My latest project

A Hagstrom Viking II restoration

http://pbase.com/jroy/hagstrom

It's cheaper just to buy one complete

A beauty! Good luck James, I'm sure you'll do it right

well, almost there. I have a line on the bridge and hope to hear something by next week. I can also get the knobs but am waiting till my credit card account is caught up next month. Once its together and playable I'll think about taking it apart, doing some woodwork and think about a refin ala Elvis red.

very cool james awsome guitar.

Well, phase one complete. I have all the right parts, put it together and its playable. Next step is to take it all apart, fix the pickup cutouts, consider a refin ala Elvis Red and mabe get the bridge plated gold. (i might play it awhile though as is)

Awesome!

OK, I finally got around to taking the guitar apart earlier this year, doing some wood work to repair the cutouts and sent it out to Lay's Guitar Shop in Akron, OH to refinish it. I'll try to get it all put back together this weekend but they did an amazing job on the refin.

Is it this shade of red, by chance?

680630_Hagstrom Viking II.JPG

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Is it this shade of red, by chance?

680630_Hagstrom Viking II.JPG

Hard to tell, it varies from picture to picture and I didn't have one to match in person but that's what I was shooting for. I sent them several photos.
This is the red used on the Hagstrom's they produce now
.

It's a beautiful guitar.

Promise us the first chord you play is an E major -- traditional style, a la Elvis.

A work of art James,very nice

James you are very lucky to have such a beautiful guitar. Your work is beyond words!

I finally located and picked up a proper gold bridge on eBay last week. I was thinking I might have it replated. However, it arrived yesterday and its simply heavily tarnished and not rusted. It appears to be cleaning up nicely.

It will be complete after this.

OK, when this 4 and a half year project is complete, we will need a YouTube video of you rockin' "Trouble" / "Guitar Man."

JamesVRoy

The bridge on its own or part of a guitar that you removed it from? Fascinating project.

JamesVRoy

The bridge on its own or part of a guitar that you removed it from? Fascinating project.

The bridge came in a batch with a set of tuners with incomplete ferruls and screws. It evidently came from a guitar that was either upgraded or parted out. The one I have on it now is sort of chrome or nickel plated that I previously bought as parts. The bridges were used on several models and some Gretchs. I needed a gold one though to complete the model I have. This one is missing one saddle but I have a complete set of gold ones I picked up awhile back. All the spares will go back up on ebay eventually and I'll get some of my money back, which is always a good thing.

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Brass and copper?

I don't believe I've seen the adjustment screws
on both sides of the bridge before.

Cool project.

No, not brass or copper. Some type of plated steel. The screws on each side of the saddles hold it on to the bridge and moving it forward and back requires loosening one while tightening the other. The bridge was used on several Hagstrom models and some Gretsches in the '60s.

No, not brass or copper. Some type of plated steel. The screws on each side of the saddles hold it on to the bridge and moving it forward and back requires loosening one while tightening the other.

I thought you might be pulling a Jack White on me (copper).

Is it more of a pain to set the intonation with that than the
standard "one" screw? It seems that it would be.

Speaking of guitars, I think I'm going to setup a Strat tremolo
tomorrow if time permits.

Its not as convenient as a Strat's but not too bad since you don't have to do it often. Its not much more difficult than doing a Gibson with the ABR-1 bridge that has the screw side under the strings. It was easy for me this time. When I took the chromed one off I lined up the the saddles on the gold one exactly the same before installing it.

Speaking of guitars, I think I'm going to setup a Strat tremolo
tomorrow if time permits.

I used to float mine years ago but for a long time now I've kept them locked and blocked.