REVIEW > HAGSTROM
hagsTROM
VIKING
By s TeVe cOOk
We’ve been hearing a familiar story in guitar and bass manufacturing lately:
A company enjoys success for a decade or
two, and then changing economic climates
and world influences force it to close its
doors. Fast-forward 30 years, and scores
of brands are coming back with “new” old
instrument lines.
The Hagstrom story follows a similar
plotline, having ceased guitar manufacturing
in 1983. The Swedish brand was resurrected
in 2004, with manufacturing taking place in
China under strict quality control and exacting specifications. Here we take a look at the
semi-hollow Viking 4-string bass—a variation on the company’s 1960s Concord bass.
The Nuts and Bolts
At one time, the hollowbody bass was a
staple on the rock scene. Though the popularity of this style will probably never again
reach the same heights it achieved during
its heyday, there is plenty of room for it
in today’s market. In that light, constructing a retro-model instrument is a tricky
undertaking. When designing a bass of this
nature, there needs to be a certain amount
of give and take with regard to features and
engineering—capitalizing on the good and
eliminating the bad. Hagstrom has shown
both respect and restraint with the Viking by
bringing modern touches to a vintage design.
The first thing that struck me when I
saw the Viking was, well—the whole thing.
From its trapeze tailpiece to the slick 22: 1
tuners (which have the same regal aesthetic
Hagstrom-designed Dyna Rail humbuckers
6-position rotary
pickup selector
Maple semi-hollow design
122 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2012
premierguitar.com
