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New old bass day: Hagström Jazz Bass...


bassmayhem
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3]An old friend gave me a bass, partly functional, as a restoration project, just like that.[/size][/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3]It is an old Hagström Jazz Bass/Scan Bass. During a transition period the basses had different names, no names, a lot of different parts and pickups. This one has no labeling other than Hagström. My friend bought it second hand around '82. It was "rather beaten up and distressed" already. It is playable, but the electronics must be fixed. It is an early one, so it must have passed 40 by now.[/size][/font]

[color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3]I've straightened the neck and swapped bridge to an old Badass II. To my surprise the old pups work, even if I had to fasten the pole pieces and glue them with super glue. The only things I need to buy are screws for the pick guard and pups, and one and a half set of strap locks. (There are two strap buttons at the body end; perfect when putting down the bass...) The neck is FANTASTIC, btw. [/size][/font][/color]




[color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3]The pick guard is a piece of quality; three layer black-white-aluminium plate(!) making the bass heavily shielded and grounded.[/size][/font][/color]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3]Friends like this don't grow on trees...[/size][/font]

Edited by bassmayhem
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The body and neck are both mahogany. I feared they would make a midrangey tone, but it is as twangy - maybe even more twangy - as my old Fender J'78. I'd say it sounds like an ordinary Jazz Bass with Badass and DiMarzios. About the colour combo: the body and the neck are both the same colour, not only the face of the head. Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll get it ready to play.

Edited by bassmayhem
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Done!

The whole bass...

The body...

The head...

Southwards...

Double strap buttons - perfect for parking the bass...

The only thing not working is the tone control, be it the pot or the capacitor.
Probably change to a Stellartone ToneStyler. I'll change the disgusting plastic nut (original) to a bone or graphite nut too.
Yes, the pups are not exactly parallel. The neck pickup is slightly off axis. (Original Hagström vintage work...) Maybe I'll change them to
some black pups when I add the ToneStyler, just to make it look nicer. It sounds really good, though. Very snappy, despite the all mahogany design.
All metal parts except the tuning pegs are changed. Then just cleaning, polishing, oiling, wax on - wax off...

Edited by bassmayhem
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[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1416328520' post='2609102']
Something a bit different!
Nice to see old basses surviving and still being used

I saw a couple of Hagstroms - if my memory serves me - but don't think I ever saw one like this
What a great friend :)

Thanks for posting
[/quote]
Yes, most of the old Hagström instruments were kinda Mickey Mouse-ish. This was the first real solid body bass before the fantastic Super Swede bass. (The original name was just DeLuxe, but a British magazine called it Super Swede, hence the change of name...) :D
And - my friend is a gem. A gem in human shape! :happy:

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I'm sure I recall seeing at least one Hagstrom that looked like an SG?
Could be wrong, of course - as memories can be unreliable.... especially my ageing one!

One nice thing about seeing an old bass that can hold its' own today
Is that at one time, most musicians seemed to have a preconception that
you either bought a "big name American brand" - or you bought rubbish
Yes, there were some awful instruments out there at the time
.... but there was some good stuff out there too....

Your friend is indeed a gem of a pal
... I can't get a drink out of some of my pals! ;)

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Marc S, there is an old Haöström at the Bass Gallery, an HB8 eight string:
http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=2891&type=Bass%20Guitar
Maybe you understand what I mean with Mickey Mouse-ish... More genuine charm than a quality instrument...

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