60s' EKO ROKET VI, Sunburst,2 DeArmond Pick-Up
Code VA790
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mALvlaYVOSU
http://www.fetishguitars.com/eko/eko-the-years-of-glory/eko-rokes/
Like
every European country, Italy experienced the pop music boom of the 1960s, and
this led to a great demand for electric guitars. Many Italian models were
supplied by accordian makers who combined aspects of this established instrument
with their own ideas about electric guitar designs - and the end result was
unlike anything being produced elsewhere.
The EKO company was
founded by Oliviero Pigini & Company of Ricanati, who exported their EKO brand
to 28 countries. EKO's literature proclaimed that their guitar necks were " made
from warp proof Jong-Kong wood from Thailand". By 1964, The Rokes were looking
for a new looking design for their guitars and EKO decided to help.Shel had
already been using a EKO RANGER XII
on recordings. EKO helped them decide which ones were practical and which ones
were not. Thus came the EKO ROKES MODEL.
These guitars were arrow shaped in design and came in 4,6 and 12 string models
in various custom colors especially designed for the group.
By 1967, they became commercially available but production numbers show that
they did not sell many worldwide.The production years were 1967 thru 1970. When
EKO went out of business, many new old stock EKO ROKES went into the hands of
collectors worldwide. Today, this guitar is highly collectible in the vintage
guitar market. See examples below.
In 1968 The Rokes would alternate between the EKO Models and other brands. Shel
used a Rickenbacker 360 12 string and a Gibson J-160e acoustic. Johny used a
Gibson ES-335 and a Fender Stratocaster. Bobby used a Rickenbacker bass and a
Gibson Thunderbird Bass.
Mike Shepstone's drums of choice were 1964 LUDWIG Black Oyster Pearl combo sets. He had a Blue Oyster Pearl set also. These sets are mostly associated with The Beatles but many English and European Beat bands were all using them in the 1960s. They were just simply the Best drums available at that time!
Shel Shapiro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inhStyx-HSc