El-Degas F-308

I bought my acoustic jumbo el degas brand new around 1971 or 1972. It is solid top and has 20 frets. It has 8 pearl crown shaped inlays, the El Degas name and crown on the top with gold plated tuning keys and hardware. The pick guard is black with an ivy type of design on it starting at the bottom going to the top with 4 open orange traced flower blossoms, yellow in the center and silver background behind the orange tracing. The large body and neck is blonde with a double black pin-stripe around the edges and center hole of the guitar. There is also a stripe design down the center of the back of the guitar. I don't know what kind of wood it is made from probably because I never let on that I didn't know. It must be a transparent finish because you can see the wood grain under it. The wooden bridge is itself kind of wide and crown shaped with a pearl inlay design on it and white string holding pegs.
The guitar was made in Japan. I bought it brand new in a small town store. I've been told it is a Gibson copy.

I've been playing guitar for 40 years. I've played all types of music from rock and roll, old country, new country, country rock, rock, blues, church, folk and anything in between standing up drunk and falling down stupid music. I've never been much into lead guitar style rifts or solo's, mainly strumming rhythm and singing. I played in a few bands for the first 20 years, now its mostly parties , jam sessions and whenever I can find an excuse to play.
I've owned several guitars over the years, electric and acoustic.
I did own a fender telecaster U.S.A. a few years back and either traded or sold them all except for my el degas. I love this guitar.
It has a rich, vibrant, deep sound that sometimes I have to keep in check or I will be over powering when jamming with other guitar players. I play any kind of music with it and have no qualms about what it sounds like. You say don't make it out to be the perfect guitar because nothing is perfect, well you haven't played this guitar.

The action is smooth, and the guitar contained no flaws that I know of when I bought it. I sweat a lot and the finish has stood the test of time except for the gold plating around the tuning keys. That has bubbled and they've been re-done and probably should be done again.

As I've already stated this guitar has withstood live playing and sometimes wish I was dead playing. The hardware is the only thing that won't last because of the torture I've put this guitar through in my early years. I depend on this guitar more than any other I've owned. I played my Fender Telly in most of the on stage performances only because it was an electric, but I did have my el degas sitting beside me for those extra special songs.

I never heard another El Degas before and up to a few years ago thought I owned the only one. It has had a little repair work done on it a few years ago like the tuning keys and the bridge by an old timer who does guitar repairs but never by the company that made it. My youngest boy was twelve when I bought him an acoustic guitar and thats how I found this man to repair my guitar. When we took it into the shop for him to see what it needed, the customers that came in, stayed and didn't leave, until I did with my guitar. My boy looked up to me and said, "Dad, those men really liked your guitar, I mean REALLY liked your guitar".

Yes, there is something I wished I had asked when I bought it....like "Where could I get another one just like it". If it were lost or stolen it could never be replaced. It's been through a couple of marriages with me, been there as my kids grew up, been there in good times and bad, left out in the trunk of my car on cold Canadian winter nights while I've been inside nice and warm sleeping one off, has gotten too close to the heat of the camp fires on summer nights, been banged, dropped and has had beer, whiskey, coffee and God knows what else spilled on it throughout the years and it is still the prettiest, best sounding acoustic guitar that I'd ever want or hoped to own.