1935 D'Angelico Excel

[Max405]

Did you ask the lady how in the world she knew what a D'A was ??
Great story, Joe !

I can't believe some random shipping lady knew what a D'Angelico is, let a lone a 'real' one. I mean even being in the shipping biz how many come in contact w/them or pay attention for that matter?

cool story Joe.

She was actually a customer. Maybe 45 years young. She was very nice.
i immediately told Marc about this..
Everything about this guitar and the transaction was magical.
Thanks guys. Joe D

[hot ford coupe]

You'll be surprised sometimes to find out who knows what a real D'A is. A good friend of mine that practiced the same dental specialty as I did told me he had a 1963 GJS. It wasn't well set up so I told him I'd restring it and do a little easy work on it. When he came to pick it up I asked him what made him get the GJS in the first place. Come to find out that when he was a kid, he belonged to a family band and he played rhythm guitar. When he got older, he wanted a guitar that was better than the clunker he was playing so he found this guy who made guitars and ordered one. He just couldn't remember who the guy was. This was 1961. He said he waited and waited for the guitar but nothing came. He waited close to 2 years. He then called the maker and asked him what the problem was. The maker said he'd been sick and hadn't started on his guitar yet and he was very sorry. My friend then bought his Gibson instead. He said he had the original letter of apology the maker sent him. Then he showed me the letter. When I saw the signature on the bottom of the letter, I damn near passed out. There it was signed by John D'Angelico himself. The guy not only new what a D'A was, he actually talked with him a number of times one on one. With the master himself. My friend told me the maker sounded like crap when he talked to him. I said he had died shortly after your conversation. My friend would have been the owner of a genuine custom made 1963 New Yorker.

[Stringswinger]

Marc, Thanks for the opening..
Here's a Funny story.. When I was in the UPS store shipping the Excel, I opened the case to get Marc's address out, and there was a lady behind me in line who saw the guitar. She said, Oh My God! Is that a real D'Angelico? I looked at her, smiled and said "Yes it is. A 1935 Excel.." She said, "WHAT? 1935? It looks brand new." The owner of the store said, "yeah this one is nice, but You should have seen the last one I shipped for him..". Then he took a picture out of the drawer of the HDA I shipped to Marc. And showed it to her!!!. She said, "OH, that one is nice too. Is it a real D'Angelico" I said, well, not really.. She said, "I like the real one better.." Then the store owner asked me how much I am insuring it for, I told him $9500.. He said, WHAT? Oh my god.. This one is nicer than the last one..
So I said funny thing is, this one is going to the same guy as the last one did. And he also has 2 other real ones.. So the lady said, " I could see by your wedding ring that you are married.. What about your friend who's buying the guitar??

I am not making this up.

Joe D

Joe, A nice looking 45 year old gal who knows what a DA is? If I wasn't a happily married man (been with my wife 19 years now), I would have asked you to go back to the UPS store and figure out her number. THAT sounds like a woman worth dating....

[Archtop Guy]

You'll be surprised sometimes to find out who knows what a real D'A is. A good friend of mine that practiced the same dental specialty as I did told me he had a 1963 GJS. It wasn't well set up so I told him I'd restring it and do a little easy work on it. When he came to pick it up I asked him what made him get the GJS in the first place. Come to find out that when he was a kid, he belonged to a family band and he played rhythm guitar. When he got older, he wanted a guitar that was better than the clunker he was playing so he found this guy who made guitars and ordered one. He just couldn't remember who the guy was. This was 1961. He said he waited and waited for the guitar but nothing came. He waited close to 2 years. He then called the maker and asked him what the problem was. The maker said he'd been sick and hadn't started on his guitar yet and he was very sorry. My friend then bought his Gibson instead. He said he had the original letter of apology the maker sent him. Then he showed me the letter. When I saw the signature on the bottom of the letter, I damn near passed out. There it was signed by John D'Angelico himself. The guy not only new what a D'A was, he actually talked with him a number of times one on one. With the master himself. My friend told me the maker sounded like crap when he talked to him. I said he had died shortly after your conversation. My friend would have been the owner of a genuine custom made 1963 New Yorker.

Sad that your friend didn't speak to that kid in the corner sweeping the floors.

[2bornot2bop]

Great storytelling Marc! You must feel proud to own one of the nicest guitar collections on the west coast. Congratulations!

[Max405]

Joe, A nice looking 45 year old gal who knows what a DA is? If I wasn't a happily married man (been with my wife 19 years now), I would have asked you to go back to the UPS store and figure out her number. THAT sounds like a woman worth dating....

Can you imagine.. After 15 minutes of red hot love making the 2 of you are laying there trying to catch your breath and she turns to you and says, "Hey Honey, what do you say we go over to Rudys later and see if he has a nice cutaway New Yorker for sale. I'll buy it for you, just because I want to show my appreciation for the multiple orgasms I just had.."
Nice.

You'll be surprised sometimes to find out who knows what a real D'A is. A good friend of mine that practiced the same dental specialty as I did told me he had a 1963 GJS. It wasn't well set up so I told him I'd restring it and do a little easy work on it. When he came to pick it up I asked him what made him get the GJS in the first place. Come to find out that when he was a kid, he belonged to a family band and he played rhythm guitar. When he got older, he wanted a guitar that was better than the clunker he was playing so he found this guy who made guitars and ordered one. He just couldn't remember who the guy was. This was 1961. He said he waited and waited for the guitar but nothing came. He waited close to 2 years. He then called the maker and asked him what the problem was. The maker said he'd been sick and hadn't started on his guitar yet and he was very sorry. My friend then bought his Gibson instead. He said he had the original letter of apology the maker sent him. Then he showed me the letter. When I saw the signature on the bottom of the letter, I damn near passed out. There it was signed by John D'Angelico himself. The guy not only new what a D'A was, he actually talked with him a number of times one on one. With the master himself. My friend told me the maker sounded like crap when he talked to him. I said he had died shortly after your conversation. My friend would have been the owner of a genuine custom made 1963 New Yorker.

HFC, Great Story. Tell your friend, he got the next best thing. But don't tell him anything about the Return On Investment differences between the 2 guitars.. He might curse poor John.. Oh, the Italian one..

[BigMikeinNJ]

I tell ya fellas I've seen some really pretty guitars and read more stories lately. No wonder I don't have a life, I spend 1/3 of my day here waiting for the next classic nuggets or impossibly gorgeous and sponge worthy guitars to pop up !! LOL...

What a place. And wow, what stories.

[m_d]

Thank you for this. Great story/ies from both gentlemen. I personally love the way it was refinished. It looks quite extraordinary. Loving the beautiful proportions too. It's ready to start its second life, perhaps its first real musical life (?), young again, to age again, the proper way. (Anyone wish they were a D'Angelico guitar?) Looking forward to hearing about your adventures with it.

[hot ford coupe]

Sad that your friend didn't speak to that kid in the corner sweeping the floors.

That's exactly what I said.

[Stringswinger]

Sad that your friend didn't speak to that kid in the corner sweeping the floors.

By 1963, that kid was doing more than sweeping floors, he was pretty much building the guitars...I own an Ibanez JP-20 which is a high quality, Japanese copy of a Jimmy D'Aquisto electric guitar. Seeing how Jimmy's output was way smaller than John's, that is about as close as I will ever be to owning a D'Aquisto. The prices of his guitars are through the roof. And perhaps they should be, for Jimmy is the other "Stradivarius" of the guitar.

At least players grade, non cut D'Angelicos (like all three of mine) can be had for a price that a player can afford.

[Stringswinger]

Great storytelling Marc! You must feel proud to own one of the nicest guitar collections on the west coast. Congratulations!

Thanks 2B. I do have pride in all that I have accomplished and acquired. But more than pride, I feel fortunate. Fortunate to live in a Country, where for all of her faults, a man (or woman) can realize their dreams. Fortunate to have my health and the love of a great woman. And fortunate to have discovered this forum, a great place to share information about jazz guitar, one of my lifelong passions with some of the best people on the planet.

[Stringswinger]

I tell ya fellas I've seen some really pretty guitars and read more stories lately. No wonder I don't have a life, I spend 1/3 of my day here waiting for the next classic nuggets or impossibly gorgeous and sponge worthy guitars to pop up !! LOL...

What a place. And wow, what stories.

Mike, you have a life, one that is enriched by getting to play some of the finest guitars ever crafted (and view many others owned by your many friends). And you get to share your joy here, the best place on the internet.

[Stringswinger]

it's been many yrs, but now that I think about it the one I owned had period engraved Grovers like on early Super 400's and prewar Martin D-45's
haven't seen those on a DA before or since, those tuners alone are worth a fortune.
yours had banjo tuners on it? never seen that either.

I got some pictures of the guitar before restoration. It looks like 4 banjo Tuners replaced some failed Grovers...

[Stringswinger]

The Three Sisters (every bit as grand as those mountains in Oregon):



1937 Style A, 1935 Excel, 1948 Style B

[wintermoon]

I got some pictures of the guitar before restoration. It looks like 4 banjo Tuners replaced some failed Grovers...

ah, so...
the only archtop I've ever seen w/orig banjo tuners are some circa '28 L-5's.
pretty wacky replacement and the upside down low E is interesting.

[neatomic]

I got some pictures of the guitar before restoration. It looks like 4 banjo Tuners replaced some failed Grovers...

that pic is a crime!! can you imagine doing that to a d'angelico?...and that's the least of it..i'm sure many were trashed worse..beyond repair...

why they are sacred now!!


cheers

[Max405]

The Three Sisters (every bit as grand as those mountains in Oregon):



1937 Style A, 1935 Excel, 1948 Style B

the 17" guitar looks like a baby next to the others. What a sight to see.
Thats as good as any mortal can ever get.

ah, so...
the only archtop I've ever seen w/orig banjo tuners are some circa '28 L-5's.
pretty wacky replacement and the upside down low E is interesting.

Wintermoon,
That picture made me sick the 1st time saw it.. Sickening.
JD

[aboutIt]

I told him that I intend to "antique" it the old fashioned way, by gigging with it.

Now that is what it's about. Heartfelt congrats to you from the other side of the tracks.

[mr. beaumont]

I really think a non cutaway Excel like in the OP is as good looking as a guitar gets.

[sgcim]

I got some pictures of the guitar before restoration. It looks like 4 banjo Tuners replaced some failed Grovers...

I'm gonna have nightmares about this photo tonight...

[hot ford coupe]

Jimmy is the other "Stradivarius" of the guitar.

Absolutely. Jimmy took what John did and didn't try to duplicate it (except in the beginning). He took John's concepts and improved on them. Now John Monteleone has the scepter. It's time for me to research his sound.

[wintermoon]

I'm gonna have nightmares about this photo tonight...

uh oh, I'm going to bed now.
I hope it doesn't appear in my dreams like some Irwin Allen creation from Lost In Space...
Danger!, Danger Will Robinson!

[sgcim]

Absolutely. Jimmy took what John did and didn't try to duplicate it (except in the beginning). He took John's concepts and improved on them. Now John Monteleone has the scepter. It's time for me to research his sound.

Or lack of it...

[Stringswinger]

I really think a non cutaway Excel like in the OP is as good looking as a guitar gets.

To me, D'Angelico Excels and New Yorkers are as beautiful as a guitar gets. D'Aquistos, Monteleones, Benedettos and the like (not to mention Gibsons) are all beautiful, but just as Leo Fender came up with the greatest solid bodied guitars, the Tele and the Strat, John D'Angelico's acoustic archtops are the pinnacle of guitar beauty and sound.

[Stringswinger]

I'm gonna have nightmares about this photo tonight...

I'm still laughing , even as I type this...