I very rarely write reviews, but I felt like I had to write something about this guitar. D'Angelico is an old and well-known brand, but I have the impression that not many people actually play them or even talk about them, including myself. I was trying to decide between the usual suspects (Sire, Epiphone, Gretsch, Ibanez,...). I know D'Angelicos are well thought of as well, but I could never get over the ornate headstock design. Then I saw Eirik of Living Room Gear Demos had made a demo of this one, and I was instantly interested. I will admit, any guitar purchase for me is 80% based on looks, and I loved the look of this one: the color, the simpler headstock design, the brushed finish of the hardware, the white tuning buttons. I liked the control lay-out as well, with just one master volume and master tone instead of volume and tone for each pickup. While it may not be as flexible, I prefer the simplicity both visually and practically. It was a bit more money than I was initially willing to spend but it ticked so many boxes that I just had to get one.
My first thought when it arrived was that it looked smaller than I was expecting. I have very little experience with semi-hollows so I wasn't sure how big it woul actually be. For a second, I thought there had been a mistake and they had sent me the 'Mini' model. The color looks even better in person and the guitar is surprisingly light, even for a semi-hollow. A friend of mine used to have a Heritage 335-style which I remember being uncomfortably heavy, so I was a bit worried about the weight, but it's perfect. Two other pleasant surprises during the unboxing: the included gigbag is very nice and the guitar came strung with D'Addario XT coated strings (10-46).
Small tangent: I'm a long-time D'Addario user but I hadn't tried XTs before, but I think they might be my new favorites. Even though I prefer 10-52, I haven't changed them since I got the guitar several weeks ago and they're still almost like new.
The tuners work well, they feel a bit stiffer to turn than I would like but they absolutely do their job and they look very classy in my opinion. The ebony volume and tone knobs are a nice touch and match the ebony fretboard. The pots aren't too loose or too stiff to turn, a bit on the looser side but they don't turn just by looking at them.
I wonder how long the brushed finish on all the hardware will last, since I have pretty acidic sweat that wears through bridges and strings fast. I've never seen this on any guitar or aftermarket parts, so it might be tricky to find replacements that look the same, or some things will no longer match if I buy standard chrome/nickel parts. Not a big deal at all but it's something to consider.
I couldn't find any flaws in the finish, except one or two small imperfections in the binding on the f-holes. Nothing to complain about. As on most semi-hollows, the front strap button is on the back of the guitar. I'm not a fan of this because it makes the guitar balance weirdly on a strap, but I can live with it.
The neck feels very nice to play. I'm bad at describing the shape, but I'd say it has rounder shoulders than my SG, and it's a bit flatter in the back than a typical Fender. I visually prefer gloss and, while it's never as smooth as a satin neck, I don't think they play noticeably worse. If anything, this one feels a bit less sticky than my Squiers, especially my Classic Vibe Jaguar.
The frets were very nice and smooth, with no sharp ends whatsoever. The neck overall feels pretty modern, likely due to the extra jumbo frets. Maybe the ebony fretboard contributes to this as well.
The action was set up well, maybe a bit lower than I would normally have it. I'm generally not very specific about the setup, as long as there is no buzz and it doesn't physically hurt to push down the strings. It plays very fast compared to my other guitars, which is probably also due to the slightly lighter strings. Access to the upper frets is surprisingly easy, not that I venture up there very often. I don't tend to go much further than the 15th fret, which is absolutely no problem.
I didn't have specific expectations about the sound, except that it wouldn't sound like my Jaguar or Cyclone. That said, it sounds brighter than I thought it would, especially the neck pickup, which is not a bad thing. Every sound is very usable and there is no noise or scratchiness from the electronics.
I really can't say enough good things about this guitar. I'm still in the honeymoon stage but a few weeks should be enough to have a good idea whether I really like it or not. I always thought I was a Fender guy but this has very quickly become my go-to. Objectively, it is by far the best guitar I own (also the most expensive, so I guess it makes sense). Subjectively, it won't replace any of my others, but it's an amazing addition to my small collection and it scratches that 'Gibson' itch, while being a bit quirky in a nice way, and (in my opinion) much cooler than a Gibson.
