"Round 'em up"

You've heard the The Three Tenors sing...

You may be aware of my love of the Hagstrom Bjarton acoustic models.

The latest BJ12 arrived from Germany April 2002
Varnish checked - see below - but totally solid, and a totally complete sound
(No, it's not a dead mouse... it's a toy for the cat)

I thought I'd have a go at my own "PAGE ONE for a month" competition,
then thought I'd better keep it in the background.. To see a few other angles
Click on the thumbnail versions below. The J45 sneaks in too.

 
Now all I need is some like minded guests who just want to help me hear them all playing together...
The sweetest fullest purest sound...  oh just go and have a lie down Dave....

Questions and answers

                    1) How did I hold the guitars in position for these photo's?
                    2) I have been asked about the condition of these guitars on receipt

                    Two very different questions, with two very different answers!

                    1) These guitars will stand quite solidly on their tail-ends without
                    any aid or a stand, but I did sweat a bit when I took these shots!

                    2)    - The original BJ12 I have owned since 1974 (Left). It doesn't take a lot to look after it!
                           - The H33 Blonde was quite tarnished, and had a white (damp?) blaize on reverse (now fine).
                           - The J45 six string was in superb condition, clearly well looked after
                           - The latest BJ12 (Sunburst with plain pick-guard) needed a lot of TLC on arrival,
                              ... Basic stuff too:
            a) Machine head retainer piece lying in the box - 15 minutes work to re-assemble after removing strings.
            b) Talking of strings - take a look at the state of these - possibly original 1960's then left in the rain?

On this Sober note, it worries me some of these instruments are not being looked after, they were made so well and yet some owners want to test the resolve to the limit... so here's an appeal:

    A Hagstrom is for Life - not just for Christmas

 Now if you really don't want that gorgeous guitar, please don't leave it in the garage to rot, send it to the clinic at Hagstrom UK,
or the home for old masterpieces...
                        ... coincidentally also at Hagstrom UK!

Please make an appointment first though!

PS Click the picture on the left to see the strings in a bit more gory "Glory" (?)

Finally, I am pleased to say that the BJ12 has come through it's ordeal very well. I say with all honesty that each guitar has it's own sound, and this one is really lovely now. A wider sound than even my original BJ12. What do I mean?

The Darker BJ12 (no pick-guard, plain headstock) - Bright crisp sound yet very loud, not overly bass sounding.
Blonde H33 (Bjarton pick-guard) - Deeper sound yet just as loud and bright.
The BJ12 (TLC job with plain pick-guard) - Brighter still and with a wider range of tones - yes, still as loud!
The J45 (Six string with Bjarton pick-guard) Very full sound for a six, with a superb bright tonal range.
    (There are examples of both the peg-bridge and the chrome tail on the J45 page by 2004)
Click the underlined links in the above paragraph to go to their specific pages

All have extremely low actions and enjoy the famous 'H' expander stretcher neck adjustment.
All are completely solid no cracks, the front varnish is checked on the TLC job, but completely sound.
The high varnish mahogany sides and back on both BJ12's has some checking, but nothing to concern the doctor!  
I aught to sell something, but I can't yet...

Mid way through 2002 we were lucky enough to take delivery of a superb Classical Acoustic in the form of the Bjarton Isabella (Hagstrom HC4) Pictures can be found on the Acoustics page (link).

Beautifully warm tones improved more with age - around 30 years - lovely wood grain, with ornate marquetry and fretted infill to the sound hole. I very rarely sell anything, but the second sunburst was sold on in 2003 after a lot of discussion... well three of them was a bit over-the-top!

Other Links: Hagstrom/Bjarton Acoustics Page  |  Hagstrom 60's Catalogue - Acoustics

Take a browse through the Catalogues Pages     

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