A Hagstrom tale of sucess and woe...

[Bigguy2017]

A long story... scratching my itch for a semi-acoustic bass I got my mitts on a Hagstrom Viking in natty sunburst.

 

After a good clean and a setup I slapped on some GHS medium Scale flats and got down to playing.

 

The good - some nice plunky '60s tones.

 

The bad - neck dive (OK with grippy strap), odd ergonomics - the brige is up near the centre of the body (20 frets to body neck) which means your right hand falls over the bridge - you have to shove everything to the right to get anywhere near the neck pickup.

  The worst selector switch - a rotary six way (A / A+B / B and same with coil splits) with chicken head knob - a right flimsy crackly mess.

Replaced with a Switchcraft short toggle (binned the meh coil splits) - so much better.

 

Didn't play it a lot TBH, but when bro came round for a soul jam it seemed appropriate - out came the Hagstrom showing a big ding at the lower body edge.

Closer inspection shows the top coming away from the side - hmmm... I did not knock it, it's been safe in the rack - and I live alone with no pets... looks like the glue gave out under pressure?

 

Out with the G cramps and leather pads but no way will the gap close without totally crushing the thing...

 

So any ideas for a fix?

 

Drip in CA glue to stabilise? Sand down the high part and attempt a finish touch up?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Bigguy2017
Typos

[JJMotown]

Ghs flats are very high tension, I wouldn't had put them on a semi hollow. Same with an acoustic.

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, JJMotown said:

Ghs flats are very high tension, I wouldn't had put them on a semi hollow. Same with an acoustic.

 

Depends on the construction.

 

Does this bass have a centre block supporting the bridge and for the tail-piece to screw into? Even if not the way the forces are angled with regards to the tailpiece mounting shouldn't be causing the top to separate from the sides like that. However I'd be tempted to take the strings and the tail-piece off and have a look at what is happening where the tail-piece is screwed into the end of the bass.