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May have buyers remorse on an Epi Dot I ordered..


ztiesman

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I need everyone’s thoughts on a used Epiphone Dot I ordered from Guitar Center.

 

They had a Cherry Epiphone Dot with a hardshell case for $200. At that price, I knew there had to be something wrong with it. I called the store that had it and they said it had a small crack on the head that had been repaired and it was purely cosmetic.

I went to my local guitar center and ordered it. About an hour later the manager from the store I ordered it from called me and told me that the head had a crack that went down to the neck a little. He said it was cosmetic and totally playable. I am starting to think I may had a bad choice.

Is it worth it for 200? It does have a case. Does Guitar Center sell guitars that are pretty damaged or do you think its not a big deal for the price I got it for? I am not concerned about resell value b/c I plan on keeping it.

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If it has been properly repaired it will be stronger than before, and you are guaranteed to not have it crack there again (unless you are really trying to crack it).

 

I don't think it affects tone.

 

For $200 plus a case, it is a bargain.

 

Please feel free to enjoy. I LOVE my Dot.

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i would not buy a guitar with any neck damage period. the neck is the most imortant part of your guitar... as to guitar center selling broken guitars. well i can tell you when i bought my ej200 they had one on display ad the back bottom of the guitar was split wide open . they still had it for sale . and not much cheaper than the one i bought that was perfect..

 

personally . id send that one back ..

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This is interesting, because I bought a cherry Dot with a repaired neck crack, and I bought it for $200!

 

Saw an ad on Craig's list 3 years ago for a 2007 cherry Dot. The price was $250. I went to check it out. Right away I could see that it had been repaired at the neck/headstock; obviously the headstock had broke off. The guy selling it tried to tell me that I was wrong. But I knew I was right. It seemed like a great guitar though, and the repair seemed to be done well, so I offered him $200. He took it.

 

It has never given me any problems at all. It is probably the straightest neck on any guitar I own.

Go play it. Check it out very carefully. If it seems that the repair was done well, and you are getting a HSC, I would get it! [thumbup]

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Several things...First, I have 2 Dots, both bought used, one bought with a repaired neck crack. I have not had any problems with the repaired neck, and I LOVE the Dots. Since you are getting a guitar + a case for $200, I would not hesitate.

 

Second, I have ordered used guitars from Guitar Center and will never do it again. The first guitar was a total disaster, unplayable due to a pulled up top (An acoustic 12 string Martin) and what seemed to be a broken truss rod. The store manager and the guitar tech swore this was a very good player, and it was not playable at all by my standards, and could not be repaired by me. I did send it back and got a refund, plus the shipping for the return...OK

 

The second was a very old (1924) Gibson acoustic that I again was told several times by the store manager and the guitar tech..(Different stores, far apart in the US) the guitar was "a good player". It needs serious fretboard and fret repair and is not playable even for open chords. BUT it was something I had been looking for, there are not many around, and it came with the original hard case, sol I am having it repaired by a very high end restorer in Philly...at my cost, of course.

 

Be aware that Guitar Center will lie to you to make a sale, but you can return your purchase wt no cost. SAVE THE BOX AND PACKAGING IT CAME IN...till you are sure you are satisfied with it.

 

FWIW, I have been playing since the early 1960's and I LOVE Epiphone Dots. I like their Casinos and the Wilshires are looking good to me, too. I'm not too happy with their lower end Gibson model copies...

 

I'd buy that Dot and at least give it a try. .. the case is worth over $100 new, and for a good guitar like the Dot, I think a hard case is mandatory.

 

 

 

Get it.

 

mark

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Thanks for all the input guys. I am super excited about getting a dot(love the sound for the price). I am just preparing myself not to be heartbroken. I had it shipped to the store so if its non playable I can take care of it right then and there.

 

My other question: If I buy their warranty, will they fix the neck?

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My other question: If I buy their warranty, will they fix the neck?

You should ask them that question.

But I thought the neck had already been repaired. If there is a crack, and it has NOT been already repaired, I would NOT buy it. There is no telling if the repair will go well or not.

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I guess I'm kinda in the "I don't see how you can go that far wrong" bunch.

 

Assuming the case is in half decent shape, that's about half of what you're paying for. Then assuming the guitar needs significant repair...

 

Hey, $400 new plus $100 for a case. Even if it costs $100 to do a more significant repair, you have a case paid for, for a $200 deal on a guitar. Even if you decide not to fix something that needs significant repair, you have more than $100 in parts...

 

But it's your money.

 

Oh - and I love Dots too. IMHO, the best semi guitar for the money on the market.

 

Would I prefer a Gibbie? Yup, but ... I'm not sure I'd be willing to trade if I hadda dump my Dot that plays awfully nicely with its current setup.

 

m

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What's the deal with GCs warranty terms on used instruments? If the manager is assuring you the neck is stable and not going to cause you any issues, can he back that up with a written warranty for six months, for your piece of mind? If you try the guitar and like it but you still have nagging doubts it might be worth asking. The words "buy" and "warranty" in the same sentence in an earlier post sounded warning bells: I'm in the UK so don't really know where you stand over the pond in terms of consumer rights if the crack turns out to be an issue,, but it feels like unless they're specifically selling "as-is" you should have some legal backup.

 

Personally a well repaired headstock crack is a non issue for me - the only thing to bear in mind is that, given the number of people who think otherwise, its going to be harder to resell further down the line if you need to. But for $200 with a case, seems a decent deal for you.

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Thanks guys. It sounds like it is boiling down to trying it and seeing if I am able to put up with it. Not concerned with resell value, plan on keeping it and passing it down to one of my kids.

 

I will post some pics to see what you all think(I have 30 days to return it).

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I need everyone's thoughts on a used Epiphone Dot I ordered from Guitar Center.

 

Does Guitar Center sell guitars that are pretty damaged or do you think its not a big deal for the price I got it for? I am not concerned about resell value b/c I plan on keeping it.

 

Guitar Center sells MANY NEW guitars that are uber damaged...Then they charge extra for the case.......[flapper] [flapper] [flapper] .......

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I have two guitars with repaired headstocks. One is a 12 that probably broke because of added weight with new tuners when it fell (in the case). It was repaired locally by an expert luthier and you can't even tell it was done. The second is a LoPrinzi dreadnaught that I bought with a cosmetically poor repair (less than $200 with shipping). A different luthier said that it was strong and would hold up as is. Both of them said that a well done headstock repair is at least as strong as the original wood, if not stronger, even in the case of the not so pretty one.

Brad

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You're in a no risk situation, which is ideal. Play it for 29 days, and if it doesn't work for you, you can still return it to your local GC & not mess with shipping. Just clarify with your store exactly when that 30 day return period starts & ends.

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Is this a new guitar or a used one? If it's used I reckon most Epis to be worth a little over half the commonly seen 'new' price providied they're in good/very good condition.

 

If it's new it sounds like a reasonable deal but I'd certainly tap/knock the headstock area to listen for unusual sounds and grab it to put it under a little pressure (not too much) to see how "cosmetic" that crack really is.

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Several things...First, I have 2 Dots, both bought used, one bought with a repaired neck crack. I have not had any problems with the repaired neck, and I LOVE the Dots. Since you are getting a guitar + a case for $200, I would not hesitate.

 

.... the case is worth over $100

 

mark

 

 

I agree 110%

 

Even if the guitar is a dog, and you missed the 30 day period, you could resell it privately and get your money back.

 

Go for it!

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