REVIEWED
HAGSTROM Viking Rextone
Hagstrom revives a legendary semi-hollow model whose classic appearance packs a powerful dual humbucking punch…
Words: Tim Slater
When Hagstrom guitars were first established during the late 1950s the Swedish brand introduced an elegant Scandinavian flourish to a guitar market dominated by American instruments and already abuzz with gathering swarms of cheap Far Eastern and European copies. By the time that it ceased trading in the early 1980s Hagstrom had nevertheless established a solid reputation for quality that rivaled some of the best that the USA could produce; the mid 1970s saw Hagstrom enjoying a spectacular peak in popularity whilst Gibson and Fender struggled with serious quality control issues. Today the rejuvenated Hagstrom brand proudly states that its current range of guitars meticulously recaptures the exemplary build quality and fine tone of the original Scandinavian guitars,
HAGSTROM Viking Rextone
SRP £515.74
All prices include VAT CONT
ACT
Rosetti Ltd T:
W: 01376 550033
www.rosetti.co.uk
and this claim seems well justified. Chinese manufacturing may help to keep them affordable but the original tooling is still employed alongside modern machinery and state-of-the- art materials to help ensure that a 21st Century Hagstrom still retains the fully authentic feel and sounds of its earlier counterparts. Playmusic has reviewed a handful of the new generation of Hagstrom guitars over the past couple of years and we have always been very impressed by their undoubted class. The spirit of Hagstrom clearly lives on in its contemporary models and so we were very eager get to grips with the Viking Rextone; an elegant looking semi-solid model whose bold retro styling should prove equally appealing to contemporary indie rockers and fans of vintage blues rock.
Construction The Viking Rextone is based on a ‘Thinline’ semi-solid design, not too dissimilar to the Gibson ES335. Laminated maple top, back and sides enclose a solid internal block, leaving two acoustic chambers flanking the solid internal core; the theory being that the solid core running the length of the body provides sustain and a measure of anti-feedback protection at high volumes whilst the twin acoustic chambers maintain the unique warmth and resonance of a traditional hollow body electric guitar. This hybrid design has many
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Baby you’re so square: Early prototype’s block fingerboard inlays are replaced by dots on the current production model.
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