This was a find that I had been wanting to make for a long time. I play some Manouche/Gypsy Jazz with a friend who is a violinist and I'd been wanting to try out a 'proper' Macaferri style guitar. This one came up locally at a price I couldn't resist and I went to try it out and (of course) came home with it!.My first ever acoustic guitar was an Eko Ranger, so I have a soft spot for the brand, and I am really pleased to see they are back up and running and making some really good guitars these days, this being one of them.
First off this guitar is LOUD! I am a bit of a sucker for niche acoustic guitars and have an acoustic archtop and a resonator This sits somewhere between them in terms of volume and projection. It seems the more energy you put in the more sound you get out. It doesn't quite match the resonator, but it comes close and of course the tone is very different.
I don't think Eko market this guitar very well. Part of the reason for writing this review is to clarify some things I think they'd do well to mention to sell this guitar.The most glaring error is that these are being marketed with a 648mm scale. Unless mine is a one off I think they have this wrong. Mine is a long scale 670mm or 26.3 inches. This combined with an oval version of the 'grande bouche' gives a volume, projection and snap that is a prized part of the 'petite bouche' Selmers.
The guitar is very light in construction, weighing in at 1.78kg or about 4 pounds. This also helps with the very lively and resonant feel. The guitar finish is very thin, and the mahogany is open pore rather than filled, and both these factors help with the overall resonance.
The other thing that gives the unique manouche sound to this guitar is the fact that the top of the guitar is ladder braced, not x braced like most flat top guitars. This allows the guitar sound board to resonate more freely as there is far less bracing than on a standard flat top. To give the top and back more strength both are very, very slightly arched. This allows the bridge to sit slightly higher than a conventional bridge and the neck is angled to accommodate this, like on an archtop guitar.
The rosette is a really nice touch, not painted on, but a properly crafted inlay made up of concentric ovals of different woods.Then there is the heritage. It is arguable that the manouche guitar comes directly from an Italian tradition of luthiery, and I love the fact that this guitar is conceived and designed by an Italian company, even if it is made in the PRC.
The sound of this guitar, apart from being very loud, is gorgeous. Eko have done an excellent job of putting together a unique guitar that gets to the very heart of that manouche sound. The beautiful solid spruce top, laminate sides, thin finish, ladder bracing, arched top and long scale make this sound just like the sound I have in my head of a gypsy guitar. It has a very special place in guitar history as makers tried to increase the sound projection before the advent of electric guitars. Although I love the electric guitar, my heart is with these old designs and I am rather sad that most people only ever get to play on a Martin inspired flat top (nothing wrong with that design, I love it, but it is a particular sound). What you get with this guitar is an ability to cut through other acoustic instruments, either with chords or with a lead line. It doesn't compress the sound like a flat top guitar but translates all that energy you put into plucking into volume. It is not subtle when you do this, but it sounds fantastic, if you play more gently there is a lovely tone there as well. Of course you need to string this with Argentine strings to get the proper sound.
The rest of the guitar as a package is very nicely executed. No faults I can find. The wood binding is done well, the veneers and top well book matched. The nut is bone with a zero fret, and the tailpiece is pressed brass like a Maccaferri. The neck is a slim flat D in shape. The action is highish as it needs to be to obtain the projection. I like the simple Evo inlay on the 12 fret. The tuners work well, and the headstock veneer is a very nice thick slice of rosewood.
Although this is a bit of a specialist guitar, if you can find one give it a go - lots of craftsmanship for your money.
