1953 D'Angelico Excel Blonde/Natural

When I started taking guitar lessons when I was 12, my teacher was an old Italian gentleman who only played (and only taught) jazz. He would teach me blues or rock but he was pretty much the only teacher in town in 1964. He played an L5 and I recall asking him what guitar is considered the best. He smiled and said "this one right here". Then he paused for a moment and said "unless you can get your hands on a D'Angelico." he explained that they were handmade by (of course) an Italian gentleman in New York. In the days before something called a "vintage" existed, a D'Angelico was the most expensive guitar you could buy. The cachet has faded a bit over the years as archtop jazz boxes lost popularity but even if they aren't as coveted as they once were, everyone agrees that the craftsmanship and the tone are extraordinary. This one was built in 1953 (most of them were custom builds). Everything is original as far as I can tell with one exception-There is an extra hole in the guard, so I believe the bracket was changed. These celluloid guards tend to disintegrate (off gas) so this one could be a reproduction. Everything else is original. This is a very loud guitar. It is well balanced and has a particularly strong mid range. I've never heard another guitar with a voice like this one. It sounds like no other guitar I've owned. It has just had the neck re-set by Dan Erlewine and is playing beautifully. The Excel model was available in cutaway and non cutaway and in 17" and 16" widths. The scale is 25". The most desirable is the 17" cutaway in blonde. Only the top of the line 18" New Yorker is more coveted. Original hard case in excellent condition.