# El Degas Guitars



## whitegreyblack

Anyone have any? I love them. I want to buy some more.

I currently own two El Degas basses. One's a Fender Prec clone, the other a great Ricky 4001 fireglo clone.

El Degas guitars are MIJ clones from the lawsuit era, and not a lot exist anymore; as the story goes, the factory burnt down in the late 70's/early 80's, taking a large number of guitars (being bult, and a large number that had been recalled for a pickup problem) with it.

If anyone has any for sale that are in decent shape, contact me! (I'm only interested in electris guitars & basses)

If you just want to show off, post yer pics. I'm going to be building a website with all known info on these babies sometime this year, so I'd love to see your photos!


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## Accept2

Factory burned down? Werent they made by Fuji Gen Gakki?.............


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## GuitarsCanada

Yes, they were produced in Japan.


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## whitegreyblack

Accept2 said:


> Factory burned down? Werent they made by Fuji Gen Gakki?.............


Most of the info on the company is sketchy, but that's what I've been told (both on the burnt-down factory and the Fuji Gen Gakki connection)...


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## Accept2

Alot of their designs were identical to those that other FGG names were producing, like Grecko and Ibanez.........


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## GuitarsCanada

A dude on Kiijiji out of Toronto has one listed.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAd-W0QQAdIdZ2401745


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## Hammertone

whitegreyblack said:


> Most of the info on the company is sketchy, but that's what I've been told (both on the burnt-down factory and the Fuji Gen Gakki connection)...


Maybe you're thinking of the Japanese Matsumoku factory, where all sorts of stuff was built. Go here for lots more:

http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html

- Hammertone


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## Xanadu

my friend has an old el degas acoustic. Its pure shite.


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## J S Moore

I started out with a white El Degas LP copy. Bolt on neck, action so high you needed a hammer to play it. I don't regret selling it after I got my Gibson.


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## Mikey

My friend/guitar mentor just sold his El Degas ES 175 clone. It was NICE. I'm sure some of their models were good and some weren't but I've seen both his ES175 and another local player's ES335 clone and they were great guitars.


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## sesroh

there was a guy selling a rickenbacker 4001 el degas copy a little while ago i was interested in. i dont really trust copies though so i never bought it. maybe id buy one if it was less than $400.


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## whitegreyblack

$400 is a bit steep, but then again, you'll probably be lucky to see another of those 4001 copies again. 

The one I own is the only one I've ever come across.

I'm not sure what they originally sold for (most of their bolt on guitars sold at around the $200 CAD mark with a case, but I have never seen a brochure or anything with info on the 4001 copy), but I sure know that I like mine - very solid.


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## Wild Bill

*All the same, only different!*

I still have my 1972 Degas acoustic, which is a copy of a Martin D28. I also had a Degas D18 copy which I still regret having sold. 

I was working in a music store when I bought them and at that time an El Degas guitar was NOT cheap! My D28 clone cost me $550, at a time when a gallon of gas was 30 cents and a pack of smokes was a quarter. And that was the store's cost and not the resale price!

Beautiful worksmanship and a great sound!

A few years later something changed and the Degas models became just cheap crap. I don't know any of the business history that might explain it. I just know that I lost all interest in buying any newer models.

I just know the only way my Degas will be sold will be in an estate sale when I go...


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## whitegreyblack

Yeah, I've seen quite a cross-section of El Degas guits - some very nice (almost bang-on) set neck and through neck replicas, and lots and lots of low priced bolt ons. I have no problem with either of those - some are great players, some are dogs; same as any make out there.

I've never seen too much on the acoustics, but when they are emulating $1000+ Martins, Gibby's, etc. I'm not surprised by the $500 price tag.

Get your widow to give me a call about that Acoustic when you kick off...


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## sesroh

yeah id like to come across the 4001 model again. i would definately buy it if it was under 350 or 400 depending on condition


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## elindso

I have a bass from the 70's bolt neck copy of an older Alembic sort of.

It has a fake neck through body look and on split P bass DiMarzio.

It plays well has a nice neck and works fine. I cost $175 new back in 78 I think. There ws a real neck through model at $225. It didn't feel any different so I went with the cheaper of the 2.

BTW 
I think that EL Degas and Degas are not the same line.


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## XIII

whitegreyblack said:


> $400 is a bit steep, but then again, you'll probably be lucky to see another of those 4001 copies again.
> 
> The one I own is the only one I've ever come across.
> 
> I'm not sure what they originally sold for (most of their bolt on guitars sold at around the $200 CAD mark with a case, but I have never seen a brochure or anything with info on the 4001 copy), but I sure know that I like mine - very solid.


I have owned two, one a bolt on, the other a neck through. The bolt on I sold for around $175 about three years ago. The neck through went for $425 about 5-6 years ago. Sure wish I still had the neck through.Also had a 325 6 string copy, complete with a real Rick truss rod cover. The only way you could tell that baby from the real thing without getting into the guts was the fact that the headstock was on more of an angle in relation to the neck than a real one.The neck through Les Paul Custom copies were pretty amazing too.


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## keefsdad

There's a Strat copy on Craigslist.


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## hoser

I used to have a black el degas LP custom copy. bolt on neck but played well and sounded good.
I sold it for a 100 bucks.


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## chevy_281334

hey well u see i got a el degas eletric guitar and well tell u the truth dont know if it is a les paul or a les paul custom copy.. u see it is my step dads and well he dosnt like it and bought a brand new yamaha and well i love the guitar one thing is that i need to find a neck for it frets are wearing down and his daughter when she was youger dropped it  so its glued at the top with like fiber glass glue and well it is holding strong  i will try and get a pic of it here soon if ne one wants to try and tell me what kind of model it is.. ( its a beige and black resembeling the gibson les paul model) i think it is just a les paul model but not sure what the cusom copy looks like so i could be wrong.. mail me if i want to se a pic of it (when i get one)


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## whitegreyblack

You might be able to snag an inexpensive EL Degas like that one and swap out the neck... but to tell the truth the frets haven't been too hot on most El Degas guitars I've gotten. 20-30 years later with small frets (none of this med-jumbo or jumbo fretwire like they use so much nowadays) sure helps any wear to be more apparent. : (


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## Woodster

*sg copy*

Have a bolt on neck SG copy El Degas.Friend bought new in 77 and gave it to me last year.This thing rips.I cannot get over it's tone.Neck and action is great.I posted a pic of it in the show your Strats thread,of course its besides my Strat.


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## EL34POWER

Woodster said:


> Have a bolt on neck SG copy El Degas.Friend bought new in 77 and gave it to me last year.This thing rips.I cannot get over it's tone.Neck and action is great.I posted a pic of it in the show your Strats thread,of course its besides my Strat.


My first guitar teacher(rest his soul) had one of those 25 years ago. He had Bill lawrence pick ups. To this day i still remember how it sounded and felt.
Fantastic guitar.


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## Short Circuit

I have an El Degas SG copy. My parents bought it for me when I first started taking guitar lessons in 1974.
I still play it and it has very low action and sounds good !!!

Mark


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## whitegreyblack

Beauty! 

:smilie_flagge17:


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## Short Circuit

Thank you 
It got a few chips in the paint and could really use a good power buffing.
If memory serves me correctly, that guitar was around $200 new in 1974 through the Ontario Conservatory of Music !!! 

Mark


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## violation

I remember playing a LP copy a couple months back, it looked nice but I didn't like the way it felt.


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## gevans378

I had an El Degas LP in the 70s. I remember at the time hating it. Its funny that they are now gaining vintage interest. The same goes for my 80s Squire Strat -- they are becoming "collectable" now, but at the time they were thought of as cheap Korean guitars. They were pretty good instruments, though.


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## PaulS

A guy showed up at our jam last night and had a El Degas fender tele copy, semi hollow but not with the thinline setup. This one had the regular tele pickups and controls, he had the pickup cover on. Tried it out and it was cool..


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## psychotik

My GF has a martin-cloned El Degas that I'm simply in love with.

...it's owned by her Dad so I can't bring myself to take it from her :S

my 12-string El Degas however is rather blah


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## Hamm Guitars

There seamed to be allot of El Degas' on the east coast. I grew up in Halifax/Dartmouth and I have played my share of them, and I like 'em too.

I also had an 'Anjo' Les Paul, which played fantastic. I've never seen another Anjo, but it was very similar to an El Degas Les Paul that a friend of mine loved and played.


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## geckodog

I have 2 El Degas guitars. 1 I don't use because it needs to be wired up, it's a Rickenbacker copy. My other one is a copy of an Ibanez Studio? Not 100% sure. I love it though, Oak body, with a stripe of rosewood down the center. Here's a few pics.


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## Short Circuit

Nice guitars Geckodog.
Who would have thought that El Degas guitars would show up in a vintage thread ????
When I got mine there was only two choices, an SG or a Les Paul copy.
I didn't realize that there were so many different models out there.

Mark


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## srd1

*El Degas Flying V*

This probably date from the early 70's. Very high quality guitar: Dimarzio buckers, Grover tuners, solid mahog body, great neck...

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i118/srd_2006/ibanezv.jpg


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## whitegreyblack

srd1 said:


> This probably date from the early 70's. Very high quality guitar: Dimarzio buckers, Grover tuners, solid mahog body, great neck...
> 
> http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i118/srd_2006/ibanezv.jpg


That's hot - sell it to me! Drool


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## whitegreyblack

Short Circuit said:


> Nice guitars Geckodog.
> Who would have thought that El Degas guitars would show up in a vintage thread ????
> When I got mine there was only two choices, an SG or a Les Paul copy.
> I didn't realize that there were so many different models out there.
> 
> Mark


I find in these 70's MIJ's that there are nice players and there are dogs, but that's the same as any make (70's were a particularily bad time for the 'big guys' too, which is likely that main reason these MIJ's came out and made a splash with buyers).

I'm always amazed that I stumble across another model of El Degas over and over - I never seem to find an end. My music room is getting very cramped Stones - I want them all!


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## Daeveed

Short Circuit said:


> I have an El Degas SG copy. My parents bought it for me when I first started taking guitar lessons in 1974.
> I still play it and it has very low action and sounds good !!!
> 
> Mark



Hey, yesterday I was just given that exact model and colour!!!

Glad to hear that you like it, I am yet to try it out.
The action and frets on this guitar are also in really good condition.


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## Rhythmeister

I will forever associate El Degas guitars with my Dad. He has owned and played as his #1 guitar since 1977 an El Degas 12-string acoustic. That guitar has been played in churches, halls and at campsites all over NFLD.

I played it at Christmas for the first time in awhile. It is...hmmmm, well it is an OK guitar. But he loves it, so that's what counts.

Cheers,
Blair


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## whitegreyblack

I love all of my El Degas guitars (I've gotten to have a lot of them now), though some much more than others. They are not all the most wonderful guitars out there, but some are great quality and the bang-for-buck ratio is pretty darn good. 

Sad thing is that eBay has driven the price up on even the crappiest "vintage" (gag) 70's (and now sometimes even 80's) guitars... so it's getting harder and harder to get a nice MIJ for a decent price.


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## moo55

*El Degas*

Ok I will try to send the El Degas I bought for $20.00 at a yard sale. A great neck with a little work!! How do I send pics ?
If this works i will send before and after. Eat your hearts out!
just kidding!! 
moo


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## whitegreyblack

*Check it out*

Here are a few of my El Degases, my "Ess Gee" family (and furry friend):










:banana:


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## Gunny

I just finished re-wiring one like the one at the right of the picture above. Somebody did a strange mod and eliminated one of the tone controls.
Besides using a cheap output jack, the instrument is pretty good; I assume these were never near to top of the line instruments. I found it easy to play, good action and decent sound.


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## Short Circuit

whitegreyblack said:


> Here are a few of my El Degases, my "Ess Gee" family (and furry friend):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :banana:


Hey !!!
The one on the right looks pretty familiar !!!:rockon2:

Mark


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## whitegreyblack

Short Circuit said:


> Hey !!!
> The one on the right looks pretty familiar !!!:rockon2:
> 
> Mark


:food-smiley-004:


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## music 43

Short Circuit said:


> I have an El Degas SG copy. My parents bought it for me when I first started taking guitar lessons in 1974.
> I still play it and it has very low action and sounds good !!!
> 
> Mark


nice pic! SG is sweet!


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## whitegreyblack

music 43 said:


> nice pic! SG is sweet!



That's now the one in the right hand side of my Ess Gee Family photo!  Rawk Stones


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## Mogwaii

I just got an El Degas strat copy from my local Long and Mcquade for $125! 3 single coils that sound very good! Happy days


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## whitegreyblack

Sounds good - Pics?

From my experience, the 70's MIJ strat copies by El Degas are decent - the 80's MIK's..... yuck. You can tell the era from the headstock (MIJ should have pretty much a bang-on Fender headstock, MIK has a pointier almost Kramer-esque headstock).


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## Mogwaii

whitegreyblack said:


> Sounds good - Pics?
> 
> From my experience, the 70's MIJ strat copies by El Degas are decent - the 80's MIK's..... yuck. You can tell the era from the headstock (MIJ should have pretty much a bang-on Fender headstock, MIK has a pointier almost Kramer-esque headstock).


No pics as i dont have a camera, dropped it  It has a pointy kramer-esque headstock but it doesnt sound bad so I dont know  haha.


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## Greg Ellis

Here's my el Degas. I bought this about '79 or '80 at Bud Monahan's House of Guitars in Peterborough, On. 

I can't say for sure if it was new or used at the time. I think it was new. It was certainly in much cleaner condition then vs. now.

Sorry about the poor picture quality. If someone is interested in the guitar, I can certainly try to get better ones, and of course I'm happy to answer any questions.


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## Greg Ellis

A couple more shots...


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## whitegreyblack

Looks nice, Greg - my Alembic copy is just like yours. In fact, it's practically its brother. Somebody half tore off the numbered label on the back, but it was the seven hundred and eighty-somethingth one!

Strange, they're the only El Degas guitars I've ever seen with some semblance of a serial numbering system...


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## scottomy

I'm actually doing some work on one right now for a friend. Its a Les Paul Jr copy that he bought in 1976 for 150$. One of the P90 pups crapped out so I'm replacing both of them along with the tuners. It doesn't play very well at the moment but hopefully I can do something about that! Surprisingly, it has a set neck - pretty good for an old POS.


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## whitegreyblack

scottomy said:


> I'm actually doing some work on one right now for a friend. Its a Les Paul Jr copy that he bought in 1976 for 150$. One of the P90 pups crapped out so I'm replacing both of them along with the tuners. It doesn't play very well at the moment but hopefully I can do something about that! Surprisingly, it has a set neck - pretty good for an old POS.


Pics, pics, pics!

(And if you or he decide to sell it please let me know. For some reason I really like these old POS's  )


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## scottomy

whitegreyblack,

I can take pics if you'd like to check out the guitar but I don't know how to post them. Do I need to first upload to an external site? Any idea??

As for selling the guitar I doubt that will happen. I'm only fixing it because it has some sentimental value to my friend. Hey who knows, it would be his call anyway. I'll mention it to him.


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## Guest

I've had a coupla' El Degas's in my past.
Ox blood and black beauty LP's.
I still have this classical.










*scottomy*. Yes you do need an external album.
I use photobucket. It's free and easy to use. 
When you're set, just click the 'Direct Link' code (copied)
and paste that in the 'Insert Image' box'










Easier still is to click on the 'IMG code' (copied) and paste that 
directly into your post. Hope it helps.


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## whitegreyblack

scottomy said:


> whitegreyblack,
> 
> I can take pics if you'd like to check out the guitar but I don't know how to post them. Do I need to first upload to an external site? Any idea??
> 
> As for selling the guitar I doubt that will happen. I'm only fixing it because it has some sentimental value to my friend. Hey who knows, it would be his call anyway. I'll mention it to him.


Sign up for a Photobucket account. That's what I use and it seems to be the easiest one for hosting photos to use on forums like this, it even generated the code for you.
You just upload your photo, copy & paste the img code in a post here, and voila.

photobucket.com


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## whitegreyblack

laristotle said:


> I've had a coupla' El Degas's in my past.
> Ox blood and black beauty LP's.
> I still have this classical.
> 
> 
> 
> Nice classical - I've considered snatching one of those up, but I'm not sure how much of a fit a classical would be in my arsenal.
Click to expand...


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## darreneedens

Well, here are a couple pics of my El Degas... It is a gibson L6-S copy. Let me know what you think


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## whitegreyblack

That's really interesting - never seen one like that...

If you decide to sell it....


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## darreneedens

I honestly have no idea what it is worth... its in prefect shape, when people play it they are amazed with how low the action is, and how good it feels.

How much do these guitars go for these days?


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## Guest

whitegreyblack said:


> Nice classical - I've considered snatching one of those up, but I'm not sure how much of a fit a classical would be in my arsenal.


Next time you're in a guitar shop, start noodling
around on one. I was given this 8yrs ago in lieu
of cash I loaned a buddy. Still sounds great even
with those original strings on it. I'd like to trade 
it for a steel string acoustic someday.


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## scottomy

well here goes my first attempt at posting pics here. Sorry but apart from it being absolutely filthy, the knobs, pickguard and covers have all been removed to do some work. Its pretty battlescarred.





























I'll post some pics after I've finished the work and its all back together.


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## scottomy

one more try!































Notice it's not a 1 piece body - see the stripe?


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## Woodster

Gotta keep this El Degas thread going.Here's some pics of a SG type that a friend bought new and gave to me last year.Replaced nut,cable jack,gotoh tuners(never out of tune now),selector switch.Last but not least,an Iommi pick up in the bridge position.Looks to me like a two piece body,sandwich style.Plays and sounds great now,My friends can't get over it.


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## Woodster

Sorry for the large pics size,I'm new at this


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## whitegreyblack

darreneedens said:


> I honestly have no idea what it is worth... its in prefect shape, when people play it they are amazed with how low the action is, and how good it feels.
> 
> How much do these guitars go for these days?


Honestly, the values seem all over the place.

It really depends on how many "RARE OMG VINTAGE TEH LAWSUIT RARE BUY NOW!" the seller puts in the eBay auction title :zzz:

If you ever want to part with it, PM me. :wave:


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## whitegreyblack

Scottomy - I see that pancake-stripe style bodies all the time in the later model El Degas guits.

I cannot be 100% sure, but often, the set neck copies are actually made in *Korea*, from the later years of the El Degas brand (later in the lifespan, the brand was bought by kaman Music, which may or may not coincide the move to Korean manufacturing). People do not like it when I tell them that, since something about "70's MIJ" turns people on and "80's MIK" makes 'em run to the hills........

Woodster - nice! The body shape seems a little... strange, changed slightly. But it's _gorgeous_! :rockon2:



I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I'll repeat that if either of you decide to sell, talk to me.
(I made a pact with my wife way back that I would only buy El Degas guitars so I'm always on the lookout for ones I like)


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## Fragile Man

Wish I had pictures to post...in 1973 I bought my first guitar, it was a black El Degas LP copy. I paid $160 new. The other guitar player in our basement band had an El Degas 345 copy. Both guitars played great. I played mine through a Farfisa amp 1X12 that I bought from Richmonds Trading Post down on Church Street the same year for the same amount ($160). The other guy had an old Silvertone amp with 2x12 cabinet that actually sounded very good. Thanks for the opportunity to reminisce. :smile:


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## whitegreyblack

Fragile Man said:


> Wish I had pictures to post...in 1973 I bought my first guitar, it was a black El Degas LP copy. I paid $160 new. The other guitar player in our basement band had an El Degas 345 copy. Both guitars played great. I played mine through a Farfisa amp 1X12 that I bought from Richmonds Trading Post down on Church Street the same year for the same amount ($160). The other guy had an old Silvertone amp with 2x12 cabinet that actually sounded very good. Thanks for the opportunity to reminisce. :smile:


Awesome - thanks for sharing.

Just an FYI to all who have kept this thread going:
I'm trying to get my act in gear to post a website to eldegas.com and will add a forum where El Degas owners can come and share their stories and photos. And hopefully people will be comment and add some good information to add to the information I have gathered on the brand for the website once they see what I've put together (still in the works for now).

:rockon:


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## Hammertone

...poof!...


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## whitegreyblack

LOVE the 'burst.

I have two Precisions - one black, the other a metallic-y red with matching headstock that I converted to fretless.

Same electronics and other features - Dimarzios with mini switch; brass nut.

Aren't they nice?


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## Hammertone

...poof!...


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## Greg Ellis

I've got a Degas bass packed away somewhere - same shape but solid black on the body. I'll try to get a picture.

I've got some great memories attached to my el Degas gear, but honestly I never thought I'd find a "fan club" for that company.

:smile:


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## whitegreyblack

Greg Ellis said:


> honestly I never thought I'd find a "fan club" for that company.
> 
> :smile:


Yeah...... I get that a lot. :smile:

I've only had one bonafide lemon from all of the 26 or so El Degas guitars & basses I've bought. All the rest are fun players or down-right gems.


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## Hammertone

I've seen El Degas good stuff as well as not-so-good stuff. 

The reality is that if the now-standard designs are well-executed, there is essentially no difference between instruments from different companies. A tremendous amount of marketing (and legal) effort from Fender, Gibson and the others goes into maintaining brand differentiation. It both feeds and is fed by consumer perceptions and attitudes. It is hard to accept the idea that there is very little difference between, say, a well executed (El Degas or insert other brand name here) and a similar Fender product. 

My experience has been that Fender owners are a bit less hung up about this than Gibson owners (the Les Paul Forum being the place to go for the most laughs). The higher the investment, the more vociferous the argument, I suppose. 

Losing control over a design is not necessarily a bad thing. Martin continues to do fine for itself, despite its designs and even model designations having been entirely adopted by a wide range of other makers.


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## whitegreyblack

The thing that irks me is that eBay has inflated the prices of these old copies to pretty much the price-point of modern low & mid-end guitars. A couple/few years ago I could buy El Degases all day for $50 - 150 shipped to my door. Now I ask myself whether I'd be better off going out and getting a fun little Melody Maker, Dano Pro, Eastwood H44, etc for my money; and avoid worries over how much wear there is to the electronics and frets.

The public is hungry for anything pre-80s and their ignorance of the beginner-guitar status of the bulk of these copies in the market is causing them to pay a heck of a lot more than before for even the low-rung stuff, based solely on the age of the instrument, and not its ilk. I suppose it might benefit me now that I am looking to thin the herd and sell a good number of my El Degas guitars, but it seems silly (and some of them were bought at higher prices anyway after the "vintage-anything" craze set in).


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## Hammertone

Prices reflect the balance of supply and demand in what the interweb and ebay have turned into a global market. What they sell for is what they are worth, frustrating or rewarding as that may be. I don't think the prices are inflated, just more accurate. 

Heck, a few years ago I could buy '70's Fender garbage for very little, not that I wanted any of those dreksticks - now it's considered "vintage" and is costly. Hey, there's one born every minute, and they all have access to the net these days.


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## whitegreyblack

Hammertone said:


> What they sell for is what they are worth, frustrating or rewarding as that may be.


More accurate would be to say that what they sell for is* what the market will bear*, not necessarily what it's worth.

People just have a perception that anything made pre-1980 is somehow better than anything made today and special somehow... it's amazing how many people who do not really know about how terrible a lot of 70's stuff can be... Norlin-era Gibsons and CBS-era Fenders are what made the whole copy-market of the 70's possible; and not all of the copies were much better than the big-name crap they were rushing to the market to compete against!


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## whitegreyblack

Small update for those who have been helping keep this thread alive.

I have the layout done on the El Degas website - I need to put in enough content to start with and set up the forum before I go live with it. Soon now... I'll post the URL when I put the site up (probably over the weekend, now that I might not be doing flooring in my living room).

Also, I just scored this bad boy:
Set neck Vee!









RAWK!


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## Woodster

Kudos to you Whitegreyblack for starting up a site on El Degas.You made me want to keep mine and some have fun with it.Good luck and hope all goes well.


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## whitegreyblack

Woodster said:


> Kudos to you Whitegreyblack for starting up a site on El Degas.You made me want to keep mine and some have fun with it.Good luck and hope all goes well.


Darn it, my whole ploy is to get all you folks to sell me your guitars...  :banana:

Once the site is up I'd love it if you'd post your photos of your guitar in the forum (there will be a "Showcase" section)

Hey, is your SG a set neck or bolt on? I can't tell from the photos you posted.


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## Woodster

Hi White.It,s a bolt on neck.Gave my buddy S**t last week for buying it instead of a gibson!.I could not sell it even if I wanted to,he threatened limb removal.I will certainly post pics of it on your site.Cannot believe how nice some of these look.Again Great that you are doing this.Take care


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## Hammertone

El Degas site? Cool. Make sure you link it to the Guitar Gallery site and vice-versa:

http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html

Even though Matsumoku didn't make the El Degas stuff as far as I know, there is a lot of parallelism between the various good quality Furutama of the 1970's and 1980's .

Feel free to use the two bass pix I posted here on your site. I have another one to post as well, later...

- Hammertone


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## zontar

Hammertone said:


> El Degas site? Cool. Make sure you link it to the Guitar Gallery site and vice-versa:
> 
> http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html
> 
> Even though Matsumoku didn't make the El Degas stuff as far as I know, there is a lot of parallelism between the various good quality Furutama of the 1970's and 1980's .
> 
> Feel free to use the two bass pix I posted here on your site. I have another one to post as well, later...
> 
> - Hammertone


I've checked out that site, Having 2 Matsumokus myself (*1-*-a Les Paul copy--which was decent enough for learning on, but nowhere comparable to my other electrics--primarily for reasons of construction, pickups & machine heads. Yet some people seem to love them to pieces. * 2*an EB-3 copy--it has a copy of the earlier EB-3 bridge (less adjustable) and it doesn't have the varitone switch.--It's better than decent--especially with roundwounds on it.)

I think these guitars tend to be hit & miss--some are decent, and some are better--but a lot are in need of work and serious upgrades. I can't speak to El Degas specifically--although I once did play an example of one that needs work. 

Basically though, if you like the sound and the feel and the way it plays--great! But with any guitar you do need to be diligent and discerning.

I once considered major changes to my EB-3, but decided against them--and I'm glad I didn't now looking back. But I wish I'd done more with my Les Paul copy. For what it would cost to get it to where I'd like it, I could buy a better guitar. (Then again that's my taste--someone else might just love it as it is.)


----------



## whitegreyblack

zontar said:


> I've checked out that site, Having 2 Matsumokus myself (*1-*-a Les Paul copy--which was decent enough for learning on, but nowhere comparable to my other electrics--primarily for reasons of construction, pickups & machine heads. Yet some people seem to love them to pieces. * 2*an EB-3 copy--it has a copy of the earlier EB-3 bridge (less adjustable) and it doesn't have the varitone switch.--It's better than decent--especially with roundwounds on it.)
> 
> I think these guitars tend to be hit & miss--some are decent, and some are better--but a lot are in need of work and serious upgrades. I can't speak to El Degas specifically--although I once did play an example of one that needs work.
> 
> Basically though, if you like the sound and the feel and the way it plays--great! But with any guitar you do need to be diligent and discerning.
> 
> I once considered major changes to my EB-3, but decided against them--and I'm glad I didn't now looking back. But I wish I'd done more with my Les Paul copy. For what it would cost to get it to where I'd like it, I could buy a better guitar. (Then again that's my taste--someone else might just love it as it is.)


Guitars from that period do tend to be hit and miss, but no more than any other brand (the Norlin-era Gibsons and CBS-Fenders come to mind!). 

People also do not know that even a little-known 'replica' brand like El Degas seemed to have entry-mid-upper levels/lines of their instruments (mostly showing differences in construction, finishing, and hardware; the same any other brand would) - or at least entry and mid! 

Not all 70's MIJ's are made alike, that's for sure. And not all of them have been treated or aged well over the last 30 years, either! 

Sometimes I consider selling my 'aged' instruments and buying one or two really well-made modern instruments... but then I go down and play my favorites and I'm in love all over again. That, and I simply can't justify a really expensive guitar with my skill level. Maybe a pricey bass, but not a guitar.


----------



## elindso

geckodog said:


> I have 2 El Degas guitars. 1 I don't use because it needs to be wired up, it's a Rickenbacker copy. My other one is a copy of an Ibanez Studio? Not 100% sure. I love it though, Oak body, with a stripe of rosewood down the center. Here's a few pics.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That is the brother to my bass.
> 
> We should play in a band together with some bad suits and my bad bass playing (worse than guitar) we'd be bad.
> 
> They were nice guitars. Some of them.
> 
> My bass is fine.


----------



## elindso

geckodog said:


> I have 2 El Degas guitars. 1 I don't use because it needs to be wired up, it's a Rickenbacker copy. My other one is a copy of an Ibanez Studio? Not 100% sure. I love it though, Oak body, with a stripe of rosewood down the center. Here's a few pics.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That is the brother to my bass.
> 
> We should play in a band together with some bad suits and my bad bass playing (worse than guitar) we'd be bad.
> 
> They were nice guitars. Some of them.
> 
> My bass is fine.
> 
> I think they look more like Moonstone and Alembic copies.


----------



## zontar

whitegreyblack said:


> Guitars from that period do tend to be hit and miss, but no more than any other brand (the Norlin-era Gibsons and CBS-Fenders come to mind!).


Yes, I am aware of that, fortunately my Norlin era Les Paul, and my CBS era Fender Mustang are hits, not misses.

As I also have an Ibanez Iceman that I love to play, I do agree that MIJ guitars can be gems. My Iceman is closing in on 30 years old, and it's still in great shape.


----------



## whitegreyblack

elindso said:


> That is the brother to my bass.
> 
> We should play in a band together with some bad suits and my bad bass playing (worse than guitar) we'd be bad.
> 
> They were nice guitars. Some of them.
> 
> My bass is fine.
> 
> I think they look more like Moonstone and Alembic copies.


I bet your bass is a lot like my El Degas alembic copy. I really love mine.

When I have the El Degas website up I'd really like it if you could post photos of it on the forum!

--Charles


----------



## mikedem

Nice forum here guys. I was doing a search for some El Degas info and found this site. I bought my El Degas LP copy from Steve's in Ottawa in 1983 , it was well used at the time and I played the hell out of it until '87 when I basically stopped playing after high school and didn't touch it again until a few months ago. I got a major setup done at Retrotown a few weeks ago (sat in the basement for 20 years) and this guitar plays better now than it ever did 20 some years ago. I don't know what year it is , is there some way of telling? Also you'll notice the El Degas logo is missing..... It had a large scratch in it when I bought it and as a dumb 15 year old in '83 I hated the look of a scratch and scratched off the rest of the logo  
cheers,
Mike


----------



## whitegreyblack

GORGEOUS, Mike. I'm glad you brought it out to play!
Looks a lot like my LP Custom, but mine is a set-neck.

Unfortunately there is no way of dating these. There is no serial number system. You can say with a great deal of confidence that it is a mid to late 70's MIJ, however.

---

Still working on the El Degas website - apologies to all who have expected an update from me to say it's up and running - BUT even though the site is not up I *do* have the forum working: www.eldegas.com/forum/


----------



## geckodog

Just had this one come into my store.


----------



## whitegreyblack

Someone must have had fun making that Strat neck fit on the LP body. They pulled it off with a great deal of success. Funky, especially on that gorgeous gold top.


----------



## geckodog

I'm pretty sure it's all El Degas. It's a solid top as well.


----------



## Kenmac

A Lesocaster? :wink:



geckodog said:


> Just had this one come into my store.


----------



## nokidz

I use to have a El Degas Rickey clone. It was stolen. If anyone has one for sale, or knows of someone who is selling one, please let me know ASAP.
whitegreyblack - love yours.........i know it is a long shot, but want to sell it???lofu


----------



## whitegreyblack

nokidz said:


> I use to have a El Degas Rickey clone. It was stolen. If anyone has one for sale, or knows of someone who is selling one, please let me know ASAP.
> whitegreyblack - love yours.........i know it is a long shot, but want to sell it???lofu


Sorry! I'll never sell.

Someone in Toronto had an El Degas Ric 4000 bass replica for sale a couple of months ago - bolt on.

Six-string Ric replicas are much more few-and-far-between.

You should see the El Degas Ric 325 & 330 replicas I have (325 is still incoming, just bought it)... DROOL! I hope the 325 plays an nicely as the 330! And the 4000 copy I have is neck-through and everything, same as the original it replicates. :banana:


----------



## nokidz

whitegreyblack said:


> Sorry! I'll never sell.
> 
> Someone in Toronto had an El Degas Ric 4000 bass replica for sale a couple of months ago - bolt on.
> 
> Six-string Ric replicas are much more few-and-far-between.
> 
> You should see the El Degas Ric 325 & 330 replicas I have (325 is still incoming, just bought it)... DROOL! I hope the 325 plays an nicely as the 330! And the 4000 copy I have is neck-through and everything, same as the original it replicates. :banana:


mine was a neck thru too. where did you get the 330 & 325??


----------



## whitegreyblack

nokidz said:


> mine was a neck thru too. where did you get the 330 & 325??


Fate! 




....and eBay and a private sale from a fellow on this forum. :rockon2:


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## whitegreyblack

*Some notes*

Not sure if I mentioned yet in this thread that there's a private collector I talk to in the States that has approximately FIFTY El Degas guitars! 
Some real beauties and rarities I don't have, too.

I'm going to be selling about 5-10 of my El Degas guitars (the ones I don't play enough, and I am out of room in my music room...) and I plan to list them on the eldegas.com site whenever I get it up and running (I hope to be entering my non-busy part of the month right away once I clear some end of the month work)

Cheers everyone
:food-smiley-004:


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## nokidz

let us now when the site is up and running. :smilie_flagge17:


----------



## whitegreyblack

Absolutely. It's just tough to find time sometimes - the start to the year has been much busier than I expected!

But I will be dedicating some time between now and Mar 10th to get as much done as possible in order to at least get the site up and running.
(UPDATE MAR. 6th - having a really busy week - will do what I can to get the site going, but my business needs to come first)

Watch for updates in this thread.


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## nokidz

everyone, keep a look out for an el degas ricky, prefer neck through.


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## Vintage_Groove

Hello to everyone, it's my first post here. Long story short I just got my dad's 1970's El Degas electric guitar last Saturday. 

He hardly ever used it and it shows as it looks mint. The bottom string was broken but all the strings were original. I took it to a friend who understands guitars (and plays a few) and he put on all new strings, tuned it and corrected the tone. He plugged it in his amp and it played. 

Sound-wise (to me) it sounded pretty much exactly like his $500 new guitar. We could hear a slight hum when the guitar is still but other than that everything seems ok (at this time). 

I took the guitar to start learning, and still need to get my dad's 1970's amp which he also hardly used. Out of curiosity I was looking for any information on El Degas guitars but found very little, until I found this thread and forum. 

Here are some pictures.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/pantera_rapida/DSCN6487.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/pantera_rapida/DSCN6474.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/pantera_rapida/DSCN6480.jpg


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## whitegreyblack

That Strat copy is in very nice shape.
Hope it serves you well.


----------



## Vintage_Groove

Looking towards the future, and the fact this brand of guitar is so rare, what components would be worth upgrading to get a super sound and tone from it?

I ask because a friend dropped by last night with his brand new Fender Stratocaster, I plugged it into my 1975 Lidovox amp (all I have right now, long story behind that one) and his guitar sounded really nice, nicer than my el Degas.


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## whitegreyblack

First things first - the electronics are probably the first upgrade. You can easily find complete replacement electronics packages for Strat-type guitars all over the internet. This will give you new pickups, pots, and jack. (Try GFS www.guitarfetish.com just be aware that their loaded Strat pickguards might require moving some pickguard screw holes on the El Degas)

Some of the more easily replaced hardware would be a start, as well (bridge, etc) - just be careful to measure things carefully if you are ordering parts - not all hardware is built to the same spec and will fit on every guitar.

Past that, a good tech can look at any other issues (nut, frets, neck, giving the guitar a good setup)

If you do not know what you are doing, then take the guitar to a tech and get their assessment.

Just be careful about spending more than the guitar is worth on fixing it up. El Degas might be a not too common brand, but it's really not at all collectible and valuable. I'd be wary spending nearly as much on an El Degas Strat than what a new MIM Strat would cost. Today's abundance of inexpensive bang-for-your-buck guitars can make it tough to justify spending a lot to fix up older guitars without a lot of sentimental or collectible value...


----------



## Vintage_Groove

Since this guitar has been with us for so long I will not part with it, so I was toying with the idea (after hearing my friend's Fender) of upgrading it. But after reading all the parts you listed I suspect by the time I do upgrade it I could have bought another, new (yet still vintage looking) guitar. The Fender S. is really nice, and feels exactly the same (only sounds nicer).

And my son (who's learning drums right now) is interested in learning guitar as well, so it looks like buying a second guitar makes more sense...

How is the work on your el Degas website going?


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## dusty tolex

*el-degas.com*

Hi whitegreyblack,

Any word on this site going live soon? I see it's still under construction...

I'm contemplating buying an El Degas telecaster, refretted and with upgraded tuners. I have not actually tried it out yet. Do you have any experience with El Degas teles?

cheers
dt


----------



## whitegreyblack

dusty tolex said:


> Hi whitegreyblack,
> 
> Any word on this site going live soon? I see it's still under construction...
> 
> I'm contemplating buying an El Degas telecaster, refretted and with upgraded tuners. I have not actually tried it out yet. Do you have any experience with El Degas teles?
> 
> cheers
> dt


You would not believe how busy I've been - it's just me putting this together...

I have two El Degas Tele's. One was ok, the other took a LOT of work (and a trip to a luthier and a refret) to become playable. Caveat emptor (Buyer beware)!!!!

With all makes, there are players and there are lemons. With the inexpensive nature of MIM Fender's and the current crop of Squire's, El Degas Strat / Tele models are hard to recommend.


----------



## erinites

*El Degas strat model*

Oh Gawd... my boss found this beauty in the basement of his new house...70's model... pickups and dials work just fine... gotta get a pic...
Neck on it is mint and the action divine.... I want to know what it could be worth.


----------



## whitegreyblack

I'm interested to see a pic... 

Values of El Degas is a pretty subjective thing - I used to see the ubiquitous bolt-on El Degas Tele/Strat/LP/etcs go for $100-150 all day, but there are a lot of suckers on eBay paying more whenever an unscrupulous seller puts a string of "OMG VINTAGE RARE !!!"s in the title of an auction (and at one time I may have even been one of those suckers).

I bought a gorgeous cherryburst (and I don't normally like cherry bursts) set-neck El Degas LP (MIK)for about $200-ish about 6-8 months ago, so there are still very low prices to be found on these guitars. Conversely I found a seller trying to sell a set-neck MIJ El Degas LP for almost $700; and I have paid $400 for a set-neck MIJ El Degas LP (as it was a finish I really wanted, had new Kent Armstrong pickups as well as a new hardshell case, AND the original set of Dimarzios were thrown in as well  )

The fact that El Degas doesn't have the "pedigree" or "street-cred" of names like Burny, Orville, or Greco also works to keep prices lower than those brands; though it won't/doesn't keep some sellers from trying.


----------



## dusty tolex

I hear you whitegreyblack, but El Degas teles get amazing reviews on HC. Supposedly they have amazing necks, though I'm not 100% sure what that means. I must say too the aged olympic white/white pickguard/maple neck makes for a pretty guitar.

What do you see as being the biggest weakness in an El Degas tele?

Anyway, I have to get off my backside and try the one here in town being sold privately. Which has upgraded tuners and a refret, I should add.



cheers
dt


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## csrMark

OMG ElDegas

my second guitar. thought I could do a fret levelling job on it (I was 14 years old) with a file.......boy did I fu*k that up so I traded it in on something else.

Sad part was ............... it was a copy of a Les Paul with 3 humbucker pickups on it with a natural finish........it looked real sweet.

If I had it now, I'm sure I would have mounted it on a wall somewhere. (even with the fret levelling job)


----------



## Dude5152

There is an El Degas Strat copy all black with chrome hardware and 1-ply black pickguard with a H-S-S arrangement for sale at Encore Music Exchange in Scarbrough


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## nokidz

spotted this and thought someone might be interested....
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...l-Degas-electric-guitar-amp-W0QQAdIdZ41079154


----------



## JugheadsRevenge

*Es345 ???*

I believe i possess an El Degas ES345 copy. I am primarily looking for a little more confirmation, maybe some insight. I will post some pictures as early as this evening or as late as tomorrow. it sure is pretty. I am willing to part with it presented the right opportunity, as i am moving to another province in the very near future. I will share more arbitrarily, or granted, if need be.. not so used to this forum/blog/internet sensation. yep, i said it.. thanks. please inquire.


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## whitegreyblack

JugheadsRevenge - PM Sent


----------



## JugheadsRevenge

*Pictures.. ES345*

Well, no time spared. Here are a few quick shots. If you would like more detail, specific or anything general, please ask. If you would like more pictures, please ask as well. I am happy to share and/or inform. Thank you whitegreyblack, i will respond promptly. 

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n340/JugheadDegas/P1011110.jpg

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n340/JugheadDegas/P1011142.jpg

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n340/JugheadDegas/P1011135.jpg

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n340/JugheadDegas/P1011166.jpg

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n340/JugheadDegas/P1011148.jpg


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## whitegreyblack

Beauty!

I had that _exact _guitar (well, not THAT exact guitar, but exactly the same specs - walnut stain finish, bolt on, Varitone, trapeze bridge, gold hardware & pups), and just sold it privately last week since I also have an El Degas 335 copy with a set-neck. I'm more of a set and forget guy, so for me the less knobs the better. 

But for what it's worth, I really enjoyed the 345 copy I had - pickups sounded wonderful and took dirt very well, and the Varitone gave a hell of a lot of tonal options to play with!


----------



## 59 Jr

I have a couple of El Degas's. One is a twelve string acoustic and the other is a five string banjo. The Banjo is in immaculant condition probably because nobody wants to play it. On the other hand the twelve string is very nice to play and sounds really nice as well. I lent it to a friend of mine. They are both about thirty years old.


----------



## 59 Jr

whitegreyblack said:


> You would not believe how busy I've been - it's just me putting this together...
> 
> I have two El Degas Tele's. One was ok, the other took a LOT of work (and a trip to a luthier and a refret) to become playable. Caveat emptor (Buyer beware)!!!!
> 
> With all makes, there are players and there are lemons. With the inexpensive nature of MIM Fender's and the current crop of Squire's, El Degas Strat / Tele models are hard to recommend.


I bought my sixteen year old a squire tele. I love it. The neck is maple and unbelievable. The guitar is easy to play. We've had the guitar for three years now and we've only brought back once for a good tune up. My boy plays alot. There are alot of good afordable guitars out there. Spend some time at the music store before you buy it, even if it is only three hundred bucks.
Good Luck


----------



## JugheadsRevenge

whitegreyblack said:


> Beauty!
> 
> I had that _exact _guitar (well, not THAT exact guitar, but exactly the same specs - walnut stain finish, bolt on, Varitone, trapeze bridge, gold hardware & pups), and just sold it privately last week since I also have an El Degas 335 copy with a set-neck. I'm more of a set and forget guy, so for me the less knobs the better.
> 
> But for what it's worth, I really enjoyed the 345 copy I had - pickups sounded wonderful and took dirt very well, and the Varitone gave a hell of a lot of tonal options to play with!


She sure is a beauty, really, a pleasure to look at. She sounds magnificent too. The action was a little high when i had first purchased it. But since, it has been tampered with and plays just as clean as my Dot, or any other guitar i posses at this moment. It doesnt hold tune very well, though, i do tend to beat up my guitars. With a little more fine tuning and maybe new keys, she will sing like she should, and i wont have to worry about it holding tune for me. I would love to keep her in the family.. but i suspect, i wont be able to hold onto her for too much longer (against odds).


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## JugheadsRevenge

oh.... and yes, VARITONE !!!!!!!!!! What a lovely accessory!! Too much of an understatement?


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## devnulljp

Xanadu said:


> my friend has an old el degas acoustic. Its pure shite.


What's wrong with it? Saw one on CL real cheap - just missed an old Silvertone for $30. Would be good as an old beater for slide no? Are they really that bad? Maybe I should give it a miss...


----------



## whitegreyblack

devnulljp said:


> What's wrong with it? Saw one on CL real cheap - just missed an old Silvertone for $30. Would be good as an old beater for slide no? Are they really that bad? Maybe I should give it a miss...


There are hits and there are misses - if it's CL perhaps you can go give it a play before you commit to buy it? Or if it's cheap enough who cares!! sdsre


----------



## stillpracticing

*I have something similar*

Hi Geckodog

Your red El Degas looks almost exactly the same as mine with only two small differences. My El Degas has two toggle switches in the middle of the knobs and does not have the blacking behind the one switch that yours has. 

If I remember correctly, I purchased my guitar during the late 70's or early 80's. I quit playing professionally some 25 years ago and it has been in its case since then. I just dug it out a few weeks back, cleaned it up and started playing it again. Still sounds great.

I am just new to the site so I have not figured out how to post pictures yet, but my El Degas looks exactly like Geckodogs except the items listed above. If anyone has any info on the history of this guitar (Model etc.) I would appreciate it. 

Have a great day!


----------



## fraser

devnulljp said:


> What's wrong with it? Saw one on CL real cheap - just missed an old Silvertone for $30. Would be good as an old beater for slide no? Are they really that bad? Maybe I should give it a miss...


ive run into a few el degas acoustics in the last few months- when at a party they are the invariable "heres my wifes old guitar, play it for us" kinda thing.
all sounded fine, nothing wrong with any of them as far as construction. but all showing thier age, with a neck reset much needed. high and painful action.
would make great slide guitars, especially if you want to explore some lap slide.
or with a neck reset, theyd make great all around players


----------



## whitegreyblack

I like my El Degas acoustics - I'm sure acoustic purists would hate them, but I tend to like my guitars to have a bit of "fight" to them.


----------



## whitegreyblack

For anyone who was watching this thread... www.eldegas.com is up, sort of (I am still compiling the history & instrument model info I have, but the site works and there is a forum to share photos and stories of these instruments)

kksjur


----------



## Hammertone

Cool. As I mentioned before, feel free to use the two pix of Fender P-bass copies I posted back on page whatever.
- Hammertone


----------



## cosmic joe

*El Degas Accoustic*

Hi All , 

I have an El Degas accoustic I bought new in '75. The label inside reads MT16 Does anyone have any info on this guitar? I'm wondering if should try to sell it,( if it has any value,) or hang it on the wall in my room.

Cosmic Joe


----------



## whitegreyblack

cosmic joe said:


> Hi All ,
> 
> I have an El Degas accoustic I bought new in '75. The label inside reads MT16 Does anyone have any info on this guitar? I'm wondering if should try to sell it,( if it has any value,) or hang it on the wall in my room.
> 
> Cosmic Joe


All I can really tell you is that it's a clone of a Martin guitar.
I don't have a ton of knowledge of acoustics, so I'd suggest you take a look at Martin guitars to determine which it might be a clone of (may be very hard to tell - all Martins lok the same to me!)


----------



## Wild Bill

cosmic joe said:


> Hi All ,
> 
> I have an El Degas accoustic I bought new in '75. The label inside reads MT16 Does anyone have any info on this guitar? I'm wondering if should try to sell it,( if it has any value,) or hang it on the wall in my room.
> 
> Cosmic Joe


I would try to find someone who can give you an educated appraisal. I have a Degas from 1973 or so (those years are hazy!:smile It's a Martin D-28 copy.

When I bought mine Degas guitars weren't that cheap! I worked at a music store and got mine for cost, which was $550 at a time when gasoline was 30 cents a GALLON and a pack of cigarettes was .25! It's still a fabulous guitar, not just for its tone and playability but for the extras, like mother of pearl inlays, decoration and the wood that was used.

I see lots of guitars on the rack these days in the $500 to $1000 range that play and sound perhaps as good but they are ALL very 'plain Jane' in the looks department! I 've seen Simon & Patrick guitars from Quebec that compete for sound and fingering but can't hold a candle for the appearance. 

It seems to get those kind of extras these days with the same sort of wood means a price tag of several thousand dollars.

Somehow something about the Degas company changed near the end of the 70's. I don't know if there was a change in ownership or perhaps just management but the guitars took a nosedive in quality, compared to the initial offerings.

Yours being a '75 puts it in the 'Golden Years'. I'd hang on to it!

:food-smiley-004:


----------



## whitegreyblack

Wild Bill said:


> I would try to find someone who can give you an educated appraisal. I have a Degas from 1973 or so (those years are hazy!:smile It's a Martin D-28 copy.
> 
> When I bought mine Degas guitars weren't that cheap! I worked at a music store and got mine for cost, which was $550 at a time when gasoline was 30 cents a GALLON and a pack of cigarettes was .25! It's still a fabulous guitar, not just for its tone and playability but for the extras, like mother of pearl inlays, decoration and the wood that was used.
> 
> I see lots of guitars on the rack these days in the $500 to $1000 range that play and sound perhaps as good but they are ALL very 'plain Jane' in the looks department! I 've seen Simon & Patrick guitars from Quebec that compete for sound and fingering but can't hold a candle for the appearance.
> 
> It seems to get those kind of extras these days with the same sort of wood means a price tag of several thousand dollars.
> 
> Somehow something about the Degas company changed near the end of the 70's. I don't know if there was a change in ownership or perhaps just management but the guitars took a nosedive in quality, compared to the initial offerings.
> 
> Yours being a '75 puts it in the 'Golden Years'. I'd hang on to it!
> 
> :food-smiley-004:


I agree with this. You likely have a great player with aged wood that is no longer even available for today's acoustics. However, since you have a "no-name" (as far as the collector market goes) brand it will never be as valuable as the same calibre of guitar in other more well-known makes.

As Bill mentioned, many of the high quality replica guitars from El Degas were in the $500 range in the 70's... but I doubt that in today's market you will command much more than the $300-600 range, depending on condition and playability. Take that for what it's worth - your experience may vary.


----------



## Justin

I recently picked up an old El Degas guitar. WHen i purchased it i was under the impresion that it was a Starline acoustic, but further investigation has led me to a dead end. The model is MT-102. I was Curious to see if any one was familiar with this peticular type of guitar, and if so hopefully get me pointed in the right direction.

El Degas tag

Starline Head

This is the odd part, the headstock is labeled starline.

Full guitar


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## whitegreyblack

Justin said:


> I recently picked up an old El Degas guitar. WHen i purchased it i was under the impresion that it was a Starline acoustic, but further investigation has led me to a dead end. The model is MT-102. I was Curious to see if any one was familiar with this peticular type of guitar, and if so hopefully get me pointed in the right direction.
> 
> El Degas tag
> 
> Starline Head
> 
> This is the odd part, the headstock is labeled starline.
> 
> Full guitar


That just doesn't seem right!

I wonder if perhaps someone did a Frankenstein neck reset with a Starline neck? I dunno - sure is strange, though.


----------



## Justin

That was one of my suspisions, and one of my fears. With all the stories and intrique surrounding El Degas legacy, i was hoping i might have a solid chunk of it for my own. 

When i got it i was well aware of the large amounts of restoration work that will be needed. And I will put in every hour, and every dollar needed to make it beautiful again. What id really love is to find the original owner and maybe get its story, and track it back to wherever it came from.


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## whitegreyblack

Best of luck with her! Nice to see an older guitar with new life breathed into it.


----------



## Justin

Well if you dont mind id love to post some pics on your site... before restoration and after.... and who knows if your site picks up someone might spot it and say hey... i know a little about that


----------



## whitegreyblack

Absolutely - I'd be happy to see the photos on the eldegas.com forum.


----------



## Orcslayer

My first decent guitar was a 1978 El Degas Strat copy: 3 clr sunburst, black pickguard & pickups, maple fretboard. It started my love for Strats. Since then, nothing sounds as good as a Strat to me.


----------



## cneale

I have the same el degas guitar that I've had since I was a teenager (in the '80s). it was the closest thing to a les paul I could afford. It is simmilar to a les paul with thinner ,flatter body,all brass hardware, two dimarzio hummbuckers ( I remember these guitars in the music store with tags that said "degas loves dimarzio").

This guitar is dark wood grain and appears to be a 1 pc. gutar . (no plate on kneck at body) this guitar has increadibly low action, and is a dream to play above the 12th fret. I'm not sure of the year or model but would love to find out. I will post pics soon! also: my guitar is an "El Degas", I've also seen guitars out ther labelled just "degas". Are they the same manufacturer?


----------



## whitegreyblack

cneale said:


> I have the same el degas guitar that I've had since I was a teenager (in the '80s). it was the closest thing to a les paul I could afford. It is simmilar to a les paul with thinner ,flatter body,all brass hardware, two dimarzio hummbuckers ( I remember these guitars in the music store with tags that said "degas loves dimarzio").
> 
> This guitar is dark wood grain and appears to be a 1 pc. gutar . (no plate on kneck at body) this guitar has increadibly low action, and is a dream to play above the 12th fret. I'm not sure of the year or model but would love to find out. I will post pics soon! also: my guitar is an "El Degas", I've also seen guitars out ther labelled just "degas". Are they the same manufacturer?


El Degas certainly did love Dimarzio! It's a real treat to play on these nicely aged Dimarzios on the guitars I'm lucky enough to have them on. :smile:

Not too sure about the Degas / El Degas connection - I'd have to see photos of the guitars & logos of the Degas ones to know for sure.

I'd love to see your guitar -please feel free to put them on the ElDegas.com forum www.eldegas.com/forum

Does your El Degas look like this?


----------



## sneakypete

I think　Aria loved em too...my old Leopard has a set.


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## whitegreyblack

I wonder if the MIJ movement in the 70's may have had a hand in helping Dimarzio gain momentum in N America.


----------



## cneale

SWEEET! You nailed it WGB! That is my guitar without the battle scars! my gem is in resto mode. Right now, hardwired in dual coil mode (phase switches missing), vol./ tone nobs from my old valvestate (they look great on it, forgot how good the knurled brass knobs look). Looks like the headstock was re- attached before I owned it, but still plays great!

I am still procrastinating the resto, but your degas site has ispired me to persue ...

She's in rough shape, cosmeticly, will deffinetly need some before pics, will put the pics/progress on your el degas site.

Any info on this model?

thanks WGB!


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## whitegreyblack

cneale said:


> SWEEET! You nailed it WGB! That is my guitar without the battle scars! my gem is in resto mode. Right now, hardwired in dual coil mode (phase switches missing), vol./ tone nobs from my old valvestate (they look great on it, forgot how good the knurled brass knobs look). Looks like the headstock was re- attached before I owned it, but still plays great!
> 
> I am still procrastinating the resto, but your degas site has ispired me to persue ...
> 
> She's in rough shape, cosmeticly, will deffinetly need some before pics, will put the pics/progress on your el degas site.
> 
> Any info on this model?
> 
> thanks WGB!


That's a copy of a Les Paul "The Paul" model (short-lived model from the 70's).

Funny, mine also has a re-attached headstock.

I'd be happy to see your restoration progress on the ElDegas.com forum! sdsre


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## heliose5463

*My first guitar*

My first electric is a El degas Les Paul jr double cut away lawsuit and i totally love it. I tried comparing it to a gibson and an epiphone and it did come up short to the gibson but totally blew the epiphone out of the water!

Although the gibson was a better guitar the el degas has a better feel to it after gettin used to it and i can imagine selling it


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## whitegreyblack

heliose5463 said:


> My first electric is a El degas Les Paul jr double cut away lawsuit and i totally love it. I tried comparing it to a gibson and an epiphone and it did come up short to the gibson but totally blew the epiphone out of the water!
> 
> Although the gibson was a better guitar the el degas has a better feel to it after gettin used to it and i can imagine selling it


Cool - I'd love to see some pics if you have them - feel free to also post them at the www.eldegas.com forum!


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## cferr

*Need wiring diagram*

hello, I have a El Degas electric 6 string, and i need a wiring diagram for it, on the back of the head it says 640FS on a white sticker. please help


----------



## cferr

Hello, I have he same guitar that is in the link above, Is there any way for me to get my hands on a wiring digram, does anyone have one they can send to me. PLEASE HELP. Thank You


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## GuitarsCanada

cferr said:


> Hello, I have he same guitar that is in the link above, Is there any way for me to get my hands on a wiring digram, does anyone have one they can send to me. PLEASE HELP. Thank You


I doubt there would be a specific wiring diagram for that guitar itself, however, pickups are basically all wired the same. Just depends on if its a 4 wire or 2 wire and what they are ie humbuckers or single coils and then your tone/volume configuration and switching. Might be a 3 way switch or maybe 5 way. Once those details are known it is pretty simple to find a generic wiring digram for it.


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## TubeStack

My dad had an El Degas bass, a Rickenbacker copy. That thing was a piece of shit! LOL!


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## elindso

I have an El Degas bass that is a bolt on knock off of an alembic sorta. Maybe it's not a knock of.

It plays just fine and isn't a piece of crap.


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## pappashank

I've seen a million of these guitars and most are really crappy guitars. However, I have a early eighties White "Les Paul Custom" with a set neck, and gold hardware. This guitar is smoking hot, the build quality was perfect and the neck is straighter, slicker, and faster than my real Gison LP Studio. I put EMG 95s in it years ago and replaced the pots at the same time. Obviously, the only real flaw with this guitar is the wood. I don't even know what it is. The low and lower-mid rangesare a bit flabby but not too bad. Not sure if it's just the earlier, but I'd love to know why there was such a difference i quality amongst these guitars.


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## naisen

back in '89 one of my high school buddies had one of these, a black les paul shape. we called it "El Bogus" 
...but reflecting back now we all had pretty sucky guitars.


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## ccuwan

*F210 El Degas*

I am tempted by a El Degas 12 string model f210 right now. Reading this thread however, no one has anything nice to say about El Degas 12 strings. I had a Martin 12 a few years back and sold it to Song Bird in Toronto as I needed the money and I really didn't play it much. I don't expect the El Degas to be a Martin but the investment for an occasional player is far less and I'm hoping it's decent. The issue is, I need to drive about 120km to get it and I really don't want to be disappointed after the hike. Has anyone heard of or heard this model.....it sure looks like the Martin in the pix.


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## Morkolo

My Father has an El Degas Dove copy. It plays ok but that's as far as it goes, he told me the action was almost unplayable when he first got it in the early or mid seventies. It sounds a lot like the Gibson's and Epiphone's I've tried out, but I'm not a fan of that mellow acoustic sound so I couldn't call myself the best judge.


Actually it's very similar to this one here:


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## ctino

*El Degas Bass any information*

Hi everyone,

I have an El Degas bass but i cannot find any information on it. Could anyone help out?

MY BASS FOR YOUR ELECTRIC

Chris


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## Rick31797

i had a SG.. but traded it in for a new LP custom in 1982, maybe i should have kept it


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## big rockersteve

hey i have one im selling its in good shape its a read one i love it but iv hit hard times with the cash seen so i have to sell it


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## pi39

I really like all the Japanese Lawsuit era guitars. Some great Gibson copies that are sometimes every bit as good and nice as a Gibson.


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## whitegreyblack

Yeah, you really have to cherry-pick, but there are some AMAZING copies out there.


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## Rick31797

here one, asking price 10 grand ,i think the guy is dreaming..

http://belleville.kijiji.ca/c-buy-a...uitars-rare-vintage-guitar-W0QQAdIdZ282943000


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## whitegreyblack

Yeah, I've already emailed the seller earlier today with a polite reality-check. I hope he heeds the advice.


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## bobb

That guy really doesn't have a clue at all. $10,000 for a $200 guitar is just as funny as his other deal with the Walmart Gibson selling for $400.


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## Miodrag

Hi, I'm from Serbia and I'm a proud owner of El Degas electric guitar, copy of gibson les paul, made back in '75.
Mohagony body, mohagony neck, rosewood fretboard,DiMrazio humbuckers,Schaller bridge, Grover tunes. 
I've played many gigs with it, guitar is in good shape, has a scratch on a back side, but front side is like new.
Pot's needs to change, they work, but they are old and I think it is time for replacement  
Can you tell me what is the price of these guitars in Canada ? Or what is the price you would offer for it. 
Here's a photo of my Degas , I love this brand, sounds like gibson , trust me, I have a les paul too, but ,somehow I find it more atractive for me to play on El Degas . My price for this guitar here in Europe is 500 euros. 
Thanks...


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## Miodrag

Hi, I'm from Serbia and I'm a proud owner of El Degas electric guitar, copy of gibson les paul, made back in '75.
Mohagony body, mohagony neck, rosewood fretboard,DiMrazio humbuckers,Schaller bridge, Grover tunes. 
I've played many gigs with it, guitar is in good shape, has a scratch on a back side, but front side is like new.
Pot's needs to change, they work, but they are old and I think it is time for replacement  
Can you tell me what is the price of these guitars in Canada ? Or what is the price you would offer for it. 
Here's a photo of my Degas , I love this brand, sounds like gibson , trust me, I have a les paul too, but ,somehow I find it more atractive for me to play on El Degas . My price for this guitar here in Europe is 500 euros. 
Thanks...


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## sulphur

Hey Miodrag, welcome!

I'm no expert on these guitars, but your price seems pretty fair.
It works out to around $700 Canadian, a good starting point anyways.
The price seems to be in the ballpark. Good luck with the sale!


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## Miodrag

I lowered the price because my guitar has a scratch on a back side . Thank you , I want to sell it cause I need some money for a gibson electro acoustic guitar .  Thanks for reply and if you know someone who want to buy it , please , let him contact me on [email protected] or https://www.facebook.com/shomydimitrijevic my facebook account.
Thank you once again


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## sulphur

You can expect some wear on a thirty + year old guitar.
A scratch on the back is far less intrusive than one on the front.

I've paid more for other MIJ guitars from that era and newer.

If you weren't half way across the planet, I'd bet that it would be a pretty easy sell over here.


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## Miodrag

Yes , but I want to be fair about it, and , I'm on the other side of planet  that could complicate the sale :/


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## Guest

Welcome to the forum. If I remember correctly. El Degas were produced for the
N. American market. Your guitar being in Serbia would make that pretty rare. A
little more valuable for resale than here in Canada, I'd imagine. 
Here's a recent resto project I did this past summer.


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## Short Circuit

Here's an El Degas Les Paul I picked up a while ago, Kinda beat up a bit but does it ever play nice

Mark


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## Kamel Chenaouy

Hello friends

I'm french master luthier. I was surfing on the net when I discovered people talking about El Degas. I can give you the exact history of this brand, because I lived it.

- The brand was created in Paris by my boss Gérard Charnoz (Musicologist), who was owning a guitar shop and his brother Jean-Luc Charnoz was luthier and harpsichord maker and I learned lutherie with him. That was in 1972. Because the shop was specialized in acoustic instruments and at the same looking to new products at a time Japan was starting the guitar industry. The brothers created 3 brands : EL DEGAS, D'ANGELICA, MOUNTAIN. all amde in Japan, intially for the needs of the shop. years after, the shop closed, but the brand survived. As I worked in the shop and the workshop during years, I can confirm you all this. We have sold bulks of El Degas...etc. Hope this information is usefull for you. All the best to all the members.


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## sambonee

laristotle said:


> Welcome to the forum. If I remember correctly. El Degas were produced for the
> N. American market. Your guitar being in Serbia would make that pretty rare. A
> little more valuable for resale than here in Canada, I'd imagine.
> Here's a recent resto project I did this past summer.



Well Larry did such a superb job of revitalizing this guitar. I am now the very proud owner of this minty gem. I got Kerry Learned to make me a set of pickups and I switched out all the pots. this sounds like a million bucks!!!

as it stands now I've go

a band named El Degas
the url www.eldegas.ca
chocolate brown LP special
sunburst strat
alembic copy guitar neck thru body
alembic copy BASS neck thru body - Got MJS pickups to make me 2 for this one. OH MAN!!! it's a killer.
alembic copy bass bolt on.
Es 345 copy restored by Laristotle, what a fine job he did. I'm so glad I got to buy that guitar. And Larry even came to see me play at the milton rib fest.
Rickenbacher fireglo guitar

and that's it so far. pictures later on.

I sooo want to acquire 
explorer copy
v copy
that gold ricki in the earlier page of this thread.


ciao y'all


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## sambonee

No response ??? This thread has 66000 views. That's like a small city. 

That's the typical crowd at my Shows. Haha. Yeah right.


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## Guest

nice collection. and yeah, it was cool watching you guys at the ribfest.
oh .. your link don't work.


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## Ellie_Oswin

I have a el Gibson guitar the model is MT18, it's in almost perfect condition but, I can't seem to find any Info on it though, anyone know?


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## dcole

Do you have pictures?


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## silvertonebetty

Ellie_Oswin said:


> I have a el Gibson guitar the model is MT18, it's in almost perfect condition but, I can't seem to find any Info on it though, anyone know?


i think i had yhat at one time

proud boogie owner


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## thebird

First time poster but long time on the site. Just picked up an el Degas Custom in black. It was neglected for some time but after a nice cleanup it is still a looker with minimal damage where it counts.

Looking for some people to shed some light on which era it may have come from.

It has a set neck. Rosewood fingerboard. No serial number. Bridge and tailpiece say Jin ah. Have not removed pickups yet. Neck looks like a three piece but body is a one piece. That back side of the body is bare wood with some belt buckle rash. Cream binding on headstock and body. The diamond inlay on headstock is a little different as you will see in the following pictures. It has a good weight and feels solid and look great.. To me anyway. 

Any information much appreciated with the limited description I provided. 

Thanks


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## thebird

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## sambonee

I'm jealous. That's nice. The logo looks very unique. The Dégas is somehow swollen or it could be the photograph. Have you played it?? Set neck and all.


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## Scotty

Looks like a great project. Plywood body by the .looks of it. Appears as if you or the PO tried sanding out some deep buckle rash. What's your plan on a repaint?


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## thebird

Thanks for the comments guys. I am impressed with how well it cleaned up even though the back side is bare. Not sure what I'll do about that and don't want to put a whole lotta cash into this. I'll get a new bridge for it. Any suggestions where to get one out there for these ? I'll clean up the body a little more and put a pick guard on it but may keep it naked without one. What do you figure.... Pick guard or keep it off? I'll see if I can find a cap for one of the tuners that is missing one on the backside. For the back side of the wood maybe just a clearcoat or stain of some kind to protect the wood. I'm not too fussy about that. I'll see how it plays after a setup and if any other work is needed to make it decent player once again.

funny story how I came across this. First I was looking for a canvas print to hang in the man cave and hang my other two guitars one on each side of it. Seeing the prices of the canvas I wanted I stumbled across this and fired why not get that and hang the acoustic in middle with the les Paul standard copy I have and this custom on the either side. If it ends up being a pos in the end it can still look pretty for me up there.

my other les paul a chibson copy in a tobacco sunburst finish with personal touches made to it to make it both worthless and priceless.

i made several requests that I wanted from:

ebony fretboard with with binding nibs over frets.
one piece mahogany body with maple cap
one piece neck with no scarf joint
all chrome hardware
my last name stamped into the back of headstock
single binding around headstock as seen on a Gibson acoustic headstock.

wanted it to be a les Paul clone but with those personal touches. It worked out well. I'm impressed with the paint job. It's deep and looks impressive. Around the burst it doesn't go to a black but a dark purple like on the back side. It changes depending on the lighting. 

i took it to a local luthier for a setup and he installed a bone but nut and went through it and said I was one of the luckier ones with a quality knock off. Neck was excellent. Fret work was good for the most part and same with the inlays. Turned out to be a good player and haven't changed the pickups or anything yet. 








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## sambonee

That degas might surprise you. If you get to try it before adding pickups of choice or any other dough, yo know if it's worth the effort. 

I have a set neck degas LP special. its a killer. Literally.

I actually have 12 Dégas guitars. Set neck ones are rare .


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## sambonee

People, be on the lookout for this guitar. The gold ricky copy below. I gotta have it to match my ricky degas red fire glo. 
Please help me!!! I emailed the poster of the thread but they're not a usually visitor tithe site these days. 

Thanks. 





geckodog said:


> I have 2 El Degas guitars. 1 I don't use because it needs to be wired up, it's a Rickenbacker copy. My other one is a copy of an Ibanez Studio? Not 100% sure. I love it though, Oak body, with a stripe of rosewood down the center. Here's a few pics.


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## geckodog

That is a sweet guitar. Not original paint job though. Previous owner tried to refinish it, got the paint job done and then must have given up on putting back together. It needs to be wired back up and the pickups need to be properly mounted. They are just kind of wedged in there due to the thick paint job. I haven't touched the guitar in years. I will go and see if I can dig it out of the basement.


----------



## sambonee

Awesome. Pm me your telephone number and we can chat about it or whatever. I have a preferred luthier who is take it to no prob. 

I'm getting kind of excited. 

My email is [email protected]

If
You could take pictures of its current state that would be great. 
The little brother is probably pretty happy too (see pics)











My new idea for a band is gonnabe named El Dégas 
I got eldegas.ca 

Now to choose the type of music. Any suggestions??


----------



## Diablo

sambonee said:


> My new idea for a band is gonnabe named El Dégas
> I got eldegas.ca
> 
> Now to choose the type of music. Any suggestions??


Cover tunes


----------



## sambonee

That would do me some good. Been a long time since I've done cover tunes. I'm thinking of what type of music the name El Dégas would hint towards. Country jam/Rock, Mexicali, lonely boys meets lynard skynard?


----------



## Diablo

sambonee said:


> That would do me some good. Been a long time since I've done cover tunes. I'm thinking of what type of music the name El Dégas would hint towards. Country jam/Rock, Mexicali, lonely boys meets lynard skynard?


I personally would start with the music, then let the name follow, instead of being driven by the name.
but the name makes me think of either flamenco style or Los Lobos, whatever their music is called.


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## jayoldschool

This thread fills me with nothing but regrets. My first electric was a used El Degas that was given to me for Christmas in 1991. As happy as I was to have an electric, I hated it. It was maple neck, big headstock, and natural finish. A perfect 70s Strat copy. I lusted after vintage Strats with small headstocks and nice paintjobs (I was 18). So, I did the normal thing that we to guitars in the 90s... I completely destroyed it. I drilled out the body for a humbucker. I sanded down all the finish on the fret board. I painted the headstock white. Big surprise, I never finished the project. I still have the original pickups, tuners, and trem. Don't know where the body and neck went. Wish I had never touched it.

Looked exactly like this.


----------



## sambonee

Well the best of Both worlds. I have a sunburst maple board that I'm not inclined to keep. Original. Maple FB. 

Here are the photos. Lmk if your interested. I don't mind keeping it. Happy to sell it as well.


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## sambonee

https://picasaweb.google.com/107997206133552420777/ElDegasGuitarFamily









That Ricky Goldie Dégas is killing me. Softly with its words.....


----------



## sambonee

geckodog said:


> That is a sweet guitar. Not original paint job though. Previous owner tried to refinish it, got the paint job done and then must have given up on putting back together. It needs to be wired back up and the pickups need to be properly mounted. They are just kind of wedged in there due to the thick paint job. I haven't touched the guitar in years. I will go and see if I can dig it out of the basement.



I hate to seem impatient. This guitar has been keeping me up! also the fact that I'll be playing this fall in a two guitar act and i'd love to play the two Ricky Degas guitars. I'll have to think of a good name for the goldie.

Geckodog, LMK when you've found it. perhaps we could chat about your possibly selling it to me? :sFun_dancing:


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## thebird

Got the el degas all setup and ready to play. 

Replaced the original bridge with a GOTOH 103B and had to get a set of conversion posts for it fit properly. The fingerboard near the nut was separating a little on the bass side near the nut. It was fixed by being able to reglue it back. I shaved down the nut a little bit as the grooves were quite deep. All is good now. Added a 5 ply black pick guard. Took it to a local well know luthier and had it setup and looked over. Slapped on a set of Ernie Ball 10s and she sounds very nice and looks great!

Will replace the toggle switch at some time. The pickups sound good. No issues with the pots or anything. Controls were all cleaned up.


----------



## Kamikaze13

Hey everyone here is my recently acquired El Degas Lp Custom. Bolt on neck but nice sounding Dimarzio pickups. I have some upgrades coming at it. One thing that bothers me are the low frets that make bending a pain.







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- - - Updated - - -

Here is a pic of it now till the upgrades arrive on Thursday.







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## Guest

So .. what upgrades are you doing?
That looks like a set neck(?).


----------



## Kamikaze13

Changing the tuners to Vintage Style Klusons, installing a decent bridge and tailpiece, adding pickup covers and putting new pots and a new switch among other small cosmetic stuff like pickup mounting rings etc.Funny, it does kinda look like a set neck from that angle.


----------



## KK Paddle

I recently acquired an old El Degas electric (Made in Japan) with a sticker on the neck that says 680 BL. It has Dimarzio Pickups with coil tap and is a real decent guitar to play. I took some pics but haven't figured how to upload them to the site yet. I was wondering if anyone might have an idea what model it is? The body shape is a bit like a fish body and the headstock slightly resembles a fish tail. Any suggestions how to share the pics.


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## cheezyridr

KK Paddle said:


> Any suggestions how to share the pics.


the *easiest* way is to upload them to photobucket, Photobucket - Photo and image hosting, free photo galleries, photo editing.

copy the url for the pic, then paste it in the little box that comes up when you click on the 15th icon from the left, above the response window
i think you have to be a full member to upload them to this site, and frankly, it's doing it the hard way anyhow.


----------



## Adcandour

cheezyridr said:


> the *easiest* way is to upload them to photobucket, Photobucket - Photo and image hosting, free photo galleries, photo editing.
> 
> copy the url for the pic, then paste it in the little box that comes up when you click on the 15th icon from the left, above the response window
> i think you have to be a full member to upload them to this site, and frankly, it's doing it the hard way anyhow.


I drag n' drop homie. 

Bout as easy as cheezy. ..


----------



## jayoldschool

Since I've stumbled on this thread again... I still have all the electronics from my 70s El Degas Strat. Are the pickups worth putting in something? I don't see magnets on the bottom... are they alnico? I can take pics if needed, I found the box. Maybe I'll cut a Strat body and make an El Degas copy after I'm done with the Teles I'm working on!


----------



## KK Paddle

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="El Degas Slideshow by kevinpaddlekkpaddle"></iframe>

Any info anybody can provide about this model would be appreciated. I traded a Mexican Tele with a friend to get it. I figured I can buy a decent Tele anywhere but haven't seen an El Degas in good shape for 30 years.


----------



## avalancheMM

whitegreyblack said:


> $400 is a bit steep, but then again, you'll probably be lucky to see another of those 4001 copies again.
> 
> The one I own is the only one I've ever come across.
> 
> I'm not sure what they originally sold for (most of their bolt on guitars sold at around the $200 CAD mark with a case, but I have never seen a brochure or anything with info on the 4001 copy), but I sure know that I like mine - very solid.


 I have one - black and white, that I bought at a garage sale many years ago. Of course it is not together, and I believe I am missing some parts. One of those projects that I just haven't gotten around to working on.

Regards


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## iamthehub

In the late 80s when I started playing guitar my friend helped me buy my first guitar. At the time all I could find as starter guitars were el degas. They were about $250 back in 88 or 89. I landed up buying a used Kramer Striker 600 for $225. I guess if i could build a time machine and take me back to 1989, I would have chosen the El degas. And while I was at it, I'd buy Apple stock.... who knew. 

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


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## sambonee

if It looks like this and the wood from the neck goes through the whole body, you've got just about the best guitar El Degas ever had built! this one's mine. it'll be at the guitar show in Burlington this Sunday. it's for sale. (as is all my gear ;-) wink!!)


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## cboutilier

I was chatting with a busker the other day who was playing a lovely sounding El Degas 12 string acoustic. Very rich, bright sound


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## sambonee

They're a great joy to plan when you find the right ones. Mostly the Japanese ones are a sure bet.


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## Mr_Dreddy

jayoldschool said:


> This thread fills me with nothing but regrets. My first electric was a used El Degas that was given to me for Christmas in 1991. As happy as I was to have an electric, I hated it. It was maple neck, big headstock, and natural finish. A perfect 70s Strat copy. I lusted after vintage Strats with small headstocks and nice paintjobs (I was 18). So, I did the normal thing that we to guitars in the 90s... I completely destroyed it. I drilled out the body for a humbucker. I sanded down all the finish on the fret board. I painted the headstock white. Big surprise, I never finished the project. I still have the original pickups, tuners, and trem. Don't know where the body and neck went. Wish I had never touched it.
> 
> Looked exactly like this.








Um...something like this?


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## jayoldschool

lol, too funny. That's what I was going for. I have much better guitars... but I still wish I had that Degas.


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## MarkusV

scottomy said:


> one more try!
> 
> 
> I have exactly that one.
> Unknown pickups but they are nice IMHO. Refretted the neck with more substantial frets and upgraded the tuners and bridge.
> I love it to death. Even before the work it sustained like a Mf#$%R.
> Thick 50's neck and light on the strap. Produces harmonics like anything
> 
> Markus
> 
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> 
> Notice it's not a 1 piece body - see the stripe?


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## sambonee

@MarkusV you wrote inside the quote. Your message is hidden.


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## MarkusV

sambonee said:


> @MarkusV you wrote inside the quote. Your message is hidden.



I know ... I'm a luddite


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## MarkusV

Scottomy,

I have exactly that one.
Unknown pickups but they are nice IMHO. Refretted the neck with more substantial frets and upgraded the tuners and bridge.
I love it to death. Even before the work it sustained like a Mf#$%R.
Thick 50's neck and light on the strap. Produces harmonics like anything

Markus


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## Emmsys

Hi,

I already have a MIJ El Degas LP custom (3 HB), and there is an El degas strat copy for sale locally. It has a headstock similar to Ibanez (sharp rather than round like a Fender), it is HSS, and has a switch to make the humbucker a single coil. Looks to be in excellent shape.It also has a tremolo. It is most likely MIK and made of plywood. Anyone play or have anything similar? Are they decent guitars for strictly basement/bedroom playing (I play guitar as a hobby abd have been playing for about a year). I can get it for $120 CDN. I love my el-degas LP (with Stewmac Golden age pups) and hoping to get a super strat to tinker with for the winter. What do you think? Thanks!

Emmsys


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## biggus-dickus

For $120 I'd do it: there is enough of us vintage Japanese fans out there you could always pass it on if you don't bond with it.


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## sambonee

The fender headstock dégas Guitars are better in general. That said, the didn't ever really make junk. I've owner About 20+ dégas guitars. Never a disappointment.


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## Emmsys

Thanks for the quick replies! $120 is throw-away money so I just need to figure out how to sneak the guitar in without my wife noticing hehe. I am having a bad case of g.a.s. lately (picked up a used Epiphone Dot last week for $190 with a hard case, and a Squier Double Fat Deluxe Tele 3 months ago!). I am just looking for a decent base to learn about modding guitars. I will keep you posted on what I do. I planned on using the Dot as a modding platform but it sounds perfect as-is for me so I need another guitar to be the guinea pig!

Emmsys


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## Mr_Dreddy

So crazy story @jayoldschool . I was researching El Dégas guitars because somebody in one of my Facebook gear pages (All Buttons In, Toronto's best FB gear page) legitimately _gave _one away to get it out of his house. Nothing to write home about, one of those all black Korean Strats with even the fretboard dyed to look like ebony - pic attached. Anyway, I came across this thread in my research - and then came across the pic of the natural finish Strat just like yours (and mine).

Here's the kicker. I had NO idea what brand that good MIJ one was. I'd given up ever finding out and honestly figured it was some partscaster someone put together. If I hadn't scooped up this beater and started researching it, I never would have found out that other one is an ED. Good ol' serendipity. I honestly thought it might be yours - hatchet job done to shoehorn in a bridge humbucker and all plus cut between the singles to run wiring. Anyhooz - I just sent it to my luthier/tech buddy this morning  Getting it wired up right (I'm pretty sure pups are 70s Dimarzios) and switching up the colour scheme - I'll be posting her when she gets back for sure. I seem to be blessed with El Dégas attraction - I paid $10 for it

As for this one - no sound even though I just opened her up and everything looks okay. I'll have someone check it out. I'll see how it sounds as is - if it's not at least slightly above average and giving some good quack out the 2nd and 4th switch positions, I'm actually going to drop in a random older EMG pickguard I have (again, $10). I'm not an active guy, but I like experimenting sound wise. 

Question (sorry this became an essay) - anyone know if the Korean 3 single coil Strat bodies would be routed to fit a bridge humbucker? And if they shielded the pup cavity? Oh, and if the original pups were staggered like a true Strat? I doubt it, but I'm wondering if this may have been modded at all.

Novel done!


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## Emmsys

So I picked up the El Degas today! $120 with a gig bag too. It is in freakin’ amazing condition aside from very tiny surface scratches on the pick guard and some of the screws are old/dirty. The previous owner is a guitar guy that sets up and cleans guitars professionally so the fretboard looks absolutely brand new and the guitar itself is setup perfectly! Beside a brand new guitar, this one is a 8.9/10.

It is much heavier than my Squier Classic Vibes strat but feels incredibly solid. All of the hardware works perfectly (including the switch for single coil/HB). The tuners are much better than I thought they would be. They are solid and don’t have much of a “deadzone”. 

I only got to play it at home for about 10 minutes on my Jetcity JCM22H though. The neck single coil pickup has that Fender sparkle that we all know and love. The middle pickup is less so, but still has a nice clean sound. The HB sounds like a bridge HB but not as sparkly or bright as I hoped. In single-coil it sounds pretty good but I look forward to changing these pickups to see how a cheap guitar can sound with better pickups. 

In crunch/distortion, the neck and middle pickups are a but dark/muddy but still better than I expected. The HB has a nice crunch sound at lower gains but becomes a tad buzzy/fizzy at the highest gains (as much because of tge Jetcity as the pickup itself). Honestly, I was hoping it wouldn’t sound perfect otherwise I would need another guitar to be my winter mod project! 

As for the feel of the guitar, it plays great! No fret buzzing or cutout anywhere. It does not feel cheap at all. Best $120 I have spent! I am not sure which pickups to put on this El degas yet but will let you know soon. Really happy with how this guitar feels! Here are some pics!


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## claude13

Kamel Chenaouy said:


> Hello friends
> 
> I'm french master luthier. I was surfing on the net when I discovered people talking about El Degas. I can give you the exact history of this brand, because I lived it.
> 
> - The brand was created in Paris by my boss Gérard Charnoz (Musicologist), who was owning a guitar shop and his brother Jean-Luc Charnoz was luthier and harpsichord maker and I learned lutherie with him. That was in 1972. Because the shop was specialized in acoustic instruments and at the same looking to new products at a time Japan was starting the guitar industry. The brothers created 3 brands : EL DEGAS, D'ANGELICA, MOUNTAIN. all amde in Japan, intially for the needs of the shop. years after, the shop closed, but the brand survived. As I worked in the shop and the workshop during years, I can confirm you all this. We have sold bulks of El Degas...etc. Hope this information is usefull for you. All the best to all the members.


Hi Kamel, thanks for the history lesson on the origins of El Degas. i have a question...as an artist/ painter i've always wondered why they were called El Degas.....if they were named after the famous French artist Edgar Degas (perhaps they were not named after that Degas at all). also...there was another well known Japanese guitar label called Greco and there was a very famous painter named El Greco. maybe someone at the factory got their artists and brands mixed up?
While i'm asking questions....you mentioned a "Mountain" brand. did that name come as a tribute to the '70's band of the same name (featuring Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi and Canadian drummer extraordinaire, Corky Laing)?
I'm about to receive an ElDegas EB style bass that i won on Ebay. are these well made?


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## sambonee

THAT bass is cool. Depends on how well it’s set up and if it’s been well treated. 

Cool factor huge imo.


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## Permanent Waves

KK Paddle said:


> <iframe width="480" height="360" src="El Degas Slideshow by kevinpaddlekkpaddle"></iframe>
> 
> Any info anybody can provide about this model would be appreciated. I traded a Mexican Tele with a friend to get it. I figured I can buy a decent Tele anywhere but haven't seen an El Degas in good shape for 30 years.


I'm probably late to the game on this, but better late than never. My first guitar was an El Degas 680 identical to yours but in wood finish (still have it). The BL stands for blue, which is quite unusual (I have seen pictures of a red one as well, most were brown with a lighter stripe in the middle). They were budget instruments made in Japan in the 70's and early 80's and are excellent value for the money. I still have the receipt for mine, it was $213 brand new in Ottawa in 1981. This was one of the few original designs they had - most of the El Degas in the 70's were fairly decent copies of popular models. I think it has mahogany body and bolt-on maple neck. Good quality for the money, they came stock with DiMarzio humbuckers. There were several variations of these models with different aesthetics (up to the neck-through 980), as well as matching 686 basses. Although they are not collectors items and typically sell fairly low (around $300), they represent a much better deal than most used guitars you could buy at the same price point (IMO).

There is a forum dedicated to El Degas guitars, it has a treasure trove of information:

Matching El Degas 680 guitar and 686 bass - eldegas.com


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## sambonee

I had the neck thru bass and guitar respectively. Excellent instruments. sold my bass to Charles the owner of ElDegas.com. It’s was sweet. Bridge jazz pu was too close to the bridge tho. 
The neck on the guitar was ****** nice. Now @tomsy49 is the owner.


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## GuitarT

Had this thread on the bass guitar sub forum a few months back. 
Possible NBD


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## Dave R

whitegreyblack said:


> Anyone have any? I love them. I want to buy some more.
> 
> I currently own two El Degas basses. One's a Fender Prec clone, the other a great Ricky 4001 fireglo clone.
> 
> El Degas guitars are MIJ clones from the lawsuit era, and not a lot exist anymore; as the story goes, the factory burnt down in the late 70's/early 80's, taking a large number of guitars (being bult, and a large number that had been recalled for a pickup problem) with it.
> 
> If anyone has any for sale that are in decent shape, contact me! (I'm only interested in electris guitars & basses)
> 
> If you just want to show off, post yer pics. I'm going to be building a website with all known info on these babies sometime this year, so I'd love to see your photos!


Hi there, I have a full neck in great shape (my first guitar that’s been sitting in a hard shell case for years!). Let me know if you are interested in looking at pictures. 
Dave


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## The Felts

I have a neck through el Degas Bass. Let me know if you’re interested? Marc


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## JamJam

whitegreyblack said:


> Anyone have any? I love them. I want to buy some more.
> 
> I currently own two El Degas basses. One's a Fender Prec clone, the other a great Ricky 4001 fireglo clone.
> 
> El Degas guitars are MIJ clones from the lawsuit era, and not a lot exist anymore; as the story goes, the factory burnt down in the late 70's/early 80's, taking a large number of guitars (being bult, and a large number that had been recalled for a pickup problem) with it.
> 
> If anyone has any for sale that are in decent shape, contact me! (I'm only interested in electris guitars & basses)
> 
> If you just want to show off, post yer pics. I'm going to be building a website with all known info on these babies sometime this year, so I'd love to see your photos!


Hey, I have a '78 El Dégas in mint condition.


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## 2manyGuitars

chevy_281334 said:


> hey well u see i got a el degas eletric guitar and well tell u the truth dont know if it is a les paul or a les paul custom copy.. u see it is my step dads and well he dosnt like it and bought a brand new yamaha and well i love the guitar one thing is that i need to find a neck for it frets are wearing down and his daughter when she was youger dropped it  so its glued at the top with like fiber glass glue and well it is holding strong  i will try and get a pic of it here soon if ne one wants to try and tell me what kind of model it is.. ( its a beige and black resembeling the gibson les paul model) i think it is just a les paul model but not sure what the cusom copy looks like so i could be wrong.. mail me if i want to se a pic of it (when i get one)


I know this is a necro-thread. But after reading this one 16 year-old post from page one, I’m glad this guy only ever made one post. Holy Crap! That was tough to read!


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## Frustrated Bassist

Kamel Chenaouy is legit. His history is 100% accurate as to where and why El Degas came to exist. 
As to MIJ El Degas electrics, Fujigen had the contract from beginning to end. That brings us to the MIJ conundrum, Tiesco would sometimes farm out some component production to Fujigen to meet demand. Fujigen farmed out some wood component manufacture to Matsumoku (who began as a cabinetry manufacturer). A lot of higher end Fujigen instruments have Matsumoku made bodies and necks, probably every neck through guitar or bass Fujigen had the contract for prior to the Matsumoku factory burning down in 1987. Instrument manufacturing is just like any other high quantity manufacturing, the company that wins or gets the contract is the 'prime contractor'. They may or may not subcontract out to 'jobbers' for all or part of the item manufacture. 
I could say a bit more about MIJ El Degas instruments but I don't want people using it to ask unreasonable prices for them, so we'll leave it at that. People would start misapplying it to models it doesn't apply to on Reverb to try and inflate their price, like that 'lawsuit era' garbage.


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## Frustrated Bassist

Oops, forgot the glory shot, late 70's El Degas Pbass. If I had to choose between this and my '69 Fender P I'd probably ditch the Fender. Better pups and a solid mahogany body, so less weight with no tonal or resonance downside.


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## Frustrated Bassist

The Super Strat is an 80's MIK Samick build.


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## MetalTele79

I have the set neck version of the bass above. I think the model is the 980? I don't like the sound with the phase or coil split switches activated but otherwise the old Super Distortion pickups are killer.


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## Permanent Waves

Matching 680 guitar and 686 bass - these were the bolt-on models at the lower end of the series, with the top end being the guitar and bass above with set necks and fancy inlays.
Still very good value for the money. The guitar is the first I ever owned, and I picked up the matching bass for less than $200 about 7 years ago. This is one of the few original designs from El Degas. Headstock reminds me of Gumby.


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## wraub

One of my "Strat"s is (was) an El Degas, I think. Pretty sure only the neck and body are original, no logos or markings to definitively ID it. I did find a couple El Degas' with similar body wood and similar neck details, so that's why I think it could be one, but really can't confirm. Really nice guitar imo, definitely a beater but also a looker, and it plays great. The frets are pretty flat, those could stand getting redone, but it's so good as is I don't wat to mess with it.


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## Blamecanada312

My first guitar was a Red Les Paul copy. Loved it and still own it.


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## Frustrated Bassist

wraub said:


> One of my "Strat"s is (was) an El Degas, I think. Pretty sure only the neck and body are original, no logos or markings to definitively ID it. I did find a couple El Degas' with similar body wood and similar neck details, so that's why I think it could be one, but really can't confirm. Really nice guitar imo, definitely a beater but also a looker, and it plays great. The frets are pretty flat, those could stand getting redone, but it's so good as is I don't wat to mess with it.


No logo it would be a 'stencil brand' that used the same body and neck. Same instrument, different name and possibly different hardware and/or pickups. That is very common, especially with more popular models and many 'stencil logo' instruments used a sticker for the logo, the music school orders, chain music stores, department stores, etc.


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## wraub

Frustrated Bassist said:


> No logo it would be a 'stencil brand' that used the same body and neck. Same instrument, different name and possibly different hardware and/or pickups. That is very common, especially with more popular models and many 'stencil logo' instruments used a sticker for the logo, the music school orders, chain music stores, department stores, etc.


The one I have was refinished, I think- all original marks removed. It does look as if it may have had a peghead logo at one point, but the refin on the peghead is terrible, so inconclusive. All that looks left from original is the neck and body, unless the Grover tuners were original. Pickguard, electronics, and bridge all replaced.

I'm pretty sure it's an El Degas from tells like body construction, neck details, etc but I don't really know for sure. I do know it looks like Sen and plays and feels great. The neck is kinda amazing  but the frets are crazy low, need to get them done but, as said, it's so good I may play them flat first. It's my #1 guitar, along with my #1 bass, an 80s MIJ Squier Precision.


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## Burgrluv

I’ve got a el degas strat I’m looking to unload for the right price…


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## laristotle

Burgrluv said:


> I’ve got a el degas strat I’m looking to unload for the right price…
> 
> 
> View attachment 430445


You should've left the ElDegas logo on it.
It would've had more value.


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## Burgrluv

laristotle said:


> You should've left the ElDegas logo on it.
> It would've had more value.


Twas like this when I bought it, wasn't left much choice in the matter.


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## laristotle

Burgrluv said:


> Twas like this when I bought it, wasn't left much choice in the matter.


Too bad. Don't expect much when you put it up for sale.


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## Burgrluv

laristotle said:


> Too bad. Don't expect much when you put it up for sale.


Yes, I'm familiar with how the second hand guitar market works. Thank you for the unwarranted condescension.


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## Milkman

laristotle said:


> Too bad. Don't expect much when you put it up for sale.



At very least I would be removing or obscuring that Fender decal.


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## laristotle

Milkman said:


> At very least I would be removing or obscuring that Fender decal.


And replace it with an ElDegas one. Return it to a stock look.


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## Burgrluv

laristotle said:


> And replace it with an ElDegas one. Return it to a stock look.


Look, it's not like I've thrown it up on Kijiji with no context. OP is an adult who I think can decided whether or not he wishes to purchase an El Degas with a Fender decal. I unfortunately do not have the know-how to comfortably do it myself, if the purchaser wishes to do I think that would be a great call.


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## Frenchy

Looks like mine !


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## wraub

laristotle said:


> And replace it with an ElDegas one. Return it to a stock look.


Where would one get such a thing? Custom maker?

Asking for a guitar.


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## Frenchy

wraub said:


> Where would one get such a thing? Custom maker?
> 
> Asking for a guitar.


You can print them. They sell the printable decal paper in stores. I made some in the past that were black. One guy in Ottawa printed some gold ones years ago, I bought the last one he made.

My El Degas needing a logo:










Logos I printed for guitars I refinished:


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## laristotle

I printed this for my project


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