Hagstrom H-8 8-String Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1968), made in Sweden, serial # 723558, cherry lacquer finish, Baltic birch body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, period chipboard case.

One of the more endearing oddball electric basses of the 1960s, the Hagstrom H-8 was the only production 8-string bass of the decade (Rickenbacker made a VERY few on custom order) and remains one of the limited number of its type ever attempted as a catalog instrument. Essentially the bass version of a 12-string guitar, the H-8 is strung in octaves with a higher string above each bass string. The sound is similar to a bass and guitar playing in unison and creates a very rich tonal effect.

The features and fittings are typical for period Hagstrom basses. The sculpted double-cutaway Baltic birch solid body is mated to a very slim neck, amazingly so for an 8-string instrument. It mounts two excellent-sounding single coil pickups and a bank of slide switches for controlling them, with a single volume pot. The upper switch on the pickguard is a "quick kill" turning the bass on or off, there are also individual on/off selectors for each pickup and two tone modifiers: "Tone" which cuts lows and "Mute" that dampens highs.

Despite its imposing appearance the H-8 is very easy to play, with a standard 30 1/2" short scale fingerboard, low action and special Hagstrom Adjust-O-Matic bridge. Perhaps the oddest feature visually is the mix of large and small Van Ghent tuners on the large headstock. The body and neck on this bass are finished in a deep cherry lacquer, one of two standard color options available. The serial number identifies this H-8 as the 538th instrument of batch 723, the first (and major) production lot for this model.

Introduced late in 1967 and mostly produced in 1968, the H-8 enjoyed a brief burst of popularity when new in the late '60s, being the only instrument of its kind generally available in that musically adventurous era. It is notable in retrospect mostly for appearing on several Jimi Hendrix cuts played by both Noel Redding and Hendrix himself. The admittedly specialist bass saw some success but slipped out of production by the beginning of the '70s and is fairly rare today.

The sound is unique and often underappreciated. It makes an excellent addition to any studio arsenal, perhaps more as an overdub/accent piece than a standard bass. In the late '70s, Cheap Trick took the idea to further extremes with Tom Petersson's 12-string basses, which created a sort of bass-and-rhythm-guitar wall of sound onstage. The Hagstrom H-8 remains one of those under-utilized sonic gems, still waiting to be fully exploited and appreciated!

Overall length is 43 in. (109.2 cm.), 14 1/8 in. (35.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 1/2 in. (775 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).

This is a super nice example of this medium-rare bass, about the nicest we have had. It is an excellent player with some fairly minor wear but all original and complete. The finish shows only very minor handling wear with scattered dings and dents to the lacquer but no notable loss or damage. The hardware shows some minor plating loss, mostly to the pickup poles but remains original and complete. Everything works as intended and the bass sounds excellent. The pickguard has some scuffing and scratching.

The original frets are still intact in excellent shape; the nut appears to have possibly been replaced. The neck is nice and straight -- the Hagstrom aluminum-core neck with an adjustable steel truss rod is one of their best features. The instrument is set up with flatwound strings, which mellows the sound out compared to roundwound stringing. It the bass plays very well and is housed a very battered period chipboard case specially modified to fit it. Overall Excellent Condition.