I didn't have a Christmas Story, had deleted all the "what if's" and "maybe" possibilities and bought this today - a Super Swede! Same one as in the LINK, Vintage Sunburst, but it looks more like Ice Tea to me! It is 1958 all the way, again? (A reference to my Tokai Love Rock and also this thing right here which I keep a pic of, along with other known examples, not mine, at $350,000 - that's 1958 and that's some pretty cool drink to swill on and whet your appetite or thirst. 8) )
http://www.hagstromguitars.com/Super_Swede.html #
Pardon my enthusiasm, but does this thing ever rock :!: I tried the Swedes, some were better than others, especially if they were heavy, but all buzzed with a short scale and slack, but in-tune strings. Then there's the Super. Who'd a thunk? :shock: Yeah, I remember them from 40 years ago, but didn't know the difference in features, or perhaps these are modern re-issue features. anyhow, what a GAS. A long scale, tapered Strat neck, set into a fairly light and contoured mahogany body, with whatever is on the fretboard - something like ebony or micarta, it's fast! No buzz and EZ to bend all 'ya want. Super easy access to the top frets, how'd they do that? And coil tap, so there's 6 sounds. Who's gonna argue that, when it's already there. The '58 style pickups are right on - I heard 1958 billowing from them, smooooooth & creamy, before I read these specs. Now I'm happy to know my ears aren't dead yet? :lol: As single coils, bright and crisp, not unlike a Tele.
The guitar is for the boy here, whom I have not met yet, but he is a young prodigy on youtube and has never had a real electric guitar, though studying for 10 years exactly. He wanted a Tele, that was his dream. But I could just not find a nice one, or a good deal. I think this will do.
I watched my Taylor, newly arrived from the 'States, still cold and damp, go back in it's case and carton. Maybe somebody will get me a guitar when I become a youtube prodigy! Like in 20 more years to never? :lol: Oh, Merry Christmas again! :P
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Funny, funny me, I am replying to my own posts. :lol:
I have to give a report on this guitar, the one above - identical; of course it just reminded me of that 1958 Ice Tea burst Gibson. It's not quite as dark as in the factory pic.
I believe I have played it for about 30 minutes, when nobody was home, then detailed it and polished it all; and Armor All'ed the case. :roll: Now it goes to the 'new kid' in about 6 hours.
Umm... so this is my review. Unbiased and unexpected, because I wanted to hear "Telecaster" but maybe not as honest, pure & simple, which can be nice - and basically all you need (thought I heard Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton both say "amen"); but I also expected some Gibson Les Paul and PRS, and even a Strat out of it too. The reason for being all over the map here, is due to the scale length and construction. After all it is a full-scale, ultra thin neck, small at the nut (like a Gibson Nighthawk/Blueshawk) and that creates more than a mere nuance, but loads of difference and versatility. You can feel and hear it right away.
I'm blown away. This thing has been one the Industry's best kept secrets, IMO. Seriously, I would rate in the top 15, if not 10 of this current time in the marketplace (I don't know if that is a low or high rating) but the guitar shines, and performs amazingly. Here's another example, just in my point of view. If there was a Guitar Olympics, same as there is for for athletes from different Countries, this thing would make it in, so I imply World Class, but it wouldn't reach the top and get a podium.
Yet I have no complaints. The humbuckers are clean and crystal clear, except thick and creamy is more like it; not muddy in the least and not bell-tone till you split 'em, and that's because of the base plate under them, which you normally don't get on a single, and they are encased in metal/nickel as well, so I don't know how they end up sounding like a REALLY great, full and true single!
I'm not disappointed in anything, except if I had to nitpick, I'd say that the knobs, pole pieces and tuner heads are a little small or miniaturized. That's got nothing to do with sound however. I totally hear the throaty ker-chunk, the purity or cleanness, as well as the bite, snap, snarl, and twang; plus the Johnny Cash/Luther Perkins kind-of-thing of a Tele... just twang at will! It fully replicates Duane Eddy. And on the neck/split, and neck & bridge/split there's no doubt IMO about getting SRV/Robert Cray/Eric Johnson Strat tones. So, the guitar has multiple personalities, and all of them are good and useful.
With the humbuckers wide open though, you gotta watch it! You won't get mud, it can be ear-splitting purity, all clean and no clip, which gave me the first-time experience of a new phenomena. I usually can't go past "2" on the Blues Deluxe, but being alone, I set it to 2 and a half, and it filled the speaker grille or cloth with air, like the full sail on an old galleon - so it stretched that, and hasn't quite returned to shape yet (but it's trying to) and it blew a picture right off the wall, 20 feet away across the room. That's never happened to me, I usually only get furniture, floor and wall rattle. :roll:
Well, I like it alot, and encourage anybody to go try one if it piques your curiosity at all, next time you see one hangin' around. :wink:
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
I am a little late in replying but I have to comment.
I Hagstoms are hard to come by here in Nova Scotia the one store I could find them folded a while ago. I almost bought one of theses as my first electric guitar about 1.5 years ago(apparently I should have) I got a Hwy 1 strat instead. I don't think I am a strat guy so I moved into a Godin LG. Which I liked a little more than the epi les pauls that are everywhere here. I wish more stores would sell brands other than fender and Gibson/Epiphone.
Anyway I like my LG but recently noticed a used Super swede for sale on kijiji. You just sweetened the pot a little on the Swede. Hmm.
It sounds like a nice gift and gifter how was it recieved? Do you have a link to the taleted young man?
Hi Round1. Thanks for looking, as they say on eBay, :shock: and for commenting. 8)
If you can find a Super Swede and the price is right, consider it seriously. I like the Super's and saw no downside, really.
The gift was received extremely well, better than I thought, since I chose it instead of a Tele, believing it to have more versatility.
I can not breach any confidentiality, especially now, since something very special happened wth regards to the young man and I was actually asked NOT to speak about it, or divulge specifics or give his name. A factory rep got involved.
It seems that my "discovery" was first, and pre-empted another, even bigger and better one. A major international guitar company, in business for several decades is giving him a $9,000 guitar now... so he gets more than just one? 8)
He will have a chance to tour and represent the company, as they promote their line around North America. He can go on the road, visit the factories etc. But I found him first, saw the talent and I think it's a coincidence & strange timing. :lol:
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
