The Eko Brand

[Fryingpan]

What do people know about the Eko brand? like a short history or random facts etc. And opinions too.

I own one, its built like a tank and is older than i am, it has a nice tone but has recently started attacking me (random bits of wood keep stabbing me) =P

but ja so... discuss =D

[bertie]

Originally Posted by Fryingpan

What do people know about the Eko brand? like a short history or random facts etc. And opinions too.

Mail order and club-book speciality back in the 70s

built like a tank - yes
nice tone - no. well only if you were an arm-wrestling visigoth strummer.

[Professor SourTone]

This is an Eko rebranded as a Vox. The pickup is very nice. I wouldn't have bothered with a 6 string, but Eko 12s are cool. Cheap, too.

[Professor SourTone]

This is a good place for Eko info, + other kool Italian guitars

http://www.fetishguitars.com/

And here is a cool electro XII similar to mine for only 85 notes, although it needs a refret. This itself is not a bad sign.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EKO-RANGER-XII...ayphotohosting

[evilmags]

Originally Posted by bertie

Mail order and club-book speciality back in the 70s

built like a tank - yes
nice tone - no. well only if you were an arm-wrestling visigoth strummer.

Too true. They need at least 14s to sound OK. Given the quality you can get from A&L, Seagull, ect ect ect, it amazes me that anyone would own one other than for nostalgia.

[Bogwhoppit]

Originally Posted by bertie

Mail order and club-book speciality back in the 70s

built like a tank - yes
nice tone - no. well only if you were an arm-wrestling visigoth strummer.

LOL!

I used one to unblock the drains on my Uncle's farm. Once smeared in cow shite it sounded a bit better.

[boogie man]

Just posted in the cheap guitars thread about an Eko 12 string my cousin had. His was amazingly heavy, but sounded way better than much of the other tat that passed as an acoustic in those days.....we're talking late 60's here. Terrible tinny tone, no resonance at all and a massively high action too.

He got his from Blanks music shop in Kilburn High Road, London...they were a massive shop and specialised in all the cheaper end of the music spectrum. Guitars, basses, drums, woodwind, brass, violins, percussion, disco gear, the lot. They are still there afaik, but have been whittled down to one small shopfront now.

I had the budget version of an Eko, called an Eros. Think it's Italian made and looks very similar to the Eko but it has an aluminium nut so sounds even more tinny. It's still at my mum's place suffering with a totally warped neck, but I can't bear to part with the old girl.

Edit: I just remembered, the Eros cost me £40 in 1972 I think. I was earning £18 a week at the time. What would it have cost in today's terms? £500? Shocking really!

[jalapeno]

I had an Eko Ranger 6 string.

Built like a tank, would only sound reasonable with thick strings as 'Mags says. Not THAT loud either.

I remember mine fondly, I gave it to a school 15 years ago - I suspect it's still working today.

You can still get the 12 string ones form Brandoni.

http://www.brandoniguitars.co.uk/eko12.asp

[andrewrg]

I had both the Rio Bravo 6 and the Ranger 12 back in the sixties; they were made in Recanati, Italy, and had bolt on necks, huge neck blocks, heavy plywood bodies and not much tone but great for a beginner who knew nothing and had no money, Then in 1969 I bought a Yamaha FG180 (£40/18/6) and discovered tone!
You can still get a brand new Ranger 12; there's a spares company in London which has a warehouse full of new sixties bits who advertise in Guitarist and they'll make you one up.

[Professor SourTone]

The thing about Eko/Vox bolt ons is they are easy to set up with a really low action. You won't get the best acoustic tone in the world, far from it, but they can be made very easy to play. Also, if you're using an electric style pickup into an amp the heavy build is actually an advantage.