Today...I saw an old El-Degas in a fancified pawn shop ("Buy & Sell Shop") for $90 CAD.....I looked at it a bit....and ended up going back to the shop and played the guitar a bit.
Out of tune, yea. Old strings, yea. Tune it.....oh no bridge..(ha!).
So it plays ok until 7th fret...
asked shop clerk & they say the price is so low because theres no bridge. Ok, it's all good I'll get one later.
Purchase the guitar, another clerk decides to look through a drawer for the bridge, finds it & I pay no extra moneys. (came to $103.95 CAD after tax....a steal)

Wonderful. And now that my little story is over, I'll get to the guitar....

As I said, it's an El-Degas....
-MT-8 Model Acoustic
-Dreadnought (very nice big body)
-70's or 80's model
(Harmony Central Review)
-wood on back and sides is very dark (on interior)...not sure what kind yet....probably rosewood
-top: solid (onepiece) spruce
-basic saddle: what looks like indian rosewood
-fingerboard: what looks like brazillian rosewood, or some other wide-grained rosewood with some very nice colouring
-neck: looks like mahogony
-headstock veneer(sp): same wood as back&sides
-frets are still awesome---hardly worn
-some small dents in body(overstatement..hardly dents) and some small white marks on back of body.
-small check in finish on neck near headstock & some wear in finish on front bottom right of body.
-full neck & body binding that has yellowed a bit over the years.

Great guitar for 100 bucks (Canadian, even!) don't you think?

Feedback?

I am allowing the possibility of resale to local shops to creep into my head...making money ain't bad..(especially because I have another nice acoustic...and I want a new electric)....
but for now I have a great beach/campfire guitar, if not more.

my girlfriend has one of those old El Degas and despite it's horrible condition, and lack of press, it's an extremely well built and sounding instrument. I'm not sure if it's the exact same model, but your description sounds pretty similar.

... she wont let me have it though

Great find! I'd keep it for the campfires/alternate tunings...

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rig details and pictures soon!