LEGENDARY GUITARS SINCE 1932

The flagship archtop in the D'Angelico line has returned—now in two colorways with two different pickup configurations. Inspired by John D'Angelico's single-cutaway "Excel" model that was first introduced in 1947, the Excel EXL-1 offers a woody, articulate tone, ideal for both rhythm and lead playing. Featuring a redesigned neck shape, the EXL-1 promises the perfect balance of comfort and heft, still prioritizing remarkable mobility but also offering improved hand fit. On the Dark Iced Tea Burst finish, a full-sized Seymour Duncan 59 humbucker yields a broad tone with singing sustain, while a Johnny Smith Floating Mini-bucker on the new Amber finish offers a woody, focused tone that prioritizes body top resonance. Features include Grover hardware, an ebony fingerboard, and a Jescar fretwire. Available in Dark Iced Tea Burst and Amber.

Features:

LEGENDARY DESIGN

True to John D’Angelico’s legendary design, the Excel EXL-1 is a 17-inch-wide, 3-inch-deep single-cutaway offering rich response and classic mid-century jazz tone.

CLASSIC TONE

Strapped with either a floating Seymour Duncan Johnny Smith mini-humbucker or a full-sized 59, both options yield classic archtop tone, with warm, woody low end and articulate mids.

PREMIUM FEEL

A comfortable C-shape neck capped with an ebony fingerboard and Jescar fretwire makes for a remarkably premium feel up and down the neck.

HISTORY REPEATS

Modeled after John D’Angelico’s preeminent single-cutaway design, the EXL-1 is our flagship archtop for good reason—it has stood the test of time.

Specifications:

BODY

• BODY SHAPE: Single Cutaway.
• BODY STYLE: Hollow body.
• BODY DEPTH: 3".
• BODY WIDTH: 17".
• COLOR: Dark Iced Tea Burst.
• FINISH: Gloss.
• TOP MATERIAL: Laminated Spruce.
• BACK MATERIAL: Laminated Flame Maple.
• SIDE MATERIAL: Laminated Flame Maple.
• BINDING: 7-ply.
• BRIDGE: Floating Ebony Wood.
• TAILPIECE: D'Angelico Stairstep.
• PICKGUARD: Tortoise Scalini (5-ply).
• BACK PLATE: N/A.
• PICKUP SELECTOR: N/A.
• KNOBS: 2 Mini Hexagon.
• STRAP BUTTONS: Gold, Locking.

NECK

• MATERIAL: 3 piece.
• FINISH: Gloss.
• PROFILE: C-Shape.
• JOINT TYPE: Set-Neck.
• THICKNESS: 1F: 21mm, 12F: 23mm.
• TRUSS ROD: Dual Action.

FINGERBOARD

• MATERIAL: Ebony.
• BINDING: 3-ply.
• FRETWIRE: Jescar 47/104 Nickel Silver.
• SCALE LENGTH: 25.5".
• RADIUS: 12".
• TOP INLAY: Mother of Pearl Split-Block.
• SIDE MARKER: Yes.
• FRET NUMBER: 22.

HEADSTOCK

• HEADSTOCK SHAPE: Standard.
• LOGO INLAY: Mother of Pearl D'Angelico New York Logo.
• SERIES INLAY (FRONT): Mother of Pearl Excel Shield Logo.
• SERIAL NUMBER (BACK): Model Name, Serial Number.
• BINDING: 3-ply.
• FINISH: Gloss.
• HEADPIN: Cupola.
• TUNERS: Grover 150 Imperial.
• STRINGS: D'Angelico Electrozinc 12's (12-52).
• TRUSS ROD COVER: Aluminum Skyscraper.
• NUT WIDTH: 1 11/16” (43mm).
• NUT MATERIAL: Graphtech NuBone XL.

ELECTRONICS

• OVERVIEW: 1 Pickguard Mounted Floating Mini Humbucker.
• CONTROLS: 1 volume / 1 tone.
• PICKUP (NECK): USA Seymour Duncan Johnny Smith Floating Mini Humbucker.
• PICKUP (MIDDLE): N/A.
• PICKUP (BRIDGE): N/A.
• ADDITIONAL PICKUP INFORMATION: Alnico II.
• POTS: 500k.
• OUTPUT JACK: Standard Mono.

HARDWARE

• HARDWARE COLOR: Gold.

Accessories Included:

• Deluxe Hardshell.