micheldegas wrote:...Is the model # on the black MIK "no name" can be linked to a brand?
Bonjour Michel. That looks to me like an inventory sticker of some kind. I don't think it is a manufacturer's label. The guitar might be an El Degas with the logo removed, but it's hard to tell from this picture.
Surprisingly that black one is lifting among friends more interest as player than the much nicer Univox.
Yes, that is surprising! Univox was made by the famous Matsumoku factory and should be an excellent quality guitar.
How should I proceed to give you access to the rest of pics in albums?
You can continue posting as you did with these, or set up a slide show album on Photbucket with a link here.
I am not familiar with Photobucket or any of this type of thing in fact.
I just notice that two pics are gone!!!! But I just understand that could be the result of moving pics from a sub-album to another one as I did while trying to learn how this works.
So here is the link to see all pics of the Univox with all pics of the MIK black "No name" LP on the same sub-album :
micheldegas wrote:...I just notice that two pics are gone!!!! But I just understand that could be the result of moving pics from a sub-album to another one as I did while trying to learn how this works....
Yes, that's right. If you click on the EDIT button in that post you can either correct the links or delete them.
So here is the link...I hope this will work???
Yup, that works!
Those fancy machine covers look very familiar but I can't recall where I've seen them before. If it's an El Degas I'm sure Charles will know, otherwise I'm almost tempted to say Aria-Matsumoku?? (Frenchy, if you're reading this, do you know? )
I'm also puzzled by those white spacers(?) in the control cavities. I've not seen that before and I'm wondering if the original cover plates were replaced and the the new ones were thinner?
I really like the Univox. If you haven't discovered their information site yet you might find it of interest to you: http://www.univox.org
In my opinion, not an "El Degas" as that's really just the white-label put on for the instruments imported by B&J / Kaman (Barry and I have had good conversations on this topic in other threads); most likely sort of a third-cousin-twice-removed because it may be made in the same factory & manner as some El Degas instruments.
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)
charles wrote:In my opinion, not an "El Degas" as that's really just the white-label put on for the instruments imported by B&J / Kaman ...
I only meant that if it had started life originally with an El Degas logo that you might have been familiar with that style of machine cover and could confirm that it was once an "el Degas" guitar. I know ED is only a 'white label'.
Barry wrote:I only meant that if it had started life originally with an El Degas logo that you might have been familiar with that style of machine cover and could confirm that it was once an "el Degas" guitar.
I've never seen machine head covers like that on an El Degas - but on these sorts of instruments it's always hard to say whether it is stock or has undergone some modifications; and just exactly what "stock" even is
Barry wrote:I know ED is only a 'white label'.
No worries - I definitely know that you are aware of the white label thing after the good talks we've had about it - this was more for the OP's benefit.
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)
charles wrote:...I've never seen machine head covers like that on an El Degas...No worries - I definitely know that you are aware of the white label thing after the good talks we've had about it...
Kewl. Well, if we both haven't seen it on an El Degas then perhaps my gut feeling about Aria may be right.
I hope Frenchy jumps in on this. The guy's got Japanese guitars up to the rafter and he's still collecting!! If anyone I know can Identify these machines it's him.
Oh, Frenchy...
The back covers of those and the ED are not interchangeable. Not of same size, exact form and thickness.
The Univox's pickguard does not fit on the ED (but close) and on the black MIK (way off).
I bought a genuine Gibson cream PG for the ED but it does not fit on it, neither on the others.
The cream shade of Gibson is also quite different than the Univox's PG which is more yellowish. It is closer to the Univox's PUs & rings but not exactly the same.
I always thought that the PUs & rings on the Univox were not original, probably replaced at one time of it's life as it is often the case on low priced instrument.
But since I discovered that the recess of the control cavities was shimmed with cardboard pieces by a previous owner because of thinner covers, I wonder if it is all the other trimmings (PG, knobs, switch ring, toggle tip and covers) that are not in fact original!!! But yet the binding is of this shade?????
Hope this will help on the investigation!
And please don't ask me to dismantle these guitars for more clues. I am not enough familiar and competent to put them back in good working order as they are presently.
I find that today's replacement parts, particularily plastic parts such as pickup rings, pickguards, etc... rarely fit properly on these 70's and 80s copies. And as you have found, parts between the different manufacturers of the time may not interchange - they all kind of "did their own thing" . Just the way it is.
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)
micheldegas wrote:...I bought a genuine Gibson cream PG for the ED but it does not fit on it, neither on the others...
That may be because most of the Japanese guitars of that era were based on metric measurement. I run into this all the time when trying to match screw threads on MIJ 80's vintage instruments. A typical difference is the thread on the tremolo bars which is larger than the American standard.
The cream shade of Gibson is also quite different than the Univox's PG which is more yellowish...
Likely just the plastic getting yellow with age. Not too much you can do about that.
...And please don't ask me to dismantle these guitars for more clues. I am not enough familiar and competent to put them back in good working order as they are presently...
OK Michel, don't panic!
I don't think you would find too many clues anyway. There might be some information on the back of the pickups but that still would not tell us where the guitar was made. There could also be some markings in the cavities but there's no guarantee of that either. So don't worry about it!
The Univox looks to be completly stock... The cardboard is quite frequent in both Japan and Korean models...Have the same on several models... They always adjust the back plates to be flush with the wood... Different orders of pickguard material and different thickness...
As for the other LP, the tuner covers do not rign a bell... The tuners themselves are reg offerings, the covers quite unique and a nice touch...
Was wondering what is writen on the truss rod cover? To small on the picture to read, could you tell us Michel?
)
(13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
. Just the way it is.
