STORIES
MENU | HOME | NEWS
Hagstrom Stories.
Click Pics to view larger versions
THE SINGLE PICS ARE BIG 
There is music too! See the
bottom of page
Please send your contributions to one of
the e-mail addresses at the base of the page
-----Original
Message-----
(Ron Chapman Page 2)
Return to (Page 1)
From:
RonChpmn
e-mail:
jazzfinger2007@talktalk.net
(e-mail address updated
Jan 2009)
Sent: 14 September 2001 17:10
To: davidcox@ntlworld.com
Subject: Re: The Hagstrom D'Aquisto Guitars
Hello David,
I am sending a couple of photographs of my two guitars. I have been doing some
work on them, the best thing about having two identical models is that I can be
working on one of them and still be playing every day on the other.
For the benefit of readers of your web pages the alterations made to the guitars
have made a distinct improvement, not only to the sound but also to the
appearance.
I have fitted Ebony tailpieces in line with James
D'Aquisto's later development in his guitar building and which is already
mentioned in my "Jimmy" story on your web pages.
I have also been inspired by a D'Aquisto guitar which I saw some time ago with
an Ebony pick guard, I developed the idea further and have made the pick guards
from Ebony but with the most beautiful Abalone, inlaid around the edge of the
pick guard.
Its the single most outstanding and beautiful alteration to the Instrument.
Hold
on there's more ! on one of the Instruments I have fitted Gold Gibson
Humbucking pickups, Gold Grover Imperial tuners and gold control knobs, its fair
to say that the Gibson pickups sound no better than the original Hagstrom
pickups, perhaps they are made by Gibson ?. And..... on the other model with
the chrome pickups I have fitted Grover Imperial tuners but the nickel chrome to
match the original pickups, I am awaiting a set of Mother of pearl tuning knobs
from Germany which are made in the same "stepped" design as those presently
fitted.
Yes, I have been carried away somewhat with these alterations, I obtained the
Abalone shell from a Company in
Australia who can supply it cut to size up to a maximum of about 50 x 50mm, I
bought 700 mm total length cut to 5mm width to take care of a lot of the
straight lengths and several larger pieces for the curved sections on the
pickguard but it still took a total of about 20 hours work to produce the
finished article.
I love these guitars, I still have found time to play every day, either in the
Restaurant or at three of the other Jazz venues where I play regularly, I am
always sure of one thing, no matter how well or how badly I play, everyday
someone will approach me and say wow, what a wonderful sound.
Thank you James L. D'Aquisto.
Regards Ron Chapman
Webmaster: These pics are
brilliant Ron, HEY these guitars are beautiful !!!
I've left them full size so you can appreciate scrolling the detail around your
screen - don't dribble on the keyboard now...
>> CLICK TO
Listen to
a clip in Windows Media File (Audio) format 522Kb / 30 seconds
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS PLAYING DIRECTLY ,
USE SECONDARY BUTTON AND "SAVE TARGET AS..."
Return to (Page 1)
There must be loads of stories (and pics) around
from the last forty years, why not share them with us!
STORIES
MENU | HOME | NEWS
