Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

[prophetofthor]

i'm basically a "strat" guy so i dont know much about the tunomatic bridge for gibson type guitars. i have a buddy that plays an epiphone dot. he breaks strings on stage. he uses pretty heavy strings (11's or 12's). i'm looking for an aftermarket bridge piece or saddles that will help with this.

what do you guys generally recommend? that you know will be a "drop in replacement" (easy to install).

i need to also determine if the same string breaks all the time. might be a "sharp" saddle, but i would rather get some magic tech to greatly reduce the chance of a stage string break.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

TonePros

Much nicer bridge no matter what a tech does to the stock one.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

I went with a Tone Pros on my Dot, and it was a very easy install. You can just screw the Tone Pros posts into the threaded bushing from the old bridge if you want.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

The ferrules that came with the TP bridge were smaller in diameter than the stock Epi ones, I didn't like the way they glued in so I put the stock ones back in. I did use the posts that came with it though.

I really like the Gotoh/TP parts. They are made from good metals, are well machined, and they just add an element of quality you don't get from pot metals.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

yes gotoh is really good - better than gibson let alone epiphone.
But the cheapo option is he can try smoothing the edges on the bridge saddles on the stock bridge with some fine grit went and dry sandpaper.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

I put a Wilkinson roller bridge on my Dot.

Some people think roller bridges are for Bigsby installs only, but I find mine to be awesome for several reasons:

1) No string breakage at the bridge, ever.

2) No sharp / pointy edges when palm muting

3) Stays in tune better

4) Much easier to intonate

Think about it - think about how a roller bridge works. All these reasons are things that could probably be scientifically and repeatably quantified; not just my opinion. They are the way they are because of the physical design of the roller bridge.



This specific bridge (the Wilkinson) has locking studs, too - which a lot of people seem to love.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

Does Gotoh make that for Wilkinson or is it Jin-Ho?

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

Does Gotoh make that for Wilkinson or is it Jin-Ho?

I'm not sure. Mine is black, so all the markings are hard to read. The bridge pictured and linked above, the one I have on my Dot, is also made of solid brass, which I found gave the guitar a little more "oomph."

I really don't know, but I love it on my Dot. With this bridge and the other little upgrades I did on that guitar (switch, jack, pots, caps, pickups, nut), it served as my #1 gigger for about 2 whole years, and never had a failure or even an annoyance the whole time.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

yes gotoh is really good - better than gibson let alone epiphone.
But the cheapo option is he can try smoothing the edges on the bridge saddles on the stock bridge with some fine grit went and dry sandpaper.

+1. Must be those particular saddles. I have a bunch of Epi's, including a couple Dots; I use 9's and constantly bend strings, with many deep vibrato bends (Peter Green style) and average about one string break a year, usually a high E. There's precious few guys here that bend strings as much I do, or as extremely as I do.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Epiphone Dot, need advice/help

I'm not sure. Mine is black, so all the markings are hard to read. The bridge pictured and linked above, the one I have on my Dot, is also made of solid brass, which I found gave the guitar a little more "oomph."

I really don't know, but I love it on my Dot. With this bridge and the other little upgrades I did on that guitar (switch, jack, pots, caps, pickups, nut), it served as my #1 gigger for about 2 whole years, and never had a failure or even an annoyance the whole time.

hmm have to check one out