Net zoals mensen hier last hebben van PKZ heb ik lichtelijk last van GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrom). Toen ik op internet bij een NLse muziekzaak een uiterst fraaie zwarte B-stock (2 uiterst minieme, amper zichtbare deukjes op de achterkant) D'Angelico Excel DC zag voor een zeer goede prijs, kon ik me niet bedwingen.
Natuurlijk ging ik wat researchen en wat bleek, de oprichter van het bedrijf, John D'Angelico rookte pijp! En behoorlijk wat ook als we Chet Atkins moeten geloven:
Whenever I was with Jimmy in New York, and the talk turned to what kind of guitars were best, the name D'Angelico would always come up. Jim kept telling me that John D'Angelico built great guitars, and that was enough to make me want one. One time when I was staying with Jim for a week or so, he took me down to John's shop in Brooklyn where he built the guitars. It was a little place, with different kinds of lumber stacked around. When you walked through the door, you were hit with the strong smell of raw wood. lacquer, and pipe smoke. There was no air conditioning, and in warm weather, John worked in his undershirt, smoking his pipe most of the time. While I was there I had the chance to talk with him and play some of the guitars he had in the shop. I made up my mind then to get one when I could afford it. On one wall of his shop, John had autographed photographs of guitarists who played his instruments. It was impressive, and getting my picture up there with all those established players became another goal for mine.
