My Unknown Candy Red Fancy Spec El Degas Strat (981MP)

[iamnotcody]

So, I just scored this for $250 CAD today. All original more or less, original case. Thing is in great shape. Plays phenomenally, it honestly rivals some American made strats I've played. Sounds pretty good to be honest. I tried looking up any info on them and came across a near ten year old post on here I made long ago on another cheapo version I bought when I was a teenager. Totally forgot this forum existed

This definitely looks like one of the fancier tier strats. Gold hardware, color matched head stock, and this gorgeous case as well. Anyone know ANY info on these? Like... Anything? Obviously made in Japan. Before they started to get bleh, look and sound like crap. Love this thing...Wonder if it was made in 1981 due to the above sticker. 9th month in 81 ya think? Who knows.

Stays in tune even when using the whammy bar who would have guessed! Original tuners!

[Barry]

Well hello there! Thought we'd all gone fishing did you?
Sorry that your post kinda got lost in here, no disrespect intended.

That said, I'm not going to be of much help.
She's a beauty but because el Degas was a small run white label brand it could have been made by any one of several superb builders of the day, on demand, we just don't have a lot info on any of the models.

As for the label I seriously doubt it is a serial number. More likely an internal inventory or model number, doesn't make sense to have it on paper sticker does it?

It's frustrating, but know that you have a superb build and enjoy the heck out of it!

[charles]

Great price on that one.

The 918MB (looks like some water attacked the B and turned it almost into a P) sticker is the model number. You don't see those stickers surviving on a ton of these ED's (I assume most new owners scratched it off as soon as they brought the guitar home) but I've seen them around occasionally and they always denote a model/color. Not sure what they intended MB to mean in terms of the color but that's what the suffix usually denotes.

I have the matching candy red P-bass model, by the way! Got it in the early/mid 2000's when I could buy easily ED P-basses for $150CAD shipped to my door (!) and converted it to a fretless using blood wood veneers.

[charles]

I've always wondered whether the model number sticker was something the factory added on their own, the importer (B&J Music of NYC) added for their own purposes, or maybe even a major music retailer added to them so they'd be able to better do inventory control... who knows.

I'd guess B&J would have likely come up with the model number scheme with the factory doing the manufacturing, but the music retailer adding it is just wacky enough to also have a non-zero chance of being the correct answer

[iamnotcody]

Well hello there! Thought we'd all gone fishing did you?
Sorry that your post kinda got lost in here, no disrespect intended.

That said, I'm not going to be of much help.
She's a beauty but because el Degas was a small run white label brand it could have been made by any one of several superb builders of the day, on demand, we just don't have a lot info on any of the models.

As for the label I seriously doubt it is a serial number. More likely an internal inventory or model number, doesn't make sense to have it on paper sticker does it?

It's frustrating, but know that you have a superb build and enjoy the heck out of it!

Just needs a setup and I'd say it would play even better than it currently does. I put it up against my 95 Mexican strat and it definitely needs the action lowered a little. Otherwise I have no complaints.

Great price on that one.

The 918MB (looks like some water attacked the B and turned it almost into a P) sticker is the model number. You don't see those stickers surviving on a ton of these ED's (I assume most new owners scratched it off as soon as they brought the guitar home) but I've seen them around occasionally and they always denote a model/color. Not sure what they intended MB to mean in terms of the color but that's what the suffix usually denotes.

I have the matching candy red P-bass model, by the way! Got it in the early/mid 2000's when I could buy easily ED P-basses for $150CAD shipped to my door (!) and converted it to a fretless using blood wood veneers.

Well now I gotta check your profile real quick and see if you posted about it! I haven't used forums in probably ten years or so, posting here definitely brings me back to before Facebook got so popular.
I've tried fretless before! Could never get used to it haha.

[charles]

Not sure if I ever really documented what I did to the bass here on the forum. If you are really curious I can take some photos and make a thread

[iamnotcody]

Not sure if I ever really documented what I did to the bass here on the forum. If you are really curious I can take some photos and make a thread

Doesn't hurt! It'll be the most activity on this forum in years