D'Angelico Style B Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1937)
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Item #13885
D'Angelico Style B Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1937), made in New York City, serial # 1286, sunburst lacquer finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; laminated maple neck with ebony fingerboard, original brown hard shell case.
This 1937 Style B is a lovely example of the work of the man considered the dean of arch top guitar builders, John D'Angelico. It is a fairly early example of his craft, but was re-worked at some point at his NYC shop with a later finish and hardware, something that is common with these expensive, hand made guitars. Working players who owned and used these instruments constantly routinely had them "spruced up" if they began to look worn, often with upgraded hardware fitted as well. This one also mounts a 1960s DeArmond Rhythm Chief pickup; the look and sound combine the aesthetics of two different eras at John's shop into one very fine and rather unique instrument.
At the time this guitar was originally made, D'Angelico was well into developing his signature style both cosmetically and sonically. His earliest instruments resembled Gibson's L-5, but around 1934-5 began to take on their own distinctive character both in appearance and sound. His top Excel model incorporated elements from both Gibson and Epiphone and combined them into his own recipe. This late 1937 Style B was just under the Excel in his line; a professional grade instrument just not as flashy as the top-line model. This one is fancier than most Style B's with more trim on the body and gold hardware.
The guitar has a 17 1/8" wide body, just a bit larger than the "advanced' Gibson L-5 introduced in late 1935. Despite being originally priced $75 below the Excel, the Style B is built with the same care and top-grade materials throughout. The hand carved top is very even grained spruce and the back and sides are maple with some beautiful tiger figuring on the back and plainer sides. The top and back are 6-ply-bound in white/black/white celluloid, which is more elaborate than most Style Bs of the time. The top is carved relatively thin for a D'Angelico and is parallel braced, with single bound traditionally shaped f-holes.
The elaborate headstock is triple bound and carries an inlaid "D'Angelico, New York" script logo over an elaborate pearl decorative motif. John outsourced this piece as it sometimes appears on older New York-made instruments, both his and others. There is a pearl banner engraved "Style B" at the base of the headstock, while at the crown is an early example of the famous signature brass finial seen on John's higher end guitars. Later Style B's would eliminate this decorative touch. The tuners are later Grover imperials fitted at the time of the re-work; as the headstock was designed for smaller machines these were mounted at an angle to fit!
The neck is laminated maple, fabricated from 5 pieces with triple inner layers as are most early D'Angelico necks. It is carved to a very slim "C" profile and 1 9/16" nut width, small for this era, but all John's necks were custom made to order. The fingerboard is ebony with plain pearl block inlay single bound from the top with an added side line. While John is often described as heavily influenced by Gibson, the guitars Epi Stathopoulo's company was turning out on West 14th street not too far north of D'Angelico's Kenmare street shop also had a major impact on his designs. Indeed, this Style B resembles the contemporary Epiphone Broadway more closely than anything Gibson offered. It would have been priced at the same $200 as that instrument, as well as the competing Gibson L-12.
The heavy gold-plated stairstep tailpiece is engraved "D'Angelico New York" and like the tuners is a later shop fitting; the original would have been plainer. The ebony bridge is John's later style carved piece with an angled saddle, also fitted when the guitar was re-worked. The pickguard is amore recent repro of what was on the guitar but suffered Celluloid deterioration some time ago; it is also in the later angled deco pattern. The later gold hardware and extra binding make this guitar more deluxe than most Style B's, you could call it a "B+".
This guitar is listed in D'Angelico's ledger as completed on 09/28/37, originally sold to New York Jobber Barth-Feinberg. Like many D'Angelicos it returned to the shop probably a couple of decades later and was refinished with modern upgraded hardware added; it is impossible to tell if that was all done at once, or over time. The look of the finish is representative early work of John's apprentice Jimmy D'Aquisto, who after 1960 took over more of the heavier tasks in the workshop as his mentor's health failed. The sunburst is very rich with a dark reddish edge blending with a amber center.
This guitar has been carefully played for many decades since. The tone is very responsive but incisive, as Swing-era instruments needed to be, with an overriding roundness and balance that is the hallmark of D'Angelico. Compared to his more expensive and ornate creations, it still has a comparable sound -- indeed, some players have preferred the more basic models over the years. It remains a fantastic sounding instrument both acoustically and amplified by the classic DeArmond pickup, a true gem built by one of the greatest guitar makers of the 20th century.
Overall length is 41 5/8 in. (105.7 cm.), 17 1/8 in. (43.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This guitar does not appear too much played since its re-working, which would have happened well over 60 years ago. There is only very light finish wear to the entire instrument with some checking and scuffing but very little in the way of scratches, scrapes and dings, and no large areas worn away. The top finish has some minor discoloration under the pickguard from the old guard suffering Celluloid deterioration.
The instrument shows less in the way of cracks than many older archtops. There are just two tight grain splits on them back, coming of each one on the upper bouts looking so symmetrical they likely represent flaws in the maple more than any impact damage. Both were solidly sealed decades ago, with no added touch up. The top and back center seams which often move on these guitars as the wood shrinks and ages, have never opened up. The neck laminate seams are also solid with no notable movement or open spots.
All hardware remains as fitted at John's shop except for the later repro pickguard, done to the same pattern as the last original fitted but cut to accommodate the DeArmond pickup. The mounting bracket looks decades old with some corrosion from the older pickguard but may not be original. The binding shows no signs of Celluloid deterioration or distress. The guitar was refretted more recently with no subsequent wear. The fingerboard was likely trued at the time and shows hardly any wear at all.
This is simply a very fine-playing and sounding guitar, both acoustically and amplified. Although a lower-priced model than an Excel or New Yorker it sounds as wonderful as they usually do and still functions perfectly even after over 80 years. It still rests in an original period hardshell case, a superbly playable piece of history. Overall Excellent - Condition.
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This 1937 Style B is a lovely example of the work of the man considered the dean of arch top guitar builders, John D'Angelico. It is a fairly early example of his craft, but was re-worked at some point at his NYC shop with a later finish and hardware, something that is common with these expensive, hand made guitars. Working players who owned and used these instruments constantly routinely had them "spruced up" if they began to look worn, often with upgraded hardware fitted as well. This one also mounts a 1960s DeArmond Rhythm Chief pickup; the look and sound combine the aesthetics of two different eras at John's shop into one very fine and rather unique instrument.
At the time this guitar was originally made, D'Angelico was well into developing his signature style both cosmetically and sonically. His earliest instruments resembled Gibson's L-5, but around 1934-5 began to take on their own distinctive character both in appearance and sound. His top Excel model incorporated elements from both Gibson and Epiphone and combined them into his own recipe. This late 1937 Style B was just under the Excel in his line; a professional grade instrument just not as flashy as the top-line model. This one is fancier than most Style B's with more trim on the body and gold hardware.
The guitar has a 17 1/8" wide body, just a bit larger than the "advanced' Gibson L-5 introduced in late 1935. Despite being originally priced $75 below the Excel, the Style B is built with the same care and top-grade materials throughout. The hand carved top is very even grained spruce and the back and sides are maple with some beautiful tiger figuring on the back and plainer sides. The top and back are 6-ply-bound in white/black/white celluloid, which is more elaborate than most Style Bs of the time. The top is carved relatively thin for a D'Angelico and is parallel braced, with single bound traditionally shaped f-holes.
The elaborate headstock is triple bound and carries an inlaid "D'Angelico, New York" script logo over an elaborate pearl decorative motif. John outsourced this piece as it sometimes appears on older New York-made instruments, both his and others. There is a pearl banner engraved "Style B" at the base of the headstock, while at the crown is an early example of the famous signature brass finial seen on John's higher end guitars. Later Style B's would eliminate this decorative touch. The tuners are later Grover imperials fitted at the time of the re-work; as the headstock was designed for smaller machines these were mounted at an angle to fit!
The neck is laminated maple, fabricated from 5 pieces with triple inner layers as are most early D'Angelico necks. It is carved to a very slim "C" profile and 1 9/16" nut width, small for this era, but all John's necks were custom made to order. The fingerboard is ebony with plain pearl block inlay single bound from the top with an added side line. While John is often described as heavily influenced by Gibson, the guitars Epi Stathopoulo's company was turning out on West 14th street not too far north of D'Angelico's Kenmare street shop also had a major impact on his designs. Indeed, this Style B resembles the contemporary Epiphone Broadway more closely than anything Gibson offered. It would have been priced at the same $200 as that instrument, as well as the competing Gibson L-12.
The heavy gold-plated stairstep tailpiece is engraved "D'Angelico New York" and like the tuners is a later shop fitting; the original would have been plainer. The ebony bridge is John's later style carved piece with an angled saddle, also fitted when the guitar was re-worked. The pickguard is amore recent repro of what was on the guitar but suffered Celluloid deterioration some time ago; it is also in the later angled deco pattern. The later gold hardware and extra binding make this guitar more deluxe than most Style B's, you could call it a "B+".
This guitar is listed in D'Angelico's ledger as completed on 09/28/37, originally sold to New York Jobber Barth-Feinberg. Like many D'Angelicos it returned to the shop probably a couple of decades later and was refinished with modern upgraded hardware added; it is impossible to tell if that was all done at once, or over time. The look of the finish is representative early work of John's apprentice Jimmy D'Aquisto, who after 1960 took over more of the heavier tasks in the workshop as his mentor's health failed. The sunburst is very rich with a dark reddish edge blending with a amber center.
This guitar has been carefully played for many decades since. The tone is very responsive but incisive, as Swing-era instruments needed to be, with an overriding roundness and balance that is the hallmark of D'Angelico. Compared to his more expensive and ornate creations, it still has a comparable sound -- indeed, some players have preferred the more basic models over the years. It remains a fantastic sounding instrument both acoustically and amplified by the classic DeArmond pickup, a true gem built by one of the greatest guitar makers of the 20th century.
Overall length is 41 5/8 in. (105.7 cm.), 17 1/8 in. (43.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This guitar does not appear too much played since its re-working, which would have happened well over 60 years ago. There is only very light finish wear to the entire instrument with some checking and scuffing but very little in the way of scratches, scrapes and dings, and no large areas worn away. The top finish has some minor discoloration under the pickguard from the old guard suffering Celluloid deterioration.
The instrument shows less in the way of cracks than many older archtops. There are just two tight grain splits on them back, coming of each one on the upper bouts looking so symmetrical they likely represent flaws in the maple more than any impact damage. Both were solidly sealed decades ago, with no added touch up. The top and back center seams which often move on these guitars as the wood shrinks and ages, have never opened up. The neck laminate seams are also solid with no notable movement or open spots.
All hardware remains as fitted at John's shop except for the later repro pickguard, done to the same pattern as the last original fitted but cut to accommodate the DeArmond pickup. The mounting bracket looks decades old with some corrosion from the older pickguard but may not be original. The binding shows no signs of Celluloid deterioration or distress. The guitar was refretted more recently with no subsequent wear. The fingerboard was likely trued at the time and shows hardly any wear at all.
This is simply a very fine-playing and sounding guitar, both acoustically and amplified. Although a lower-priced model than an Excel or New Yorker it sounds as wonderful as they usually do and still functions perfectly even after over 80 years. It still rests in an original period hardshell case, a superbly playable piece of history. Overall Excellent - Condition.
