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 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 handfit. On the Dark Iced Tea Burst finish, a full-sized Seymour Duncan 59 humbucker yields broad tone with singing sustain, while a Johnny Smith Floating Mini-bucker on the new Amber finish offers woody, focused tone that prioritizes body top resonance. Features include Grover hardware, an ebony fingerboard, and Jescar fretwire. Available in Dark Iced Tea Burst and Amber.

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 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.

Features

Model Excel Exl-1

• Specific Model : Excel EXL-1, Dark Iced Tea Burst

Hardware

• Hardware Color : Gold

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 Jazz 12's (12-52)
• Truss Rod Cover : Aluminum Skyscraper
• Nut Width : 1 11/16” (43mm)
• Nut Material : Graphtech NuBone XL

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

Neck

• Material : 3 piece
• Finish : gloss
• Profile : C-Shape
• Joint Type : Set Neck
• THICKNESS : 1F: 21mm, 12F: 23mm
• Truss Rod : Dual Action

Body

• Body Shape : Single Cutaway
• Body Style : Hollowbody
• 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 : Solid Black Scalini (5-ply)
• Back Plate : N/A
• Pickup Selector : N/A
• Knobs : 2 Mini Hexagon
• Strap Buttons : Gold, Locking

Electronics

• Overview : 1 Full Humbucker
• Controls : 1 volume / 1 tone
• Pickup (Neck) : USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Neck) (Gold Cover)
• Pickup (Middle) : N/A
• Pickup (Bridge) : N/A
• Additional Pickup Information : Alnico V
• Pots : 500k
• Output Jack : Standard Mono

Accessories

• Case Included (Yes/No) : Yes
• Hardshell Case