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D'Angelico Excel DC
D'Angelico Excel SS XT
VS
Playability
73
Sound
75
Build
70
Value
68
Score
73
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Playability
72
Sound
75
Build
72
Value
68
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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D'Angelico Excel DC vs Excel SS XT

Reasons to Get
D'Angelico Excel DC over Excel SS XT

Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Avg. Weight
7.425lbs (3.4kgs) vs 7.825lbs (3.5kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Reasons to Get
D'Angelico Excel SS XT over Excel DC

Decorative Top
Laminated Quilted Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2022 vs 2021
From a more recent year
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
D'Angelico Excel DC vs Excel SS XT

Body Wood
Flame Maple vs Maple
Different Body Wood

Shared Features
D'Angelico Excel DC vs Excel SS XT

Bridge Pickup
USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker
Same Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Semi-Hollow
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 73 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The D'Angelico Excel SS XT wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the D'Angelico Excel DC has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

D'Angelico Excel DC
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

D'Angelico Excel SS XT
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

D'Angelico Excel DC Overview

  • From D'Angelico's 2021 Excel series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Laminated Flame Maple body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Gold Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • C-Shape Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Grover 150 Imperial tuners
  • Weight between 7.1lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.75lbs (3.5kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

D'Angelico Excel SS XT Overview

  • From D'Angelico's 2022 Excel series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Laminated Quilted Maple top
  • Laminated Maple body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Gold Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • C-Shape Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Grover 150 Imperial tuners
  • Weight between 7.6lbs (3.4kgs) and 8.05lbs (3.7kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the D'Angelico Excel DC

Flame Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Flame Maple

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Winner: D'Angelico Excel DC.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

They both share the following switching options:

D'Angelico Excel DC and D'Angelico Excel SS XT pickups switch and push knobs diagram
D'Angelico Excel DC and D'Angelico Excel SS XT's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

D'Angelico Excel DC
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75
D'Angelico Excel SS XT
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the D'Angelico Excel DC compares to the D'Angelico Excel SS XT.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in South Korea.

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Ivory Tusq nuts. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. Both come with Grover 150 Imperial.

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
D'Angelico Excel DC
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Strengths & Weaknesses
D'Angelico Excel SS XT
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Final Build Quality Scores

D'Angelico Excel DC
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 70
D'Angelico Excel SS XT
Quality of materials 70
Features 65
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 72

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

D
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

D'Angelico Excel DC's Scale Length
D'Angelico Excel DC's Scale Length
D'Angelico Excel SS XT's Scale Length
D'Angelico Excel SS XT's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The D'Angelico Excel SS XT has the longest scale: 25". The D'Angelico Excel DC is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.25'' (6.4mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

D'Angelico Excel DC Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the D'Angelico Excel DC and the D'Angelico Excel SS XT have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

D'Angelico Excel DC Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the D'Angelico Excel DC and the D'Angelico Excel SS XT have the same fretboard radius of 16". This fretboard radius is really different from Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll favor plating single notes over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for rhythm, but a more curved fretboard offers better playability for chords. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

D'Angelico Excel DC:
Big Hands
Small Hands
D'Angelico Excel SS XT:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

D'Angelico Excel DC and D'Angelico Excel SS XT Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

D'Angelico Excel DC
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
D'Angelico Excel SS XT
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

D'Angelico Excel DC vs Excel SS XT
General D'Angelico Excel DC Excel SS XT
Brand: D'Angelico D'Angelico
Year: 2021 2022
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea South Korea
Series: Excel Excel
Colors: Red Yellow Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Semi-Hollow
Body Material: Laminated Flame Maple Laminated Maple
Bridge: Gold Tune-O-Matic Gold Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover 150 Imperial Grover 150 Imperial
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Mother of Pearl/Abalone Split-Block Mother of Pearl/Abalone Split Block
Scale Size: 24.75" 25"
Shape: C-Shape C-Shape
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 16"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split Coil Split
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2