1950 D'Angelico Excel
Maker
D'Angelico Guitars
(American, founded 1932)
Date1950
ClassificationsMusic
Description1950 D'Angelico Excel, serial number 1835, in sunburst finish. This archtop, hollow body guitar features a carved spruce top in sunburst finish with flamed maple back and sides. The body has a single cutaway, two f-holes, and a black raised pickguard. It has a standard stairstep tailpiece and its original pickguard and bindings. In an original hardshell case.Records from the D'Angelico shipping ledger indicate this guitar was shipped on March 4, 1950.
John D'Angelico (1905-1964) was an American luthier known for his archtop guitars and mandolins. He founded D'Angelico Guitars in 1932, and began producing archtop guitars for jazz and big band musicians. D'Angelico custom-built his guitars, and by the late-1940s was only producing two models: The New Yorker and the Excel. The Excel featured a 17" body compared to the New Yorker's 18" body. D'Angelico only built roughly 1,160 guitars under his own name. The D'Angelico brand continues to produce guitars to the present day.
Guitarist Chet Atkins used a D'Angelico Excel as his main session guitar prior to his sponsorship with Gretsch. Other D'Angelico players include Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Eric Clapton, and Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band).
