Hagstrom resurrection!

[neepheid]

A work colleague asked me to see if I could resurrect this poor old Hagstrom. The pics say it all:







The electronics have all been ripped out, the pickup(s) are wired straight to a horrible homemade output socket.

Does anyone here have any knowledge of these basses? What is it? I think it's an H-IIB. How old is it? The serial number is 678047. Anyone got schematics? In any case, I'll keep you updated on the progress of this project.

Wish me luck!

[neepheid]

OK, found the schematics.

[url="http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/Schematics/Schempics/HagstromIIB-1966.jpg"]http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/Schematics/Sche...romIIB-1966.jpg[/url]

Edited September 3, 2007 by neepheid

[neepheid]

T-Cut is the stuff to have!

[nedsbeds]

I can't for the life of me think why more bass manufacturers don't use selotape to hold the electronics in!

At least the previous owner made some attempt to get rid of the sunburst. I personally can't stand it
Apart from cosmetics, what sort of shape is it in?
Good luck with it!

[neepheid]

[quote name='nedsbeds' post='57580' date='Sep 8 2007, 11:11 PM']I can't for the life of me think why more bass manufacturers don't use selotape to hold the electronics in!

At least the previous owner made some attempt to get rid of the sunburst. I personally can't stand it
Apart from cosmetics, what sort of shape is it in?
Good luck with it![/quote]

I'm in the "do it right or don't do it at all" camp, I'm afraid. This particular model would also have had a complementary sunburst neck (evidenced by the presence of pink undercoat), and I think it would have looked rather fetching. But "some attempt" is a polite way of putting it - it looks like they used a cheese grater to take the finish off. OK, I exaggerate - but I'm not calling that sanding

Well, the neck looks straight, and it played well enough before I took it apart. There are no electronics apart from the pickups and that godawful home made jack. I was a little worried about the wood at the back beginning to come apart at a join (it's made up of about 8 pieces), but the slight difference of height opinion has been sanded out.

Anyway, I have been busy this weekend, but I managed to get some work done:




The neck was filthy. It's cleaner now - need to get the lemon oil on the case, but a bit of flash photography gets the message across:



The owner has decided to go with white, which I think will look very spiffy indeed:



(Picture courtesy of the UK Hagstrom pages, and specifically John Casselman's "[url="http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/visstory/joncasselman.htm"]wall of Hags[/url]")

[neepheid]

It's been a while, I've been off the radar with tonsilitis recently and my builds have suffered as a result. So I got back in the workshop today and did some more sanding, it's all sanded to 80 grit except for the horns. I got a headache and decided to quit (party last night, oops).

Also forgot to mention a while back that I got some suitable switches for the pickguard and mounted them. It's looking much better now that all the holes have been filled





Not a very exciting update, but I wanted to put something up.

[billynoband]

I have to admit they are interesting. My plastic covered one in my avatar abouve eventually went on Ebay for around £80, well battered,cracked and with a pickup missing and other electrics. The neck was in good condition though but not full size. I think the length went into the thickness because it was as thick as a cricket bat. I suppose a collector or restorer bought it.
Good luck with that, they look great restored.
p.s found it at the tip for a tenner.

Edited November 13, 2007 by billynoband

[neepheid]

[quote name='billynoband' post='87850' date='Nov 13 2007, 01:35 PM']p.s found it at the tip for a tenner.[/quote]

Ha, I dream of finds like that.

Thanks for the good wishes. Progress will be reported here

[neepheid]

Smooth and ready for finishing:






I've ordered some cans of nitrocellulose lacquer for the finish (from Manchester Guitar Tech, after I was impressed with pictures of the results that customers were getting) and I finally managed to get hold of a guy in Sweden who could supply me with a couple of missing parts which are very difficult to get hold of (jack plate and a waterslide Hagstrom logo for the headstock).

Getting closer...

[Muppet]

This is looking great and I think white is a top choice! I love Hagstroms so am watching this with great expectation, nice one!

[GreeneKing]

Hagstrom rescue A great thread.

Peter

[neepheid]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. It's a shame I'm not getting to keep this one, the neck is so fast and slim it's unreal. It's so thin I was scared I would sand through it

It's also got me thinking that I should get some short scale action into my bass diet. Y'know, for variety.

[neepheid]

Good and bad news:

Good news: nitro lacquer arrived. Hagstrom headstock logo arrived from Sweden.
Bad news: they sent a NECKPLATE instead of a JACKPLATE. Arrrrrgh!

How frustrating!

However, it won't hold up the works too much. I'll be spraying/curing lacquer while I sort out the neckplate/jackplate confusion.

Still, arrrrgh!

[neepheid]

Just thought I'd post here to let you know that I haven't forgotten about this one. It's been cold up here for the past few months - too cold to do spray finishing in my opinion - I have no access to proper heated indoor facilities. But I have found a few more potential suppliers of spares, so I've made some enquiries and hopefully I'll be able to locate the items I need.

[neepheid]

Indirect progress: I've been practicing my spraying and I will be ready to start on the neck soon. I feel quite confident now because I've done this for my Franken.P.Bass:



Also I've just scored a wreck of an old Hagstrom on eBay, which should yield the parts I'm most desperately needing (like that dastardly jackplate).



So, things are slowly moving on

[7string]

Like the new logo !!

What a great thread as well. Hopefully, the weather will get better so you can get the Hagstrom finished...

[paul, the]

This is such a cosy thread.

[neepheid]

Well, the beat up Hagstrom finally arrived (grr, VAT man got me this time) and had yielded a plethora of parts including the holy grail, yes:



One Hagstrom jack plate c/w screws finally in my possession! Also got many other screws I was missing, like the proper pickup height screws which then liberated my missing pickguard screws (yes, someone had used them as pickguard height screws - no wonder they didn't grip beyond a certain tension)



It doesn't seem like a lot, but to me it makes all the difference having completeness. In time I'd like to find more round headed machine screws for the switch mounting in order to fit with the period, but they'll do just now.

Before I disappeared on holiday, I started lacquering the neck, and I've just applied the Hagstrom logo to the headstock:



It looks a lot more businesslike now. More lacquering to do here. Hope to have a finished neck over the course of the next week. The old beat up Hagstrom also could yield some shinier machine heads than the current ones, so another win there

[Old Horse Murphy]

[quote name='neepheid' post='170133' date='Apr 5 2008, 09:27 AM']Well, the beat up Hagstrom finally arrived (grr, VAT man got me this time) and had yielded a plethora of parts including the holy grail, yes:



One Hagstrom jack plate c/w screws finally in my possession! Also got many other screws I was missing, like the proper pickup height screws which then liberated my missing pickguard screws (yes, someone had used them as pickguard height screws - no wonder they didn't grip beyond a certain tension)



It doesn't seem like a lot, but to me it makes all the difference having completeness. In time I'd like to find more round headed machine screws for the switch mounting in order to fit with the period, but they'll do just now.

Before I disappeared on holiday, I started lacquering the neck, and I've just applied the Hagstrom logo to the headstock:



It looks a lot more businesslike now. More lacquering to do here. Hope to have a finished neck over the course of the next week. The old beat up Hagstrom also could yield some shinier machine heads than the current ones, so another win there [/quote]

Mate I wish I had the talent and patience to do something like this- great job as always

[neepheid]

[quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='170138' date='Apr 5 2008, 09:40 AM']Mate I wish I had the talent and patience to do something like this- great job as always[/quote]

Man, talent doesn't come into it really - I'm a beginner. Completed instrument count = 1. Jobs completed for other people = 1. Customisations complete = 2. Projects currently simmering = 3.

It does take patience, but I find all the physical time consuming stuff like sanding rather theraputic. Routing is a bit scary when you're doing it to someone else's gear Lacquering is a bit boring, it's all the waiting around for drying time. When I go to the workshop to do lacquering, I take a bass with me these days so at least I can get some practice in while I'm waiting

I'm very lucky to have snagged a place to work undisturbed. I also am lucky to have my dad to ask for advice on things, he's the sort of person who would rather do a job himself than get a tradesperson in ie. handy at most things. I still do routing out at my folks' place because dad has a workmate (must get one of my own) plus routers are bloody noisy things, so I prefer to do that out in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks for the kind words

[ped]

Superb work. You have my admiration too. Keep the updates coming.

[thylacine23]

I take my hat off to you mate, thats a fine job you done there, be mighty proud of it.

Wait till you do one for yourself, a keeper like, thats when you fall in love, ?????

excellent work , Il have money you do more, Mark

[neepheid]

I wish I could keep it. Hopefully I'll get visiting rights

I've been lacquering up the neck, it's starting to look nice and satin-y:




Thanks for all the support, it is greatly appreciated.

[paul, the]

That looks [b]so[/b] good.

And this thread is still cosy. hot chocolate and e-cookies anyone?

[BassBod]

Its great to see an old bass, without great "investment potential" get this sort of treatment. Good luck with the spraying, and don't breath that stuff..

BB