Here for sale we have a Patrick J.Eggle Redwing Custom Ventura electric guitar in Amber finish. Patrick James Eggle is one of the UK's most celebrated luthiers. The company that shares his name was founded in the early '90s, and garnered acclaim for models such as the Berlin & the Vienna. Around 1994 he moved to the US, hand-making acoustic and archtop guitars alongside his new Redwing brand. Eggle returned to the UK to produce acoustic instruments for the likes of Jake Bugg & Frank Turner. He has subsequently been involved with brands such as Faith and Shergold, with his Faith guitars earning several 'Guitar of the Year' awards. 
 
Made in the USA in 1997, this Redwing Custom Ventura is a particularly rare example of Eggle's work from the mid-late '90s, differing substantially from the Ventura Standard, which is itself quite rare. A bolt-on construction is employed, and comprises an Alder body with a Carved Flamed Maple top, Maple neck and 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard. The fingerboard is inlaid intricately with Abalone & Mother of Pearl in an attractive 'Falling Leaves' motif, whilst the top is bound in white and features multi-stripe purfling. Chrome hardware is fitted including a hardtail string-through body bridge and locking tuning machines. A trio of Tom Anderson pickups are installed in an HSS configuration, with an H2 humbucker in the bridge and SD1 single-coils in the neck and middle positions. These are wired to independent 3-way toggle switches and master volume & tone controls. 
 
The Maple neck plays beautifully, with a profile which might be described as a slim 'C' shape. This is well suited to a wide range of playing styles and techniques, and provides a smooth and responsive playing experience across the register. Whilst certainly on the slimmer side, the neck refrains from feeling too thin; retaining a pleasant character and inspiring confidence in your grip. The Rosewood of the fretboard is pleasant under the fingers, and with its 16" radius is practical for rhythm parts, lead lines and string bending alike. The carved top and generous body contours enhance comfort, ensuring that long gigs and playing sessions are a breeze. 
 
Amplified, the trio of Tom Anderson pickups installed in this guitar deliver an impressively diverse range of sounds, with independent control of each pickup ensuring that you can easily dial in the perfect tone in any musical situation. The H2 in the bridge is nice and hot, and can drive an amp into a beautifully throaty overdrive or even a heavy distortion when required. The neck and middle positions are tighter, with a smooth tone from the neck and a nicely bright and snappy funk sound from the middle. Each of the mini toggle switches offers three options, which in the neck and middle positions allows you to select hum cancelling, off or normal modes. A similar choice is offered in the bridge, however the hum cancelling mode is replaced with a coil tap option. In addition to these already extensive options, the fact that each pickup is controlled independently means you can create pickup combinations which are not typically possible on guitars with more traditional switching systems. A very rare example of some of Eggle's finest work, beautifully preserved for almost 30 years. 
 
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.