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Les Paul vs. Dot


LedZep2112

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Look,

 

I know what people are gonna say, these are two completely different guitars, altogether. And I agree. I was set on a les paul, but as I get closer to affording one, I keep getting more and more hesitant. What would you say? Is the tone on a dot that far off from a les paul? I know its not gonna have that throaty Paul tone, but can it still get a little bit of that sound? Im going to my guitar store tomarrow, i just wanted to get your guys' opinions.

 

Thanks once again. [smile]

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Are we talking Epiphone or Gibson? If Gibson, I can see why you'd only be able to justify one or the other. But Epis are relatively cheap, why not get both? And just for the record, I don't really see these two as being all that different. They both have 2 humbuckers, 4 controls, a 3-way switch, set neck, TOM bridge, decent tuners, similar fretboards, etc. Both can get a wide variety of tone from jazz to blues, country, rock, and more. The 335-type guitars have the advantage of being a little lighter and audible without an amp, and the disadvantage of some feedback potential at high volumes.

 

When you're at the store, get the one that feels the most comfortable. Of course if the store doesn't set up their guits properly, all bets are off.

 

Lastly, I think the amp is going to make more of a difference. I have an old Fender blackface Vibrolux tube head that'll make a Hello Kitty guitar sound like Led Zep.

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I agree, not that different when you consider all other guitar types out out there (strats, teles, full hollowbodies, etc.). And brianh makes another good point, assuming they are set up properly at the store, it would be more important to pick the guitar that feels and sounds best to you.

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Im talkin about epis. as far as the throaty tone goes though, can the hollow-body get that like a paul can? What I plan to do once I get one is drop 57 classics in either of em, varitone on the dot or coilsplit on the paul. and If im really feeling extravagant, Il transform this,

 

Dot_VS__01392_zoom.jpg

 

 

to this with an epi signature on it.

 

new_custom_alex_lifeson.jpg

 

If I said it once Il say it again,

 

Wishful thinking... :blink:

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If I said it once I'll say it again,

 

Wishful thinking... :blink:

 

Not at all!!!! A guitar is a work of art in itself, OR can be a

PALLATTE that awaits the creative touches of an "Artiste".

 

I say the same about Women (note: Pick-up line coming):

"A woman is like a beautiful painting. The Clothes are just

the frame around the painting..." [drool][drool][drool]

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Not at all!!!! A guitar is a work of art in itself, OR can be a

PALLATTE that awaits the creative touches of an "Artiste".

 

I say the same about Women (note: Pick-up line coming):

"A woman is like a beautiful painting. The Clothes are just

the frame around the painting..." [drool][drool][drool]

 

If thats the case, then most of the women in my town were painted by a chimpanzee with a BBW fetish! #-o

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LP vs. Dot - I have both and they are pretty evenly matched in terms of playability and quality. Both are good all round performers with the LP being the more 'harder' sounding as you would expect from a solid body. Either will sound good clean with the Dot having a fuller tone. If I had to chose then it would have to be the LP - just feels right in my hands.

Hope this helps.

7C

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If thats the case, then most of the women in my town were painted by a chimpanzee with a BBW fetish! #-o

 

A few of the gals in MY past were paint-by-numbers on black velvet!

 

I've had the same experience vis a vie a Les Paul vs an Epiphone Lucille ... they just don't sound that different from one another. From the standpoint of sustain, handling and flat out looks, I'd take the Paul every time ... you might feel differently once you get both of then in your hands.

 

Now ... when the time comes to add some variety to your musical palate, consider a Casino or a P93 Riveria, or, if you decide to go with the Dot this round, try one of the P90 equipped Les Pauls that are out there. THAT will be a different sounding guitar!

 

Jim

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ive got a dot and a les paul 56 gold top . completely different in sound. anyway if you want the dot to sound like a lespaul change out the caps. the dot isnt a full hollow body it has a solid piece through the middle of the guitar. probably close to the les paul weight.

 

i prefer the dot playability and the neck shape. not sure about the dot with one tone and one volume control. both of mine are set up the same. the dot has a thinner neck.

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My only addition is that if you are a geet tinkerer like me get the LP.

 

Have you ever tried to work the electronics in an archtop through those bloody F holes, as opposed to dropping a cover off the back like an LP or SG.

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Ledzep2112 - I live in St. Louis too. What Guitar Center are you going to today? Just curious. I've always had better luck at the Crestwood store. Dots are a terriffic value. But don't have a lot of bling. What Paul are you comparing it too? The standard plain top? Controls and funcionality are the same, But you get block inlays and neck binding. Once you're plugged in, you probably won't notice much/if any difference in sound. You'll need to play them side by side and decide which one feels best. Good Luck. BTW - Neither store stocks a lot of LP's or Dots. So if you don't see it on the wall, they will order it and have it sent to your house. Takes about three days.

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This topic caught my eye because it is a question I have grappled with.

 

I have a Dot that I play through a Fender Vibrochamp XD. I am just a home/hobby player.

 

Of course, I want to buy something new. I have given serious thought to a new amp. I really, really like Egnater amps, and the Egnater Tweaker caught my eye. However, the 5W Fender in my basement is already very loud, and does not sound bad for a modeling amp, so I am holding off getting a 15 watt tube amp. I may just get a new 1x12 cabinet for the Fender.

 

Right now I am really close to pulling the trigger on an Epi Les Paul Traditional Pro. I really like my Dot, and I also like Les Pauls. I am interested in the Traditional Pro because of the ability to coil split the humbuckers. It gives me a lot of tone options that I do not have with the Dot.

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I've had the same experience vis a vie a Les Paul vs an Epiphone Lucille ... they just don't sound that different from one another.

....because, like I've mentioned before, most Epi Electrics are simply minor variations of one another. I've played many Epiphone guitars, and the similarities far outweigh the differences, especially if they come from the same factory. Does anyone actually believe that Qingdao makes different necks for Les Pauls and Dots, for example? (the neck on my DW Dot Studio feels exactly like the neck on my friend's DW LP standard) So, what do you have - same neck, same electronics (OK, the LP has the hot bridge pickup), same hardware. The only real difference is the body, that's all. Believe what you want, but they're virtually the same thing, functionally.

 

So, to the OP: buy the one you like - either one will do the job, and will sound pretty much the same.

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Ledzep2112 - I live in St. Louis too. What Guitar Center are you going to today? Just curious. I've always had better luck at the Crestwood store. Dots are a terriffic value. But don't have a lot of bling. What Paul are you comparing it too? The standard plain top? Controls and funcionality are the same, But you get block inlays and neck binding. Once you're plugged in, you probably won't notice much/if any difference in sound. You'll need to play them side by side and decide which one feels best. Good Luck. BTW - Neither store stocks a lot of LP's or Dots. So if you don't see it on the wall, they will order it and have it sent to your house. Takes about three days.

 

I goin to the bridgeton to get my sprecial II set up. While Im there I was gonna try the standard dot and standard paul. If I were to get the paul it would be a vintage flame.

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Further to earlier comments - the necks on my LP and Dot are very different. Both are from the same factory and year of construction, the neck on the Dot in my opinion is more of a try before you buy as it did come as a surprise when I first handled it (in a good way). That was one of the reason I bought the Dot - to have something different to my LP.

Fun and games.

7C

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