Hagstrom D'Aquisto F-Hole Jimmy

Hagstrom D??Aquisto F-Hole(1st run)Jimmy.
Made in Sweden, 1969(serialnumber:743125,stamped on tailpiece, only 480 peices made) Tobacco sunburst.
20 frets, 2volume, 2tone, 2threeway toggles:1st pickupselector, 2nd treble/mid/bass booster)

It??s got TONE, my god those humbuckers are bright and clear, allmost little too loud. To use with Marshall Tubeamps you can??t get a bad sound out of it. It Crunches and growls or sings like a bell! Booster is something i haven??t seen in any other guitars, Bass boost is muddy(cave like sound), mid is balanced and low and treble is BRIGHT.With tone controls U can create endlessly diffrent sounds with it!

It has a little scratches but hey, it??s made 1969... Frets and electronics are original, pickuard went to crackers by it self! All original, great work and desing by D??Aguisto(he used these Hagstrom bodies to his own guitars too).

Gig with it, if you dear, it??s priceless, you won??t get a new one, or anything to compear eaven near. It stays in tune fabulously.

Plying since late 80??s, had lots of gear, bought this 10 years ago.

Not sure of the year made, probably '76 or '77. This is the 70's first style Jimmy, laminated birch from what I've read. It has the 4 control, and 3 way switch. Mine has a Hagstrom neck pickup and a Duncan bridge pu. Seller had said it had some rewiring, and it's not quite the same as a Gibson set up. Ebony fingerboard, block inlays. It is slightly smaller then a ES175, single cutaway design, cherry sunburst finish. Wooden bridge and big "H" tailpiece. D'Aquisto touches like the cool stepped wave tuners. Chrome or Nickle metal, which I've grown to like better then the gold, which doesn't wear to good. 24 & 3/4 scale which suits me better, a nice playing neck. Jazzy but ready to kick some.

I've got other archtop hollowbodies, but this seems to be the only one that sounds good with lighter, 10-46 gauge strings. Very full sound. I will probably try and find a Hagstrom pickup for the bridge position to get it back to spec, but it does sound good as it is. Both pups are around 8.15ohms, punchy, humbuckers. Sounds great thru all the amps I've tried.

As I've aquired this about 30 years after it was made, I'd say it was made as good as any other big name. One thing some Hagstroms seem to have a problem with is the neck binding, which I had a piece to replace, not too big a job. The woods are somewhat plain, but the finish is still very good. The cherry sunburst seems actually more attractive then Gibson's to me. Aside from the 1 pup I think everything else is original and in excellent shape.

This box is ready to go for many more years. Hagstrom was a very cool Swedish company whose guitars are climbing in price all the time. Most of all the necks are very stable.I'd say buy one now, if you can find a nice one, outside of Hofners, these are about the best old European guitars from the 60s & 70s.

They have been closed since the early eighties, but there is a bunch of loyal followers out there supporting the cause.

I started out on a Hagstrom I (Kent) many years ago, and now I've come back. Back then I would have wished for something else, but now I am happy to choose a Hagstrom, reliving a lost magic. If you're tried of what everybody else has, then this may be the way for you to go. They are making them again (Chinese)
so there must be something enduring about Hagstrom. Jimmy D'Aquisto found them worth his while and look at his reputation.

Another blonde Hagstrom "Jimmy" S hole D'Aquisto. Mine is a '77 model made in Sweden. These models were designed by famed luthier James D'Aquisto back in the late 1960s and produced by Hagstrom in two batches, the first in1969 and the second in the late 70s. In fact, D'Aquisto used some of the original Hagstrom bodies in some of his early guitars, so there are some $20,000+ D'Aquisto guitars with laminated tops out there that are close relatives to the Hagstroms.

These guitars are designed for the working musician (according to an interview with Jimmy), so they have a smaller, comfortable body. The body is just under 16" across the lower bout and about 2 3/4" deep. 24 3/4 scale. Very comfortable in your lap.

Hagstrom has always been known for their necks, with a Saab engineered "H" truss rod. The Jimmy has one of the most comfortable, easy playing necks I've ever felt. The ebony fingerboard is smooth and fast. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret and the cutaway gives access up to the 17th.

Otherwise, it is a standard jazz archtop with two pickups, 2 vol / 2 tone configuration. Ebony bridge and chrome tailpiece. The neck is a bolt on, which puts some purists off, but in this case it doesn't affect the tone.

As far as features goes, this isn't a modern guitar with split coils or phase switching, so I give it an 8 because it is what it is, a jazz guitar. See some great pictures of the various Hagstrom Jimmy models at http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/visstory/VisitorsJimmy.htm

I've had my Jimmy to different luthiers a couple of times (mainly to undo modifications made by former owners) and each time they have commented on the outstanding tone. The tone IS awesome! Smooth, woody on the neck pickup and a little bite to the treble pickup. I have mine set up with flat would Diamond strings and it is the epitome of a jazz guitar sound. Very full and even. I haven't pushed it into blues territory, but I imagine it would go there without too much effort. This is where the guitars really shines. Not a lot of variety, but it fills its niche perfectly.

This guitar is nearly 30 years old and has probably been through several owners, so I can't comment on the original setup. As far as fit goes, Hagstroms were about the closest you could get to handmade factory guitars, so the workmanship is perfect.

I've never played out with this guitar, but I think it would hold up well. One problem with the blonde finish Hagstroms is that the finish tends to check a lot over time. Mine has a fair number or long checks. It also tends to flake a little at the very top of the headstock. I have three blonde Hagstroms from the mid to late seventies and they all have the flaking problem. Hagstrom pickup rings also crack over time. In fact when I bought mine, someone had put on regular pickup rings and the Hagstrom pickups flopped back and forth because they didn't fit quite right (think metric). Repro rings are available and do a nice job.

The original Hagstrom closed in the early 80s. There is a pretty active Hagstrom owner / collector community online and a fair number of replacement parts available. Also, some excellent Hagstrom info at www.hagstrom.co.uk and www.haskinshagstroms.com.

I've been playing for a long time and am a better player than most people who have been playing half as long. I own about 20 other guitars including a dozen other Hagstroms. The Jimmy S hole (there are some F-hole models floating around out there) is one of my favorites. It is a totally comfortable guitar that just lets you focus on playing. You don't have to keep shifting it around on your lap or compensate for uneven tone. No, it's not a vintage Gibson, but it is their equal in tone. I've seen some vintage Gibsons from the same era and some surprisingly bad workmanship. And it has a great, stoic Scandinavian vibe. If this guitar were stolen I'd cry like a baby. You can't just run down to the local Guitar Center and find a replacement. There are some Chinese made Hagstrom re-issues in the works, but they haven't hit retailers yet and it remains to be seen if they compare. If you find a Hagstrom Jimmy in the $1000 - $1500 price range, buy it.

It's a blonde 1979 Hagstorm F Hole Jimmy made in Sweden numbeer 302 of the last production run. Single cutaway double pick-up, looks a lot like a D'Angelico New Yorker. Not surprising, since D'Aquisto apprecticed under him. Van Ghent stairstep tuners, which are totally cool and for me, stay in tune very well. Ebony fredtboard and of course that always straight, wonderfully fast, Hagstom neck. I would give it a 10 across the board, but that would mean that there would be no more excuses to buy other guitars, since I would have obviously found the perfect one.

I prefer a bluesy or rockabilly sound and this one has the stones to hammer them out. Usually play it through an old Legend tube amp, or a Fender Champ, around the house. Had it set up for intonation and was offered twice what I paid for it, by the guitar tech. I've also got an oval hole Hagstrom D'Aquisto, but prefer the F hole, for a daily player. It will take you from Clapton to Kirchen with no problems.

This one was close to mint when I got it, and for being made in 1979, it will put most brand new big name guitars to shame, for fit and construction. It is truly a top of the line guitar. Gotta admire a man who would rather close down a company, than have his product become a lesser quality when outsourced to Japan. Pretty much what happened back in 83.

This guitar has survived live playing, with no effort, would I take it without a back up? Come on.... the guitar is going on 30 years old and is totally original. I wouldn't take a brand new guitar to a gig, without a back up. I've never had to use the backup guitar tho.

The company is gone, but........ in 1967, my bass player had a Hagstorm bass that had somne work needed on it, and it was fixed within a couple days. So I guess it was okay when they were still around.

I've only been playing guitar for around 6 years. Prior to that, I didn't play music, I beat it into submission as a drummer. If it were lost or stolen I would be extremely upset and would try desperately to find another one. I've had a number of guitars over the years, and most of them have been for sale to whomever tickled my "greed gland" with enough money, but my Hagstroms are keepers. The F hole Jimmys are more plentiful than the oval holed ones, they only made 356 of the oval holes, and only 355 of them can still possibly be original. (I had one that had been butchered.) If you want a guitar that plays every bit as well as a real D'Angelico New Yorker, (not one of the Jap knock offs) and has a lot more quality craftsmanship than the D'Aquistos that Fender put out, then this is the guitar for you.