Viking Visitors

This is what a Viking Deluxe or Viking II looks like
- Single Coils not Humbuckers, Bound neck, F Holes and Headstock, gold plated hardware.

Casey Hotchkiss says...

Hi , I bought this Hagstrom new, but can't remember the exact year. I think it's a Viking II Deluxe. Ser # 732647. My first guitar was a red, solid body Hag with a maple strat like head. It had 2 pickups, and a tremolo arm. In the center was a grid-like mesh. I bought it used from a friend in 1965 for $50. It was the best guitar I ever had, but I got rid of it in 1968 because I thought it wasn't cool like Fender or Gibson. What an idiot I was! That's why I ended up going back to a Hag because the neck was amazingly fast. I sure wish I had that 1st Hag back. Do you know what model it might be?

I've answered the questions and advised how good this is for a guitars made in 1968!

Pictures by Michael Robinson, Utrecht
This is a lovely Cherry red Viking 12
It is the last one made (651)
But sadly, like many Viking 12's it is
<<<<<< desperate for some major surgery

Patrick from Belgium found his holy grail - and it was worth the quest... (Jan 2006)

Hello David,

Remember me ? I was the guy looking for a good looking Viking.

I managed to buy a beautyfull Viking II sunburst in the States. Has a serial # 680498, I think it must be from 1967.

The guitar is really in magnificent condition, has practically no dings or scratches (even in the back !) and the neck is just perfect.

As you can see on the pic, it has the famous 'Elvis'-tailpiece, has a gold decal and the first type of goldcoloured bridge. Toggle switch has a black plastic cap. There isn't any damage to the binding of the head, neck or body. The only thing which has suffered from time and playing are the pickups, which have lost some of their gold plating and are slightly corroded.

I checked the area between the end of the neck and the neck-pickup as you suggested, and there is no trace of any repair. This is really a guitar that has spent most of his life in a closet or guitar-case, I guess.

Best regards, Patrick.

	Then Patrick goes wild! - and what commitment to conservation - again from the first batch... It started out as a conversation about the various types of Viking models, around December 2005. Patrick then purchased a stunningly good Viking II from 1967 above (and for all those who do not know, that is not the humbucker model (1N), it is effectively the Deluxe model without the crossbar). But by March 2006 the bug had set in... Just bought my second Viking ! Am I starting to become a collector now ? :-) The virus has got a hold of me I guess .. It's a red Viking I, serial 646361. Must be one of the first ever made (in 1965 ?) I guess. The body was severely damaged, but I'm restoring it and I have all the original parts except for the pickguard which is broken in 3 pieces :-( The neck binding is missing (seems to be missing on a lot of these old ladies) and it will need new frets. Original pots but new wiring and non-original knobs. Anyway, I wonder if you have any idea what might have been the colour number of this beautiful cherry red colour, because I would like to repaint it in the original colour, if possible. I'd be very glad if someone could give me a RAL number or something which might enable me to reproduce this magnificent colour. Thanks for any help you can offer. Best regards, Patrick.

Hello again David, I managed to repair the old lady myself. It took me about 61 (!) hours all together, but if I see, feel and hear the result now, I don't regret the time I spent on this beauty. As for the paint, I was very lucky and found a colour that looks about 99% like the original. That is, if the old colour on the guitar was in fact the original. I painted only the body, not the neck, and you can hardly see any difference. The electronics are still working perfectly. There is no cracking or any other noise when you turn the pots. Before I put the harness back in, I made a schematic of the wiring, though I'm not sure if this is still as it was when it left the factory. The wiring is certainly not original any more but the pots look like the original ones. If I put both Hagstroms I and II aside, I can now see many differences. The V1 has a much wider neck made of rosewood while the V2 has a much smaller ebony neck. I must say that personally I prefer the V1 neck, since I'm used to play my Fender Stratocaster which has a similar neck. Anyway, the only thing I still need now is a 1N from the 70's to complete my Viking-family :-). I read somewhere on the internet that the american-reissues don't look and sound very authentic. By the way: do you happen to know any other Hagstrom owners in Belgium ? Best regards, Patrick. Well, there is Henry Telstar who appears around the site with a Corvette Automatic, an H8 bass, and probably a few others... I can't remember now... and yep there have been quite a few Belgian visitors over the years... BUT HEY, most important of all, what a fantastic job you've done with this - one of the first Vikings to leave Älvdalen. As for your comment on more recent namesakes... lets just say I'm not at liberty to comment fully!!!

		Is it a Prototype Viking? - It does seem so! So, what we have is a 1967 Cherry Red Viking 1 with Bigsby. So you say, "OK so what's so special, it isn't even a Hagstrom brand Bigsby unit. No that's not an issue at all, read on...
Yes typical fully bound Viking Neck - nice trim, a very popular colour, and owned by Dirk.
Come on Dave, "get on with it" you say. Well Dirk has been sharing this one with people's views for a few years now, and the general consensus is exactly in line with my own feelings. It was made in 1967. It was made at a time when the transition Vikings were about to appear in that batch to Canada (like my own 1N Transition Viking top of page, with the new electrics and the Strat type head). But this is still Single Coil pickups, so what's the deal?

Now, what other combination of Viking could there be? And what other influences can there be? Well for example it was the year they started the H8 Bass, it was before they moved to humbuckers, it seems they were experimenting...
Nah, you say It's an HIIN (2 years too early) OK it's a "Frankens..trom" (Nope) It does make sense with the above discussion, that Hagstrom tried out the idea, or put it together as a special, or prototype. When they did finally change to a new Viking, it sported the brand new D'Aquisto design headstock used on the Swede.	Personally I agree about the decision. The D'Aquisto design head looks fab, and this type looks so right on a solid guitar... hmmm... New Hags... well times change, and corporate identities become the big thing eh? So, there you have it - maybe "one of a kind"?
The raised decal was used on the Viking1. This layout was on the H8 Bass. If it was an HIIN neck it would be a transfer decal placed horizontally...	Like I always say though It does need a haircut eh? Who needs hair gel when you can poke your eye out with that lot!	The tuners are just like an HIIN. No sign of H8 tuners... What a great piece of history eh?

Very many thanks to Dirk for sending this one along!

	Well this is indeed stunning (YES) The serial appeared at first to resemble batches made in around 1979 due to the prefix. Yet that headstock was typical of the early versions of the Viking1N in the early '70s. The wood is superbly flamed, and no wonder it was left 'natural' gloss in finish. And again the bound "F" holes were more common on the later Vikings after years of using the "S" hole shape...
Again the splendour and sheen that comes from very specially selected woods...
	So, what is the truth about this one?
The signs are there of something not quite "run of the mill"
	Once we established the actual serial number, it was confirmed. A special run of only 117 with top grade features from 1974-5. Not a Deluxe by name - no gold hardware, but very special and rare top quality spec confined to this small run. Wow! (Yes). Thanks for bringing it to s Mike!


click to go large!
This guitar was very important in my father in law's life although I guarantee he had no idea of its rarity or worth. I promised him I would be its caretaker for life...I hadn't seen it in a couple of years since I last set it up for him, and although I knew it was a Viking I did not realize which type until my wife brought it home a few nights ago. It survived in wonderful condition even though Jim never had a case for it. I have cleaned it up a ton ( it was filthy) and gotten a case for its protection. As you can see she is a beauty and very much like your bass, which is also very sweet. As you see there is a rich seam of individuality in the examples we have been honoured to share with you. This is another superb example of Swedish craftsmanship, that lives up to the reputation for sure! I'd (REALLY) love to hear that tone, and yes of course introduce her to the Concord Deluxe, but equally, caretaking for life is worthy of all our respect. It truly has mine, as for whatever the reason, it means it will not become eBay fodder (travelling the world without love and respect), which it certainly has now. Thanks... er... "ddm" OK we know it's Doug now, and we also know he is a respected musician up there north of USA. Thanks for dropping by!


Great site. I purchased my guitar around '79 or '80 from a shop in Buffalo New York. I wanted a Gibson like my idol, Justin Hayward, but to my shock they cost lots of $ which I didn't have, so the Hag caught my eye on the used instrument wall & I purchased it having never heard the name, but liking it's looks & playability. I used this guitar in my 1st pro band playing covers of Top 40 stuff, circa 1983, on the lounge circuit, 6 nights a week for about 6 months before I quit because I missed being away from home so much. I was 23, but had never been on the road & was unprepared for the experience, although I am glad I did it. Excuse the digression, back to the guitar.

	From looking @ your site, I see Canada is great source of Hags, & Buffalo New York is just south of the Canadian border. less than 30 minutes away if the bridges are not crowded. I have not played this guitar in about ten years, but it is displayed on a wall in our home. My wife & daughter love the way it looks & are fearful I will sell it on Ebay. Not to worry though I tell them, I think it's cool too. I've included some pictures, hopefully not too many, so you can get a look @ it. The worn through part on the neck is where your thumb would be if playing a barre "c" chord on the 8th fret. Otherwise she looks really pretty w/ minor & small surface scratches on the back & wear from being a road instrument. Overall, a really nice looking guitar. The # on the neck plate is 852033. The guitar resides in a suburb of Buffalo New York just miles from its' original place of purchase, for me anyway.

Love it Tom! Thanks for taking the time to tell your story too!

Gustavo from Argentina
...brings us an example from the very last batch recorded as Viking 1. A small qty of 200 made between 1970 and 1972, probably 'to order' the 'Strat shape' head was probably the only thing Viking 1 about them, with the new humbuckers in use they were the last transitions before the full change to the D'Aquisto design headstock.


Hi, my name is Gustavo Farré, I´m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have this beautiful guitar which was during much of it's time in the darkness of it's case... smelling of humidity... horrible! A friend me back sold it to me three or four years ago. She is really pretty and its sound is very sweet. Serial number 791015 What do you think? Is one VIKING 1N TRANSITION Yes Gustavo, a transition model, and a nice matching body and headstock. You certainly got away from the smell by the look of it, and now despite a few 'dings', this is a great example. Nice garden too!