At last... My New Old Fully Acoustic Upright

HZPiano

… And I am super happy with it after a two and a half year search.

😃

Cheers and Happy True Instruments,

vagfilm

What a beauty... Never seen this Eko before. Always thought that Eko only had copycats of famous brands, but this design is beautiful. Congrats.

HZPiano

vagfilm Never seen this Eko before

I had never even heard of Eko! After seeing its pictures last week I immediately felt a strong click (after having been on the lookout for a proper bass for two and a half years -- all other instruments were too much a 'guitar' and did not feel much of a 'Bass'). I traveled half the country last Saturday and purchased it from its previous owner.

It is an original Eko instrument 'Basso Acoustico Quattro' built in May 1980 in Italy. It is really huge, has a good deep warm sound, a solid wood top, a wider and fatter neck than usual (upright bass dimensions except for the flatter fingerboard and 34" mensure), is fretless, and has a floating bridge. No pickups/electronics whatsoever. Pure, honest wood and strings. All of this exactly what I wanted but so far never found in other basses.

Now in the process of testing my favorite strings on it, perhaps improving nut, bridge, and neck setting, making the tone even more double bass-like through subtly damping the decay, sustain and higher overtones.

Although technically it is a bass guitar, it is rather substantial (huge!) and I intend to play it upright and use double bass technique, instead of bass guitar technique, as much as it will allow.

I'm super happy!

Cheers and happy fundamentals,

LarryS

Eko bass, nice!

vagfilm

HZPiano is fretless

Fretless? Are those lines painted and not frets? Can you remove the lines? It would look incredible...
Eko guitars were sold in the mid-80s in a few stores here (when I was a pennyless teenager browsing the expensive music stores). AFAIR, they had generic cheap strat-like electric guitars, but the store guys always praised the brand saying it was going through rough times but that the old models were good... Are you sure your bass is from the 80s? Maybe you found one of the good Ekos...

David B

Congrats. Looks nice.

When you say play it upright, do you mean the headstock is going to be pointed toward the ceiling when you play it?

God Bless,
David

HZPiano

David B Congrats. Looks nice.

When you say play it upright, do you mean the headstock is going to be pointed toward the ceiling when you play it?

God Bless,
David

Thank you 🙂.

And yes, the same way one holds and plays an upright bass, as far as possible. I'll see if I can devise an end pin and/or stand mount. I've done so before with a really cheap instrument just to experiment; this beauty is to be treated more carefully and respectfully of course with reversible modifications as much as possible.

Another possibility is playing it seated, the way a cello is held and played pizzicato. It may be too wide for that, though. Not my first choice.

Playing upright feels totally different, develops different technique and produces a much more substantial and interesting tone.

Cheers and the happiest playing,

jdg78

HZPiano And yes, the same way one holds and plays an upright bass, as far as possible. I'll see if I can devise an end pin and/or stand mount. I've done so before with a really cheap instrument just to experiment; this beauty is to be treated more carefully and respectfully of course with reversible modifications as much as possible.

Another possibility is playing it seated, the way a cello is held and played pizzicato. It may be too wide for that, though. Not my first choice.

Playing upright feels totally different, develops different technique and produces a much more substantial and interesting tone.

Very cool. There's a US-based classical guitarist (Paul Galbraith) who also plays this way. He uses a custom made pin/stand mount that I gather functions something like a second soundboard.

Many years ago, I attempted learn classical guitar, but when I realized that it required growing one's fingernails out a bit in order to pluck the strings, I abandoned it, as my newly sharpened fingers made extremely annoying clicking sounds on the keys when I played the piano. 😬

Anyway congratulations and enjoy your new instrument - it looks beautiful!

HZPiano

vagfilm when I was a pennyless teenager browsing the expensive music stores

😄 I often still feel that way. In piano stores even more so 😬.

Generally, I like unlined fretless more. These lines are inlaid, very neatly done and surprisingly fully complete and intact after its first 42 years. They are in the correct positions as well. So I'll leave them be.

Yes it is one of the original, good Ekos. Fun fact is that their serial numbers are actually the build dates. So this one is from May 23, 1980.

Cheers 🙂,

David B

HZPiano Generally, I like unlined fretless more. These lines are inlaid, very neatly done and surprisingly fully complete and intact after its first 42 years. They are in the correct positions as well. So I'll leave them be.

Inlays. That's interesting. I would never have guessed that. Now I can understand playing it in the upright position.

God Bless,
David

Ralphiano

I wonder if it once had frets, had them removed, and then had the inlays put in their place. I've never seen a bass with inlays where the frets reside.

I think you will need that pin/stand in order to reach the entire finger board.

It looks very nice. Have fun!

HZPiano

Ralphiano I wonder if it once had frets, had them removed, and then had the inlays put in their place

Ralphiano Have fun!

Thank you!

These were built fretless with inlays; that is not uncommon, even nowadays some basses (including electric ones) have fretless necks with position inlays. There have been fretless versions without the inlays and fretted versions also.

Remarkable is that the fretless ones seem to have significantly outnumbered the fretted ones. Usually it is the other way around (by far).

Cheers and happy fundamentals,

Killomiter

Think you have missing strings - here is a real one -

HZPiano

Killomiter a real one

If I hadn't discovered the Eko, my next investigation would have been into a Guild bass (acoustic, four(!) string).

But, I'm so happy 😃 and grateful the Universe has presented me this beauty Eko Basso Acoustico.

Cheers and happy fundamentals,

Killomiter

True -HZ, the original EKO six string turned out to be legendary too, never really understood why, a friend owned one and loved it too. My pic is the original FB50 which has a carved back - only 50 ever made out of that batch of of wood earmarked in the late 30's and then all made in the seventies. They do a replica nowadays but sadly the back curved piece is ply. When choosing to buy I had a Martin D45 in my hand too and chose the Guild as it match my tobacco sunburst custom Les Paul. There are many time I wished I had chosen the D45 but could not wait for the tone to develop. Stage requirements forced the choice if I remember correctly. Oh well this one matured to achieve good resonance. Bass is another matter though I never got on with fretless preferring Fender P.

HZPiano

Killomiter the original FB50 which has a carved back

It definitely looks the part!

Cheers for having gotten yourself such a special instrument and now being the custodian of it!

HZPiano

jdg78 congratulations and enjoy your new instrument - it looks beautiful!

Thank you! As I had difficult weeks/months (again), the find of this bass tremendously cheers me up.

And thank you for that image! That extra, super acoustic/natural amplification is absolutely superb! So far I never thought of that possibility. While double bass players who gig on hollow/wooden stages often report that those floors are excellent amplifiers (where the vibrations go into the floor through the end pin).

So, a lot of thanks for sharing that wonderful notion!

Cheers and happy ingenuity,

LarryS

jdg78 you don't need nails to play classical. Its a myth