Hagstrom Semi-Hollow and Hollow Body Electric Guitars

Hagstrom's history is a colorful one. Starting as an accordion importer in the 1920s and eventually leading to their production of electric guitars from 1958 onward, they were the first company outside the United States to mass-produce electric guitars. Hagstrom has always been known for incorporating elements from other instruments into their guitars with great results, which is one of the factors that's gone into their long success with semi-hollow and hollow body electric guitars. Although Hagstrom makes several styles of guitar, these classic models remain many guitarists' favorites. With a semi-hollow body that makes it perfect for blues and classic rock, the Viking is one of those renowned Hagstrom guitars. This instrument comes loaded with a pair of Hagstrom's own HJ-50 pickups and is available in 6 and 12-string configurations. If you want to add some retro expressiveness to your sound, then check out the Tremar version of the Viking, which is fitted with a custom Hagstrom tremolo bridge that delivers sweet vibrato effects true to the vintage sounds of the rock genre's formative years.

Another dual-cutaway Hagstrom is the Deuce, which is based on the legendary Super Swede electric guitar. The Deuce F is made most of mahogany with a carved maple top, and is chambered on the bass side. These guitars are also available with the Tremar tremolo bridge, and they feature Custom-58 pickups - the same pickups personally chosen by Pat Smear for his signature Hagstrom guitar. The Custom-58s are humbuckers that can be split independently with a quick adjustment, letting you switch instantly between full humbucking and more delicate single-coil tones.

If you're into jazz, then the Hagstrom guitar for you is likely to be found in the Jazz Model series. The HL-550 is a fully hollow-bodied mahogany guitar with a single HF-50 humbucking pickup. Together with the guitar's natural resonance, it produces a rich, warm tone. For a more modern option with a tighter sound, look to the HJ-500 and HJ-600. They're also built for jazz, but with a less vintage-leaning and more powerful tone. The HJ jazz models use the same HJ-50 pickups as the Viking, atop a semi-hollow body design. If you prefer a spruce top, choose the HJ-600, or if you like the punchiness of an all-maple guitar, go for the HJ-500.

Hagstrom semi-hollow and hollow body electric guitars are, like any instrument, a personal choice. Pick out the right combination of body design, woods and pickups to get the sound you like best, and you'll love the results. Further options like twelve strings for the Viking or the Tremar bridge on the Deuce F can be the icing on the cake that is the guitar - it's all about what you want.