Epiphone Dove Studio Review

The Epiphone Dove Studio review is notable for telling you about a guitar that has long ago won the hearts of musicians. And by “Long ago,” I mean 1962 when it was first introduced to the public in Kalamazoo at the Gibson & Epiphone factory. This acoustic-electric guitar has become a rock classic because it has the right shape and size (I’ll note right away – big) and pretty good pickups. I think this model is more suitable for adult players in terms of its parameters. But its affordable price will suit anyone, even teenagers taking their first steps in music, if he decides to learn a rather serious instrument right away.

Body

The Dove Studio has a classic Square Shoulder Dreadnought design, and the body is made of Select Maple. This type of wood gives a crisp, bright sound, a bit chiseled in contrast to the soft, warm Mahogany. The Solid Spruce top with a glossy finish features the famous recognizable Historic Dove pickguard.

In general, the acoustic-electric guitar looks fantastic with its binding: top (5-ply white and black), back (1-ply white), and fingerboard (1-ply white). Even the buttons for the strap are so dainty and streamlined and have a convenient location (at the bottom and side of the heel).

Otherwise, the finishes are common for inexpensive guitars from Epiphone, including Grover Rotomatic 14:1 tuning machines and a Laurel bridge. The nut and saddle are made of Graph Tech NuBone material. It’s not bad for starters, but I’d recommend replacing them with real bone ones if you’re a professional player. You’ll hear the difference, I assure you.

Neck, fingerboard, headstock

As for the fingerboard, it is glued to the body (dovetail) like most inexpensive guitars. If I were to compare it to an identically priced model, the Epiphone L-00, there are few differences besides size. Same SlimTaper D neck shape with a Laurel overlay. But the scale length is 25.5 inches long and has 20 Medium jumbo frets.

You need to have pretty long arms to play this rather large guitar comfortably and reach each fret effortlessly. I like the way my hand moves over the smooth, glossy surface, and the radius of almost 12 inches is comfortable to grip.

Pickup system

The electronics of the Epiphone Dove Studio are standard for the company’s instruments and consist of Fishman Presys VT pickups, preamp, and volume and tone controls. The controls are located in the sound hole (rosette) and may not be the easiest to access, but anything is possible if desired. They can be adjusted or even replaced. I like their deep, powerful sound with this guitar, though. Still, this is a mid-range segment, and the sound can be greatly improved.

As a small aside, I would recommend that inexperienced musicians contact a professional to adjust or replace the electronics. It can get expensive, but it’s worth it. Given the great potential of the guitar, its sound can be taken to an amazing level.

You’ll also need to buy a 9-volt battery, as it’s not included.

Sound quality

So, Dove Studio sound will depend on your efforts and extra cost. The foundation is just gorgeous. The maple body gives out a simply brilliant tone, ringing and punchy, quite deep. This is truly rock and roll.

Dove Studio is a mid-segment guitar with a good foundation, and it is precisely those parts that can be easily replaced that “suffer”. They greatly simplify the instrument’s capabilities. The strings rattled a lot out of the box, but the tuning was quick, and the Dove Studio held the tuning well. I replaced the nut and the strings, plugged in another preamp, and had an absolutely amazing change. After replacing the strings, everything fell into place, and the guitar sounded great.