Epiphone Dot 335

[Supernaut]

Hi Everyone....I am pretty new at owning an electric guitar, however, have been playing an acoustic for about 7 years.

Well - I'd like any and all the input I can get (particularly from Epiphone Dot 335 owners) about everything that I need to know! For instance: Fret buzzing (how 'loud' does it have to be before it's a bad thing, is it common, what is it, what does it mean re: electrics, etc); Optimal String height (blues/jazz - no shredding); Maintenance tricks; any other tips.
Thanks!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

[PonyOne]

I like the Dot. Even though it's an Epi, you'll find few naysayers. Gets a really Beatles-like tone if you play it over a Vox amp, and if you use a little overdrive and up the bass it sounds like a Les Paul. I can explain more later but I gotta run at moment, hope this helps.

[Incidents Happen]

hm...i havent played a dot, but i've played 5 epi les pauls...and i think the tone on them are superior to any guitar of its price range ($300 + 650 or so).

I just got my Guild DCE-1 Acoustic/Electric today, it rocks!
but the only thing is, its hard to play phish stuff on it, so im probably going to save up and get the Gibson Les Paul Junior Special ( only because bob marley played that model!:)). but make sure you get a good electric, or you'll get sick of the tone on it quick ( if your like me ).

[PonyOne]

Good electric is a broad term... my axe of choice is a 1998 Epiphone SG Special that I've modified for left-hand use, replaced the pickups & pots, and it's a "crap" guitar: plywood, $200 new at Mars Music, and a bolt on neck. But it feels right, and I can get the tone I want out of it... have a few other way nicer guitars by more reputable companies, and I like them all, but I can open up on my SG and I don't know if I could with another guitar, even if it was used by one of my inspirations.

That said I'd like to get a Heritage LP and ES335 copy, I love the sound on those things...

The Dot is nice because, for about $400, you can get a guitar that gives you the look & feel of an ES335 that doesn't sound like it cost $400. It's actually more versatile than a Gibson ES335 in most respects, as it's not specialized to a bluesy sound. The nicest blues setup I played was an ESP EX-100 (lefty) with stock pickups over a Vox AC30 with only slight overdrive... and the EX-100 is a decidedly metal guitar.

My advice would be to go around to guitar stores and just play whatever. Try a Dot, try an LP, try a Tele, try a Strat, try whatever feels good off the bat. As far as the string height goes, an LP, Dot, SG or something along those lines is going to be better for blues and jazz than a Strat, Tele, or ESP or Jackson, as it's higher up and tends to lend itself to strumming a lot better than the latter three, which are closer to the body because of the bridge design. Anything with a Tune-O-Matic or Bigsby tremolo will give better results.

Oh and I don't know what you know about amps, but try a Vox of some type... I have a $120 Pathfinder and I can do loads with it. The Vox AC30 is the king of all vintage-style tube amps IMHO, it has the vibe, reverb, cut and tone that will really let you rip loose with stuff where you want to hear your guitar's true voice. The Pathfinders and Cambridge's have built in overdrive/distortion that can get you from a good bluesy growl to a punkish grind, and the AC30 is so cool it is one of the few amps that DOESN'T HAVE BUILT IN EFFECTS... just a suite of fine-tuners. You gotta supply your own effects.

Good luck & happy hunting... finding new gear is the most fun part of being an electric guitarist.

[PonyOne]

Oh and as far as maintenance... electrics are more resiliant than acoustics, so a nasty dent on the body won't kill you. In my experience necks on electrics bow more easily, the best way to avoid is to avoid super-heavy guage strings unless you tune down a step... I use lights or mediums.

When you get the guitar, experiment with the height of your pickups... the closer they are to the strings the more strong a sound you'll get, and I stagger the magnets to help get a more specialized sound.

I like to give my guitars a thorough washing twice a month and i polish after nearly every use. The less gunk you build up the better. The tune-O-matic bridge on my SG is a royal pain to keep clean, and after 3 years of use the chrome is starting to go because I rest my hand on it when playing.

[Incidents Happen]

lol i got a little dent on the back of my cheap squier