Zager ZAD-50

Solid Spruce top, Mahagany back & sides.
Rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
Grover seales tuners.
BEAUTIFUL two-color sunburst on top (even though the website shows three color).

Rich, full and bright sound. Not quite as loud as other dreadnoughts, due to extra light strings. The average player will probobly not even notice this. Beleive ir not, this guitar really does compare with guitars in the $1500-$2000 price range. You have to hear it yourself...

I admit to being a guitar snob. I generally only buy USA made instruments made prior to 1970 (with the exception of Fender Custom Shop guitars- Well done Fender!)
The set-up is better than ANY acoustic guitar I have owned or played. No, the action is not as low as my original '57 Strat, or my Custom Shop '62 reissue Strat, but the transition is very easy. I have examined this guitar with a magnifying glass and can find no flaws. Binding, rosette, bracing, frets, all perfect. I only wish it has a front strap ped, & will add one.

I've only owned this guitar for a week, but I'm confident that this guitar will be as durable and dependable as any fine acoustic. These are not solidbody guitars, folks, and require a little extra care and protection.

After 35+ years of playing, I avoid Mr. Murphy by always having a back-up. (Now you understand why a guitar snob would buy a $400 guitar). But my ZAD-50 will NOT only be used as a back-up!

Dennis Jr. answered all questions promptly. Try that with other companies and be prepared to grow a long, white beard.

I do not know the Zager's personally. I have no financial interest in their business. I primarily bought this guitar because transporting, insuring, and mothering more than one vintage Gibson or Martin kinda takes the fun out of a gig. Get a SM57, a good sound guy, and you're in the money. My next guitar purchase WILL be a ZAD80-CE

2006 ZAD50 Acoustic. 21 frets, solid top. Black finish deep shiny, excellent finish with white binding. Grover chrome tuners. Thin neck.

Loud crisp sound...rings well!! Covers wide spectrum.

Came from maker in tune. custom set-up with Zager action.

several friends have 'wrung it out" and it holds up well. Still new but seems very solid!

All dealings so far have been well above average. Lifetime warranty!

I am a beginner with several friends that play and have played for many years, all are really impressed with the Zager. The action is especially quick and requires much less effort to chord. If lost/stolen, I would buy another. The standard acoustic that I was playing is far outclassed, as well as most others that I have tried.
My comment: "Try it you will be impressed."

Sounded superb right out of the box

Flawless...

I'll play this guitar for the rest of my life

The Zager family has been both patient and supportive. E-mail support is outstanding.

I own an autoharp and a William's V-1 Keytar. I am a massage therapist with soft, sensative fingertips. This is the only guitar on the market I can play.

- Full size dreadnought
- Solid spruce top
- Mahogany back & sides
- Sealed "Grover" Tuning Gears
- Abalone inlay rosette
- Tortoise shell pick guard
- Gloss finish
- Hand carved custom nut
- Hand carved custom saddle
- Hand filed frets
- Scalloped X-bracing
- Rosewood fret-board
- Rosewood bridge
- Genuine "Martin" strings
- Zager EZ-Play Modified
- Lifetime warranty
- 100% money back guarantee

I play Folk/Rock and find this quitar a nice addition to the two Martins I own. Only had it a couple of weeks and play it every day. The EZ play feature is a wonderful thing and the sound reminds me of a Taylor 810 I used to own.
This guitar is worth the price big time.

Holds tuning well and came well set up. I live in Florida so naturally I had to tune it. Condition was perpect and I was surprised at the solid feel and beauty of the instrument.
Remember considering the price this quitar is a real winner.

Have not played out with it yet but will. I'm sure it will do well micked (which is my preferred method). The finish is beautifull and I beleive it will last the distance.

Warranty - Complete money back guarantee. Can't ask more than that.
I have emailed them and always got a prombt response.

I've been playing on and off over 30 years and if this guitar was stolen I would get another. All the questions I asked before I got it were answered such as tuning down a full step (because of EZplay set up not a good idea).
By the way "I don't work for thses guys"

Very recently purchased 2006 full size dreadnought with solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, sealed Grover tuning gears, Rosewood fret-board and bridge.

To me it has a full, rich sound.

Arrived in tune and intonated. Great set-up. No flaws noted yet.

It seems as though it will be very durable but I haven't had it long enough to form an opinion yet.

Absolutely fantastic customer support.

I've been playing for only a few years and, in addition to the Zager, I own an American made Fender Stratocaster (1998). I had played my buddy's Martin but it was way out of my price range. The Zager sounds just as good to me. I like it so much that I've ordered the acoustic/electric model from Zager. It's unquestionably a tremendous value for the money.

The guitar is dreadnought style, sealed Grover tuning gears, rosewood fret-board and bridge, hand carved custom nut and saddle, hand filed frets, solid spruce top and abalone inlay rosette. You wont find a guitar this nice with such detailed work at this price any where else!

I'm a beginner at guitar but accomplished on other instruments. I've been playing the Zager along side other guitars players and its sound is right up there with guitars that cost 4 times as much!

Again, I'm a novice so I'll mainly passon what was shared with be by professionals that picked up this guitar. The set up is excellent and they are amazed the string height is so low with no fret buzz. One player did what he called "speed work" playing chords/notes as fast as possible... then did the same exercise on the Zager, and you could tell the sound was more crisp and clear because the Zager "string science" was more forgiving to improper finger spacing. Hey if it can make a professional player sound better, I know its going to help me as a beginner!

I've only had it two months, but I examined a lot of other guitars before I bought it and after, and the Zager seems to be as well made as any of the top name brands costing far more. Reviews from professionals were that it should last as long as any other guitar with proper care.

No problems so far... if anything comes up I will post and let you know.

Overall, I would have to aboslutely rate this as a solid 10 for a guitar under $500. For that matter it rated a 10 up into the $1,000 plus price range. Every time I'm around experienced guitar plays and bring out the Zager, I hear "I've heard of those!" or "Never heard of them!" and then after playing it, the comment is "Where can I get one?".

Zager guitars are really fantastic. I have purchased two of them, and love them both. These guitars are manufactured specially with a thinner neck, and lowered strings. They are very easy to play, and have a fantastic sound. They tune very easily, and stay in tune.

My guitars are beautifully made with a great finish, perfect neck, finely adjusted frets, and easy tuners. The think neck is perfect for my smaller hands.

You have a choice of a molded or regular case. I have one each, and both are high quality and durable. My guitar was sent with lots of extras such as case key, and humidifier.

I play my guitars at events for the Dances of Universal Peace, playing in large dance camps across the country. Many other dance leaders have had an opportunity to pick up my guitars and play them, and they always comment on what a wonderful guitar this is. Tone, playability and quality is equal to guitars costing thousands. Denny Zager claims that he has made it possible for anyone to own a quality guitar, and he is absolutely right.

Both my guitars have a deep rich sound, and are very easy and smooth to play.

Both of my Zager guitars are beautifully finished, blimish free, and totally totally georgeous. I particularly love my black one.

The finely fitted frets are the best feature as they are what gives the guitar its smooth play.

I play my guitar in large dance events, drag it around all over the place, and share it with lots of people. It holds up well.

Not only is my guitar wonderful, but the customer service I received in purchasing both of my guitars was fantastic. Their website is really easy to order from (zager.com), and I received my guitar very quickly - within days! They communicate very nicely with their customers, and love to hear that we have received our guitars and are loving them.

Not only that, Denny has posted fabulous information on his site on many subjects such as stringing a guitar the most effectively, and more. He also has some great online guitar instructions.

I tell everyone I meet that these are the best guitars, and anyone should feel safe and secure in purchasing from Zager Guitar.

I own lots of instruments and am also a drummer. I will always buy Zager guitars, and own two of them.

Only owned it for 2 months but so far I'm satisfied

After 2 months of playing I got a string buzz. After following their help line and videos and the buzz was still there, they suggested I send it back to them, (at their cost). 1 week later I had a new guitar. No one likes it have problems, but when you do it's nice to have someone that backs up their product without waiting forever.

I've been playing off and on for 40 years. I have a 60s Mayfair electric that I learned on. It takes very little finger pressure to play any fret. Thats why I chose the Easyplay, it lives up to its name.

The Zager ZAD-50 that I own is a solid top acoustic made for Zager by Martin & Co. I've rated it as 10 due to the action and sound generated from the EZ-Play string science that has been incorporated into this guitar. The guitar is of dreadnought style, with sealed Grover tuning gears, rosewood fret-board and bridge, hand carved custom nut and saddle, hand filed frets, solid spruce top and abalone inlay rosette. This guitar comes with a 100% money back guarentee and a lifetime warranty. If you are in the market for a fine quality instrument for under $500.00, you can find no better deal anywhere!

I play a little of everything and will be doing it all due to the excellent sound quality on this guitar.

Again - string science. Go to the Zager Guitar web site for a detail explanation. This guitar is ready to play as soon as you pick it up.

This is a quality instrument that will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

The customer support is second to none! Questions will be answered in a timely manner. As stated, this guitar comes with a 100% money back guarentee. You cannot ask for anything more,

I currently own a Yamaha classical and a 1971 Strat. My new Zager has immediately become my "go to" guitar. As soon as I am able, I plan on purchasing another Zager guitar.

The ZAD 50 Acoustic is loaded with features; 20 frets on a Rosewood fret board, a solid Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides, sealed Grover tuning gears, Abalone inlay rosette, Tortoise shell pick guard, Gloss finish, Hand carved custom nut, Hand carved custom saddle, Hand filed frets, Scalloped X-bracing, Rosewood bridge, Genuine "Martin" strings, a Lifetime warranty, a 100% money back guarantee, and to me the most important feature of all is Denny Zager's "EZ Play" System.
"EZ-Play" Guitars are modified by Master Guitar Luthier Denny Zager to play easier than any other guitar made. The EZ-Play modification process involves:
Lowering the strings closer to the fret board so you no longer have to press hard to form a chord.
Widening the stance of the strings so there is more space for your fingers, while keeping the neck shallow so its easy for small hands.
Modifying the saddle, bridge, neck and nut in harmony to amplify the tone and resonance.
The result is a guitar that is 50% easier to play with a sound that rivals guitars costing 5 times the price.
As a 58 year old begining guitar player I looked for what I thought would be the best valued instrument for me to learn with. While I realize that there is no way around practice and musical ability, I believe that because of the features of my Zager it will be the easist guitar for me to learn on.

As a novice with no prior guitar playing experience I can only tell you that it sure is easier to press the strings to the fret board, making it easier to play chords. I have listened closely to various guitars and their individual tones and I would say that as the ZAD 50 is set up it has a wondrful bright sound. To me, beautiful music can be made by any quality instrument regardless of the range of it's tone, and this guitar has loads of that necessary ingredient - quality!

Zager's EZ Play set up was the main draw for me to this quitar and I have not been disappointed. The action is just as promised! Even though I have not developed much ability with it yet I can tell you that the set up works for me.
When it comes to the fit and finish, the appearence of this guitar is, well, I'll just call this icing on the cake! The ZAD 50 has just the right amount of "fancy", it looks terrific without being overdone or gaudy. Some folks may describe this as understated beauty, but I say it's just my style! Hold one of these in your hands and you'll know what I mean! Not only do the pieces of the guitar fit together as they should, more importantly, thanks to Denny's improvements, it fits the player. It's not only the string technology that makes this go, the redesigned neck aids in finger reach.
I cannot say the finish on mine was 100% perfect. It came to me with a small piece of sawdust(?) embeded in the glossy finish near the sound hole, you have to look close to see it, it is something I can live with. But if I had requested a relacement it would have been offered. Otherwise the finish and looks of this guitar is fantastic, the quality craftmanship used in it's construction is apparent.

Predicting reliability of any manmade device calls for some speculation on the part of the predictor. I can tell you that from what I've seen in it's solid build, smooth working Grover tuning gears, tight fitting joints, and deep, lustrous glossy finish that appears to offer a long lasting durable coat of exterior protection, I would say that the ZAD 50 should last for many, many years. Zager guitars are warrented for a lifetime of use!

I haven't had to contact for any repair/warrenty work, but since Zager guitars are offered only through their own shop, every new guitar ordered is handled by the Zagers personally. So everyone has at least some contact with the owners of this business. My experience with them has been pleasant, courteous, and they haven't given me any reason to expect anything different in the future. They shipped my guitar and case promptly and responded to email in less than a day.

As stated earlier I am a novice at guitar playing. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would quickly replace it with another of the same. I purchased it for the EZ Play string setup with the added bonus of it being a beatiful instrument to play on. I purchased an acoustic model with no electronics because I want this hobby to be low tech; no electronics, no wires, no batteries, no amplifiers, the least amount of ingredients that can fail or go wrong. I want to keep it simple!
Now if I can find the time to practise!