1971 Hagstrom H I-O – Red – #808064

“The H I-O is a rare bird,” according to the book SuperSwede De Luxe, copyright 2020 by Mikael Jansson, p. 57.*  Jansson continues: “made in a batch of 200 exclusively for the Canadian market. It is apparently made from leftovers; the tailpiece comes from the 50’s ‘glitter’ guitars.  The pickup was not seen previously, and did not re-appear until the final Partner model.”  This particular instrument however adds a twist to the Hagstrom story in that its serial number dates it to the last batch of H I’s made in 1971 rather than the 200 H I-O instruments that were made in 1968-69.  Jansson points out on p.58 (the H I-O had) ”one single-coil pickup” …. “Some may have had humbucking pickups.”*  This guitar has the humbucker which may be consistent with any later H I-O production.  That aside, this guitar looks very good, but close inspection shows it was played and has had some subsequent paint touch-ups that can be seen even if not noticed immediately.  There is cracking in the heavy polyester finish at the neck pocket as is common with these instruments even when the wood and the joints are solid.  The fingerboard is good and, though they are not rough, one can feel the paint touch-ups on the neck.  It is a nice example of a guitar that rarely comes on the market. It comes with a period-correct chipboard case.  If you are serious about this guitar, more photos and information can be provided.

*used with author’s permission.