GUITAR- EKO Camaro ...60's reissue , great project guitar

'62 Camaro

In the 60's before the Japanese cheapies knocked out any entry level guitar makers getting a European guitar was not a bad choice. Like all new solid body guitar makers they looked to Fender for a 'how too'. Keep in mind the electric solid body was a new thing virtually only a decade old.

The styling of the time referred to as Post War was a mix of Art Deco and Bauhaus Modern found everywhere in consumer goods and automobiles. In fact in America the average car was kept for only 2 or 3 years as by then the look was dated.

Gadgets reigned supreme. You get as a result guitars with bells a whistles switches and knobs , lots of chrome and sparkle or vivid colors. Oddly enough EKO were a bit less excessive without total overkill. Some makers virtually covered their guitars with cellulose, 'pickguard plastic'.

EKO CAMERO

The company started in Italy in '59 and struggled to stay alive with not ideal timing since the Asian invasion spearheaded from Japan was just starting too. There was just enough of a cult to keep them going. In 2000 they moved to Czechoslovakia. Too little too late. Whoever has the rights to the name now is now basically trading on the name in Europe. By 2005 they were having the guitars made in the East as expected. They can still be found primarily in small Mom and Pop's stores in Europe as a recognizable brand name.

They took a shot at breaking into the American market about 4 years ago selling a reissue of the '62 Manta but it was short lived.

Manta

Original '62 Manta

There has been an underground vibe about the Camaro. It's Fender Jazzmaster vibe cheap price and good bones is making it a favorite with the 'modding' crowd. It comes in a model with HSS PU setup as well as one with a cheap Bigsby. The cool one is the P90 

model as it actually sounds excellent!

The neck is maple with a South American Roupala fretboard. It is actually part on the rosewood family. The body is Poplar which is sounds indistinguishable in sound from Alder. It looks like a Jazzmaster but it has as slightly smaller and lighter body that is more ergonomic and comfortable.

The tuners will keep it in tune but should be upgraded. The whammy is crap but if locked down by over tightening the springs is serviceable.

They are hard to find and many stores try and sell for double the price.

They are not setup at the factory so expect having to do a setup.