First Bass no.3 - A Shapely Swede
This is the only existing photo of my lovely Swedish-made Hagstrom semi-acoustic 4 string bass guitar. In sunburst with cream piping and a bridge and tailpiece, (the bass, not me) - I sit proudly cradling it by the swimming pool at “The Farm” in Spennymoor, County Durham, during the summer of 1981. The Farm was a musician’s dream, a retreat for travelling bands touring the North, it used to be a schoolhouse and boasted an outdoor pool and the legendary Rita who ran the place and provided us with enormous breakfasts. I’m sat with the two Trev’s; Midgley and Sargent, the guitarists from Tubeless Hearts original line-up. We are almost certainly working on “Telephone” - our first single, which would be released on Posh records some months later.
The Hagstrom is probably from the Concorde series, perhaps from around 1968, and they were popularly known as “The Viking Bass”. I bought it in Drammen, a small town in Norway just outside Oslo, whilst touring Scandinavia that previous winter.
The fate of this bass perfectly illustrates the plight of the perpetually cash-strapped musician, not to mention the ill-judged impetuosity of youth. These basses, quite rightly, are now highly sought after collector’s items, and I got rid of it because the more “80’s” bass I wanted wasn’t really affordable unless I did some selling. Stupid, stupid boy. I look at the photo now, and that beautiful bass sits there, nestled between my skinny legs, mocking me.
Kev Moore
Next time: second-hand, second thoughts….
April 24, 2008 at 2:44 pm
That’s a nice bass you got there Kev, but so much for global ‘warming’, you were able to sit around topless them days, back when the days used to be warmer. :p
On a serious note, yes again, thats an ace bass!
April 24, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I was trying to decide when i found this pic, and others from that summer, if i was just looking back through rose-coloured glasses, but it’s true, the summers were longer, hotter, and well, better! you’re right Saj, its an ace bass, my consolation is my semi-acoustic Dan electro Longhorn bass is nearly ready to collect from the guitar workshop - so i’ll have something simliar again soon. rest assured it’s day will come in these hallowed pages!