The Epiphone DOT Studio - It's A Necessity
(Epiphone | Posted 2006-08-04)
Gibson's first “semi-acoustic” the ES-335, was intended to combine together a solid-body and hollow-body guitar thereby achieving the best of both worlds. Now legendary, it is neither totally solid nor fully acoustic offering a unique tone that has defined rock and blues since it's introduction in the 1950's. Used by many famous guitarists such as Andy Summers, Elvin Bishop, Lee Ritenour, Jay Graydon, Robben Ford, Freddie King, John McLaughin, Jimmy Page, Chuck Berry, Tony Mottola, Johnny Rivers, Jack Wilkins, Bono, Grant Green, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alvin Lee, B.B. King, Emily Remler, Otis Rush, Pete Townshend, John Lee Hooker, and Larry Carlton, it received it's nickname "the DOT" because of it's original, "dot" inlays found on the fingerboard.
Epiphone's DOT Studio captures all the essence of the ES-335 but brings a new look, new functionality and new affordability to this legendary, semi-hollow body guitar. The hot, open-coil Alnico-V humbucking pickups and simplified electronics - just a single tone and single volume control - give the guitar a clean look while the black hardware and markerless fingerboard (perhaps we should have called it the "DOT-less Studio) add to it's simple elegance. Likewise building upon Epiphone's great tradition of archtops such as the Sheraton and Emperor, the DOT Studio is a very versatile guitar capable of dishing out hot blues, rock and roll when overdriven or modern jazz tones clean.
"It doesn’t get smoky enough for traditional jazz—even with the Tone knob rolled completely down—but its forceful, articulate, and robust voice kicks ass for rock, modern jazz, prog, pop, and punk."
Guitar Player Magazine
By Michael Molenda
DOT Studio Review - June 2005
With those kind of credentials combined with a suggested U.S. retail price of $499, the Dot Studio is not only an affordable addition to any guitarist's arsenal, it's a necessity.
Check out the Epiphone DOT Studio at an authorized dealer near you.
