The Epiphone Dove Studio takes its cue from parent company Gibson's legendary dreadnought model, the Dove Original. Like its bigger (and much, much more expensive) sibling, the Dove Studio features a maple back, sides, and neck, while the fingerboard and bridge are both made from Indian laurel and are adorned with pearloid inlays (parallelograms on the fingerboard and dove wings on the bridge). The guitar features a solid spruce top for a full and resonant sound and, like its Gibson counterpart, is equipped with a pickup system. The Dove Studio is also an eyecatcher thanks to its cream-coloured binding (three-ply for the top and single-ply for the back and fingerboard) as well as its high-gloss "Violin Burst" finish - to say nothing of the classic pickguard with its unconventional shape and elaborate dove inlay.
The Epiphone Dove Studio - which incidentally gets its name from the dovetail joint used to join the neck and body together and was originally marketed as the Dove Pro - features a Fishman Sonicore pickup and preamp system, the latter of which is mounted inside the soundhole so that the volume and tone controls don't taint the guitar's classic looks. The 6.35mm output socket in turn is discreetly housed in the strap button on the bottom edge of the guitar. As one would expect from a dreadnought, the relatively large body size makes the Dove Studio a fairly loud, full-sounding instrument that combines a punchy low end with plenty of presence and a bright-sounding treble response.
Anyone who can handle a large dreadnought guitar without difficulty will enjoy the Epiphone Studio Dove, which combines "old school" standards with modern updates. A comfortable playing feel is ensured by the guitar's 648mm (25.5") scale length and 20 medium jumbo frets as well as the nut width of 42.7mm - the latter being the same as found on the majority of steel acoustic guitars. Players who look for ease of maintenance when choosing an instrument will also appreciate the Dove Studio thanks to features such as the easily adjustable truss rod, which allows the bow of the neck - featuring Gibson's typical "SlimTaper" D profile - to be altered effortlessly. The neck profile of course also allows solo runs and melodies to be played faster and more comfortably than on most other steel acoustic models. Allergy sufferers should note, however, that the Dove Studio's hardware is made from nickel.
Today, Epiphone is known only as the Asian budget offshoot of Gibson. Yet both companies were once independent, equal, and also bitter rivals. The roots of Epiphone go back to the 1870s and to Anastasios Stathopoulo, a Greek instrument maker, who emigrated to America in 1903 with his son Epaminondas (“Epi” for short). Epi changed the name of the firm to the "Epiphone Banjo Company" after taking over the family business in 1928. During this year, Epiphone also began to manufacture guitars, which rapidly came to dominate their sales. In 1957, Epiphone was taken over by C.M.I., which already included Gibson, but continued as a separate brand until 1970, when manufacturing was outsourced to Asia. Well-known Epiphone models include the Casino, played by the Beatles, and the Sheraton, John Lee Hooker's instrument of choice.
The Dove Studio is Epiphone's take on a legendary Gibson model that has been in production since 1962 and, in the hands of artists like Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, U2, the Foo Fighters, and Tenacious D, has helped to write Rock history. With this pedigree, it goes without saying that the Dove is a great instrument for guitarists in Rock and Alternative bands, and this Epiphone version allows amateur musicians to get their hands on that legendary sound. Singer-songwriters can make excellent use of this guitar too - either unplugged when they want to practise or amplified through a PA using the onboard pickup and preamp when gigging (so a microphone is completely unnecessary). Players who intend to travel a lot with this guitar can ensure that it is optimally protected with the matching Epiphone case (article no. 187707), which also has plenty of space for storing essential accessories.