DAngelico Excel DC XT Vintage Nat Quilt

DAngelico Excel DC XT Vintage Nat Quilt review

The DAngelico Excel DC XT Vintage Nat Quilt is a double-cutaway semi-hollow electric guitar with a center block, laminated maple construction, and two Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers. Its vintage natural finish, gold-plated hardware, and split-block fingerboard inlays give it a dressy appearance, while coil splitting adds a practical change of voice. Listed at $1,555, it sits in a part of the market where construction, playing comfort, and tonal character all matter.

A player who compared it directly with an Ibanez AS-153, an Epiphone 1962 reissue, and a Gibson 335 Satin reported that the DAngelico stood out in both feel and sound. That is one player's experience, not a controlled instrument test, but the comparison offers useful context. The guitar was described as especially comfortable to play, with a smooth response and a full, rounded tone that stayed refined in the treble.

Construction and playing feel

The body has a laminated maple top, back, and sides, with a center block running through the semi-hollow design. Five-ply binding outlines the body. The maple, walnut, and maple neck has a narrow C profile, a 43 mm nut width, and a 628 mm scale. The rosewood fingerboard carries 22 frets and split-block mother-of-pearl and abalone inlays.

The field report praised the neck's feel and the fretwork, describing the narrower profile as easy to grip. The guitar was also said to balance well, including when played seated on the player's knee. These observations point to a design that feels manageable despite its substantial, dressed-up appearance. The reviewer did note one minor issue: a pickguard screw had a damaged edge and did not hold properly, so it was replaced. No other defect was reported.

The five-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, gold-plated hardware, Grover 150 Imperial tuning machines, D'Angelico stopbar tailpiece, and EG2P output jack complete the specification. The Vintage Natural Quilt finish is the defining visual feature, though the supplied information does not describe the figure or finish in greater detail.

Pickups and controls

Two USA-made Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers, each with a gold cover, provide the main voices. The control layout includes separate volume and tone knobs for the pickup circuits, plus a three-way pickup selector. Both tone controls have coil-splitting functionality, allowing the humbuckers to shift toward a leaner, brighter sound.

In the reported comparison, the DAngelico's full humbucker sound came across as round and rich, with clear high frequencies that did not turn harsh. The other guitars were described as more focused in the midrange, with treble that could sound slightly sharp through the same amplifier settings. The DAngelico, by contrast, was compared to fine silk: an impression of smoothness and polish rather than a claim about a particular frequency response.

The player also found the coil-split sounds more useful than expected. They felt that the thinner, brighter setting expanded the guitar's range for styles such as funk and pop. That flexibility is a meaningful part of the package: the instrument can move from a warm humbucker voice to a more cutting sound without changing guitars. The report also praised its responsive feel, noting that finger movement did not produce distracting scraping noise in the way it had on one of the comparison instruments.

What to consider before buying

The Excel DC XT is a strong candidate for players who want a refined semi-hollow with a comfortable narrow neck, a smooth humbucker sound, and useful coil splitting. Its 628 mm scale and 22 frets are clearly specified, as are the maple body, rosewood fingerboard, and two-pickup layout. The supplied player feedback is especially positive about the guitar's balance, fretwork, and tonal character, though buyers should treat those impressions as individual experience rather than a guarantee about every instrument.

There is a small inconsistency in the supplied product details about the included carrying protection: one line says no case is included and a bag is, while the detailed specification says a case is included. Confirm the exact package contents with the seller before ordering. The guitar has been available since September 2022, and its listed item number is 552150.

At $1,555, the DAngelico Excel DC XT Vintage Nat Quilt combines distinctive styling with a carefully specified semi-hollow design and flexible pickup controls. The reported comparison suggests a notably comfortable playing experience and a smooth, full voice that remains clear up top. Players considering a modern take on a classic double-cutaway semi-hollow would have good reason to try it in person.