Reviews

Review of the Zager ZAD-50 Acoustic

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MusicGear Guitar Reviews

Zager ZAD-20 Acoustic (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-50 Acoustic (2 Reviews)

Zager ZAD-50 Acoustic (5 Reviews)

Zager ZAD-50CE Acoustic Electric (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-50CE Acoustic Electric (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-50CE Acoustic Electric (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-80 Acoustic (3 Reviews)

Zager ZAD-80 Acoustic (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-80CE Acoustic Electric (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-80CE Acoustic Electric (1 Review)

Zager ZAD-80CE Acoustic Electric (1 Review)

Zager Modified Martin DR41 (1 Review)

Zager Modified Martin DM1 (1 Review)

Zager Modified Washburn Acoustic (1 Review)

Kmareka Magazine Review of Zager EZ-Play Acoustic Guitar

I played the same chord progressions and riffs on all three. I can't mention the name of the other two guitars used in my test, (I don't have the companies permission or I would), but I can tell you that one of them retails for $3000.00 and the other is 25 year old guitar that has always been my "tone tester" when doing any comparison for these reviews or for my own purchases. The 25 year old guitar is priceless to me.

The Zager sounded better than the two other instruments to one of my guinea pig's ears. The other guy called it a tie with my $3000.00 guitar and said it beat the 25 year old guitar I play daily, hands down. I was a bit skeptical of the results. I'm stubborn that way. I repeated the test with the same guitars miked at the sound hole and at the 12th fret directly into my little 16 track home studio recorder. I laid down three identical tracks using the three guitars, using the same microphone position and repeating as closely as I possibly could the circumstances on all three. I had my wife play them back to me randomly, so that I would not know the guitar used on each track. Again I used the same chord progressions and riffs. I was able to tell the difference between the Zager and the $3000.00 guitar but could not pick my own 25 year old friend out of the mix. What does all of this mean to you? Zager HAS something here that is astounding. I am amazed. Not amazed, blown away! This guitar actually rivals instruments that should have no rival under the 3 to 4 grand price range but it does. It does it at a price point just under 7 hundred bucks!

Reliability and Durability:
This is always a tricky category with a new instrument from a new company, but having had numerous conversation with Dennis Zager Jr. and talking to others who have Zager guitars, or guitars Denny has applied the string science to, I think I can safely say that when Denny hand signs each guitar, he means that his reputation rides on each instrument. The guitar seems well built with an attention to detail that you just don't find at this price point. With good care and proper maintenance; I can say you'll be playing this guitar for many, many years to come with no problems.

Action, Fit and Finish:
This is another area that Zager shines in. The guitar came to me in great shape. It was in tune and intonated to a tee! The frets are custom dressed by Denny and are crowned and finished nicely. The finish on the guitar is beautiful and flawless. The action is in a word amazing. This is what makes a Zager a Zager more than any other attribute in my opinion. Putting aside the astounding tone for a moment these guitars play effortlessly.

The spacing between the strings is slightly wider than on other acoustics. . Denny sets up each of these instruments and you can tell that it is a passion for him. The strings are so low to the frets that a normal piece of computer paper has trouble slipping between the two. It is amazing to play and probably something you need to see and feel to believe. I could play this guitar all day and never get that left hand cramping that you can sometimes get from long sessions. As mentioned in previous reviews on Zagers, I think this is a revolution in guitar playing. This innovation will make new players stick with guitar playing longer. The ease of fretting the strings and sounding good right from the get go is such a positive for newer players. I am all about spreading guitar playing and to Denny Zager I say, "Thank you for making it much easier to get new players to stick with it! Thanks for making guitar playing easier for us all!" The world could use many more guitar players.

Customer Support:
Usually with a newer company and a new model I won't comment much on this category as it is a non tested area. I must say again, that through talking with the folks at Zager, and the fact that Denny hand signs each guitar are pretty good indicators that they will stand behind the product. I see no problem in this area.

Overall Gritz Rating by Redtail Wolf:
At this price point I honestly don't see how you could not consider the Zager ZAD-50. In fact the difference between this guitar's tone and a guitar that costs 3-4 grand is almost non existent to the ear. I can tell the difference between this guitar's tone and my $3000.00 guitar but it makes me deeply question if that money was well spent. Old RedTail is telling you folks in no uncertain terms that if you are in the market for a great looking, great sounding guitar give Zager a shot. You won't be disappointed.

Of course that's my opinion, and as always; I urge you to play many guitars before making a purchase. Read reviews and other people's opinions if you must. The point is you will know the guitar that's right for you when you play it.

Thanks to the good people at Zager Guitars for the ZAD-50. I look forward to reviewing more Zager guitars in the future as they are continuing to expand the line with acoustic/electrics, cutaways, and maybe some more surprises in the works. Stay tuned.

Keep on pluckin the plank we love, Brothers and Sisters.
Till next time, take good care of each other, and may your days be blessed. Drop me a line and tell me what you think. I appreciate the e-mails that have come in on past reviews and look forward to discussing any aspect of the guitar world with yall!

Michael "RedTail Wolf" Nystrom

Review of Zager EZ-Play ZAD 80 Acoustic

What do you especially like about this product?
I love the sound. Even a light touch produces a lot of sound. The sustain on this guitar just goes on forever. Longer than any other guitar I have played. The looks of this guitar are also very good. The back is reminiscent of the Martin D-28. Actually I believe it is made of Martin parts. The frets are all filed down to a uniform height which also helps playability. It is easier to play and fun to play.

My honest opinion is that this is an outstanding guitar and well worth your time to take a look at. They have an excellent return policy and you can return it for any reason even if you just don't like it and they pay shipping both ways. I have used it and they are prompt and the customer service is outstanding. The guitar has a lifetime warranty. Try getting that from Taylor or Martin.

Acoustic Guitar Magazine

SETUP SHOP - November 2003

"With big box stores and catalog shopping ever on the rise, the knowledge, personal attention and long term value offered by a small independent shop all offset the onetime benefit of a rock-bottom price.

The guitar's "setup" is the most important thing.

Beginners need positive reinforcement from their efforts instead of spending hours trying to get the notes of a chord to sound clear and not succeeding. They need LOW action. Selling guitars without doing a setup first is a rip-off to the customer"

Product: Zager ZAD 50CE OM
Submitted 12/12/2006 at 12:36pm by Dansin

Features :
This guitar comes with a Venetain cutaway box,Solid spruce top, Mahogany back & sides, Sealed Grover tuners,Built in transducer, Onboard electronic with tuner,Guitar strap audio jack,Abalone inlay rosette, Toroise shell pick guard, Gloss finish, Hand carved nut & Saddle, Hand filed frets, Rosewood fret board. Rosewood Bridge, Martin strings, Zager EZ-Play Modified,and a Life time warranty.

Sound :
The guitar has an extremely full sound for an OM style guitar. I changed strings to my preferred choice Martin SP 80/20 and the sound seemed to be even fuller. I play mostly rock but lately have been playing what ever suits my taste at the moment. I've been playing a lot of finger style and the guitar has preformed well from folk to classical

Action, Fit, & Finish :
I was a little weary at first about their claims of playability with the string science (you can go to Zager.com for an explanation) I have to admit that this guitar is the easiest guitar I have ever played in my 30 years of playing. You can literally play for hours without your fingers getting soar. The guitar came almost perfectly in tune and stays there even when playing hard. The guitar has a nice gloss finish and a solid feel to it like most of your expensive guitars do.

Reliability/Durability :
Since I have only had the guitar for a few months I can't speak on durability but this guitar has a solid feel to it and I don't see why it wouldn't last for years to come. So far from what I can tell I have all the confidence that this guitar will standup well to the road.

Customer Support :
I have not had to have anything repaired but I have called and e-mailed several times and all my questions were answered quickly and with friendly and courteous responses. They take the time to answer any and all question you may have. Zager offers a lifetime warranty and I have every confidence they will honor it. More companies should take notice of their customer service.

Overall Rating :
I have been playing for 30 year and have never played an Acoustic Guitar with such ease of playability. I like the full sound and expect it to get even better over the years. I mostly play electric ( 1976 Gibson custom LP, 1972 Gibson SG, 1974 Strat) not to mention some of the acoustics I've had over the years Martin, Gibson, Taylor, etc. It was very hard for me to believe the claims ZAGER makes about their guitars but now that I have one I can see why they don't have to push you into a sale. The guitar sells itself. If it is ever stolen or lost I would have no hesitation purchasing another.

Features :
2006 OM model
20frets
Solid ceder top w/ rosewood sides & back signed by Mr. Denny Zager
Grover tuners
Glossy finish
Abalone inlay is absolutly gorgeous
Case purchased seperately w/ humidity sensor is beautiful (extra set of Martin strings

Sound :
WOW, For fianacial reasons I had to sell my high end ($3000.00)acoustic Taylor and it was the best thing I ever did because I purchased the Zager OM80 and payed bills with the difference. The OM80 is simply the best, you will not find better playability and tonal qualities any where even the 4k models. One thing I changed was the bridge pins with Tusq 4mm and it really put me in 7th heaven sound wise!!! I CAN NOT PUT THIS GUITAR DOWN, I play for hours and do NOT get any finger tip burns what so ever.

Action, Fit, & Finish :
set up is perfect
finnsih is great
The head stock and woods are just stunning the 3 piece Rose wood back is the best I have ever seen. Will beat any custom guitar out there.

Reliability/Durability :
Thsi guitar will withstand any playing, count on it!!!

Customer Support :
The best Famely run ,less then 24 hour answers on e-mail and live person on the phone!

Overall Rating :
Ok here is the kicker...all this for $995.00!
YOU DO NOT NEED THE SPEND $3000.00 + ON A BRAND NAME BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY YOU BE DOING, DO NOT LINE THESE GUYS'S POCKETS BUY A ZAGER THEY ARTE THE BEST!

Product: Zager ZAD 50 OM
Submitted 01/23/2007 at 09:07pm by Jon Delko
Email:jodelk3322<at>hotmail dot com

Features :
Well made, perfect finish, strong neck. nice looking --actually have the OM model.

Features :
clear, loud, broad sound.

Rich sound, especially nice for finger-picking style. No buzzing in spite of low setting.

Action, Fit, & Finish :
The day before I received this, I went to the local music store and played a $2,000+ Martin which I loved. This instrument was comparable, and perhaps had even a slightly better action feel. Quite amazing, given the reasonable price, though this may be due to the fact that the middle-man is cut out and it is a buy-direct operation. I had read many reviews about the action and was pleased to see for myself how accurate those reviews were. UPS cross-country in 1 week. Well packaged.

Reliability/Durability :
New guitar, but I give it the high rating due to the lifetime backing by the family owned business. After purchasing a Takamine last year, just 2 months later, the store did not want to know me when I came in about some questions regarding the neck and set up. I feel comfortable with the make of the guitar; it appears built to last.
I am very comfortable with the guarantee...the backing deserves a 10.

Customer Support :
Perhaps the finest customer service I have experienced in any field of business, including such places known for great customer service like LL Bean.

As many others have already written, I also prefer to buy "hands on" and not online, and because of that nervousness, I called many times, and e-mailed as often. I never wore out their patience and they were more than happy to answer every question I had.

Overall Rating :
I have been playing since I was a teen, almost 30 years ago, and have owned a few nice guitars (Takamine/Ovation) in those years. I am sold on the Zager. I think it probably is best described as a really nice Martin clone ----it sounds quite comparable to the more expensive ($2,000 and up) Martins and the action/comfort is first rate. When I practice, I like to concentrate and get into a serious concentrating mode and being able to practice for several hours straight without sore fingers is of great benefit. Since I cannot afford to spend $2500 for a Martin that I really love, this is a great substitute. I absolutely will buy another if lost or stolen. I will buy another for my daughter and if my wife wants to play, I will get her a Zager as well. I am sold on the loyalty of the family owned business.

Product: Zager Zad80 om
Submitted 02/17/2006 at 04:13pm by Tim Rumph
Email: timrumph<at>juno dot com

Features :
Solid Cedar top, Grover Tuners,Custom nut and saddle.Case came with temp and humidity sensor.Rosewood back and sides, abalone inlay on rosette and body. white edge banding, the most beautiful polished gloss finish I have ever seen on any! guitar!! Fabulous action, custom filed frets.

Sound :
Absolutely magic sound!Rich and warm with great sustain and volume yet delicate and lyrical when lightly touched.

Action, Fit, & Finish :
Fabulous action.Guitar was shipped via UPS and was packaged beautifully. It was virtually bullet proof. Guitar was tuned in the case Perfectly and has stayed in tune!!! The finish is hand polished and is the best finish I have ever seen on ANY guitar. Stunning!!

Reliability/Durability :
This guitar will do well on the road. It is solidly built and comes with a lifetime warrenty. Grover tunners are excellent. I would and will use this guitar over any other for ANY venue!!

Customer Support :
Great customer support. I asked many questions via Email and they answered all within minutes and made it clear I was welcome to call to talk personally to Mr. Zager. I didn't find a phone call was needed as the Email was fast and took care of my needs.

Overall Rating :
I have been playing constantly for over 30 years. I know what I like about guitars and I really like everthing about this guitar!! If it were lost or stolen I would buy from Zager Guitars again period. I would do so just as fast as I could. I love the sound, the apperance, the neck, the action, the case, EVERYTHING! If you love top quality guitars (Martin for example) then check these Zagers out. I was determined to make a 4 figure Martin my next guitar. Partly because of the name. But mostly because of the sound and quality that I found in that line of guitar. I happened on the Zager website and read all the testimonials and saw the 100% money back guarantee and decided I had nothing to lose. I tried it and am totaly blown away. This is by far the most excellent guitar I have played including 3-4 thousand dollar Martins. It truly is!!! The only thing it dosn't have that I was looking forward to getting with my next guitar purchase is the Martin name. But I am very proud, now, to own this Zager guitar. It is the love of my life. I cannot imagine being more in love with any guitar!! I really can't say enough!

Model: Zager ZAD-15
Submitted 08/08/2006 at 12:13am by Robert Rabe

Features : 10
The finish is transparent with locking tuners.

Sound : 10
Although this is a 3/4 size acoustic guitar, the sound is exceptional --- clear, mellow and full.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
The action setting was perfect. This guitar is the easiest I've ever played --- no buzz. I find absolutely no flaws in the set-up or workmanship.

Reliability/Durability : 10
I've played the guitar for hours. It stays in tune perfectly. The finish is durable and well applied.

Customer Support : 10
The warrantly is life time. I've had a number of contacts with the company and their response is timely --- less than 24 hours. They are courteous, professional and helpful. Above all they are honest. If a customer doesn't care for a Zager guitar, the full refund prices is refunded and THEY pay for the return shipping.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing for 10 years and own 6 other guitars, all acoustic except for one electric for which I use an amp. The Zager ZAD-15 is absolutely the best guitar I've ever owned --- I wish I had bought one years ago. It's incredibly easy to play because of the setting of the action and the neck design. The neck finish is excellent --- my hand doesn't stick on the neck as I change chords. If it were lost or stolen, I would immediately buy another. Anyone who gives a Zager guitar a bad review obviously is a dishonest competitor with an agenda.

Gritz Guitar Magazine Review

Hi gang! Let me start this one off by saying that this review will not be so much about the particular guitar we are giving away but what has been done to modify it. We won’t be going through the normal steps of a guitar review like we usually do here. What I will attempt to do is to explain the Zager EZ-Play String Science System. The modifications used in this system make this guitar the easiest playing guitar I have ever played.

I wish all of you the best of luck as you enter to win this guitar. It has been modified by Denny Zager with this patented system, is hand signed by him, and has a retail value of just under $600.00. As I mentioned this review is not really about the guitar so much but what the Zager Guitar system has done to the guitar to make it what it has become. We at GRITZ want to thank Zager Guitars for giving me the chance to test this new system, and for giving you our readers a chance to win this amazing instrument.

First let’s talk a bit about the man behind this new design, Mr. Denny Zager. Denny Zager is part of the legendary recording duo "Zager & Evans" who wrote "In The Year 2525," the number 1 World-Wide smash hit of 1969 and the biggest one-hit wonder of any artist at any time in recording history. You may have seen Denny featured in magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and The New Yorker. Denny has been asked to make numerous television appearances including The Tonight Show, and he was also asked to perform at the original Woodstock. For more on Denny Zager’s biography see this page, http://www.zagerguitar.com/ez-dz.htm.

Now let’s talk about the Zager EZ Play "String Science" modification process. Without getting too technical and into the geometry of what happens let’s just say that Denny Zager takes an existing guitar and does a couple of really neat things to it. The ease of playing comes from two distinct processes that Mr. Zager applies. The first process is to lower the strings to a height that seems impossible to accomplish without creating tons of fret buzz. He has figured out how to lower the strings, or the action, on an acoustic guitar so low that you have trouble slipping a piece of computer paper under the strings! This makes the guitar so easy to fret you feel like you aren’t applying any pressure at all. Imagine if you had had a guitar like this when you started playing. Can you imagine giving a guitar like this to a new student just learning to play? The confidence level of the new player would shoot through the roof!

The second thing Mr. Zager does is to widen the distance between the strings. The distance between each string on a Zager guitar is wider than on any guitar you have ever seen or played. This widening of that space is crucial to the ease of playing these guitars. If you play, you know that sometimes your big old fingers get in the way when making a chord and sometimes you hear the dreaded thud of a string that has been muted by an adjacent finger that is too big to fit in the narrow space between the strings. That spacing coupled with the normal strings on a student guitar being too high and feeling like steel cables is especially frustrating to beginners. By changing these two fundamentals, Zager’s system will allow students the time to stick with that learning process and will give them a better shot of reaching some basic goals without giving up. The Zager E-Z play "String Science" takes all of the early worry and hassle away. The extra distance between the strings also makes finger picking much easier as well. If you thought you could never master a finger picking style on guitar before, I’m here to tell ya Brother’s and Sister’s if you win this guitar be ready for all that to change.

Mr. Zager recently was asked to go to a very well known and major guitar manufacturer’s facility in the USA, to demonstrate the "String Science" to them. I really am not at liberty to name names, but let’s just say if I said the name you’d all know who they are. I will give you a hint; the name of the company has two initials then a name. The result of that visit was a proclamation by the company that no guitar they had ever produced or even seen had strings that were so low to the frets with no fret buzz at all. Let me tell you friends, this company has a reputation of making easy to play guitars and they had never seen anything like this.

Mr. Denny Zager’s new E-Z play "String Science" has made playing an acoustic guitar 10 times easier than it ever has been before. I urge all of those who read this that play guitar already or are interested in learning to play to enter this contest right now. If you do not win, and I certainly hope you will enter and try to win, I urge you to visit Zager guitars on line at www.zagerguitars.com and order a Zager E-Z play acoustic guitar for yourself or as a gift. They offer a couple of brands in different color and option combinations for sale on the web site. If you are serious about becoming a better acoustic guitarist or have always wanted to try to play the guitar, give yourself the edge that only Denny Zager can give you. Mr. Zager offers on line instruction as well at www.zagerguitars.com. I highly recommend these guitars and the exciting new breakthrough that Denny Zager has developed.

Making the guitar easier to play is a giant step in bringing many more people to the instrument and music. It is also a huge advantage to the existing player, as you will have confidence you have never felt before. Mr. Denny Zager has done the world of guitar playing a tremendous service in developing his "String Science" and I applaud his efforts! Mr. Zager does each modification himself on each instrument sold on the website. He pays a great deal of attention to each guitar and stands behind his work. Denny also follows up each purchase with e-mails or phone calls just to make sure the guitar is performing to his high standards. He takes so much pride in his work that he hand signs each and every guitar that he modifies. His commitment is to make us all better players, with a much easier instrument to play is a great thing. What excites me the most about this Zager system is that beginners now have a real chance to make progress on the guitar before they become frustrated from the pain of trying to fret painfully high strings on poorly set up entry level guitars. With the Zager system, a new student can take one of these moderately priced guitars and start playing almost immediately!

Making music is a wonderful thing to do for yourself or to give as a gift to someone you care about. I really love to see new people pick up a guitar and make music and I believe that’s what Denny Zager is all about as well! That is what this column is all about folks! We LOVE to see people pluckin the plank we love!

The Gritz Guitar Review

Kmareka Magazine Review of Zager EZ-Play Acoustic Guitar

Kiersten Marek, editor Kmareka online magazine

Joe Vitale on Zager Guitars

After finding $12,500.00 in an old Paypal account last week, I went on a spending spree.

I bought everything from a Bentley jacket (to start pretending I'm a Bentley GT owner) to a humidor (for my new hobby of cigar smoking) to a rare magic trick (which I can't wait to show you one day), to a gift of money for Nerissa, and more.

One of the other things I bought was a new guitar. I have several, but you can't have too many. If you play the guitar, you know what I mean.

This new guitar is a Zager. It's designed to be, well, easier to play. The website that described it was written beautifully so I decided to order one.

I was telling Pat O'Bryan about it and he asked when he could see it. I told him I hadn't heard from the seller yet. Pat's eye-brows went up and I smelled his concern. Suddenly I started to feel buyer's remorse; that sinking feeling in your gut that says maybe you made a really bad decision.

I wrote to the seller and almost instantly got back an email. It had to be one of the most reassuring emails ever received after a sale. Not only did it confirm my order, but it included testimonials, which essentially made me feel excited all over again about my new guitar. Here's part of the email:

Hi Joe,
We'll take care of you...no worries. I'm showing you purchased your guitar Friday night and it went out Monday morning after Denny completed a final inspection on it.

Warmest regards,
Dennis Zager Jr.
http://www.zagerguitar.com/
Toll free 1-800-308-9731

Magazine reviews
Customer testimonials
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Recent customer testimonial:
04-07-2006 Hello Dennis, I received your guitar today and what a great instrument it is! I really like it a lot. It almost sounds like a piano. Very crisp and articulate, perfectly in tune. A very musical guitar! I like the fact that it's light weight. The neck is very easy to play everywhere, I can bend the strings easily and there's no buzz at all! The sound is focused, full range, nice bottom, solid mids, rich and round highs. Plus, I think it looks awesome! Thank you so much, I really appreciate that guitar. Thank you again." -- Andre Coutu, Lead guitarist for Celine Dion, Las Vegas, Nevada

I was impressed. Most sellers would write and just say, "Got your order." The people at Zager Guitar wrote a personal message, gave me the tracking number for the guitar, and added a lot of emotionally supportive links, including a testimonial from Celine Dion's lead guitarist!

I need to model this approach to doing business. Maybe you do, too. Now I'm really excited to get that guitar!

Ao Akua, Joe Vitale
www.mrfire.com