Hagstrom Solid Body Electric Guitars

When you take the stage, your guitar is like an extension of yourself. That makes your choice an important one, and since every guitarist has his or her own preferences, a personal one as well. With their 1950s and '60s-inspired designs, Hagstrom solid body electric guitars are ideal axes to meet those lofty expectations for lots of world-class guitarists. Take Pat Smear for example - he owns one of the largest Hagstrom collections anywhere. Hagstrom didn't always make guitars, though. When they started out in the 1920s, their main business was importing accordions to Sweden. They branched out in 1958, becoming the first company outside of the U.S. to professionally mass-produce electric guitars. Early Hagstrom models were characterized by style cues they borrowed from accordions, and some of that original styling lives on today in the form of chromed accents, dramatic rectangular pickups and tuning machines with a distinctive vintage look.

The most renowned Hagstrom electric guitars are the Swede series. The original Swede is the model that put Hagstrom on the map and it's still a fantastic choice. This guitar is mahogany from head to tail with Custom '58 humbucking pickups to put out the unmistakeable Hagstrom tone. Next in line is the Super Swede, which turns things up a notch with a slightly longer 25.5" scale length. Compared to the Swede's 24.75", that adds some extra brightness and sustain for guitarists who want a little more kick. Rounding out the Swede family is the Ultra Swede, which dials back the scale to 24.75" but swaps out the Custom '58 pickups for Custom '62s. The Ultra Swede's basswood body, maple top, slim construction and compact scale all translate to a guitar that's fast and fun to play.

If you're looking for a guitar that gives you tons of flexibility, check out the Hagstrom Deuce. Its double-cutaway body provides total access to the frets, and the Custom '58 humbuckers are wired up to push/pull tone knobs that allow independent coil splits. The Hagstrom Metropolis models are also worth a look for the working musician: the Metropolis-C for high-energy humbucking tones or, if you like a more brilliant and jangly single-coil sound, the Metropolis-S. They're some of the most versatile guitars Hagstrom has to offer, not to mention accessible enough for any guitarist.

With a Hagstrom solid body electric guitar in your hands, you'll be ready to bring some amazing tone to the stage. The best time to start your own Pat Smear-esque Hagstrom collection is now; whether you like a brilliant vintage sound or fat, modern humbucking performance, Hagstrom is ready to deliver.