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Dot upgrades?


badplayer

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Posted

My Dot is fairly new, but ever since I've had it I notice that the volume-controls are not very "sensitive" - e.g. nothing much happens when adjusting thru the first 3 or 4 clicks then a big (bigger than expected/desired) jump in volume. & the tone controls seem to have no discernible effect. Even tho I am very new to playing, this has gotten me started thinking about upgrading electronics, and I guess pickups while I'm at it. I would have a tech do the work. Have other Dot players noticed the volume/tone controls issue, & does anyone recommend particular brands for replacement parts, keeping in mind that this was a $400 guitar to begin with?

Posted

welcome to the forum jr. do a search on dot upgrades. u will find alot of info. some posts even detail out what folks have or plan to do. happy picking

Posted

typical is switching to cts or alpha pots.. the function better.

problem is they making sure you get the right post size.. there's metric and usa sizes.. your dot used metric.

 

I've done my lp and my sheraton with pot upgrades and it makes a difference, I promise you that.

the cash outlay isn't all that much.. depends of course on who does it..

but four pots.. switch.. a couple of nicer caps.. can really help your tone and the performance of the actual parts.

 

It's very common on epis to do that.

TWANG

Posted

i have done some mods but nothing to the electronics or pickps yet. i noticed the back of my stock pkups stated 57. i guess this is epi versoin of the gibson 57 style. i like what i am hearing so far, so those mods will come later.

 

i have worked on enhancing the looks. Some my say it resembles athe casino in what i hve done so far, but it does not have the p-90's i just think a natural finish goes bes with chrome and creme to compliment. they did the casino justice.

 

mods

chrome pikup rings, gover delux style tuners, schaller straplocas, white pikgrd (yes i put the e on it #-o ), new button-creme and new knobs. i plan to upgrade bridge and tailstop next. thins a tusq nut. again electronics last!!

 

enjoy pics!!!

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Posted

Thanks, "Twang" (some validation that some inexpensive upgrades make a difference) & "wardog" (as in, "why did you have to show me that awesome Maple - why did I pick Cherry?...")! -- jr

Posted
"wardog" (as in' date=' "why did you have to show me that awesome Maple - why did I pick Cherry?...")! -- jr[/quote']

 

Because cherry is just as kick *** as the natural!

 

See if you can find something like this on Ebay.

 

I had these installed with a couple of Guitar Fetish GFS Vintage '59 pickups and my cherry Dot sounds great!

 

Wardog: where did you get the chrome pickup rings? They look great.

 

- Shaun

Posted

Jr.

 

Bad Juju provided a link worth looking at. I have used the matched pots from Strat100 myself. Good guy to deal with.

A little pricey on the pots but they are top quality and matched. (he explains this in his add)

The ones I got from him were all over 500k. The lowest was 512k, the highest was 523k.

He sells both long and short shaft so you have to know what you are ordering.

They are also U.S. as opposed to metric. If you consider something like that you would need the holes opened up

just a bit. You would also need new knobs. (The splines are different than the metrics that come stock)

 

Which ever way you go (as TWANG stated you can get good after market metrics) you might want to consider

changing out the toggle switch and the jack at the same time. As you are having someone else do it, it is cheaper in the long run. They are common parts to have problems with down the road. (Should only cost a few bucks extra.)

Posted

I had my Dot for about six months before doing any mods. After deciding it was a keeper, I had all the wiring, switches, pots, etc. replaced and put in a set of SD Phatcats. I could NOT be happier with the result. Totally changed the sound. Far richer lows and much crisper mids/highs. Sustain to die for. As for cosmetics, I replaced the stock knobs with black ones, and I have a TWANG 335 style pickguard that I haven't gotten around to installing yet. It's my avatar & if I can figure out how to post a pic....

 

I plug this baby into my Valve Jr halfstack & a few pedals & I'm a happy boy

Posted

pots are almost never exact..

500K will be general with all of them.. once in a while you hit one that measures right on.

 

TWANG

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