Icenii Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hi all, very pleased to be joining a great forum.... Just a quick post about my first Epiphone and mail order experience. I've been wanting to treat myself to a semi solid guitar for some time now. One thing led to another and time started to run out before this Xmas just gone. I did some research and the Epi Dot seemed to tick all the boxes. Against my better judgement I choose to get one mail ordered here in the UK. Within 2 days the courier was knocking on my door with a massive box. I checked it over and great, completely undamaged. I excitedly signed for the package and ran inside and unpacked my new guitar. I removed the undamaged music store outer packaging to reveal the Epiphone box. Wow, getting really excited now....then S~£t....I could see the top of the head stock poking through the top of the box. Unpacking the guitar totally revealled a stunning Epi Dot Natural. I picked it up and with heart pounding out of my chest looked for damage. Looks ok, nothing wrong there......then i saw them.... cracks,one either side of where the nut is fitted. Only about 5mm long each and not sure if it was the wood or just the top coat. Im guessing the guitar was bouncing on its head in the couriers van all the way from London. I couldn't take the gamble so got on the blower to the music store who in fairness were brillent. Two days later another huge box arrived. On opening it this time....bloody hell....the bridge had sawn threw the top of the box but checking it over no cracks. Brillent, shes a keeper. Just some significant points to note - 1. The first Dot was a lot heavier in comparisum to the second. Must have been wood density because I couldn't find any dimensional differences. Listening to both guitars nothing different could be detected at my usual volume levels. Sustain difficult to detect. 2. The first Dot's head was made of a centre piece of wood and laminated with 2 pieces of lighter coloured wood near the tuning keys. It was beautiful to look at. The second Dot was just one piece. 3. The finish on the second Dot was not great with some dust stuck in the top coat on the neck and a couple of other small marks. In summary, Epi Dots are fantastic for the price. I would have liked to have kept the first example but couldn't take the risk. They sound massive when plugged in to my Vox VT - 30, a fantastic budget combo. Not sure about the variations and differences on the same model though. Also QC questionable as well as the Epi boxes appear not to stand up well to mail order. I am however one happy Epiphone customer and I am sure to be looking at Epiphones in the future....but in store and not mail order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Interesting post and a salutory tale I prefer to deal face to face with the dealer, but have on occasion bought high end guitars over the internet I've never had a single problem...some luck involved.... One aspect is the guitar being shipped in a fitted hard case Another...to avoid extreme weather conditions Lastly I would not risk airfreight for similar reasons... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 cant speak of two supposedly identicle dots but my natural dot standard is heavy . i bought a dot special to do a transplant job on( long story) anyway its much lighter. im fitting a fender tremelo on it and i had to make the trem cavity and cut through pocket. there is a massive piece of wood down the middle . this in the special i believe is a piece of very soft wood possibly even pine. dont knwo what they use in the standard but theres about 3 pounds difference in weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The.Traffic.Lights Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 i bought a dot special to do a transplant job on( long story) anyway its much lighter. im fitting a fender tremelo on it I'm kind of a noob, so I was just wondering - why and how? First of all, haven't heard about the Dot Special - what is it? Second - won't a big hole in the body and in the center block ruin the git? Third - if you did mistaken Special with Studio and it had a tune-o-matic originally, how do you compensate for the neck angle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Welcome icenii and congrats on your new purchase! I've had several mail order guits via UK couriers with no evidence of damage to the guitars or their outer boxes. It's a bit of a worry that, in your case, both times the headstock had pierced the inner boxes. Dealers I've used have always filled the outer boxes to prevent movement inside. Did yours have this? If not, which dealer sent them so poorly packaged so I know to avoid ordering from them in the future? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The.Traffic.Lights Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Oh, yeah, and I completely forgot - Happy New Guitar Day! As for shipping, I had a completely positive experience the only time I ordered a git - Epi box had foam pads from all sides (but face and back), and the space between the Epi box and the parcel box was filled with fat-bubbled polyethylene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icenii Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hi AlanH Many thanks for your reply. Not sure if I should mention the online store but they are situated in Surrey. I really cant fault them and will use again. Great service. The first guitar did have outer packaging but possibly not enough. The second had the Epiphone box in the outer packaging upside down. Also I am 130 miles away that may not have helped. I just love the Dot, cant put it down. The neck is just perfect and the body feels right. At 6ft 2 and have bananas for fingers I can make some great sounds. Not happened before. Without doubt Epiphone has good design and pickup knowledge. Will certainly be looking in Epiphones direction in the future but not soon, the Dot is the dogs dangles :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icenii Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hi Peter.R As a Semi Solid virgin, I'm begining to think youre right. My first experiences are XXX rated. To be honest, the sounds are great and very encouraging. Wish id discovered much earlier. Looking forward to the future and many thanks for all the greetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The.Traffic.Lights Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hi Peter.R As a Semi Solid virgin, I'm begining to think youre right. My first experiences are XXX rated. To be honest, the sounds are great and very encouraging. Wish id discovered much earlier. Looking forward to the future and many thanks for all the greetings. What do you own besides the Dot? And show us the pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icenii Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hi Traffic Currently returning to guitars after a very long lay off. Never had anything of great quality but mainly in the past LP copies. Now have a very nice Peavey HP Special, love the Floyd Rose but dont have the Dot sounds by a long way. Also have an Ebay Hutchin's Telecaster bought dirt cheap. Made some changes and its pretty good for home practise but now both are in their respective bags with the Dot in town. I have no pictures at present but am a great believer in good craftsmanship. Love the marriage of wood and metals. The Dot takes pride of place and has have beautiful natural grain. Thats in my bedroom and have a great looking Triumph bike in the garage. Life rocks...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The.Traffic.Lights Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The Dot takes pride of place and has have beautiful natural grain. Thats in my bedroom and have a great looking Triumph bike in the garage. Life rocks...... Indeed so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdsmith3 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Congratulations on your new guitar. I have a natural Dot, myself, so you have excellent taste. It does sound great played through a low wattage tube (valve) amp. I had similar damage on an Epiphone Les Paul that I bought and told about here UNhappy NGD It happens, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icenii Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 Ok gents, at least I've picked the correct guitar . With regards to a tube amp, its on my wish list possibly as a treat late 2011. Any suggestions kindly recieved. I'm thinking AC15/ AC30 or a derivitive of. Got to be a Vox. But wait, Hang on a minute , don't be knocking the fantastic Vox VT series. Try one and for the money I am sure will be impressed. The Dot makes it sing. Changing the Dots volume, changes tone, feed back, really dynamic. Don't knock it till you've tried it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icenii Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 There, thats told you. For about 5 minutes. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomeagle1 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Congrats and HNGD! Love my Dot And she sure sings through my Vox AC4TV. Can't go wrong with a Vox Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoro Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Mine sounds great through my fender blues jr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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