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 since being discontinued by Hagstrom decades ago.
With their re-introduction in 2015, Hagstrom has taken great 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 of has been optimized, and important improvements to the “Vintage Tremar” tremolo 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 “Retro-S” Alnico-5 pickups, which expertly recreate the essence of the ‘60s sound and, at the same time, keep the door open for more modern sonic possibilities.
