HAND MADE IN JAPAN 1974 EL DEGAS ED250 SUPER SOUNDING VINTAGE CLASSICAL GUITAR

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“El Degas” ED250 Classical Guitar

This guitar was made in Japan in mid1970ties by Terada Factory. Although it is missing its model plate (rectangular wooden plate with printed model name & number, installed to the right of the center brace) I am 100% sure that it is El Degas ED250. Its construction and looks are identical with other units of the same model that I've sold in the past. In addition it is still equipped with original factory box marked as "ED250".  

These old Japanese “guitar factories” (Gakkis) were nothing but a traditional workshops employing teams of highly skilled luthiers who were making high grade instruments mostly by hand without use of any sophisticated machinery. Each of these luthiers was capable of making a guitar all by him/her self. However while working as a team they were helping and supporting each other, as well as double checking the quality of produced instruments. Such Gakkis in the Western World were (are) called “custom shops”.  

Despite its age, this guitar remains in practically mint cosmetic and perfect working condition. Most likely it was played a little in the remote past and later on stored in the closet.  

It is exceptional quality student/player guitar, very responsive, with impressive volume, producing clear & colorful treble notes, deep & resonating basses, all well balanced and with great sustain. It is also easy to play instrument.

Specifications:

Top: Fine Solid Spruce with 5 braces fan

Back and Sides: Brazilian Rosewood Doubleplate

Calling this construction "laminates" would actually be very incorrect and quite misleading. This genuine Japanese invention has really nothing in common with modern era cheap particle-board laminates. This construction is nothing but 2 solid wood plates glued together, hence in fact nothing but reinforced solid woods. Such plates perform no different from solid woods, while don't crack as easily, are much easier to work with, and allow for much lower prices of these instruments. Such guitars have always been and still are a true blessing for all guitar enthusiasts with limited funds.

Neck: Mahogany

Fingerboard: Ebonized Indian Rosewood

Width at the nut: 52 mm

Scale: 650 mm

String action is 3.50 mm under E6 and 3.00 mm under E1. There is a lot of extra room on the saddle allowing for experiments with even lower action.

This guitar will be shipped in new soft gigbag, bubble-wrapped and double boxed.

Some info about Terada guitars:

Allexperts.com

Terada was one of the top guitar manufacturers in Japan and also made the only Martin guitar ever made outside the US The Martin Shenandoa. Martin were forced by rivals - Gibson, Fender and Guild- to cease production when in Japan when it was pointed out that their advertising specifically stated that all Martins were made entirely in the US. As I understand it, Terada were ultimately 'taken over' by Guild and eventually ceased production of their own models in the late 80's. I have three Teradas including a much lusted after TW18- their hand made top model and she's gorgeous!

Guitars.co.uk

Terada were established in 1912 at Nagoya and concentrate mostly on making and  and have made guitars for Ibanez, Orville by Gibson, Epiphone Japan, Gretsch and other well-known brands as well. At their production peak (in the late 1970s/1980s/early 1990s) they were producing around 10,000 guitars a month using 3 factories, the Higashiku factory, the Kanie factory and the Shirakawa factory. Terada's output is now about an 1/8 of what it was at their peak and they are still actively producing guitars at their Kanie factory.

 were established at Matsumoto and built Aria and Epiphone guitars and also built guitars for many other well-known brands in the 1970s/1980s. They went out of business around 1986/1987.