Thoughts on D'Angelico?

[Anaxes]

So I'm a newbie for jazz guitar. Phish first got be listening to jazz and its taken off from their and I'm looking for my first semi hollow. Hows the quality and whats the difference between getting a tail bridge and a fixed bridge? Still would like to use the guitar for blues and indie rock would it be worth swapping the pickups?

[rio]

I haven’t played any of these new D’Angelico’s and have only heard things about the full hollowbodies, but I just wanted to chime in to say “welcome aboard” and good luck with your start with jazz guitar. Back in the 90s I had gotten really into Phish, having collected hundreds of tapes of live shows that I traded over the text-only internet service I had at home. It was my first exposure to improvisation and they got me into jazz too.


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[Spook410]

Just got a D'Angelico EX SS because there was a silly cheap deal on Musicians Friend. The black on black makes for a very pretty guitar. Like the size and the light weight. A small semi with a small bridge block is a very flexible platform. Neck thickness is near perfect for this sort of guitar. The workmanship is quite good on mine. Only needs a normal set up to be ready to go. I will say I didn't care for the pickups. They are models made by Armstrong for this guitar. Overly hot and even a little harsh. I think most would be better off swapping to one of the many good 59 style humbuckers out there. As for me, I'm installing Seymour Duncan P-Rail pickups to make it into a swiss army sort of guitar. Single coil, P90, humbucker. Using push pull pots because there isn't much room for switches. The down side to this is the $240 in parts in probably that again in labor. Still, a basic humbucker swap should be cheaper and easier.

As for stop vs tailpiece, with a block under the bridge I don't think it will matter for sound a whole lot so it's a question of aesthetics. Overall the tailpiece seems a bit flimsy (not that it matters a lot functionally) so while I like the look I think I would choose the stop next time.

Thing is.. while the D'Angelico is a perfectly serviceable guitar and will work quite well for what I'm setting it up for, a new one runs $1600. For that you can get a very nice used Eastman 185 or 186 which are made from solid wood and are amazing instruments. Note that the 386 is also nice but laminate. The solid 185/186 models are great guitars and if I were spending $1200 - $1600 I would buy the Eastman in a heartbeat.

[John A.]

So I'm a newbie for jazz guitar. Phish first got be listening to jazz and its taken off from their and I'm looking for my first semi hollow. Hows the quality and whats the difference between getting a tail bridge and a fixed bridge? Still would like to use the guitar for blues and indie rock would it be worth swapping the pickups?

I have a D'Angelico EX DC with a trapeze tailpiece, and I've played a couple with stop tailpieces. I don't think there's much difference between the two bridge styles -- a stop bar may have a little more sustain and slightly better tuning stability, but not dramatically more on either front; the trapeze give a more acoustic sound unplugged, but I don't think this really translates to the amplified sound. I use it for blues, and jazz, and whatever else comes up the pike. I like it a lot, and have never been tempted to change the pickups. I think it's overall an excellent quality guitar. Mine is one of the older ones from the first batch of MIK D'Angelicos (ca. 2005-8), and these are a little different from the current ones in some details, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

John

John

[kencito]

Anaxes, Like John A, I also own a D'Angelico EX-DC semi-hollowbody (a 335-style guitar) which I acquired recently. Mine is the one with the stop tailpiece. I must say, I am very pleased with this guitar. The neck has a good feel, the fit and finish is excellent and the tone, for me, is just what I was looking for...full and warm with some woody/airiness yet punchy, clear and articulate with great sustain. Like John A, I don't feel a need to change the stock pickups. I also find the guitar very versatile. It's good for my band's Jazzier material as well as for our more pop oriented songs. It's even beautiful aesthetically (mine is a natural finish with gold hardware and a flamed maple top).

If you need a guitar with a somewhat more traditional Jazz sound (but still versatile), I've heard a lot of good reports about the Comins GCS-1. Hope this helps...

Kencito

[rio]

Yeah if you are looking for recommendation other than D’Angelico then Eastman has many options around that price range that are great guitars. You also might want to check out Peerless, Ibanez and I’ve also heard great things about the Comins GCS-1 as well (I’m considering getting one).


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[rpjazzguitar]

I have that older EXDC as well. Quality control was perfect except for a poorly cut nut, which I had to replace, and a bad clasp on the case.

I would suggest playing one before you buy, of course. I loved the guitar for several years, because the upper register really sang out. That eventually changed which I attribute to fret wear.

Recently, I noticed that the unwound strings sounded far more alive than the others-- with the lower strings sounding dull. I may simply need new strings. I mention it as something to listen for.

Also, make sure the strings don't get pushed off the edge of the neck when you play.

[John A.]

I have that older EXDC as well. Quality control was perfect except for a poorly cut nut, which I had to replace, and a bad clasp on the case.

I would suggest playing one before you buy, of course. I loved the guitar for several years, because the upper register really sang out. That eventually changed which I attribute to fret wear.

Recently, I noticed that the unwound strings sounded far more alive than the others-- with the lower strings sounding dull. I may simply need new strings. I mention it as something to listen for.

Also, make sure the strings don't get pushed off the edge of the neck when you play.

IMO, you need new strings and/or a pickup/pole-piece adjustment, and maybe a fret grind & polish to deal with the upper register issue you've talked about.

John

[gator811]

Its my favourite gigging guitar now - I really like it. It sounds great , its light and responsive and has a deep tone for a thin hollowbody - but I have had to do some work on it and also have had to seriously play it in to get it to feel good - because while it sounded good out of the box - it had some rough edges.

Beautiful finish - but not stunning as many guitars are these days. Hardware is solid but I have compared it to a Vestax and looks a little rough in comparison - the Premier models are even rougher looking...the tuners and tailpiece are of course unique in design so not easily changeable...but they work which is the main thing.
The guitar is light and responsive with a gorgeous mid range and holds its mids into the upper register. Boy that really sold it for me - the other SS's I tried didnt have that vibe , especially the stoptail version which seemed a bit lifeless.
Tuners are great on the Excel - although the nut was very sticky and I have had to file it a little on the 4th and 3rd strings.
I have noticed some hostility around the blogs toward the pickups ( Licensed KA 's) which I think suit the guitar nicely - I actually like the darker subdued sound of the HPAN 1 in my Eastman archtop too - for jazz at least.

DA are not D'Angelico any more than Epiphone are the brand of old - but its fair to say that this is potentially one of the best designed and potentially versatile guitars out there - so why arent they selling?

These are just another factory made machine out of the box - the price tag here in Australia has been aimed below the price of most US made guitars but significantly higher (like 100% more) than other Asian made intruments. But its really closer to the latter - in many ways. My closest comparison would be something like the AS153 which all things considered seems much better value.

Start with something that seems minor. Check out the Hard Case with the Excel SS . You dont have to look too closely to see how cheap and light these are in comparison to say , the solid snakeskin case that came with my $700 Epi 135 - theres no comparison. But worse still, the case isnt made properly for the guitar - the arch is too low and poorly supported for the actual arch in the instrument. Any serious downward pressure is going to put pressure on the toggle switch and if its high impact , on the top itself with no real resistance. So budget for a new case or at least a serious gig bag for getting around.

The pressure on the toggle wouldnt be so bad except a look under the hood reveals the kind of wiring you expect on $500 Epiphones or Ibanez. its an over- tight harness that will break if theres any play if the pots or the cheap short shaft toggle loosen.
A chat with a luthier friend of mine revealed that he has already had 2 customers with the same issue with the SS - loose pots, jacks and toggles causing breakages in the circuit - which you expect in the cheapest guitars, not in a guitar carrying the brand name D'Angelico. I dont use the hard case so so far I have been ok - but as soon as I get time Im upgrading the electrics in mine.

Fretwork. Really not as good as it should be. I have played this guitar in as far as it goes but I will at some stage get the frets done properly as there are some roughish edges still up high....

So here in Aus the asking price is close to $2700 AUD. So that is punching above much of the Eastman and Ibanez range, as well as most of the Asian made Gretsch and Guild models available.

I would never buy one of these at that price online. Too risky and too llittle quality control.

Havng said that , I tried quite a few and found them to be pretty good players off the rack - but only one that I really liked - one of the best I have had. It just lacks some finish and attention to those details..its all stuff you can fix.

I think in reality around 1200-1500 is a reasonable price for one of these....

[TheWizard]

First post in these forums (hello!) to report my NGD. I've gotten interested in playing jazz chord melody standards again after many years of world music, rockabilly, and taking some time off guitar in general to work on a family. Originally, I visited GC to find something that could really get an ES-175 like tone for me. I'm a fan of Godin having four of their solidbody and semi-hollow models, but I've hesitated buying their 5th Avenue Jazz models because it just didn't feel or sound right to me (I do like their non-cutaway acoustic models).

I ended up with the D'Angelico Excel SS at GC for $999 USD new. I traded two lower end Ibanez artcores (8+ years old with ACH pickups that I didn't like), a wood Gibson-era Korean Steinberger, and a 30 year old Carvin tube amp head ... none of which I play with much anymore. I was nervous to trade because in the 22 years I've been playing I've never sold a guitar, but after only a few hours I haven't regretted my decision yet. Here's what I like about the Excel SS.

• The 16" fingerboard radius and the thinner neck felt really good in my hands. I'm used to playing more modern solid bodies with compound or flatter radiuses and I don't know of any factory hollow bodies made with radiuses flatter than 13"
• When the GC employee pointed out the Excel SS to me, I was initially dismissive because of the semi-hollow build. I thought it would be just another ES-335 and I already have the real thing. But seeing how the block is really small, I decided to give it a shot. After plugging in to a Fender Twin and playing around on the neck pup, I found that I could get just as fat hollow body tone I was looking for. With the neck pickup I could really give it some tone. Center position had that nice drop you expect and wonderful treble. Despite being a slimline semi-hollow, it does not sound at all like an ES-335 and I don't think I could make it sound like one if I tried. I don't care whether these are Korean-made Kent Armstrong licensed pickups. I don't know if the pickups are the same models discussed in threads from 2013 - 2017, but to me they sound excellent and every bit like vintage PAFs.
• Seemed like nice construction with beautiful appointments. The ebony knobs are nice. I really like the vintage ivory colored body and neck binding. The body color is transparent grey/black and with the black tailpiece and black pickup covers it looks very classy.
• I know it is silly, but I'll admit the D'Angelico brand name was a major draw. I don't really keep up with guitars and gear, but I've often dreamed of having a D'Angelico from the New York shop and I didn't know that D'Angelico was in the import business. I know that it is a fallacy to assume that a premium brand is always equated with quality (see: Gibson of late), but the D'Angelico name carries more to me than, say, Eastman. Like an Armani suit, a good label makes me get out there with more confidence.

What do I not like about it? This has never been a problem with any guitar of mine before, but the pick guard seems in the way with my playing so I may remove it even though it looks really nice. And I didn't notice until I bought it, but the selector switch is shaky. Easily replaced, but annoying nevertheless.

I have 45 days to make up my mind if I'll keep it. Now I may go to a locally-owned shop and play the Excel DH model just to be sure I made the right choice with the SS.

[kencito]

Congratulations on the new guitar! The new D'Angelico Co. makes some great, reasonably priced instruments. It's interesting that your model manages to sound so much different than an ES-335 even though it's semi-hollow. Does yours have the stop-tail or the trapeze-style tailpiece?

[GNAPPI]

Setting aside the brand name being divisive the current Korean models are very well made, these are the only ones I can comment about.

My EX-SS (stairstep TP) is light, and more acoustically lively than say a full block semi hollow but much like an Eastman MX. It's my main (and only) practice git at my GF's house. I like it a lot!

I was fortunate to have it at the same time I had a 2019 Gibson ES-275 (which I returned) and by comparison the physical quality of the Gibson was not in the same league as the EX-SS which sounded and played equal to or better than the 275.

I also have an EX-DC (stop TP) and again the quality is spot on perfect. It's perfectly balanced while most DC semi's I have are decidedly body heavy. It's also one of the very few gits I allow to have flat wound strings on it. It easily plays equal or better than any premium brand DC I own or have owned, but it misses the 335 vibe. To me I feel it and my AS-120 are the best of the semi DC semi's I own or have owned which is a considerable number.

A few things about the D'A's... the finish is very thick and "glassy" feeling, some may be put off by it, also the finger board woods seem to be a moving target as to what is available. The pickups on older models are not liked by some, but owing to the fact that I pretty much have the 57 classic etc. sound covered the stock pups in mine of the recent D'Angelico models are not in need of replacement for me. Some current models have Duncan pups, so if you buy, look for these variables.

OH, AFAIK, D'Angelico gits have a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser.

[rpjazzguitar]

Trapeze tailpieces should feel a bit softer to play than stop tailpieces. That's physics, but it doesn't mean you'd notice it.

The reason is that when you bend a note, or even depress a string to play a note, the string stretches, including the part behind the bridge. The more string length behind the bridge the softer it feels, but the further you have to push the string to bend it to a specific pitch.

I like the look of the staircase trapeze tailpiece.

[TheWizard]

Congratulations on the new guitar! The new D'Angelico Co. makes some great, reasonably priced instruments. It's interesting that your model manages to sound so much different than an ES-335 even though it's semi-hollow. Does yours have the stop-tail or the trapeze-style tailpiece?

Thanks! Trapeze, and that may be a little part of it as my 335 has a stop tail. But I'm sure a bigger difference is that the D'A SS tone block is much smaller and just sits under the fixed bridge versus extending all the way to the tail.

Regarding if a trapeze tailpiece feels softer to play, that makes sense but the tension difference is imperceptible to me.

EDIT: upon research, there's two submodels of the SS. The one with the stop tailpiece has a full center block, so yeah it probably does sound closer to a real semi-hollow.

[TheWizard]

An update: I went to my local guitar store and played a DH model they had on display. I could be wrong but the neck felt thicker. Ooooh it sounded so nice especially in a Magnatone stereo amp I plugged it into vs. my JC120 at home. I'm so tempted to return this SS for the DH. Wish I could get both. Choices, choices.

I also called the D'Angelico shop and spoke to the store manager, Charlie, and asked some questions about the guitar. This one happened to be made in 2016 and I guess it has been in the store that long. These do have the Kent Armstrong pickups and he confirmed these are manufactured by Kent Armstrong domestically in the US, not the ones under made under license in Asia. Some of the double cutaway Excel D'Angelico models feature Seymour Duncan.

[Spook410]

I've had my EX-SS for some months now. Zero complaints. And while I initially might have objected to a knock-off art deco tailpiece in thin metal, I was mistaken. Like the tailpiece just fine. And I certainly want the quite small block under the bridge. The guitar has a nice round sound to it that probably has a lot to do with how hollow it is.

Wish others here could play mine. Most would really like the neck and quite a few would agree that this guitar with Seymour Duncan P-Rails is about as fun as it gets until you start looking at guitars that cost a great deal more.

[Dutchbopper]

These vids are not public because I was planning on using them for a few Blog entries on the guitars I demoed. Here's one with two parts on the d' Angelico. The rhythm parts is all Freddie Green chords that I weaved into some voice leading stuff.

The Stromberg was probably never intended for single note soloing but I did it anyway:

Anyway, hope you like. Recording acoustic archtops is hard. I need better mikes. I got the offer to borrow Walt's (member here) stereo mike set but unfortunately I could not find the time this week to pick them up in Belgium. Next time.

Did I tell you I still have a 3d guitar to demo? It's a 1948 Gibson L12 premier. But I will return the guitars tomorrow and probably won't make that one.

DB

[Filmosound 621]

Jazz guitar speed dating, what is not to like ?

the Stromberg sounds sweet.


thanks for sharing all these videos.

[Greentone]

The Stromberg sounds great. Magnificent, really. Yet, the D'Angelico sounds even better.

Wow.

[wintermoon]

NYer w/Stromberg rhythm backing?
nah, the NYer sounds great for rhythm too.

[sgcim]

Nice playing, as usual, but I didn't like the dirty looks you gave your rhythm man at the beginning of the tune. Cut him some slack; he's a young guy just starting to learn the ropes!

[JFranck]

Great job!
I like the sound of this M400.
When designing it with a cutaway Elmer Stromberg had necessarily solo work in mind.
By the way, how is the neck?

[Dutchbopper]

Great job!
I like the sound of this M400.
When designing it with a cutaway Elmer Stromberg had necessarily solo work in mind.
By the way, how is the neck?

Yeah, you have a point there. The neck is great, very playable. Big but not too chubby.

DB

[stringmann]

Very nice indeed! Would you mind telling me what strings you are using to get that crisp sound?
and was it a cigar mic straight into a mac? sounded great to me! tnx

[Dutchbopper]

Very nice indeed! Would you mind telling me what strings you are using to get that crisp sound?
and was it a cigar mic straight into a mac? sounded great to me! tnx

Both the D’ Angelico and the Stromberg had rounwounds on them. The mike was a condenser (cigar) type that went into my audio interface. I do use professional recording software.

DB


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