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Dot "Studio" Upgrade Project

Fadedepi

By Fadedepi
in Epiphone Electrics

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Fadedepi

Fadedepi

Posted
Posted

I pruchased this Dot Studio a couple of weeks ago. I bought it from American Music Supply, and paid $329.00 including Epi hard shell case. (not bad) The guitar is a DW serial number. The workmanship, acceptable and set-up great! My intentions from the start were to upgrade the pups, tuners and change some other parts to chrome. The pups are GFS Vintage '59 in the neck and a GFS Mean 90 in the bridge. IMHO, this combo in a semi-hollowbody is perfect. The tuners are Grover Rotomatics 14:1 from Stew Mac. They are a drop-in replacements. Here's my progress so far.

What do ya think? :-k

 

Dot1.jpg_IGP2060_edited-1.jpgDot3.jpg

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TWANG

TWANG

Posted
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graph tech saddles.. they're black so they'd look good on the bridge and make tuning nice. No tone loss.

And add a genuine twang es335 short style b/w/b guard with chrome bracket.

and lastly.. a chrome three way switch tip.

 

 

and even if you don't.. that looks darn sharp as is!

 

TWANG

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Ron G

Ron G

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329?

Man' date=' epis have gone up.

How long ago were they blowing out the worn brown ones for 169?[/quote']

Note that the $329 included a HSC. My B-stock was $199 a year ago. Best first-quality

price I've seen is $269. Both prices guitar-only.

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TWANG

TWANG

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I'm supposed to be in the shop making the truss rod cover now.. guard is done.

had a lousy night last night and didn't sleep until 10 this morning.

sheesh.

I guess all those years in bars have set my time clock different.

 

I've got a piece of b/w/b left over and I have two 335 style one sheri and one casino made right now.

do you need a bracket, too?

you screwed up ordering a tr cover, I often add them for 2.00 or even free with the guard.

 

 

KNOW THIS.. my guards have nice edges, correct shape.. vary just a tick here and there-being hand made, but you can't tell by looking.

and sometimes you have to file a bit..

the reason is I like them to fit.

and epis aren't that consistent.

I just made a 335 for a dot.. used his template for pickup spacing..

but he may have to file a bit off an edge around the pups to get it perfect.

If I take too much off.. you have a big ugly gap.. so I leave a tiny bit on, for you to take off, and you get a more perfect fit.

we're talking.. five minutes work there, max. and hard to screw it up..

 

another thing I prefer to do is let you drill the neck hole... depending on the model.. for instance is a 335 or dot neck guard screw hole

spaced exactly the same.. the same everytime..

I'm rebuilding another guys because his sheraton neck hole didn't match my sheraton..but again.. that's so easy it's absurd.

I'm really sorry he had to send it back.. but I make the new one free.. he's sending me a trace this time so I can get it perfect.

 

since you don't have a hole there yet.. I can make the hole and you will only have to drill the body holes for it.

I would like you to send me a trace. take an index card.. and cut it so that I know the exact pickup spacing between the pups..

I'm not sure dots are the same as studio dots..

 

the guy who sent me a trace is ever so slightly different than the template I have.. but is that all dots. just the studio.. just his..

so many epi manufacturers is the problem.

but everyone else just has one size fits all so.. I think you're better off with me.

 

I sell guards all the time.. only one has come back.. that sheri with the screw hole problem.

 

But I'll give you a good deal.. pm me and I'll see if I have enough material on hand. should!

TWANG

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pohatu771

pohatu771

Posted
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The thing that's always held me back on the Dot Studio was the black hardware...

 

Out of curiosity, does American Musical Supply specalise in school band equipment? We used to have that in the northeast (mostly New York, if I remember). They changed names a lot... when I started, they were Central Music Supply, then American, and then something else... now they're still in business as something else entirely. My purchases from them include my percussion kit all those years ago, a trumpet mouthpiece, various sticks and mallets, and, most recently, a snare drum method book.

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charlie brown

charlie brown

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Nice job... Interesting, pickup choice, too. I think "I" would have put a humbucker at the bridge, and the

P-90 in the neck position...but, that's just me. Not owning any GFS pickups, though...it's hard to evaluate

the choices. If it works for you, that's the important thing...always! You also did the first thing I would

have done with a Dot Studio, and that's to replace the black hardware, with chrome...or maybe even gold,

if it had been a "black" one...LOL! Always liked that "Black/Gold" combo.

 

CB

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snookelputz

snookelputz

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I paid $329 for a Dot Studio in 2004, an EE, that was the GC/M123 price at the time. No case, either - another $60 for a Guardian. But it had a much thinner neck that the current model. Shortly after, the price dropped out so everybody could dump old stock in prep for the new "faded" models which were just being released. Then, just about the time NOS disappeared and I expected to see the price for the new model to go back up, there was a rash of new, cheap Asian guitars (solid bodies, though) and the Dot Studio, as the entry model, could not support a higher price than could be charged for some of the LP models. It was nice while it lasted, but the recent economic situation and transportation cost issues have allowed (maybe required) a price realignment across the board.

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Fadedepi

Fadedepi

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Posted
Nice job... Interesting' date=' pickup choice, too. I think "I" would have put a humbucker at the bridge, and the

P-90 in the neck position...but, that's just me. Not owning any GFS pickups, though...it's hard to evaluate

the choices. If it works for you, that's the important thing...always! You also did the first thing I would

have done with a Dot Studio, and that's to replace the black hardware, with chrome...or maybe even gold,

if it had been a "black" one...LOL! Always liked that "Black/Gold" combo.

 

CB[/quote']

 

 

CB,

 

 

Out of curiosity? Why would you put the hotter P-90 in the neck?

 

Faded....

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JoelmBenge

JoelmBenge

Posted
Posted

This looks absolutely sweet.

 

I'm struggling between a Dot and a Dot Studio as I'm just starting to get interested in music again after almost 13 years. I'm thinking Dot Studio because I can tweak it and personalize it just like you're doing. This thread is a total inspiration.

 

I like the aesthetics of covered pups and the pickguard of the standard Dot but sort of what the simplicity of the two knobs, so am looking to do a hybrid. :)

 

Can't wait to see if you do any more. I might rip ya off.

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charlie brown

charlie brown

Posted
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CB' date='

 

 

Out of curiosity? Why would you put the hotter P-90 in the neck?

 

Faded....[/quote']

 

Well, I wasn't thinking of a "hotter" P-90...more like if all things were equal,

I'd put the P-90 in the neck, because (to me) it's got a more articulate tone

and less likely to mud up, as some humbuckers have a tendency to do, in the neck position.

But...As I stated, I don't own any GFS pickups, so don't know about their individual specs...

except what some here on the forum, have raved about. So, your choice might be just fine?!

Don't know... Certainly wasn't telling you what you "Should" do, at all... If it works, it's all good!

 

;>)

 

CB

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wiggy

wiggy

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The drop in the value of the £GB is really killing us here when it comes to guitars. I was considering getting my daughter a Dot Studio like mine for Christmas as an extra present (having sort of given/lent her the plank - see below) and knowing how much she loves mine (she's only 12 years old and likes the fat neck and 11's, thinks Duane Allman and Dickie Betts are mind blowing and has pronounced SeaSick Steve as seriously cool - I've got to keep the momentum going!!!!) but the prices have gone through the roof.

 

I bought mine in August for £144.99 without a case - price is now just a shade under £200 if you can find one .

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Fadedepi

Fadedepi

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Well' date=' I wasn't thinking of a "hotter" P-90...more like if all things were equal,

I'd put the P-90 in the neck, because (to me) it's got a more articulate tone

and less likely to mud up, as some humbuckers have a tendency to do, in the neck position.

But...As I stated, I don't own any GFS pickups, so don't know about their individual specs...

except what some here on the forum, have raved about. So, your choice might be just fine?!

Don't know... Certainly wasn't telling you what you "Should" do, at all... If it works, it's all good!

 

;>)

 

CB

[/quote']

 

 

CB,

 

Your thoughts make sense to me. I'm by no means any sort of expert on pups. My thoughts here are a mellow (less mud as possible) but still clean neck pup for playing rhythm and blues/rock type leads. The P-90 for more articulate, chime and jangle classic rock leads. The two pick-ups together is a unique and awesome sound.

 

Faded...

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ButchCassidy

ButchCassidy

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I like the gfs mean 90 in on the neck of my dot a lot more than the one on my bridge. That could simply just be because I like the tone of neck pickups better though. I do like the amount of overdrive it gives the sound of my neck though, perfect for what I play. I like really overdriven lows.

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TWANG

TWANG

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I use a kent armstrong hot p90 in the neck spot of my epi lp.

and I love it.

I've sold a lot of p90s inc. casinos from KA and they're really sweet.

I use p90s in both positions on my sheri, that's about the fourth or fifth set I've had in there and these are the keepers.

 

p90 in the neck for me everytime.. but I like the humbuck in the bridge from KA, 'cause I wanted something different.

I keep saying I'm gonna put a push pull in there since it's 4 wires but I never get around to it..

 

TWANG

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