# Hagstrom Viking...thoughts?



## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

I stopped by one of the local git shops and saw a nice Hagstrom Viking on display so I picked it up and played around a bit. I have been searching for an affordable semi-hollow and the Epi dots, and artcores didnt quite work for me. But this Viking felt pretty good and from what I heard the electronics sounded pretty great. Nice warm tone on the middle and neck, then punched a bit but not too hot on the bridge.

Now my concern is that it is a made in China product. I know a bunch of companys are sourcing their production to China the past few years, and my question is, should I be concerned about quality issues in the near future or have the guitars coming out of China really stepped their game up to the point where it isn't a problem.

Some thoughts or comments about this guitar would be appreciated cause I am interested in possibly taking her home.

Cheers,
Matt


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I bought a Hagstrom Super Swede 3 weeks ago. Fit and finish is ...essentially perfect, from what I can tell. Used it in a jam for the first time yesterday, it performed as expected.

I've had numerous offshore, both China + other Asian built guitars, over the past 5 years. They've all been great, usually the only signs of 'cheaply built' are the very thin guage wire + cheap pots & switches....stuff that's easy enough to rectify for a few bucks and a little time hunkered over a soldering iron.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

Thats what I thought. The fit and finish was great on this one as well....just wanted reassurance that it wasn't me being awed by the guitar in hand.

Nothing worse then falling in love until you get it home and then see the issues.

I have also had Korean and japanese made instruments with little to no complaints.

Thanks


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Different manufacturers have different quality control standards, and a guitar made in China can range from poor to excellent. From what I've seen and heard, the new Hagstroms are very good.


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## Last_Train (Nov 27, 2008)

there is a good demo of the viking by Paul Riario on Guitar World well worth watching if you have any doubts , check that out . I also own one !


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## Maverick (Oct 21, 2009)

I love mine.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

I have been watching a bunch of reviews on this guitar the past few days and it looks and sounds awesome. And for the price point it's a steal. All I have to do is convince her that I need it......


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

You know, "the Chinese" with money have been able to buy very high end domestic goods for centuries. We are perhaps a little too accustomed to use of inexpensive Chinese labour as a means for producing low-budget goods with small profit margins, and less accustomed to skilled (but still less expensive) Chinese labour being used to produce better quality goods with moderate profit margins. That doesn't mean they don't make them. I used to think that "real" bagels could not be found anywhere outside of Montreal, but sonuvabitch, several places in Ottawa have sprung up that absolutely nail it. People not traditionally know as the experts in something CAN acquire expertise and do a terrific job.

Besides, when was the last time, outside of Volvos and Saabs and certain stewardesses, when you heard someone brag about something being "made in Sweden"? That's not to take anything away from Swedish craftsmanship. Rather, judge things by the quality of the goods and workmanship, rather than by country of origin.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

I definitely did not intend to imply that the Chinese aren't able to produce quality goods. It's just that, from my personal experience I have yet to see a guitar made in China that was of a standard that I myself would want to purchase. I did play the guitar and spent a while looking it over and didn't see anything wrong with it, and was actually very impressed by the quality.

Glad to see that there are quality instruments that won't cost you an arm and/or a leg to purchase and that deliver such good tone and feel.

All I wanted to know was if there were any unhappy customers of the guitar in question.

Cheers,
Matt


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## The Lullaby (Dec 8, 2010)

I've heard Julie Dorion playing a Hagstrom (one of the new ones that look like a Les Paul)
through a little solidstate Vox Pathfinder and her sound was wonderful.
---very toneful and 'classic'.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

OldSoulBluesMan said:


> I definitely did not intend to imply that the Chinese aren't able to produce quality goods. It's just that, from my personal experience I have yet to see a guitar made in China that was of a standard that I myself would want to purchase. I did play the guitar and spent a while looking it over and didn't see anything wrong with it, and was actually very impressed by the quality.
> 
> Glad to see that there are quality instruments that won't cost you an arm and/or a leg to purchase and that deliver such good tone and feel.
> 
> ...


And no such tone was inferred. 

The statistical reality is that when stuff is cranked out using cheap labour and high-volume/low-profit-margin methods, one does tend to run into a lot more of the low-quality stuff than the higher quality stuff, simply because there is more of it out there, and more retailers sell it.

One of these days, we should collectively do a sampling of our local kijijis and simply count up how many entry-level Chinese-made Strat-a-likes there are posted for sale on that day. I imagine it would be on the order of 3 or more per 100,000 population. I count 4 Chinese or Korean-made Strats on the Ottawa Kijiji during the last 24-28hrs. I'm sure you know the ones: often advertised as "black guitar" or "red guitar" or "beginner's guitar".

Hagstrom stuff has traditionally been as dependable as Volvos. It may not be YOUR best fit, but if it is, you'll be able to rely on it for a long time.


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## shiva (Jul 9, 2008)

I have 2 hags, a Select Swede, and a XL-5. In their own way, they are just as different as the hags of the 60's and 70's in how they do things. But, and to put a end to this china debate, hagstrom is very different than just about everyone else, not only do they do things like their trem system or their h rod neck, they also have their own factory, and do as little outsourcing as possible. They make their own tuners, pickups etc as opposed to rebranding products made by other companies. That difference is why they shouldn't be compared even with the vast majority of guitars made in Asia. (as a aside, you can tell which parts they do have to outsource, input jacks and screws etc, because they have the same problems with them as a lot of other guitars from other companies do)

Both my hags are very different from the other guitars I have. My Select I don't play much now because it's too heavy for me, and it has a huge neck heel.(It was intended to be a more rythem guitar type, and designed for acoustic guitar players more than anything. It is really good, I just can't bring myself to sell it) The XL-5 though has a neck that is so thin, you can almost see through it (I'm not kidding either) and has a great trem sytem that's a bit different, but certainly far better than any Squire IMHO. Both play like butter, and both came in very well made overall, well made by chinese standards. I would say for the price range, and for the ENTIRE range of the various models they are about as good as you are going to get. The Viking, especially the higher end ones with the metal tail pieces, are excellent excellent guitars and considered one of the best hags out there, and the price is hard to beat.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I am really curious about the Viking Rex-Tone...

http://www.hagstromguitars.eu/index.php?option=com_zoo&view=category&Itemid=6


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## rev156 (Mar 2, 2008)

I have a D2F that has been the work horse for 5 years now. I wasn't happy with the bridge pickup and two years ago dropped in a set of mean 90's. It sounds great now, just how I wanted it to. I would recommend them without hesitation.
Mark


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

Resurrecting an old thread here, but not so old...

I've had a Swede since 2008. I think it was built in '06, so it's one of the early Chinese reissues from the brand. I loved playing it, but always thought I'd get myself an American made guitar - you know, a "real" guitar. So a few years ago I bought myself a wonderful American-made G&L Legacy (Essentially it's a Strat.) After the honeymoon period, you wouldn't believe it, but I kept going back to that Hagstrom. It remains my favourite between the two, and it is just a joy to play.

The good: The necks are great. They're thin in profile, flat in fretboard radius. That may or may not be to everyone's liking. The fretboard, however, is IMO one of the best out there. Yes, it's a synthetic material, but they used it on the originals back in the 60s, and this is a case where I really think synthetic is better than natural. The fit and finish of the guitar overall is excellent. Looks great, stays in tune, and it seems like they use good tonewoods. Mine is very resonant and sustains for days. Some people have replaced the pickups, but I quite like them. The neck can be a bit muddy in the bass range, but the bridge pickup is searing. With a bit of drive, these guitars can really get a rich, burning tone.

The bad: The hardware is where they've gone cheap. After 5 years of ownership, the chromed parts are getting a bit tarnished, and the switches and pots are just not cutting it. My pickup selector switch has stopped working twice, and the tone switch does nothing but scratch. The input jack will not stay tight. I'm having all switches and pots replaced as we speak. But once that's done, I expect this to continue being my favourite guitar for many years to come.

Don't know if you got the viking, but if you did, what do you think of it? I've had my eye on one of those for years.

--- D


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

I didn't end up getting the Viking yet, since it's been a little tight the past few months (moved, just got engaged, vet trips for the pets) but am still in the market and am constantly looking for a semi-hollow to call my own.

I have been looking at the eastwood semi's as well. Can't recall the model off hand but they look really sweet, or possibly the gretch semis in the more affordable range.

The local shop that sells hagstroms in my area kind of rubbed me the wrong way, and I am hesitant now to purchase form them. I have been looking around for other Hagstrom dealers and they are out of the way but I still will check them out.

Story for how they turned me off from wanting to purchase with them.

I noticed on the Viking that I was trying out (the only one in stock) that the string post on the trapeze tailpiece for the low E string was bent. I noticed while playing that it wasn't staying in tune very well on that string so I looked over it thouroughly and saw the bent post. Naturally I brought it up with the sales guy, and as soon as it seemed that I knew what I was talking about his attitude turned negataive and very short, insisting that there was no problem and thats how it was supposed to be. So I say that you can clearly see that it has been bent from being dropped or something of that nature and that it has in fact affected the string's tunability. He again brushed me right off and pretty much ignored me. So I am yet to go back there since there is a negative air about the place, and since I was about to give the guy $700+ and received that kind of attitude I refuse to go back.

Either way, I will find me a semi-hoolow sooner than later hopefully and will definitely keep ya'll posted on the outcome. And thanks for all the info in regards to your own instruments and experiences.

Rock n' Soul
Matt


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

OldSoulBluesMan said:


> I didn't end up getting the Viking yet, since it's been a little tight the past few months (moved, just got engaged, vet trips for the pets) but am still in the market and am constantly looking for a semi-hollow to call my own.
> 
> I have been looking at the eastwood semi's as well. Can't recall the model off hand but they look really sweet, or possibly the gretch semis in the more affordable range.
> 
> ...


I wish I could recommend a good dealer. The sales guy I bought mine from was a good guy, but I've been to that store on numerous occasions since and been very disappointed with the other sales staff and the general mood of the place. I wonder if it's the same place you went to.

Steve's carries them, and if you know what you want you can order online without having to bother with the in-store experience. I know Walters carries them as well, and although I haven't bought anything from them, they seem to be stand-up guys.

--- D


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

Ya when I find the time I will check out some other dealers and hopefully things will work out a little better this time around. Thanks,
Matt


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## bryguy9 (Jul 13, 2007)

How much is this hagstrom we are talking about?

Bjg


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

bryguy9 said:


> How much is this hagstrom we are talking about?
> 
> Bjg[/QUOTE
> 
> They're usually $600-$700.


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## bryguy9 (Jul 13, 2007)

$600-$700 bux for a semi-hollow you can't stop thinking about? 

You have more will power than me. My GAS owns me sometimes. Good on you for researching and getting owner opinions. 

But if it were all me in this this thread, it would be two words long. " do it! "

There is a lot to be said for feel, as in you just weren't feeling the epi dots and art cores. But I'd say you are feeling the hagstrom. 

You just got engaged right? Dropped some cabbage on a ring? Great time to drop some strong clear hints to your beloved about how great an engagement combo Xmas present a new Hagstrom would make.

Bjg


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

bryguy9 said:


> $600-$700 bux for a semi-hollow you can't stop thinking about?
> 
> You have more will power than me. My GAS owns me sometimes. Good on you for researching and getting owner opinions.
> 
> ...


Good way to think about it. That was part of my motivation when I bought the G&L. I had just gotten engaged, and decided that I should have something to commemorate the event as well. Someone should start an ad campaign for men: "Guitars are forever". A good guitar is a hell of a lot more useful than a diamond ring, and will last you your lifetime just the same.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

that's a flipping awesome idea. it would still come down to comparing though. you go to your buddies house one day and see a new guitar on a stand and think "he's too cheep to buy something that nice. his g/f musta proposed"
however, i recommend they also include a nice amp. after all, diamonds are expensive. can you imagine being able to hand down some sweet gear to your kids someday because it's an heirloom? "over here is the rig my great gramma gave my great grand dad when they got engaged way back in 2012"


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> that's a flipping awesome idea. it would still come down to comparing though. you go to your buddies house one day and see a new guitar on a stand and think "he's too cheep to buy something that nice. his g/f musta proposed"
> however, i recommend they also include a nice amp. after all, diamonds are expensive. can you imagine being able to hand down some sweet gear to your kids someday because it's an heirloom? "over here is the rig my great gramma gave my great grand dad when they got engaged way back in 2012"


You forgot the monitors, Roland VG-99 and recording software. Too bad I'm already married and very happily. 

Hmmm....maybe I could get a one day divorce, get engaged to her again the next day, get her to get me the gear and get married again the next day. I'll let you all know if it works out..........................


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Mormonism and polygamy would be the only way I'd roll.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Steadfastly said:


> Hmmm....maybe I could get a one day divorce, get engaged to her again the next day, get her to get me the gear and get married again the next day. I'll let you all know if it works out..........................


Ummm - what if she takes the opportunity to say "no thanks" when you re-propose? Yikes.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bluzfish said:


> Ummm - what if she takes the opportunity to say "no thanks" when you re-propose? Yikes.


Nah, she's head over heels in love with me and likewise for me with her. I wouldn't divorce her for a second.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

Lots of great ideas in here....Just may pull the trigger after the holidays.

cheers,
matt


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2014)

Resurrecting this thread because I've been thinking of a semi for awhile now.
Vikings have been appearing on kijiji recently that I'm considering. The china
factor bothers me as well (even though Hagstrom uses a dedicated plant).
Anyone own one since this thread first started? do these guit's need total
gutting like other offshore products? All thoughts/reviews would be greatly
appreciated.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

I own an original Made in Sweden Hagstrom Viking. Beautiful guitar but has a thin superfast neck. I think they called it the "Kings Neck" back in the day.
Mines a 1967. Maybe you should try to find a Swedish example.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Just another observation. I see a local music store in Niagara is selling Vikings for close to 700 dollars. I think a vintage Viking might be close to that in price, so keep your eyes peeled for one, if that's what turns your crank.
There are so many differences between the new Chinese Vikings and the originals.
The Swedish examples are made of birch; believe it or not and had their own unique bridges; unlike the tune-a-wanna-be Chinese guitars.
Not saying there's anything wrong with the new ones. They sure are pretty and have the right logo's etc.; but they aren't 'real' Hagstroms.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2014)

That's my thinking as well.


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

I owned a solid body Ultra Swede and loved the thin neck." Kings neck " may have come from the fact that Elvis played them late in his career. I really liked the looks and sounds of Vikings with the tremar arm attached. I've seen them listed on used shop sites between $350-$450. That would be my direction.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Nope. Not in honour of Elvis. And Elvis never played one. Posed with a red one for his '68 comeback special, but only strummed it a bit.
Belonged to someone else in the band. Kings neck was across the whole spectrum of electric Hags way back when.


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