D'Angelico
John D'Angelico built archtops by hand in New York from the 1930s, and the surviving instruments are among the most valuable American guitars ever made. The modern company works from that legacy with the Excel and Deluxe series — semi-hollows and archtops at prices a working player can actually reach, carrying the stairstep tailpiece and Art Deco detailing. It appears in our archive on new model launches and in features on hollowbody tone.
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- Electric guitars
- Acoustic guitars
- Bass guitars
- Ukuleles
- Excel
- Deluxe
- Premier
- New Yorker
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D'Angelico FAQ4 questions
Who was John D'Angelico?
The master luthier who founded the brand in 1932 in Manhattan's Little Italy, building archtop guitars by hand. Original D'Angelico instruments are among the most valuable American guitars ever made, and the New Yorker is the model most associated with him.
Is the modern D'Angelico the same company?
No. In 1999 Steve Pisani, John Ferolito Jr. and Brenden Cohen bought the D'Angelico trademark, and the current business is an American musical instrument importer based in Manhattan, with Cohen as president and chief executive and Ferolito as chairman. It is a revived name, not a continuous workshop.
What is the difference between D'Angelico Excel, Deluxe and Premier?
They are the tiers of the modern range. Premier is the entry point, Excel the mid-range with better appointments, and Deluxe the top of the production line. All three use the same body shapes and the distinctive stairstep tailpiece and headstock.
Are D'Angelico guitars only hollow-bodies?
No. The archtop heritage is the identity, but the current range covers semi-hollow and solid-body electrics, acoustics, basses and ukuleles. The Deluxe Bedford and similar solid-bodies are a long way from what John D'Angelico built.