Swap
Swap
D'Angelico Excel DC
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
VS
Playability
73
Sound
75
Build
70
Value
68
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
Playability
75
Sound
75
Build
62
Value
66
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoAmazon logoMusician's Friend logoFender logo
Add more to comparison

D'Angelico Excel DC vs Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster

Reasons to Get
D'Angelico Excel DC over Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster

Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 7.25'' (184.2mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Avg. Weight
7.425lbs (3.4kgs) vs 7.775lbs (3.5kgs)
Tends to be lighter
Value Score
68 vs 66
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster over D'Angelico Excel DC

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
7.25'' (184.2mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
D'Angelico Excel DC vs Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker vs Fender Specially Voiced Jason Isbell Telecaster Single-Coil
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker vs Fender Specially Voiced Jason Isbell Telecaster Single-Coil
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Flame Maple vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
D'Angelico Excel DC vs Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the D'Angelico Excel DC is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The D'Angelico Excel DC wins when it comes to build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the D'Angelico Excel DC.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster is the better choice.

The Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the D'Angelico Excel DC meets only 4. 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.

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

Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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 >

Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2021 Artist series
  • Jason Isbell Signature
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 7.25" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Specially Voiced Jason Isbell Telecaster Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Specially Voiced Jason Isbell Telecaster Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tele with Compensated Brass Saddles with removable modern Ashtray Bridge Cover bridge
  • Mid 60s C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Narrow Tall frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Weight between 7.55lbs (3.4kgs) and 8lbs (3.6kgs)
  • 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.

Woods Used in the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: D'Angelico Excel DC.

Pickup Configuration

The D'Angelico Excel DC has an HH configuration while the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster has SS pickups.

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.

On the other hand, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

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.

However, the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

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: Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster.

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.

Only the D'Angelico Excel DC comes with some kind of pickup modification: 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.

D'Angelico Excel DC pickups switch and push knobs diagram
D'Angelico Excel DC's switch options
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster'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: D'Angelico Excel DC.

Final Sound Quality Scores

D'Angelico Excel DC
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 75
Versatility 54
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 Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The D'Angelico Excel DC is built in South Korea while the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster is made in Mexico.

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.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

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.

The D'Angelico Excel DC has a Ivory Tusq nut. 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.

On the other hand, the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

Winner: Tie.

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. The D'Angelico Excel DC's are Grover 150 Imperial while the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's are Vintage-Style

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.

The D'Angelico Excel DC has 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.

On the other hand, the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster comes with Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster.

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
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

D'Angelico Excel DC
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 70
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 62

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'Angelico Excel DC Nut Width
D'Angelico Excel DC Nut Width
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster Nut Width
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the D'Angelico Excel DC has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.9mm (0.034'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the D'Angelico Excel DC, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

D'Angelico Excel DC's Scale Length
D'Angelico Excel DC's Scale Length
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's Scale Length
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster'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 Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The D'Angelico Excel DC is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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
D'Angelico Excel DC's neck profile
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's 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 Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster 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
D'Angelico Excel DC's Fingerboard radius
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's Fingerboard 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.

In this case, the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the D'Angelico Excel DC's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the D'Angelico Excel DC.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster favors large hands more than the D'Angelico Excel DC.

D'Angelico Excel DC:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

D'Angelico Excel DC Frets Size
D'Angelico Excel DC's Frets Size
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster Frets Size
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster's Frets Size

The Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the D'Angelico Excel DC's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

D'Angelico Excel DC
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

D'Angelico Excel DC vs Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
General D'Angelico Excel DC Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
Brand: D'Angelico Fender
Year: 2021 2021
Configuration: HH SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea Mexico
Series: Excel Artist
Colors: Red Sunburst Vintage
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Laminated Flame Maple Alder
Bridge: Gold Tune-O-Matic Tele with Compensated Brass Saddles with removable modern Ashtray Bridge Cover
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Grover 150 Imperial Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Mother of Pearl/Abalone Split-Block White Dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: C-Shape Mid 60s C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 7.25"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Specially Voiced Jason Isbell Telecaster Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Specially Voiced Jason Isbell Telecaster Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1