Information on Hagstrom Guitars
The Hagstrom company has had a long and complicated history. While they stopped production in 1983, they've recently released a new lineup of models. Many newer guitarists may be unfamiliar with the name, but its popularity in the sixties and seventies will make it a familiar name to the old pros and enthusiasts. Their older models are prized by collectors and their new line looks to be headed for a resurgence in popularity.
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History
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Hagstrom, a Swedish company which originally manufactured fine accordions, began making guitars in the late fifties. These instruments were played by such artists as ZZ Top, Frank Zappa and even Elvis Presley. This popularity carried them through the seventies, but in 1983 the company ceased production. Their older models quickly became prized by collectors, and in 2004 the company introduced a brand-new line including their flagship model the Super Swede, as well as the HJ 500, the Viking and the Ultralux.
The Super Swede
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The Super Swede has a Les Paul body style and features a mahogany body. While similar to ebony, its composite wood fretboard is more reliable and harder. It has two humbucker pickups, each with volume and tone controls, plus the more standard 3-way toggle switch and a mini-toggle coil-tap for extra flexibility. Hagstroms of the past were famous for their fast necks, and this has continued with the new models. With its great sound, stylish design and detailed craftsmanship, "Guitar Edge" called the Super Swede "the very definition of a bargain."
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HJ 500
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These guitars are meant to create that distinctive jazz sound. The HJ 500 is a semi-hollow electric guitar with a contoured maple body and maple neck. The thin neck is nonetheless strong. The HJ 500 has the composite wood fretboard of the Super Swede, and comes with two humbucker pickups, both featuring volume and tone control. These, combined with the semi-hollow body, create a wide variety of tones and make the HJ 500 a versatile instrument.
Viking
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The Viking is part of the Hagstrom Vintage series and has won the "Guitar World" Gold Award for overall value. It's one of their most popular hollow-body models and it has near-legendary sustain. It has a maple body and set neck, with the standard Hagstrom composite wood fretboard which allows for very low action. Its H-expander truss rod allows it to provide tension at both ends. Its two humbuckers, one at the neck and the other at the bridge, have volume and tone control, as well as a three-way toggle.
Ultralux XL-5
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Made with a basswood body and flame maple veneer, the Ultralux XL-5 offers a fast-set neck, as well as the standard Hagstrom fretboard with abalone position marks. With three pickups, one single-coil and two humbuckers and a five-way slide pickup selector, the Ultralux XL-5 offers a wide variety of range and tone. The H-expander truss rod provides tension all the way through and makes for a very low action, while its thin neck helps to make it a fast-playing guitar.
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References
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- Photo Credit electric guitar body image by Jeffrey Zalesny from Fotolia.com
