[SOLVED!] Epiphone DOT vs Sheraton – Which Semi-Hollow Expresses Your Sound Well?

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Overall, Epiphone DOT vs Sheraton catches the interest of many guitarists who search for budget guitars. These electric guitars provide the best values in their price range so choosing the winner is no walk in the park. Cannot make up your mind on what to get? In that case, you should check out this article and get a firm grasp of the performance of Epiphone DOT and Sheraton.

Brief History of These Guitars

Epiphone DOT and Sheraton are just two of the many semi-hollow body guitars the company has. Semi-hollow body guitars possess some tonal characteristics of hollow guitars, at the same time, manage feedback well. You’ll get warm, clear, and soft tones. In addition, you can play your guitar at high volume and high gain since you won’t think about feedback, anymore.

Of these two, Sheraton was designed and manufactured years earlier than the DOT, between 1959 – 1970. It was only in 1997 that the Epiphone DOT was created. They might have a lot of shared characteristics, but they are uniquely made.

Epiphone DOT

This semi-hollow archtop was an affordable version of the iconic Gibson ES-335. Based on several reviews, this electric guitar is well-made, very versatile, and has a powerful sound. Usually, its body is made of laminated maple, glued-in mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard.

The Epiphone DOT is more suitable for music genres like rock, jazz, and blues. The name of this guitar, “DOT,” refers to the dot inlays on the fretboard. Among the popular variants of the Epiphone DOT includes Dot Studio, Dot Deluxe, Dot Super VS, and Dot Royale.

Epiphone Sheraton

The Sheraton was first manufactured in 1959 along with the original ES-335. Hence, the Sheraton and the Gibson ES-335 share several features, like the semi-hollow body design but with much fancier fretboard inlays.

Like the Epiphone DOT, it also has acoustic “wings” combined with a solid block in the center so you can achieve that smooth and warm tone of the guitar. All Sheratons, including its variants, were introduced under the Gibson Guitar Corporation, yet, its exclusive manufacturer is still Epiphone. Aside from the original Sheraton, you can find Sheraton II and Sheraton II Pro.

Specifications Comparison: Similarities and Differences

In more than one aspect, the Sheraton is similar to the original ES-335, which is where the Epiphone DOT’s design was based upon. So, where do you think these two differ? First, check the specification table below before proceeding to a more head-on comparison in terms of performance, sound, and price.

Epiphone DOT Epiphone Sheraton
Body Shape Double cutaway Sheraton-II
Body Type Semi-hollowbody “Thin-line” semi-hollow
Body Material Laminated maple body and top Layered Maple body and top
Neck Shape 1960’s SlimTaper™ D-shape 60s SlimTaper™
Neck Wood Mahogany 5-pc Layered Hard Maple/Walnut
Scale Length 24-3/4″ scale 24.75″
Fretboard Material Rosewood Pau Ferro
Fretboard Radius 12″ 12″
Number of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo frets 22 Medium Jumbo frets
Pickup Configuration Bridge:Epiphone Alnico Classic Plus Humbucker™
Neck: Epiphone Alnico Classic Humbucker™
Bridge: Epiphone ProBucker™ 3
Neck: Epiphone ProBucker™ 2
Controls 3-way pickup selector; 2 volume and 2 tone controls 3-way pickup selector; 2 volume controls with coil-splitting feature; tone control
Bridge LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-o-matic

Aesthetics-wise, the Sheraton is more appealing than the DOT, primarily because of the gold hardware that it’s adorned with. The abalone and mother-of-pearl inlays, too, are more sophisticated, plus the floray inlay on the headstock.

At first glance, you’ll definitely become attracted to Sheraton, right away. There’s just one caveat with the gold hardware, though. If you sweat while playing the guitar, the acid eats up the gold plating through time.

Playability

There’s only a slight difference between these two. Although through time, both the Sheratons and DOTs come with different variants in terms of body/neck/fingerboard material, they are unique.

When comparing the fretboard of these guitars, Sheraton has a wider fretboard, as well as the neck. If you have slightly bigger hands, you’ll definitely enjoy the Sheraton. Yet, it’s also a bit heavier, so you really have to weigh (no pun intended) which guitar is more comfortable when playing. Some players also love the DOT because of 1960’s SlimTaper™ D-shape neck profile, which offers more ease of playing.

Sound

Obviously, there’s a big difference in terms of the sound characteristics of these two. DOT uses full-sized humbuckers, while the Sheraton is stocked with mini-humbuckers. Therefore, you can observe that the former offers fat and clear tones, while the latter gives that smooth and warm tone.

From the material used to the overall design of the guitar, you’ll enjoy better sustain and more resonant sound coming from the Epiphone DOT. However, it’s also known to generate more feedback easily compared to the Sheratons.

In summary, these guitars have their own place in the music production. Epiphone DOT is more suitable for jazz, blues, and rock, while Sheraton is more appropriate for jazz, but can also be great for playing other styles, too, like blues and rock.

Price

If you haven’t seen the price tag of these two guitars, you might have a hunch that the Sheraton is quite more expensive than the Epiphone DOT. And, you are right. Though there isn’t a very big difference, Sheraton is on the pricier side. No question about that. It’s the price for all the perks you’ll get from this great electric guitar.

Conclusion

Epiphone guitars may be offered affordably, but there’s quality and value in each instrument. For example, Epiphone DOT vs Sheraton comparison in this article proves that while they have a slightly similar design, they are unique – both have strengths and weaknesses.

In terms of looks, Sheraton beats them all, but performance-wise, DOT could be at an advantage (for those who have bigger hands). Sheraton is more expensive, and it’s a given because of all the bling. Both guitars have been used by famous guitarists, so, no doubt that they sound incredible.

Whether you like soft, warm, or clear tones, you can lean on Epiphone guitars, particularly the Epiphone DOT and Sheraton. Pick the one that fits your taste and your playing style.