HAGSTROM GUITARS and
the Hagstrom family have a deep and richly
deserved pedigree in the music industry.Starting
off small,early in the 20th Century,with piano
accordion sales,the company grew sufficiently
to start their own manufacturing in the early
1930s.Yearly production grew to 20,000 units
by the 1950s. By this stage the Hagstroms
noticed a growing demand for guitars and consequently
started manufacturing in 1958 ....”The Legend
Begins ”“!! The Hagstrom family built guitars
for the USA market under the Goya brand and
for the UK under the Futurama brand.However
their innovative designs meant their Hagstrom
brand became something of an icon in Europe
in the ‘60s and a number of the early rock
‘n ’ roll artists were ‘unofficial ’ endorsees
of the guitars.Then along came artists like
Abba,Bowie and Cat Stevens ....all playing
Hagstroms.
In the early 70s the
Hagstrom brand was introduced to the USA where
they enjoyed great popularity because of their
style and quality,helped by the fact that
many of the top artists of the time were playing
them .....Even
Zappa and Elvis!!
The company ceased production
in 1983 - closing their doors after building in excess
of 128,000 instruments. During their time on the market,
Hagstrom always represented the highest standards
in design and innovation.Some of their unique features
remain, unrivalled even today.
Over the last 20 years a number
of people approached the Hagstrom family to either
buy the ‘name ’ or set up joint venture manufacturing.
They had no interest in either until the owner of
Canada's largest music distributor Coast Music and
the Erikson Group of companies along with David Lee
(famed New York Luthier) approached them with a detailed
plan on setting up a joint venture, which included
a list of manufacturers capable of producing the guitars
and a list of distributors in various markets (Australia
included) who had committed to the brand if the venture
was agreed upon .....the “Legend ” was about to “Return
”!! Agreeing on all points, including the manufacturer
capable of producing a standard of guitar to meet
the Hagstrom family's specs and quality and David
Lee’s specifications and quality, then came the task
of relocating original machinery as well as producing
replicas of some. This along with sourcing the right
woods and components, testing etc.has taken over 3
years to complete. It ’s been worth the wait. These
guitars look,feel and sound incredible and are an
absolute credit to all involved.