Hi all. Glad I found this forum... I picked up a mint El Degas Les Paul copy and have been trying to find out more info... looks to be late 70's/early 80's from what I have read and heard. The neck plays just like butter - so smooth and the action is perfect. All "tarnished" brass hardware including a brass nut... has the most ridiculous sustain I have ever heard. I'm sure part of that is the brass nut and also partly the Dimarzio PAF and Super Distortions that appear to be in my guitar (will check when I do a string change)...it has a pickup selector switch down by the volume and tone pots. Hitting that switch in the bridge position is like heaven - the guitar really comes to life and just screams!!! The bolt-on neck plate says Made in Japan - the truss rod cover has 2 screws (I have read that truss rod covers with 3 screws are made in Korea or elsewhere). A couple of small dings on the guitar but other than that is perfect. Binding shows no wear and the frets look like the guitar was barely ever used. And it's heavy as hell too - close to 11lbs which I'm guessing is partly due to the brass. Doesn't bother me though - I am one happy guy!!! Playing thru my Marshall JCM900 and Mesa Mini Rectifier in my 4x12 is surreal - just incredible!!!
Hoping someone can shed some light on when this guitar was built... I'm assuming the Matsumoku plant with Ibanez, Burny, Tokai and a slew of other guitars that were made at that plant... would love any info you can share on my new found love!!!
That is a 70's MIJ model, with stock Dimarzios and mini-toggle which, if I recall correctly, is a coil splitter. The mini-toggle and Dimarzios came stock.
The Super Distortion/PAF combo is my absolute favorite combo on the Les Pauls.
We have long believed a Matsumoku connection on these, but we can't prove it. All we can do is love these guitars
I started ElDegas.com many years ago to help celebrate and inform about El Degas instruments. It all started with a used Ric 4000 bass copy I bought in circa 2000.
El Degas stable as of 03/2022: 42 (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
That is a 70's MIJ model, with stock Dimarzios and mini-toggle which, if I recall correctly, is a coil splitter. The mini-toggle and Dimarzios came stock.
The Super Distortion/PAF combo is my absolute favorite combo on the Les Pauls.
We have long believed a Matsumoku connection on these, but we can't prove it. All we can do is love these guitars
Awesome thanks Charles. Yeah everything looks stock to me on it but the brass nut thing is intriguing. Any history whether or not they would have supplied these with brass or bone nuts??? Can't imagine but you never know. With the min-toggle, there is a definite difference in the tone when you go from one to the other. The sustain totally changes when you hit the switch, so I can only assume the SD/PAF are coil split.
The gentleman I bought it from just started collecting guitars over the past year and this was one he had. I told him some of them are junk and some were gems. As soon as I took it out of the original case and picked it up, I knew it was one of those gems. He said "It's one of those gems you told me about right?" I was very honest and said 100% yes. I gave him the money before he changed his mind!!! He was a very straight-up guy and liked the fact that he was giving it to someone who is going to treat it with care but also play it!!!
Honestly, my '96 MIK Epi is fantastic as well but my El Degas is superior in every way. Plays as nice as anything that I have played to date. I am heading into the studio this weekend to record with it - can't wait!!!
I've seen brass nuts on a number of ED's, but it's not always clear whether they came stock or were an upgrade. A lot of the bolt on models had plastic nuts from the factory.
I started ElDegas.com many years ago to help celebrate and inform about El Degas instruments. It all started with a used Ric 4000 bass copy I bought in circa 2000.
El Degas stable as of 03/2022: 42 (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
Beautiful LP Geoff.
No doubt the brass nut adds to the sustain. They were very commonly found on MIJ instruments of the 70's and 80's, and semi-standard on many Matsumoku's.
Speaking with Tom Presley, the head designer for Westone (Matsumoku's "house brand") back in the day, he remarked that they used brass mostly because it was convenient to their production at the time. It wasn't necessarily a design requirement, but it did have obvious tonal benefits...assuming you like a brighter sound and more sustain.
I think though, the bulk of the sustain comes from its sheer body mass. 11 lbs is a hefty chunk of lumber!
Barry wrote:Beautiful LP Geoff.
No doubt the brass nut adds to the sustain. They were very commonly found on MIJ instruments of the 70's and 80's, and semi-standard on many Matsumoku's.
Speaking with Tom Presley, the head designer for Westone (Matsumoku's "house brand") back in the day, he remarked that they used brass mostly because it was convenient to their production at the time. It wasn't necessarily a design requirement, but it did have obvious tonal benefits...assuming you like a brighter sound and more sustain.
I think though, the bulk of the sustain comes from its sheer body mass. 11 lbs is a hefty chunk of lumber!
LOL - yeah Barry - it's got some serious weight to it!! Interesting that "brass" was convenient for them back then... I do hear a little more brightness from the guitar but I have adjusted the settings to accommodate it. The sustain is absolutely crazy on the guitar - unreal actually.
You seem to have one or two guitars!!! I see you like Westone and Vintage Brand guitars - I bought a brand new Westone Raider 1 and my buddy bought a Pantera bass way back in the 80's when they first came out. It was my first real "heavy metal" guitar - I have no idea what I did with it but I sure wish I had it today. That and my original Tokai distortion pedal bought at the same time... I have a gorgeous Vintage V100 Iced Tea LP copy that is amazing as well...
stilllifer wrote:...You seem to have one or two guitars!!!
Yup!
About half my "collection" is Matsumoku made instruments with a slight preference for the Westones. The Raider isn't my personal cup of tea but there are boys on the Westone Forum who'd sell their ancient Norwegian grandmother for one. The Panteras are outstanding guitars and seem to be surfacing all over the place lately for reasons unknown. Was a time when you couldn't find them.
The Vintage line has turned out some surprisingly good instruments at reasonable prices. I just love my Lemon Drop, and the other two ain't none too shabby neither! Can't compete with the quality, fit, and finish of a Mats or even a lot of these old eD's but keepers nonetheless.
I started ElDegas.com many years ago to help celebrate and inform about El Degas instruments. It all started with a used Ric 4000 bass copy I bought in circa 2000.
El Degas stable as of 03/2022: 42 (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)