This is an incredible piece of guitar history: a 1939 D'Angelico Excel, built by John himself.
Like the later New Yorkers, the Excel features Art Deco stylings influenced by the New York City skyline, and is gorgeously appointed. This guitar features a solid spruce top, gorgeous flamed maple back and sides, and ebony appointments, along with gold hardware and a replacement celluloid pickguard. It has an incredible sunburst finish in thin vintage nitro. The guitar has a lower bout width of 17 inches. According to D'Angelico's ledger, it was completed on 11/13/39 and was originally made for Silver & Horland Musical Instruments, a legendary, long-standing retailer on Park Row in New York City. (Silver & Horland finally ended up on W 48th Street - NYC's Music Row - along with the original Rudy's Music store location.)
Serial #1446. Comes with a non-original hardshell case.