El Dégas stringed instruments were made in Japan in the 1970s (originally by the Hoshino company) and distributed in the USA and Canada by Buegeleisen & Jacobson, Inc. In the early 1970s there was an El Dégas Replica Series which consisted of Gibson and Fender guitar & bass copies. There was also a range of El Dégas acoustic instruments including acoustic guitars, classical guitars, mandolins and banjos.

According to Kamel Chenaouy the El Dégas brand was first established by Parisian musicologist and music store owner Gérard Charnoz in 1972, who used it for imported Japanese guitars sold from his Paris shop. Although the shop closed the El Dégas brand survived.

Source: El Dégas catalogs 1973, 1978

Source: Karmel Chenaouy, origins of El Dégas (11 March 2017)