DAngelico Excel Mini DC Viola

I really wanted a new electric guitar as a Christmas gift to myself, and I couldn’t wait any longer. So I went ahead and bought the Excel Mini DC instead of the Deluxe version, which wasn’t in stock at the time and would have meant waiting for weeks. Of course, as soon as the Excel Mini arrived, the Deluxe was back in stock!

Even without having tried the Seth Lovers on the Deluxe, the ’59 pickups paired with this beautiful viola finish sound and look amazing. I knew I could have returned it for the Deluxe, but after a couple of weeks of playing, I don’t regret my decision for a second.

Thomann’s service was excellent: great packaging, fast shipping, solid quality control, and it arrived with perfect action right out of the box.

If there’s one small thing I could point out, it would be the slightly loose, rattling pickguard—but that was easily fixed by tightening the mounting screw. Other than that, the guitar has exceeded all my expectations, both sonically and in terms of service. 🙂