D'Angelico Excel Mini DC Semi-hollow Review

Superb guitar for the money...and for the right player

It surprised me that you can still get a guitar of this quality and beauty (and it is beautiful!) for under $2k. In the end, though, what matters is the feel, the relationship between your fingers, hands and whole body and the instrument. For me, the combination is a complete success--the smaller body makes the long neck easier to manipulate and, if played standing, it's far more… read more comfortable than my old Les Paul...which brings me to a mild warning: Because of the small body and the heavy, ornate head, the guitar dips its neck to your left (the opposite of my old two-ton Les Paul, which wants to pull you down to the right and pin you to the floor). For me, this isn't a problem at all, but it might annoy others. The neck is tight and fast, excellent for medium or smaller hands, but perhaps a challenge for thick fingers. Good touch quality, and you'll adapt quickly and nail clean tones. The highest octave on the fingerboard is more accessible than on peer guitars, but, inevitably, the tone "pings." But, then, you're hitting notes you can't even reach on other guitars. By way of tough comparison, the love-of-my-life guitar is a '69 Byrdland...but, with age, the size of the Byrdland's body triggers an ache in my right shoulder after an hour of seated playing. I bought this D'Angelico as a "bridge" guitar to spare my shoulder on long sessions (after I've played the Byrdland). While this Excel Mini DC will never rival the touch and tone of the vintage Gibson--which is a guitar-maker's miracle--the D'Angelico can hold up its head (or dip it down in salute) with pride. To me, the Excel Mini DC is superb--and a relative bargain (good case, too, btw). A note on that ornate head. Well, I suppose you love it or you hate it. I find the instrument gorgeous (definitely get the solid black, not the mottled black). That said, the design is Art Deco, and I like the Art Deco sensibility. But every player has his or her intimate relationship with an instrument. And the visual effect of an instrument is part of the sensory experience. Please yourself--you're going to be looking at your lover/guitar every day, so choose wisely. (Guess I'm cheating on my beloved Byrdland here...). And high praise to Sweetwater for superb packing--frankly, I worried about buying a guitar on-line. Well, no need to worry. Good people, great company. Last note: If you're a big guy, over six feet, you might prefer a full-sized D'Angelico. For me, at five-eleven, but with a short torso, the Mini is ergonomically perfect.

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D'Angelico Excel Mini DC-Black

Better in person than in the picture. It's a beauty. The retro look grows on you. Exceptional build quality on the one I got. 55 point inspection probably had something to do with that. Plays like a dream. Lots of options with the push pull switches. The semi hollow body sounds off even when not plugged in. Overall so far I like it a lot. Of course each to his own. One of the… read more higher priced models comes with Grover locking tuners. D'Angelico must have made this custom as I could not find any with the Imperial knobs. So I took a set of Grover locking tuners and switched the knobs from my new guitar. Bingo... May not be your bag, but I love the locking tuners for ease of string change. Thanks to Matt Masek for working with me on this purchase now and in the past years. Great to know you have someone to talk to about your wants and questions. Tells it like it is with no fluff and no pressure. Thanks Matt

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