Eko Vnos

The history of Eko

Founded in 1959 by Oliviero Pigini, the Eko brand rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s with its iconic guitars, accessible to all musicians. This brand, a leader in Italy, also became one of the largest European guitar manufacturers.

After more than 60 years of history and a few setbacks, the Italian manufacturer continues to offer an extensive range of inspiring products with an attractive quality/price ratio.

A great success story that continues!

The birth of The Beatles, the rise of The Rolling Stones: the 1960s were a fantastic breeding ground for the emergence of pop and rock legends. Italy was no exception to this musical wave that swept the world. The story of EKO begins around the same time, in Castelfidardo.

The company's first production included traditional acoustic guitars and small Archtop guitars. The brand's philosophy was to offer a complete range of affordable and quality guitars to the greatest number of people.

In the following years, Eko made tremendous progress in terms of technology and ventured into the production of electric guitars and keyboards. Oliviero Pigini, the brand’s founder, traveled through Germany and the United States, drawing inspiration from the latest innovations to apply in his Italian factory.

In 1967, Mr. Pigini passed away, and the projects slowed down, but never completely stopped. The keyboard manufacturing slowly took over. However, the production of guitars from Asia began to take a larger share of the global market, and Eko was not about to be left behind! Musically, bands like Pink Floyd and genres such as progressive rock gained momentum.
A new series of budget guitars was therefore launched, inspired by the most popular American models favored by guitarists.

In the 1970s, the Ranger acoustic guitar series became the heart of Eko's business, inspiring the greatest musicians of the era. The Ranger 12-string guitar remains the best-selling 12-string folk guitar in the world!

Today, the Ranger Vintage Reissue series continues to offer these 6-string and 12-string models, retaining the technical features and look of the original models that musicians love.

In the 1980s, Eko ceased its activities. However, the brand's guitars remain true icons, and Italian craftsmanship is at the core of their identity.

But this break was short-lived: in 1987, Oliviero Pigini's brother, Lamberto, took control of the company and worked to revive the Eko brand by restarting guitar production.

From then on, the company bounced back and once again embraced innovation. The year 2000 marked the launch of a new product line, the "Eko's Back" guitars. Made in the Czech Republic, these guitars are reproductions of the most popular vintage Eko models.

A little later, in 2005, Eko officially relaunched the production and distribution of both acoustic and electric guitars, with two levels of manufacturing: industrial and handcrafted, marking the range differences.

Today, the Eko brand has regained its former stature and even expanded it to new international markets. It now offers a wide range of products to meet the needs of all guitarists, from beginners to professionals.

The history of Eko