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Topic: New (to me) Excel |
Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2024 4:30 pm |
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I took delivery of this very nice Excel D-10 today, purchased from Mike and Mike's Guitar Bar in Seattle (who did a first-class job of packing and shipping, by the way!) I've never had my hands on an Excel before so I'm just getting to explore some of its features before I give it a good cleaning and put my copedant on there. I know Mitsuo Fujii changes the design frequently, so it is hard to date this one accurately (and the serial number underneath has fallen off). But from what I can gather in earlier posts on the forum, I suspect it is from the mid to late '90s, possible very early 2000s. Obviously pre-Superb and presumably later than the large script-like logo badges on earlier Excels. It has the five-up/three-down changer, and the pull rods screw in at the bellcrank.
Plays very nicely and sounds great right off the FedEx truck. Everything except the fretmarkers seems to be original. I'm wondering whether anyone in the Seattle orbit recognizes it from those fretboards? Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting it all set up and adding it to the rotation!
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2024 6:26 pm
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| Nice looking guitar looks almost new in your photo. You’re sure right about Mitsuo changing his designs often and usually for the better. They all seem to play. Really smooth and have lots of changer pulls Enjoy your new guitar! |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2024 3:52 am
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| And to anyone who has worked on an Excel of this era: anything unusual about pulling the changer? I figure I will go ahead and do a thorough cleaning while I'm loading my setup. It looks unexceptional from the outside, but you never know. |
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Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
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Posted 11 Jan 2024 11:32 am Cleaning
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Aloha Dan. If you haven’t had to clean one up here’s a what I use .. 
_________________
Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 11 Jan 2024 5:57 pm
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Thanks, Larry.
To all who ave pulled a changer on this earlier model Excel: I have the E9 changer out, and the axle is completely stuck into the 10th string side bracket. I assume it is supposed to come out, right? Just want to confirm before I get aggressive with it (although I'm not sure what that might entail). |
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Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
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Posted 11 Jan 2024 9:20 pm
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The ones I took apart would come out either way. Tap hammer and piece of dowel..Mitsuo sent me that info when I had to replace a finger on a 2000 Superb.. the next was a 2010..same setup..it also had one side stuck , I used Aerokroil to free it up. Another I repaired had one end that had been hammered and was PITA.. good luck with yours. 
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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2024 2:36 pm Update
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With good advice from Larry Allen and Mike Vallandigham I was able to get that axle out and give the E9 changer a proper bath. I only learned after reassembling the E9 side that, at least on this version of the Excel, you can't remove the C6 changer while the E9 is in; various reasons above and below the deck make it so. No worries: it's working just fine and can wait for its turn.
Mitsuo Fuji got me the proper metal barrels with a set screw to replace the plastic ones, so I was able to redo both necks with more conventional pull rods; nylon tuners turning at the changer and rod held in place at the bellcrank. Now that I've had a chance to dial it all back in: wow! Plays like a dream and sounds fantastic. I think of myself as a single coil guy, but I don't think I could do better than the George L's PF-I on the front neck and PF-II on the rear neck.
Very happy with this Excel! Can't wait to get it out on the bandstand.
Last edited by Dan Beller-McKenna on 11 Feb 2024 2:55 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
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Posted 11 Feb 2024 2:49 pm
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Great Dan.. if you need any Excel bellcranks I’ve still got a box full..Larry
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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
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