D'Angelico Excel SS Soho Dark Cherry Burst

A D'Angelico archtop in "Soho" format: elegance and efficiency in the Excel range

The Excel SS SOHO carries the DNA of the great D'Angelico archtops (meticulous finishes, 5-ply binding, signature hardware) in a more compact and easier-to-handle format. Its cutaway design facilitates access to the upper frets, while its hollow body construction with a central block aims to preserve the airy character of a hollow body while improving volume handling and playing stability.

For whom, and in which styles?

This guitar is aimed at intermediate to advanced guitarists seeking a thin, expressive archtop that is easy to amplify. It excels in jazz (comping, chord-melody), muted blues, soul, and also suits more modern approaches whenever nuance, touch, and a warm tone are favored over extreme saturation. The original 12-52 gauge strings promote tuning stability and a full response, particularly appreciated on a hollow body.

Sound

The spruce top provides clarity and dynamic response, while the maple back and sides enhance definition and projection. The floating mini humbucker pickup, positioned at the neck side, captures a full and articulated sound, with warm lows, singing mids, and soft highs, perfect for complex voicings. The volume and tone controls allow for a range from very round tones to a more precise attack, without losing the natural balance of an archtop. The floating ebony bridge contributes to vibration transmission and organic sustain, with a very "acoustic" feel under the fingers.

Recommended compatible accessories

To stay as close as possible to the original setup, a set of electric strings in 12-52 gauge is the safest choice. The guitar is equipped with a standard mono jack output, so a quality mono jack cable will be perfectly suitable for stage or studio use. Delivered with a gig bag.

Technical specifications

Electronics: microphone configuration	H	Bridge / tailpiece	Fixed
Category	Hollow body	Electronics	Passive
Left handed	No	Electroacoustic	No
Strings	Steel	Color	Red
Nbr of strings	6	Finishing	Glossy
Nbrs of frets	22	Hardware	Gold

Type	hollow body with center block	Scale length	635 mm / 25"
Cutaway	yes	Frets	22
Top	spruce	Neck thickness	Fret 1: 20 mm / 0.79"; Fret 12: 22 mm / 0.87"
Back and sides	maple	Truss rod	double action
Body thickness	2.54 cm / 1"	Bridge	ebony, floating
Width	38.1 cm / 15"	Tailpiece	D'Angelico stepped
Binding	5-ply	Tuners	locking Grover 509 Super Rotomatic
Top finish	Dark Cherry Burst	Pickguard	Scalini dark satin Macassar ebony (5-ply)
Back and sides finish	Dark Cherry	Neck pickup	floating Kent Armstrong Jazzy Joe Mini Humbucker (Alnico V)
Profile	C	Controls	volume, tone
Construction	glued 3-piece neck (maple/walnut/maple)	Output	standard mono jack
Fingerboard	ebony	Power supply	not applicable
Inlays	"small diamonds" (acrylic)	Delivered with	gig bag
Radius	406 mm / 16"	Weight	6 kg / 13.23 lb
Nut	Tusq, 43 mm / 1.69"