| Hagström | |
| Type: | Private |
| Defunct: | c. 1983–2004 |
| Founder: | Albin Hagström |
| Location: | Älvdalen, Sweden |
| Area Served: | Global |
| Industry: | Musical instruments |
| Products: | accordions Acoustic and electric guitars Bass guitars mandolins banjos lap steel guitars Amplifiers effects units mixing consoles guitar strings |
| Parent: | Tricor AB |
| Homepage: | hagstromguitars.com |
Hagström (in Swedish pronounced as /ˈhɑ̌ːɡstrœm/) is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the late 1950s, the company started making electric guitars and later amplifiers. The early guitars were heavily influenced by the accordion production and had a special look and feel. Hagström were the first company to mass-produce 8 string bass guitars as well as the first to build a guitar/synthesizer hybrid (Swede Patch 2000). The company ceased production in 1983. In 2004 the brand was resurrected and has since been building guitars both in Europe and in Asia. Throughout the years Hagström has expanded their line of products since the restart of the brand and re-introduced such Hagstrom classics as their famous Hagström H8, an 8 string bass. Hagstrom has also introduced new models and designs, where the firm still operates out of Sweden.
Albin Hagström began importing accordions from Germany and Italy in 1925 and founded "Firma Albin Hagström". Albin expanded his business with shops in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and in 1932 he started manufacturing accordions himself in Älvdalen. In 1936, Hagström hired two Italian accordion builders who helped to update and streamline the manufacturing process. In 1939 Hagström started to establish themselves in USA by opening "Hagstrom Music Company Inc." in Rockefeller Center in New York as well as "Albin Hagstrom Inc." in Jamestown. However, in 1940 the launch was canceled due to World War II and the people hired to run the company disappeared with the company's funds. In 1946 Sven Hillring was sent over from Sweden to oversee a new launch of the new accordion factory in Jamestown, which was in business until 1949.
Back in Sweden the brand continued to grow throughout the 1940s and 1950s and at one time had a total of forty-eight shops in northern Europe. In 1953 the accordion production reached its peak with 15,000 units being built. At this time the company also started a number of accordion schools; it is estimated that over 70,000 people have attended these schools. Founder Albin Hagström died in 1952 at the age 47 and was succeeded by Erik Wisén. In 1968 the Super Cromatic was introduced which came to be the last accordion built, with the last one made in 1970.
In 1984 the company returned to its roots by once again importing accordions from Germany and Italy. The shops were sold, and employees were encouraged to venture out on their own, which resulted in two new companies in Älvdalen. Musitech was started by Hagstrom and sold to Rolf Lindhamn, who was the official Swedish retailer of Aria and Guild guitars. Per-Åke Olsson who participated in the development of the Super Swede founded Amtech which is producing PA systems and light rigs as well as computer equipment. The original "AB Albin Hagström" company still exists to this day and still owns many of the facilities in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.[1]
In 1958, Swedish-based Hagström started manufacturing electric guitars, being one of the first to produce the instrument professionally outside of the United States. The early Hagström Deluxe solid body guitars featured a distinctive sparkle and pearloid celluloid finish that was previously used on their line of accordions. Soon Hagström expanded their line-up of guitars to include hollow bodies like the Viking and the Jimmy. In 1961 the first line of Hagström basses was available to the public, this eventually came to include the groundbreaking 8 string bass.
Models of electric guitar included the Hagström 1, the H series (h II, h III, h II N), the Swede (Originally called The Hagström LP, or Les Paul, due to the instrument's resemblance to the popular Les Paul manufactured by Gibson Guitars), the Super Swede, the Impala, the Corvette (called the Condor in the US), the Viking, the Swede Patch 2000 (one of the first synthesizer guitars) and the Jimmy (named for Jimmy D'Aquisto, a respected New York luthier brought in by Hagström to design the guitar). Basses include The Swede Bass and the Hagström H8 – the first ever mass-produced eight stringed bass guitar, which found fame when used by the likes of Noel Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Mike Rutherford, and others. Another innovation was the H-Expander Truss Rod, which gives the neck additional strength allowing it to be unusually thin. Thus the action can be set lower than guitar necks built with traditional truss rods.
Beside their line of instruments Hagström also produced amplifiers, speakers, effects units, guitar strings and mixing consoles, which were used by ABBA on their first world tour. A very small run of lap steels, banjos and mandolins were also built but are rare to come across. In 1962 Albin's son, Karl-Erik Hagström returned from working five years in the US with establishing their Line O guitars. In 1967 he took over as CEO of the company. In their native Sweden, the company became well known not only for selling music hardware, but also for "teach-yourself" books and mail courses on electric guitar, bass, keyboards etc., learning tools that deliberately took in a rock and pop repertory, chord analysis and tuning apart from teaching how to read music. By recognizing the electric guitar as an instrument in its own right, and not just an amped-up version of the acoustic and by accepting the new repertory, Hagström popularized the instrumental skills of the new music outside of the networks associated with rock clubs, and record shops, and at a time when rock music was barely ever being written about from a musical perspective.
Production ended for Swedish-made Hagströms in 1983 as the company were outpriced by other major guitar brands that had moved their stock production lines to Asia. Hagström did make some Japanese prototypes; however, they were not pleased with the workmanship and would rather close down the company than cheapen the brand. The interest in the original Hagström brand still has a cult following around the world and a Hagström Festival takes place in Älvdalen, Sweden around the first week of June every year since 2006.
1. Hagstrom used a 6 or 7digit serial number on production (1963–1983) electric guitar and bass models.
2. The first 3 digits of the serial number indicate the manufacturing Production Run number. The remainder of the number is the sequence number for that unit (guitar or bass) within the production run. The format is PPPNNNN where PPP is the production run number and NNN or NNNN is the sequence number within that production run.
3. Hagstrom did keep detailed records for each unit produced, and there is a book to that effect but not widely available. you may want to seek it out. Without the book you may be able to determine the year however.
Here are some real-world examples:
a. Some serial numbers reveal a clear-cut result. For example, serial number 618324 is from the production run 618 which consisted of 1000 Hagstrom II guitars started and completed in 1964. Therefore, all units with a 618NNNN serial number are from the year 1964.
b. However, others are less clear. For example, serial number 680873 is a Viking V-1 and the 873rd guitar made in production run 680. That run started in 1965 and completed in 1966. 1000 units were made in that run, so it is impossible with existing records to know if this guitar was actually made in 1965 or made in 1966. We know that this sequence number (873) is a high number in relation to the total of 1000 guitars produced in the run. We can therefore make the guess that it was most likely produced in 1966. The best that can be said in this instance is that the actual manufacture date is no earlier than 1965 and no later than 1966.
4. Serial numbers were etched on the guitar neck backing plate where the neck is joined to the body. There are instances where the serial number appeared on the input jack plate (seen on a Hagstrom Swede from 1973)as well. This may have been common and an alternative serial number location.
5. In 1975/76 the numbers “53” were added as a prefix to the serial number (53 PPPNNNN) and should be ignored for decoding purposes.
6. Production run numbers are in general sequential with some exceptions. In a real-world example: Production runs 706, 707, 708, 709, 711, 712, 713, 714, 715, 716, and 718 are verified to have all started in 1967. It can then be predicted that runs 710 and 717 also started in 1967, if those runs occurred. The likelihood of the start date being consistent relative to those adjacent to it is considered high but caution should be used as this may not always have been true.
7. Any serial number beginning with the digits "500" indicates the model is a prototype.
| Production Run | PR Start Year | PR End Year | Model | Total in PR | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 021 | 1977 | 1977/78 | Hagstrom Swede | 600 | ||
| 025 | 1978 | 1978 | Hagstrom "Jimmy" With f-hole | 100 | ||
| 026 | 1978 | 1978 | Hagstrom "Jimmy" With oval hole | 100 | ||
| 055 | 1979 | 1979 | Viking V-1 | 245 | Production run 055 was the very last run of the Viking model | |
| 056 | 1979 | 1979 | "Hagstrom "Jimmy" With f-hole | 302 | Designed by James d'Aquisto for Hagstrom in the mid 70's as a jazz guitar | |
| 057 | 1979 | 1979 | Hagstrom "Jimmy" With oval hole | 100 | Designed by James d'Aquisto for Hagstrom in the mid 70's as a jazz guitar | |
| 065 | 1980 | 1980 | Hagstrom Super Swede | 300 | The first production run for the Super Swede | |
| 076 | 1980 | 1981 | Hagstrom Super Swede | 250 | ||
| 077 | 1980 | 1982 | Hagstrom Swede | 127 | 077 was one of the very last production runs that the factory produced before closing | |
| 078 | 1983 | 1983 | Hagstrom Super Swede | 250 | Very Last production run | |
| 079 | 1979 | 1979 | Hagstrom Swede | 250 | This run never occurred or was canceled | |
| 449 | 1958 | 1959 | Hagstrom Deluxe | 197 | The earliest Hagstrom production run on record produced Hagstrom Deluxe guitars. The Deluxe has a sparkle finish and Maple neck push button tone controls located on the upper bout in a single cutaway style body. It has 4 pickups paired in twos at the neck and at the bridge. | |
| 500 | Prototype | All prototype Hagstrom guitars and basses were given the serial batch number 500. So if you happen upon one bearing the serial number 500xxx you know it's a prototype. | ||||
| 543 | Hagstrom I | |||||
| 545 | 1963 | Hagstrom III Futurama | 1002 | |||
| 550 | 1963 | 1964 | Hagstrom Coronado IV | 149 | ||
| 574 | 1963 | 1964 | Futurama | 1000 | "Futurama" is the predecessor to the Hagstrom-1 | |
| 575 | 1964 | 1964 | Kent Bass | 500 | ||
| 584 | 1963 | 1964 | Futurama | 990 | ||
| 587 | 1964 | 1964 | """Hagstrom"" bass" | 500 | ||
| 589 | 1964 | 1965 | Coronado Bass | 200 | Often labeled Coronado IV on the Headstock | |
| 600 | 1964 | 1964 | PB-24-G | 200 | PB-24-G (pre model change to Hagstrom-1) | |
| 601 | 1964 | 1964 | Hagstrom III Futurama | |||
| 603 | 1964 | 1964 | Hagstrom I | Predicted to have started in 1964 based on adjacency of similarly numbered runs | ||
| 604 | 1964 | 1964 | Futurama | |||
| 608 | 1964 | Hagstrom II | Predicted to have started in 1964 based on adjacency of similarly numbered runs | |||
| 609 | 1964 | 1964 | Hagstrom Bass | 500 | ||
| 610 | 1964 | 1965 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 618 | 1964 | 1964 | Hagstrom II | 1000 | ||
| 619 | 1965 | 1965 | Hagstrom II-B | |||
| 620 | 1964 | 1965 | Kent-1 | 1000 | ||
| 621 | 1964 | 1964 | Kent 1-B | 500 | ||
| 624 | 1964 | 1964 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 1000 | Hagstrom De Luxe III | |
| 625 | 1965 | 1965 | Hagstrom Deluxe | 500 | ||
| 632 | 1965 | Hagstrom II | Predicted to have started in 1965 based on adjacency of similarly numbered runs | |||
| 633 | 1965 | 1965 | Hagstrom II-B | 500 | Hagstrom Deluxe bass | |
| 638 | 1965 | 1966 | Hagstrom 12 | |||
| 639 | 1965 | 1966 | Kent-1 | 3202 | The factory production identifies run 639 as being "Kent 1". The guitar should have the rounded p/u's The factory changed to the squared off p/u's in 1966. Lavender was a standard finish. If it has both logos its possible the guitar is a "transition model" that contains both features and logos from the Kent 1 and the Hagstrom 1. Run 639 was the very last run of the Kent 1 model and they may have run out of the Kent logos and therefore used the Hagstrom logo. The Kent 1 model was replaced with the Hagstrom 1 when run 639 finished. | |
| 640 | 1965 | 1966 | Kent 1-B | 1300 | Kent Bass Last run for the Kent 1-B | |
| 647 | 1965 | 1967 | Concord Standard C1 Bass | 999 | ||
| 650 | 1965 | 1966 | Hagstrom I | 2497 | ||
| 651 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom I-B | 1000 | ||
| 652 | 1965 | 1965 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 653 | 1965 | 1966 | Hagstrom III | |||
| 654 | 1965 | 1966 | Hagstrom II-B | |||
| 656 | 1965 | 1965 | Hagstrom III | 1000 | ||
| 658 | 1966 | 1967 | Coronado IV | |||
| 659 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 100 | This run was all Left handed models | |
| 660 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom II-BN | 1000 | Hagstrom-12 (H12) | |
| 663 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom 12 (F-125 USA) | 960 | 12 string guitar | |
| 668 | 1966 | 1967 | Hagstrom 12 | 999 | 12 string guitar | |
| 669 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom I | 958 | ||
| 671 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 672 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 673 | 1966 | 1967 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 999 | ||
| 674 | 1967 | 1967 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 999 | ||
| 675 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 1001 | ||
| 676 | 1966 | Unknown | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 677 | 1966 | 1967 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 999 | ||
| 678 | 1966 | 1966 | Hagstrom II-B | 1098 | ||
| 679 | 1966 | 1967 | Hagstrom II-B | 1003 | ||
| 680 | 1965 | 1966 | Viking V-1 | 1000 | ||
| 690 | 1966 | 1967 | Hagstrom IB bass | 1162 | ||
| 693 | 1966 | 1966 | Viking V-1 | 1000 | ||
| 695 | 1966 | 1967 | Viking V-1 | 1000 | ||
| 696 | 1966 | 1967 | Concord Standard C1 Bass | 1000 | ||
| 699 | 1966 | 1967 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 700 | Hagstrom II-B | |||||
| 706 | 1967 | 1967 | Hagstrom 12 (F-125 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 707 | 1967 | 1968 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | 1000 | ||
| 708 | 1967 | 1968 | Hagstrom II (F-200 USA) | Unknown | ||
| 709 | 1967 | 1967 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 997 | ||
| 710 | 1967 | Predicted to have started in 1967 based on adjacency of similarly numbered runs | ||||
| 711 | 1967 | 1969 | Hagstrom II-B | |||
| 712 | 1967 | 1967 | Viking V-1 | 999 | The standard Viking with 6 inline tuners on the headstock | |
| 713 | 1967 | 1967 | Viking V-1 | 1039 | ||
| 714 | 1967 | 1967 | Viking V-1 | 1001 | ||
| 715 | 1967 | 1967 | Viking V-2 | 1001 | ||
| 716 | 1967 | 1971 | Concord Standard C1 Bass | 750 | There were 3 runs (647-696-716) of the standard Concord between 1965 and 1971 which produced a total of 749 basses | |
| 717 | 1967 | Predicted to have started in 1967 based on adjacency of similarly numbered runs | ||||
| 718 | 1967 | 1967 | Concord Bass C2 Deluxe | |||
| 723 | 1967 | 1968 | Hagstrom 8 String | 600 | ||
| 726 | 1968 | 1969 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 650 | ||
| 731 | 1968 | 1968 | Viking V-1 | 1000 | ||
| 732 | 1967 | 1968 | Viking V-2 | |||
| 733 | 1968 | 1968 | Concord Bass C2 Deluxe | |||
| 768 | 1969 | 1970 | Hagstrom II-N (HIIN / F-200N USA) | 250 | First run of this model mixed headstocks in this run. | |
| 770 | 1970 | 1970 | LP | 50 | First Run of the Swede L.P. (Les Paul). The name was change to Swede in 1971 | |
| 778 | 1970 | 1970 | Hagstrom II | 100 | ||
| 784 | 1970 | 1970 | Hagstrom III (F-300 USA) | 955 | ||
| 787 | 1970 | 1970 | Hagstrom I | 200 | Considered a rare model due to limited production | |
| 788 | 1970 | Unknown | Hagstrom II-N (HIIN / F-200N USA) | All HIIN in this run had the two sided headstock, presumably 1970 | ||
| 789 | 1970 | 1971 | LP | 200 | Production runs 789 & 797 ran back to back, afterward changed the model to the Swede | |
| 790 | 1971 | 1971 | Hagstrom II-BN | 400 | ||
| 797 | 1971 | 1971 | LP | 200 | ||
| 804 | 1971 | 1971 | Hagstrom II-N (HIIN / F-200N USA) | 500 | ||
| 806 | 1970 | 1972 | Hagstrom III | |||
| 811 | 1971 | 1971 | Hagstrom Swede | 150 | ||
| 812 | 1971 | 1971 | Hagstrom I-B | 150 | Bass made for Canadian dealer ARC Sound as "student basses" w/ low price also called model F100B. A total of 652 in 4 production runs between 1971 and 1973 were produced. When ARC Sound went out of business the remaining H-1-B basses in the factory inventory were sold to their UK and European dealers as the F100B. | |
| 814 | 1971 | 1971 | Hagstrom Swede | 150 | ||
| 815 | 1971 | 1972 | Hagstrom Swede Bass | 250 | ||
| 821 | 1971 | 1972 | Hagstrom Swede Bass | 300 | ||
| 822 | 1972 | 1972 | Hagstrom II | |||
| 828 | 1972 | 1972 | Viking V-1N | 200 | ||
| 836 | 1971 | 1971 | Hagstrom 1 B | 102 | ||
| 839 | 1972 | 1972 | Viking V-1N | 200 | Viking-1N features the 3+3 headstock and humbucker pickups. A second toggle switch appears on this model (the 2nd generation of the Viking). The two toggle switches are the pickup selector and the "tone control" which is a phase control for either series or parallel. | |
| 846 | 1972 | 1973 | Hagstrom II-B | 277 | ||
| 849 | 1972 | 1972 | Hagstrom II-N (HIIN / F-200N USA) | 15 | ||
| 851 | 1972 | 1973 | Hagstrom Swede | 200 | ||
| 852 | 1972 | 1972 | Viking V-1N | Unknown | The Viking-1N features a 3+3 headstock and humbucker pickups | |
| 853 | 1972 | 1972 | Hagstrom 1 B | 200 | ||
| 859 | 1972 | 1972 | Hagstrom II-N (HIIN / F-200N USA) | 500 | The Hagstrom II-N is the factories version of Gibson SG body shape. H-II-N-OT does not have the vibrato tailpiece | |
| 865 | 1973 | 1973 | Hagstrom 1 B | 200 | ||
| 869 | 1973 | 1973 | Hagstrom Swede | 300 | ||
| 871 | 1973 | 1973 | Viking V-1N | 252 | The Viking-1N features a 3+3 headstock and humbucker pickups | |
| 888 | 1973 | 1973 | Hagstrom Swede | 300 | ||
| 895 | 1974 | 1974 | Hagstrom Swede | 500 | ||
| 905 | 1974 | 1974 | Hagstrom Swede | 500 | ||
| 910 | 1974 | 1974 | Hagstrom Swede | 500 | ||
| 913 | 1974 | 1975 | Hagstrom Swede | 500 | ||
| 929 | 1975 | 1975 | Hagstrom II-B-NV | 10 | ||
| 932 | 1975 | 1975 | Hagstrom Swede | 500 | Total is for Standard Swede and does not include Super or Ultra Swede | |
| 933 | 1974 | 1975 | Hagstrom Swede Bass | 500 | ||
| 934 | 1975 | 1975 | Hagstrom Swede Bass | 500 | ||
| 938 | 1975 | 1976 | Hagstrom Swede | 500 | ||
| 947 | 1975 | 1975 | Viking V-1N | 200 | The Viking-1N features a 3+3 headstock and humbucker pickups | |
| 965 | 1977 | 1977 | "Hagstrom "Jimmy" | 200 | ||
| 977 | 1976 | 1976 | Hagstrom II-N (HIIN / F-200N USA) | 250 | ||
| 988 | 1977 | 1977 | Hagstrom "Jazzbass" | 75 |
As of 2004, Hagström has been reopened for the international market being distributed by "Tricor AB". They are marketing new versions of a great number of the more famous models from Sweden. The official Hagström design team have taken certain liberties with the designs and made some improvements and other deviations from the original Swedish designs. Hagström has again started the production of more exclusive Hagstrom guitars within Europe, which have been specially developed to reproduce the sounds of the originals. These models are called the Northen Series. The Northen series instruments are no longer in production.
Ever since 1983, when original production stopped, Hagströms have been sought-after collectors' items. Pat Smear is known for having one of the largest Hagström collections in America and reportedly claimed that Hagströms are the most roadworthy guitars he's ever used. The world's largest collection of Hagström guitars was previously owned by Arne Johansson in Östersund, Sweden and consisted of more than 80 Hagström guitars plus a number amplifiers and other instruments and Hagström products. The entire collection was bought by the publicly owned museum of the Dalarna province, that owned a smaller collection of instruments, on 4 May 2012. Their collection now consists of more than 100 Hagström guitars.
The red Viking II that Elvis Presley used on Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special was sold in the early nineties for more than $50,000 and was on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A 1981 Super Swede with custom blue and yellow graphics was sold for 60,100 Swedish kronor (approx. US$8,850), making it one of the most expensive Hagströms ever sold.
The Guitar Collection features a rare Hagström Futurama Coronado automatic.[3]
See main article: List of Hagström users.