The History
Based in New York city since its founding in in 1932, D’Angelico Guitars built on the history of one of the most revered luthiers of all time, John D'Angelico. When the brand changed ownership in 2011, an overhaul of the brand occurred, resulting in a modern resurgence. With instruments spread across three distinct series (Premier, Excel, and Deluxe), there's a D'Angelico guitar for virtually any modern player. Like the original D'Angelico models, these new models are versatile instruments crafted to the highest standards.
The Legacy
The originals are highly-coveted vintage pieces, and a collective excitement came over the community of archtop and semi-hollow enthusiasts upon the brand’s return in 2011. Since then, D’Angelico has developed true-to-tone reissues of John D’Angelico originals and moved forward into the development of sleek, modern designs still imbued with the spirit of the brand’s history.
The Brand Today
A lot has happened over the last 80 or so years, including migrating the 1-man shop from Little Italy to a large showroom in midtown Manhattan. Despite the venue change, D'Angelico remains committed to the same philosophy they had in 1932: providing players with exceptional instruments and maintaining the legacy of John D'Angelico. With a stable of influential artists praising the brand and the guitars being available at dealers worldwide, D'Angelico has again reasserted itself as a player in the modern guitar marketplace. The current line of guitars includes a mixture of reissued classics, exciting new semi-hollow models, and even the first solidbodies in the 85-year history of D'Angelico.
The Lineup
D’Angelico’s product line is organized into three lines: Premier, Excel, and Deluxe. The Premier Series comprises the brand’s most popular models — accessibly-priced and elegantly designed. The Excel Series is the longest-running line, comprised of a wide variety of models featuring notable upgrades and versatile tonal options.
The Deluxe Series is D’Angelico’s newest and most performance-driven series. Featuring custom-designed electronics from top boutique brands, high-end specifications, and limited-edition releases, Deluxe Series guitars are lifelong instruments and frequently seen across the world’s biggest stages.
New York City’s Art Deco Influence
D’Angelico incorporates traditional aesthetic details from John D’Angelico’s original designs throughout each series. Art Deco and New York City inspired the addition of details such as the signature Stairstep tailpiece, the Skyscraper truss rod cover, and the opulent headstock design are all based on original D’Angelico instruments, now found across the product line, on both archtops and solidbodies alike.
Introduced in 2020, the Excel Series Throwback Collection instruments celebrate the details found on John D’Angelico’s more ornate archtops from the 1940s, and include era-accurate details like the 7-ply, scroll-style headstock design; New Yorker style inlays; plus ebony fingerboards, headstock plates, and pickguards for added woody archtop tone. A handful of instruments in the D’Angelico line are faithful reissues of John D’Angelico designs, re-developed alongside scans of original instruments, such as the EXL-1 and Style B archtops.
Modern Spark
After a complete product line overhaul in 2017, D’Angelico Guitars established itself as a brand set on listening to the desires of modern players. The debut of their first ever solidbody collection ushered in a fleet of sleek, ergonomic designs bearing enough D’Angelico DNA to fold seamlessly into the line. Premium materials and brand-name parts from Seymour Duncan to Grover to Lollar to Graphtech bring enormous value across their series, and strike the perfect balance between vintage-inspired tone and today’s top guitar technology.
Artists First
D’Angelico has made it clear they share their original founder’s affinity for listening to the player. Working with a laundry list of artists, D’Angelico has developed signature guitars with legends like Bob Weir and Kurt Rosenwinkel, while their standard product line is found in the hands of players such as Isaiah Sharkey and Skunk Baxter, as well as the industry’s newest trendsetters in Melanie Faye and Daniel Donato. Every D’Angelico instrument is designed in New York City and tested alongside trusted players, ensuring that they are offering exactly what their audience is looking for.
