SWEDISH INNOVATION: The Hagstrom Guitar

While many vintage guitar appreciators clamor for big dollar Gibsons and Fenders, there remains a good number of folks interested in the lesser brand names which can be every bit as interesting sounding and easily as much fun to collect. Amongst smaller brands, few have achieved the cult status of Hagstrom, the Swedish guitar innovators who have become famous for the stylish looks and super fast playing necks of their guitars. The Hagstrom company began in the 1920’s as an accordion manufacturer and it wasn’t until 1958 that they began to produce electric and acoustic guitars. Hagstrom guitars put their marketing emphasis on the “H expander rod” which was designed in conjunction with the SAAB aerospace company.

At various times in its history, Hagstrom produced guitars for Kent, Selmer, Hofner, and a number of other distribution and production companies. Hagstrom developed the first ever guitar synthesizer, the Patch 2000 which was sold in the US by Ampeg. Famous luthier James D’Aquisto worked for Hagstrom before moving to the states to work for Martin. D’Aquisto legendarily brought the “best neck in the world” to the states with him and influenced Fender production while working in conjunction with them. The Hagstrom “Jimmy” guitar is named for D’Aquisto.

In addition to their stunning looks, and interesting history, Hagstrom’s are desirable for the simple fact that they play and sound great without costing a mint. While the parts for these guitars can be a little hard to track down, in recent times the increased interest in Hagstrom and the advent of the internet has made finding parts much easier than it once was. Here at Empire we have a Hagstrom Bass I in excellent shape with a charming hippy flower sticker on the vinyl covered body. While the sticker should be easy to remove, we have left that decision up to the future owner of this bass. John Haskin of Haskin's Hagstroms dates it 1966 and adds that it is #20 out of a run of 1000. Price is $495. For more info on Hagstrom’s visit : The Hagstrom UK page