Hagstrom Fantomen Black Gloss

Hagstrom Fantomen - Black Gloss - An Enormous Range of Possibilities!

In close collaboration, Hagstrom’s design team along with "Papa Emeritus" and the "Nameless Ghouls" from the band Ghost developed the "Fantomen" (Swedish for Phantom). This guitar combines Hagstrom’s legendary playing culture with technical sophistication that covers all sound expectations of the hard-hitting style.

The starting point is an asymmetrically shaped solid mahogany body and a mahogany neck, connected with Hagstrom’s typical tenon system. Like many Hagstrom guitars, the Fantomen features the H-Expander truss rod and is equipped with a Resinator fretboard, which not only stabilizes the neck but also significantly contributes to the guitar’s tonal quality. These components provide a solid foundation for a versatile and perfectly responsive sound. With a body thickness of only 3.5 cm, the Fantomen sits balanced in the hand and is surprisingly lightweight. The 25.5" scale length (648 mm) delivers a snappier attack and more sustain compared to guitars with the classic 24.75" scale. The neck joint design allows easy access to all 22 frets and will delight even demanding virtuosos. The Fantomen covers a broad sound spectrum from "classic" vintage tones to roaring metal sounds. For authentic tone and flexibility, pickups by Swedish pickup guru Johan Lundgren, who has developed pickups for Martin Hagström (no relation) of Meshuggah, are used. Lundgren recommended two different humbuckers: No. 2 at the neck and No. 5 at the bridge. This gives guitarists an enormous expressive range, from silky warm sounds to a biting attack and dynamics that even hardcore headbangers respect. The individual coil split with the push/pull function on the tone controls is also available, unlocking even more sounds from the guitar. The tonal vocabulary of this guitar is simply astonishing.

Lundgren Pickups

The pickups were specially designed by Swedish pickup designer Johan Lundgren. Together with the guitarists from Ghost, two suitable Alnico humbuckers were developed for the Fantomen. The wiring basically follows the classic Les Paul layout – one volume and one tone control per pickup, with the latter featuring push/pull functions to split the pickups. The toggle switch is positioned in the familiar Les Paul style and features the same Art Deco-like look as the tuners and control knobs.

Set Neck (Glued Neck)

Hagstrom uses a variety of neck/body joints in its current lineup: through-neck, bolt-on, and glued. The recipe for the glued neck is the classic and long-proven "Mortise & Tenon" joint. This construction is nowadays typically found only on expensive, hand-built custom guitars and is rarely used in series production. We therefore invest a high degree of dedication, attention, and time to ensure every Hagstrom instrument has a perfectly fitting neck/body joint.

H-Expander

All Hagstrom electric guitars and basses are equipped with our patented H-Expander truss rod. The stiff yet lightweight rod made from an alloy is tensioned at both ends and runs the full length of the neck, allowing for a very low action and a slim neck – two factors that have contributed significantly to Hagstrom’s reputation as the fastest-playing guitar in the world. The H-Expander truss rod not only offers ultimate neck stability but also contributes to Hagstrom’s unique tone. Longer sustain and a smooth attack are some of the tonal characteristics the H-Expander adds to Hagstrom’s sound identity.

Resinator Wood

Resinator wood is a pressure-laminated composite material with a denser and more stable structure than standard woods. These properties prevent so-called "dead spots" or "wolf notes" that can occur with some conventional fretboard materials. Resinator wood delivers a similarly articulated tonal response as high-quality ebony without the unwanted side effects. Resinator offers the player a stable, clear tone full of overtones and detailed projection on single notes. Like our H-Expander truss rod, Resinator wood is an essential part of the characteristic Hagstrom sound.

Hagstrom Tuners

The Hagstrom models use tuners with a gear ratio of 18:1 or 15:1, based on our own designs, to ensure precise tuning. The basses in the Viking and HB series feature tuners with a 17:1 ratio.

Hagstrom Fantomen - Biting Attack and More Sustain - Even Headbangers Bow in Respect!