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Hagstrom - Cult Guitars - A UK based Appreciation!
Questions and Answers (hopefully) about the great Hagstrom Guitar brand. KEEP IT RELEVANT, CLEAN AND FRIENDLY, ALSO PLEASE DON'T SIMPLY USE THE SITE TO ADVERTISE APART FROM SELLING SPECIFIC RELATED GEAR. (SADLY, OFFENDERS MAY HAVE TO BE BLOCKED) - apart from all that - Have fun! |
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| Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 14) |
| Author | Comment |
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park
Jul 5, 07 - 3:26 AM |
opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
One of these new models has made it onto Ebay. Opinions? http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Hagstrom-UltraLux-XL-5-Indian-Summer-Finish_W0QQitemZ140134778272QQihZ004QQcategoryZ2384QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Not totally ugly. I give it 3/5 stars on style. |
Tim Webster
Jul 7th, 2007 - 9:25 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Looks like an Ibanez super-strat. Is that a veneer or photo-flame? Who cares, looks terrible. The people who play these guitars (80s fret w**kers) won't like the Hagstrom name or the inprecise trem system. although to be honest all superstrat types are currently so unfashionable that it's hard to wonder who this guitar is aimed at. My rating, a generous 1/5 The Ultraswede, 2/5 |
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Ted Mac
Nov 21st, 2007 - 8:28 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
I actually own the Hagstrom XL-5, and all I can say is, wow. The guitar is amazing. And with the two humbuckers and one single coil, you literally can play anything from AC/DC to jazz or country. As far as the tremolo, it works fine. It doesnt knock the guitar out of tune. The finish is flawless, infact the store owner I bought it from just raved about the axe and is ordering 4 for his store. So if you are contemplating whether or not to buy this guitar, go ahead you won't be disappointed. Rock on! Ted |
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David Cox (Hagstrom.org.uk)
Nov 23rd, 2007 - 12:08 AM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
I just don't know what it has to do with Hagstrom. It could say anything on the headstock really. Kinda smacks of desperation at the first lack lustre attempt at a comeback. "Let's just forget 'return of a legend', just get anything out there that might be interesting". So while I accept it may be a good player (I haven't had the opportunity) it seems irrelevant in the scheme of things. It's made in a place that slaps any old name you like on the headstock... 
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Ted Mac
Nov 27th, 2007 - 4:48 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
"The playability is irrelevant?" I mean, do you play guitar? The sound and playability is everything. Who cares where its assembled. If the quality and sound is there, I wouldn't care if it was made on the moon. Compare this guitar at any price range, and its not even close. The XL-5 can go toe to toe with any gibson or fender. And you better have an extra $1200 to $2300 laying around to get the gibson or fender name, "slapped", on. Own it or at least play it before giving an uneducated opinion. |
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David Cox (Hagstrom.org.uk)
Nov 27th, 2007 - 6:48 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Selectivity often misses the point... Of course playability is important to a instrument. It also doesn't matter where it is made in principle. It's just all the borrowing of credibility that is annoying to people who now have no manufacturing opportunities. These really could be any brand you like - just by slapping Hagstrom on it doesn't make it a Hagstrom. Cort make great guitars.... and losts of other brands too. If you'd pay differently for it to say another brand then fair enough... At least a Korean PRS comes from a PRS dedicated factory (I hope that's still the case), and it doesn't pretend to be a USA made PRS. An Epiphone doesn't pretend to be a Gibson, and a Squier doesn't pretend to be a Fender. But heritage seems t mean less and less these days - unless it is a marketing opportunity. Sometimes the marketing is backed up by reality: Rotosound showing all those bands supported since 'day one' and strings still being made in the works Jason's father started... or Amp manufacturers going back to their old models because everyone is into hand wired heritage models again... or Harley Davidson still making the models that everyone has a thing about - whether or not they are the most technically advanced. Then someone like Daewoo rebrands themselves as Chevrolet in Europe (I don;t know about USA)... and a factory churns out more and more brands from the production line, and marketing people look for opportuities to jump on the train, so along comes the old Hagstrom name... It tries to give the product credibility and sense of heritage... Which ones work well? Probably all of them.. Which ones are just marketing hype? Obvious Which are the real thing? Who cares maybe? (Hope not) You just takes your choice and that's fine. The Chinese models are only Hagstrom from a name slapped on the headtock. Just like a Daewoo isn't really a Chevrolet just because it says so on the badge. It has nothing to do with Chevvy's image or heritage. They might even be better than some old Chevvy's, but that misses the point. Some you win, some you give up trying... Plenty of old Hagstroms out there, maybe not all models as good as the cheap Chinese output today, but the good ones were way better, and still around today at a decent price. But they will go up in value, whereas the new ones won't, unless there's rampant inflation next year fed by Chinese demand and price rises... That is what I meant... |
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Tim Webster
Nov 28th, 2007 - 12:01 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Oh dear. My Saab is made by GM  at least the Volvo is still Swedish... I think. Hehe.
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B Elliott
Dec 19th, 2007 - 6:46 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
My complaints of the Ultra-Lux line's aesthetics: The Ultra-Lux 5s, 2s... or whatever...while they have some very beautiful flame maple, they look too utilitarian in design. There's too much of an Ibanez vibe that I loathe. The Ultra Swede might be the better looking one; there isn't really that much to mess up except the controls, where they're positioned look pretty sketchy. I think just that they should've placed the toggles where the original Swede's were. ...but I would consider getting the blue maple one though... The one that really drags my ire is the "so called" Viking II. It does not in any way look as stunning as the original Elvis version. There's no trapeze tailpiece, which is very sad; it has that small headstock from the Ultra-luxes; and it just has no grandiose-ness that made the original Viking II shine, literally. It's just as I said about the UTILA-lux, with a capitol EEWWWW... That's just an opinion from a 20 year old Art student that plays guitar for the sheer enjoyment... of watching people plug their ears when they hear me..  One thing I'm glad about though, I'm getting a new, old 70's Viking for Christmas 
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Duster
Feb 7th, 2008 - 4:16 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Volvos are made by Ford. They have factories in a number of countries, including the UK and Belgium. Didn't Hagstrom start out by adapting a design from another manufacturer (i.e. Gibson), tweaking the design, and "slapping" their name on the headstock? History has a way of rewriting itself over the years. We now consider Japanese and Korean made instruments to be of excellent quality, whereas ten years ago we thought differently. Twenty years from now Chinese-made Hagstroms may have a heritage of their own. That will only happen if the instrument is high quality and plays well. Let's not forget that they've been making musical instruments in China for a few thousand years longer than they have been in Sweden. But I guess when we talk about "heritage" we only look back to the 60s. I don't know what's worse, judging an instrument's quality by the name slapped on to the front of the headstock, or judging an instrument's quality by the name slapped on the back of the headstock. I like to think Hagstrom instruments have a reputation and following because of how they play, not because they came out of a factory located in a particular location on the earth's surface. --- D |
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David Cox (Hagstrom.org.uk)
Feb 7th, 2008 - 4:50 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
You hit it right on the head. The opinion comes from the item you are reviewing. The reputation obviously comes from the originals. |
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Tim Webster
Feb 8th, 2008 - 12:45 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Volvos are made by Ford? Argh it's true! Gutted. I'm getting an Audi. |
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Duster
Feb 11th, 2008 - 7:28 PM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Audis are made by Volkswagen. But maybe they're acceptable, since their head office is located in Germany? :) --- D |
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djmonnette
May 31st, 2008 - 2:24 AM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
 The XL-5 is set up like the Gibson M-3 and M-4 models.I sold my Gibson M-4 and have missed it.So the Hagstrom XL-5 is what I was looking for in a guitar.I give it 5 stars on style!
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djmonnette
Jun 5th, 2008 - 4:24 AM |
Re: opinions on the Ultra-Lux?
Just got the Hagstrom XL-5 in the Indian Summer finish.A beauty I must say!Plays as good as it looks! |
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