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I am conscious of saying 'Gorgeous' and 'Stunning' etc on many occasions.
I don't take back any use of such phrases, and will continue to find different examples
that stand up to the continued use of such excitement!
I've answered the questions and advised how good this is for a guitars made in 1968! | ||
Pictures by Michael Robinson, Utrecht |
This is a 2006 photo of a 1965 Hagstrom Viking
646950 - the first batch produced
Hi my name is Dan in California and I own a hag viking, I purchased this guitar in 1990 for a top price of $60.00 US dlls. from one of my college professors in Los Angeles. I don't know what he was thinking or he didn't know what he had but I fell in love since the moment I saw it and its by my side since, I always thought I will save it for my son but unfortunately he is a lefty so he doesn't play it I had to get a lefty guitar, I got the serial number (646950) can you tell me what year production. It is not in the best condition but it still sounds great and still plays the way a HAG should. HAG on. thanks. Doesn't look bad to me! |
Patrick from Belgium found his holy grail - and it was worth the quest..(Jan 2006) | Hello David, Remember me ? I was the guy looking for a good looking Viking. I managed to buy a beautyfull Viking II sunburst in the States. Has a serial # 680498, I think it must be from 1967. The guitar is really in magnificent condition, has practically no dings or scratches (even in the back !) and the neck is just perfect. As you can see on the pic, it has the famous 'Elvis'-tailpiece, has a gold decal and the first type of goldcoloured bridge. Toggle switch has a black plastic cap. There isn't any damage to the binding of the head, neck or body. The only thing which has suffered from time and playing are the pickups, which have lost some of their gold plating and are slightly corroded. I checked the area between the end of the neck and the neck-pickup as you suggested, and there is no trace of any repair. This is really a guitar that has spent most of his life in a closet or guitar-case, I guess. Best regards, Patrick. |
Then Patrick goes wild! It started out as a conversation about the various types of Viking models, around December 2005. Patrick then purchased a stunningly good Viking II from 1967 above (and for all those who do not know, that is not the humbucker model (1N), it is effectively the Deluxe model without the crossbar). But by March 2006 the bug had set in.. Just bought my second Viking ! Am I starting to become a collector now ? :-) The virus has got a hold of me I guess . It's a red Viking I, serial 646361. Must be one of the first ever made (in 1965 ?) I guess. The body was severely damaged, but I'm restoring it and I have all the original parts except for the pickguard which is broken in 3 pieces :-( The neck binding is missing (seems to be missing on a lot of these old ladies) and it will need new frets. Original pots but new wiring and non-original knobs. Anyway, I wonder if you have any idea what might have been the colour number of this beautiful cherry red colour, because I would like to repaint it in the original colour, if possible. I'd be very glad if someone could give me a RAL number or something which might enable me to reproduce this magnificent colour. Thanks for any help you can offer. Best regards, Mini militia money apk. Patrick. |
Hello again David, I managed to repair the old lady myself. It took me about 61 (!) hours all together, but if I see, feel and hear the result now, I don't regret the time I spent on this beauty. As for the paint, I was very lucky and found a colour that looks about 99% like the original. That is, if the old colour on the guitar was in fact the original. I painted only the body, not the neck, and you can hardly see any difference. The electronics are still working perfectly. There is no cracking or any other noise when you turn the pots. Before I put the harness back in, I made a schematic of the wiring, though I'm not sure if this is still as it was when it left the factory. The wiring is certainly not original any more but the pots look like the original ones. If I put both Hagstroms I and II aside, I can now see many differences. The V1 has a much wider neck made of rosewood while the V2 has a much smaller ebony neck. I must say that personally I prefer the V1 neck, since I'm used to play my Fender Stratocaster which has a similar neck. Anyway, the only thing I still need now is a 1N from the 70's to complete my Viking-family :-). I read somewhere on the internet that the american-reissues don't look and sound very authentic. By the way: do you happen to know any other Hagstrom owners in Belgium ? Best regards, Patrick. Well, there is Henry Telstar who appears around the site with a Corvette Automatic, an H8 bass, and probably a few others.. I can't remember now.. and yep there have been quite a few Belgian visitors over the years.. BUT HEY, most important of all, what a fantastic job you've done with this - one of the first Vikings to leave Älvdalen.As for your comment on more recent namesakes.. lets just say I'm not at liberty to comment fully!!! |
Is it a Prototype Viking? So, what we have is a 1967 Cherry Red Viking 1 with Bigsby. So you say, 'OK so what's so special, it isn't even a Hagstrom brand Bigsby unit. No that's not an issue at all, read on.. | ||
Yes typical fully bound Viking Neck - nice trim, a very popular colour, and owned by Dirk. | ||
Come on Dave, 'get on with it' you say. Well Dirk has been sharing this one with people's views for a few years now, and the general consensus is exactly in line with my own feelings. It was made in 1967. It was made at a time when the transition Vikings were about to appear in that batch to Canada | ||
Now, what other combination of Viking could there be? | ||
Nah, you say It's an HIIN (2 years too early) OK it's a 'Frankens.trom' (Nope) It does make sense with the above discussion, that Hagstrom tried out the idea, or put it together as a special, or prototype. When they did finally change to a new Viking, it sported the brand new D'Aquisto design headstock used on the Swede. |
hmmm.. New Hags.. well times change, and corporate identities become the big thing eh? So, there you have it - maybe 'one of a kind'? | |
The raised decal was used on the Viking1. This layout was on the H8 Bass. If it was an HIIN neck it would be a transfer decal placed horizontally.. | Like I always say though | The tuners are just like an HIIN. |
Very many thanks to Dirk for sending this one along! |
Michael Gelderwas interested in the history of his Viking.. and so was I!
..I have what appears to be a Viking 1N, however it has 'F' holes not 'S'.
The serial number is 53 925037. I have attached a couple of pics. Can you identify the year and model? Thanks Mike
Well this is indeed stunning (YES) The serial appeared at first to resemble batches made in around 1979 due to the prefix. Yet that headstock was typical of the early versions of the Viking1N in the early '70s. The wood is superbly flamed, and no wonder it was left 'natural' gloss in finish. And again the bound 'F' holes were more common on the later Vikings after years of using the 'S' hole shape.. |
Again the splendour and sheen that |
So, what is the truth about this one? |
The signs are there of something |
Once we established the actual serial number, it was confirmed. A special run of only 117 with top grade features from 1974-5. Not a Deluxe by name - no gold hardware, but very special and rare top quality spec confined to this small run. Wow! (Yes). Thanks for bringing it to s Mike! |
Thanks so much for taking time for me. I should have mentioned that I bought this guitar in either 1974 or 1975 and the guy I bought it from said it had been in his closet for a few years, I'm guessing that it is a 1971-1972. He said he did not play guitar but had a friend that played in a European band (We both live here in San Diego,California, USA), and the guy had two of them, ended up owing him some money and offered him one of the guitars as payment, he sold it to me then for $200 in perfect condition, and I still have it in the original case (see attached pic), so I can tell you for sure this guitar had to be made a few years before 1974-1975. I was also confused by some of the pics I've seen where it looks like the 1971 Viking 1N but it has those bond 'F' holes not the 'S'. Here are some pics for your website.
Seriously, the batch is listed 1974-5, sometimes they are one year out (when we open up guitars and find a makers mark), but always near enough right in the records.. and I wish it was mine!
Moving Onward, We Need To Step Back..
Take a Deep Breath..
ddm(don't you just hate those email names!)..
Update: Doug Moore is the name, and he's proud of it, as he should be!
brings us the mother of all Vikings - The (original) Deluxe
I Love this example. It doesn't need Elvis (who played the red one)
it ooses Deelluuxxee all in it's own right.
| |
This guitar was very important in my father in law's life although I guarantee he had no idea of its rarity or worth. I promised him I would be its caretaker for life..I hadn't seen it in a couple of years since I last set it up for him, and although I knew it was a Viking I did not realize which type until my wife brought it home a few nights ago. It survived in wonderful condition even though Jim never had a case for it. I have cleaned it up a ton ( it was filthy) and gotten a case for its protection. As you can see she is a beauty and very much like your bass, which is also very sweet. As you see there is a rich seam of individuality in the examples we have been honoured to share with you. |
Heads Up! (as they say)..
CLICK the Picture for more on this 72-73 beauty!