Pickups for Epiphone Dot - 399.00 model

[ihate100bees]

I was lucky to find one of these cheaper Dot guitars that resonated at twice the volume than 5 others on the wall, all the same model and color. I love playing it even more than my Gibson LP Custom, but want more clarity in the lows and highs. I do enjoy the stronger pickups that it came stock with, so I'm looking for a set of pickups that are "kind of hot", but NOT blistering... to the point of constantly feeding back. Because this is a semi hollow body, does anyone have any "experience", again I say "experience", with what worked best for them, when they replaced theirs? What worked, what didn't? I know that many players buy these cheaper models and then tear into them by replacing the pu's, the switches, pots, etc... I play most hard pop rock, fusion jazz, blues and my amp is usually CRANKED. I'm also a soloist so it needs to really sing. I'm not looking for "mellow" but warm and crunchy, is good. I'm looking for the clarity of a LP pickup but maybe richer in tone, if that makes sense? I have Marshall 50 amps, but mostly use a Mesa Mk3 combo (cranked). I'm aware of the Lindy Fralin "PAF" model but they are pretty expensive. I was looking at Seymore Duncan's JB Humbuckers in which are around $75 ea. I also have had good luck with like D'Marzio pickups in the past (later 70's). So, any help in what your final choice was, and what your sound is like, could really help me. Thanks!

[Commodore 64***]

I will be gettign a Dot soon from a coworker. I'm also considering which PUPS to use, as I like to tinker, and I already have a jazz box (Ibanez Artcore) with middle of the road PUPs.

I will probably be working with Rose pickups to get a set of 'buckers. www.rosepickups.com

I have a Westerland set, a Alba/Bourbon set, and a Mariposa set at this time, so I figure it's about time to try their buckers. The Alnico IV PUP is intriguing: http://www.rosepickups.com/apps/webs...s/show/2124205

[Duffy]

I have put in a lot of pickups and I like my Seymour Duncan covered JB bridge and 59 neck combination best. On another guitar I have a SD bridge Pearly Gates Plus and a 59 neck. I think the JB is the clearest and a really beautiful sounding pickup, definitely will hit your preamp hard and they don't sound like EMG's, much warmer sounding but very clear.

I just bought an Ibanez AF125 full hollow with twin Ibanez '58 humbuckers, covered. These sound super great. This is a full hollow and will feed back some at very high volume when close to the amp. Anyway you would probably never be able to find those pickups anyway.

On another guitar I have Gibson 57's, covered and they sound super great, but I think the JB is a clearer sounding pickup. The Pearly Gates is not as hot as the JB I don't think, but the JB is very clear sounding and awesome.

For your application I don't know for sure, but Seymour Duncan has a customer service phone line and the engineer or whatever he was that I talked to really knew what he was talking about when I needed some help selecting some pickups. They can advise you very well. The deal with many professionals over the phone all the time. What they worked out with me over the phone, I went with and bought them and put them in and the guitar sounds incredible. They were not short with me and were very helpful, asking me what type of tone I wanted and other aspects of my sound and playing. They would definitely be able to give you some great feedback and take into consideration your ideas at the same time. Those guys were real professionals. I will call them any time I need help selecting a pickup for a particular guitar that I'm wondering exactly which pickups to get for it. You might want to give them a call.

I have been staying away from real cheap pickups like GFS. But I think GFS might make some real good pickups if you know exactly which ones to get, however I have been unhappy with some I have bought and would gladly pay the extra money to get some real good SD's or something else real good.

I hope some of these ideas help you out.

[ihate100bees]

Rose pickups? What are they like? I have never heard of this company. Thanks.

[Spudman***]

Duncan Seth Lover's and 57 Classics have been recommended as replacements often for semi hollowbodies.
Seth Lovers are softer sounding and feeling. They are low-powered and have a compressed sound. They aren't wax potted so volume could be a problem. Most people really like the 57 Classic in the neck with a 59 or PAF type in the bridge as the 57s tend to be a little thin sounding on the bridge.

On the other side of this, I hear many are happy with the pickups after they replace the pots with something better.

[ZMAN]

I pulled my 2007 Epi catalogue and the from that book, the Dot Studio and the G400 have the same pickups. The Dot Studio has the open coils. I measured my 2007 G400 using the patch cord/multi meter system, and found the pickups to be 8.21 Neck and 12.95 bridge, resistance. I would expect the open coils to be hotter. I also have a Sheraton II that is just a regular Dot with a lot more bling. That one has the stock epi pickups from 2001 and they are at 8.43 and 8.67. This of course is a solid block guitar so very little feedback. I like these pickups because it gives a kind of dirty mellow tone for the blues.
My ES335 has PAFs in it and they are in the 7.11 and 8.79 range. Again a centre block guitar not full hollow body.
What I am getting at is that if you like the tone of the stock pickups you would be looking at a set of Gibson 490/498 pickups or something aftermarket like that.
If you want a little mellower tone but still some bite, as Spudman said, I would go with a PAF or PAF clone.
That being said I hope you realize that if you do go with the pricier pickups you will not recoup that money if you sell. Also get wqx potted to keep the feedback down.
Another option is to change the pots and caps, which usually opens the stock pickups up a lot. On a Dot that would entail a lot of fishing and I am not sure I would tackle that one on my own. I have found by comparison that the newer off shore stock pickups are much better and fairly close to the originals.

[ihate100bees]

Hey thanks, I'm gonna check those out! I play in the worship team for my church, The Oasis. We ROCK OUT and my Mesa is cranked, sitting in another room and mic'd. My fav guitar was my '59 Strat... but after I started to play this EP Dot guitar, I fell in love with the way it felt. Playing harder the Christian rock and then bringing it down to play contemporary hymm like songs, I find that I really need a clear, distinct sound. The "Hot" thing is great when we pump it up, but there are moments that things need to be extra sparkly, not thin but clear. Hope I'm putting everything in the right perspective here. Of coarse, the hollow body thing, adds in a whole different sound to it all together. I'm waiting to hear from someone that went to the new Lindy Fralin "PAF" pickup. I've heard so much about them, but like I previously mentioned... the cost about double as anything else. Thanks so much again!

[ihate100bees]

Wow, thanks Zman. Great info here!

[ihate100bees]

That being said I hope you realize that if you do go with the pricier pickups you will not recoup that money if you sell. Also get wqx potted to keep the feedback down.
Another option is to change the pots and caps, which usually opens the stock pickups up a lot. On a Dot that would entail a lot of fishing and I am not sure I would tackle that one on my own. I have found by comparison that the newer off shore stock pickups are much better and fairly close to the originals.

Yes, this will become a players guitar, so I'm prepared to do what ever it takes to make it "happen". I've only got 300 bucks into it so far, but I own a several other expensive guitars, that really don't even feel as good as this Dot. So recouping back will not become an option. I intend to repl;ace all wiring, pots, etc... everything after I get the new pickups. Probably the work will be done by Joe Glazer, in Nashville. he's excellent. I take all my stuff there. Thanks again.

[Eric***]

I appreciate your reply... but please don't reply to THIS post unless you have information that is asked here. What pickups you "like" or had, is better suited for another forum, "General Guitar Talk". Reply only if you have changed out your pickups on the Dot guitar,. or simular hollow body. Just trying to maintain a focus here. Thanks.

Wow. Nice to meet you -- now where's that block button???

[kidsmoke*]

A vintage wound SD JB in the bridge of this guitar (same as a Dot, so don't flame me) sounded amazing. Having said that, I intended to go to a PG pair for it, but sold it for another 335. I'm putting Lollar Imperials in that guitar.

[Commodore 64***]

Umm. Yeah. I replied because this is a small forum and I didn't want you to think you were being ignored, especially as this was your first post. My Bad.

[ihate100bees]

Not a problem bro, .. I was probably just having one of those moments, ya know? Please accept my apology if you took it any other way.

[Eric***]

Eric, I'm sorry... but I just want to stay focused here, and you kind of never really gave any experience in what you replaced on your hollow body. that's all I was saying. It's not a personal thing. There's tons of stuff out there to choose from but the reason I posted this thread was to find players that actually changed to a better pickup on a hollow body guitar. Please accept my apology if you took it any other way.

I wasn't the one you reprimanded. I just take offense when you tromp into a forum for the first time, demand first-hand info, and tell someone to go away who is trying to help you. This isn't Harmony Central.

[Commodore 64***]

Don't be too hard on him Eric. I'm sure that of the 100 or so active posters here, there's at least 99 of them who have replaced PUPs in an Epiphone Dot.

[ihate100bees]

Today, I went to see and talk to one of the techs that work for Joe Glazer. Joe, is a pretty well respected guitar tech in the world, and has a shop here in Nashville. he also owns and represent the "Plek" machine (lazer light sensitivity for; frets, nuts, ect...), an amzing tool. Their shop highly recommends the Lindy Fralin "PAF". Of coarse there are tons of pickups out there and so I'm sure he's just suggesting something that he knows that sounds authentic and holds up for most players. I really did not want to spend $300 on a set of these, so maybe I'll keep an eye open for a used pair on Ebay. We also spoke about the Seymour Duncan JB pickup, too. They thought it would sound a little darker than the Fralin pickup, but also said they were great, and a bit hotter than the Fralin PAF... which I was, kind of wanting. But, they did say that Fralin will over wind the pickups for you, to your specs, if you want that. Of coarse that means going for a brand new ($$) pair. I'm going to call Fralin, and have a brief conversation with him about what I'm looking for, what others here have installed, etc... and see what he says. I guess there's always ebay to find some used Fralins, too. I'd probably go $200 for the pair.) Lots of great information here, some things that I really had no knowledge of... like the waxed pots, etc... Apparently, it's not an easy re-wire or pu install for these Dot guitars. They said that some are wired directly to the switch, and some not. The one's wired to the switch will be "easier" to replace than fishing through the cavity.

I think I've got enough to go on for now. Thanks. If I continue, it's only going to get confusing with so many choices. But please continue to post if you have changed out your pickups on your Dot, 335, Country Gentleman, (hollow body guitars), etc.. so others like myself can appreciate what you have done, through trial and error. Thanks again.

[duhvoodooman***]

I have a Dot that has a Duncan Jazz at the neck and a JB at the bridge--the so-called "Seymour's favorite" set. I've certainly enjoyed the combination very much. The Jazz is a nice round sounding neck pickup with good clarity and the JB will do a nice, biting clean tone or a really snotty distortion, and everything in between.

[Commodore 64***]

To Their shop highly recommends the Lindy Fralin "PAF". Of coarse there are tons of pickups out there and so I'm sure he's just suggesting something that he knows that sounds authentic and holds up for most players. I really did not want to spend $300 on a set of these, so maybe I'll keep an eye open for a used pair on Ebay....But, they did say that Fralin will over wind the pickups for you, to your specs, if you want that. Of coarse that means going for a brand new ($$) pair. I'm going to call Fralin, and have a brief conversation with him about what I'm looking for, what others here have installed, etc... and see what he says.

You can also do that exact same thing with Ken at Rose Pickups and Dave at D. Allen, and be into the PUP for about half the cost of a Fralin. I'm not surprised that when you talked to a boutique guitar tech, he recommended boutique PUPs. It's your money.

Allow me to say that I too, am dreading the PUP swap in a hollow/semi-hollow guitar, which is the main reason I haven't tackled my Ibanez (which has a scratchy pot and switch that de-oxit has not rectified).

[ihate100bees]

Not a problem. Just trying to stay clear on what the post was about. It's VERY easy to start getting into another area. Thanks for replying.