Did we know about this Guild clone?
- Thread starter GGJaguar
- Start date
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Cool! No, that brand was not in my collection of pictures/info yet!
El Dégas was distributed by Buegeleisen & Jacobson in New York and Toronto (as visible in the lower right corner on the label), so a lot were available in Canada.
www.musicskanner.com
Made in Japan in the 70s (originally by Hoshino) and later in Korea and Romania.
Also they used that headstock veneer design, I guess that was later on:
There is even an El Dégas forum!
Ralf
El Dégas was distributed by Buegeleisen & Jacobson in New York and Toronto (as visible in the lower right corner on the label), so a lot were available in Canada.
El Degas Guitars - The Forgotten Samurais
Check out these guitars, and learn the story of a brand that had a real chance to reach the stars, but instead faded away.
www.musicskanner.com
Made in Japan in the 70s (originally by Hoshino) and later in Korea and Romania.
Also they used that headstock veneer design, I guess that was later on:
There is even an El Dégas forum!
Ralf
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GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Also made by the Kasuga Musical Instruments Co. in Nagoya, Japan.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
GL 35:
Ralf
Ralf
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Very cool. I've actually had few El Degas Martin and Gibson copies over the years, go figure the Guild ones weren't as common. as neither were Guilds ;]
Canard
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I had an El Degas 12 string in the 1970s. It was more Gibson looking than Guildish. It was set up reasonably well off the rack, and thus it was easy to play and it intoned well. But it had sort of a muffled cardboard box voice if I remember correctly.
I traded it in on an Emperador Les Paul clone with a bolt on neck. The Emperador was a wonderful guitar (especially at the price). Sadly I traded it for a Peavey amp.
I traded it in on an Emperador Les Paul clone with a bolt on neck. The Emperador was a wonderful guitar (especially at the price). Sadly I traded it for a Peavey amp.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
I have a couple vintage Japan dreads in my stable, and man are they both really growing on me.
Good tone, one - Guild copy - is brighter than my D35, and one - Martin copy - has much bigger bass. I'm realizing that the tonal difference come from the different woods used. If I did a recorded tonal comparison, anyone would agree they hold up really well to an vintage American made guitar.
Good tone, one - Guild copy - is brighter than my D35, and one - Martin copy - has much bigger bass. I'm realizing that the tonal difference come from the different woods used. If I did a recorded tonal comparison, anyone would agree they hold up really well to an vintage American made guitar.
fronobulax
Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
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Excellent! We need to make a sticky with all the look-alikes. I can't keep up with them.
It was locked because it really needs to be archival and veers, in the opinion of one Moderator, are not to be allowed there. @SFIV1967 was willing to accept that and I was prepared to open it when he wanted to edit or add. If I unlock that and leave it unlocked I will be aggressive in keeping it clean and that means using features like short term bans or Warnings.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Don't unlock it yet, I hope I find some time in the future to sort this all out. I have collected info for about 28 such brand names already ...and with GGs help that list of brands seems to grow...
Ralf
adorshki
Reverential Member
Laminated top, by chance, if you can recall?
Not that I think that automatically makes it "bad", but just realized that a 12-string may be a good candidate for one since the laminated top would resist warping/deformation better than a solid top.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
One of my Japan dreads is lam top, and the other is not. The lam top sounds really good actually, and the wood visible underneath is of suprising good tonewood quality, it's Spruce. To the trained eye, no need to look at the edge of a soundhole to determine it's lam or not, it can even be misleading if well done.
Look at the top from a bit of a distance, you'll see ripples in the top from side to side in places, where the top layer has a visible imprint of the layer underneath it showing. Especially visible after years of drying, shrinking and settling.
On a solid top, the pull of the braces will be more obvious, with none of the lateral striations/rippling from the cross grained layer beneath.
Matsumoku, at one time a subsidiary of Singer Sewing Machine, had extensive cabinetry experience, as well as impressive wood drying facilities.
Realistically, it's much simpler making guitars from solid woods.
Look at the top from a bit of a distance, you'll see ripples in the top from side to side in places, where the top layer has a visible imprint of the layer underneath it showing. Especially visible after years of drying, shrinking and settling.
On a solid top, the pull of the braces will be more obvious, with none of the lateral striations/rippling from the cross grained layer beneath.
Matsumoku, at one time a subsidiary of Singer Sewing Machine, had extensive cabinetry experience, as well as impressive wood drying facilities.
Realistically, it's much simpler making guitars from solid woods.
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wileypickett
Enlightened Member
And one more - Model GL-32.
That saddle is SO wrong!
Canard
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I do not recall. Hey .. as they do say about the 60s and 70s, if you can remember them clearly, you probably weren't there.
Here are two instances of my old 12 at ... wait for it ... an El Degas fan site: