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What can you tell me about this EKO 12 String?


Coverdale

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I knew a guy years ago who had the Ranger 12 (pretty sure that was the model). It had BIG sound, even for a 12.


I guess with any older guitar, especially a 12, you need to know that it doesn't need a neck re-set. Although--if it does--maybe that's less of an expense for a bolt-on?

 

 

Yeah, w/ a "bolt-on", you just shim the neck 'til the action is right...razor blades work great!

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  • 3 months later...
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I also have an Eko Ranchero 12 string but am finding it increasingly difficult to find pictures of the same model guitar with the same finish that my guitar has. My guitar is in what looks like a natural type finish which shows the grain of the wood on the back of the guitar as a close tiger stripe type effect. The headstock is also in a natural finish as is the front of the guitar although the front is slightly darker, maybe a different kind of wood used. The body is bound in an ivory colour. The guitar itself is really nicely put together and is a pleasure to play, very smoothe feeling and comfortable to hold. The tone is tremendous and I love it. Any information that anybody can give me is greatly appreciated. Thank you. J.

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I had an EKO 12 string I bought in 1971. It was totaled in a car crash in 1973. I bought my first Guild 6 string with the proceeds.

 

It was the last 12 string I'll ever buy. And it had the best action of any 12 string I ever played. It was a superb instrument.

 

If that one is as good as mine - it's a keeper for life.

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I have an Eko Ranchero 12 ... purchased for about 70 UK Pounds back in about 1971. Made in Recanti Italy.

 

I originally had a gut strung 3/4 size beginner concert guitar that I learned to play on. I had fallen in love with the sound of an uncle's Eko Ranger 6 & 12 ... the sound was magnificent ... so full and rich. Eko Ranger guitars (both 6 & 12) were very popular amongst aspiring folk-country musicians at the time being affordable. The Ranger 12 was about 120 pounds if memory serves. The problem that I had with the Ranger was the body size, being a jumbo (now it seems it's referred to commonly as a dreadnought body).

 

I couldn't afford the Ranger anyway. I was working during the summer in Wimbledon (outside London ... famous for tennis) and there was a music shop by the railway station and they had a blond Eko Ranchero 12 in the window. It was a standard full size (concert size) with the tailpiece and the 0 fret like the Ranger. It has an aluminum string guide just above the 0 fret.

 

The Ranchero has a narrow neck, rather more like an electric guitar and add the additonal 6 strings and it can be challenging to pick. The Ranchero and Ranger have two body patterns ... the concert style spruce top and maple sides and tiger grained back with the white trim (the light coloured body) and the more western style deep brown outside to gold centre (the dark coloured body) as shown in these pictures. It was a choice of what the music shop had in stock from what I gather.

 

It's sound is not as full as the Ranger and it's a good idea to use "light" strings. Guild phosphor bronze "light" 12 strings have a very good sound on this instrument. Its sound does change remarkably with strings. I have tried many different brands and nothing is as nice as the Guild ... except that theyr'e hard to come by! Yamaha strings just sound horrible. D'Adarrio strings are tinny. A normal weight set of strings will cause an imbalance on the tail piece which may cause the strings to rattle.

 

Straps ... the body has a tail nut to affix the one end of the strap, but since it's not a jumbo (dreadnought) body it doesn't have an upper nut: you must use a cord around the neck above the head string guide and under the strings. This is common with concert sized guitars of the time.

 

It is normal to tune the Ranchero 1 semitone or even a whole tone down from standard pitch ... I discovered why almost 40 years after! It took a long time.

 

I played it regularly until about 1980, but then with kids and the like it began to be infrequent. It moved across the Atlantic to Canada.

 

In about 1993, the body plate fell off ... it had warped.

 

I bought a new set of strings in 2000 and I was told quite emphatically that there was no reason that the Ranchero should be tuned down a semitone.

 

I live in an electrically heated house, so the humidity gets very low in the winter. Lookout number 1. The varnish started cracking.

 

So, I brought the strings up under full tension. More varnish cracking. Lookout number 2.

 

Then hey presto, I went to get it out and discovered the strings were not taught at all! The neck where it met the body appeared to be at a strange angle.

 

Took the neck bolts out and found that the laminated block that the neck bolts onto had actually split, the glue bond between the laminated back and the block had let go and the back above the neck bolt reinforcing plate had warped. Ooops. The tension from the strings and the dry atmosphere had caused it to let go.

 

So, now I have to do some microsurgery to try to repair the guitar. Probably have to saw through the splits, reglue and reinforce with long brads and a steel plate across the fastening block.

 

The Ranchero is definitely what I'd describe as an entry level guitar for the new player who wants a 12 string sound. It won't be a full sound like the Ranger, and definitely won't be of the quality of even the moderate priced guitars available today.

 

I liked it's concert size. (Women may prefer it too for size, and people with smaller hands will appreciate the neck!)

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Got my friends 12 string concorde here...it has no nut or saddle, we cleaned it at Christmas but its sat ..without strings...soundhole inwards leaning against a wall, resting on headstock.

 

Was going to try a saddle project, then realized I had two strings to compensate at least, then the relief...what if the truss rod adjustment is stuck.

 

Ill take it to a shop this week....oops

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