Rare Hagstrom Kent 1/ Gallo Starmaker Circa. 1963 - Red OHSC

***Vintage Hagstrom Kent 1/ Gallo Starmaker Circa. 1963 with OHSC***

***Ships worldwide via FedEx- with delivery within 5-7 days and customs fees/ duties paid for and covered in the shipping cost***

***Please carefully consult our terms of sale at the bottom of the listing description***

Gallo was the largest record company in South Africa that contracted Hagstrom from Sweden to produce a range of guitars for them between the 60's and 70's under their brand name. The Starmaker, along with the Jubillee- was a re-branded model of the Hagstrom Kent I, the most popular Hagstrom model of the 60's as used by David Bowie 

Cosmetically, the guitar is in very fine condition overall with only mild surface scratches, dents and general imperfections commensurate with careful use over the decades. The overall quality of the guitar's appearance seems to suggest that is has been very lightly used over it's 60 year lifespan.

There are no significantly deep scratches/ dents or other flaws in the original Red finish visible-
and the plastic top of the guitar body still displays a very brilliant shine. The vinyl back of the body has a rougher textured finish, which also displays very minimal cosmetic imperfections- being almost entirely free from any scratches, dents or buckle rash. There is a small surface-level crack visible in the finish of the plastic top, situated adjacent to the tailpiece attachment- as seen in the photos.

The headstock displays some very minor signs of wear in the form of light chips in the finish, predominantly on the top edge of the headstock as per the photos. The grain of the headstock displays some dark streaks in the natural coloration of the wood, and the original Gallo metal decal is still very clearly legible. The neck also shows some slight blemishes that are not felt to the touch in playing, but are sheerly cosmetic in nature.

Overall the metalware is in good condition, being free from any major corrosion/ pitting and has been polished to a high shine. The tuner knobs are in tact and free from any damages, the B- string's tuner shaft however does posses a very slight bend that does not effect operation.

Functionally, all hardware is completely original and fully functional, with no hardware replacements throughout (except a new replacement nut). There are zero repairs evident, and the Neck heel joint is very clean.

The original plastic nut had perished with age- as such a new high- quality Bone Nut has been fitted as a replacement.

The original open-gear tuners function well for their age, holding well and providing very good tuning stability over prolonged periods of playing.

The neck is straight and the truss rod moves freely, and the frets display only minor play wear for this age with approx. 80-85% life remaining.

All electronics, including the pickups/ pickup selector switches, tone and mute switches/ and volume knob are fully functional-and work as intended without any noises/ scratchiness when adjusted.

The guitar has been recently thoroughly cleaned, freshly re-strung with a set of D'Addario 10's and setup with a comfortable action with heights of 2.3mm on low E- and 2,0mm on top E at the 12th fret respectively.

Features a Rosewood fingerboard with dot pearloid inlays, displaying some occasional signs of play wear.

Tonally, this guitar is highly distinctive and provides a captivating twangy vintage tone, with great contrast of sound possible and very good output on the pickups for this age.

Comes with the original hard shell case in good condition, with no tears in the inner lining and light signs of wear on the exterior.

Overall, a high quality novel piece of Swedish guitar making with an interesting South African connection, that exhibits unique tone and striking visual aesthetics that are seldom encountered.

***What Music They Make Sales/Purchase Terms***

Please kindly read the following terms of sale that apply to all purchases through our store.

***All items listed are sold "As-Is"/ "As-Seen" per the photos- The buyer agrees to purchase the listed item on the basis of all that is immediately/ or not immediately apparent from the listing photos***

***Please consult the listing photos closely as they form the basis of the sale of all items. Only that which is shown in the listing photos is included in the sale***

***Listing descriptions are supplementary to the listing photos- and as such please consult the photos as the basis of all sales***

***All items are packaged thoroughly and carefully to protect in transit through FedEx shipping worldwide***

***Returns/ Full Refunds only- offered only on items received damaged in transit- as shown through photographic/ video evidence of the initial opening of the item***

***In this event- please contact us within 48 hours of delivery of your purchase. We will cover the cost of return shipping and the item must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging and no signs of use***

***A 15% re-stocking fee applies to all returned items- and full refunds are issued only upon receiving the item back to us in our shop. The 15% re-stocking fee is deducted from the total cost of the original purchase, excluding shipping/sales taxes***

Thank you for your understanding and support of our business.

Regards,

What Music They Make.