D'Angelico - Excel EXL-1 Dark Iced Tea Burst

1947 makes a comeback at D’Angelico with the Excel EXL-1 Dark Iced Tea Burst, a faithful reinterpretation of the original archtop. The floating Seymour Duncan Johnny Smith mini humbucker (Alnico II), mounted on the pickguard, produces a warm, rounded tone, typical of smoky clubs where jazz is played with subtle nuances. A volume and tone control are all that’s needed to shape this sound, without any unnecessary frills or superfluous knobs.
The single-cutaway hollow-body body resonates through its laminated spruce top, whilst the laminated flamed maple on the sides and back imparts a woody warmth that is evident from the very first sustained notes. The floating ebony bridge transmits every vibration with rare naturalness, and the D’Angelico Stairstep tailpiece rounds off this design with character.
The three-piece neck, with a C-profile, moulds to the hand from the first chord to the final bend, supported by an ebony fingerboard with a 304.8 mm radius that keeps the bass strings under control. Its 22 Jescar 47/104 frets run the full length of the 647.7 mm scale, the standard for archtops designed for jazz. The 43 mm Graph Tech NuBone XL nut stabilises the tuning alongside the Grover 150 Imperial tuners.
Supplied in its Deluxe hard case with D’Angelico Electrozinc Jazz 12-52 strings, this Excel is made for intimate venues, dimly lit studios and evenings where swing takes centre stage.