[whitegreyblack]

Anyone have any? I love them. I want to buy some more.

I currently own two El Degas basses. One's a Fender Prec clone, the other a great Ricky 4001 fireglo clone.

El Degas guitars are MIJ clones from the lawsuit era, and not a lot exist anymore; as the story goes, the factory burnt down in the late 70's/early 80's, taking a large number of guitars (being bult, and a large number that had been recalled for a pickup problem) with it.

If anyone has any for sale that are in decent shape, contact me! (I'm only interested in electris guitars & basses)

If you just want to show off, post yer pics. I'm going to be building a website with all known info on these babies sometime this year, so I'd love to see your photos!

 

[Accept2]

Factory burned down? Werent they made by Fuji Gen Gakki?.............

 

[GuitarsCanada]

Yes, they were produced in Japan.

 

[whitegreyblack]

Factory burned down? Werent they made by Fuji Gen Gakki?.............

Most of the info on the company is sketchy, but that's what I've been told (both on the burnt-down factory and the Fuji Gen Gakki connection)...

 

[Accept2]

Alot of their designs were identical to those that other FGG names were producing, like Grecko and Ibanez.........

 

[GuitarsCanada]

A dude on Kiijiji out of Toronto has one listed.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAd-W0QQAdIdZ2401745

 

[Hammertone]

Most of the info on the company is sketchy, but that's what I've been told (both on the burnt-down factory and the Fuji Gen Gakki connection)...

Maybe you're thinking of the Japanese Matsumoku factory, where all sorts of stuff was built. Go here for lots more:

http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html

- Hammertone

 

[Xanadu]

my friend has an old el degas acoustic. Its pure shite.

 

[J S Moore]

I started out with a white El Degas LP copy. Bolt on neck, action so high you needed a hammer to play it. I don't regret selling it after I got my Gibson.

 

[Mikey]

My friend/guitar mentor just sold his El Degas ES 175 clone. It was NICE. I'm sure some of their models were good and some weren't but I've seen both his ES175 and another local player's ES335 clone and they were great guitars.

 

[sesroh]

there was a guy selling a rickenbacker 4001 el degas copy a little while ago i was interested in. i dont really trust copies though so i never bought it. maybe id buy one if it was less than $400.

 

[whitegreyblack]

$400 is a bit steep, but then again, you'll probably be lucky to see another of those 4001 copies again.

The one I own is the only one I've ever come across.

I'm not sure what they originally sold for (most of their bolt on guitars sold at around the $200 CAD mark with a case, but I have never seen a brochure or anything with info on the 4001 copy), but I sure know that I like mine - very solid.

 

[Wild Bill]

All the same, only different!

I still have my 1972 Degas acoustic, which is a copy of a Martin D28. I also had a Degas D18 copy which I still regret having sold.

I was working in a music store when I bought them and at that time an El Degas guitar was NOT cheap! My D28 clone cost me $550, at a time when a gallon of gas was 30 cents and a pack of smokes was a quarter. And that was the store's cost and not the resale price!

Beautiful worksmanship and a great sound!

A few years later something changed and the Degas models became just cheap crap. I don't know any of the business history that might explain it. I just know that I lost all interest in buying any newer models.

I just know the only way my Degas will be sold will be in an estate sale when I go...

 

[whitegreyblack]

Yeah, I've seen quite a cross-section of El Degas guits - some very nice (almost bang-on) set neck and through neck replicas, and lots and lots of low priced bolt ons. I have no problem with either of those - some are great players, some are dogs; same as any make out there.

I've never seen too much on the acoustics, but when they are emulating $1000+ Martins, Gibby's, etc. I'm not surprised by the $500 price tag.

Get your widow to give me a call about that Acoustic when you kick off...

 

[sesroh]

yeah id like to come across the 4001 model again. i would definately buy it if it was under 350 or 400 depending on condition

 

[elindso]

I have a bass from the 70's bolt neck copy of an older Alembic sort of.

It has a fake neck through body look and on split P bass DiMarzio.

It plays well has a nice neck and works fine. I cost $175 new back in 78 I think. There ws a real neck through model at $225. It didn't feel any different so I went with the cheaper of the 2.

BTW
I think that EL Degas and Degas are not the same line.

 

[XIII]

$400 is a bit steep, but then again, you'll probably be lucky to see another of those 4001 copies again.

The one I own is the only one I've ever come across.

I'm not sure what they originally sold for (most of their bolt on guitars sold at around the $200 CAD mark with a case, but I have never seen a brochure or anything with info on the 4001 copy), but I sure know that I like mine - very solid.

I have owned two, one a bolt on, the other a neck through. The bolt on I sold for around $175 about three years ago. The neck through went for $425 about 5-6 years ago. Sure wish I still had the neck through.Also had a 325 6 string copy, complete with a real Rick truss rod cover. The only way you could tell that baby from the real thing without getting into the guts was the fact that the headstock was on more of an angle in relation to the neck than a real one.The neck through Les Paul Custom copies were pretty amazing too.

 

[keefsdad]

There's a Strat copy on Craigslist.

 

[hoser]

I used to have a black el degas LP custom copy. bolt on neck but played well and sounded good.
I sold it for a 100 bucks.

 

[chevy_281334]

hey well u see i got a el degas eletric guitar and well tell u the truth dont know if it is a les paul or a les paul custom copy.. u see it is my step dads and well he dosnt like it and bought a brand new yamaha and well i love the guitar one thing is that i need to find a neck for it frets are wearing down and his daughter when she was youger dropped it so its glued at the top with like fiber glass glue and well it is holding strong i will try and get a pic of it here soon if ne one wants to try and tell me what kind of model it is.. ( its a beige and black resembeling the gibson les paul model) i think it is just a les paul model but not sure what the cusom copy looks like so i could be wrong.. mail me if i want to se a pic of it (when i get one)