Patrick Eggle Guru - serial number info

guitars4you

Sorry, but I can't recall who it is, that is the Eggle guru on FB - About to acquire 2 Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro's and need help on the serial numbers to get a date of birth

BP292593  and  B2931562

Thanks for any help my way on this one - suspect one is 92 and the other 93

Jonathangus

@RevMatt ;

Collings

Some good info on PEG here but you might need to register:


http://www.patrickeggleguitars.org/smf/index.php

RevMatt

Yep, 2x early Berlins there. The one with the BP prefix is a Berlin Pro (with trem) from Feb 1992. The B prefix is a hardtail Berlin from Feb 1993. If you a add pictures I can tell you more, but the Berlin Pro should have SD pickups and probably has no volute behind the nut - these early ones are reputed to have had hand carved necks. It should also have a rectangle case. The 93 Berlin probably has Kent Armstrongs and a Hiscox case .

guitars4you

you are a star @RevMatt ; -  not finalised the deal yet - but yes one is a stop tail with maple leaf inlays on an ebony board and appears to be a Berlin Plus - Berlin only on the headstock facia and Plus on the truss rod cover - With SD pick-ups and a Hiscox case

Not had info on the Berlin Pro yet but appears to have an oblong case

Thanks for your help

AuldReekie

RevMatt said:

Yep, 2x early Berlins there. The one with the BP prefix is a Berlin Pro (with trem) from Feb 1992. The B prefix is a hardtail Berlin from Feb 1993. If you a add pictures I can tell you more, but the Berlin Pro should have SD pickups and probably has no volute behind the nut - these early ones are reputed to have had hand carved necks. It should also have a rectangle case. The 93 Berlin probably has Kent Armstrongs and a Hiscox case .

Interesting; must have changed their "style" of serial numbers as my BP from '92 has following serial no: M92000528BP

Collings

AuldReekie said:

Interesting; must have changed their "style" of serial numbers as my BP from '92 has following serial no: M92000528BP

Yes they did change the numbering system and this is the earlier version.

From memory:

M was the month (A to M with I omitted) so M =Dec, 92 is the year and BP being the model (Berlin Pro).

ArchtopDave

RevMatt said:

Yep, 2x early Berlins there. The one with the BP prefix is a Berlin Pro (with trem) from Feb 1992. The B prefix is a hardtail Berlin from Feb 1993. If you a add pictures I can tell you more, but the Berlin Pro should have SD pickups and probably has no volute behind the nut - these early ones are reputed to have had hand carved necks. It should also have a rectangle case. The 93 Berlin probably has Kent Armstrongs and a Hiscox case .

The Necks were carved by hand in those days. Mark Bailey learnt his trade at Eggle back in the days when Patrick Eggle owned the company. Mark ended up being responsible for the Neck finishing.

@guitars4you : Regarding the Serial Numbers, Patrick Eggle is still alive and kicking, and I imagine might well help if you contact him.

AuldReekie

Collings said:

AuldReekie said:

Interesting; must have changed their "style" of serial numbers as my BP from '92 has following serial no: M92000528BP

Yes they did change the numbering system and this is the earlier version.

From memory:

M was the month (A to M with I omitted) so M =Dec, 92 is the year and BP being the model (Berlin Pro).

Interesting, as my BerlinPro made in December 92, has a lower serial number (528) than @guitars4you model (593) which was made in February the same year.

RevMatt

Collings said:

AuldReekie said:

Interesting; must have changed their "style" of serial numbers as my BP from '92 has following serial no: M92000528BP

Yes they did change the numbering system and this is the earlier version.

From memory:

M was the month (A to M with I omitted) so M =Dec, 92 is the year and BP being the model (Berlin Pro).

This is all spot on, except there's probably a number wrong in one of the examples given as the later format (model/month/year/production number) didn't operate concurrent to the early system (month by letter/year/production number/model). In the examples given, AuldReekie's 528 is definitely some time earlier than Mark's 593. The number stamps can look a bit vague so it's easy to get a digit wrong.

AuldReekie

RevMatt said:

Collings said:

AuldReekie said:

Interesting; must have changed their "style" of serial numbers as my BP from '92 has following serial no: M92000528BP

Yes they did change the numbering system and this is the earlier version.

From memory:

M was the month (A to M with I omitted) so M =Dec, 92 is the year and BP being the model (Berlin Pro).

This is all spot on, except there's probably a number wrong in one of the examples given as the later format (model/month/year/production number) didn't operate concurrent to the early system (month by letter/year/production number/model). In the examples given, AuldReekie's 528 is definitely some time earlier than Mark's 593. The number stamps can look a bit vague so it's easy to get a digit wrong.

Thanks for explanation. MY BP Pro is a superb example; fantastic neck. My tech has made a couple of mods - (a) replaced the Wilkinson trem with a standart strat trem; never liked the Wilkinson as I sometimes use open tunings and (b) added a Levinson Blade VSC giving options of passive along with mid/bass&treble boost options.  Combine these with p/up selector and coil taps and there are 27 switching options and all of them useable!

guitars4you

AuldReekie said:

Collings said:

AuldReekie said:

Interesting; must have changed their "style" of serial numbers as my BP from '92 has following serial no: M92000528BP

Yes they did change the numbering system and this is the earlier version.

From memory:

M was the month (A to M with I omitted) so M =Dec, 92 is the year and BP being the model (Berlin Pro).

Interesting, as my BerlinPro made in December 92, has a lower serial number (528) than @guitars4you model (593) which was made in February the same year.

will depend on factory to factory and/or maker to maker - But often serial numbers are either allocated at the point of order, but that doesn't mean the build takes place immediately for whatever reason - The order could be a number of guitars ordered by an international distributor, UK orders via various stockists/dealers, or even via the builder themselves for a forth coming guitar show/trade event etc -ie a number, or a batch of numbers allocated but build starts later 

Or the serial number is allocated at the point of 'build' but some guitars can be built quicker than others - Again for whatever reason