El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

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iamnotcody
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El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by iamnotcody »

Hey everyone, found an El Degas on my local classifieds and I contacted the poster about it.
All he know's is that it's an El Degas he bought thirty years ago. He "says" it's made in japan. I asked him if there was anything indicating on the guitar that it was. Here's an exact quote. "on the back of the neck there is a tiny sticker that says made in japan with a W and some numbers i can't read"
He also said it didn't say what model the guitar was as apparently it didn't say. Figured any of you would be able to tell me?

He has it for sale $250 <-- wondering if thats a good price. Here's a picture.

Image
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shakin
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by shakin »

Looks like an Ibanez Artist copy, all the ones I've seen have been made in Japan (Should have something on the neckplate to identify origin, if nothing probably Korean)
Value is a bit tricky, you will determine it by how much you're prepared to pay.
Australian by birth, Newfoundlander by choice.
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charles
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by charles »

There have been several of those posted on the site - I have personally owned two different models of this style. They have always been MIJ models from what I could tell. We have usually just called them Ibanez Artist copies (sometimes you find people calling them Alembic copies because they are slightly reminiscent to an Alembic). It's this guitar style that really makes some people (including me) believe that at least one style of El Degas may have been made by Fuji Gen Gakki (manufacturer of Ibanez).

You might actually have a really good score here.... there are both bolt-on neck models of this style, and set-neck and neck-thru models.
The bolt-on's usually have dot inlays on the neck; usually the set-neck / neck-thru models have the half-circle inlays - and, generally speaking, better fit & finish.

Find out whether it is a set-neck or neck-thru model - if so, $250 is a really great price. If it's a bolt on, $250's still a pretty good price!

Here's mine (neck-thru):
Image
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 :shock: (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
iamnotcody
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Location: Kitchener, Ontario

Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by iamnotcody »

Well the guy said it's a bolt-on neck. I prefer bolt on necks because if I snap the headstock or screw up the neck I can always replace it if it isn't fixable.
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charles
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by charles »

$250 is still a decent price, let the haggling begin!
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 :shock: (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
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Barry
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by Barry »

Almost certainly MIJ; the brass knobs and that bridge signal at least that much.
Probably not a Matsumoku since they usually (but not always) referenced "Made in Japan" or "Steel Reinforced Neck" or something similar on the neck plate. Fuji Gen or possibly Hoshino might be the likely culprits.
iamnotcody
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by iamnotcody »

Couldn't get the cash in time, someone else is buying it now. I HATE people who are like "Oh sure I'll be there to buy your shit" and don't show up.
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charles
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by charles »

Bummer! :(
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 :shock: (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
bkummenadad
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by bkummenadad »

I have that guitar! purchased new in January, 1983 with a warranty card, labelled as model 880 (i didnt find any serial number. it has a brass nut, dual humbucking dimarzio pickups, and identical electronics to your photo. I've been searching for info on this model but couldnt find anything. I'd be grateful if anyone could post more information or links for it
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charles
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Re: El Degas Electric, Unknown type, raises questions.

Post by charles »

bkummenadad wrote: Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:21 pm I have that guitar! purchased new in January, 1983 with a warranty card, labelled as model 880 (i didnt find any serial number. it has a brass nut, dual humbucking dimarzio pickups, and identical electronics to your photo. I've been searching for info on this model but couldnt find anything. I'd be grateful if anyone could post more information or links for it
You can look around the site and possibly find a few other threads with this style of guitar.

I think in the years since this thread, some of us have started referring to these as a Greco copy since it appears at some point Greco was the first to use this body style & configuration.

I still have only seen MIJ models, and as I posted years ago (above) there are bolt on, set neck, and neck-thru versions of both 6-string and basses. I still own a neck-thru 6-string guitar that sadly has been long since neglected and is sitting without pickups installed on it :cry: but also both a set-neck and neck-thru bass version which both get a fair amount of play!
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 :shock: (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
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