2022 Buyer's Guide

2022 will see the arrival of several exciting new guitars from D’Angelico along with the return of old favorites, some with new color and/or finish options. This buyer’s guide will serve as a roadmap to the expanding D’Angelico product line and lead you to the guitar best suited for your playing needs. 

Looking To Stand Out From The Pack?

Look no further than the Bedford SH and 59. 

The Bedford SH comes in a variety of finishes, primarily glossy, opaque colors, but also available in Matte Walnut which features elegant exposed wood grain. The Bedford SH also features a unique pickup configuration, boasting a mini humbucker in the bridge position and tele-style single-coil neck pickups in both the middle and neck positions. A 5-way blade selector allows for various pickup combinations and seemingly endless tonal capabilities. 

Complemented by an offset body shape and a contoured f-hole style cutout on the upper bout, the Bedford SH is visually striking and an excellent instrument for sonic exploration across many genres and styles. Find the Bedford SH in both the Premier and Deluxe Series.

The 59, a fully hollow guitar with a timeless single cut body shape, is available in several gloss-finished colors as well as satin finishes over exposed wood grain. Reminiscent of several fan-favorite guitars including one famously played by John Lennon, the 59 utilizes Dog Ear P90s in the neck and bridge positions. But these are no ordinary Dog Ears. Co-created with Seymour Duncan, the D’Angelico Great Dane P90s found in the 59 allow for a remarkable range from woody warmth to angsty bite. 

With warm acoustic resonance from the body of the instrument along with classic P90 bark (pun intended) the 59 will make a statement regardless of which genres you play and where you fall in the spectrum of clean to dirty tones. Find the 59 in our Excel and Deluxe Series.   

Looking To Get Into Jazz? 

Let’s go back to where it all started for us and talk about some of our favorite flagship models best suited for jazz players. With a floating mini-humbucker in the neck position paired with a floating ebony bridge, the EXL-1 was designed to protect and highlight its natural acoustic tone—clean, warm, and woody tones are its specialty. Its sound is complemented by its looks, as the EXL-1 shows off classy wood grain under both satin and gloss finishes. 

If you are in the market for a classic jazzbox with exceptionally modern playability, this is the guitar for you. Find the EXL-1 in our Premier and Excel Series. 

A single-cutaway semi-hollow, the SS is also well suited for jazz players, but may be more intriguing to those looking for a modern twist. With humbuckers in the neck and bridge position, the SS is more versatile but ultimately its semi-hollow body design provides resonance, sustain, and stability when it comes to tones with more gain. 

The SS also features the classic D’Angelico stairstep tailpiece for a classy aesthetic boost, spongier feel, and added harmonic color. If you’re interested in jazz, R&B, funk, or even the mystical world of fusion, the SS is a great choice. Find the SS in all three D’Angelico series, available in even more varieties than are mentioned here.       

Looking For Versatility?

The DC, Atlantic, and Brighton are three of the most versatile guitars in the D’Angelico lineup. The DC is semi-hollow, while the Atlantic and Brighton are both solid-bodies. These guitars carry the torch regarding the spirit of D’Angelico today. 

With a centerblock housing humbuckers in the bridge and neck position, the DC can handle more gain than a fully hollow guitar. The purpose of the centerblock is to help prevent feedback generated when trying to send too much signal through the front of your amp while simultaneously increasing the sustain and resonance of your guitar. Constructed with a comfortable, slim neck shape and relatively flat fingerboard radius, the DC was built for performance.

The Atlantic and Brighton are both solid body guitars with single and double cutaway designs respectively. While they may be reminiscent of guitars more oriented for louder, high gain playing, don’t be fooled, they are both “swiss army knives” of tone and playability. With both models featuring two humbuckers equipped with coil splitting capabilities via two push-pull tone knobs, you can achieve the sweet airy tone of a single coil as well as the full warmth of a humbucker—especially useful in the blended position. These guitars sound excellent with any amount of gain. 

As one would expect from a solid body, the Atlantic and Brighton provide excellent clarity and sustain. The Atlantic, Brighton, and DC all come in a wide variety of finishes from opaque colors, to bursts, to natural satin stains. Find the Atlantic and Brighton in the Premier and Deluxe Series. The DC is available in all three series.    

Looking For A Guitar That Speaks For Itself?

The two D’Angelico dreadnought models have got you covered. The Lexington and its single cutaway counterpart the Bowery are two bold dreadnought-style acoustics that provide volume and warmth. Dreadnoughts are known for their bold character and excellent response across the EQ spectrum, particularly lower frequencies. Ultimately, a larger body results in more natural amplification and more depth to your tone. Both models also feature an onboard preamp, providing true-to-tone amplification if you find yourself needing to plug in. 

If you need your acoustic to cut through the noise of a band or project on stage when playing solo, the Lexington or Bowery is an excellent choice. Both models can be found in the Premier and Excel series. The Premier versions have laminate sides and back with a solid top while the Excel versions feature all solid construction. 

Looking for A Guitar To Complement Your Voice?

Sometimes a little less wood on your guitar can be beneficial when playing an acoustic, especially if you like to sing while you play. The smaller, slimmer, Tammany OM style acoustic is an excellent pairing for singer-songwriters looking for comfortable playability and warm acoustic tone that stays out of the way of vocals. With a punchy mid-range and crystalline top end, this acoustic has an immaculate natural, woody tone. 

Unlike a dreadnought, an OM such as the Tammany provides excellent tone without potentially overshadowing other elements of your performance. And if you’re hitting the stage, the Tammany also includes an onboard preamp for true-to-tone amplification. Find the Tammany in the Premier and Excel series. 

Looking To Add Some Texture To Your Sound? 

The Fulton 12-string grand auditorium-style acoustic is an excellent choice for anyone looking to add some shimmering acoustic layering to their performance or recording. And beyond being an excellent textural addition, the Fulton has a voice of its own and can easily be the centerpiece of your composition. It’s a sonically versatile and visually elegant instrument that provides all the classic 12-string sparkle a player could ask for. Its tone hearkens back to the 60’s or may remind you of your favorite Tom Petty record. 

Often known for their cumbersome construction, the Fulton was designed to be the most playable 12-string possible. A satin-finished slim, C-shape neck and comfortable string spacing make the Fulton a joy to play. Available in the Premier Series.

We hope this buyer’s guide allows you to easily navigate our ever-growing product line and help you find your dream guitar. And remember: it’s extremely important to consider your needs as a player before purchasing your instrument. 

If you are curious to see and hear more, please visit the D’Angelico YouTube channel, where you’ll see a plethora of video content that walks you through the features and tones offered by each of our instruments. Have fun!