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D'Angelico Excel SS
Gibson ES-335 Satin
VS
Playability
72
Sound
75
Build
72
Value
68
Score
73
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
69
Value
61
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
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D'Angelico Excel SS vs Gibson ES-335 Satin Specs Comparison
D'Angelico Excel SS Gibson ES-335 Satin
General
Brand: D'Angelico Gibson
Year: 2021 2019
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea United States
Series: Excel Modern Collection
Colors: Natural Red, Natural, Red Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Semi-Hollow
Body Material: Laminated Flame Maple Maple and Poplar
Bridge: Gold Tune-O-Matic ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover 150 Imperial Vintage Deluxe w/ Keystone Buttons
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Mother of Pearl/Abalone Split-Block Acrylic Dots
Scale Size: 25" 24.75"
Shape: C-Shape Rounded C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 12"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson Calibrated T-Type, Lead (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson Calibrated T-Type, Rhythm (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Bell
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: Yes No
Hardware Color: Gold Nickel
Show Diagrams Comparison
D'Angelico Excel SS pickups switch and push knobs diagram
D'Angelico Excel SS's switch options
Gibson ES-335 Satin pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson ES-335 Satin's switch options

Reasons to Get
D'Angelico Excel SS over Gibson ES-335 Satin

Decorative Top
Laminated Spruce vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2021 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Avg. Weight
7.725lbs (3.5kgs) vs 8.2lbs (3.7kgs)
Tends to be lighter
Value Score
68 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Gibson ES-335 Satin over D'Angelico Excel SS

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs South Korea
Built with higher quality standards
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
D'Angelico Excel SS vs Gibson ES-335 Satin

Bridge Pickup
USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker vs Gibson Calibrated T-Type, Lead
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
USA Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker vs Gibson Calibrated T-Type, Rhythm
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Flame Maple vs Maple
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
D'Angelico Excel SS vs Gibson ES-335 Satin

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
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
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

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

Common Weaknesses

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

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson ES-335 Satin favors large hands more than the D'Angelico Excel SS.

D'Angelico Excel SS:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson ES-335 Satin:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

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 SS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Gibson ES-335 Satin
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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

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.

Woods Used in the D'Angelico Excel SS

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Flame Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Flame Maple

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

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

Woods Used in the Gibson ES-335 Satin

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

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.

Winner: Tie.

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.

Only the D'Angelico Excel SS 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.

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 SS.

Final Sound Quality Scores

D'Angelico Excel SS
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75
Gibson ES-335 Satin
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

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 SS compares to the Gibson ES-335 Satin.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The D'Angelico Excel SS is built in South Korea while the Gibson ES-335 Satin is made in United States.

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.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Gibson ES-335 Satin

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. The D'Angelico Excel SS's are Grover 150 Imperial while the Gibson ES-335 Satin's are Vintage Deluxe w/ Keystone Buttons

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 SS
  • 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
Gibson ES-335 Satin
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

D'Angelico Excel SS
Quality of materials 70
Features 65
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 72
Gibson ES-335 Satin
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 69

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 SS Nut Width
D'Angelico Excel SS Nut Width
Gibson ES-335 Satin Nut Width
Gibson ES-335 Satin Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson ES-335 Satin has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson ES-335 Satin, 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 SS's Scale Length
D'Angelico Excel SS's Scale Length
Gibson ES-335 Satin's Scale Length
Gibson ES-335 Satin'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 has the longest scale: 25". The Gibson ES-335 Satin 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 SS Neck Profile
D'Angelico Excel SS's neck profile
Gibson ES-335 Satin Neck Profile
Gibson ES-335 Satin'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 SS and the Gibson ES-335 Satin 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 SS Fingerboard Radius
D'Angelico Excel SS's Fingerboard radius
Gibson ES-335 Satin Fingerboard Radius
Gibson ES-335 Satin'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 Gibson ES-335 Satin's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the D'Angelico Excel SS'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 SS.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Fret Size

D'Angelico Excel SS and Gibson ES-335 Satin 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 SS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72
Gibson ES-335 Satin
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73