Epiphone Dot Studio Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar  

There really are no features to talk about. I can talk about the features that are missing though. No pick guard, the instrument is so unfinished, that a pick guard would go a long way to making it look like Epiphone at least had pride in the product. When I say "unfinished" basic electronics, matt finish and no body or neck binding. Now I know that these are the things that make it a "studio model", no frills. But no! No pick guard. Let's face it EPIPHONE, you are obviously targeting either beginner or intermiditate guitarists with this model but you have also omitted any markings on the fretboard. No dots! This is a very vital part of the guitar for beginners. Even as a well seasoned guitarist/musician (42 yrs playing in bands or session) I even find it off putting not to have markings on the fretboard.I know it is a "studio" model and bling has been kept to a minimum for affordability but c'mon. I have a Gibson LP studio and could not be more happy with it!!!!!! LOVE IT!

It won't stay in tune, no matter what. Honestly. I can not even play one song. I check tuning after every song played, and it is out of tune. That effectively makes the guitar useless. Simply...You can't play it!

It is not only the lack of the nice and important things that are required on a guitar that make this guitar a poor choice. I will admit that the finish is good. It seems that some effort has been put into making this guitar "worthy" of the Epiphone name as far as appearance goes. But sound is probably more important thatn anything else with a musical instrument. I am sorry to say that you will probably be dissapointed with the sounds you get from this guitar. DO NOT think that you will get that classic "Beatles" sound. Do not think that you will get that "Dave Grohl" sound or anything in between. This is a cheap guitar with a cheap sound. If price is an object and you are hoping to buy a brand name for a good price, then this is not the guitar for you. You ar just as well to buy the cheapest guitar you can find and it will compare to this.

This is supposed to be a lower priced model of an Epiphone guitar. You could buy the cheapest guitar on the market for a 1/4 of the price and still have a guitar that is of the same, if not better quality than this one. Obviously aimed at beggineers or intermediate musicians, In my opinion, this would turn a beginner off playing guitar as it is so difficult to play.

Do not waste your money on this thing. You can do much better for a fraction of the price. A Washurn Delta Blues is twice as good for half the price. Ibanez make a good semi-accoustic. I have been playing guitar for 42 years and own 28 musical instuments from guitar, violin to piano and percussion. I am a retired professional and have made a very good living from playing in bands and session work. I like to think that I know the difference between a "guitar" and a "real musical instrument". This is just a guitar. It does not and never will, qualify as a musical instument in my opinoin.

Honestly ask yourself, how much are you prepared to spend on fire wood? I spent my money with Epiphone and I will never do it again.

Awesome sound in and out of amp. Fast neck and easy playability. A little buzz in the neck, but not a huge problem.

Good sound, good feel, lightweight, LOOKS AMAZING, tuners are...meh, easy control setup.

It's a semi-hollow, for such a low price, it is absoulutely worth the money.

This is my favorite guitar. Don't let the name fool you, it sounds just as good as the normal dot. It actually feels better than the dot, the non-finished neck is smooth and fast and it is a little lighter. This is good for blues, rock, punk, you name it.

I was messing around in a large, nationwide Instrument Center while my cousin was looking at Martin Acoustics. This Epi Dot Studio was sitting in a stand next to a Marshall half-stack so I said what the heck. I plugged it in and was pleasantly suprised. It played very nicely and sounded great through the half stack. Since it was a demo there was no price on it. I took a good look at it and figured it to go for about twice the price here.

A few weeks later I decided I wanted a new axe. I haven't played seriously in over 10 years but wanted to pick it back up again. I've always been partial to Gibson Les Pauls, but I wasn't looking to spend that much on guitar just to sit on the couch and plink while I watched TV. During my online search, this Epi popped up and I was suprised at the price! Anyway, I purchased it.

Kudos to Musicians Friend for great service and price and to Epiphone for  great quality for the price.

Quality is very good. You can go to the rack at Guitar MegalowMart and see flashy junk for twice the price.

You cant beat this guitar for the price.

I was never a big fan of Epiphone as I always thought they were a poor man's Gibson. But after purchasing the Dot Studio, I cant figure out why I would pay a lot for a Gibson Les Paul Standard when I can get pretty much the exact same thing from Epi for less. Which I will do, it will be my next guitar.

For a budget guitar this Dot punches above it's weight.  The finish, while not perfect, is very good and it is a smooth player.  The stripped down vol/tone control layout fits the overall utilitarian vibe and the hardware is....well .... that's where this guitar loses a few points in my book.  The hardware is "adequate" but upon giving it a good setup I discovered that the bridge on mine made it impossible to perfectly intonate the guitar.  It sounded fine, and played well, but little quirks like that drive me nuts.

Speaking of nuts, the nut is also fine, but could stand a little TLC

Still a solid player and a great basis for a a few hardware upgrades that can make this feel and sound like a much more expensive semi-hollow

For hardware see above.

The guitar feels solid and plays well.  Very expressive tonality.

I was surprised at the quality of the Alnico Classic pickups.  Much better than I expected on such a budget minded guitar and capable of a whole range of tones from smooth blues to crunchy rock.

For the price, this is a great buy.

Guitars in this price range are always a bit of a compromise of price/quality, but really isn't that true with every guitar?  This one delivers much more quality for the price than many other guitars in the price range and is a great value.

The sound of this guitar was great, the finish was not so. I purchased the raw finish and the look was nice but it had bumps on the surface and the neck was very rough. Had trouble keeping mine in tune. Maybe the strings, I don't know. Not wanting to mess with the finish, I returned mine for an exchange.