Eko Ranger 12 string project

tomjax · April 2023

Just seen this Eko Ranger 12 string on ebay if anybody might be interested in a doer-upper project. Great price, 65 quid, but I can't tell what's going on with the bridge.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225516463158?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=8fjqRpg9QV2&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=J_Q7ch0WT7O&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

ICBM · April 2023

Nothing major - I'm not sure what he thinks has been done to it, it looks stock. It has the usual cracks that they often suffer from along the second row of string pin holes - it won't come off though, the three massive rivets under the plastic covers will see to that

.

I would simply soak some superglue into the cracks and lightly sand the top of the bridge before it sets, so the dust goes into the glue and fills the cracks with glue/dust composite. You'll need to replace one of the pins, but these aren't too hard to find on Ebay - you need the correct one, not just for the look but they're a different size from standard ones. (I have a couple of spares if you can't find any, I think.) Press the broken end out from the inside with a coin or pick.

More importantly, the original and difficult-to-replace non-standard-spacing machineheads appear to be present and all intact.

It's a great price even with the minor damage, assuming the top hasn't started to warp around the bridge - although very difficult to tell for sure in a front-on photo, it doesn't look like it has.

Soupman · April 2023

Only trouble with fleabay is you can end up paying more than you intended if a few people are interested.
Those tuners look like they'd make hard work of keeping it in tune.
Good luck!

ICBM · April 2023

Soupman said:

Those tuners look like they'd make hard work of keeping it in tune.

Not at all, they work very well - the gears are much better quality than most cheap open-frame tuners, they have proper radiused pinions. The problem is that if the keys get bent (usually the two end ones), many people will chop the end of the plate off and fit a single tuner, since the post spacing is slightly smaller than any available standard set. The right solution is just to replace the keyshaft, but that requires being able to find one the right size... which usually means having a large collection of spare parts.

tomjax · April 2023

Soupman said:

Only trouble with fleabay is you can end up paying more than you intended if a few people are interested.
Those tuners look like they'd make hard work of keeping it in tune.
Good luck!

That’s a buy it now price, not an auction, so it will go for 65quid!

tomjax · April 2023

@ICBM ;I’ve got a lovely 12 string already, otherwise I might have been tempted. Always fun bringing a guitar back to full health.

Kittyfrisk · April 2023

Just came here to say exactly what @ICBM has said

The bridge should be fine with minor cosmetic work & I have a spare NOS bridge pin that if anyone here buy's it, they can have.
The tuners are among the most stable I've had, keeping my EKO 12 in tune for months without any need for adjustment.
The phrase 'bullet proof' gets applied a lot to describing guitars, but in the case of the EKO, it's true

I can't house another guitar, but if I did, this would be a candidate.

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Eko Ranger 12 string project

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