The Guitar is a 1966 (Vintage) Hagstrom III or H3. It’s black. They are almost rare. A reissue came out a couple years ago but I never got the chance to try them. They are Swedish and the new ones are Chinaese manufacture, Swedish Design.
My brother in law did a masterful job with the new bridge and saddle. He had to pull the bushings out and swap with the new ones which he managed to do without the right tools. The saddles had to be filed but came out pretty good. He still wants to work on it some more some day.
What a difference having the proper bridge is having. My original I bought when I was 14 and was a 1967 model. The OHC was a liger stripe on the inside. It smelled so good. Same with my 66 Strat, it had a great smell and an amazing quack. if both hadn’t been stolen from me the vqalue would be really through the roof on the latter guitar.
This H3, in its present state, is easily worth over a grand uS dollars. It’s rare-ish. I was very lucky to get a bridge for it honestly. The bridge falls off without strings, that is why it was lost by some previous owner. The replacement bridge that it had as sold to me was pretty bad. Nothing close to stock, and very weird.
It sounds even better now and plays like a dream.
The one ding aginst the guitar model is the tiny frets, almost the smallest frets ever made, which makes it a challenge to play without buzz. But anyone skilled can do fine with it. That’s not saying that I’m any good, but I can hold my own I suppose.
A have a Chinese Hag also, an F20t which is also sort of rare and sort of vintage also. Both of them, and my Schecter Strat are my best 3 guitars. I have 6 guitars, all very affordable ones. We got the H3 for 500 bucks and I put another 120 into it. That doesn’t count the labor we did on it. It’s not mint, and the neck was refinished and one key is a little wonky, but if I were to insure it, I’d put the value at 1,600 dollars.
However, guitars have lost value in the last year and a half, there is a crash ensuing. During the covid lock down guitar’s were selling like mad. I bought 2 guitars during that period.
I tend to like ducklings and odd balls. I don’t want Fenders or Gibsons necessarily. While those two hold the best value for resale, the real deals out there are other lesser brands.
Guitar makers have good years and bad years, good models and sucky models. I have a post-Kalamazoo Epiphone that is really banged up and it a terrific guitar except the crap pickups on it that I’m going to swap out someday. I have a Gretsch Entry level guitar that has sucky fret sprout and sucky tuners and it needs nut work. But it’s pretty nice and sounds great and feels good. The remaining 6th guitar is a Cort, a bargain model that we put a lot of work into and I use it as a slide guitar. They are all electrics.
I know electrics aren’t as popular as acoustics, but I favor electrics, I prefer the feel.
If I could afford it, I’d get a Canadian Goden acoustic electric.
I also would love a Boden Headless, or a good knockoff, an electric shredder.
And I’d love a Telecaster knockoff from Reverend.
The best acoustic I ever owned was a Guild F520-BLD. Absolutely breath taking sound and very playable, one of the finest guitars I’ve ever had. it was a 5000 dollar guitar at the time that I got for 650 bucks because of broken binding and someone’s drug habit. That guitar made me cry. It was made in Westerly, RI or CT, not sure which. Really gorgeous blond maple figuring and a AAAAA Spruce top.