Eston -
Australia
- Ken Palethorpe
Eko acoustic guitars Rangers, 100 series and Classical series
were imported into Australia by Lamberti Brothers of Melbourne
under there own brand Eston not as Eko. The "TON" part
of ESTON is named after Tony Lamberti.
I had traced the Eston brand to Lamberti Bros, Melbourne. I spoke
with Mr Tony Lamberti who was an importer of guitars in Melbourne
for many many years importing from Italy and then from Japan. Mr
Lamberti is now in his eighties and his family still runs a music
store in Melbourne.
Melbourne has a very large Italian community
centred around Lygon street (A bit like Little Italy in New York).
He also ran a music school with over 250 pupils at any one time.
He had two radio shows on the then most popular station 3XY.
His company was an importer of Crucianelli piano accordions but
never guitars. He imported Eko Rangers, 100 series and classical
guitars all branded with his brand ESTON. [and Barracudas, Bouzouki,
acoustic basses.. ]
He
had other brands, Stella and Canora, which I remember as entry
level guitars. Mr Lamberti also sold thousands of banjo mandolins
of his manufacture. He said that after Oliveri Pigini's death he
moved more towards Japanese manufactured guitars including YAIRI.
He told me that the Australian importer of the
electric guitars under the Eko brand was probably Rose
Music which was know as Rose Morris until around 1966. Now Rose Music
was probably one of the largest music suppliers in Australia.
They were involved with the JMI products which may explain the
Vox / Eko / Crucianelli connection. Rose music are no longer,
Alan Rose died many years ago. Tracing the importer of the Crucianelli
built Elite brand currently (2007) points to another Italian
Australian Lou Topano.
Like Lamberti he ran a music and dance
school, Lou Topanos school of music,which was focused on television
production and was quite an influential figure. His daughter
Peta Topano is a well know actor. In my research into Australian
sold guitars and amplifiers of the 60s his name always crops
up when Elite brand guitars are mentioned as being the importer.
Ken Palethorpe

http://www.greatguitars.com.au/
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