Hagstrom Super Swede XSOP

Hagstrom Super Swede XSOP review

The Hagstrom Super Swede XSOP is a solid-body electric guitar with a mahogany body, a maple top, and a set-in mahogany neck. Its specification combines traditional dual-humbucker construction with coil-splitting controls and stainless steel frets. The listed price is 915. The model has been available since June 2023 and includes a hard case.

Owner feedback points to a guitar intended for practice, home recording, and players who want several pickup sounds from one instrument. Reports are not entirely consistent about the neck pickup: one owner found the guitar versatile, with useful split sounds, while another felt the neck pickup lacked output and character, particularly when split. That difference is worth bearing in mind when judging the electronics.

Construction and hardware

The body is mahogany, topped with a three-quarter-inch maple cap and a figured maple veneer. The set-in mahogany neck meets a Resinator fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets. The scale length is 648 mm, or 25.5 inches, and the nut measures 43 mm. Hagstrom specifies a Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL nut, locking tuning machines, and a dual-action H-Expander truss rod.

One owner reported clean fret ends and even fretwork, with no buzzing or other setup-related problems. The neck-to-body transition also felt comfortable. That same player found the neck easy to adapt to, describing its feel as between familiar designs from Ibanez and Gibson. Another owner found the string action somewhat high, though still playable. As with any new guitar, a setup may be needed to suit a player's preferred action and tuning.

The bridge is a Long Travel Tune-O-Matic, and the guitar has no tremolo. The finish is listed as Honeyburst in one specification field, while the detailed color description says X-tra Special Old Pale. Those descriptions do not match, so check the exact finish with the seller before ordering if color is important to you.

Pickup options and controls

The pickup set consists of two Lundgren Design AlNiCo-2 humbuckers: a No. 2 model at the neck and a No. 5 at the bridge. The control layout includes separate volume and tone controls for each pickup, a three-way toggle switch, and push-pull tone controls for coil splitting. The volume controls use R/C switching. Hagstrom's chrome-plated, knurled brass knobs and a three-ply black, white, and black pickguard complete the hardware details.

Those controls offer a practical range of sounds without adding a complicated switching system. One owner used the split options as a significant part of the guitar's versatility and described the overall sound as having plenty of sustain. Another player liked the bridge pickup's character but found the neck pickup comparatively weak and unimpressive when split. The middle switch position and bridge pickup received more favorable comments in that account. Players who rely heavily on bright, single-coil-style sounds should try the neck pickup in person if possible.

Playability and finish

The instrument uses a 20 mm neck thickness at the first fret and 21.5 mm at the twelfth. Its fingerboard has a 14.4-inch radius. The combination of those dimensions, the medium-jumbo frets, and the long scale gives buyers concrete points to consider when comparing it with other guitars. The owner reports describe the fretwork as precise, and one player specifically praised how smoothly the neck joins the body.

Both owners commented positively on the guitar's appearance and finish. One found no visible cosmetic flaws and considered the build quality convincing. The other also reported flawless fretwork, but noticed that the control knobs were loose on their instrument. They tightened them with a hex key, a quick fix, though it is still worth checking the knobs and controls when the guitar arrives.

Verdict

The Hagstrom Super Swede XSOP has a clear appeal for players who want a mahogany-and-maple guitar with a set-in neck, locking tuners, stainless steel frets, and coil-splitting humbuckers. Owner comments support its comfortable neck joint and tidy fretwork, while the pickup feedback is more divided, especially at the neck. At 915 with a hard case included, it offers a substantial feature set, but prospective buyers should verify the finish name and assess whether the neck pickup suits their sound. The supplied strings are D'Addario.010 to.046.