Zager ZAD-50

I won a Zager ZAD-50 on the Gritz Magazine website. I found it because I was unhappy with my first guitar-hurt my fingers like crazy and would not stay in tune. I had read about Zager guitars-saw them on ebay.The guitars have a solid spruce top, Natural gloss finish, Mahogany back and sides. Rosewood Fret Board and Bridge. Abalone inlay, tortoise shell pick guard. The thing that makes it really great is Zager himself modifies the nut and saddle on the guitar to spread out the strings and lower them close to the fret board. Thus, you do not have to push the strings down very far. About the thickness of a piece of paper! The ease of playing this is AMAZING! I am a beginner and my fingers are not nearly as sore as with my old guitar. This is a great guitar and company. Check them out!
Jerry Barnes

I am a beginner, so haven't achieved 'style'. The sound is really great, full and rich, a note resonates for a VERY long time. It has sealed Grover tuners that work very well. Due to Zager's modifications of the nut and bridge, it is very easy to press down the strings, thus saving you LOTS of pain!

It arrived in near perfect tune. The guitar appears to be flawless, looks great with it's Abalone inlay, spruce top and rosewood bridge and fret board. The hard case it come in is top notch also. All around good value.

I'm a beginner, so not fully qualified for this section. It does have sealed Grover tuners and the Zager modificed hand carved nut and saddle. Seems like a quality unit with great factory backup.

Every email I sent was answered right away, and I mean within an hour. I had a string break so called and talked to Dennis Zager Jr. He was very helpful and concerned and directed me to the part of the web site that covers re-stringing, which was very clear and concise at how to do it. Dennis Zager Jr. is a very friendly person. The guitar has a lifetime warranty and 100% money back guarantee. You can't beat that!

I've been playing less than a year. I sold my old guitar, since it sucked. This guitar has really great quality and sound. You can't go wrong with it, if it were stolen or lost I'd definitly call them and buy a nw one. It's ease of play is what makes it stand out over all the others, but it also stands above because of it's great sound. Read the reviews at Gritz Magazine and look at all the testimonials on the Zager Guitar web site. I signed up for their online lessons also, based on the testimonials and the recommendation of Gritz's guitar reviewer.

Brand new acoustic guitar which I believe was made in Korea. It has 20 frets and a solid spruce top. The back and body are made from Mahogany and it has a rosewood fretboard. Gloss finish. Dreadnight. Grover tuners. Rounded neck that is perfect for smallish hands and quite comfortable to play. It's an acoustic guitar without a huge amount of bells and whistles, but that's not really what I'm looking for in an acoustic guitar.

It appears to fit my pop rock w/overtones of blues/jazz/and Dave Matthews-ish funk just fine. It has a big, full sound full of warmth, similar to a Martin. I've owned 2 Martins and find it compares favorably. When fingerpicking the individual notes articulate clearly. The volume projects plenty loud, and I find the sound to be crisp, never murky or muddy. Some may find it a little too bass heavy, but I find it compliments my baritone voice and percussive riffs perfectly. I think this guitar would be suitable for anything from folk to blues to pop.

The set up is where this guitar shines; it comes set up with Zager's EZ play system. The action is nice and low, and string spacing is generous enough to make flat and fingerpicking equally easy. The neck is a joy to play, especially for smallish hands like mine. Not a problem to speak of with the nut or bridge. It may be the easiest acoustic to play I've ever encountered. The gloss finish is handsome as are the abalone accents and body binding. There is a slight bleed over of the wood stain onto part of the binding on the neck, but it is a very minor blemish. The tortoise shell pickguard has a very slight imperfection in the coloring about the size of a pinprick. The work in the interior of the guitar (bracing, etc) appears to be very clean.

I would have not have any concerns about playing this guitar live at a gig. The guitar is well constructed, which is evident from the moment you put it in your hands. The Grover tuners are very smooth and sure. The binding and finish seem to be applied with skill. The strap button (there is only one) seems to be secure. I would take this to a gig and not have any fear about not having a back-up. This is a well-made, solid, durable guitar that figures to age gracefully.

I've never, ever encountered such outstanding customer service in any industry. These guys want their customers to be happy, and will bend over backwards to make sure they are happy. I emailed with some questions and recieved a reply from Denny Jr. within 15 minutes. I later found it necessary to call and ask a few questions. Denny Jr. was out, but I was told he would call when he returned. I recieved the phone call within 20 minutes. These guys are not scared to stand behind their product. They offer a 30 day money back guarantee. Who else does that? These guys are friendly, informative, and accomadating. The best.

I've been playing guitar for about 14 years; I also own a Fernandes TE-3 (supped up with Bill Lawrence pups, 4 way switching, and copper and silver wiring) but I've left it in it's case since I recieved my Zager. If this guitar were stolen I would first weep and then, a moment later, I would call and order another one. I've owned a Martin dreadnought and Martin Concert OOO, and I can honestly say the Zager has much more bang for the buck. The Zager sounds as big and clear as a mid-priced Martin, and also has some nice cosmetic touches. Mostly I love the set-up of this guitar; it's a pleasure to play. The low action (the strings do not buzz against the frets) and generous string spacing make for a very enjoyable playing experience. I can't say that I hate anything about the guitar, tho I do wish it was available with a cutaway. They have an electrified model with a cutaway, but I don't care much for the sound of piezo pickups. A cutaway would obviously make upper fret access easier. Hey, this a a tremendous guitar and a great value. My close friend played it and promptly resolved to buy one for himself; his guitar student also is buying one. Zager guitar is big enough to care for all your customer service needs, but still small enough to pay attention to detail and take pride in what they do.

The ZAD-50 is a full size dreadnought acoustic, with a solid spruce top, mahogany back & sides, rosewood fret board and bridge, and grover tuners. Made in the USA, signed by Denny Zager and dated January 2005.

Sounds great. Beautiful warm tone, with crisp highs. Not the loudest guitar I've ever played, but that's what pickups are for. It has a very even, well balanced sound. If you are used to banging away at a guitar, you will have problems with buzzing. Same is true for heavy gauge strings. However, if you know what you are doing, you should have no problem whatsoever. For the price, unmatched. I give it an 8 only because you don't have the freedom to use whatever strings you like. I happen to use light strings anyways, so for me it's perfect. On normal guitars, lowering the action reduces the tone dramatically, but more than that has been done to this guitar in order to make it the easist acoutic guitar to play, and it retains all of the tone of a guitar with horrible action.

This is a custom made guitar. That said, it can't be comapred to cookie cutter big name guitars, a half dozen of which I have owned and been either completely unsatisfied with, or just simply tolerant of. The frets are hand filed, the bridge, nut and saddle are customized. All done extremely well, by a true craftsman. This guitar is an acoustic with the action of an electric. Anyone who can't understand why a 3000 dollar Martin still isn't playable needs to try out a Zager. This guitar was obviously very carefully constructed. Again, for the price, it's totally unbelievable.

This is again a very well made guitar with attention to all of the right details. I would trust this guitar in any environment , and plan to use it in the studio as well. It stays in tune after hours of playing. Very solid guitar with a nice finish, though I admit in my opinion, things like the finish are attractive only to people who can't really play and want to look the part. I realized that by reading glowing reviews of the Artcore hollowbodys appearance, and then trying to actually use one. This is a real guitar. Zager seems confident enough to back that up with a lifetime warranty.

This is a family owned company. Makes my Fender seem like it came from Wal-Mart, or any other massive faceless conglomerate with no real interest in the quality of their product beyond the point which you throw down money for it. They respond to my emails within 24 hours, and are direct and down to earth people. No automated phone systems or arrogant jerks.

I have been playing for around 15 years, mostly in studio settings. In addition to the Zager I still own a custom Esp vintage plus, both of which I will never part with. Custom guitars like these don't compare to factory mass produced instruments. Have owned 2 Std strats (got rid of both), an Ibanez Artcore --retuned it, and a fender dreadnought acoustic. Which I sold after buying my Zager. Also own A fender JP-90 bass, and various keyboards. This Zager guitar will stay with me as long as I can play. I will definitely buy another in the next year or two. I don't believe anyone who says this guitar isn't an amazing value.

I have the Zad 50 CE version, which has a cutway body and a pick up on board. Solid wood top, sides and back. Rosewood fretboard and bridge. Several little things that really make this guitar look good. The electronics are solid, with a three band EQ and a tuner built in. Grover tuners that work perfectly. The neck is thinner than most guitars which is good for players with smaller hands.

Wow! I have played for over 25 years and have played all the "real" guitars out there. This guitar can hold its own against any at three times its price. No exaggeration. I had a friend try it out without telling him the price. He has played for over 30 years and has played with some very big names. He played for five minutes then said, "Beautiful, must be at least $1000." The sound is clear, clean, and bright. All in all, this guitar sounds better than any guitar in its price range and in ranges twice as high

Perfect. Read about Zager guitars to get more info. But, in a word, the set up, action, and finish are perfect.

Everything, so far, is or seems solid. The guitar is a little lighter than my others (Ovation 12, Garrison, Fender, etc) With the lifetime warranty, I really have no worries.

Amazing. Denny Zagger and his son are wonderful. Not one problem

Great guitar, with great sound and amazing action. After 25 years of playing, I have finally found THE guitar!

2004 ZAD 50 ZAGER, 20 filed down frets. no electronics, solid spruce top, plywood mahoghany sides and back, very heavy gloss finish, thin neck, grover tuners,no case

Sound is tinny, poor intonation, hard to keep in tune, Darco strings came on guitar, maybe better strings would make guitar sound better, hard to get clear notes when playing single notes.

Set Up is strange, frets filed flat, high plastic saddle, nice looking guitar, very light, very loose grain spruce top, though aesthetically pleasing because of high gloss finish. Saddle ,instead of normal slant, goes up from bass to high in middle and back down low at treble. Denny Zager signs each guitar on back.

Personally, I could not play it, could not get it in tune and poor intonation

Customer support very good until They started hemming and hawing about return of guitar which they guarentee return and postage both ways, took three days to get guitar picked up.

25 years of playing, have owned Gibsons,Fenders and a Martin. I can not recommend this guitar, if you are a beginner, just get a name brand guitar and get it set up for lo action with light strings, this is overkill, it kills the sound quality and intonation, I will not rule out the possibility I got a lemon, but they never contacted me after they got it back saying there was anything wrong with it.

Zager ZAD 50 from Denny Zager of Zager guitars.This acoustic features the Zager string science and has a solid spruce top laminated mahogany back and sides,rosewood fretboard.Other features are hand filed frets,custom hand carved and modified saddle and nut.Both the nut and saddle are in the process of being awarded a patent.The ZAD 50 is a full size dreadnaught the width at the nut is 1 3/4.The neck of the ZAD 50 is shallow and very easy for novice or pro to move about with ease.The string science Denny incorperates on his acoustics lowers the string height at the nut so little finger pressure is used to form the hardest chords.The saddle is adjusted to the nut to bring the acoustic in harmony and string height at the 12th fret is 3/32.the frets are hand filed to reduce string buzz and string bite.These modifactions cannot be found on any acoustic in this price range and you may not get this type of action on an acoustic costing 4x the price of $345 the Zagers ask for this remarkable acoustic unless you have it done by a luthier after purchase.

To be able to play finger style on a dreadnaught as well as you can the ZAD50 eliminates the need for an OM style for this type of play and a dread to play with a pick.you do not lose any volune or sustain with the string science set up of Denny Zager.The bass is deep and the highs ring beautifully on the ZAD50 I still after 2 months of playing daily cannot believe how good the ZAD50 sounds and the $345 I paid for it.Even with the low set up there is no string buzz and palying for hours at a time your fingers are not cramped or sore.Any novice should try a ZAD 50 and don't worry about the tons of advice you get saying play it first because if you are not happy with the ZAD 50 Dennis Zager jr will refund 100% of the purchase price or you can try a different model.There is no gamble purchasing a Zager acoustic.

Denny Zager works on each acoustic so any with flaws are rejected so you get a Acoustic that is hand signed by Denny and if it does not pass his inspection it is rejected.The ZAD50 is set up and adjusted to be played out of the box it's perfect and you keep asking is it really $345 I have had some real dogs by big names under $500 the ZAD50 is a real find.

Oh yeah this is made to be played and played and is backed up by the Zager lifetime warranty.

The ZAD 50 comes with the best customer support I have ever come across in the acoustic guitar industry.Lifetime warranty and nothin is complicated either call or e-mail and that day all questions are answered.It is as good or better than buying local,try it and see.

For the price it's a 10 for double the price it's a ten.Over the years I have owned 20 plus acoustics this rates as one of the best right there with $1500 acoustics.The next acoustic I buy will be the ZAD80 from Zager guitar.This is a awesome acoustic and for the price and warranty you will not beat the ZAD50 for all the custom work put into,ease of play,tone,sustain,inotation all options you would pay much more for and still not get the personal customer service you get from Zager guitatr.You have to try one and if your just starting out this is the best move you can make.

2004 Dreadnought style made overseas, sealed grover tuners, Spruce Solid top, Mahogany laminate sides/back and not sure of the neck but looks like 3 piece and very thin with rosewood fret board, frets are low, strings spaced for fingerstyle, Tortoise Shell Pick Guard, martin draco strings included with a nice low setup called e-z play from zager guitar.

I play anything from gospel to blues and some old time rock and roll on the acoustics.
The tone is bright with a wonderful sound all the way down the fretboard. The guitar came setup with ultra-light strings which I assume add's to the brightness and added hours of playing. To compare I have two other guitars in the same price range (I don't want to set a $500 guitar up against a $2000 guitar) with Light strings installed. A Martin-Sigma Dm-5 (25+ years old and losing its frets) which sounds deeper and louder and about same action height, A Yamaha Fg-335 (20+ years old and holding its own, its a tank!) which sounds Deeper and much louder although much higher action. Each I would say has it's own sound and one of personal choice.

This is where I think the zager's I had and have failed in my opinion. The first one shipped to me had sanding marks all over the outside edges of the top, plus glue runs on the neck bindings and I asked for another one. The second one had mis-matched sides on the top as far as color and grain is concerned and what looks slightly like a knot hole to me right through the bridge plus it also had glue runs on the neck binding around the 11th through the 14th fret but not as bad as the first. I also have a wood shaving in the finish around the soundhole. I must admit customer service is excellent in returns but I guess after shipping me two guitars they felt are good, I only had the choice of returning them instead of having them pick one out that looks as good as their advertisement. (Customer service later told me all the woods have their own character but I don't think they really looked at mine or would have seen it was sanding not character that ruined that otherwise good top)Seeing it was a gift I kept the second one with the knot and mismatched solid top. I also kept it for the sound which is it's own and the setup with Ultra-light strings. The guitar plays very well and I can play for hours on it and keep smiling. If not for the cosmetic short commings this would be one heck of a guitar. I can feel the strings hang during tuning but not enough to hurt the sound, just a little more time to set it up.

This is the lightest guitar I own, It feels like air and I do not know if it will hold up to bumping around or not. (Handle with care or time will tell) The guitar has a natural gloss finish and I guess will withstand stains. I would have another around to be safe if I was to gig with it which I will not be doing. Keep it in the house out of reach of little hands and some big ones and it might last forever.

I think they have a great money back guarantee which includes shipping. I used it and it was smooth with them even sending the truck to pick up the return. Dennis Jr. Replys to emails quickly although I think they push more about their guitar then listen to what the customer is saying and in the end I think they feel their product is not at fault although they still will honor the guarantee. Hats off there.. but if I was them I would have shipped the third guitar hand picked for the customer to match the quality of the one in their advertisement, or at least double check the problems with the returned guitar to see what the customer is talking about. They get an 8 for the guarantee and politeness in any case.

I been playing guitars off and on as a hobby for 30 years and have had an assortment of them. I currently have about 6 electrics from epiphones to fenders and now 4 acoustics from martins to yamaha's . If I was to ask one thing before the purchasing which I didn't do to begin with (gift) it would be... are the tops in good order or very distracting cosmeticly and is QC at zagers up to keeping these looking good with no questions asked. I like the action as it is low like my Martin-Sigma (which a luthier setup) which allows me to play much longer and the sound is sweet. Neck wise it is the thinest acoustic I have played with the Martin slightly thicker and the Yamaha Fg-335 like a baseball bat in comparison in size. (although the Yamaha seems like a much better guitar built to last and still sounding good IMHO)
I was hoping these Zagers would be good and from the website and all the positive feedback I thought they would be. I like it for what it is but would not replace it.

Zager ZAD 50 solid spruce top,mahogany back and sides(laminated) rosewood fretboard,sealed Grover tuning gears,abalone rosette,tortoise pick gaurd,high gloss finish.Thr ZAD 50 features custom hand filed fret work,custom nut and saddle.The nut and saddle material are being patend at this time.Width at the nut 1 3/4 and a shallow neck.These are features which you do not find on any acoustic in this price range.The ZAD 50 is set up and hand tuned by Denny Zager who had the #1 hit record In the Year 2525 in 1969.Denny is a Master Luthier and well known teacher and has a on-line instruction site also.

I paid $345 for the ZAD 50 and cannot find an acoustic in my collection of more expensive guitars to match the sound of the ZAD 50.I played this side by side against Martin and Alvarez acoustics in the $800 to $1400 price range and the ZAD 50 blows them all away.I have tried a varity of strings and gauges Martin SP light,custom light and extra light also Elixir lights and custom lights and the sound,inotation and sustain are remarkable for a guitar that cost $345.

WOW is all can say the ZAD 50 is set up out of the box from Denny Zager for smooth easy play with the patened Zager String Science.String height at the first fret has the bass e string about touching the fret down to a string height of 3/32 at the 12th fret for perfect volume and tone.This makes freting any type chord very easy with no string bite or string buzz.This is a fine tuned hand finished acoustic that does not leave Zager's hands with any loose ends or set up bugs.

The ZAD 50 has a lifetime warranty from Zager Guitar and will only get better with age.

I never dealt with any one as helpful as the people at Zager Guitar.there on top of every e-mail and question no matter what it is.There 100% complete satisfaction warranty speaks for itself.

I own and family members play 2 other Zager acoustics plus the ZAD 50.This is the best acoustic I have played the neck is very easy to play on the nut width is perfect for my style of play(mostly fingers) the String Science set up is the best I can't imagine playing anything else except the ZAD 80 in the future.You do not need to upgrade the nut or saddle on the ZAD 50 since they are hand carved and custom fit to each acoustic and are under patend.If you have never played start with a Zager if you play and keep searching for something better try the ZAD 50 don't let the low price misguide you this is a custom acoustic with a beatiful sound that is very easy to play it looks and sounds like it cost 3 or 4 times the price.

This guitar is as mentioned earlier a dreadnought acoustic 6 string. She is a nice looking instrument featuring, a solid spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, Chrome Grover tuners, fully bound body and neck, an abalone rosette, custom fret work, tortoise pickguard, pearl dot fret markers, and a beautiful high gloss finish. The binding is a beautiful aged creme and black color. The headstock sports the ZAGER logo in gold that matches the overall look of the guitar nicely. I should mention that Zager?s nut, and saddle material, string science, and its lamination process are all patent pending. The case is a very nice and durable high impact Zager case. At this price level, this is a guitar that far exceeds expectations on features alone.

Wow! Is that a good way to start the sound part of the review? This guitar has amazing tone. I decided to do something a bit different this time in the ?sound? category. I tested it side by side with a couple of my own guitars, using two of my friends, who are also guitarists, as judges. I played three guitars to my blindfolded buddies. I must say they were good sports and came into this knowing the price of the guitar I was testing. I wanted them to be a bit biased to start with!

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 5 hundred bucks!

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 wider than any other standard guitar. 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. The spacing between the strings is wider than any other standard guitar. 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.

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.

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.

This guitar gets a solid 5 stars... The sliding scale we use is from 1 to 5 stars! That is, a score of 1 is BAD a score of 5 is something special. At this price point,I honestly don?t see how you could not consider the Zager EZ Play 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! LOL! The point is you will know the guitar that?s for you when you play it.

Thanks to the good people at Zager Guitars for the ZAD-50, and good luck to all entrants to the contest. I also 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