Product: El-Degas Les Paul Junior
Price Paid: $450 (Canadian) used
Submitted
04/12/2001
at
10:29pm
by
rouso
Features
:
7
When purchased in '97 I was told it was made in the 70's; Japan. It has 22 frets, and is solid(set neck, solid top). It came with 2 P90's (crap), 3way switch, volume/tone for both pick-ups. No clue as to what the wood is...but it's light!(maybe poplar)The finish is cherry stain(think classic SG). The original bridge sucked so I replaced it with a Schaller bridge so I could intonate. The tuners were not that great either; never stayed in tune, especially G. They were replaced also. The scale is actually pretty good. I have tiny fingers, but the neck moves nicely.I also replaced the bridge pick-up with a Gibson 490 and the thing sounds great now! It's the closest thing I've heard to a real Gibson(half the weight), but I'll never get a dime for it. Oh well.
Sound
:
8
I play rhythm in a punk band(california style) so I really want a warm distortion (lp standard)and it seems to do the job. I use a 50 watt Marshall JCM 800 head with a 4x12 JCM 800 slant cab and the guitar/amp combo really suit each other quite well. The sound is warm, crunchy and is pretty bright (because of the pick-up). Harmonics sometimes are hard to come by, but I don't mind, it chugs(downpicking) like crazy! More sustain would be nice though.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
I don't know how well the original parts were when it came out of the factory, but 20 yrs later the components were a little rough. But other than a couple of dings (to be expected), it's not bad.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
I play the crap out of this thing, and the only real complaint I have was where the stap was located in the back like a SG...when will they learn! I have gigged this guitar for about 3 yrs. and it been pretty solid.
Customer Support
:
1
The company doesn't seem to exist! It would be nice if someone would start a site with research!
Overall Rating
:
8
To be honest, I put about another $300-400 into this guitar after intial purchase...so I guess I could have bought a better guitar...but it was fun to put together..and it's neat having something no one else does. So I guess it's kinda a part of me....we've been through a lot together. It's light, sounds heavy, and fits my hands so I'd probably buy it again. I give it an overall rating of 8 because of the fun I've had with it, and the sound that was there waiting to be discovered. Some guitars are like pieces of rock....you just have to chip away to find the beauty inside.
Rock waits for no man,
never stop believing,
Rouso
