Excel C-90-D Acoustic

I just recieved this model guitar for a fathers day gift.I have never even heard of this brand guitar until she walked through the door with it.So needless to say my first instinct was she got talked into buying a overpriced P.O.S! Its just your run of the mill dreadnought style acoustic as far as looks go.Tuners seem to be a little cheap as does the bridge.Upon looking at and playing it for awhile I have now warmed up to guitar and actually am quite impressed with its tone. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY NUMBER RATINGS ARE FOR COMPARISONS TO OTHER GUITARS IN ITS PRICE RANGE.

I play a little of everything.It just depends on my mood.This guitar sounds great for being a mass produced chinese guitar.Tuning down out of standard E and into D gives it a real deep earthy tone.

Now the action is where mine falters.To me it is set way too high.Making you have to use more hand strength to make notes.I plan on leaving it the way it is though to build up more finger dexterity.Beginners will want to have the action lowered.

This guitar believe it or not holds tune really well.This came as a shock to me.I really thought this would be where the guitar would be flawed the most.Guitars under the 300 dollar price range just don't have the quality put into them to make truely fine instruments.But for whats its worth this guitar makes a perfect first guitar to test a person if they really want to play or not.Its decently priced,Holds tune fairly well and has a great tone.

Do they even have any?

My woman would not tell me the exact price she paid for the guitar.But did say it was in the 100 to 150 dollar price range.I am a very picky person when it comes to guitars and I will say it holds its own against the Fenders,Epiphones,Rogues and other acoustics in its price range.If I were to change anything it would be the tuners.They are just cheaply made there is no other way around it.The action is way too high strait out of the box.But all in all this is a great guitar for the price.I would not regret getting another if this were to get stolen or broken.It is a perfect guitar to let lay around in the front room for visiters and kids to strum on or pick up yourself and pluck on.

This guitar was made in China. Inside the sound hole, you can see the manufacturer's label which states "EXCEL" on the first line, "BY DIXON" on the second line, the model number, "C90D", on the third line, the serial number, (blank) on the fourth line, and the production number, "9505079", on the fifth line. I believe the production number is the year (95), the month (05) and the production sequence (079) which would indicate it was the 79th unit produced in May 1995. I purchased my guitar new in December 1995 for $69 (sale price). I believe the guitar's regular price was $99 during this time. Excel C90D has a dreadnought body which is a rich dark brown on the back and sides and has a beautiful maple front. There are three concentric circles around the sound hole. The inner and outer circles are white with black pinstripe circles bordering them as well as a black pinstripe circle within the white circle. The middle circle is four white circles with black pinstriping bordering it as well as two black pinstripe circles and a bold black circle (centered) within the white circles. The guitar also sports a black pick guard to the left of the sound hole (indicating right handed). The neck has 20 standard sized frets and is a matching dark brown. The finish is excellent after nine years. The non-locking tuners are substandard; the posts tend to "wiggle". I replaced my tuners when I changed strings August 2004 (the first time the strings were changed). The guitar comes with steel strings which sounded great when new (the strings still sounded quite good after 8 1/2 years); I replaced them with D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Light Acoustic strings in August 2004 and the guitar sounds great. The saddle was wobbly when I changed the strings so I replaced it. There were no included accessories with my purchase; the chipboard case I purchased has protected the C90D very well. After almost nine years, there are only a few spots where the black trim has been chipped from impacts. If I were to guess about the wood, I would say the neck is rosewood and the body is maple. This instrument is well constructed and stays in pitch long term.

I play a variety of music styles (Christian, country, soft rock, rock) and this guitar sounds great regardless of style. There is some fret buzzing on the first string starting with the 12th fret. Wheter playing bass notes, picking melody lines, or strumming, I love how great this guitar sounds. I don't know what brand or type strings came with the C90D, but they sounded great for over 8 years. The sound can be changed by moving the stum point between the sound hole and the bridge; closer to the bridge makes it sound more like an electric guitar.

The guitar was in tune when I saw it in the store; I don't know if the company set it up or whether the setup was done at the store. The guitar was in excellent condition at the time of purchase and it continues to keep its showroom appearance. Again, the only flaws I could detect were the fret buzzing mentioned earlier, wobbly tuner posts, and a loose saddle; these last two were noticed only when I changed the strings. Given that I bought this guitar in December 1995 and played it for almost nine years before I noticed it is noteworthy, since I am one who notices minor things. I therefore cannot say for certain whether they were defective from the factory or whether this occurred over time. You can see from the fretboard where my fingers have been on the second and third frets and I don't know if that type of discoloration is considered normal wear and tear. The guitar has retained its color, luster, and shine with the exception of a few spots where the black trim has been chipped from impacts.

I have performed live with this guitar with rave reviews. People are surprised with the beautiful sound in light of the low price and non-recognized name. I purchased a guitar strap when I bought my guitar and the strap buttons are still solid. I can depend on this guitar for any performance or studio work. This guitar has demonstrated it is excellent as a stand alone instrument just as it is excellent with other guitars and instuments. Providing the room temperature remains constant, this guitar will stay in tune song after song and when the temperature changes, the tuning is only slightly affected. I have been very protective of my guitar as I have seen some who over-tightened strings to the point the neck broke at the base, have seen guitars destroyed during an embrace between a musician and a fan, have seen (and who hasn't) "The Who" finish off guitars as well as Gallagher destroy a guitar onstage ("Stuck In The Sixties" video), I broke the "B" string on my first guitar from over-tightening, I have seen instruments damaged/destroyed in some mishap or other, etc, so I keep my C90D in its case when not in use. I did purchase a guitar stand in August 2004 and my guitar sits on the stand only between sets or when I set it down temporarily. I paid less than $100 for my guitar; however, I am one who takes care of my possessions. The finish has endured almost nine years with that "Dick Clark never-aged-a-day" quality. She is a real keeper.

A web search for Dixon and Excel guitar manufacturers has returned no results. There was no customer service point of contact provided at time of purchase outside of the local music store (Paul's Music) where I purchased this guitar. Paul's Music, now out of business, was located in Hickory Hollow Mall in Nashville, TN. The staff was very helpful with assisting me with the trying out of the various guitars (I made several visits during the first two weeks of December) and they were very helpful in assisting and providing me with picks, straps, case, and chord dial charts. The only repairs I had done was to replace the two sets of tuners ($7.95 each), replace the saddle (a few bucks), and replace the strings, all of which was done during one visit to a local guitar shop for a nominal price.

I bought my first guitar when I was 14 (really). I played the French horn from 7th grade through college freshman and majored in music while in college. I began piano lessons in 11th grade and continued via self-instruction. I owned a Casio CT-6000 keyboard for 15 years until it wouldn't play anymore and I currently own a Casio CTK-50. I wouldn't go as far as saying I have an emotional attachment to this guitar, so if it was damaged beyond repair, stolen, lost, or sold, I would look for a suitable replacement. I do believe this guitar is out of production which is why I couldn't buy another Excel C90D. I love the rich sounds and sustain this guitar provides. I dislike the buzz although I've learned to live with it as well as live with the discoloration on the fretboard where I have played "G", "D", "E", and "A" chords repeatedly. While at Paul's Music, I tried several makes and models within my budget (under $200) and used the "A", "G", and "D" chords as played in "Southern Cross" to make my selection. I liked the way those chords sounded on this C90D. Even today, "Southern Cross" on this guitar sounds exactly like the recording. Only recently did I discover that both Graham Nash and David Crosby, two of the performers for "Southern Cross", use the exact same brand and type of stings I use - D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Light. I enjoy playing this guitar and always look for gigs to perform with it. Once I pick it up and play, it's hard to set it down.

My excel was made in 2003, Sadly it was made in china, but not to worry, it came with 20 frets and is a basic model. The turners are not exactly high quality, and need to tighten them at least once every two weeks. The neck is near a medium size and is easy to move up and down on. My first guitar and came with a soft carrying caser and an instructional Dvd.

The sound is somewhat "buzzy" and is easier to pick on, you need to use more force while pressing on the strings than other guitars. but for the price it has a a nice full tone.

The guitar canme with no serious or large flaws. the only problem was was a sloppy bridge.

I have dropped my excel numerous times, and bashed it up against the wall atleast 40 to 50 times, still plays as werll as when I fist bought it, It looks somewhat beat up on the neck, but that's because I wear huge rings. besides that it has great durability

none

Alright....first things first, I don't actually own this guitar...but I have pllyed it for while because my friend has it and we jam out alot. Well, now that that's cleared up....on with the review! Well, it was made in China, and it has a fast neck. It also has 20 frets. It's very easy to just pick up and play. This guitar is pretty much just a plain old guitar...nothing really special about it, but it's a good guitar. It compares to many of the best brands.

With the strings that came on it (bluegrass), it sounded crappy for the genre of music I play (rock), but once you change the strings it sounds great...and, well, that's about it for this subject.

This guitar was set up very well in the factory, even though there's not too much to set up on an acoustic. The finish is fine on this one, no chipped paint or anything. I'll give it a 9.

This guitar could easily withstand live palying because that's what we did with it. We played stuff in front of most of our grade with it. I would probably use it on a gig with no backup.

Never tried....

I've been playing about 6 months and I own a Drive HS102 electric guitar, a Fender Squier Jazz Bass, and a Jay Turser acoustic. If I lost it I would buy it again, because it's my friends and I would have to get him a new one if I lost it.

This was my first guitar so I may be a little bisaed in my review but anyway:I got it in '98, so I assume it was made the same year. Was made in China (oh well). The neck has 20 frets and you get the occasional buzz because the action is so low. Actually my brother has the same guitar and his buzzes out on the 13 fret on the B and E strings. I'm not exactly sure exactly what kind of wood it's made out of and I'm not going to guess. This thing has a beautiful dark kind of cherry finish on the back and neck which makes the neck extremely fast and nice feeling. One of the downfalls is the tuners, they're basically junk but they hold tune well I guess.

I love this guitar because of it's sound. It's not too dark and not too bright. I've gone into music stores and played all kinds of Martins, Taylors, and Gibsons but none of them play as nice as mine. Maybe it's just the strings or it's just 'cause it was my first guitar but it always comes out on top. Like I said, it's tone is excellent, it has a beautiful full warm and bright tone at the same time. I'd said it's best at fingerpicking because if you really get to chord-banging on her she gets to buzzing and carrying on.

The guitar was set up pretty well at the factory. I know there's really not much to set up on an acoustic but overall it played well right out of the case if I recall. The finish is really low and it fingers so nicely it's strange. The Martins I've played can't touch in that regard. The top has taken on a almost butterscotch blonde appearence recently which is pretty neat and the back and sides still look good. The only downfall of the finish is the binding. When your first guitar is an acoustic I don't think you realize how much wood is hanging over the side of your leg when you play so of course I ran into alot of stuff. And when I did the binding would chip off in little chunks. That's basically the only bad thing about the finish. But hey if you can stand a guitar getting a little beat up (unlike I can) it'll be fine.

It'll definitly stand up to anything you give it. This guitar and I have been through alot in the past four years and it shows. It's fallen down on top of stuff numerous times and would still be in tune! Definitly live playing worthy. The only thing you'll need to replace is the tuners then it'll be cherry. And again the binding will chip off kind of easily so BE CAREFUL! I can depend on this guitar anytime and place. I'm actually playing it right now.

I've never dealt with the company and I doubt you could get a hold of them 'cause I've tried to look them up.

I've been playing for four years and from reading other reviews it sounds like I'm a relatively newcomer. Since purchasing this guitar I've got a Strat a Tele a Les Paul copy and the most recent FNG an Epi Firebird. If this guitar was stolen I'd chase the person down and cut their fingers off and make them eat them. I have an emotional attachment to this guitar and I absolutely love it. I hope I was completely bisaed in my review but I'm being totally honest about it. Just because it was made in China don't let that fool you. I'd say you can pick these things up for pretty cheap and it's the best bang for your buck if you're looking for a inexpensive acoustic.