Supernova. I could no longer play the Dot once I got the Supernova, better pick-ups and tone.

 

Epiphone seems to reintroduce them every few years. Smart marketing I guess.

 

Maybe the new Dot deluxes have improved now? I have not played one since I had mine, but I'm guessing it is just cosmetics.

[tulsaslim]

I believe the Dot Deluxe was a "made-exclusively-for" the MF community of ownership - I'm not even sure I saw one on GC' date=' come to think of it, but I believe I saw them at both MF and M123. That's pretty much what the "Custom Shop" label seems to mean, that it was built to specifications set out in a contract, rather than having been produced with "regular" options. Its also purpose built to a price point, usually bringing some limited "higher end" options to a less expensive model. Kind of like buying a Civic with all the performance options.

[/quote']

 

Exactly.

 

I've got two of them (for no other reason then they were on sale) & really like them both. I've got the 'red wine' from MF & the 'vs' from 123. I've changed the pickups in both of them.

 

The Dot is still the best guitar you can buy for under $400 bucks, IMO.

[pacho]

Helpful replies - all

The most interesting is the suggestion that it has a 'contact print maple veneer to make it look flamed'. So this would be a picture of flamed grain printed on a the top layer of Maple.

 

I know this is a technique used on allot of lower end guitars, but I thought it would be a real flamed veneer layer. I wonder if that is the techique for all Epi Dots (non elitist)?

 

By the way - I got this at GC and it was at one time on their website as well.

 

Thanks

[Red 333]

Helpful replies - all

The most interesting is the suggestion that it has a 'contact print maple veneer to make it look flamed'. So this would be a picture of flamed grain printed on a the top layer of Maple.

 

I know this is a technique used on allot of lower end guitars' date=' but I thought it would be a real flamed veneer layer. I wonder if that is the techique for all Epi Dots (non elitist)?

 

By the way - I got this at GC and it was at one time on their website as well.

 

Thanks[/quote']

 

Your Dot Deluxe has a true maple veneer, not a "photo flame." All Dots or Gibson ES 335's have a veneered top; the body is made of plys of maple and other wood (usually 3 in a Gibson and 5 in an Epiphone). Some top layers are plain, and some are flamed, whether thay are Gibson or Epiphone. The Gibsons, naturally, will tend to have better looking veneers.

 

A veneered top is considered less desireable (by some) on a Les Paul, since a valued ingredient of the Gibson original has always been a solid (and sometimes very boldy figured) maple cap. Those who dislike a veneered top on an LP worry about what kind of wood is used for the cap that veneer is covering. However, a veneer has always been present on the Gibson ES 335 and its brethren from day one.

 

I have a Dot Deluxe with a plain top. At that time, the gold hardware was what made it "deluxe." If you got a nice flamed top for the same price as a plain top, and you like the way it looks, then you got a good deal. Enjoy.

 

Red 333

 

Gibson ES 335 natural, flamed top

Gibson ES 333 red, plain top

Epiphone Elitist Dot natural, plain top

Epiphone Dot Deluxe, vintage sunburst, plain top.

Various others...

Red 333

[pacho]

 

Your Dot Deluxe has a true maple veneer' date=' not a "photo flame." All Dots or Gibson ES 335's have a veneered top; the body is made of plys of maple and other wood (usually 3 in a Gibson and 5 in an Epiphone). Some top layers are plain, and some are flamed, whether thay are Gibson or Epiphone. The Gibsons, naturally, will tend to have better looking veneers.

 

A veneered top is considered less desireable (by some) on a Les Paul, since a valued ingredient of the Gibson original has always been a solid (and sometimes very boldy figured) maple cap. Those who dislike a veneered top on an LP worry about what kind of wood is used for the cap that veneer is covering. However, a veneer has always been present on the Gibson ES 335 and it's brethren from day one.

 

I have a Dot Deluxe with a plain top. At that time, the gold hardware was what made it "deluxe." If you got a nice flamed top for the same price as a plain top, and you like the way it looks, then you got a good deal. Enjoy.

 

Red 333

 

Gibson ES 335 natural, flamed top

Gibson ES 333 red, plain top

Epiphone Elitist Dot natural, plain top

Epiphone Dot Deluxe, vintage sunburst, plain top.

Various others...

Red 333[/quote']

 

Red333 - Thanks for clearing that up and you've got a great stable of guitars!

When I finished college in ' 73 I had a Gibson Walnut ES335 and sold it 5 years later for what I paid - thinking the days of covering Beatles tunes was over. Many regrets when I look at ebay for similiar axes. If your young - save'em - you wont be sorry.

[alfsboy]

I have a similar Ltd edition Dot SE cherry with block instead of dot markers ,a flamed maple top and chrome fittings . Nice guitar .I replaced all the fittings with nickel and it improved it considerably both in looks and playabilty .I also replaced the pickups .I got it at Soundcontrol here in the UK.I have since seen a similar one in the same shop but havnt seen it elsewhere or on the internet .Very nice guitar.

[davidg3333]

The reason I thought it was contact print as to actual flamed maple on my vintage sunburst is because one section of the bookmatched maple doesn't have a seam between the halves- you can see it everywhere else except in this one inch section. I would like to be wrong.

[cdwhit]

Sorry for jumping on an old thread, but I just got a DOT Deluxe VS.

 

I'm no expert and this is my first electric in over 30 years, so I'm just repeating what I've picked up on other forums.

 

According to the other posts (sorry, I can't reference them, but I had Googled "epiphone dot deluxe vs" so if you REALLY want it, look there) the difference between the Deluxe and the DOT is a larger body. This was the only DOT they had at GC when I bought it, so I can't verify this.

 

A number of posts described their deluxes as having chrome hardware, but mine has Gold. Would this be the "VS" part of the designaion? The other posts I found were older, if my memory is working, from 2004, and everyone said the DOT Deluxe was from Korea. Mine, like the original poster, has a sticker that says "Handcrafted in China".

 

Mine was on the wall at GC, so when I got it there was no box or papers. It also had some use on it. One of the volume knobs was missing and the end of the pup selector switch was gone (unscrewed), so GC stuck some Gibson replacement knobs on (very tight fit!!) and screwed a new plastic tip on the switch.

 

Unfortunately, when I got it home I discovered that the pup selector switch doesn't work in the center position. When I called GC about a replacement switch, they said they'd just order a replacement guitar, so apparently they think the guitar is currently available. I don't have the replacement yet, so we'll see.

 

BTW- Mine also had the "set up by Epiphone USA" on it, but either someone at GC had screwed with it or the set up was pretty shabby. While the action seems nice (not the best I've play, but better than anything I picked up at GC in this price range) the pick ups appear to be awful far from the strings (anyone know the recommended setting?) and the bridge had a burr under the high E string making it break strings (easily fixed with a small file, but something I would imagine should be caught in an instrument set up). Also, the strings were total crap, but who knows if that was from Epiphone or GC, probably GC since the E broke so easy, but I've never bought a guitar that had good string on it out of the store. Do the high end (2-$3000) come set up with good strings?

[Red 333]

Sorry for jumping on an old thread' date=' but I just got a DOT Deluxe VS.

 

According to the other posts (sorry, I can't reference them, but I had Googled "epiphone dot deluxe vs" so if you REALLY want it, look there) the difference between the Deluxe and the DOT is a larger body. This was the only DOT they had at GC when I bought it, so I can't verify this. [/quote']

 

No. The Dot and Dot Deluxe have the same body. The difference is the flamed maple veneer and gold hardware.

[RotcanX]

As to the construction' date=' I speculate it has an luan or similar block, three piece neck (but rosewood fret board), plywood body with a contact print maple veneer to make it look flamed.[/quote']

Actually it's plywood with the last ply being a flamed maple veneer. Not a 'contact print' but genuine flame maple about 1/32" thick.

 

The Deluxe was a limited edition due to the flame maple wood used (I believe it had block fret markers as well)... not discontinued per se since it never was a 'production' model in the first place.

 

And 'VS' stands for Vintage Sunburst.

[Red 333]

(I believe it had block fret markers as well)...

 

Dots.

 

Music 123 had an exclusive version with block markers called..."The Block." You are probably thinking of that. I can't recall whether it had gold or chrome hardware, though.