Hagstrom Swede

2008 China
22 frets
SOLID mahogony body and neck , natual mahogany finish
passive dual humbuckers W/ chrome hardware
LP style body with mop inlays
set neck
body , neck and headstock bound.
A true beauty

I play ALL types of music minus alot of country through a classic peavey 30 and a line 6 spider 210 [dont buy a line 6 unless its a flextone] the peavey 30 is sweet with the hagstrom on clean it sounds amazing even through the spider , my peavey does not have distortion but it does have crunch which the hagstrom adds to when set to max. on the pre post. I just got this guitar off of the bay for $300 u.s. and to be honest if I would have known what I was getting I would have paid alot more for this lavishing peice of art. I can get any sound I want out of this guitar and the bottom strings really sing out loud when played. Very easy access to the higher frets , It was set up good enough when I received it that I chose to just keep playing it though I do not like the strings that came on it because they are no good for sliding. harmonics are great all over and are very easy to find , alot of room under the strings near the pickups so to pinch is a sinch with this axe. I have played all major brand guitars and models fender , gibson , ibanez etc. and this guitar stands away from the pack due to price , quality , sound and looks.
It is now my overall favorite axe I have ever played EVER!
I do plan on upgrading the tuners in the future not because it looses tune though it has stayed in tune well. and I might also upgrade the pickups but the stocks sound very good for now.

Set up was good straight from the factory , I forgot to mention this was a B stock swede that I can find no issues with. Low action but not as low as it could go , I like it with some action to avoid string slap when the power cords rip out. The neck is what I really love about the guitar its super thin and very easy to get around on , but I wish it had a natural plain wood finish [it will one day]
All the Bit#%ing about a loose input nut is just crazy , I think every guitar I have does this with normal use , put some lock tight on it panzies!

We shall see what the future beholds for my swede.

I have been playing for 15+ years. at the moment I own a a dean D acoustic very bright low action, a 90's rg550 ibanez with the gotoch floyd which is a pure shred machine and my new hagstrom swede. these are all keepers in my book that I could not part with.
I would buy another hagstrom swede if somthing terrible happened.
I love every detail about it.
I do not have a comparison and wont compare it to the you know what...
I will tell you that cords with some light overdrive are some of the best tones I have ever heard. ac/dc , skynard , godsmack , Ozzy/Randy and many other sounds with the right effects lie within this axe.
It is a steal of a deal to own one of these guitars even at their MSRP $$$$. I have always wanted a gibson but could never get over the prices they wanted , and now I think this chinese monster has really raised their quality margine way up there from what I can see.
O yea this gem's weight is nearly 13 POUNDS of MAHOGONY! not for sissys that cry over back pain. If you are looking to buy one BUY IT , you wont regret it.

This is one of the reissues (made in China, I presume) and was purchased in 2008. A 22 fret Goldtop that resembles the original Swede but perhaps a bit 'beefier'.

The neck wood is a lot like what I've seen on high end Yamaha guitars... always looked different (not like Gibson nor guild), but nice none the less.

Very solid sound on all of my amps (GK/BL100, Ampeg Super Jet, Mesa Boogie) and little noise. Pickups & wiring seem to be on par w/made in USA guitars.

2 flaws, the size of a pin head, on the goldtop - so effectively no flaws.

My only complaint would be that the 1st & 2nd strings could have sat lower in the nut.... not a glaring problem, but just an annoyance.

The guitar is built like a brick house - solid and stable. I expect it to last.

The tuning keps are very attractive and haven't posed any problem, but they do seem a tad delicate... time will tell (they don't slip - and the guitar holds its tuning perfectly).

None

* Been playing for over 40 years.
* Gibsons, Fender, D'Angelico, Steinberger, Yamaha & Martin
* If it were lost I would more than likely replace it, but might also consider the slightly smaller (body size) Ultra Swede.
* If I were to compare this it would be to a Gibson...it's perhaps not quite that level (I'm sure the Gibson folks could point out the differences), but it's rugged, attractive, pretty well setup, in tune, plays well and sounds good. And it's 1/3 to 1/4 the price...

If you have the money and you don't already own a Gibson or the like than buy a gibson, but if you want a good value for the $$$ and a nice guitar as well... this could be it.

this is one of the new reissues. i like having the phase toggle in addition to a classic lp style electronics set-up. the resonator fretboard is great, as is the carved mahogany type.

i play indie rock style stuff and it has a great thick sound with a brightness that you don't get with a les paul. i play it through a vox ac15, which sounds thin when the gain is pushed, however it sounds great with my marshall jtm 60 and my mesa boogie blue angel (buy yourself one of these!).

this category is why i thought another review was needed for this guitar. the binding is uneven and dips below the fretboard on the bottom of the heel of the fretboard. the frets needed dressing. the nut is plastic non-fantastic. right out of the box i had to have the action set-up, a bone nut made (definitely what made this guitar sound great) and the p/u's adjusted. next i plan on getting the pots and switches replaced. hagstrom's revival is a great thing, however they need to get on their production facility and teach these folks how to solder and fret these guitars. a few more dollars spent on their part for a bone nut and better pots would go along way.

this remains to be seen, but i see this guitar being higher than average maintenance.

i have a g&l, and a gretsch 5120 as well as this swede. i love it's heaviness, but i didn't anticipate it's shortcomings in regards to construction. if it was lost or stolen, i would get something else taht wouldn't require a couple hundred more to a luthier to make a great player.

Bought the '74 Swede in '75 and replaced the pickups with Dimarzios. Still plays like day one after years of travel and play - it has never failed or needed adjustment (also stays tuned far longer than other guitars I have)?!
Many sounds with different switch settings that range from a mellow jazz souund to a super sustain and crunch sound when the volume control passes "8". Teachers at Berkeley/Boston would always use my Swede when they needed to borrow a guitar and one eventually admitted he loved playing it due to the narrow neck and fast action. This is an increadible buy for the prices I see it selling for. 10-for the price 8-when compared to newer $1,000+ models.

I bought the Arctic White version, and it has a beautiful finish. I wash my hands before I touch it. The tuners are good, the hardware all solid. It's a Mahogany set-neck, Mahogany body, carved Mahogany top. Standard Les Paul pickup/switch/knobs configuration, plus a tone filter swith that doesn't have much effect, except when playing clean (undistorted), it can add a subtle but nice "chimey" sound.The pickups are supposed to replicate 1958 Gibson humbuckers, and I can't compare those, but they are fat and warm, with a nice bite if you attack the strings peoperly.

I am a legend on my own couch; I play mostly classic rock and pop to amuse myself, and this guitar delivers all the classic Les Paul sounds I try to emulate. It can be distorted into super heavy darkness, or fat but squealing bite, and the clean sound can be classic Les Paul to an almost Rickenbacher "Chime" sound. Seems to be quiet through my Kustom practice amp, and absolutely YUMMY through my Hughes & Kettner Attax 200 head and Rivera half-stack.

The action was great, but I did tweak it just a tad, and the intonation required adjustment. There was a little sawdust in the control cavity, and the 1/4" jack had to have a lockwasher and tightening. I had to turn down the pickup poles on the low E and A strings a little. I expect to fix/adjust this sort of stuff on any guitar I buy, new or used, so all in all, no complaints. The finish and fretwork were perfect.

I'm just an amateur player but I have a good taste for quality instruments, and this seems like a very solid and dependable guitar. I've only had it about 2 weeks, so I can't say how the finish will hold up, but it's a very solid, heavy, and serious instrument. This ain't no Epiphone P.O.S. or half-assed knock-off; it's a REAL guitar.

Haven't had to deal with them, so I don't know. They answered my questions before I bought it, so I think They're OK.

I've only played seriously with 4 Les Paul Standards/Customs, and 2 Les Paul Studios, (to compare with the Hagstrom). 2 Les Paul Standard/Customs MIGHT have been better. 2 of them were worse, but that could be set-up issues. The Hagstrom was equal or superior to the LP Studios. And has prettier features. I would absolutely replace this if lost or stolen, and hope to buy a couple more just so I can have back-up and modify at least one, with a Bigsby Tremelo and different pickups (I want to make a sonic clone of Neil Young's "Old Black" Les Paul).

It would be nice to have the coil-splitting ability of the Super-Swede, but then again why not just get a single coil guitar if you want that sound?

As I said, I'm a horrible guitarist, but I do for a fact have a good feel and taste for what makes a great instrument rather than a mediocre or crappy one. I do set-ups for Pros.

Transparent finish on Mahogany. Les Paul type body. Fixed bridge. Good tuners. 22 fret ebony composite neck. Laminated Mahogany top. Mahogany body and neck.

Suits blues, rock, metal (fast neck). Real growl here. These pickups are very good. Not as hot as most Gibson pickups, but they distort very nicely. Sound is very rich and warm. Not a great variety of sounds are possible though.

Excellent playability. The best Les Paul type guitar I have played. The fretboard is a dream.

I bought a factory blemished guitar, but the defect (dust in the finish) is very small. You would never notice without it being advertised as such.

This a very beautiful and stylish guitar.

Seems to be very durable, but it doesn't have the gigging experience to confirm that. The hardware all seems very durable.

Ebay.

It was a good seller.

I've been playing for 2 years and I mostly play my dads guitars (Martin, Paul Reed Smith, Stratocaster). This guitar can stand up to any of them. The PRS has more tonal variety and features though. If this guitar were stolen I would probably buy another one. I would definitely buy another Hagstrom.

I have a 1974 Hagstrom Swede, LP-style. I contacted the factory in Sweden on the S/N and they confirmed the roll-out date. It's black, one of only a few made that color out of the 4000 or so that Hagstrom turned out in the '70's. The Bottom switch is the pickup select, the top switch is a three-position, center-bypass tone switch which I never use because it doen't apply that much of a difference to the sound, which is pretty awesome. The original tuners for these are made by Schaller, but mine has Jacksons, only because I bought it that way from a pawn shop. This axe is a two-inch-thick solid block of Mahogany with a mahogany neck reinforced with a metal H-Expander Truss Rod. I've had this guitar for twenty years and never had to adjust it. It's got a 21-fret neck with ebony fretboard. This mo is heavy, make sure you get a padded strap, but the incovenience is worth it. Pony up and get some shoulders already. Very durable finish. The inside cavities are all shielded, which makes this guitar dead quiet when you're not playing.

I play rock, grunge, punk and metal, and the Swede takes it and dishes it out on its own better than a dozen other models could. The general sound is very bottom-heavy but I EQ it out a bit on my amp (a Marshall MG100DFX) and get a beautiful full-spectrum tone when clean. I use a Danelectro Fab chorus as my only stompbox, and the Hag sings when clean. When I play distorted, I usually put it in pretty heavy, and this ax changes character instantly from a clean, gorgeous jazz sound to a full, gutteral roar that some say rearranges your chromosomes. Rhythm playing is super-easy and Every one I know who has heard it say it out-performs the Les-Paul

The action is super-low. The covers for the cavities (on the back) have a couple of small gaps, but that's secondary. The pickup rings disintegrated a long time ago, and I replaced those with Gibsons. The Schaller machines that these came stock with hold the guitar in tune extraordinarily well. The neck binding is another common issue with Swedes. It tends to separate. Mine is missing altogether on the bottom of my neck.

You could drop this guitar twenty-three times, pick it up, kiss it and play it without missing a thing. The only issues I have wer mentioned already: The pickup rings and the neck binding. Other than that, this is a real road warrior. You could play it without a backup, but who would?

Although Hagstrom quit making these in Sweden in 1983, I was easily able to get in contact with them about questions I had. They are now being made by a company in CA, I understand. My experience with the original factory has been great.

I've been playing for thirty years. I have three guitars, a Hagstrom Swede bass, a Hagstrom Swede guitar, and a '79 Fender F-65 acoustic. I wish all my axes were Hags, I would get another in a heartbeat. The hard part is convincing my wife I need a twelv-string Viking.

2006 build made in China. All the things that you find in the other reviews, i guess there is not so much variety. There is also another switch, that is not typical for other les paul type of guitars.
I also got a nice Hagstrom Gigbag from the previous owner.

This guitar is just perfect for my style. I play alternative rock, grunge, Tool -influenced kinda rock primarily, with influences from jazz, funk, and others. It is true that you cannot possibly get the typical sigle coil sound, but in any case you have to be pretty messed up in the head to expect this from a guitar like that.
Also I make good use of the lower switch, which i find especially useful at high gain for creating more... cutting kind of sound...dunno how to explain it, really. The switch itself is some sort of filter, the lower position with a higher passing frequency. However thats about all I can say from just listening, and I cannot find any info online about what exactly each position does.
I am using it so far with a GNX1 for effects and one stomp box, a copy of Tech24's Sans Amp. Sounds awesome as far as I am concerned. I havent got the chance to use it with my amp, which is far away from me for now.
I got the chance to sit down in a music shop and compare the Swede with a Gibson LP, and I dare say that my preferences tend drift in Swede's direction. Contrary to what the previous reviewer said, i found the Swede to be slightly brighter than the LP. But in any case to me the Hag is not a soo much an attempt to copy Gibson, I mean if every guitar that has this shape and PU configuration is a LP rip-off, the the majority of the guitars ever done should be a Fender rip-off, right. The Swede in my eyes has a really cool character that sets itself apart from being a LP wannabe :)

The guy that sold me the guitar had put the action waaay too low, and quite naturally there was some fret buzz. I put it a bit higher and it feels perfect, without any noise. It might not be really the fastest neck on the planet, but sure feels damn good. And in any case, I do not consider this a shred type of guitar.
Finish is awesome. I'm in love. My girlfriend is even jealous :D

I am not a gigging musician at this point of time so, I cant say, but i'd be very surprised if something goes wrong. The guitar appears very solid.
I would not use it without a back up, as I would not use any guitar without a back up.

Haven't dealt with them

This guitar rocks. Hagstrom in general are a very cool brand in my eyes, as they build world class instruments rivaling the quality of the top players for a fraction of the price. I am very much looking forward to become a little bit richer so that I could buy myself some of the other models.
I have been playing now for over 15 years, but not professionally (i.e. I dont make a living from music).
I have owned a Epiphone LP standard and I have had also friends leave with me for a long time a cheap Yamaha and a US Fender Stratocaster.
If the guitar would get stolen, I would buy another one for sure.

Made in China.
Singlecut LP body style.
Mahogany Body with Carved Mahogany Top and rear body contour. A little lighter than an LP and easier to hold/better balanced.
Set Mahogany Neck.
Resinator Fretboard with Hagstrom Pearl Block Position Marks. It is a wood composite made to look like ebony.
H-Expander Truss Rod.
Hagstrom 18:1 Die Cast Tuners.
24.75??? Scale.
2x Hagstrom Custom 58 Alnico 5 Humbuckers. "Matched covered Humbuckers optimized for a fat, warm Vintage tone".
3-Way Toggle.
Long Travel Tune-O-Matic with Hagstrom Stop Tail Piece and 6 Individual Brass String Blocks. It is not a standard stop tail piece.
2x Volume / 2x Tone / 3-Way Tone Filter Toggle (center bypass). This provides some passive mid-boost and cut for a little more tonal variety.

I've been playing single-coils but I've been adding some heavier rock and a little jazz to my repertoire so I wanted to get a basic humbucking guitar with the classic rock tone and a passable neck tone for the jazz. Even though the Swede is lighter than an LP there is still enough body mass to give that classic lead tone with all the broad, fat, chunk and long sustain that you expect from this style guitar. Much heavier sounding than the Epi LPs I tried. But that's about the only sound you can get out of it. Otherwise the sound is all bass and mid, no top end. I tried 3 samples of the Swede with a few different amps and they all sound the same. I also tried the Hagstrom Deluxe-F and F20 which use different pickups and they have more variety of tone although they are they are nowhere near the chunk monster that the Swede is. This is darker than the typical LP dark. The darkest sounding LPs (I'm thinking the ones with all-mahogany bodies) have more top end than the Swede. There is very little difference in sound between pickup settings. There is basically no difference in sound as you spin the tone pots. The volume pot has no taper; goes from silent to full volume by 3 on the dial so it is tough to work the tone by blending the pickups. The only noticeable change in tone comes from the toggle switch but that is centered around the mids so it won't add any brightness.

All of the Hagstroms I looked at were put together very well, on a par with some of the best imports that I've seen. They are better looking and more substantial feeling that the equivalent Epis. I like the neck a lot, it is a real player. The electronics were spotty on some samples I tried - sound cutting out, switches not working, that sort of thing.

I emailed Hagstrom a couple of times to see if they had anything to say about the tone and switches. Maybe they want it to sound like this or maybe they had a run of bad parts overseas and my dealer just got stuck with a bad batch. It is common to have parts issues when you first set up manufacturing offshore. Figured I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. They didn't answer.

This has the potential to be a great budget LP-style guitar. It has a lot going for it but I couldn't get past the limited tone and spotty electronics. If you are the type that looks at budget
guitars as a platform for mods then definitely check it out, it might be better base guitar to work with than some others.

2005's Swede,made in China.I am so surprised that Hagstrom never sell its guitars in China but now China become one of its OEM base. You can hardly find a single Hagstrom in China. But mine is an exception, it was stolen from the factory(the owner said so).Well, I don't care too much about its origin.
22 frets(someone says 23?),mahogany carved top,Set Mahogany Neck,fully bound everywhere,24.75? Scale,2x Hagstrom Custom 58 Humbuckers,2x Volume / 2x Tone / 3-Way Tone Filter Toggle (center bypass) which made me really in trouble with absolutely no accessories. However, it's worth a 9.

I generally play Brit-pop and some guitar master staff for practice.The sound is too fat and round for some clean staff,but I just like it. I have Strat and Tele to deal with those clean staff so it doesn't need to be that versatile.
I only have a Marshall MG10CD as my main amp and Berhringer V-amp2 and Guitar Rig2 as multi-effects.
As an old Chinese saying goes: It's silent like a virgin! Yeah it keep reasonablly quiet when not playing no matter how heavy the dist is especially when only the neck PU is selected.
It can be bright if you need, but generally very rich/fat/full/round sound. It's good at Slash's sound when using the neck.The sound can last forever and easily trigger a warm and smooth feedback sound.
It's no sharp enough for some staff. And I just dream of a push-pull!

The set-up is just so so. The tune-o-matic bridge is a little bit too high and so is the bridge. Frets are sharp.But the finish is perfect and all the tuner and selectors works well. It's comfortable when you play it standing but it will break your neck when sitting.

I just bought it less than a week. All the hardwares look sturdy. I'm sure it is a last-for-ever guitar!I totally and utterly can depend on this tough boy when practising and having gigs.There's no need to take any backup with it except that I want to play some light and clean sound.

It was stolen from the factory, so I guess I don't have the chance to deal with the company. And I don't have any warranty.But I have some items agreed on the contract with that seller.According to the contract, I can repair/change/return it if the problem is caused non-environmentally and non-artificially in 3 years.

I have been playing for 7 years. I have a Strat and a Tele.I wish I had asked how to use its 2?3 way toggle and whether it has a push-pull.If it were stole or lost I will surely buy it agian! I can't put it down once I stand up and play it!It has a profound sound which attracts me to explore endlessly.It's one of the best buy at its price and you will never regret buying one!

'72 all original - bought from original owner so no questions there. 23 frets on bound ebony fingerboard with pearl block inlays. Solid cherry finish bound mahogany body LP style etc., etc. Tune o matic bridge that is orig. but seems weird cause of
shallow seating indentations [per posts adjstmnt/heighth issues.
Very unlike Gibson tune o matic cause of knurled knob lack.
Tuners are classic 'stairstep' classy buttons with what I assume were/are "Inhouse " machines. All metal is chrome. Pups are 2 humbucker and controls are as expected.

I blush to say...I hav'nt wrung this out yet 'cause recently aquired,so I'm assuming the previous opinions apply to mine in this category. After all, It's so mint, it just can't be a dog! I like the fact that I bought it for a song , but dislike the fact - I had to!

Action is wonderful...Set neck and ebony with neck radious seem as good or better than my '71 LP Custom! Blasphemy, perhaps, but it doe's feel solider[heavier]. Pup adjustment might be overated in most cases unless you're anal. This has one of the most bombproof AND refreshing construction simplicity of designs of this era that I'm aware of. NO plys in neck or body-
just a well made inst.

Very subjective - 'cause of 1st owner's 1st electric and yes it was gigged...but very moot, because of that. I imagine when I sell It -
it might not be appreciated as much; but reading previous reviews, I believe this inst. has a bit of starting over. A true mint
example of TLC.

Don't know, but if I'm unhappy, my buddy will remedy. That's nice! - Don't Ya think?

I've own/ed countless classics, and can't pass up deals that invariably will haunt you if ignored. I love provenance and mint condition of this and the LP aura just might help me excuse my recent '71 LP Custom up for sale thing. I mean...I'm not a lead player and have several quality acoustics for rhythm...OK! I'm no great shakes at that either, but a electric is always a neccessity...especially if you have an Amp.

Mine is a 1973 Swede in natural mahogany finish, with bolt neck,ebony board and the rest. When I got it, I was told it had belonged to Chet Atkins' second guitarist, Paul Yandell. This wasn't substantiated except by word of mouth. The tech told me the "tone" toggle was disconnected, phase and coiltap switches installed and the pots exchanged for centralab audio taper 500k pots, apparently at the behest of Mr Yandell. The case was original and serviceable. I bought this axe to back up my Les Paul deluxe in 1988. When I got a 74 LP special to replace it,I sold the Hag to a freind in 1991 for what I paid...150 bucks. During the time I owned it, I had it refretted, put on schallers and straplocs, and changed the treble pickup to a Seymour Duncan JB. All in all a pretty sweet guitar....and get this...I just bought it back 3 weeks ago for 300 bucks!! Inflation, but still a bargain!

Truthfully, I only used the rhythm pickup for recording a few solos back in the day, and I bought it back for nostalgic reasons. I play hard rock originals as I did then. Then I used it thru a Music Man HD130 head into a Fender 2-12 with JBL speakers. I used a proco rat,crybaby wha, and a solid state echoplex.I hated its tiny frets and altho the tuners were pretty, they were useless. The lead pickup was anemic so in went the JB.Oddly enough, after all the work it was sweet, but I sold it when I got the Les Paul Special. The sound is quite good thru my current JCM 800 and Vox AC30 and after using it I can say it suits me way better than it did all those years ago. The neck is quite fast and it does play nicely with no noise and many good tones. It sounds very similar to a Les Paul,but with more clarity and less midrange snarl. I thought it sucked a bit in 91....now I think it awesome to play. It has always been very nice looking! I'll grade it according to how I liked it then, how I like it now, and take off a bit for work done to it as it was pretty poor in stock condition playing and tuning-wise

Tiny frets and sucky tuners, crap lead pickup....but the fast neck and low action are there. The finish is quite good and has lasted well. The wood is quite pleasing and workmanship is clean and neat. Outside what I've mentioned already, this is a fine guitar.

It is pretty tough and quite heavy at 11 pounds. I know it holds up well as the fellow I sold it to used it onstage for many years as his main axe. The finish looks as it did when I sold it and the hardware is good. I will gig with it, but since I use several tunings< I require several guitars at performances and that gives me backups. That said, outside of a string breaking, this guitar is very reliable. In the 16 years I've been around this Hagstrom it has been a real trooper!!

It was used and Hagstrom had been defunct 8 years when I bought it the first time...'nuff said!

I have been playing for 25 years and have been a "gear whore" at times!! I've had everything but currently I own this Hagstrom, several Gibson electrics, a Martin 000-28, a Gretsch Nashville, Ric 330-12, several Fender guitars and a Pbass, Marshall, Vox, and Fender tube amps, too many effects pedals, and a Hammond b-3 organ. This axe is one I would not replace if stolen, but I would be very pissed off and saddened if it was. It has come top be like an old friend after all these years.

This guitar was made in alvdalen, sweden in 1970. Its the 120th swede built(out of 4000 total 1970-1980) and in the first year they werent called swede but "lp", the name change probably was a result of the model guitar being exported abroad.
The features are identical to any pre-1976 swede(when they switched to a set-neck design). All mahogany, bolt on neck with ebony fretboard, mop block inlays, those elegant hagstrom tuners, a very unpractical adjustabke bridge, dual humbuckers, 2-tone 2-volume pots, 3way selector and 3-way "mystery switch"(this is disconnected on mine)

There is a rumour going round that the first batches of Hagstrom humbuckers were alot like gibson PAFs(its infact very probable that they are copied from gibsons design) in having a very special "magic" sound. This rumour could be true because they are VERY good pickups indeed.
Very balanced, defined and rich tone with a lot of bite, completely free of mud. They sound very genuine.

I play mainly through a Line6 guitarport(2.0) so Ive really been able to test the guitar with different amp models and effects, its extremely versatile, much more than my gibson les paul, especially clean but you could play death and nu-metal on it too, no problem.

but we tried it on a cheap marshall v65 the other day and some amps doesnt go with this guitar, it got very trebly and unpleasant(but that amp isnt exactly the cream-of-the-crop either)

If you're curious of the sound then you might try Kaipa's first album where Roine Stolt plays a Hagstrom Swede on some songs.

Since its now 34 years old, it has lots of dings- scratches, cracks and whatelse but no factory flaws. The bridge isnt a very good invention(it has two screws opposite eachother to adjust the intonation which require a lot of fiddling) but its possible to adjust it very well. The tuners stay in tune too.
The frets have proabably been changed atleast once on this guitar and the ones on now are too low which makes it difficult to fret notes without buzzing, but this again is no fault of the Hagstrom company.

This guitar has been USED, its almost as rediculously worn as the fender relic models, but it holds together and sings like it was new. Its a brickshithouse with the only classic weakspot which all guitars with angled heads have, if you drop it with enough bad luck, the neck will proably snap at the nut just like with Gibsons. Allthough this is a little thougher because of the thicker neck.

Hagstrom ceased in 1981.

A very fine instrument, with proper setup it can hold its own or top a Gibson any day.

First of all, this is not, strictly speaking, a Swede. It's a Patch-2000, which was basically a Swede with the addition of circuitry for driving an analog synth (e.g., moog, ARP, etc.) When I got it, all of the circuitry was intact, and I had not one, but TWO of the external interface pedals. Unfortunately, not having much foresight at the time, I figured I'd never be using an analog synth, and I ripped out the digital electronics, and turned the pedals into wah-wahs, volume controls, ring modulators, and such. Oh well! That said, in terms of features, this was (I think) the FIRST synth guitar, which is pretty significant. I actually had occasion to use it through a synth once, and I have to say, aside from being a novelty, it wasn't terribly useful. It used wired-fret technology, allowing only single-note leads, no bending, etc. Still, with the crystal clear hindsight of retrospect, I do wish I had left it intact. Other than that, it has basic Les-Paul type features -- two humbuckers, 2 volume and 2 tone controls, adjustable bridge and stop tailpiece. An interesting result of the synth technology is that the saddles are plastic, and the bridge electrically isolates the strings from one another, which was necessary for the circuitry to determine which string was touching which fret. I have since rewired the guitar completely. It now uses two mini 3-way toggles on the pickguard to allow each pickup to be configured with the coils in series or parallel, or single-coil configuration. It now has a single volume and a single tone control where the two original volume controls were, and push-pull switches allow the pickups to be configured in series or parallel, and in or out of phase. This gives me a wide range of sounds, from big thick jazz-box tones, to thin, tinny Telecaster-like sounds. To do this I had to replace the original 3-way toggle pickup selector with a 3-position rotary switch, but this works fine. The first position is the neck pickup, the third is the bridge, and the middle pickup gives four different tones, depending on the configuration of the two push-pull pots. Where the original tone controls were, I have a 6-position vari-tone setup, with a separate pot to control the depth of the notch filter (which is what the vari-tone really is. Finally, the notch-depth pot is also a push-pull, which cuts in the center-tap on the inductor, effectively doubling the 6 sounds from the vari-tone. All told, this will give me a whopping 462 distinct combinations! And this does not take into account the notch-depth control or the tone control. So, I'd have to say, this guitar has a LOT of features, though most are non-original. The neck is renowned for being fast and thin. It has a ebony fretboard, which I like a lot, and a mahogany neck. The body is also solid mahogany.

I play a wide variety of styles, from jazz fusion, to classic rock, to country, and even a bit of folk. This guitar can basically make all the sounds I need. I play it through a 50W Sundown tube head, which has been modified to use EL34s instead of the original 6L6 power tubes. I don't use many effects, just a Marshall PowerBrake and a 2X12 bottom with Celestions. I could not wish for a better sound. I have been through several pickup combinations with this guitar. When I first got it, I replaced the bridge pickup with a Gibson PAF. To my surprise, it did not sound significantly different than the original! Later I replaced it with a Duncan Invador -- TOO MUCH! Now it has a pair of Ibanez humbuckers, which are just fine.

When I first got the guitar it was set up just fine. The quality of the wood is excellent, as was the fit and finish.

This is a well constructed guitar, that can easily stand up to the rigors of touring and live playing. I did replace the strap buttons with lockers, which I do on every guitar, ever since a keyboard player lifted my Les Paul Standard by the strap, dropping it on a concrete floor and snapping the headstock.

Company is out of business, so this issue is moot.

I've been playing for about thirty yeaers now. In the past few years I have owned a Fender '57 Reissue Strat, a Fender Roland Ready Strat, a Brian Moore i2.5 synth guitar, a '81 Melody Maker 3/4, a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion-III, and a Gibson Les Paul Standard, as well as a LoPrinzi acoustic. At the moment, all I have left are the Hagstrom and the LoPrinzi. The thing I love most about it is the contour body, which introduces a Strat-like contour on the back of the body. The things I DON'T like about it? Well, first of all, it has a bolt-on neck, and the truss rod is not adjustable. The neck is dead straight, so it really isn't a problem, but it bugs me nonetheless. Secondly, the block inlays are PLASTIC! Not a big deal, I guess, but hey, this was a guitar that cost over $1400 when new (early 1970s). Even without the synth stuff, the Swede was as expensive as a Les Paul Custom. For that money, bolt-on necks and plastic inlays are, in my opinion, inexcusable. I could just see some bean-counting geek telling them that they could save a few pennies by cutting corners. In my eyes, this keeps it from ever being a real valuable instrument. However, it plays great, sounds great, and for what I paid for it, I guess I can't complain.

1974 cherry red solid body (Les Paul) style Hagstrom "Swede".
Solid mahogany body & neck,wih 2 humbucking pick-ups, fully bound body
neck and headstock,ebony fretboard,2 volume and 2 tone controls, 3-way
pickup selector,and 3-way TONE selector switch. It has a 24.75 in.
scale neck with MOP block inlays, a tune-o-matic bridge and stop tail
piece.(All original)

I play a variety of music from blues, pop, jazz, and country, and everything in between. The guitar sounds best played thru a Peavey
transtube amp. I have added a phase switch, and coupled with the existing stock electronics, I am able to get sounds ranging from an
L-5 jazz box to a Strat (quack), to a Tele bite. This is probably the
most versatile guitar I have ever owned.

Since it was purchased used, I have no way of knowing how it was set up from the factory. The frets were too tall for my liking, but a fret
dress took care of the problem. I adjusted the truss rod slightly when
I purchased it 20 years ago, and haven't had to touch it since. The
tuners work well and hold tune nicely. Action is set low with no buzz.
The guitar is heavy, but the contour on the back makes it comfortable
to play.
The finish is the best I have ever seen on any guitar. I have owned
top of the line Gibson and Fender instruments, and none could compare
to the Hagstrom finish.
Now for the few negative aspects: The pickup surrounds break very
easily, and the neck binding has a tendency to fall off. This is an
easy fix with some luthier's duct tape (super glue). The adjustable
bridge is a pain in the butt, but once intonation is set, further
adjustments are rarely needed.
Overall the guitar is of very high quality, and needs little adjustment.

The "Swede" is built like an armoured car. If Deep Purple wanted to
smash this guitar in one of their shows, they had better bring their
lunch, 'cause' it's gonna' take awhile.
This guitar has been my main axe for the past 20 years with no back up
90% of the time. It had never failed me yet.

N/A Company out of business

I have been playing for 40+ years and have put more miles on this
guitar than all of the others I have owned combined.
I recently purchased another 1974 natural mahogany Swede which came
from the same batch as my original Swede. (218 numbers apart)
The Hagstrom "Swede" in my opinion is one of the best made guitars for the money, and I would highly recommend it for just about any style of music. It is very versatile and virtually bullet-proof.

My latest guitar is a 1970's Hagstrom Swede, made in Sweden of course =)
It's a 22 fret Les Paul copy, basically... It's a natural walnut-coloured stain, and looks very glossy and deep even after all of these years. It's all solid mahogony, which makes it weigh in at almost thirteen pounds (!!). It's fully bound as well, and has beautiful real mother-of-pearl rectangular inlays. The fretboard is ebony, and looks and feels great. The frets are very low and fast, and the neck is just a little bit thicker than a Gibson 60's neck.
I can't really say much for the bridge, since it is an aftermarket brass affair, and the stock tuners were at some point replaced with Schallers.
It's dual humbucker, of course, with the standard LP configuration except for the so-called "mystery-switch" on the upper bout. It seems to be a treble-cut/boost switch of some sort, and is mostly useless as far as I can tell. While we're on the subject of the switches, they are probably the most solid switches I've ever seen, on a guitar or elsewhere. Other companies should check these out!

This guitar is very much voiced like a classic Les Paul. The output is quite low, and the clean sound with the neck humbucker is very smooth and woody- coupled with the easy action, this makes the guitar great for jazz. When distorted, the neck pickup is very smooth- think Santana.
The bridge pickup, on the other hand, is quite sharp. It has a great 50's crunch when overdriven at all- not the greatest solo tone however. When it comes to rock, this guitar is very much a rhythm guitar. In all, I'm very surprised at just how good this guitar sounds.

Obviously, I can't say how this guitar was set up at the factory, since it was made before I was born. The finish is fantastic, and there are really no flaws that I can find. The only problems are ones that come with age- all of the pots need to be replaced, there's some binding on the neck that's coming off, and both of the pickup mounting rings are broken.

This guitar is like a brick. It is very solid, and would easily withstand live playing. The finish will probably outlive me. The strap buttons are a little bit weird, seeing as they're kind of barrel shaped- time will till if they work well. It seems very dependable.

Well, the company has been out of buisness since 1980 or so... From what I hear, some distant relative of the original owner still has a warehouse of parts, and you can buy them from him. Now that's service!

I've been playing for about 6 years now, and have eleven other electric guitars. This one is easily one of the best. I would love to buy another one, and probably will if I ever find another one- apparently there were only about 4000 made.

Probably my least favorite feature is the weight; the best feature is the fact that I basically got a Les Paul Custom for $400! Honestly, this guitar is built like a $4000 LP, and plays and sounds like one too. If you can find one, buy it!!

My Swede is probably 74-75, with what I believe to be all original parts, except a few small screws. I bought it very used at a guitar show in 1998. At that time I was actually looking for a good deal on a Les Paul, but when I picked this up and played it, I couldn't leave without it. It came without a case.

These days I mainly perform with my acoustic, but when I'm going electric, the music style ranges from blues to rock. The swede works great for these styles, both for chunky chords and soloing. I use a Gallien Kruger amp, mainly because of its portability, but I can imagine if this guitar were played through a tube amp it would be amazing. The sound is rich and full, but has great range. I had the electronics cleaned up by a pro just after I bought it, and I think he replaced one or two of the pots at that time.

I think this is one of the best-built guitars on the planet, specifically the body and neck. Some of the minor hardware is getting loose, the bridge is oxidized, and a peg tuner head fell off recently. But this guitar is 25+ years old, and I think it was played a lot before I got it.

This guitar has been absolutely dependable, although eventually I'll have to replace the tuners, and I'm not sure whether I'll replace them with original equipment, or better quality new tuners.

Company out of business.

I've been playing for 26 years, and I own a lot of equipment, but only one electric guitar, and this is it. If it were lost or stolen, I'd miss it because I wouldn't be able to afford a replacement guitar of the same quality and feel (I'm thinking $3000 for something this good new). But if I had all the money in the world, I might buy another Swede in mint condition, or at least fix up this one. Then I'd probably buy a new guitar as well.

My Swede is all mahogany and was probably from the mid 1970's, judging from the serial# and the hardware. The neck is a bolt-on, with a nice tight fit and very low action. I bought this guitar used, in very good condition, except the pickguard is missing. No big deal, it looks great without it. I could never figure that extra upper switch on the Swedes, but the upper position seems to be a tone cut, which basically is like rolling the tone to "0" with the flick of the switch. The other 2 positions are likely phase options.

The Swede looks similar to a Les Paul, but sounds and plays a lot like a really good Guild BluesBird. The notes have an acoustic, bright ringing quality to them and there is no muddiness. The pickups are relatively quiet, but will feed back at higher gain settings on my amp. The tone is bright and punchy with a lot of sustain. The note definition within distorted chords is fantastic. I can see this guitar used for a variety of music, from jazz to country to hard rock. It has a wide tonal range.

Why can't today's guitars be built like this?
The hardware is of good quality and the build quality is second to none.

This guitar has already survived some 25+ years. I expect it to last my lifetime. That's all that matters to me!

Hagstrom closed shop about 20 years ago.
My Swede's warrantee has long expired.

I love everything about my Swede, from its vintage vibe to the wonderful tones it produces. It is a fine instrument.

Hagstrom Swede, mid 70's. 2 volume, 2 tone, 3 way selector and well, I'm not too sure what the other switch does, almost acts like a tone cut. Two humbucker pick-ups. Mine is a transparent red with white binding. Tuners are some of the neatest I've seen. Beats the standard Gibson or Fender style in looks and the performance of them is quite good. I got a case with it with a plush purple lining.

I play a wide variety of music and it's never let me down yet. The tone sweep is beautiful for going from jazz to rock so you don't have to search for the tone "sweet spot" while on stage. The controls on mine are beginning to show their age. The bridge pickup volume goes from 10 to half and then back to about seven when all the way down so that is slightly annoying but it's not a hard repair. The treble pickup is beautiful for country, nice and bright but still full. I use a Fender Deville tube amp with it and the clean on the neck pickup is great, so full.

I didn't get the guitar new so I don't know how it was set up at the factory but mine plays like a dream. The frets are a touch low, I think the've been done once and slight rattling on the 6 string F. It plays better than my 96 SG though.

This guitar has withstood all that I've used it for without any problems. Good solid hardware that will last forever. The beginnings of slight oxidation on the hardware though but I can live. I read that a few people have had problems with the strap buttons but I haven't encountered that yet. It will probably happen at my next gig. I don't think I would use it on a gig without a backup just purely on the fact that I wouldn't want to take that chance and no one in the audience wants to watch you change strings in the middle of a performance.

Haven't looked into it

I've been playing for 8 years and am currently attending a music school so I need something that I can depend on and sounds good. My only regret is that I didn't get them to put in a new pot when I bought it. I just had a guitar stolen,I don't know if I could go through an ordeal like that again, but I would definitely buy another one. I love the fact that it sounds great and it's unique. I'm not just another Les Paul guy. I don't really hate anything about it at all. I tried some Les Pauls but this one just fit me much better and it was much cheaper. Alot of people complain about the weight but I really like the solid feel you get when you play it. It doesn't feel like it's going to crumble in your hands. I also own a Gibson SG, a gibson 295 with P-90's and a strat and this can approximate the sound of all three with the right adjustments

I have both a cherry red Swede and a transparent blue Super Swede. The Swede is probably mid-70's in origin; I think the Super Swede was made in about 1980. Bought both by mail, the Swede from Canada and the SS from ... Sweden, of all places. They are both in near mint condition, despite their age.

These are solid body Les Paul inspired guitars, the top of the Hagstrom line, and are of very high quality. The Swede has a bolt-on neck, but still has excellent sustain and stays in tune extremely well. The necks are LP-like, not like the Hagstrom II or III, which were exceptionally thin and flat. I much prefer the Swede necks (and I own an HIII as well). Fairly flat radius, good for fingerstyle as well as playing with a pick. Fretboards are nicely bound ebony. The headstocks are beautiful, glossy ebony with pearloid Hagstrom inlay. They are heavy guitars, but comfortable to hold and play.

Interestingly, both of my Swedes have had the pickups replaced, although one came with the original pickups included. Tuners are original. I rather like them, but seem to be in the minority here. They work and both guitars stay in tune.

I play a pretty eclectic mix, from blues and rock to fingerstyle music in altered tunings. I have played these through a variety of amps, but mostly through a Trace Velocette tube amp which is a nice sound. I like them both through just about every amp I've tried, and I often practice with them unplugged - both resonate nicely. A word about that: I thought the Swede was absolutely perfect, with terrific sustain -- my second favorite guitar after a Fender custom shop Nocaster relic. Then I got the Super Swede. This guitar has a set-neck and also has a zero fret just below the nut. It sustains forever. A chord I played last month is still ringing away on the guitar, after I put it back in the case. Unbelieveable.

The tone is nice and full; you can get glassy to crunch, but I would like to see what these guitars would do with other pickups, too. I don't think I am an expert in this area, but I know what I like.

As far as fit & finish go, I would say it's pretty hard to beat these. One is 25 years old, the other 20, and they are nearly perfect. They are solid, the action is great, they stay in tune. The necks are extremely comfortably, with nice binding on the fretboard and very nicely finished frets (which I don't think have been touched since they were built). I doubt you could touch an American made guitar of this quality for less than $3000, and you would have to look for a while to find anything this classy looking. The blue super swede in particular is stunning.

These guitars were built by people who were obviously real craftsmen, and who put a great deal of pride in what they were making. After more than two decades, both instruments look and play like they are nearly new - the exception being some intermittent noise in the tone and volume knobs, no doubt from oxidation or corrosion from the passage of time. These are guitars for people who love guitars, and unless mistreated, I expect they will last another fifty years. All guitars should be built so well.

Well, Hagstrom went out of business in 1982, or thereabouts, so if there is any customer support I am not aware of it. If a Swede is in good shape to begin with, and is well treated, you probably won't need any.

I have been playing for about thirty years. I have a couple of tube amps and several other guitars. If I lost either of these, I would miss them badly - even though for the most part I lean toward teles and strats. I love the look of these instruments - they are classy and beautiful - and I love the feel of the neck and the contoured body. I don't like the weight, but that's part of the package with a solid mahogany, carved-top guitar. The one that came from Sweden had an unwanted surprise - the customs' fee, which was significant. I didn't know enough to ask about it in advance, and they collected it on delivery. The blue super swede is stunning; I have been told that only about six super swedes in this color were ever made. I would not be able to replace it if lost. Swedes are one of the best bargains you will ever find in used guitars; it is a shame Hagstrom is not still in business.

1977-78 Swede-D'Aquisto designed tuners-2 H/B pickups-Les Paul style-
I agree with most everyone-this guitar is HEAVY-but there are contours on the back side so it is comfortable to play-Swedish made,fabulous neck-3 way p/u switch & separate bright switch-Mine is a Mahogany finish model-1st-the tuners which everyone seems to hate are very sensitive and IMHO are a good positive for this guitar. Hagstrom tune-a-matic style bridge. Overall, a very nice guitar.

I play fusion & rock and the sound of this guitar is one of its strong points-It has a very unique glassy type tone that is not easily defined.Not quite as loud as Gibson pickups, but I would not say that they are weak pick ups either. Running through Line 6 amp-very excellent clean tones and responds well to effects.

I bought this guitar used and unfortunately Hagstrom is no longer in business. The guitar I got was in excellent original condition so I'm pretty lucky. The guitar is built like a tank so I doubt I'll have any problems. Very high quality made instrument.This was Hagstrom's top of the line model.

After 25 years and the guitar is still virtually new I would say this guitar is reliable and built to last.

Company out of business-wish they were still making guitars

Been playing over 30 years-I have Fenders, Gibsons, U.S.Epiphones, I'm somewhat a collector as well. Very unique sound and the neck is fabulous-Always wanted a Hag-thought I would get one before they catch on.If it was ripped off it would be hard to get another(especially in excellent condition)I won't modify it-VERY HEAVY GUITAR

I bought this Swedish build guitar in a used gear shop and got it very cheap I think a few years ago. My model still looks like it actually never has been played although it must be 20 years old.
It's beautiful all-mahogny (which makes it heavy, but reliable) Les Paul style guitar, with two switches, one for hi-end cutoff and one for pickup changes bridge/both/neck.

I am still amazed how well this guitar is keeping in tune, the tuners are whoa, the best I've ever seen. This guitar just can't go out of tune, it can be played hard for days and I have only to make minor adjustments. I've had it lying for 3 months+ and it was perfectly in tune when I picked it up again! It totally beats my Ibanex, Lo-pro-edge system.. and it's just regular tuners nothing else. Magical!

It has an ebony fretboard with frets that are a bit to thin for my liking, but that's all about taste.

I got it with a hardcase (which isn't as solid as the guitar, but still survived a 5 year old girl jumpin' on it). It has the sexiest red velour inside.

I would prefer this guitar for blues or jazz, even though I have used it for some funky stuff too. It's best for clean broad sounds (but still preserves that crunchy high), and the sound is very full. The best amp I played it with (for it's sound) is a JazzChorus 2x10", it simply sounded wonderful in combination with this guitar.

This is not the most versatile of guitars though, and I wouldn't keep it as my only guitar... Somehow I prefer the sound of either a hollow body or a regular strat-type guitar, and this one is just in-between with a sound that's sweet with alot of deep end, but certainly not usable in every situation.

The action is perfect, and it hasn't been adjusted while I've had it, and frankly I think it hasn't been touched since it was produced! I had to adjust the pickups a bit, coz they were too high (touched the strings on occasions, but no problem really).

My Hagstrom has no flaws at all.

I think it is almost impossible to kill this one, unless you do something really dumb with it, like setting it on fire or dropping it from tenth floor.

Everything about it is rock solid.

I saw there was a museum page, where it is possible to still get parts for Hagstrom guitars, but haven't had the need.

I've been playing for about 15 years, mostly jazz, funk and pop things. I've played a bit of different gear mostly using a preamp/poweramp/4x12 speaker cabinet setup, which is not what I would ideally prefer for this guitar.

If it was stolen, I think it would not be possible to find another guitar like the one I have, at least not in this good shape, so probably I would not be looking... But, I would cry my eyes out.

I never regretted buying this guitar even though it might not be the one I play the most. Can't help to love it for being beuatiful, perfectly tuned and reliable. Only con is the sound, which is nice, but not very versatile.

One of the last Swedes made, bought new it from their store just a couple of months before they closed down.
A Les Paul Copy better than Les Paul?

I am just using it for fun, used to have a fender twin reverb amp but now using a small marshall. The sound can be anything from jazz to distorted. Has an incredible sustain, can hold a tone almost forever.

Bought it new and all I have done during 25 years is changed strings, its still in almost mint condidtion. Never had to change any factory settings and the smooth action together with the perfect hagstrom neck is wonderful. If not abused these guitars will propably serve my son and his sons to.

I can onestly say that its lucky that Pete Townsend to my knowledge never tried to smash one of these, he propably would have been standing there today.

There seems still to be fairly easy to get hold of spares to these although i doubt that enu would need them.

Been playing for fun since childhood, owns also an old Levin Classic guitar, sold away my Daion which i still regret.
If this would disappear I would certainly try to get one back. It,s the most sturdy, easiest used guitar I have ever tried, and the sound its perfect for me. When I bought it I must have tried out 20-30 other guitars, washburn, Ibanez, Gibson, Fender etc but this suited me perfect.
And the look and finish, It,s perfectly setup from factory and the "baby blue" finish makes is stand out to many others.
Check this link to se the beauty of it
http://www.albinhagstrom.se/hagstrom_swede_1980.htm

1973 swede
23 fret mahogany body ebony fretboard........
red red red-even the back of the neck and headstock
wavy tuners are cool looking.........
have had it now about 18 yrs........are heavy as hell......but when you pick up a cheap guitar, you really appreciate the Hag.
All original......dont use it much as I want to keep it original.

very good for blues.......would love a tremolo but dont want to ruin body........
very loud.......good sustain

top notch product.......perfect thru and thru
looks factory new......
too bad no one will ever get to buy it from me\

NEVER for sale..............

strap button came loose.....used long screw and have large contoured washer to keep strap on small button.......

otherwise........no need to worry

Well i tried to find them but no longer around.......
too bad
Foo Fighter's lead man wanted to restart........was given a big "NO"

i have a Harmony acoustic, Johnson thinbody elec/acoustic,Takamine elec/acoustic,Applause gtx,Kramer,Galveston telecaster and my Hag

Hag is 2nd fave to play as i love a strat and a tremolo. Hag isnt good for heavy metal.

Weight is great........need the sureness of quality wood......balsa wood amateurs just wont do

My Swede is made in the mid 70's, and still it's in near mint condition. Les Paul-like but not a copy, full mahogany, two humbuckers, 3-way mic-switch, 3-way capacitator switch (which is kinda useless). As cool guitar as one from 70's can be.

Almost perfect! Clean sounds from bridge PU are a little thin and weak, but by turning down the tone knob a bit you can handle with this problem. I've been thinking of replacing bridge PU with a SD 59' or Seth Lover. Crunchy in a bluesy way if you want, not enough output for a nu-metal or "Norwegian heavy"- player, and I'm happy for that. I play nearly all but metal; RHCP, Kent, pop, Finnish rock as Don Huonot and "easier" music too.
Absolute sustain!! I'm playing it through ToneWorks AX1000G to a Peavey Classic 30, this baby sings with these!!

Well I bought this one used, of course (I'm born in 1982). Absolutely perfect action, low enough without any "rattle" between strings and frets, pots are probably never changed, they're worn but it doesn't worry me, I keep them in the same positions always. A few scratches on the body, natural aging of course. But they're all plus! A old instrument can't look like a brand new one. Finish is natural, by the way.

Very solid. Strap buttons are little ones, but got strap locks when bought, so no problem. It's written on the Net that binding is going to fall down from neck some day, but no signs from that, yet. Would gig without a backup (expect spare strings, of course).

The previous owner bought some spare parts from Sweden even if the company doesn't exist anymore. Great system, I think!
I haven't dealt with them.

I've been playing since early 90's and got a Ibanez Performer series LP-copy before this. Swede just shines compared to it. Well, I tried out a Tokai Love Rock (which they claim to be better than the original Les Paul) and Swede rules still! The best guitar I've been playing. The feel is smooth and sound fantastic. Only 7,800 have been made if I remember right, but it's the quality , not the quantity, right?

A Swedish made Mid-seventies solid body electric--pretty much like a Les Paul. It has a pretty incredible looking solid top--not laminate; I guess the finish is known as "budinga"--natural w/ lustrous grain. It has two pickups (replacement dimarzios)and was rewired to function like a Paul, and the mystery switch was deactivated.
Body and neck are 100% mahogany. the construction is pretty interesting:
the neck has a glued seam running down the center all the wat to the headstock...the back is two pieces and the top is one. the fretboard is ebony....wow!
A lot of the stuff has been changed like the aforementioned pickups....
the pickup rings
the tuners--now grovers
the pickguard
the nut and a total refret job

I'm playing a lot of noisy indie pop type stuff.....I'm using a 4X10 Deville with dano delay, an envelope filter, boss tremelo, and a Turbo RAT. It has a monster tone--more on the darker side--its very big. I get a lot of comments on the sound. the neck is pretty bassy and louder compared to the bridge---but I'm mostly playing on the middle and lead anyway.

pretty tight finish & neckwise. the refret, and refurbishment is a little sloppy looking, and the newer rings leave some of the routing exposed...but I'm not really concerned--it doesn't affect the sound.

Really durable so far. I had the pickup selector switch go out, and I had a store repair it for 6 bucks. Iwas worried about losing the original chrome switch, but the tech took the back off a new one and swiched out the defective pt. of the swich. the finish looks rad. the strap buttons are a little sketchy, but I'm all about the duct tape--cuz the mutha weighs a ton!!! I'm pretty sure I can depend on it OK

Apparently Hagsrom's grandson runs a Hagstrom Museum, and is selling off various parts like tuners and msc. hardware. He's really nice and answers questions!

I've been playing for ten years, and have owned various used guitars, and for the price nothing nearly this nice and nice sounding. I have a reissue mustang, a gibson Nighthawk, a 70's Electra LP Copy,.

If I lost it I would really be bummed. Its pretty rare.

I like it cuz its totally neat looking, and weird....and it sounds cool. I hate tha weight of the thing.

I wish it was all original.

Like I said...I get comments on it. I've had people ask me to sell it to 'em.

1970's Hagstrom Swede. Solid mahogany everwhere. Natural finish. Made in Sweden. Les Paul shape with two humbuckers and white binding. Two volume and two tone knobs with three way switch and a second three way for phasing. Neck is mahagony with an ebony board and block pearl inlays. Stop style bridge, tuners are a bit bizarre and not the most reliable. I have some pictures at www.guitarscanada.com in the collectors corner section if you want to check it out. The neck is real fast (which was a major advertising scheme) for Hagstrom, but I have to agree with it. I love to play this one.

This guitar rocks as far as sound. I would put it up against any Les Paul for the fat sound. I run this through a Marshall 4x12 with Marshall rack amp and JMP1. Also run it through the new Fender Cyber Twin with equally good results. The switches are upside down compared to a Les Paul, that takes some getting used to.

I would give this a very good rating as far as quality is concerned. They certainly did not go cheap on hardware (except for the tuners) and the fit and finish is great. After all these years it still looks great.

It will be around another 30-40 years from now, durable. If I ever find a set of tuners to put on it, it will be complete.

Not anymore

Very nice guitar. Looks great and plays great, can you ask for anything more.

1974 Swede ( serial # can be found stamped on the input jack plate)
Basically a Les Paul style but heavier! Solid carved mahogony top and i believe it was a mahogony neck with ebony fretboard. 2 vol, 2 tone 2 selector switches. ( I've yet to figure out what the hell the top selector switch is for!)2hums, tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tail piece. Very interesting bolt-on design.I traded 2 junky corts for this so it is used. When I got it, the previous owners swapped tuners and stuck a Dimarzio Super Distrotion in the bridge. The Hagstrom neck pickup was week so I moved the SD to the neck, and put a Duncan JB in the bridge. The result= SONIC FLAME THROWER! TRhis is a beautiful guitar. It's a natural high gloss finish over that dark mahogony body. It looks so 70's.. As far as the frets go, these babies are blew out! Someone played the daylight out of this axe! BUt it still plays better than ANY Les Paul, or Gibson for that matter,that I've ever played .

I play everything under the sun. With my pickup combo, it's not exactly a cowboy guitar. I play alot of metal and hard rock.I'm not into effects at all. They mask my gain too much. I'm running through a Crate gx-212 and I've run her through my brothers Blue VooDoo rig with the Tube Works ax 1000G precessor. It ripped either way. I love this pickup combo in this guitar do to the fact that the pure mahogony body gives it a darker tone than a Les Paul.I like everything about this guitar.

For it's age, the body is in killer shape. It almost looks brand new. There was some missing neck binding that must have come loose at one point or another and some finish checking on the back of the headstock.

This axe is built like a tank, and as heavy as one! Everybody complements this axe. I've owned it all of 2 weeks and have 3 offers on it! NOT FOR SALE! I even turned down an Ibanez Jem 555! If you are into a guitar for the way it plays and are not one of these "flavor of the month" guys, pick one of these up. You won't put it back down!
I suck too bad as a player to gig.

Don't know

I've been playing for 12 years. I also buy/sell/trade guitars as a secondary business. I have alot of guitars run through my hands, and believe me, I can spot alot of differances in guitars. I also can tell when a special piece hits my hands. THis is one of them! This is the only Hagstrom I ever played and it is killer. Everybody who has owned or played one, seems to agree. I recommend you get one while they are cheap. It plays ever bit as nice as a Gibson Les Paul for the price of an Epi Les Paul. And there unique neck joint makes you believe you are playing a neckthru guitar.
If it were stolen, some poor SOB would have hell to pay if I caught him! This is truly a treat to play every time I pick it up. The action is effortless like my San Dimas Charvel or an '89Paul Reed Smith.

I bought this guitar in the mid-70's after trying it and a Les Paul out. I liked the Swede sound so I bought it. I immediately customized it by getting Grover Pegs, a Gibson Tune-o-matic bridge and a DeMarzio Super Distortion Humbucking pick-up for the neck position.

Mainly have played rock. Used an Ampeg V-4 with this guitar for many years. This set-up gave a blistering sound with great sustain. I rarely used effects and then only a phase shifter or a wah wah pedal. Also used this guitar in doing some more mello studio work.

As indicated by other commenters this is a solid, well crafted guitar. My change to the DiMarzio was simply for my preference to the metal rock sound. The change of the pegs and the bridge was to make up for a slightly lower quality of the stock set-up.

Have had this guitar for 25 years and the only thing I have had to replace are the plastic shields around the pick-ups. A highly dependable, solid guitar.

Has never required repairs.

Have been playing for over thirty years and was thinking about selling this guitar as I don't play as much anymore. Was searching the web to see what it might be worth and was shocked at the very low prices at which people were picking up used Swede's. I guess I will hold onto it for now. I agree with one of the other commenters that once people realize t he true value and superior performance of the Swede, the used price will rise considerably.

Mine is cherry red and was completely stock when I bought it. The body is mahogany and the fingerboard is ebony. I replaced the plastic nut w/ bone very early on. I agree w/ everyone else on the tuners-they suck. However, I think the Grovers I put on to replace them look better than the originals as well as working better. The bridge is a little difficult to adjust, so I try to avoid it. I think they got into a bad batch of glue when they made my neck. A seam in the neck began to seperate at the tip of the headstock, so I glued the joint and drove a 3" screw from one side of the headstock to the other to reinforce it. It has held up for 15 years without further problem. The neck binding has also needed regluing, but has held up well since.
The pickups suited me well at first, but they were a little thin and weak. I replaced them w/ a Gibson PAF at the neck and a DiMarzio PAF at the bridge. The DiMarzio has the ceramic magnet from a SuperII in it. The tone switch on the shoulder has been rewired as a coil tap(both humbucking/neck single-coil/both single-coil).

In its stock condition, the guitar sounded rather bitey. The pickup replacement was the only fix it needed. People simply do not believe the tone and sustain of this instrument. I've used it w/ a variety of amps and it always sounds great.

The craftsmanship is top-notch, with the only flaw being the aforementioned neck glue.

I used this guitar exclusively for 15 years and it is very roadworthy. The finish is beautiful save for belt buckle dents in the back. I have straplocks on it.

I needed some bridge saddles about 10 years ago and was surprised to find that I could still get them!

I've been playing for over 25 years and the Swede is my first love. I keep her close to home now. I use an old Japanese Strat copy w/ a humbucker and a Kahler tremolo as my workhorse.

I have 2, both natural finish, one came with a nicer bridge than the other, but otherwise their identical, both mid 1970's. All mahogany, ebony fretboard, one came with the original Hagstrom tags and tool kit! Very sharp looking axes!

The stock pickups are dead, not much output for overdrive sounds, perhaps that's why some pople use them for jazz fusion, like Daryl Stuermer( who used to live up the street from me and gave guitar lessons in St. Francis, Wisconsin), so I kept one stock, and modded the heck out of the other. But it's sweet sounding cause of the mahogany top. I think the 3 pick up black beauty Les Paul also had a mahogany top and similar sound.

The neck is great for a bolt on, the floating fingerboard is a bit strange. The nut was a joke, cheap plastic, I made a nice bone one. The finish is great, action can be set very low with no buzzing, I use 9's on one and 10's on the other. The stock tuners look great, but suck, so I got a set of Grover Imperials and fit the original tips onto them. One warning, the peg head holes are not standard, you'll need a tapered reamer if you want to put in new machineheads.

25 years and still great, what more can you say? I installed straplocs.

N/A

Been playing since I was 18, I'm 42 now, and I still suck! But I enjoy it, it's a hobby for me. I have a 1936 Gibson L50, 1983 Gibson Explorer, had a 1975 Gibson 175 & a 1992 SG custom(stupid wammy bar threaded body inserts stripped out, got it repaired under warranty and sold it,) a couple of beaters not worth mentioning, and I'm looking at a Guild X700 right now.

The Swede I modded has EMG triple blade Mother-Buckers in it, fully selectable for 1, 2, and/or any of the 3 coils, with phase, parallel & series switching, so it'll sound like a Tele, Strat, Les Paul, or grunge guitar with the flip of a switch! I play a bit of blues, jazz, heavy rock, all on the modded one. It's my daily player, I prefer my Gibson Explorer for its overall neck feel, action, and ease of playing, but not by much, and its not as versatile.

ATTENTION, the secret tone switch has 2 disc capacitors to modify tone, it does nothing for phasing.

I can't think of any other Les Paul type copy out there that is made as nice as this is. They seem to be going up in value on the used market now too.
That about covers it.
Greg Horn

1974 Hagstrom Swede with a solid Mahogony top, two Demazio pickups, Passive tone switch, Volume and tone controls for each pickup. UNBELIEVABLE neck with Ebony fingerboard.

I'm a blues player and this guitar is unreal. I can get everything from a really chunky Les Paul to a Mellow ES-335 all the way to a funky thin Strat sound from this puppy. Everyone that hears this guitar is amazed at what sounds I can get out of it. With the Tone Switch (it seems it works as a hi-pass, by-pass, low-pass) and the individual volume and tone controls on each pickup you have a wide range of tonal colors you can create.

What can you say. It's a Hagstrom! This company made probably the best neck in the guitar industry. The action is low and smooth, the thin mahogony neck with ebony fingerboard feels great. The finish is flawless. I own a Fender Thinline Tele, Gibson Nighthawk, A Vintage Gibson SG, Les Paul and I have to say that the Hagstrom Swede is my Favorite guitar to play!

This guitar is over 26 years old and it still looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. The finish is top notch! This is one solid chunk of wood! I have have no problem using this as my only guitar without any reservations.

I wish Hagstrom was still in business, with the quality of the instruments they made they would have been quite a contender. But they are long gone, but they still maintain a website and there is some limited parts and support available. Which considering how long they have been out of business is pretty amazing.

If this was stolen .. I would have not choice but to hunt down the SOB and castrate him! I would hold this guitar up to any Les Paul custom and it would definately hold it's own. I plan on buying a few more of them such as the Super Swede and the Swede Deluxe. If you find one for sale BUY IT!! If you don't buy it .. let me know and I will buy it! This guitar is probably one of the best secrets around and they can be had for almost a song. But don't expect that to last for long. Sooner or later people are going to catch on to this gem and the price is going to shoot up there.

Beats me when this guitar was made -- it doesn't have a serial number. Most Swedes were made in the 70's, I'm told. It is a funky Les Paul-and-then-some guitar. Weighs a ton. The true funk-factor comes from the coil-splitters and out-of-phasey sounds made possible by the deeply mysterious wiring system.

Well, the Swede doesn't sound like much of anything else. The pickups are very touch -- weak for much of the range of the pot and then, by gum, they are ON! I typically play it through my Fender Super Reverb ('68ish). It is a scorcher through my pignose, though. It is capable of a very wide variety of sounds, but (strangely) excells at Jazz, Fusion, and pretty serious rock. I'm mainly a blues guy, and I don't use it much for playing blues. I've been told that a Swede refitted with PAF humbuckers is a guitar to be reckoned with, but I thing the guitar's strenght is in its incredibly distinct sounds.

This guitar is beautifully made. A guitar of this quality would cost a mint if offered nowdays. I bought it used, and can't vouch for factory set-up, but I suspect it was well done. The guitar is just plain beutiful wood-wise, though the neck-to-body joint could be more artistic.

The main weakness hardware-wise is the tuners. They just plain suck. If they weren't such an import part of the Swede's visual appeal, I would rip them off in a moment.

Industructo! This guitar would stop bullets... big ones. Years of playing and it has never let me down.

There ain't none.

I've got a couple of strats and a 335 knock-off, and I tend to play them more than the swede -- but it is always a joy to play and it ALWAYS attracts attention at a gig. I wouldn't sell it, and if anybody stole it they would be in REALLY BIG TROUBLE if I caught them.

this guitar was designed by master guitar maker jimmy d'aquisto,,the craftmanship is impeccable,,,the guitar palys and sounds like a dream,,no wonder larry coryell played them for so long,,sounds better than most les pauls i've played,,it was good enough for alan holdsworth and dayrl stuermer to use on the now fusion classic "enigmatic ocean" by jean-juc ponty,,,what a meaty tone holdsworth has on that album,,,certainly no strat,,but yet listen to how thin it can get when used by struemer,,,i rate this guitar very high

rich and full,,,real meaty,,,great jazz guitar,,yet can get quite lite and thin on top,,,when using it right the guitar just sings thru the amp,,,what tone,,simply great

you can tell it was a d'aquisto,,just by the headstock,,the craftmanship is high on this guitar,,red stain mahogany body(almost 13 lbs.)very heavy,,binding work and enlay are excellent the tuners are special design and the neck is ebony not rosewood

altough i'd play another guitar on the road as i wouldn't take it out really except for special ocassions i believe it would handle thge rad quite nice,,being such a thick piece of wood

altough gone now,,,certainly not forgotten i am a beleiever in hagstrom products as i now have 6 hagstroms,,but no waranty on a 28 yr old guitar but thge craftsmanship of it still holds to this day,,any way there is quite a data base out there to wich you can find parts and info on these guitars

been playing 30 years,,this guitar is what i've been looking for for years,,if it were stolen,,i would want another,,,i say check them out,,especially one that is in working order

Probably made around 1977 or so, in Alvdalen, Sweden. 22 frets, and a wonderful, fast mahogany neck. The body is mahogany as well, natural finished. Two volume and two tone controls, two three-way switches that select pickup and coil tap. The switch on the horn is getting worn out ans I should try to replace it someday soon. This specific Swede also sports the Patch 2000 guitar synth system that Hagstrom had with Ampeg, so there's a two-way switch on the pickguard and a DIN-jack on the side of the guitar, together with the ordinary jack. Two humbuckers, sweet sounding things! I got this guitar used in Texas, and the store I got it from had bought it with one tuner lost, so they ripped 'em all off and put on some cheap nasty tuners! But originally, this guitar had Schaller tuners, designed for Hagstrom by James D'Aquisto. I'll put a new set on as soon as I get 'em. The only other thing broken are naturally the frames around the pickups. They always brake on the Swedes.

This guitar just speaks to me! I play instrumental jazz/latin jazz/fusion, and it sounds and look perfect for this 70's style of music. The sustain is great and the humbuckers in combination with the mahogany gives me a nice jazzy sound.

I use it with a Fender Blues DeVille 410 and a few effects, namely an Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, Vox wah-wah and a Morley volume pedal. The humbuckers are real quiet and make no noise at all. I've not had the opportunity to try out the Patch 2000 since it needs a pedal board as well, so I don't even know if it's working or not.

All in all, I bought this guitar for the sound and playability. REAL nice!

This was a used guitar, of course, and it's got a few wears and tears. One of the frets buzz a little, and there's a few dings in the finish, but nothing compared to other guitars I've seen from this era. And the fret can be fixed without any problems.

The action is real low, and the Hagstroms are famous for their extremely fast necks. Wonderful!

Seems to be a very sturdy guitar, heavy as well. As soon as I get a few things replaced (with original parts, of course) I won't be afraid of gigging with it, but I prefer to always have a backup.

Considering the age of the guitar, it's been holding up VERY good, impressive Swedish quality. I believe the Swedes and the Super Swedes were the best quality guitars Hagstrom made. It's way better than a lot of the Gibsons out there.

Hagstrom doesn't really exist anymore, but Karl E. Hagstrom is a very nice guy, and stock a large number of spares for the instruments, and they're VERY affordable! Considering that they don't make any guitars or new parts anymore, the service is very good, and it wouldn't seem to be too hard to get a hold of most of the parts one might need.
Official website at http://www.albinhagstrom.se

I'd cry if I lost this guitar, and I'd really work hard to get another one, cause these guitars are wonderful! The best thing is it's fast neck and jazzy sound. Plus it looks cool.

I didn't need to compare it with other guitars, it just spoke to me as soon as I plugged it in. For $185, it was a steal. I couldn't resist it.

My best friend bought a Swede back in about 1978 and then got bored with trying to learn guitar, so he let me use it for a couple of years. I wouldn't call it a Les Paul copy, although there are certainly similarities. The Swede doesn't have the maple top that a LP has, so it tends to be a little deeper sound, a little darker. I believe that these are solid mahogany. It has a pair of switches, one of which is the pickup selector, but the other (if memory serves) does coil splitting and out of phase switching, very common today but very advanced for the late 70's. 2 humbucking pickups, neck position a standard and bridge position a DiMarzio Super Distortion. 2 volume & 2 tone controls, typical LP-style layout. Really an excellent axe, although extremely heavy. I felt good when I saw a picture in a magazine of Bob Seger playing one.

Very full sound for what we now call "classic rock," which at the time was just the stuff that was brand new. :) I played it through a 1963 Fender Bandmaster with a 2 x 12" cabinet.

Just beautiful. Very high quality. It was purchased used but had no flaws that I could see.

The Swede is a very solid guitar. I think it would last forever. Bands playing nostalgia shows playing 70's rock in, say, 2050, would be using these.

No experience.

I've been playing for about 25 years. I now own a Hohner tele copy and a Jasmine acoustic. I'd love to have another Swede.

Purchased new in 1975. Made in Sweden, Les Paul copy. I believe the body was mahogany, maple neck. Two humbucking pickups/2 volume, 2 tone contols, two three-ways switches, passive electronics, stop tail-piece, medium neck. Got a nice case with it.

I play classic thru mid-70's rock, country rock, country. I've used it with many different amps, some tube, some transistor. Very quiet, probably due to the humbucking pickups. Rich, full sound but can get twangy if you want it to by manipulating the switches. Chunkier sound than a Les Paul and perhaps a bit more versatile. Great sustain when needed, not as bright as a guitar with single coils. I love the looks of this guitar but I hate the weight. I dropped it twice because of the position of the strap buttons, but a pair of strap locks and a good wide leather strap solved all those problems. A beautiful cherry finish and nice wood underneath. This was the best guitar Hagstrom made. It's too bad they're out of business, as Hagstrom's seem to be getting popular right now, maybe it's just the retro-craze.

I had to set up the guitar after I bought it, but I changed to a lighter set a strings so that's to be expected. Adjustment was very easy. Pickups need height adjustment, but that's to be expected also, everyone thinks a guitar should sound a different way. No flaws of any kind.

I gigged this guitar hard for eight years. Shortly after I bought it I plugged in one night and nothing! Had to run to a friends house and borrow his Fender for the gig. Yuck! My tech discovered a problem with the input jack. Fixed it in two minutes. Never had another problem in eight years. Went through two fret jobs. Finally didn't have much left for frets when I noticed a minute crack in the fretboard. Hagstroms had a lifetime guarantee on the neck, so I took it back to the dealer and he said he's let me know when he got the new neck in. It took a couple of months. When the neck finally got there he said that it wouldn't have taken so long but Selmer (the importer) didn't have a cherry finish neck in stock so they sent to Sweden for one! That's service! I can't say enough good things about the reliability of this guitar. Except for the one problem this thing was bulletproof. I always gigged without a back-up and never worried aobut it.

Wouldn't even try, they're out of business and that's a shame because they had a great product.

I've been playing for 35 years. I haven't gigged for about 15 but I'm hoping to start again part-time when I retire next year from the military. My oldest son has the Hag now and it's still going strong. I'd love to have it back, but I doubt if I'll ever see it again. It was a very versatile guitar for my purposes. I recently purchased a Rickenbacker 620 and a Peavey Studio Pro 112 amp to get started again. Although I like the Rick, I still miss the Hag (perhaps it's more sentimental than anything else). I'm the only person I've ever known who played one of these steadily (besides Bob Seger but he doesn't count)! If you can find one, buy it. If you can't afford it, call me!