I have owned two of these and here is my experience with them.
The first one quickly became my go-to for learning new licks that were challenging to me, the neck is ultra thin with a matte finish which combined to the fret spacing of the short scale makes it the easiest bass guitar to play I have owned. (Like too many gear addicts I have owned more bass guitar than is healthy to describe!)
The six way switch took me some time to get used to, I still find it very counter-intuitive but I must admit it draws the broadest range of tones from the rail pickups you could get. The single coil settings are amazing to get super satisfying tones from effects, and offers a straight to the point tonality that is very rare in any bass guitar. The humbucker settings are mega powerful, actually louder than the active signals I have experienced with many Ibanez, LTD, and my dearest bass Fender AM DLX Jazz Bass. I have a preference for passive bass electronics, and the Hagstrom HB-4 pumps a powerfully raw tone that I am confident to say most players have never experience from a passive instrument. I have always had to have a very unique gain setting for the HB-4 on any amp I have plugged it though. Lower gain setting w/o active electronics occasionally means that I am able to crank the volume up without the background noise that can come from pushing the gain.
The build quality issues mentioned in other posts from this thread are in line with my experience. I found it nearly impossible to find a replacement bridge that would fit the through body string spacing while covering the marks of the original bridge on the body of the instrument. It took me some time to figure out how to bring the action down to where I want it, I pluck with my fingers and love a super low action. Taking out the saddle screws and filing them from the bottom worked wonders, it required a little patience but enabled me to bring the action very low and the truss rod is very efficient, and while the sharp fret edges did have to be dulled out, the frets height were level and the neck was straight enough to prevent buzzing with this low action setting. That never stops to bring a smile to my face!
Once the rotary switch and pots are cleaned with Deoxit, and the jack is secured in its socket, and the work into getting the action low the way I like it... it becomes a fantastic instrument
I ended selling my first HB-4 because of all the work that had to go in making it meet the standard of playability I need to bond with the instrument. Well, it took about six months for me to realize the tone and feel of the HB-4 was so unique that I needed to have one on hand. I also omitted to mention that the tone of the HB-4 is so unique and personal to the instrument that I actually occasionally took it out to play in public, knowing it was a lower quality instrument than my usual gigging axes, because there is simply no other bass that can fill that gap when I feel like hearing the HB-4 tone or when I am not feeling super confident about a part and I want the safety blanket of the feel of its thin and narrow short scale neck.
So yes, I bought another one and believe it has earned a permanent spot in my now very stable selection of bass guitar (I haven't bought or sold anythign in a year).
The HB-4 is heavier than it should be but I have nicely padded straps that take care of that. The finish on both my white and my red lackered finish allowed for the wood grain to show through and are both incredibly pleasing to the eye. Be cautious to order medium scale strings is you intent to run them through the body, short scale strings won't be long enough to run through.
The tuners are just fine, they are smooth, accurate, and stay in tune in my experience with both of them.
My final advice would be that there is a lot more to this axe than meets the eye if you are comfortable tinkering with it until the setup is up to your standard, or if you can find one where that work has already been done by the previous owner. The character of this bass guitar exceeds its build quality by 10 folds and has the potential to fill a gap in your collection you didn't know existed in the most satisfying way a musician can hope for.
I would not recommend it as a first or only instrument for anyone given the potential for it to require extra attention, a bit like a really fun sports car.
Hope this helps someone curious about this guitar model
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What can you guys tell me about it? (Yes - I've used the 'search' and read those few threads).
I'm wondering about that strange looking bridge, and if it's true that the strings might not lower enough.
Also, while its got two pickups, I don't think you can blend them. Instead, you have a selector knob to switch between poles.
Also, if you've bought one, do you still have it? Or did you sell it for something else?
Is there anything you particularly like or dislike about it?
Actually, I'd appreciate anything you can tell me about it - info is scarce.
What can you guys tell me about it? (Yes - I've used the 'search' and read those few threads).
I'm wondering about that strange looking bridge, and if it's true that the strings might not lower enough.
Also, while its got two pickups, I don't think you can blend them. Instead, you have a selector knob to switch between poles.
Also, if you've bought one, do you still have it? Or did you sell it for something else?
Is there anything you particularly like or dislike about it?
Actually, I'd appreciate anything you can tell me about it - info is scarce.
