D'angelico Premier DC

jammoore99

Blues Newbie
Putting aside the ornate features, does anyone have any input on the D'Angelico premier DC? It seems to get some good reviews for a reasonably priced 335 style guitar. I haven't played one as of yet, but after this mess is over I'll try to find one and give it a test drive.
 

OG_Blues

Guitar Geezer
I personally love the old style art deco like trim on the D'Angelicos, but understand that style is not for everyone.
I have played quite a few different models across the different product offerings from D'Angelico recently.
What I found (IMO) was that the quality in the Premier line, while quite good, had some variability. They were all, except for one I played, very nice guitars though.
Some of the variability I found was probably due to setup issues that many guitars suffer from in music stores, but I can't understand why
the stores don't remedy that - they would sell so many more guitars.
I spent quite a bit of time comparing the Premier line to the Deluxe line. The Deluxe line is the next "higher tier" in quality and price.
At first, I was not sure the higher price point was justified, but I eventually became quite convinced that it was.
If you can afford the Deluxe model, I would recommend springing the extra bucks for it. The fit and finish, and quality of the parts is definitely a step up. Things like better locking tuners and "real" Seymour Duncan PUPs. Yes, I can hear the difference. If not, I think you will still be quite satisfied with the Premier. The Premier line guitars are getting very enthusiastic reviews pretty much across the board from most who play them.
I wound up getting a Deluxe Brighton, the double cut solid body and am absolutely in love with it.
BTW, the D'Angelico guitars in general typically have wider, flatter fingerboards than many other guitars. That was specifically one of the features that I liked about them and drew me to them in the first place.If you prefer a narrow and/or rounder fingerboard, you may not like them.
But try one - you just might like it.
 

jammoore99

Blues Newbie
Thank you OG Blues for the informative review. When the time comes I was looking to try a Premier DC Boardwalk. I think Sam Ash stocks D'Angelico's? From the specs I understand this model has a shorter scale, has SD jazz pups and a slimmer neck. Thanks again for the great information.
 

OG_Blues

Guitar Geezer
I looked at the specs of the Premier DC Boardwalk. I see that it has the genuine USA SD SH2 Jazz in the neck and the JB in the bridge. This is a very popular and good PUP configuration that is great for jazz or blues that you would probably be very happy with. Most of the Premier models have the "Designed by SD" PUPs in them so the Boardwalk is more desirable in that regard than other Premier models IMO. Interestingly, I noted that it has a 10" radius fingerboard, so that is much rounder than most other D'Angelico models that are commonly 14". It would be nice to get your hands on one if possible to see if it suits you. It may not even be a big consideration for you, but is for some people. I can pretty easily and quickly adapt to any radius, but my personal preference is the wide flat boards. The Boardwalk looks like a really nice guitar, and IMO at an attractive price point. You may even find that the prices are negotiable - I did, so it's worth asking. Good luck!!
 

jammoore99

Blues Newbie
Thanks again for your input, it's really appreciated. I noticed the 10" fingerboard radius and that makes the Boardwalk a bit more attractive for me in addition to the shorter scale and SD pups. I'm partial to the 9.5" radius on my Fender Tele and Strat and at 10" this is radius is closer than the typical D'Angelico and other 335 style guitars.
 

OG_Blues

Guitar Geezer
Sounds like a perfect match for you!!!
Knowing what features suit you best and doing the research ahead of time is always the best approach to finding an instrument that you will be happy with.
 
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