Product: El-Degas 303
Price Paid: US $60-70
Submitted
05/28/2005
at
09:27pm
by
norb
Features
:
No Opinion
I bought this in a guitar shop in New York City in the late 70's. I wanted an inexpensive guitar that had a narrow neck so I could practice for an electric. I paid 60 or 70 dollars but when I got it home to Oregon the end of soundbox had been smashed in. I took it to a local luthier that was had made guitars for Leo Kotke. He did a superb fix. You can still see where it was broken but hardly. I don't know if he did more but today this guitar sounds great. A folksinger friend of mine hauled it out of the coffin last year, tuned it up, and asked me if this was the same guitar that he had played years before. He couldn't believe how much the sound had improved. It is a copy of an old Gibson(I think) Dreadnaught. 20 frets overall with 14 above the body. Solid spruce top with laminated rosewood sides and bottom, Gotoh tuners and exquisite mother of pearl inlays on the fretboard and headstock and saddle. Two inlays on the back. This guitar is fancy and beautiful.
Sound
:
No Opinion
Very sweet sounding with a balanced tone. Easy to play with the thin neck and great action.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
No Opinion
Only flaw was the original "bash". Very stable...haven't had to adjust the action and it is still great.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
It has lasted for 25 plus years being owned by me...enough said...very durable...was a beach guitar in the past. No more though, it is too nice.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Company probably doesn't exist. Japanese make.
Overall Rating
:
10
I played a lot of folk and folk-rock and now play Brazilian. This is not suitable really for jazz so I don't play it much unless I am at a folk gathering or just fooling around. I play my Gitane "D-hole" a lot more because it sounds wonderful for Brazilian, but this guitar is better for folk.
