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Epiphone Dot Upgrade (Need help!)


madferit

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Hey everybody, I've had my Epiphone Dot for about 2 years now and it's served my pretty well but I'm starting to get a little agitated at some of its minor flaws.

 

I'd like to upgrade the tuning pegs and pick-ups but have no idea were to start.I was thinking Gibson 57' pick ups but its only a $400 guitar new so I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on some great sounding pick-ups (that are reasonably priced..) as well as some decent tuning pegs that will help it stay in tune longer.

Thanks

Blake

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Hey everybody, I've had my Epiphone Dot for about 2 years now and it's served my pretty well but I'm starting to get a little agitated at some of its minor flaws.

 

I'd like to upgrade the tuning pegs and pick-ups but have no idea were to start.I was thinking Gibson 57' pick ups but its only a $400 guitar new so I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on some great sounding pick-ups (that are reasonably priced..) as well as some decent tuning pegs that will help it stay in tune longer.

Thanks

Blake

If your guitar is not staying in tune it usually isnt the tuners.If it has the original nut you can lubricate it with graphite or a lubricant from a guitar shop.I was under the impression all dots had the grovers.I believe they are the same tuners as my Gibson.
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I put a set of Grover Vintage Green Keystones on my Dot, just for aesthetics. The stock Grover Rotomatics worked fine. I would suggest looking at your nut and saddles as the culprit to tuning problems, I doubt that it is your tuners. The stock Rotomatics are pretty good.

 

For a descent priced pup, I put a set of GFS Vintage 59s in my Dot and Sheraton and have been totally happy with them. The neck pup isn't too muddy and the bridge pup is bright enough for me with out feeling like getting an ice pick in the ear. The GFS site was mentioned a post earlier. I would also recommend swapping out the wire, getting good braised shielded wire, pots, jacks, switch, and caps.

 

Get a Switchcraft jack and switch. Get a long shaft 1/4" jack, the regular is too short, I know from experience.

 

Get either Alpha pots or CTS pots. Don't get Alpha pots from GFS. The GFS they sell are the same as what is in your Dot. Stewmac sells nice Alphas and they fit in the holes without having to enlarge them. You will have to make the holes larger with the CTS pots. I also recommend Orange Drop caps.

 

Here are the pups I put in.

 

http://store.guitarfetish.com/Vintage-59-Nickel-Classic-Alnico-V-Humbucker-_c_169.html

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If your guitar is not staying in tune it usually isnt the tuners.If it has the original nut you can lubricate it with graphite or a lubricant from a guitar shop.I was under the impression all dots had the grovers.I believe they are the same tuners as my Gibson.

Okay thanks!

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I put a set of Grover Vintage Green Keystones on my Dot, just for aesthetics. The stock Grover Rotomatics worked fine. I would suggest looking at your nut and saddles as the culprit to tuning problems, I doubt that it is your tuners. The stock Rotomatics are pretty good.

 

For a descent priced pup, I put a set of GFS Vintage 59s in my Dot and Sheraton and have been totally happy with them. The neck pup isn't too muddy and the bridge pup is bright enough for me with out feeling like getting an ice pick in the ear. The GFS site was mentioned a post earlier. I would also recommend swapping out the wire, getting good braised shielded wire, pots, jacks, switch, and caps.

 

Get a Switchcraft jack and switch. Get a long shaft 1/4" jack, the regular is too short, I know from experience.

 

Get either Alpha pots or CTS pots. Don't get Alpha pots from GFS. The GFS they sell are the same as what is in your Dot. Stewmac sells nice Alphas and they fit in the holes without having to enlarge them. You will have to make the holes larger with the CTS pots. I also recommend Orange Drop caps.

 

Here are the pups I put in.

 

http://store.guitarfetish.com/Vintage-59-Nickel-Classic-Alnico-V-Humbucker-_c_169.html

 

Thanks a bunch for the advice. I'll look into all of it.

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Thanks a bunch for the advice. I'll look into all of it.

 

On a recent Les Paul purchase, I was experiencing tuning problems, a creaky nut and a couple tuners

that just didn't feel right. So, I went with the same Grover Green-Knob tuners the other poster mentioned,

and had my luthier install a bone nut. It's like a whole different guitar. I wish Epiphone would upgrade those

black plastic nuts. My Sheraton came with a decent nut, but some of the models still suffer from pretty

sad stock nuts. Heck, I'd pay a few bucks more for the guitar, if it had a better factory nut. This Les Paul

is an awesome guitar - stock pickups and all. Mostly the nut, I assume. But, it sure is better now.

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On my Dot I put a couple of Tonerider Rebel 90 that are a sort of p90 with humbucker size. The stock pickups had a black&white sound now there are all the colours!

Here's some pics of the job.

 

P.S.: I've never had any tuning problems with the stock grover.

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Gibson 490R and 490T are very good, and slightly cheaper than '57 Classics. Like the '57s they are wax potted to eliminate squeal and are PAF style for that vintage sound (and not too hot.) If you but them as aftermarket, rather than those taken from a stock guitar, you get 4 conductor wires to give you more wiring options. Seymour Duncan '59s are great too. I have one in the neck of my Charvel- it gives me an amazing vintage blues tone.

 

Alan

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