He’s had it from new, so it has sentimental value. I talked to Paul about his relationship with this guitar because it mattered to me to find out how much it mattered to him and why. I’m a newcomer to fettling guitars but, armed with the internet, a hunger to learn more, some tools and some patience I’ve promised to do what I can. So what can I do? What should I do? I’m not a fully-kitted-out or experienced luthier. I’m pretty sure that this is purely cosmetic as I can’t see any reason the whole headstock would be split. On the front side of the headstock the logo has a split all the way across it. It’s no surprise that something that old, carrying that much weight has structural problems and this guitar clearly has them. For 26 years that neck and body have been trying to resist the enormous load of double the usual amount of strings. Paul bought this EKO Ranger 12 string new in 1988. I’m always happy to see an EKO Ranger guitar and you can’t miss them: the scratch plate is completely unique. My guitar is still going, played every day by the friend I sold it to in the mid 1980s. The lacquer felt inches thick and it was a loud beast but it did lack sparkle – I can remember that much.
It felt heavier and more robust than all my friends’ guitars. The quilting on the back was so rich and pretty I can still remember how regularly I would just spin the guitar around to just look at it. Made in Italy, with what I now know is an unusual bolt-on neck, it was solid and made from beautiful wood. I bought one 1981 (my second guitar) and loved it. I’ve got a soft spot for EKO acoustic guitars.