Perfectly Balanced Uproar
Hagstrom introduced the Impala and Condor models in 1963, and the instruments quickly found their way into the hands of many professional and aspiring musicians throughout the world. This was a period of great experimentation and innovation in electric guitar design. With their futuristic body shapes and unique assortment of tone-shaping options, the Impala and Condor stood out and became integral in creating great music and inspiring amazing artists. They have become highly sought after as collectibles, and vintage instruments still find their way onto stages worldwide. Now, don’t look any further. Back and here to stay: the all new Condor and Impala models.
With their re-introduction in 2015, Hagstrom has taken g reat care to keep the set-neck “soul” of the Impala and Condor intact while incorporating important design improvements that will immediately appeal to modern players. The neck profile has been slightly rounded, weight balance has been optimized, and important improvements to the “Vintage Tremar” vibrato unit have been made.
Finally, an improved switching array maintains the look and function of the originals while incorporating modern, dependable, and ergonomic slide switches.
Since the tone of these instruments carved such a powerful space in the hearts of players, countless hours have been spent to reproduce the essence of the original pickups used in the Impala and Condor. The hard work has paid off with Hagstrom’s AlNiCo 5 “Retro-S” pickups, which expertly recreate the essence of the ‘60s sound and, at the same time, keep the door open for more modern sonic possibilities.
Hagstrom introduced the Impala and Condor models in 1963, and the instruments quickly found their way into the hands of many professional and aspiring musicians throughout the world.
Hagstrom uses a variety of different neck joints throughout our range. Our set-neck recipe is the classic and time-tested Mortise and Tenon joint, a design that most efficiently transfers string energy from neck to body, and can often only be found on more expensive custom-built guitars. A team of experienced and dedicated craftsmen hand carves every neck joint, insuring perfect execution of this traditional technique preferred by luthiers for generations
In combination with the trusted long travel Tune-O-Matic roller bridge and the Graphtech Black TUSQ XL nut, the re-engineered Vintage Tremar vibrato unit keeps it original appearance while tremendously improving its functionality. Smooth vibrato action and great tuning stability included.
All Hagstrom electric guitars and basses include our patented H-Expander™ truss rod. Providing tension at both ends and running the entire length of the neck, the rigid yet light-weight alloy truss rod allows for a very low action and thin neck, two factors that were instrumental in earning Hagstrom its reputation as the world’s fastest playing guitar. The H-Expander™ truss rod not only provides ultimate neck stability, but it also contributes to Hagstrom’s unique tone. Longer sustain and a round attack are some of the sonic characteristics the H-Expander™ adds to the tonal essence of Hagstrom.
Resinator™ wood is a wood composite material that is both more uniform in density and more stable than any standard wood product. These characteristics eliminate dead spots or “wolf tones” sometimes associated with conventional wood fingerboards. Resinator™ wood has an articulate sound similar to high quality ebony, but without any of the problems associated with ebony. It provides a stable and clear tone, and also adds higher overtones and harmonics which uniquely detail each note. Like our H-Expander™ truss rod, Resinator™ wood is a major contributor to the distinctive “Hagstrom tone”.
