User:Riatsila/sandbox

Eko is an Italian manufacturer of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and similar instruments, catering to professional level and manufacturing largely for export. It is located in Recanati, Marche.

Stringed instruments
Their products include classical guitars, 12-string guitars, arch top guitars, electric guitars and acoustic bass guitars.

Eko guitars gained high popularity during the rock'n'roll craze of the 1960s, becoming the largest guitar exporter in Europe. Their electric models were often highly ornamented with pearl, featured 3 or 4 pickups and recognizable "rocker" switches for pickup selection. The acoustic models were popular in country and folk rock bands of the late '60s. The best-known models of the '60s include:


 * Eko 400 Ekomaster (Fender Jaguar shape with flat-top, Hagström-style control panel),
 * Eko 500 (Fender Jaguar lookalike),
 * Eko 700 (original triple-cutaway design with "hockey stick" head),
 * Eko 290 (also known as Eko Barracuda, semi-hollow flat-top electric),
 * Eko Rokes (rocket-shaped electric, made popular by an Italian pop band of the same name, The Rokes)
 * Eko Kadett ('67 original double cutaway with characteristic long "horns") and
 * Eko Ranger (the best-selling Eko product, acoustic in 6 and 12-string version).
 * Eko 995 (violin bodied 4 string bass wildly popular in the late 60's)

Vox Guitars
Eko also produced guitars for Vox in the 1960s.

After a period of production in England, Eko took over production of the Vox Mark III and Vox Phantom six-string electric guitar models.

Between 1967 and 1968, Eko also produced an original range of electric guitars and basses, which were branded as Vox. Many of these models had on-board effects, and were equipped with proprietary 'Ferro-sonic' single coil pickups. Notable models are listed below:


 * Vox Ultrasonic
 * Vox Phantom
 * Vox Starsteam
 * Vox Delta
 * Vox Apollo

Distribution and branding
In the UK these instruments were imported by Rose-Morris, London. In the USA, they were distributed through LoDuca brothers of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. . In Australia their instruments were imported by Rose Music and often, but not always, branded with their house brand Eston.

Contemporary operations
Eko guitar has been manufacturing guitars since the early 60's and continue to through present day.

As of 2015, Eko Guitars were imported and distributed in the United States by Kelley Distribution located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.