Hagstrom XL-5

(Originally written by ironbull/translated from Audiofanzine FR)

Made in China. 24 frets, Hagstrom tremolo, Hagstrom HSH pickups, 1 volume control, 2 tone controls, toggle switch plus humbucker split switch, very fast ultra-slim neck.

UTILIZATION

The guitar is perfectly ergonomic and not too heavy. It has an ultra-slim and fast neck.
This guitar made me realize that there is a Hagstrom sound as opposed to the Fender and Gibson sounds... It can surely become a reference sound because it's incredibly clear but also warm and rich. It's very responsive and it faithfully reproduces every single nuance... The perfect sound.
Not only for high-speed licks but also for blues.

SOUNDS

The sound is great, with a long sustain. You can play anything with this guitar. Its sound is so clean that you'll have to use your amp if you want a dirty sound. I love its tone, it's like having the best of Fender and Gibson in one single guitar. I've even thought about selling all my other guitars...

OVERALL OPINION

I'd definitely buy it again. The value for money is more than exceptional. It's a real pleasure to hear this Hagstrom guitars. The tremolo works very well, the pickups are excellent and I will buy a Viking. But pay attention to the manufacturing quality! I have a truss rod problem with my guitar: in order to get the right relief the truss rod has to be tightened to it maximum tension. I had to return another Hagstrom because the frets were so filed down that the fingerboard was damaged. Take a good look before buying one.
I give it an 8 because of this.

Basswood body, 24 frets
Thickness of body: 48mm
Flamed maple top
In neck Maple
Profile of the handle: Ultra fine
Touch wood composite
H-adjusting rod Expander
Hagstrom Vibrato FCS-2
Scale length: 648mm
2 Custom 52 humbuckers
1 single coil pickup HS1
5 position selector micro
Toggle Switch

UTILIZATION

So to start the biggest surprise is the fineness of the handle, a highway, no problem on that side access to the treble is really simple. It is not too heavy and you can play both sitting and standing, it does not lean. The setting's many. A big advantage for the switch that lets split the pickups. This generates some noise but instead we get more fenderisé sounds, the microphone of the media is a little too "invisible" for my taste, I used almost no sound is too "bland".

SOUNDS

I mostly play hard rock, sometimes of metal, blues, and sometimes I used during clean acoustic session.
To start, the clean is beautiful for me even a combination of low quality Fender amp. You can get a very clean bright lens, while a clean round warm. Lack can be a bit low for my taste, but I think it's my amp which should be changed!
I distortion in its combination with a multi effect before, and it was the road to the metal without problem. But one day I was kindly offered a distortion pedal (Boss MegaDist) and there I rediscovered my guitar, its possibilities even greater and more especially pretty. The sound can be lack of sustain for my taste but I think the adjustment is required.

OVERALL OPINION

It's been 4 years that I have it good enough for me. I have the opportunity to play regularly on the Super Swede (hagstrom yet) Ltd and an F-50. For me the clean sound is more than beautiful, in its metal compared to the LTD is less punchy (logic) but it holds up. I think a change of microphone can be useful depending on the taste of some.
What I appreciate most is that it is very versatile, very thin and also all my friends who tested it love it.

However the black dot, the vibrato, I is not at all. But the bracket screw vibrato is really not strong and unscrews regularly (although I do not touch it. A certain place finish is not on top (even if it stays clean seen outside). price / quality ratio, I'm not too well placed to judge, but I've seen more expensive guitars that did not happen at the ankle is on.

If I have to redo this choice, I say a big YES!! My first electric guitar and I never will sell it.

- Basswood body with 48 mm plywood Saddle ond.
- Channel Canada Saddle, al profile of the handle slim.
- Key Composite Wood, Shell Pearl & Abalone taken.
- Hagstrom Mcaniques oil bath.
- Rod rglage H-Expander.
- Custom 58 Humbucker 2x microphones.
- Bridge: Hagstrom Vibrato FCS-2.
- Scale: 25.5 "/ 648 mm.
- Slecteur 5 positions of microphones, mini slecteur for the division of micro (mini-toggle).
- Finishes: Indian Summer [is], Wild Cherry Transparent [wct], Satin Black [sbk].

UTILIZATION

Let's talk about quality abbord:
- The handle is gnial! saying anything, exellent finish!
- Access in acute is not optimal, not really Designed for shredeurs.
- I love the ergonomics! the weight is by no Drang, the look is great (it's subjective but I love), there is frankly nothing wrong.
- Rgler must love the sound of his guitar with 3 pickups because slecteur five positions, "spliteur" micro buttons and qualisation ... Finally, there is a fairly quickly adjusted.
- 1 for stystme locking vibrato, and the cable between the guitar.

For default:
- So many places the finish is almost divine, as many other places, it is frankly not top.Ca ^, of sr, a scratch mid-range, we can not have everything .. Obviously
- The vibrato is a bit difficult Designed (I find it "too high"), it is not Designed to be shot, or trs little, especially for you push it .. .

SOUNDS

As for the style of music, one might almost say it's a versatile guitar! Blues, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Mtal, etc ... I said most versatile, if you like the punk and black mtal pure and hard, I do not think the guitar can satisfy you Fully.

I play with a Line 6 Spider III amp 75 watts and given the number of sounds on offer through this amp, I do not have much difficulty finding a sound that suits me ...

Come up with the 10-42 (which is the original draft), attacks free stand tonnament not too bad!

On this guitar, I find his "best done" is srement the sound that comes out when I play with the humbucker slectionneur ct round (by adding a bit of tone), c ' is frankly not the sound that I normally use but I find this guitar trs course, it helps, I think, to get closer to sound a little funky Red Hot, in his clear Obviously ..

OVERALL OPINION

What I like particulirement is clearly the handle and the sounds you can have with this guitar
I like the least available of the vibrato, but it's more than dtail for me using it less and less ...
Before buying it, with a Lag j'hsitais of the same type and + / - same price but I quickly realized that it has more potential ... ^ ^

The report qualitprix gnial is simply because by default small finishes, the guitar is really exellent!

I'm really glad I chose this guitar and I do not see what I could buy more in this price range that would satisfy me as much as one-l!

In which country was it made? China
What type of bridge (Floyd, Wilkinson ...)? Full contact sytem (designed by Hagstrom vibrato that does not draw)
A handle 24 cases
Config micro H / S / H with the split humbucker
5 position selector
1 volume and 1 tone

UTILIZATION

When I bought this guitar I've tried a guitar sound with a gibson hardware + "rock" (round 24, but not a vibrato floyd)
And I'm the one that fell on me at once more. It is not very heavy, access to the fever is really good, the buttons fall under your fingers ls
The sound of a Gibson type humbucker is fairly split but if you do not find quite simple sound was something usable (note has a lower volume and more buit parasites.
Vibrato: So it's a vibrato that makes the knife across the width of the bridge and resting on the soundboard to rest so we can not shoot but when you break a string it is given.

SOUNDS

It should be quite to my style of music that requires a certain versatility (even within a song we just go through the metal, reggae ...)
The only thing a bit below the rest is the fixatin stem vibrato. (Having a clamping ring on the stem that will set the vibrato a bit like a floyd am perfect)

OVERALL OPINION

For me the price / quality ratio is really good