Anyone who’s played one of UK luthier Patrick James Eggle’s instruments knows how beautifully conceived and constructed they are. Pat knows what makes a great guitar, so doesn’t spare the horses when it comes to seeking out the finest parts and materials to do so. And with an eye for refining past designs to his own highly critical tastes and unimpeachable standards, he has created a small but select range, of which the 96 is a stalwart.
Patrick first got to know Jamiroquai’s guitarist Rob Harris after Rob bought one of his Oz models from MusicStreet in Huntingdon, UK. Rob posted online about his new acquisition and the two got talking. “Rob was looking for a replacement or addition to his Squier JV Strat,” Pat told us, “something that shared the unique qualities of the guitar he’s been playing for years.
It still needed to be an S-style guitar but with a darker, bigger sound.” The two sat down to discuss the project and although what they came up with was not exactly groundbreaking timber-wise, there are a couple of nice twists. The alder body has been specially selected for its light weight, while the neck is an attractively figured piece of roasted maple topped off with a 304mm (12-inch) radius, dark rosewood fingerboard.
“This meant the basic ingredients were all in place from the start,” says Patrick. Rob also wanted Stuart Robson from Sunbear Pickups to be involved, so the two spent the afternoon together with his old Squier JV, going through the t.