Upgrading Epiphone Dot pickups etc

Corvus

I thought the buckers in my old Korean Dot plain sucked pretty much. I did as@Funkfingers with a Tonerider AC4 neck and a Regentone bridge. Way better after. Also replaced the loom because while you're fishing in there may as well put in a better switch & jack, and the rest follows. Plus I could choose different value tone caps and install treble bleeds while at it. Replacing wires switches and pots isn't going to make it sound better somehow, with everything at 10 say, but you get choices in values, caps, sweep, bleeds and make the weak points become reliable.

Grangousier

After a previous version of this thread, I got new pickups put in mine (by Feline), and they changed the wiring at the same time - although the new pickups (SDs) sound much better, the thing with the wiring was the mechanical reliability of the components - the selector switch was buggy and one of the volume pots had gone strange. It all feels a lot more solid now. 

Nikc

I bought a better amp now all guitars sound better including my Dot

victorludorum

p90fool said:

Having recently reacquainted myself with Epiphone humbuckers the first thing I'd suggest is that you take the covers off and try them again. If you like how they sound but prefer the look with covers get some decent ones on there.

This... and melt the enormous block of wax that encases them (with a hair dryer).

sweepy

By the time you have put new pots, pickups, bridge, nut and setup etc you might as well bite the bullet and buy a s/h 335, 

Philtre

sweepy said:

By the time you have put new pots, pickups, bridge, nut and setup etc you might as well bite the bullet and buy a s/h 335, 

A s/h 335 is north of £1500. A new Dot + decent pickups, harness, setup etc around £500-£600. And if you've already got the Dot you're only adding on the cost of pickups, or whatever you want.

sweepy

You can pick up a basic 335 for well under £1500 and I have seen the odd one below £1k

Philtre

sweepy said:

You can pick up a basic 335 for well under £1500 and I have seen the odd one below £1k

OK, fair enough. I just have't come across one.

Corvus

Mine was about 300 quid to buy, swap pickups do loom. Long way south of 335 prices. Can swap back original pickups come selling on time and reuse the replacements or sell to cover some cost of those.

longjaw

If you're working to a budget I'd go with a pair of IronGear Rolling Mills or second hand Seymour Duncan 59s.

sweepy

The only reason I mentioned forgoing the upgrades etc and hunt out a cheap 335 is that I, like I imagine many others on here have been deep in the Rabbit hole of swapping stuff out and eventually spending a small fortune only to realise that it's not that much more to go the whole Hogan's get what you really want 

Kalimna

This is an odd one for me.  I picked up an absolute bargain of a cherry 335 (£180 inc epi case), and I have thought about swapping the pickups (not bothered about the pots as they work fine, though might fiddle around with cap values) over to something a little brighter (even thought about having a chat to Montys or OX4). Even though there is nothing bad about the stock affairs.
However, even though there may well be an improvement in tone it would stop being a 'damn good guitar, especially for the money' and more of a 'pretty good guitar, for double the price'. One of the things I genuinely like about it is that it cost, in guitar terms, peanuts.
I did, though, replace the toggle switch as it worked when it felt like it. I may also replace the control knobs, as my chubby fingers don't get on well with the top-hat knobs. 

Adam

Philtre

For me the reasons to upgrade my Dot were:

- I already had the Dot

- I wanted to experience different pickups

- The learning experience and challenge of fitting the harness myself

I spent £320 for the Dot (new), £110 for pickups, £90 for harness and knobs = £520

If I were to buy a Gibson ES-335 I would want a good quality one, for around £1800.

So, until that day comes, if it ever does, I'm happy with my, er, Super Dot. ;-)

Besides, for me it's about the experience, and it's my hobby.

YMMV

Lesgrandepotato

I went with a set of unpotted fletcher paradise in mine. Made a real difference with the original resoldered loom. 
Gave £289 originally for the guitar. Circa £80 for the pickups. £5 for aquarium pipe and solder to refit. 

simonhpieman

Nikc said:

I bought a better amp now all guitars sound better including my Dot

I know this was a tongue in cheek comment but I never had a single guitar sound bad through my old DeVille, be it a £70 Epiphone or a vintage Jazzmaster and everything inbetween. I never mess with/"upgrade" my guitars either.

That said, I'm not a great fan of the original Dirty Fingers humbucker that was already installed when I got my Matsumoku Riviera. Too much, man. Too much.