EKO C-29

A 335 style body in mahogany with laminated top. Two DiMarzios (???), 3 way switch, two volume controls, two tone contols. Kind of tunomatic bridge with plastic saddles. The tuners are still good working. The neck is thin and easy to play, bolt on with 3 screws (like Fenders in the seventies).

Great tone for jazz and blues!!!!!! I play it through a Fender 1976 Twin Reverb (with Ibanez CP 835 and ST 9) and through a Hughes & Kettner Tube 50 combo without any effects.
Even for Top-40 music, this guitar sounds great (through a Boss ME-10 and the Fender Twin Reverb or through a Behringer V-Amp pro).

Had to set up the guitar after buying it. The neck had to be adjusted. No problems since June 1983!!!!

Played the guitar live for many times and didn't have any problems.

I've been playing for more than 30 years and own several guitars: 1996 Fender Lone Star Strat, Fender Chris Rea Signature Strat, 1983 Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson ES 165 Jazzguitar, a "holy" Yamaha AE 2000 Jazzbox and lots of equipment. But for blues the EKO C 29 is still my favourite!

I had it for free from a friend of mine in 2003 and after a little research it comes out that was made in Italy in 1981. It looks just like a 335, laminated in mahogany finisch, di marzio paf pu's, 2 volumes, 2 tone control, 1 three way selector, rosewood neck, some kinda tuno matic bridge.... everything ok exept crappy tuners (maybe because of age?) and awesome di marzio's

INCREDIBLE this axe really does it, I couldn't belive it. I own also an '81 335 but this unknown guitar can sing and hum much better.
You can go from jazz to rock with no problem and it fits everything.
The only thing to avoid is extra loud overdriven sound.

Action great, I only had to replace a pu as it did not work any more and adjust the welding on the back of volume controls (but is ok after 20 years or more). Fits great, just like a 335 but much lighter.

I did not use it much (just a few gigs) but never let me down, and it sounded great.
Average strap buttons.
As far as I can tell could go foreward for other 20 years.

Been playing for 30 years and I played many many guitars. (own a 1950 broadcaster, 1968 guil starfire '80 335, 1981 the strat, 1986 telecaster, 1957 eidtion stratocaster, LP Gem) and this has been quite a surprise as it is the 2nd best guitar I have (broadcaster first)
If you find one don't miss it!

It was built in Italy around 1981. It has a laminated top, three positions switch and two volume/two tone controls, two humbucker pickups. It is a semi-solid, vaguely resembling the Gibson 335, only the neck is not glued but it holds with three screws (much like a 70s strat) The finish is heavy laquer, the color mahogany. The guitar looks like an improved version of the Barracuda model.When the instrument was almost new, I replaced the bridge with that of the Eko M24, which was identical to mine, only had metal saddles (the original one had plastic saddles and it was impoverishing the tone of the instrument) N

When I bought it in 1981, at the factory (which was close to my grandma's house; she gave me the money to buy the axe, as a present for my high school graduation), I was learning to play the blues: Freddy King, T-Bone Walker, and some Chuck Berry. I had then a used Vox Royal Guardsman amp and they coupled well: especially when playing bright, balanced and open-sounding chords. Bending was also easy and the axe could rock when I was playing blues solos. I used to play lots of gigs at festivals and open air parties with a R&B band, and the equipment was so audible that I didn't need to mike it trhough the P.A. After 5 years I sold the Vox for a more portable Fender 75 and bought an '82 standard strat, very blonde. The Eko became then a replacement guitar. Four years ago, while living in the US, I begun studying Jazz, at the New School in NY and with a private tutor. Charly Christian, Herb Hellis, Barney Kessel and Grant Green are my influences. Since I came home in Europe the Eko is going through a new life. I put on roundwound strings and chaghed the neck pickup with a 1982 Di Marzio PAF. I play it through a Fender Frontman 25 and it has a more than decent jazz tone. The C 29 is a very effective and versatile guitar (for "vintage" styles) for its price (I paid it the equivalent of 250 euros of today!)

In the beginning I had the guitar set up several times by a pro. Now I do it myself. The neck is perfect and the action is low and confortable. The original pickups tend to have a nasal, metallic sound (very powerful!). It's OK for the bridge pickup, that really rocks, sings, plays great power chords and two strings rhythm. But the "jazzy" sound dramatically improved since I put a Di Marzio PAF at the neck. The axe had no flaws, and it is reasonably light and well balanced.

The weak point of the instrument is the three screw connection between box and neck.I fear that someday it might get loose (yet, it hasn't in the first 20 years!). The guitar is easy to tune up and stays reasonably in tune. The neck being thin, if you press too hard with your fretting hand, you get a sort of tremolo arm effect (think of Pete Townshend), so you must be careful, unless you want to play like the Ventures... Electronics are ok. I had to solder a wire once fifteen years ago,but it was the only episode of electronic maintenance in the history of the instrument. I played with the C29 semi-professionally for a couple of years, without replacement guitars and without any accident...

In the early 80s I went a couple of times to the Eko shop in my town, to buy a hard case and a new bridge.

I have been playng for 21 years now. My main guitar today is a Fender Strat Plus with rosewood fingerboard and a Blue Lace Sensor at the neck, an '82 standard in the middle and a X-1 at the bridge. An incredibly versatile instrument with which I play anything, from jazz to blues to funky, to pop, through a Peavy Classic 30 amp. I am currently moving to 7 strings solo jazz style (I am now doing it on an acoustic guitar, and look forward as soon as I have the money, to buy a 7 strings jazz box) as I most often compliment horn soloists in duos (tenor or alto sax). The C29 is a honest artisanal guitar without big qualities. But it has allowed the kid I was to get into music straight away with its overall reliability and decent, versatile tone. And it has followed me through the years, always ready to adapt to the music style and mood of the moment.Thank you, C29, thank you Eko.