Patrick Eggle but not Patrick Eggle’s Eggles...circa 2005

imalrightjack

Has anybody played or owned anything from this rather confusing era? Long after Patrick sold the company, with very little information around. I’m surprised to see that they still have an active website!

This is the brochure but says 2005, so all a bit odd:

http://www.patrickeggleguitars.com/Eggle%20Brochure%202005LR.pdf

octatonic

Yes he left that company in 1994- I can't remember who bought it but they haven't done that much with the brand.
They had a small but determined base of followers but it has largely petered out, I think.

Patrick now builds under the name Patrick James Eggle, in Oswestry- for a while he was doing acoustics but he is back doing electrics now.
When I did my lutherie degree he was kind enough to allow me up to his workshop and I interviewed him for a couple of hours for my dissertation- this was before he was making electrics.

imalrightjack

@octatonic Gordon Tilley took it over, I believe. And it’s these specifically that I’m interested in. 

PJE’s new guitars are terrific. 

Funkfingers

A music shop in my town had a pre-owned L.A. model on display.

Somebody I know bought it but rapidly traded it back in for something else that he considered to be more exciting. I had a very brief go on the thing. The build quality was fine but I would not have swapped my PRG EG II for one.

I can PM you the telephone number of the shop.

imalrightjack

@Funkfingers Just curious to know people’s experiences really. I’d be interested in knowing price though. Thanks!

Funkfingers

Lack of competition causes that shop to set prices a tad on the ambitious side. My recollection is that they wanted the best part of five hundred Pounds for the L.A.

I shall have to visit the shop to check whether they still have the guitar and the price tag.

BeardyAndy

This just looks like his pre-PRS buy out catalogue?

imalrightjack

@BeardyAndy That’s from 2005, long after PJE had left. 

Musicwolf

I've had my 93 Berlin Pro since new (that would have been built when Patrick was still at the helm).  The factory was in Coventry.

In the latter half of the 90's (96 or 97) I visited the factory and had my guitar set up by them. Patrick had moved on by then.

Some time later they moved production to Birmingham.  The range seemed more or less unchanged (as did the website).  I've seen them at the NW Guitar show the last 3 or 4 years and I've spoke with Gordon Tilley on the last couple of occasions.

I can't comment on the quality of the later production but my '93 is the guitar that I'd save if the building was burning down.  I've turned down many offers from people wanting to buy it.

guitars4you

Andrew Selby, a business man, purchased the company when Patrick was still part of the business - Patrick left in 1994 as the company was changing in a direction he did not 'approve of'  - Andrew established a new factory in Coventry with the aim of establishing PE Guitars to be as dominant as PRS - More products and far more dealers - Andrew even tried to attract additional funding with guitar customers able to 'buy into the business'  

I can't recall the actual dates now, but towards the end of the 1990's dealer sales were not as high as the PEG Company required - As such Andrew decided to sell direct at lower prices - So a £1000 dealer price for an Eggle became something like £700 - Sales and profit was still no longer viable, so they had a 'bon fire sale' - That £1000 guitar now became something like £600

Eventually the company closed down the Coventry factory - I think for a while they were made in Birmingham at what was the Musical Exchange shop - later PMT - Dave Quill who owned Musical Exchange had some investment within the business in the later 1990's as well

I think during this period they had a couple of issues

One was the option list available on all/most models - As such, a more basic model, with upgrades became more expensive than a more elaborate model without the extras - This IMO was an issue when trying to establish which were the premium models - You won't find a PRS CE Maple Top selling for more than a Custom 22

The other was the selling direct, then followed by the 'bon fire sale' - For a while it seriously devalued the product - It turned a new £1000 Berlin in the mid 1990's into a new £600 Berlin by the late 1990's - Therefore a used Berlin down to around £450/400 - major devaluation for those who purchased the same guitar a lot earlier - This has all evaporated now regarding used values, but at the time it was an issue trying to price a used PE

I think Gordon took over somewhere around 2002

imalrightjack

@guitars4you Do you know much about quality, etc. since 2002? And are they still producing? Their Facebook page has posts from the last couple of years, with one chap in particular playing an LA Custom, but no details on what they actually make or sell, if anything. All a bit odd. 

blobb

I bought one in about 2002/3.

The remnants of the old stock and the early Tilley stock (affectionately called Tiggles) ended up in TME in Coventry. I played a few and bought a Tiggle as it was the one that stood out for me at the time. I wasn't aware of the change of ownership. Whether there was any crossover during this transition period is uncertain but RevMatt will be along at some point to give the most definitive answer on this period. Tiggles can be identified by the gold lettering and end mounted jack plate with serial number. Body shape is slightly different.

It was a good guitar, well made very playable, no complaints.

What they are like now I can't say. 

guitars4you

imalrightjack said:

@guitars4you Do you know much about quality, etc. since 2002? And are they still producing? Their Facebook page has posts from the last couple of years, with one chap in particular playing an LA Custom, but no details on what they actually make or sell, if anything. All a bit odd. 

I see him at many guitar shows with a stand of 10/15 models - He may well be at Penrith this weekend - Not checked on that and not sure if you are going - I've have not actually sold or played one from 2002 on wards - If I get the odd trade in they tend to be from the 90's

Collings

Lots of great information on Patrick Eggles here but you do need to register and the focus is pre Gordon Tilley.

I've not played a Gordon Tilley model but I have heard some poor reports.

ICBM

imalrightjack said:

This is the brochure but says 2005, so all a bit odd:

http://www.patrickeggleguitars.com/Eggle%20Brochure%202005LR.pdf

Looking at the amps, I'm surprised it isn't 1975! They look like a cross between a 70s Selmer and a project from Practical Electronics...

BeardyAndy

imalrightjack said:

@BeardyAndy That’s from 2005, long after PJE had left. 

Fascinating. I've been on his website but assumed it was just a relic of the "Legendary" era! I owned a 90s New York and currently (and always will) own a Stratford acoustic from when Patrick was still part of the mix, I used to frequent the Eggle forum but this is all new to me. Thanks for sharing.

imalrightjack

@BeardyAndy Yeah, bit odd. They’re at a couple of the upcoming shows but sadly not Cumbria. I’ve acquired their latest price list, which I’ll upload later 

AuldReekie

imalrightjack said:

Has anybody played or owned anything from this rather confusing era? Long after Patrick sold the company, with very little information around. I’m surprised to see that they still have an active website!

This is the brochure but says 2005, so all a bit odd:

http://www.patrickeggleguitars.com/Eggle%20Brochure%202005LR.pdf

Has anyone ever come accross an Eggle amp?  I certainly haven't.

ICBM

AuldReekie said:

Has anyone ever come accross an Eggle amp?  I certainly haven't.

I suspect they never made it into production and the pics are just for 'illustrative purposes'. If you look carefully at the pics of the 2x12" cab and the 2x12" combo you can see that they're actually the same - the grain patterns in the wood are identical .

There's so much pseudo-technical nonsense in the description it's almost funny too... basically almost everything in it is wrong!

imalrightjack

@icbm you’re wrong, for a change 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F143325638114

imalrightjack