Video of the day
Here is a nice post about Townes from a great blog called Johanna’s Visions
Claescaster
Category: Youtube
March 21, 2014
Hagstrom Viking
Hagstrom Viking, Tobacco Sunburst 2008
It’s with a heavy heart that I have decided to part with my Hagstrom Viking. I bought the guitar back in 2010 and have unfortunately not had time to play it as much as I wanted, some Japanese Telecasters got in the way. I had three semi-hollow bodied guitars at one point and kept this the longest, I sold the other two last year. I guess the more guitars you have the more you realise what feels good for you to play. For me, fat necked Telecasters feels really nice to play, I’m a bit gay for old Greco Telecasters from the 1970’s. If you are interested in inherit this Hagstrom Viking from the Claes Collection then get in touch. You can read more about it here for sale, or in Spanish here.
Update: April 4, 2014 The Hagstrom Viking is now sold to Rafa from Cobarde.
Hagstrom, or Hagström as we call it back home, was founded in 1925 by Albin Hagström in Älvdalen, Sweden. They made amazing electric guitars from 1958 to 1983, played by guys like Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding, Joe Walsh, Dweezil and Frank Zappa to name a few. I have played on a lot of Hagstrom guitars and amps during my teenage years back in Sweden and learned to play bass on my stepdad Sten’s Hagstrom Jazz bass from 1976. I have an fairly mint Hagström HIIN OT from 1975 back in Sweden that I really like. I guess it was out of national pride that I got so excited and bought the Hagstrom Viking when they started to make them again in 2004. They have a few models that are made in the EU, but not in Sweden, and the rest is made in China. I have actually only played my Viking from 2008 so I can’t really comment on the quality of the Chinese Hagstroms today but mine is very well built for the price. I would say that they are better than Gretsch Electromatic, Epiphone and the Ibanez semi-hollow bodied, all in roughly the same price range.
February 22, 2014
Movie of the day
One of my favourite music documentaries is Heartworn Highways. It’s based around the whole Texas scene with Townes van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, and Steve Earle, just to name a few. I thought it would be possible to find the documentary in full on Youtube but apparently not so you will have to buy it or download it. These are my two of my favourite clips from the movie. The first one because it shows how awesome session musicians were back then, check out Albert Lee on guitar playing a 335, recorded at Creative Workshop in Nashville. The second clip is because it shows how truly talented Townes van Zandt was as a songwriter.
February 20, 2014
Acoustic String gauge Comparison
I found this pretty interesting. I’ve always been told that the thicker string gauge you use the better the guitar will sound. I’m not entirely sure after watching this.
February 12, 2014
Daniel Romano
I have recently fallen in love with Daniel Romano, well not in a gay way, he just happens to do exactly what I would like to do. When I discover artists like this I never really know what to feel. Should I slap him in the face out of pure jealousy or just shake his hand and say, well done? Everything is so perfect, the songs, the band, his voice, the guitars, the suits, even down to the artwork. Well he seems like a nice guy and I really like what his doing so I have decided to just take off my hat and bow.
January 27, 2014
Movie of the day
Mark Knopfler with his first guitar, a Höfner Super Solid
January 22, 2014
Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan and Nancy, from the 1977 album Loading Zone
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post I’m a huge fan of Roy Buchanan. I even got myself a Nancy, well it’s a Japanese Fender ’52 re-issue Telecaster from the late 1980’s but close enough. I was watching Youtube documentaries on my lunch and came across Roy Buchanan – P.B.S. Greatest Unknown Guitarist in the World from 1971. Roy’s life story is both sad and quite amazing, you can read more about him if you click the links above. I love the fact that he had give up on music and trained to be a hairdresser when he found Nancy and that he was kicked out of The Hawks for being too weird. This is the song that made me fall in love with him and I’m still not sure if I’m more impressed by his singing or his guitar playing, Roy Buchanan – CC Rider.
January 18, 2014
Video of the day
The Band in the basement of Rick Danko’s home, Woodstock 1969. © Elliott Landy
January 14, 2014
Video of the day
In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room in Toronto and convinced him to do an interview. 38 years later, Levitan, director Josh Raskin and illustrator James Braithwaite have collaborated to create an animated short film using the original interview recording as the soundtrack. A spellbinding vessel for Lennon’s boundless wit and timeless message, I Met the Walrus was nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Animated Short. Taken from Rockheap
January 10, 2014
Video of the day
Merle Haggard doing impressions of Johnny Cash, Buck Owens and more on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, in the presence of said musicians. Taken from When you awake
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