pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
- Thread starter papersoul
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papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I wonder, do they use cheap fret wire on these Dots? How about the tuners? They are Grovers but they take a little longer to get in tune than my PRS for example, I guess that is the gear ratio? How about the brideg and tail piece? OK quality?
Anyway, i am enjoying the guitar but they do balance funny, sort of like an SG or maybe worse. I have to makes sure to use my right forearm to hold the guitar in place while standing and playing.
I wonder, do they use cheap fret wire on these Dots? How about the tuners? They are Grovers but they take a little longer to get in tune than my PRS for example, I guess that is the gear ratio? How about the brideg and tail piece? OK quality?
Anyway, i am enjoying the guitar but they do balance funny, sort of like an SG or maybe worse. I have to makes sure to use my right forearm to hold the guitar in place while standing and playing.
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I'm not sure the fretwire would make much difference until it came time to do a complete fret job.......thats a few years down the track anyhow.
Tuners - I've found the grovers do a pretty good job, and the local shop said not to worry about them overly as a first/early type replacement. What was quite bad with mine was the nut slotting - sometimes I would bend one note and be out of tune. A new bone nut would be the way to go I think if this is what is happening to you.
You need to take up fishing to do the pups (might as well also replace the pots while you're there). I palmed it off and was very happy I did so.
I'm not sure the fretwire would make much difference until it came time to do a complete fret job.......thats a few years down the track anyhow.
Tuners - I've found the grovers do a pretty good job, and the local shop said not to worry about them overly as a first/early type replacement. What was quite bad with mine was the nut slotting - sometimes I would bend one note and be out of tune. A new bone nut would be the way to go I think if this is what is happening to you.
You need to take up fishing to do the pups (might as well also replace the pots while you're there). I palmed it off and was very happy I did so.
super rad stuff
Skaforlifeologist
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
rewiring a dot's not hard, you just need to have some string on hand. feed the string through the hole, tie it to the pot shaft, then pull it through. same with the toggle switch.
as far as the pickups/electronics go, i also would prefer PGs. however, i'm gonna throw a curve ball in there and also suggest stock phat cats. they're going to be pretty bright, but also very fat and thick because of the stock a2/a2 magnet configuration. personally, i prefer CTS pots and OD caps allaround, but the choice is yours.
rewiring a dot's not hard, you just need to have some string on hand. feed the string through the hole, tie it to the pot shaft, then pull it through. same with the toggle switch.
as far as the pickups/electronics go, i also would prefer PGs. however, i'm gonna throw a curve ball in there and also suggest stock phat cats. they're going to be pretty bright, but also very fat and thick because of the stock a2/a2 magnet configuration. personally, i prefer CTS pots and OD caps allaround, but the choice is yours.
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
You're one of a lucky few then - the first time I plugged in they were muddy and dull. I think the strings shipped with the dot didn't help either - lifeless.
My problem is I have some really nice other guitars.....the dot in stock form suffers by comparison. With new pups I'm sure it won't anymore
You're one of a lucky few then - the first time I plugged in they were muddy and dull. I think the strings shipped with the dot didn't help either - lifeless.
My problem is I have some really nice other guitars.....the dot in stock form suffers by comparison. With new pups I'm sure it won't anymore
papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
True, I have quite a few really nice American made and American custom made guitars and this is there in the pack! I also have hand wound pickups to my specs.
I found more than any other guitar, these pickups on this guitar require height adjustment. WOW, what a difference height changes make! Maybe it's a semi hollow thing. I am sure some day I will upgrade the pups and maybe a bone nut, etc....but it can wait.
True, I have quite a few really nice American made and American custom made guitars and this is there in the pack! I also have hand wound pickups to my specs.
I found more than any other guitar, these pickups on this guitar require height adjustment. WOW, what a difference height changes make! Maybe it's a semi hollow thing. I am sure some day I will upgrade the pups and maybe a bone nut, etc....but it can wait.
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
The dot is back!!!!
MUCH better. The low strings are still a fraction dull but I'm going to look at pickup height next, as acoustically its ok now.
How did you find your ideal pup height? I'm curious as to how far you've got them away from the strings
The dot is back!!!!
MUCH better. The low strings are still a fraction dull but I'm going to look at pickup height next, as acoustically its ok now.
How did you find your ideal pup height? I'm curious as to how far you've got them away from the strings
papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I adjusted by ear. For me, I found I like the bridge pickup at about 3/32" from the strings and the neck just balanced the volume with the bridge. I also raised the pole pieces up a few turns above the covers and it added a lot of clarity and chime.
I adjusted by ear. For me, I found I like the bridge pickup at about 3/32" from the strings and the neck just balanced the volume with the bridge. I also raised the pole pieces up a few turns above the covers and it added a lot of clarity and chime.
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papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
Adjusting pickup and pole height really makes a difference on this guitar! However, I want to try other pickups but don't want to keep swapping. A stock ES335 comes with Classic 57s, no? Maybe I should go with what the guitar is meant to use and get the 57s. I mean the neck should be clear as long as I adjust the poles and PU height. If not this, it will be PGs because I really think an ES335 needs Alnico II magnets.
Funny my tech told me to sell the DOT and get a real ES335 if that is what I want....but I disagree...why spend the money if this thing is that good. I am shocked at the build on this thing and the pots and everything seem just fine. Don't even know if I would replace the pots, etc.
Adjusting pickup and pole height really makes a difference on this guitar! However, I want to try other pickups but don't want to keep swapping. A stock ES335 comes with Classic 57s, no? Maybe I should go with what the guitar is meant to use and get the 57s. I mean the neck should be clear as long as I adjust the poles and PU height. If not this, it will be PGs because I really think an ES335 needs Alnico II magnets.
Funny my tech told me to sell the DOT and get a real ES335 if that is what I want....but I disagree...why spend the money if this thing is that good. I am shocked at the build on this thing and the pots and everything seem just fine. Don't even know if I would replace the pots, etc.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
Epi Dots are nice guitars, and I've had a few of them. It's very easy to swap PU's and electronics in a 335 or other F hole guitar. I've done it a few dozen times. There's a number of old posts here with detailed instructions on how I do it. Takes about 5 minutres to get all the pots back in.
As far as PU's, PG's are clearer, brighter, and have much less tendency to be muddy like '57's can be. You're much better off with PG's. If the bridge PU is too bright (sometimes a bridge A2 PAF can sound 'ribbony'), try a roughcast A2.
If you want to hang on to the stock PU's for a while, take out the wax! For no justifiable reason, Epi HB's are jammed full of wax, like a bar of soap, which muffles the tone. Scraping most of it out opens up the tone. You could also swap magnets while you're in there (to A2's) and see what you think.
The benefit to bone nuts is the easy movement of strings thru the nut slots. Tonewise, they only have an impact on open strings, so unless you do a lot of folk guitar chords, you won't hear much, if any, difference.
There's no reason to have any fret work done unless the frets are worn down. On a new Epi, they'll last years, maybe many years. Of the many used Epis that have passed thru my hands over the years, I've only seen one with noticeable fret wear (an older Korean one), and I was able to use a file and level them myself.
Epi Dots are nice guitars, and I've had a few of them. It's very easy to swap PU's and electronics in a 335 or other F hole guitar. I've done it a few dozen times. There's a number of old posts here with detailed instructions on how I do it. Takes about 5 minutres to get all the pots back in.
As far as PU's, PG's are clearer, brighter, and have much less tendency to be muddy like '57's can be. You're much better off with PG's. If the bridge PU is too bright (sometimes a bridge A2 PAF can sound 'ribbony'), try a roughcast A2.
If you want to hang on to the stock PU's for a while, take out the wax! For no justifiable reason, Epi HB's are jammed full of wax, like a bar of soap, which muffles the tone. Scraping most of it out opens up the tone. You could also swap magnets while you're in there (to A2's) and see what you think.
The benefit to bone nuts is the easy movement of strings thru the nut slots. Tonewise, they only have an impact on open strings, so unless you do a lot of folk guitar chords, you won't hear much, if any, difference.
There's no reason to have any fret work done unless the frets are worn down. On a new Epi, they'll last years, maybe many years. Of the many used Epis that have passed thru my hands over the years, I've only seen one with noticeable fret wear (an older Korean one), and I was able to use a file and level them myself.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I have a great sounding Epi dot (2000 I think?) with a '59 neck and Seth Lover Bridge . . . I'd recommend either of those pickups for you. The '59 is a little more hi-fi, and the Seth is a little more mid-range honk-y.
If you want to do a quick and easy pickup swap on the Dot just cut the wires of the current pickups you're using and solder your new pickups onto them. No need to remove the whole wiring harness or anything. You can do this in about 15 minutes.
I have a great sounding Epi dot (2000 I think?) with a '59 neck and Seth Lover Bridge . . . I'd recommend either of those pickups for you. The '59 is a little more hi-fi, and the Seth is a little more mid-range honk-y.
If you want to do a quick and easy pickup swap on the Dot just cut the wires of the current pickups you're using and solder your new pickups onto them. No need to remove the whole wiring harness or anything. You can do this in about 15 minutes.
papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
Thanks, have either of you found any good reason to swap the pots and caps? If not, just swapping pickups would be easier. I would have to be certain of matching up the correct wires though. I am guessing the stock pickups are AIIs based on the stock warmth in tone.
Interesting on the bone nut and tonal differences. A friend said a bone nut on his Les Paul was night and day and he is a hard rock player like me. From what you say...it sounds a bone night might do more for an acoustic.
Thanks, have either of you found any good reason to swap the pots and caps? If not, just swapping pickups would be easier. I would have to be certain of matching up the correct wires though. I am guessing the stock pickups are AIIs based on the stock warmth in tone.
Interesting on the bone nut and tonal differences. A friend said a bone nut on his Les Paul was night and day and he is a hard rock player like me. From what you say...it sounds a bone night might do more for an acoustic.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I only change out the bridge pots, to put in 250K's to warm the tone. I leave the neck pots and toggle as is.
Epi's just starting to use A2's in a few models; don't think they're putting them in Dots yet (not sure though). I think the warm tone you're hearing is a half pound of wax muffling the A5's.
Once you fret a string, the nut becomes a much smaller factor in the tone. What you hear is from the (fingered) fret to the bridge. I guess if you pay someone to install a new nut, you'll hear a difference, although that may be more of a placebo effect than anything else.
I only change out the bridge pots, to put in 250K's to warm the tone. I leave the neck pots and toggle as is.
Epi's just starting to use A2's in a few models; don't think they're putting them in Dots yet (not sure though). I think the warm tone you're hearing is a half pound of wax muffling the A5's.
Once you fret a string, the nut becomes a much smaller factor in the tone. What you hear is from the (fingered) fret to the bridge. I guess if you pay someone to install a new nut, you'll hear a difference, although that may be more of a placebo effect than anything else.
papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I would think the stock bridge volume pot is 300K like on my 2004 LP. Igt sounds pretty warm stock.
I always thought the wax had little tonal effect but I might open up the cavity and look at the pickups and see what happens.
I would think the stock bridge volume pot is 300K like on my 2004 LP. Igt sounds pretty warm stock.
I always thought the wax had little tonal effect but I might open up the cavity and look at the pickups and see what happens.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I've seen the insides of dozens of Epi's (Korean and Chinese), and they've all been 500K. I use a Dremel to cut teh solder blobs, but sometimes you can just pop the covers off with a screwdriver.
Wax does impact tone, even the small amount they use in high quality American PU's, which is why you can get a few of them unpotted (like Seths). The amount of wax used in many Asian HB's is overkill taken to a new level. A few drops of wax secure the pole pieces and magnet, after that it only hurts the tone quality. You see very little wax in Duncans, DMz's, Gibsons, etc. The coils are never buried in wax on a good PU. Open up an Epi HB, and it looks like a bar of soap. There's enough wax to make a candle.
I've seen the insides of dozens of Epi's (Korean and Chinese), and they've all been 500K. I use a Dremel to cut teh solder blobs, but sometimes you can just pop the covers off with a screwdriver.
Wax does impact tone, even the small amount they use in high quality American PU's, which is why you can get a few of them unpotted (like Seths). The amount of wax used in many Asian HB's is overkill taken to a new level. A few drops of wax secure the pole pieces and magnet, after that it only hurts the tone quality. You see very little wax in Duncans, DMz's, Gibsons, etc. The coils are never buried in wax on a good PU. Open up an Epi HB, and it looks like a bar of soap. There's enough wax to make a candle.
papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
I don't have a dremel...can a decent 45watt iron loosen the solder blob to remove the cover? I assume you found you had to remove wax from the coils as well as the back of the pickup or the base plate. Do you just scrape it away.
I guess I could replace the bridge pot if a pickup swap leaves it too bright. I was also looking at Dimarzio 36th Ann PAFs and I do not hear those as being too bright so they might work with the stock pots. What is the quality of the pots, are you able to determine this? The SEEM OK.
Stock and sounds good...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZ5Hg7-t5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nu2puCteRc
I don't have a dremel...can a decent 45watt iron loosen the solder blob to remove the cover? I assume you found you had to remove wax from the coils as well as the back of the pickup or the base plate. Do you just scrape it away.
I guess I could replace the bridge pot if a pickup swap leaves it too bright. I was also looking at Dimarzio 36th Ann PAFs and I do not hear those as being too bright so they might work with the stock pots. What is the quality of the pots, are you able to determine this? The SEEM OK.
Stock and sounds good...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZ5Hg7-t5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nu2puCteRc
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
Try removing as much solder as you can with the soldering iron; you'll probably still need to use a screwdriver to pop the sides loose after that, but it shouldn't take much pressure.
I just use a flathead screwdriver to carefully carve away most of the wax (be gentle around the coils); most of it comes off in chunks. You could also put a warmer magnet in the bridge, like an A8, A4 or UOA5, so you wouldn't need to change to warmer pots.
The stock pots are decent quality, not great but serviceable. The differences in various pots and caps have little, if any effect if they're left at '10'; the quality comes into play when you start dialing them down, even then there's not a huge difference in them. I don't replace pots or toggles unless they're shorting out or making noise, which is not a common problem unless a guitar has some years on it.
Some guys replace all the hardware and electronics, and put another 2 or 3 hundred dollars into it, on top of new PU's. I don't. Upgrading PU's improves the tone more than everything else combined. To me, Epi's are well-made guitars at a reasonable price; if you're going to replace everything but the wood, you should spend the money on an Epi Elitist or other comparable model instead, that retails for 2 or 3 times what a Dot does.
Try removing as much solder as you can with the soldering iron; you'll probably still need to use a screwdriver to pop the sides loose after that, but it shouldn't take much pressure.
I just use a flathead screwdriver to carefully carve away most of the wax (be gentle around the coils); most of it comes off in chunks. You could also put a warmer magnet in the bridge, like an A8, A4 or UOA5, so you wouldn't need to change to warmer pots.
The stock pots are decent quality, not great but serviceable. The differences in various pots and caps have little, if any effect if they're left at '10'; the quality comes into play when you start dialing them down, even then there's not a huge difference in them. I don't replace pots or toggles unless they're shorting out or making noise, which is not a common problem unless a guitar has some years on it.
Some guys replace all the hardware and electronics, and put another 2 or 3 hundred dollars into it, on top of new PU's. I don't. Upgrading PU's improves the tone more than everything else combined. To me, Epi's are well-made guitars at a reasonable price; if you're going to replace everything but the wood, you should spend the money on an Epi Elitist or other comparable model instead, that retails for 2 or 3 times what a Dot does.
papersoul
New member
Re: pickup suggestions for epiphone dot!
Funny, I agree....why fix what isn't broken. I might try some pickup swaps but if I do I might seriously just clip the wires and wire in the new pickups unless I feel like going through fishing out what I need to get the job done, LOL.
I have to say, we compared this Epi to a few Gibsons on the wall, and the difference was small! Seriously small, I couldn't justify the real ES-335. I can't imagine how much better the Epi Elitist is.
Actually throwing in some Epi Elitist Dot pickups might be a decent idea? They are USA pickups.
I wonder how much better the Elitist is...this guitar I have smokes.
Looks nice, but is it that much better than what I have......
http://www.epiphone.com/elitist/335dot.htm
Really nice.
Funny, I agree....why fix what isn't broken. I might try some pickup swaps but if I do I might seriously just clip the wires and wire in the new pickups unless I feel like going through fishing out what I need to get the job done, LOL.
I have to say, we compared this Epi to a few Gibsons on the wall, and the difference was small! Seriously small, I couldn't justify the real ES-335. I can't imagine how much better the Epi Elitist is.
Actually throwing in some Epi Elitist Dot pickups might be a decent idea? They are USA pickups.
I wonder how much better the Elitist is...this guitar I have smokes.
Looks nice, but is it that much better than what I have......
http://www.epiphone.com/elitist/335dot.htm
Really nice.
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