Legendary Guitars Since 1932

The flagship archtop in the D'Angelico line has returned—now in two colorways with two different pickup configurations. Inspired by John D'Angelico's single-cutaway "Excel" model that was first introduced in 1947, the Excel EXL-1 offers woody, articulate tone, ideal for both rhythm and lead playing. Featuring a redesigned neck shape, the EXL-1 promises the perfect balance of comfort and heft, still prioritizing remarkable mobility but also offering improved handfit. A full-sized Seymour Duncan 59 humbucker yields broad tone with singing sustain, while a Johnny Smith Floating Mini-bucker offers woody, focused tone that prioritizes body top resonance. Features include Grover hardware, an ebony fingerboard, and Jescar fretwire. Available in Dark Iced Tea Burst and Amber.

LEGENDARY DESIGN

True to John D’Angelico’s legendary design, the Excel EXL-1 is a 17-inch-wide, 3-inch-deep single-cutaway offering rich response and classic mid-century jazz tone.

CLASSIC TONE

Strapped with either a floating Seymour Duncan Johnny Smith mini-humbucker or a full-sized 59, both options yield classic archtop tone, with warm, woody low end and articulate mids.

PREMIUM FEEL

A comfortable C-shape neck capped with an ebony fingerboard and Jescar fretwire makes for remarkably premium feel up and down the neck.

HISTORY REPEATS

Modeled after John D’Angelico’s preeminent single-cutaway design, the EXL-1 is our flagship archtop for good reason—it has stood the test of time.