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Well I can't figure out how to rotate the photo but I must say this guitar has exceeded my expectations. I bought new from ZZounds it came with a compensated bridge and 12's. A really sturdy hard shell case a nice thin cord. Acoustically it is loud enough for rhythm playing in an all acoustic instruments setting, though not as loud as my Gitane D500. Electric tone is very open not as dark as my H575. I've wanted one of these Art Deco Beauties for a while and decided that I could afford the reissue a lot easier than one of the originals. I'll be gigging with her all day Saturday and Sunday so I will update as my impressions become more informed. But for now I will say that I am really pleased with my purchase and am very happy to have such an amazing looking and beautiful sounding bonafide floater Archtop.
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01-01-2016 02:56 PM
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I'm looking forward to your comments about how it performs for gigging. Beautiful instrument.
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I was just playing this model and the EX-SS a few days ago at the Nashville Guitar Center... really great playing guitars! And sweet to look at as well. I thought the feel of the neck on both models was fantastic.
Enjoy!
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Congratulations. A very fine looking instrument. Please do keep us posted on your thoughts on it's performance.
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Congrats. I love the look of the blonde version. Gorgeous. It will doubtless sound just as good.
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Those D'Angelico's are beautifully made and have a great feel and sound. We truly live in a golden age of affordable quality archtops.
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A beautiful guitar. Play it in good health!
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They are works of art.
good luck and enjoy your new guitar.
Joe D
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Really nice guitar!
Enjoy!
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Been looking at one myself. Always wanted a D'Angel myself since about 1963 or such when I saw a friend's. Man it looked super heavenly to my near virgin guitar eyes !! The fret markers, pickguard and headstock just looked awesome. Of course this was a real one (no Asian copies in the world in those days !! Not D'Angels, anyway. She was a real Italiano then, as in Rome, Sophia Lauren and Sinatra ).
Question: Where are they made now ? Japan/ China ? Italy !!?. And what about the $6-10,000.00 ones ? Are they all made under same roof ? I'm lookin' at the $2,300.00 EXL-1. I just bought an Ibanez af151f which is a beauty too. But didn't know 'til recently there was a closely priced D'Angelico floater ....Last edited by MarkInLA; 04-01-2016 at 11:36 PM.
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these are made in korea
Originally Posted by MarkInLA
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Can we conclude that this guitar, though apparently being a very good one, is just paying for/ bought the rights to use the specs and the name D'Angelico? But since it's Korean (and I pray that's South Korean !) it has no real connection with the D'Angelico that is/was made in Italy .. Yes ? No ? Does it matter any longer ? And I can assume of course it's an ebony fingerboard, not 'ebonized' rosewood or such ? I only ask, as none of the specs I've read state this. Finally, how deep is it top to bottom, 2.75" , 3" , more ?
Thanks again .....MLast edited by MarkInLA; 04-02-2016 at 10:42 PM.
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i don't think d'angelico's were ever made in italy, i think they were made in new york, in manhattan and then the name was used for japanese archtops and then they started producing archtops under d'angelico in south korea, but i really don't know the details or history of john d'angelico. but i know he built guitars in america and then the name was used for mass produced guitars in asia. the new korean ones are quite nice mid level guitars, i've contemplated buying one a couple of times.
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'eddy b.' , meant to say, it really does look gorgeous !
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Wow ! Mea culpa. I do remember they being made in NY, because I grew up there! And I do remember "New Yorker" on the head ...I simply forgot that !! Anyway, they still were real Italian instruments made by 1st and 2nd generation Italians who came in through Ellis Island..(the honest way) ... Originally Posted by nick1994
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I believe so, but not sure. Does the EXL1 have a truss rod. No mention of it in ads. If so, is it a single or double TR ?
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The Samick factory in South Korea is turning out amazing instruments, ever since Greg Bennett (late of Valley Arts Guitars, where the West Coast studio and jazz monsters take their instruments for upkeep or repair) was hired with an impressive budget to refurbish the factory and start his own line. Both the Greg Bennett Samick Royale 3, a single-cut semi-hollow, and the Philips Nouveau 16, single mini-humbucker 16" archtop with cat's-eye f-holes, a 1 3/4" nut, ebony fingerboard with Epi-like Abalone and MOP inlays, have for years been my go-to gigging electrics, the Samick for commercial work, the Philips, built in the Samick factory, for jazz.
The D'Angelico line is run by true D'Angelico freaks, who are very proud and happy to bring a very high quality guitar to market for a player's price, like my 2 Samick products, which together cost me all of $1150.
Asians have been making amazing stuff for many centuries. After a lifetime of playing everything I could to find the "right" electrics (I had less trouble with my classical and flamenco acoustics), including L5, L7, 175, various Guilds, Telecaster, ES-5, etc. (all good guitars), my favorites are the two S. Korean, American-designed cheapos.
Several high-level pros are playing and appear happy with the new D'A line, to me, that means give them a try.
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unfortunately there are currently no greg bennet electric guitars coming from samick....they recently are behind a new line of silvertones (as in sears silvertone)
samick was oem for many guitar co's...90's samick epiphones are considered some of the better recent epi's
cheers
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As a vintage D'A owner my entire life, I was impressed with these new D'As. I would've bought one, because I've been looking for a good second jazz guitar for a few years now, but I don't like fat necks.
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Nice. Got mine a couple of months ago. The unplugged sound was what really grabbed me at first. Sounds better than many solid tops. Enjoy it!
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The EXL-1 is 3" deep. I have one also and the tone, workmanship and attention to detail is impressive. I wouldn't consider the neck fat. It was easy for me to adjust to playing the EXL-1 after playing a 1951 Epiphone Zephyr Regent with a fat neck since 1970 but the EXL-1 is definitely a more modern feeling, thinner neck. I modified mine with a Guild reissue DeArmond 1100 pickup. It has a nice amplified acoustic tone. I'd like to hear one with a higher quality floating or built-in humbucker.
Last edited by zephyrregent; 04-09-2016 at 12:43 AM. Reason: add info
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That DeArmond 1100 *is* a higher quality floating pickup. Nice choice. Listen to all those classic Johnny Smith records like "Moonlight In Vermont"- that was the pickup he used. He insisted on a 20 fret neck so that the pickup was where he wanted it, whereas almost all modern archtops have 21 or 22 frets and some even have 24, so his tone was a bit darker and warmer.
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I meant a higher quality humbucker as opposed to single coil floating pickup. I noticed that after playing my Epiphone with 20 frets and space between the neck and pickup since 1970, my arm naturally plays in a different relative position to the pickup or neck on the 22 fret D'Angelicos due to the extra frets and closer position of the pickup to where the neck connects to the body. It's a habit from playing the same guitar for 45 years and it took me awhile to realize why my picking hand automatically went to a different place over the pickup and fretboard than I was accustomed to. The end of the fretboard is almost parallel to the cutaway on the Epiphone while it is over 4 frets lower than the cutaway on the D'Angelicos. Originally Posted by Cunamara
Last edited by zephyrregent; 04-10-2016 at 08:39 PM.
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I agree. I own a '97 Epiphone Sheraton II and it is a very well built semi-hollow and an insane value at the price of $700 including case that I paid for it in '97. Originally Posted by neatomic
For additional information on this topic please see my post under Lindy Fralin Pure PAF vs SD Seth Lovers...
Last edited by jazz.fred; 04-13-2016 at 09:34 AM.
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