D’Angelico has teamed up with YouTuber-turned-guitar industry heavyweight Josh Turner for its first signature acoustic guitar, the Excel Josh Turner Tammany.
Having started his YouTube account at the age of 15 to highlight his impressive guitar chops, Turner has since amassed a subscriber count of almost 650k, with his channel receiving over 170 million views in that time.
His career portfolio – which was kick-started with a viral cover of Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing – has since expanded, with Turner now working as a multi-instrumentalist, record producer and singer-songwriter.
To reward him for his achievements, D’Angelico has bestowed Turner with its premiere acoustic signature – a non-cutaway orchestra model, which is dubbed the company’s “most lightweight and resonant acoustic guitar yet”.
With an emphasis on vintage aesthetics and resonant performance, the Excel Josh Turner Tammany features an extra-thin, satin-finished solid spruce top and open-pore satin mahogany back and sides, assembled with finely scalloped bracing in such a way to minimize weight.
A thicker-than-usual satin-finished C-shape neck is joined by D’Angelico’s standard 1.75” nut width – which aims to offer a better playing experience for fingerstyle artists – and a 16” radius ebony fretboard with mother-of-pearl small diamond inlays.
The guitar also comes loaded with the JourneyTek Passive three-piezo pickup in a bid to provide natural plugged-in tones to complement the resonant unplugged sounds.
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Cosmetically, a vintage vibe is harnessed via the antique bronze hardware and Throwback Scroll-style headstock, which flashes an unstained finish for natural aging.
Of his new signature, Turner said, “I pulled design elements from some of my favorite instruments – the pickup from one, the neck shape from another, the finish from a third, and so on – and consolidated them in one place.
“I then jettisoned everything that wasn't contributing to the sound,” he continued, “and wound up with something incredibly light and responsive that was still affordable.
“I've already had the chance to tour with this guitar and it performed flawlessly. It's not so delicate as to feel fragile being moved constantly, but it's super comfortable to play, both seated and standing, night after night.
“And the plugged-in sound made front of house engineers' lives easy. Lovely full low-end with no feedback, and highs that don't sound too ‘Piezo-y’.”
The Excel Josh Turner Tammany will be limited to only 50 pieces, and each unit will arrive hand-signed and numbered by Turner himself.
Unfortunately, it completely sold out on day one, but if you fancy learning more about the model, visit D’Angelico.
