c.1965 EKO-made "RuDelle" 12 String Guitar

I used to gig with a VOX-branded EKO-built 12 string guitar that was pretty much like this one but in a slightly "bigger brother" version, and pin-bridged. This guitar brings those memories right back. It's got a big, bright, jangly tone and the neck handles like an electric 12 string neck... fast. This slightly smaller body shape and tailpiece gives it a Gibson B25-12 feel... not bad at all!

Features include a bolt-on, solid mahogany 3-piece neck (center strip for reinforcement and also a truss rod AND steel t-bar support), bound rosewood fretboard, spruce (possibly laminate?) top, and laminated, wildly-flamed mahogany back and sides, with a non-braced, press-arched back (think Guilds or Framus).

Oh, it's also got a zero fret... and the board is radiused...

With good simple fret dots.

And an adjustable saddle. I'll bet this would roar even more if the saddle were replaced with a hunk of bone or Tusq, but it is nice to do setup on the fly.

Label inside. Oh, right -- forgot to mention -- EKO is an Italian brand. They made a lot of 60s VOX-branded acoustic & acoustic-electric products as well as their own brands... and apparently this bizarre "RuDelle" brand.


Real pretty mahogany. Too bad there's loads of finish weather cracks as well as some handling finish cracks. Bound top and back and soundhole in cream binding, too.

Lovely mahogany for the neck! And original tuners working nicely still.

Electric-style neck set gives really easy access right up the board.





And here's that honking-big neck block inside with a correspondingly honking-big heel with loads of reinforcement. Good stuff to see if you're concerned about longevity.
Comments