Review Demo - Hagstrom Impala

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European guitar builders made some of the most interesting 6-strings of the ’60s. Many Italian companies flirted with affordability and radical designs. Germany’s Hofner relied on more staid and traditional approaches. Sweden’s Hagstrom often took the middle road, and with pop-art-influenced styling and impossibly thin necks, their guitars looked and felt strikingly original. It’s little surprise that musical adventurers like David Bowie (who played a Hagstrom-built Kent during his Ziggy period) and Noel Redding (who single-handedly made their 8-string bass collectable) gravitated to the brand.

Given those ’60s psychedelic bonafides, it’s no wonder that the reigning king of psych-pop, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, was pictured sprawled out in his home studio on the back of the Lonerism long player with a Hagstrom Impala at the ready. (Perhaps the model’s name had a little something to do with it?) But the best part of the Parker/Hagstrom connection is that it prompted Hagstrom to revisit one of their coolest ’60s axes. And this new version combines many of the best and most idiosyncratic elements of the original with some smart concessions to the modern player.

My Impala arrived in a gig bag stout enough to allay concerns about not using a hard-shell case. It’s compact and light, yet surprisingly rigid and robust—perfect for tossing into a car, carrying around town, or on a plane. The guitar itself is very balanced. It feels nice hanging from a strap and is comfortable to play when seated. While many basic design elements seem rooted in the Fender aesthetic, some features hint at Gibson inspirations, like larger frets, a 24 3/4" scale, and a flatter fretboard radius.

A lot of moderately priced guitars leave the factory with a lousy setup. That’s certainly not the case here. All 22 frets were polished and smooth. The guitar came strung with .010s and I was easily able to lower the action even more and switch to my personal preference of .011s without experiencing any fret buzz. The set neck is flawlessly joined to the mahogany body. My hands comfortably moved up and down the neck, and bends felt great. Deep bends, in particular, felt relatively effortless thanks to the 15” radius. And even with the flat neck, chording felt easy for the presence of the larger frets. Some players may miss the fast, skinny profile of the original Hagstroms, but the C-profile neck on the modern version feels much more universal.

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