D'Angelico Excel Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1958), made in New York, blonde lacquer finish, maple back, sides and neck; spruce top, ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
A beautiful example of John D'Angelico's finest work, this blonde cutaway Excel is an inspiring guitar to play or even just to contemplate! By this point in his career D'Angelico was building only top-line New Yorkers and Excels for professional customers, and each guitar was specially crafted for the individual player. This guitar is fairly typical of the later D'Angelico creations. The back, sides and one-piece neck are of elaborately flamed maple. The carved, X-braced top is extremely fine-grained spruce.
The fingerboard is superb dark ebony with pearl block inlay, triple bound on the top and side. The body is 7-ply bound on the top and back, with a triple side binding. The headstock is triple bound, with the typical scroll-and-pediment ornament at the crown and D'Angelico script logo above the engraved "Excel" nameplate block. The adjustable truss rod is covered by a stairstepped metal plate. The Grover imperial tuners, engraved "stairstep" tailpiece and hand-carved bridge are typical period fittings. The cutaway Excel is many players' choice for their favorite D'Angelico style; the 17" body is easier for most to handle than the 18" New Yorker. This guitar has a truly suberb sound and feel, a tribute to its much revered maker.
Overall length is 42 1/2 in. (108 cm.), 16 15/16 in. (43 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). Very clean overall; apears to have an old clear overspray over the body and back of the neck. The pickguard is an older proper style-style celluloid unit but was likely replaced early on as there are signs on the top of probable outgassing from an earlier piece. Very little play or handling wear. There are two small screw holes in the side of the fingerboard extension from an old D'Armond pickup installation. All hardware original; nut appears replaced. Excellent Condition.
