Korean El Degas Stratocaster (1990s?)

[CorpClegg]

I have a nearly identical guitar (as the one shown in http://www.eldegas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=655) except mine is black. Similar to yours, the finish covers everything except the fretboard which was painted, stained, dyed, whatever black as well.

I'm not too sure about this 80s thing, I think they were made later. I purchased mine brand new in the Fall of 1994 for $299 CAN (at the time CAN = 0.74 USD). It was ordered through my musical instructor at my local Ontario Conservatory of Music school in Orangeville, Ontario.

Are they good guitars? Well, my best friend who I was taking lessons with bought a guitar at the same time from a music store. It was a Barracuda, and it was $279. That was the going price for Korean strat copies at the time. Honestly I'd say the El Degas was noticeably better, but it is no where near the quality of a MiM from the same time period.

However, I still have the guitar because a) it was my first guitar, and b) it's still fun to play. The stock electronics were pretty much junk. But the rest of the guitar has held up pretty good. I never play it plugged in. It sits on a stand in my TV room and I pick it up and jam when I'm sitting around or waiting, or whatever. It holds it's tune perfectly with stock tuners. It sounds great acoustically and is fun to play for just messing around.

However when I want to practice properly, I always go to my 98 MiM strat that has everything upgraded except the stock neck and body.

*EDIT* Here are some pics of the guitar for reference. *EDIT*




And here are the high res versions so I don't bloat the thread. Click the photo at ImageShack to get the high-rez.
http://imageshack.us/f/209/mikeldegasstrat0.jpg
http://imageshack.us/f/204/mikeldegasstrat1.jpg
http://imageshack.us/f/40/mikeldegasstrat2.jpg
http://imageshack.us/f/32/mikeldegasstrat3.jpg

[charles]

I'm not a big fan of the MIK Strats, but others have had much better luck with them than I have.

[CorpClegg]

Charles,

I've noticed the generally accepted idea is that these MIK guitars ceased production in the late 80s. I can guarantee you that the guitar I own was purchased brand new, not used. Besides the MADE IN KOREA sticker on it with serial number, there is nothing to identify year of manufacture. *EDIT* I was mistaken, it's not the serial number, is a model number perhaps? EDG-13 *EDIT*

I can't believe this low-end of a guitar would sit around as NOS for 5+ years then be sold by Ontario Conservatory. It wouldn't be worth the storage costs.

I'm curious when the brand truly did die...

[charles]

We've only been able to go off of the best available info we could find. Nothing is set in stone when it comes to El Degas. This is literally the first time I can recall that someone has said they were able to buy an El Degas new in the 90's.

I've split this off into a new topic (with a link back to the other MIK Strat thread for the reference in your initial post) because I think it is an important conversation worthy of its own thread.

[Barry]

Interesting if true!
I've never heard of it either.
My first instinct is that it would be more likely to be New Old Stock than newly manufactured. That said there was (and still is) lots of Korean activity in the early 90's. So it's possible that the ED brand continued there...but I have my doubts. I think it would simply have been too expensive given the known locations where ED ended up being made.

[brandon]

Just to support what CorpClegg started out saying, I as well have an El Degas (same style) purchased from a Royal Ontario Conservatory of Music in the 90's. I'm tempted to say the purchase was 1992, but it's also possible that it was 1993. I recall the ROCM having a "showroom" of guitars and there easily had to be 50 El Degas guitars. Given the ROCM building only had 6 or 7 lesson rooms (and no knowledge as to who ROCMs operate in terms of a parent organization), I would guess they got a good deal and carried substantial inventory....explaining why these things were still available in the mid 90's.

As for where mine was made, I have no clue. Playing is only a hobby for me, so having actively played mine for 20 years and although no repairs have been necessary, she's got many bumps and bruises.

[CorpClegg]

I've added some photos for reference in the first post. I also added that my local ROCM location was in Orangeville, Ontario. Unlike Brandon's school, it was a smaller studio with no retail showroom. The guitar was ordered through the Conservatory and shipped from stock stored somewhere.

[shakin]

I've had this Strat for a while, always thought it to be late 80's MIK.
Note the subtle differences:
-rounded fretboard end
-"metal" style headstock compared to late 60's Teisco/Kawai style

Mine has almost stainlike paint job on the body (grain is visible) with the more glossy, solid effect on the headstock. The neck and reverse of headstock are a clear finish.

Really poses more questions that it answers regarding timelines and manufacturers, but good to see the instruments side by side.

[Herby66]

I have just bought one like this last one. According to the El Degas guy, it was Korean '80s.