1935 D'Angelico Excel

**Dedalus** · 09-20-2016, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Life is short and it IS later than you think, so get the guitars of your dreams and go out and play them!

Best quote I've read in some time. Thank you, I will forward this to my better half and let you know the outcome in short course.

Fingers crossed for the safe arrival of the new guitar, Marc. No doubt it is as magnificent as the others pictured.

**wintermoon** · 09-20-2016, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by SierraTango

What a thrill to see a portion of your collection and the excellent news about the new addition Marco! And of course double the kudos for being out there performing with them. Massive talent combined with the Stradivarius of guitars-unbeatable combination.

I'm firmly in the camp of actually performing with guitars that have high value. I do get the collector thing, but it just seems like such a waste to keep a magnificent instrument penned up. Now I don't advocate being stupid about it or careless, however with some reasonable precautions and planning it keeps them alive and vibrant.

Play the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks out of it!

This.....
I get asked all the time why I gig w/vintage L-5's & Super 400's etc. I mean it's cool playing them @ home, but its way cooler playing them in a group setting.
I have no problem bringing them to the ghetto either, been doing so for 30 yrs and no problems knock on wood (hey that's where the best Hammond B3 gigs are!)

Like Marc says, life's too short.

plus we're only caretakers of these things, so enjoy em to the fullest before the next person does. ..

C

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

Marc, that will mean that you will have 3 real D'As. That's too much guitar inequality. I only have one. I'll take the one in the middle.

All kidding aside, I pray that the guitar arrives at your house in perfect shape with no surprises except how good it will sound when you first play it. You're extremely lucky to be the steward of that many outstanding instruments. I look forward to NGD. If you can, put in a clip of you playing it.

HFC, how did sgcim miss putting you in the JGF DA owners club? At the next meeting we will have to consider waterboarding....

Thanks for your good thoughts. You are one of the few who understand just how special these guitars are.

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by Dedalus

Best quote I've read in some time. Thank you, I will forward this to my better half and let you know the outcome in short course.

Fingers crossed for the safe arrival of the new guitar, Marc. No doubt it is as magnificent as the others pictured.

Thanks Jared. I have heard this guitar in Joe D.'s videos and it sounds magnificent. But truth be told, in Joe's skilled hands, a Squire strat would sound great....

I will post a full review.

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

This.....
I get asked all the time why I gig w/vintage L-5's & Super 400's etc. I mean it's cool playing them @ home, but its way cooler playing them in a group setting.
I have no problem bringing them to the ghetto either, been doing so for 30 yrs and no problems knock on wood (hey that's where the best Hammond B3 gigs are!)

Like Marc says, life's too short.

plus we're only caretakers of these things, so enjoy em to the fullest before the next person does. ..

C

The next person will enjoy them more if they get played often. The best guitars are the ones that have been well played.

**sgcim** · 09-21-2016, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

I met Mundell at a recording session a couple of years ago. He borrowed my Clarus/RE rig for the session (His favorite amp and mine). Super nice guy. And his vision is less than stellar these days...I'd look for a new enforcer. So are we down to 6 members here? Now that Vinny has sold his DAQ and Joe D. Has sold his DA, the club is getting pretty small...

Small but mighty!

Sure, Mundell has some trouble finding them, but he usually connects after seven or eight swings, and when he does, they go down like a ton of bricks!

I've added HFC to the ranks of the Club; what does he have, a Snakehead, A, B, Excel, NYer, or maybe a Special?

Frank knows the rules; the more DA's, the higher the rank. However, the charter does stipulate that the President can relinquish his position should he so choose, by giving a sufficient number of D'As (or D'AQs) to the lowest ranking member, so that he is left with an equal or lesser number of DA's that the Vice President possesses.

I see that as a triple win; you get the prestige of being the President of perhaps the most elite organization known to man; he is relieved of the stress that comes with such a demanding position; and I humbly accept the 'gift' of two more D'As (or D'AQs), also enabling me to relinquish my 'janitorial' position to the uh, lucky fellow below me in rank!

**sgcim** · 09-21-2016, 02:42 AM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

This.....
I get asked all the time why I gig w/vintage L-5's & Super 400's etc. I mean it's cool playing them @ home, but its way cooler playing them in a group setting.
I have no problem bringing them to the ghetto either, been doing so for 30 yrs and no problems knock on wood (hey that's where the best Hammond B3 gigs are!)

Like Marc says, life's too short.

plus we're only caretakers of these things, so enjoy em to the fullest before the next person does. ..

C

Sure, you bring the Gibbies to all the joints in town, but what about the NYer?

I used to bring my Gibson BK to every club, restaurant, catering hall or theater in the five Boroughs, LI, Westchester and NJ, and now do the same with my Borys, but the D'A is another case entirely.

I can't count the number of nightmares I've had about that...

**Thumpalumpacus** · 09-21-2016, 03:31 AM

'Grats to both of you swinging a good deal to keep the guitar heard by the public. Here's hoping it gets to you safely, Marco, and even more, that you make it sing.

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

Sure, Mundell has some trouble finding them, but he usually connects after seven or eight swings, and when he does, they go down like a ton of bricks!

I've added HFC to the ranks of the Club; what does he have, a Snakehead, A, B, Excel, NYer, or maybe a Special?

Frank knows the rules; the more DA's, the higher the rank. However, the charter does stipulate that the President can relinquish his position should he so choose, by giving a sufficient number of D'As (or D'AQs) to the lowest ranking member, so that he is left with an equal or lesser number of DA's that the Vice President possesses.

I see that as a triple win; you get the prestige of being the President of perhaps the most elite organization known to man; he is relieved of the stress that comes with such a demanding position; and I humbly accept the 'gift' of two more D'As (or D'AQs), also enabling me to relinquish my 'janitorial' position to the uh, lucky fellow below me in rank!

HFC has an Excel

**wintermoon** · 09-21-2016, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

Sure, you bring the Gibbies to all the joints in town, but what about the NYer?

I used to bring my Gibson BK to every club, restaurant, catering hall or theater in the five Boroughs, LI, Westchester and NJ, and now do the same with my Borys, but the D'A is another case entirely.

I can't count the number of nightmares I've had about that...

I don't really play acoustic gigs anymore so that one stays @ home.

**hot ford coupe** · 09-21-2016, 12:58 PM

1935 D'Angelico Excel-2266_1104080479429_7934_n-jpg

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

HFC has an Excel

That's it. It's a 1939 that belonged to one Leo DiBranga. It's birthday was 11 Nov. 39. I think it's been partially refretted and had some overspray. It's also 16 1/4 inches at the lower bout.

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

That's it. It's a 1939 that belonged to one Leo DiBranga. It's birthday was 11 Nov. 39. I think it's been partially refretted and had some overspray. It's also 16 1/4 inches at the lower bout.

She is a beauty! A DA with a Dearmond equals jazz tone bliss. I did a 4 hour solo gig with my 37 Style A last Sunday. Just me wearing a Tux, playing my Joe Pass influenced stuff in the two story living room of a 20 million dollar Silicon Valley home. The acoustics were superb and the guitar truly inspired my playing.

**wintermoon** · 09-21-2016, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

That's it. It's a 1939 that belonged to one Leo DiBranga. It's birthday was 11 Nov. 39. I think it's been partially refretted and had some overspray. It's also 16 1/4 inches at the lower bout.

pretty unusual to see a 16 1/4" Excel, especially by the late 30s.
cool guitar.

**hot ford coupe** · 09-21-2016, 01:52 PM

When I had a so called gig, I played this guitar through a reissue Ampeg J-20 that was one of the point to point hand wired amps like in the old days. The tone was warm, smooth and never harsh. You play to the prettiest woman in the audience and watch her squirm. The trouble with that was at the nursing home where I played weekly, that wasn't a good idea. First it was difficult to find the prettiest woman in the dining room and then when they squirmed, they had to keep calling the nurses. Beef gravy and pureed beets all over the place.

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

When I had a so called gig, I played this guitar through a reissue Ampeg J-20 that was one of the point to point hand wired amps like in the old days. The tone was warm, smooth and never harsh. You play to the prettiest woman in the audience and watch her squirm. The trouble with that was at the nursing home where I played weekly, that wasn't a good idea. First it was difficult to find the prettiest woman in the dining room and then when they squirmed, they had to keep calling the nurses. Beef gravy and pureed beets all over the place.

I know the old school purists think you should use bronze strings and a tube amp. I beg to differ. I use TI flatwounds and a Solid State amp (Either my Clarus or my Polytone) and could not be more pleased. I have a 1964 Princeton (non reverb), but to my ears, the DA's get a fatter, warmer tone through my Raezer's Edge cabinets with one of my superb solid state heads than through the olD Fender. Different strokes for different folks I guess....

**hot ford coupe** · 09-21-2016, 02:32 PM

Hi Marc. I listened to you playing your D'A on YouTube. There's nothing at all wrong with that tone. It's fantastic and it doesn't get better than that. I also use TI flat wounds and have a couple of solid state amps which do very well. My relationship with Ampeg is actually more historic than because it has tubes. In the good ol' days in NYC, Ampeg was a big deal and I loved the way that diamond Tolex looked. As long as it looks like an old Ampeg amp, it's fine with me. I also like the Ampeg J-20 because it's fairly light and my back doesn't let me hoist anything much over 30 pounds. Believe me, I don't look down on solid state amps at all. I think they're great.

**medblues** · 09-21-2016, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

... I use TI flatwounds and a Solid State amp (Either my Clarus or my Polytone) and could not be more pleased. I have a 1964 Princeton (non reverb), but to my ears, the DA's get a fatter, warmer tone through my Raezer's Edge cabinets with one of my superb solid state heads than through the olD Fender. Different strokes for different folks I guess....

How do you go about picking the Clarus vs the Polytone ? Do you play the Polytone through a Raezer's Edge cab also ? Thanks.

**Stringswinger** · 09-21-2016, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by medblues

How do you go about picking the Clarus vs the Polytone ? Do you play the Polytone through a Raezer's Edge cab also ? Thanks.

No magic formula. Sometimes I pick one, sometimes the other. They both sound great with the RE Cabinets.

**sgcim** · 09-21-2016, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

Hi Marc. I listened to you playing your D'A on YouTube. There's nothing at all wrong with that tone. It's fantastic and it doesn't get better than that. I also use TI flat wounds and have a couple of solid state amps which do very well. My relationship with Ampeg is actually more historic than because it has tubes. In the good ol' days in NYC, Ampeg was a big deal and I loved the way that diamond Tolex looked. As long as it looks like an old Ampeg amp, it's fine with me. I also like the Ampeg J-20 because it's fairly light and my back doesn't let me hoist anything much over 30 pounds. Believe me, I don't look down on solid state amps at all. I think they're great.

Johnny Smith used Ampegs with his hybrid Excel on all of those Roost recordings of the 1950s.
I used to work with a bass player, Roy Salanitro, who played some gigs with JS in clubs in NYC.

He said JS used the 'Fountain of Sound' Ampeg on his club gigs, and it sounded beautiful.

Roy used to sub for Jess Oliver, the designer of the Ampeg 'FOS' amp, and I wound up getting Jess to do some repair work for the HS I taught at.
When he repaired things, he wouldn't just fix the main problem. He'd make a list of about 15 other things that he did, and the amp or bass would sound like new.
Then the kids would get it and break it again...