Taylor York was introduced to Hagstrom by his brother, Justin, who has been a Hagstrom Artist for many years. It was our RetroScape Impala that first captured Taylor’s imagination. Shortly after learning about the Impala, Taylor began work in the studio recording Paramore’s new album, After Laughter, and before too long the Impala found its way into the mix of instruments used. As the recording process continued the Impala and several other Hagstrom models were selected for various tracks; however, it was the Impala that received the most use.
When it came time for Paramore to start their extensive touring schedule in support of After Laughter, we started working with Taylor on some modifications to our standard Impala specification to better suit his touring needs. After becoming interested in the brand, Taylor acquired a 1960’s vintage Viking and fell in love with its famously thin neck. So, it’s natural that he asked us to build his Impala with our “Ultra-Thin” 17mm neck profile. Next in line was to choose a finish from a brighter palette, yet keeping with the Impala’s vintage vibe. After several experiments, Taylor suggested a wonderful copper-burst finish, which combines old-school class with a modern vibrancy. After making a few adjustments to the hardware for stage- and road- worthiness we finalized the design and the rest is history. We are so proud every time the Impala gets its regular stage time during Paramore’s busy touring schedule.
A true and authentic voice
Hagstrom’s Impala exactly reproduces the pickups included with the first production models in the early 1960’s. A single, massive AlNi-Co-5 magnet fills each of the pickups, a radical departure from the typical approach of placing one small cylindrical magnet under each string. The resulting sound is bright and percussive with a robust mid-range, a true and authentic voice for anyone looking to the early 1960’s for sonic inspiration. Taylor recognized this immediately as exactly the kind of sound he was looking for on After Laughter.
Each Impala Copperburst we deliver to guitarists worldwide is identical in every way to the guitar Taylor uses on stage, and we are deeply honored that he has selected this Hagstrom model to help achieve his artistic goals.
The other models from the Paramore Artist Project
Viking Gold Top - Super Viking Trans Brown
