Like other companies of the era, Hagstrom offered bass versions of its most popular guitar models. The Concorde Deluxe, derived from the Viking guitar, falls into this category. (Along with the Gibson EB-2 and Guild Starfire that I’ve featured in this column, you might say this is the final installment of the “cherry-red double-cutaway semi-hollowbody trilogy.”) The Concorde features four-pole single-coil pickups, rather than the famous “Bi-Sonic” eight-pole pickups Hagstrom made for the Guild Starfire, which Jack Casady and Phil Lesh later used as a starting point for their experiments with improving pickup fidelity. (The Bi-Sonic was recently reissued by Hammon Engineering as the Dark Star pickup.) These smaller pickups may be different, but they still have the wide frequency range and superior punch Hagstrom is known for. Hagstrom prided itself on offering the lowest action of any commercial bass, and the patented “expandable” H-shaped trussrod was a key element in its claim. Sure enough, this Concorde’s narrow, short-scale neck has very fast action, making the bass a lot of fun to play.

Visually, this bass has a lot of class, starting with the raised pickguard and the black headstock, which both feature the Hagstrom logo. The cream binding around the sides and the ƒ-holes contrasts nicely with the transparent cherry finish, which reveals some very nice flame and grain patterns in the wood. The brass oval “trapeze” tailpiece and adjustable bridge saddles are also features not found on either the Gibson or the Guild. The electronics are fairly straightforward, with a standard three-way selector switch and a volume and tone control for each pickup.

This particular bass, affectionately named “Linda,” belongs to Jeffrey Marshall of the band Supercool (www.supercoolband.com); Jeffrey’s unorthodox playing style requires restringing a right-handed bass left-handed. He uses black nylon strings, which give this bass a round, earthy, old school tone, and they also help mellow out the high end from his edgy, percussive style. The bass has been stuffed with foam, which greatly reduces the feedback potential without noticeably changing its wonderful, resonant electric tone.

Hagstrom made many bass models in its nearly 25-year run of manufacturing basses and guitars. In 1967 it became the first company to commercially produce an 8-string bass, which was subsequently played by both Noel Redding and Jimi Hendrix, as well as Mike Rutherford of Genesis and the Blues Project’s Andy Kulberg. Hagstrom also made amplifiers, echo units, PA systems, and other products; in 1976 the company was once again ahead of the curve when it introduced the Patch 2000, the first production synthesizer guitar.

While Hagstrom’s success continued through the ’70s, in 1981 the company ceased operations due to various business complications. Today, however, there are still many Hagstrom fanatics worldwide who appreciate these fine instruments made by a company with a long, varied, and rich musical history.