(Here are only mentioned features that were subject to change in the course of time)

Specific appointments of the first Eko 500s:

• scale length 632 mm (nearly 25”)
• no side fret markers
• body thickness 35 mm
• “Made in Italy” simply hot-stamped on back of headstock

1. The Early Months (1962 first half)

Those archaic versions share one or several of the following features:

• same black pickups as the 400 series
• waist and forearm contouring
• jumbo frets
• “spaghetti logo” (raised lettering directly glued on pickguard) or same logo as the 400 series
• Ekomaster vibrato assembly
• non-trem version with same tailpiece as the 400 (with two exposed bolts on top and two others on body back)

• early years
• french advertising
• pearl 4V Ekomaster - contoured
• pearl 2
• champagne 4V - (Ekomaster tremolo)
• white/ivory
• unusual blue back
• gold 4 ,spaghetti logo, black pick-ups
• blue pair - Ugo
• pearl 2

2. Classic 1962 Version (from mid-1962 to early 1963)

• classic “biscuit” logo (one-piece black and white plastic moulding)
• vibrato mechanism fastened to a large chrome plate
• non-trem version: tailpiece has no exposed bolts on either side of body

• Starling Gold 3V
• Starling spaghetti 3V
• gold 4V
• red 4V
• gold 2
• blue 1
• red 1
• bleu 4V
• blue 2 golden pickguard
• blue 2 golden pickguard
• Pearl 4V golden pickguard
• pearl 2V
• pearl 1
• Rex 4V

3. 1963 Version

• vibrato mechanism covered by a plastic plate that matches pickguard material
• side fret markers along neck binding

In the course of this generation body thicknesses tend to increase from 35 to 38 mm, while the slot-head screws previously used to fasten pickups and selector to scratchplate are substituted with unslotted screws (they look like rivets).

• Starling 4V - Jack
• Spaghetti 4V
• Golden Spaghetti 4V
• gold 4V
• pearl 4V - Ugo
• red 3V
• red 4V
• gold 4V Scott
• 520 4V

4. 1964 Version

• new surface-mounted vibrato assembly, known as Model 101
• “Made in Italy” is a white stenciled scroll banner
• back of the neck is sprayed in a sort of greenish sunburst
• black plastic pickup surrounds are added
• scale length reduced to 628 mm (24.3/4”)
• body thickness decreases from 38 to 36 mm
• one-pickup configuration (500-1) is discarded

The very first generation from early 1962 is quite rare. Interestingly the few specimens we have been informed of are equally distributed between Europe and North America, which suggests that LoDuca began selling some 500’s in USA earlier than generally alleged, or that those guitars were marketed through other distributors (the unknown ones who imported the 400 series to the U.S.).

Production was discontinued in the course of 1965. There are some extremely rare late models featuring a neck with dots instead of propeller inlays and a natural finish on the back, or even a 820/Condor neck.

About equally prevalent on the vintage market are the three main generations of 1962, 1963 and 1964, the earliest one being a little less common due to its shorter production life. There are remarkably almost no transition types between those main types.

• Lord Bizarre
• 45 rpm
• gold 4V (Ugo)
• gold 2V
• Pearl 4v red back
• bleu V
• pearl 4V
• pearl 4V
• aged pearl 4V
• red pair - Ugo
• red 4V "la prima"
• red 4V
• red 4V unusual pickguard
• nocciola 3V
• nocciola 3V
• nocciola 4v
• silver 3V
• silver 3V
• silver 3V
• black 4V
• blue 3V unusual neck

Basses - model 1100

• early
• hazel nut
• gold champagne
• gold 1962/63
• red
• red - Ugo
• pearl
• spaghetti
• spaghetti
• gold
• gold pickguard