Burning pound notes

maltingsaudio

Or it’s my guitar I can do what I like to it!

Another lockdown idea.  I am devoid of a Floyd equipped guitar at the moment and short of serious funds as it’s unlikely I’m going to get back to work in the foreseeable future.

However an Eggle LA has cropped up on eBay which isn’t the prettiest example of the breed but knowing how great the necks are and the body timbers are basically sound, and it’s not particularly expensive.I’m thinking take a router to the internals ( it has a scratch plate so no problem there) and make it HSH or HSS. Then take the router to the body in a possible monkey claw way and fit a locking nut and low pro edge.

So the questions are:

Am I going to Bollox a future classic

Am I going to spend an extra £400 turning a £400 guitar into a £200 one

Rules of engagement are: I don’t want to buy any other  guitar other than a Jem or Musicman Steve Morse both out of budget at the moment, and I’m an Eggle afficienado and the only other Eggles I can think of which were floyd equipped were the Climax which are as rare as hens teeth although the last one I saw for sale was around the £500 mark.

skullfunkerry

Dammit, I was all ready to spam the guitar I'm selling and you dropped that last paragraph on me  

I don't know much about Eggles, but I'm sure someone will be along in a minute to tell you that it's not a great idea... it seems like a lot of work & expense that you definitely wouldn't ever get back 

MikeS

I think @RevMatt ; might have something to say to you

octatonic

There are enough guitars out there in the spec you want.
I wouldn't do it.

Kittyfrisk

Seriously, if you take a router/chisel/chainsaw to an Eggle then it won't really be an Eggle anymore will it?
Also, I doubt that you will preserve, much less enhance any intrinsic value of the donor guitar.
However, as you started out by saying  ' it’s my guitar I can do what I like to it!'
So, do whatever you feel is right for you  
But... noooooo!!!!  

RevMatt

As a known Eggle fan, it might surprise people to know that I'm not going to berate this idea...

Whilst I would be cautious about applying fundamental modifications to a classic guitar, I am open to the idea of tweaking a guitar to suit your needs.

The guitar in question is, I suspect, the 1995 LA Classic 22 that's currently on eBay.

Personally, I don't view this particular example as an original incarnation of the LA, and the '95 Classic took on a much more traditional format. Therefore, if there was ever an Eggle that you could be forgiven for bastardising in this way, this would be it.

On the last point about other Floyd equipped Eggles, I've actually had a few - the most obvious model is the metal orientated Berlin Wall but there have been a few other custom models kicking around over the years...

Here's a particularly stunning example:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/140831/

ICBM

I don’t think the impact on the value is a major consideration since sadly I don’t think Eggles will ever be worth serious money...

But I don’t think it’s a good idea - because it will always be a bit of a bodge. There’s no way of fitting a Floyd completely cleanly since the original bridge post holes will always be there even if you fill them. Routing it for a humbucker or two is less problematic, but is unnecessary - fit a couple of Strat-size mini-humbuckers, that will get you most of the way to the sound and they’d be more in keeping with the era the guitar is from.

RevMatt

ICBM said:

I don’t think the impact on the value is a major consideration since sadly I don’t think Eggles will ever be worth serious money...

I think this is.probably very subjective depending on one's view of 'serious money'. However, in my experience of having owned more Eggles than I should admit to, they're actually very saleable with quite a good market.

Patrick's return to making electrics in the last 8 years or so has created new interest in the earlier Patrick Eggle guitars and prices have crept up a bit. That said, they still remain excellent value for money.

maltingsaudio

@RevMatt and @ICBM who knows what the relative value of eggles will be in future years, today the only really value able 50 year old vintage guitars are Martins Gibson’s and Fenders because they were the only ones of note which have survived ( Sorry Rickenbacker) I think in  50 years time that list of greats will be considerably larger.

Matt correct in identifying the donor guitar, they weren’t the best example so in my mind falls into generic I’ve got a fender let’s modify it category. The scars left by the “bodge” would’ve no more than some scars I’ve seen on various modded squires and fenders which some how seem to be character on them, less so on a less generic brand.

As to Eggles with floyds  and the example linked to just no! Phil made some great guitars Stuart Bulls being the pinnacle , but that one really fails on the headstock for me. The Berlin Wall Like the Wave was never an Eggle as far as I’m concerned

RevMatt

I knew you didn't like the headstock on the Norsworthy, just commenting that there have been quite a number of Eggles with Floyds other than the Climaxe.

If you can do a tidy job of a Floyd conversion go for it... I'd love to see the results.

maltingsaudio

@RevMatt  we’ll see how the listing runs!

prlgmnr

I feel like this circumstance calls for an RG550, the "poor man's JEM"/"JEM without all the horrible parts"