“Delivering a resonance that speaks directly to the soul of your music”: The Hagstrom Megin is a double-cutaway guitar built for maximum tonal resonance to “unlock its tonal magic”
This mahogany-bodied double-cut is a little more magic than your usual six-string, so its maker says
(Image credit: Hagstrom Guitars)
Hagstrom has delivered a fresh dose of “magic” with the Megin, its all-new take on double-cut electric guitars.
Named after the old Norse word for magic, it promises a “spellbinding” playing experience because, according to the company, it resonates more than any other guitar on the market.
The swish-looking axe brings together a mahogany body with three-ply binding, a mahogany neck, and a 25.5" scale-length Resinator fingerboard.
Much of its so-called enchantment centers around the neck and its dedication to unparalleled resonance. Attached to the body with a “classic and time-tested Mortise and Tenon joint,” Hagstrom says it is typically found on more expensive builds, but is brought to the fore here.
Within the neck lies an H-Expander truss rod, helping allow for low action and a thin neck shape tailored for players with a need for speed. It is also said to contribute to the guitar's unique tone and elongate the instrument's sustain.
Atop the neck, Resinator wood makes for an alternative to ebony. The high composite wood is “both more uniform in density and more stable than any standard wood product,” according to the Swedish luthier.
This helps eliminate dead spots across the 'board while providing a “stable and clear tone, and adds higher overtones and harmonics which uniquely detail each note.”
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Its wrap-around bridge with wide-reach intonation saddles offers a trifecta of benefits. These include increased sustain, that all-important resonance and its ability to “channel string energy directly back into the instrument, unlocking the magic of its tonal qualities”.
When combined with the truss rod, that energy resonates from the tip of the headstock to the base of the body, which is why Hagstrom believes it has crafted something quite powerful with the Megin.
Hardware appointments include die-cast Hagstrom tuners, and a pair of Hagstrom humbuckers, comprising a high-output Custom 62 in the bridge, and medium-output 62 in the neck.
One Volume control, one Tone control (both chrome-plated), and a three-way toggle switch with a brass-plated cap are on hand for setting the tone.
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(Image credit: Hagstrom Guitars)
(Image credit: Hagstrom Guitars)
(Image credit: Hagstrom Guitars)
(Image credit: Hagstrom Guitars)
The Megin is certainly a looker. It is available in a quartet of finishes – an ever-gorgeous Grey Burst, Aged Sky Blue, Black Gloss, and Crème. The latter of the two colorways swap out a black pickguard for a synthetic tortoiseshell finish instead.
“Crafted especially for the modern-day road warrior, let it seamlessly become an extension of your musical mastery, and witness the magic unfold in every note,” says Hagstrom. “Delivering a resonance that speaks directly to the soul of your music.”
(Image credit: Hagstrom)
In April 2023, Hagstrom overhauled its Swede and Super Swede Les Paul copies with “special recipe” pickups made in partnership with thall-approved pickup firm Lundgren.
The Hagstrom Megin is available now and costs £799 (approx $1,000).
Head over to Hagstrom for a closer look at its spellbook.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
