Eko Stratocaster (Not Exactly Brilliant...)

[@MrPolevaulter]

Check out more guitar reviews: kzbin.info/aero/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES Or some of my music: kzbin.info/aero/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s

[@superzult]

Thanks for this honest review 😄 I just bought an EKO Tero Relic Sunburst (Tele model) in a guitar shop, for only 300 Euro's. Expected it to be rubbish indeed but I was blown away by the light weight of the guitar (Paulownia body) and the resonance it has! Also the resin fretboard looks and feels like a very smooth ebony fretboard. Bridge pickup also has sqeual on this one, so a candidate for replacement. Splittable neck pickup is super nice, both in SC and HB mode 👌Nevertheless far more value for money than I expected and EKO guitars really surprised me.

[@emielhasselt2518]

I bought an EKO (vl480) guitar from my local music store. I'm happy I watched some videos on setups before I bought my first guitar because I knew what to ask. The shop owner was accually really happy aswell that I wasn't just picking a guitar without questions. He explained to me what he did and why he did it. He lowered the action, fixed the intonation, sanded the fret ends, fixed pickup hights, checked if everything was nice and thightly screwed down. He honestly told me that he didn't like the tuners but that it was something you could deal with (and after having it for several months it stays in tune for much longer than I expected). For my first guitar I have litteraly nothing to complain about. The only downside to it is that I now want a real les paul..

[@emielhasselt2518]

Ps: he even helped me with my first string change and the intonation and tension rod settings that come with it. The guitar had .8s and I went to .11s.. never would have figured out myself that those strings pull more on your neck

[@dvdbit1]

i just got a s 300 relic fiesta red,it feels and plays very good,i am not a beginner, just wanted a cheep strat style guitar,never had a cheep guitar, guitars are very individual ,same model can be very different also with expensive american pro fender, i went for squier affinity...it sounded more fender but not playble and inspiring like the eko relic strat,even just by looking at the squier i was turned off by the way to big head stoke ,you should try the relic,if you will get a good one like i did you will like it,s 300 was way to heavy in the store but the relic is very very light and i like it

[@Cut.thecrap.banddd]

I bought the exact strat that your using from a local guitarshop. I have to say that im very satisfied with my purchase. My local shop always sets the guitars up correctly before selling em so i havent had any issues yet.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Great to hear!

[@grene1955]

The tones, I thought, were great! As an experienced guitar player, I could deal with the issues at that price point. Of course, an experienced player would probably not be buying a guitar like that. So you're right...for a beginner, that a lot to deal with.

[@NikoConstantinidis]

Muy buena percepción del instrumento Elmo. Un abrazo desde Argentina!

[@brunomaddalena1575]

Honest review as always, my compliments Elmo! Buying online is always a gamble, the worst or the best instrument can come to you, you know, and this can also happen with the big brands... I bought an Eko S-300 Vintage online and for me it's very good, from the materials to the build quality, finish, sound and appearance. In my experience Eko is still a good brand, and although I'm Italian, my evaluation is impartial, I swear! 😃

[@MrPolevaulter]

😀

[@Barbarapape]

You have my sympathy Elmo, nothing is more frustrating that spending ages doing a setup only to find that you still have more issues to deal with. This guitar reminds me of the first guitar i bought as a complete beginner, it was a Squire Affinity Strat made in China to a very poor standard with rubbish parts and it hurt my hands trying to learn on it so after my first lesson with a tutor, he was so shocked that he came with me to return it for a refund. As you say, a beginner needs a guitar that is easy to play, not one that cuts your hands and sounds bad. Today with the skills to set my own guitars up, i will still return a bad sample with multiple issues. There are some good entry level guitars, finding a good one is the hard part!

[@Gimi.Endrics]

I recently purchased an Eko S-300V Vintage Sunburst and I must say it's an exceptional guitar. I'm absolutely delighted with it. It's in no way inferior to more expensive brands, and I highly recommend you try it if you have the chance.

[@mattsikes919]

Your face said it all Elmo. I give you credit because you always try to say something positive about the instrument and it's manufacturer even when it's not great. That thing looked like a kids toy guitar, sounded and played like it too from the sounds of it. Your playing is brilliant by the way. If you get a chance review the Ibanez RG421. I'm thinking of buying one and I'd love to see what you think.

[@Fawkes1978]

Great video as always, You are absolutely right about the fret sprout. I own Squiers made in both China and Indonesia that do not have this issue. And one of the ways they avoid it, is to shorten the fret tang before installing them as if you are fretting a bound fingerboard and then filling the tiny remaining slot with sawdust and superglue while dressing the fret ends. My made in Mexico and US Fenders have had more fret sprout than those. The problem with really inexpensive guitars is that you have to be the QC! It can make a good project guitar though... BTW, Have you considered buying one of those Thomann kits. I'm sure there are some people in your community who'd like an honest review of those...

[@daniellarson3068]

Yes - They look rather economical and Thomann seems to put out quality stuff. It would be interesting.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks! I have actually. Not gotten around to it yet though.

[@Fawkes1978]

@@MrPolevaulter Great, Looking forward to the video. Too bad Colin Scott already made the Furry Jazzmaster of Muppets! Though, Elmo is Sesame St. 🤔🤔🤔

[@TheDefJamm]

EKO are more of an acoustic manufacturer. They aren't known for their electrics. Their acoustics are actually made by them in Italy, but their electrics are licensed out for manufacture in China.

[@MrAntisound]

I got an old Eko superstrat and that is a fantastic guitar..they probably build cheaper these days to compete with Chinese rubbish guitars and that get's the quality down dramatically, Eko used to build very good guitars with stable easy to play straight necks. The body on my old superstrat is pretty solid too, weighs a ton and sounds absolutely brilliant, good pickups too..I'll guess i'll keep that and not buy a modern one.

[@guyfromnj]

There are def dishonest reviews on KZbin. That’s why I enjoy Elmo. He is honest.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers :)

[@CarloCanedoli]

Italian Style, (made in China), ciao ciao Elmo from Italy, I suggest you try the masterbuilts

[@Kadotus]

_"No beginners were harmed in the making of this video."_

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haha :D

[@eamonmcdermott4032]

Brilliant! You always make me laugh! Great playing, as usual.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers :)

[@spikeMMM]

The most authentic reviewer I've seen.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks!

[@Laionel76]

At this point, I consider buying cheap guitar online a roll of dice. One guitar I bought, had the neck not screwed straight in the neck pocket, not at all. Two others were pretty incredible considering the price, but quite a few frets were not dressed properly, which is not fixable by most players. The price to get that fix is almost the price of the guitar… Return policies are a your friend, they all were send back and I got my money back.

[@danieledandrea4320]

Nice review!! I actually both a Fazley Phynica 920, wao such nice guitar (besides I discovered is made out of plywood :/) They said 2 new series are coming out Outlaw and Sunset. Maybe you want to look into it

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks! I might, but I have a ton on the way at the moment.

[@kasper-jw2441]

beginner here! since last year september i started on a epiphone les paul 2 (that slash thing) as my first guitar. i am pretty happy with it, also... because its a cheaper guitar, i also started tinkering with it myself. put some thicker strings on it, filed the nut and all, and its a great rythm, riff metal machine for my level at least. but i also figured that its not that good to do leads or solos, (it doesnt bend) and now i feel a bit more confident to buy a second guitar. so i got my eye on a strat.... also saw those Eko's like in this vid. but i saw those Squiers, and they look like its a no brainer for the price and all. so my ultimate question is, should i pick a 200 bucks ish Squier over and Eko all day? i look for more playability. tuners that are a bit better then on my les paul and a bit better intonation maybe. my upfront thanks for anyone who replies to my question. cheers!

[@franciscoortega6291]

Hey what's up bro! If I had to think of an inexpensive guitar, the Indio Cali Dlx Plus model would come to mind. This is the older brother of the Indio Classic. The Dlx has a solid ash body, Wilkinson bridge and pickups and also comes in three colors, one flamed, the other light blue and wood for 230$. He could just be the older brother of Indio Classic or be the cacique (chief of the tribe) of various brands hahaha, it would be interesting to see him on the channel. This has horrible spelling, sorry for the translator

[@MrPolevaulter]

I did review the Indio Classic, and liked it.

[@franciscoortega6291]

@@MrPolevaulter I did see the video, but I meant to see the evolution of DLX PLUS like those of the harley benton sc550 and the sc550 II. (I understand that it could be a repetition of the same) take care 🤘

[@royerluissoto913]

You could try an acoustic guitar made in Italy and not made in China, because of the Eko they are very good guitars, it's a pity they don't do it like in the 70s

[@harryguitarandmore]

The Tuning Was still perfect after the whammy massaker-,) your playing is unbelievable great..by the way!!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thank you very much!

[@progste]

If you're a noob you should ALWAYS have someone who knows whaty he's doing to do the setup for you. Also spending 100€ more can get you something much better to work with and that may be worth keeping even when you're not a beginner anymore.

[@metalhead_1996]

Nice review! I also wanted to ask how to prep the nut besides using graphite?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Just that really, if the nut is made well.

[@metalhead_1996]

@@MrPolevaulter oh I thought there was more too it haha. Keep up the good man!

[@daniellarson3068]

This week's guitar seems to actually be Candy Apple red and not the Barn red of last week's guitar. Now I'll tell you some cheap and disgusting ways I've seen high and worn frets fixed from the amateur (beginner) corner. 1) Take all the strings off. Take a block of hardwood and set it over the high fret. Ensure it only contacts the high fret. Strike wood with rubber mallet. This may set the fret better. However, some fret filing may still be necessary. 2) Worn frets may be renewed by "tinning" with silver solder. It will require taping the fretboard and filing the silver solder upon completion. Silver solder is not as hard as fret metal, but it gets you by for a while. Those pickups certainly presented 50 cycle hum. I was surprised how different it sounds than North American 60 cycle hum. Do they shield paint or shield tape the cavities on cheap Chinese guitars? I've never bought a new guitar from a store. I would expect better. (Not the playing, the guitar.) Thanks again for another fine video.🙂

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thank you :)

[@impossivel2006]

I would love to see you review the new Blackstar St. James 50 6L6

[@MrPolevaulter]

Might do that.

[@impossivel2006]

@@MrPolevaulter Thank you

[@brucelangsteiner4599]

Yikes!! Hopefully beginners will watch this prior to purchasing. I really appreciate the way you do your reviews. You give a balanced perspective as compared to some other KZbinrs. Thanks!!

[@MrPolevaulter]

And thank you :)

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

Cheapest wood in the neck is a recipe for trouble. It can be fine when it leaves the factory and arrive all misshapen to the player, either twisted, bent or with frets poking out of place. I feel the guitar sounds dull as well, either through bad pick-ups, cheapest strings or both.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Yup.

[@johnnorth9355]

Eko were (in my opinion) the best of the cheaper acoustic guitars in the 60 and 70's. Not great sounding, heavy but with a nice playable neck and action. Living on past success is not a great plan.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Yup.

[@pitaorj]

I have a modern eko acoustic, eko evo d cw eq, and it is a well built, well specd cheap acoustic guitar. it is a pity the electrics aren´t in the same league.

[@progste]

Some of their slightly more expensive options are way better, try one if you get the chance.

[@renehernandez881]

I own one and it’s ok

[@kelleywhite5761]

Perfect reason to buy from your local Guitar Store

[@rachidbenfraj5183]

What's the pedal you used?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Strymon Riverside.

[@TheDefJamm]

.................sounds fine to me. A great guitarist can make a budget guitar sing and you do that here. I think the title of this video is a bit harsh as it seems like a great guitar for the money.

[@VitorMachadoProf]

Very nice explanation. I subscribed your channel. Cheers.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thank you :)

[@calbrockocat8728]

Entry level strats usually have tuner, electronics and pickup cheapness, but they can be made playable. This is another example of rushing something out to meet a quota. Poor guitar building. No excuses these days for producing crap.

[@kiro4723]

I want to buy this but really I'm just a beginner so I think it would work for me

[@donthousand7503]

the real cheap eko stratocaster is the aire lite

[@Harrythe1st]

I get the feel that the color is the best thing on this one 😅

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@Greywolf1066]

I have a 60s Eko electric,my favourite guitar. Shame.

[@nieko3038]

Shame. I own a 70’s Eko acoustic. Build like a tank and a great neck. Clicked because of the brand.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Yeah, it is a shame.

[@darthgibsonlp6631]

Besides the build quality issues...those pickups are hellish. Ice pick central.

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@dr.s.]

A little rant. Isn't it a bit the customers fault, that guitars in such a condition get sold? In the end people accept such crap because it's "cheap". First of all, a couple of companies have shown that guitars sub 200 bucks do not have to totally suck (see for example last weeks video). They sell working instruments, they look like a guitar (they even look nice), they funktion as a guitar, and they sound fairly good. And that's what you can expect when you buy a guitar, no matter the price. Anything else is not acceptable, it just isn't under no circumstances. Everything else could be sold as a preassembled DIY guitar kit but not as a guitar. The only thing you can do with such stuff is return it and request or better demand a guitar that works as a guitar at no extra cost. You have payed for it, it's not your fault if they can't do it for the money they took for it. Concerning fakery in reviews, I think it's more likely to be the companies side. As a KZbinr your highest value is your reputation and your audience. If you ruin that by recommending stuff that sucks in a fairly small scene as the guitar community, it can damage your reputation (and income) severely. And in a case like this there isn't even any way to justify the state of the instrument in any way besides it the one guitar of that type that should have never been sold. On the other hand I know cases where companies send out "pre-release demo units" for review that significantly differed from the actual production unit, there wasn't even the same stuff in the package. That's totally dumb. That also pissed of quite a few reviewers and some even refused to work with that company any more.

[@MrPolevaulter]

You might be on to something with what you said about reviewers.

[@anthonynicholson7364]

Not often i hear a guitar and wish i was deaf Elmo

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@ecam6687]

You are talking rubbish... Eko makes excellent guitars and they come set up, but even if they didn't set it up then the shop you bought it from is poor guitar dealers! they should never have sold you a guitar not set up, especially with string buzz. The wood on the neck is fine, even if you find it too dry then a little drop of Lemmon oil would easily fix that. I think you asked Eko for a free guitar to review and they refused so you just thought you'd bad review them.

[@MrPolevaulter]

No. They offered me $100.000, but I was offended that they didn't offer more, so I bought one of their guitars just to bash it. Or not.

[@christophkotter7406]

Top

[@williammorris7895]

Meh... you were just out to say bad things about this guitar. 👎

[@MrPolevaulter]

Why on earth would I do that?

[@dragonflames_official]

give me please that guitar y need one y dont have money

[@TheDarkmore]

Another bad=toocheap brand is Vision guitars ;-)

[@jasujokelainen5073]

First, again ❤️😁!!!

[@MrPolevaulter]

👍

[@artwhat..]

Hi..E, would look good on the wall,that's a nice red, cheep guitar body wood, plywood, pine,particle board? Watch out for the Russians..

[@moroboshi909]

absolutely pointless to review a 169€ guitar, whether it's an Eko or a Harley Benton or whatever. think about it, 169€ for a guitar that has to make someone a profit and pay people for material and labor. what are we talkin about? of course it's bound to sound and feel cheap. i really wonder what the purpose of these videos are. use it as firewood, bro. what's the flippin point? and to those who are gonna say "yeah but there are guitars that with the same money deliver better" i say: ok go for it but your kid ain't gonna stick forever to that piece of crap anyway, he/she's either gonna mod it and play art noise or punk or just dump it in the dumpster. rather put and extra 100 bucks in the budget and help your kid get some underrated vintage japanese guitar from the 60s

[@RickMichaelis63]

Once again Elmo, you can make even the crappiest guitars sound awesome 👏 👍👍😎🎶 thanks for the review brother! Send the damn thing back😂🤣

[@MrPolevaulter]

I gave it to a kid with no money who wants to play :)

[@RickMichaelis63]

@@MrPolevaulter That’s why I like you so much Elmo you’re a very generous man I can tell by how much time you take out of your life just to make these videos thank you very much I truly appreciate it

[@leonline3424]

At that price you can't pretend more, to me it's good enough.

[@Dicktopus]

My first guitar was a Dimavery strat. It was about 50 euros as new 😅

[@kipponi]

My first was Höfner strat copy black and white.

[@MrPolevaulter]

My first one was an East German Lead Star. No idea what it cost.

[@kipponi]

Mulla on muistikuva 50mk. Tämä oli 80-luvun alkupuolella. Kaverilta ostin täys paska kielet sen 1cm korkeella. Seuraava oli Cimar strato kopio !? Aivan ynkkä straton värinen. Se oli jo kitara.