Eko Rebuild

[demon]

HI there guys, i added a reply in another post that may be slightly similar to this one, which I apologise for. I just got a really bad condition EKO. I dont know what model it is cos other than a label inside thats in italian, and says EKO, there is no identification on it. The finish all over is cracked to hell, and will need totally stripped off. Contrary to what i said elsewhere, the top wood itself isnt actually cracked, just the finish (I looked at it with my glasses on ) The bridge is split badly though, a couple of the tuners are knackered to. the side wood (dunno what type it is, I'm no expert) is really nice, kinda of quilted, but a much smaller quilt than quilt maple for instance. I guess from other posts that I've read that you need to use a chemical paint remover for the body wood. but i take it that the neck can be stripped normally (sanded) the finish all over is very thick. Has anyone got any suggestions on how to go about finishing this guitar. I thought about using linseed oil to bring out the nice grain. would this affect the tone adversely? Also, does anyone know where can get a new bridge from? and how do i get the old one off (It seems to be rivetted, rather than screwed/bolted) Tye other thing I wanted to ask, cos i couldnt find it answered elsewhere, was how do i remove the old binding? as the binding is already coming off in places, and it is scratched to hell anyway. I presume these guitars arent really worth all that much, but i would like to make a good job of it all the same as my first acoustic project. (does anyone have an idea of how much they are worth just purely out of interest?) Might even just stick on a piezo bridge if i cant get an original replacement, and make it into an electro acoustic...... Sorry for the long post guys. This seems to have posted a few times. Er sorry guys, it said that it didnt work.............

Edited November 12, 2004 by demon

[demon]

meant to say though, the top will need replacing anyway, cos theres a hole in it at the top. Could anyone possibly let me know hoe i would go about this. Cant find any tutorials on it.

[Southpa]

Look around for some suitable replacement top material, 2 sitka spruce blanks are nice to work with. You need something less than 1/8" thick for this. Take the old top and binding off without destroying it as well the binding channel on the body. Have a look at the bracing structure. You don't really have to follow the exact pattern laid out by EKO but its easiest to use the old top as a template, especially for bridge placement, should be exactly where it was before. Not to mention cutting out the original shape of the top. Clean up the sides and test fit your top after cutting it out. The thinnest and lightest material for top, bracing and bridge is the best for sound transmission.

When I rebuilt the top on my Fender Newporter I cut bracing pieces and glued/clamped them one by one onto the top. I have a small square table that I use specifically for this job, it is perfectly flat and affords an excellent clamping surface. You can easily reuse the old bracing material, ie. its already scalloped, just have to make sure they are in good shape.

You just have to figure out the best order to do things, eg. cutting out sound hole and neck area. You can cut half circles out of the two blanks first and then glue together or glue together and then cut your sound hole w/ a scroll saw. My guitar was a lot easier to work with because it has a bolt on neck.

[demon]

cheers, like i said have never workied on an acoustic before so it will be a good learning experience, even if i make a mess of it. This things got a bolt on neck as well, so that should make things a bit easier (Even though the screw heads are massively tight and i cant budge them....) I take it that the old bindings and top will just come of with a little gentle persuasion. Ie No steaming

[Southpa]

I take it that the old bindings and top will just come of with a little gentle persuasion. Ie No steaming

A very thin steel blade is best for removing the binding. Just find a crack and take it from there. Cut the joining edges along the side first and then along the top, this will help ensure that you don't pop any wood off w/ the binding. Find a crack near the end of the binding strip and start prying it off. If its still in good shape afterwards you might be able to clean it up (light scraping and sanding) and reuse it. Once the binding is off you will see how the top is nestled into the sides. Same thing, a lot of gentle cutting and prying should do the trick. Its ok if you break some of the edges around the top but be very careful to keep the binding ledge on the sides intact.

Edited November 16, 2004 by Southpa

[soapbarstrat]

Those cracks in the finish might very well be the kind that make vintage guitars special (and sounding good, because it's a nice dried-out finish). The hole might be something that should be fixed, but I wouldn't be so quick to replace the whole guitar top because of it.

I'm thinking this might be a case of someone who prefers things to look new and clean over worn and vintage, but I don't know exactly what the guitar looks like.

[demon]

is this guitar worth keeping original? I assumed that they were cheapo guitars and it didnt really matter whether i made a mess of it or not. Anyway, although the crackes do give it character to some extent, the finish on it is in a horrendous state, the cracks are massive, and cover the whole guitar, plus the lacquer has gone cloudy on the neck and parts of the body, so you cant even see the grain of the wood. Anyway, its too late, I've already taken the top of

[thedoctor]

EKOs are neat. They weren't made right for export and most of the ones I've seen are in complete shambles. Neat word, shambles. I vote for the new spruce top. Complete refinish. I believe this is the perfect guitar to make into whatever you want. It's luckky to be in your hands instead of some dumpster.