The Guitar Player's Resource
Semi-hollow guitars can be tricky to get right - too much hollow and you're fighting feedback issues on stage, too much solid and you lose that acoustic warmth that makes these instruments special. D'Angelico nailed the balance with the Excel SS by understanding what working musicians actually need.
That 15-inch single-cutaway body size hits the sweet spot between comfortable playability and genuine acoustic resonance. You get the warmth and harmonic complexity that makes chord work sing, but the full center block keeps unwanted feedback at bay when you're pushing your amp into sweet saturation territory. This is problem-solving guitar design that serves both jazz club intimacy and rock stage volume levels.
The Seymour Duncan 59 humbuckers provide exactly what versatile players need - vintage warmth that sits beautifully in a mix, with enough output to drive your amp without getting harsh or muddy. But here's where it gets smart: those coil-tap push/pull tone knobs give you genuine single-coil clarity when you need it, not that thin, anemic sound that some coil-tap systems produce.
When players like Bob Weir and Kurt Rosenwinkel both gravitate toward the same instrument, that tells you something important about its versatility. Weir needs guitars that can handle everything from delicate acoustic-style passages to full-band electric mayhem, while Rosenwinkel demands the harmonic complexity and sustain that modern jazz requires. The SS serves both approaches without compromise.
That slim C-shape neck profile feels comfortable whether you're executing complex jazz chord voicings or stretching for single-note passages that need to sing over a dense arrangement. The lightweight construction means this guitar won't leave your shoulder aching during extended playing sessions, but it's still substantial enough to provide the sustain and resonance that make semi-hollow guitars so musically satisfying.
This is versatility that actually serves different musical applications rather than just marketing claims.
