Eko Guitar of Italy

Story of Eko Guitar

      During one in every of accordion maker Oliviero Pigini's visits to America within the late Nineteen Fifties, the rising craze for rock 'n' roll convinced him that the times of the accordion's popularity were numbered.

Clearly, the new "cool" instrument for the young generation was the guitar.

Oliviero Pigini

     Pigini came back to Italy and in 1959 founded Eko and started building guitars in his giant factory within the central Italian town of Recanati.

   For many reasons Eko succeeded terribly quickly in Europe. First, Eko was the continent's initial mass-producer of  guitars. Second, its "made in Italy" image and innovative designs--which ranged from "stylish Italian" to "mod" and quirky--tapped into the first '60s fun-seeking zeitgeist. Meanwhile, America's leading brands--Fender, Gibson, and Martin--had not gained a robust foothold in Europe.

     According to current Eko President Stelvio Lorenzetti, in those years European customs rules were additional restrictive, and importation and also the distribution channel for music merchandise had nevertheless to totally develop. As a result, Eko dominated European and Middle jap markets and for nearly twenty years remained Europe's biggest guitar producer.

Eko guitars were notably widespread in nice Britain.

     The brand's introduction coincided with Beatlemania, and it had been distributed within the U.K.'s prime retailer and distributor, Rose Morris.

Rose Morris conjointly owned the Vox amplifier company, that was closely related to the Fab Four.

     "Rose Morris was a awfully necessary distributor for Eko in those times," says Lorenzetti. "The 'marriage' between Eko and Rose Morris became terribly productive, and our guitars became best sellers in England.

     Overall the Ranger XII and VI acoustics and a few electrical models were the foremost widespread, however our entire catalog was o.k. known by British musicians from then up till the Eighties."

1965

     Between 1965 and 1975 Eko's collaboration with Rose Morris extended to manufacturing guitars and basses for Vox. Years later Eko, Vox, and Thomas Organ entered into a joint venture in Recanati referred to as EME (Elettronica Musicale Europea) to provide a replacement vary of Thomas-branded electronic organs and keyboards.

     In 1962 Eko appointed LoDuca Bros. its distributor within the U.S. Despite a lot of stronger competition from the category's established giants, Eko guitars gained a decent following and sales.

     As happened in Europe, yank musicians were interested in Eko guitars' ultra-slim necks, low action, and particularly their electrical models' innovative body styles.

Among Eko's most identifiable electrics was the Rokes.

     Created in 1965 for the Italian pop band of identical name, it had been sold commercially from 1966 and have become known within the U.S. because the Rocket or Rok. Different distinctive models included the Kadett, the 700, and also the Camaro. Eko's top-selling acoustics were the Ranger VI (six-string) and Ranger XII (12-string).

By 1970 Eko was established on 5 continents, and, at its zenith, created quite 350,000 guitars annually.

     The mark that Eko's heyday created on the worldwide guitar community still resonates--or "echoes"--today. Lorenzetti comments, "Every trip I've remodeled the years I've heard somebody say, 'Eko? That was my initial guitar!'"

     Some of these revelations are additional gratifying than others. He points out that as an adolescent Bob Taylor wished (but could not afford) an Eko Ranger XII that ultimately galvanized him to create his initial guitar in his highschool woodshop category. "During the '60s and '70s Eko represented one in every of the foremost necessary guitar factories within the world beside Fender, Gibson, and Martin," says Lorenzetti. "We are terribly pleased with that."

     Despite Eko's early success, competition from Asian-made brands with dramatically lower labor prices compelled Eko to maneuver its production from Italy to, in turn, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. However the corporate was too way behind the guitar market's steep deflationary curve, and within the late '80s the Italian factory was closed.

     However, for quite twenty years collectors, vintage guitar aficionados, and musicians nostalgic for the instruments they played in their youth kept the Eko mystique alive.

Hamer Guitar

Story of Hamer Guitar

Dantzig

     The first Hamer Guitar (a Flying V bass) was engineered at Northern Prairie Music, a vintage instrument search owned by Hamer and Dantzig in Wilmette, Illinois. This search catered to musicians who were fascinated by high-quality instruments. This initial instrument served because the basis for a brand new company referred to as Hamer Guitars.

     Hamer began publicizing their instruments with tiny black and white ads in guitar magazines in 1974, and was incorporated in 1976. By 1977 the corporate used up to seven employees. Most of the physical exercise to the present purpose had been one-off custom variations on the initial "Standard" and "Flying V" guitars. 

     Throughout this era Hamer's customers were restricted to big-name touring teams like dangerous Company, Wishbone Ash Jethro Tull and 

Savoy Brown. So as to attractiveness to a broader market, the primary "production" Hamer referred to as the "Sunburst" debuted in 1977. Production was reportedly set at around ten guitars per week. Throughout now the corporate undoubtedly gained a lot of popularity with the high profile patronage of low cost Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and also the use of Hamer eight and twelve string basses in their music. In 1978 Frank Untermyer joined the corporate, gap up the international for Hamer Guitars.

     1980 brought a move to larger quarters in Arlington Heights (a suburb of Chicago.) The employees had grown to twelve and Hamer Guitars continued to launch new models like the Special, Cruisebass, Prototype, Blitz and Phantom. Paul Hamer who had primarily served as sales manager, left the corporate in 1987 to pursue his career in retail sales. Kaman Music was then approached to handle sales whereas the remaining homeowners focused on producing. Kaman Music agreed to get Hamer in late 1988.

     After 5 years with Kaman, Dantzig departed from the corporate in 1993, moving to California to start a style and consulting business.

     As the mid-priced guitar market became saturated Hamer sought to enhance sales and regain its former complete 

identity. In 1997 Kaman Music relocated the corporate to alittle search in New Hartford, Connecticut. the highest 10 builders were relocated to New Hartford along side Dantzig, who was re-hired as Technical Director. Hamer then began concentrating on a core of high-quality styles targeted at the burgeoning upper-end and collector market.

Under its parent company Kaman Music, Hamer was acquired by guitar big Fender Musical Instruments on December thirty first, 2007.

Hermann Hauser Guitar of Germany

Story of Hermann Hauser Guitar.

Hermann Hauser

     Hermann Hauser Sr. (1882-1952) is best remembered for the exceptional instruments he in-built the Spanish vogue once 1924. In that year, each Andrés Segovia and Miguel Llobet visited Hauser. Segovia was impressed by the standard of Hauser's work and wrote his impressions, noting that he "immediately saw the potential of this nice artisan if solely his mastery may be turned to the development of the guitar within the Spanish pattern, as immutably fastened by Torres and Ramirez because the violin had been fastened by Stradivarius and Guarnerius" (Segovia in Guitar Review 1954). Segovia inspired Hauser to make instruments based mostly on his 1912 Manuel Ramirez guitar (built by Santos Hernandez) once he examined and created measurements of this instrument. At this point Hauser additionally had the chance to look at Miguel Llobet’s famous 1859 Torres which might additionally become a decisive influence on the maturing “Hauser” vogue.

     Whereas the story of Hauser's conversion to the Spanish tradition because it is sometimes told places the stress on what he learned from these nice Spanish luthiers, very little attention has been paid to what Hauser himself contributed by method of the German tradition he inherited by birth. Hauser was himself the son of a luthier, Josef Hauser (1854-1939), and attended the State faculty for Violin creating in Mittenwald as a youth. To become a luthier, one had to pass a state exam that coated all aspects of the luthier's art, and Hauser's examination master was Johann Otto Haslvanter, a famous guitar and zither maker in Munich.

      Whereas Hermann started his career by building zithers by 1905 he was additionally creating guitars shortly afterwards, largely based mostly on the Viennese models – notably of Stauffer. Following his graduation, he visited work within the Amberer's look, a family of luthiers who had been building for many generations. However, by the time of Segovia's and Llobet's visit Hauser had established his own look, and had developed a superb name for his precise work building guitars, lutes, lyre-guitars, and historical reproductions.

      Whereas justifiably Hauser's name rests on some 250 instruments that he engineered between 1925 and 1952, he had by 1924 maybe already created 250 guitars within the German tradition. Today, the Hauser I instruments most coveted by performers and collectors are 

those that clearly resist on the Torres style however are imbued with the precision (in each craftsmanship and quality of tone) of Hauser’s “Teutonic engineering principles” to yet again quote the famous and extremely apt words of Julian Bream.

     The Hauser tradition has remained alive continuously to the current day, the torch being passed down through the descending generations, next of whom was Hermann Hauser II (1911-1988), another of the twentieth centuries most significant and gifted builders. His son, Hermann Hauser III (b.1958) is presently the living heir of the family tradition however is currently ushering within the fifth generation: His daughter, Kathrin Hauser, completed her opus one this past year.

Manuel Contreras Guitar of Spain.

Story of  Manuel Contreras Guitar

Manuel Contreras

     Manuel Contreras, born in Madrid in 1928, entered the guitar making profession from the exalted position of being a much sought after cabinet maker.

     It was Jose Ramirez the third who in 1959, and knowing of Contreras's reputation, invited him to join his guitar workshop. Within three years he had developed his craft sufficiently to set up as an independent guitar maker in Madrid.

Then, in 1962 Contreras set up on his own at number 80 Calle Mayor.

     Although Contreras should not be considered as being a luthier opposed to tradition, as his primary model, the 1st Special guitar, is firmly based on the development of the traditionally accepted ideas of construction, his inquisitive character led him to work, from the early 70s, on a number of unusual instruments. A cursory investigation of his work reveals a maker who was much more open than many of his contemporaries to new ideas and developments beyond the traditional style of the classical guitar. An enthusiast for the unconventional.

     His first achievement, in this sense, was the design of the model "Double Top", which Contreras presented in 1974, after a number of experiments in order to improve the tone and the volume of the instrument and its capacity to get the sound out of the guitar body. The great reception this model rapidly got in the professional guitar world (the first Double Tops, were closely observed during their process of construction and afterwards used by the four mythical guitarists members of the Romero family) encouraged Contreras to continue with this innovative way of working, far away from the mainstream of classical guitar design.

     To this period also belongs the "Guitar-Harp", a very elaborated model in its construction, with a design of a great beauty and a very powerful sound. As well as the model "Alto-Guitar", a smaller instrument with a higher tuning than the conventional guitar. This instrument has been mainly sought after and appreciated, since then till our days, by the members of the prestigious Niibori Guitar Orchestra of Japan.

     Contreras constructed the "Carlevaro" model in 1983. Based on an idea of the Uruguayan master Abel Carlevaro, it incorporates a number of very original new elements, as the missing waist on the bass side and the lack of a sound hole on the harmonic top.

     In the mid 1980s, Contreras thought up the "Sounding Back Support", a design that he developed, already working side by side with his son Manuel Contreras JR, during some years, up to the moment when they definitively incorporated this item to their top line guitars. Thoroughly designed to improve the sound response of the guitar, especially in large halls, chamber ensembles and performances with orchestra, this item got an immediate success in the professional guitar world.

Manuel Contreras died in 1994.

It is now his son who continues the work he began.

     Born in 1957, Manuel Contreras the second, was trained by his father since he was very young and took over definitively the direction of the workshop in 1986.n Since then, he has continued the same line of work, not only because of the construction of the characteristic models of Contreras workshop, but also showing his innovative spirit inherited from his father, which has led him to widely develop different aspects of those models construction, as well as to introduce in 1998 the guitar with inner "Sounding Back Support".

     Contreras' work has deserved a number of awards and homages over the years in Spain and many other countries. And these have included those ones conceded by the Madrid Chamber of Commerce (Export award, Traditional Establishment and Traditional Artisan from Madrid), that from the Spanish Guitar School as Honorary Member, Friend of Madrid conceded by the Tourist Board, Main Master of the Artisan Guild of Madrid, and medals from Salon de Provence and from the city of Digne en France, among others. Although, doubtless, the main homage received is the large number of performers that everyday are sounding the Contreras Guitar on the stages all around the world.

Kamaka Guitar.

Story of Kamaka Guitar.

Koa Kamaka

    Soon, the end of the century, Samuel began Koa Kamaka Ukulele Kaialiilii in the basement of his Kaimuki, Hawaii to write home. In 1916 he established a one-man business, "Kamaka Ukulele and Guitar Works", and soon the reputation of producing high-quality ukulele.

     In 1921, Kamaka Ukulele set the store on 1814 South King Street. to define the mid-20s, Sam Kamaka Ukulele, a new model of the oval body. His friend said that it looks like pineapple, so a friend of the artist himself in front of the double-painted tropical fruits. A few years later, in 1928, patented Sam Kamaka. So begins the original pineapple ukulele, which sees the caller's voice, and they differ from traditional soft-eight. Pineapple Ukulele was a hit all over the world, and today the Kamaka ukulele.

     During the 30, brought her father to two sons, Samuel Jr. and make Federico, ukulele-unit, although only children in elementary school. In 1945 the company reorganized as a "Business Kamaka and children." Sam and Fred Jr. recruited into the army then, and after the Second World War, the brothers at the University of GI Bill. After graduating from Washington State University, Fred began his career in the army, and Sam Jr., MA and went to medical entomology Oregon State University.

     In 1952, illness, was the Lord himself a semi-retired and led his team to keep Lualualei Homestead Waianae. If you became seriously ill in the next year Sam Jr. dropped out of school and moved to Hawaii, is for his father. Sam's father died in December 1953 after the introduction of Koa ukuleles for over 40 years.

     Immediately after the death of his father, Sam Jr., aside personal career aspirations to continue the family business. Based on information he had learned from his father, Sam Jr. returned to the factory site has 1814 S. King Street. Five years later, in 1959 the company expanded its current location of 550 South Street.

     Kamaka and children in 1968 and became a "Kamaka Hawaii, Inc." After leaving the army in 1972, Father Federico joined the company as CEO. On the way son, Sam Jr., Chris and Casey, also became involved the child's father, Fred, Fred Jr., now the children have an important role Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. Chris is a production manager, Casey craft custom orders, and Fred Jr. . is an entrepreneur. Other family members are also to help young people, the company that is the tradition of the fourth generation Kamaka.

     Since the Kamaka legacy is completed, it is important to consider what the cabin. The basic philosophy of Kamaka Hawaii has always been sincere, but good advice from his father passed to his son Sam "If the tools and the names do not waste.