Zager ZAD-50CE

Solid spruce top, on board tuner and pick up. Rosewood fretboard and bridge, Grover tuners. I have no idea where it was made but it feels Japanese or Korean.
I have had this guitar for over a year now and this is my updated review.
I think most guitars get a strong rating when reviewed right after buying the guitar. So, if you would like, disregard my original review and go with this one.
I have been playing for 25 years and have had numerous guitars. High end and low end. This Zager is still among my favorites

Jazz and acoustic rock. This axe just sounds nice and clean. It even sounds better now than a year ago which says the spruce is good quality.

No contest. Every guitar I have owned needed to be re-set up every year or so. Even some high end Fender's and Washburn's. This set up is solid and true

It is a very light guitar which at first concerned me. But after one year and numerous gigs, I have come to appreciate its lightweight. Electronics can be tricky at times, but no problems

Hands down, AWESOME

Put down the $900 to $1200 guitars and pick up a Zager. Close your eyes and listen and feel.

You will be a proud owner of a Zager before long

Venetian cutaway box
Solid spruce top
Mahogany back & sides
Sealed "Grover" Tuning Gears
Built in transducer
Onboard electronics & EQ
Onboard electronic tuner
Abalone inlay rosette
Gloss finish
Hand carved custom nut
Hand carved custom saddle
Hand filed frets
Scalloped X-bracing
Rosewood fret-board
Rosewood bridge

(The above are from the manufacturer's description. Obviously.)

Nice bright sound, only limit will be the skills of the player. In my case, there will definitely be limits.

Gorgeous finish. Easiest action I have ever experienced. No flaws that I could find.

I am confident that it will last and perform very well. If it doesn't, I am confident that Zager will stand behind it product.

Amazing support. Dennis Zager Jr. always seems to be online and ready to chat. He responds to emails almost immediately.

Only had it a week, but I have no reason that the product is anything other than as it was promoted. I only wish I could help this baby realize its full potential.

This guitar is a full sized acoustic/electric dreadnaught with onboard electrionics and tuner. It has a spruce top and mahogany sides. It has sealed grover tuning gears.

This is a great sounding guitar. I have had it over two months now and my enthusiasm for this guitar continues to grow. To be honest, I have no owned real expensive acoustic guitars. One was a no name brand and the other was an ovation applause. The zager runs circles around the applause in sound, playability and action. The sound was even better than I had hoped for when I purchased the guitar.

The action and playability of this instrument is excellent. This may be the guitars biggest selling point-it is quite easy to play.
For the last couple of years, I have been using my Gibson Les Paul as my acoustic guitar and this guitar is actually better on fingering chords-easier to avoid dead notes. Also, I can play just as fast on single notes and fingerpicking on the upper frets. Only on frets 9 and above is the Les Paul easier to play single notes.

It appears to be very well made but at this point I can't really commnet.

Customer support is extremely prompt and solid. Emails were answered sometimes within minutes. They were helpful,and polite.

This guitar is well-worth the $445.00 I payed for it and would certainly purchase another it again. (I received a $50 for buying a guitar with cosmetic defects, which were undetectable by me). The only compliant that I have is that size of the guitar took a while to get used to. I didn't realize how wide a dreadnaught was. I am fine with the size now; it just took my body a while to get used to it.(My other guitars were smaller). Certainly, the size of a dreadnaught is a problem per se, but it might be wise for the company to emphasize a little stronger on their site about issues some people may have with the size of a full dreadnaught. I
see now that they have added an 'OM' sized guitar. Other than that my experience with Zager and the guitar I purchased has been great.
This guitar is well-worth the $445.00 I payed for it and would certainly purchase another it again if it were lost or stolen. (The regular price is $495.I received a $50 for buying a guitar with cosmetic defects, which were undetectable by me).

EZ-Play Zager Acoustic Electric 50CE, Made in America

I am a new guitar player and am very satisfied with the tone and richness of the sound produced. I am new at playing the guitar, but my dad and brother are avid guitar players and are stunned with the quality of the sound produced.

According to my dad, it was set up and finished in an outstanding fashion.

This guitar has withstood countless hours of playing and traveling with me. The finish is still good, and I have had no problems with the hardware.

They responded quickly to my questions. I asked if they sold replacement bridge pins b/c I lost one of mine, and they sent me a new set of pins for free! I called their customer service line and the gentleman was very helpful and super nice.

I would buy this guitar again with no question. The EZ-Play makes it easy on my fingers, and as a beginner it makes learning to play a lot more fun. I had tried to learn with some other guitars, but they were much less user friendly. I like the acoustic/electric feature a LOT, as well as the built in tuner.

-2005, solid top spruce with mahogany back & sides, piezo pick-ups, grover tuners and case has humidifier

Sounds great, warm lows

Could not have been set up any better, in tune on arrival

Answered any questions by email within the same day

Recently started again after 20 years, wish I had this when I first started I would have kept up with it...this is the easiest guitar I have ever played. Can play for hours with marshmellow fingers and not have any soreness. Sounds as good as Ovation and Takamine but easier to play. I do not try to avoid barre chords in new songs anymore.

My Zager guitar was made in 2005 in the United States by the smae folks that make Martin guitars. It has 20 frets with a solid Spruce top. The controls are Volume, Tuner, and a 4 band equalizer built in a compact electronics package made by Clearwave (model 10). A transducer was installed by a professional luthier to bring out the extended bass response and rich ambience of the guitar's wood. The dreadnought body and neck woods are Mahogany, with a Gloss finish and abalone Inlays. The Rosewood Bridge and Fret-board with sealed Grover tuning gears, along with a handmade Nut and Saddle shows an attention to detail equal to or exceeding those guitars which sell for thousands of Dollars. I received a hard case with a built in Humidity sensor, Security Locks, and Neck wrench, along with an additional set of strings. Since the Guitar was personally customized by Denny Zager, using his exclusive EZ-Play? modification process which 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. Each guitar that was customized comes with Denny's Signature on the back and a certificate of Authenticity.

My music style is mostly Folk music, picked, not strummed. The sound is rich and full acoustically, and when run through my Peavey Vegas 400 Amp the sound is bright and crisp. With the built in equalizer I can shape the sound to fit what ever music style I choose to play. With the built in Tuner, I don't ever have to look around for my tuner and plug it in to check whether or not I am in tune, I simply turn it on and pluck each string and make sure it is precisely on 440. There is not a single thing about this guitar that I dislike. I love everything about it.

With the EZ-Play action, this guitar came right out of the box ready for action. Denny Zager made all of the adjustments and set-up to optimize the sound and action on this guitar. Denny's attention to detail covered the entire guitar, He personally chooses each guitar that receives his modification to ensure that there are NO flaws anywhere on this guitar. He custom fits the nut and saddle, makes sure the frets are all aligned and uniform so that he can lower the strings making it so much easier to form chords. I would never want to play any other guitar. Denny is one of the finest Luthiers in the business today. He would not put his signature on the guitar if it was less than exceptional - Would you ?? I certainly wouldn't.

The guitar was built from the highest quality materials and with the best workmanship. It is built to withstand the rigors of everyday serious playing. You can't get better hardware anywhere for a guitar in my opinion. The guitar comes with only one Strap button - on the bottom. I could have another one installed by a luthier if I wished, but I would rather use the tiny strap that encircles the neck just above the nut instead of having a hole drilled. I would not waste my time carrying a backup guitar, it is that reliable.

This guitar not only comes with a lifetime warranty, They paid the shipping round trip the only time I ever needed service. Denny Jr. goes the extra mile - or two if needed to ensure that you are completely satisfied with every little detail. If you don't think it is right, they make it right, no questions asked. The service time in my case was fast. The guitar was ready to ship back to me the next day after they received it. Denny Jr. is usually available on-line, so you can chat with him real-time, or send him an email and he responds usually within an hour or two. Nowhere else have I experienced this level of customer service. They are second to NONE.

My music career has spanned almost 40 years. I started with an Accordian, then a Viola, Organ, & Guitar - I currently own two 6 string (Zager and a LoneStar Fender), two lap steels, and a Pedal Steel (MCI D10 Arlington)guitars. I also have a set of Roland electronic drums, and enough electronics to start my own store if I was willing to part with any (which I'm not).
If I had to do it all over again, I would buy another Zager, which I am planning on after the first of the year. I have always heard that electric guitars were the easyist to play because you needed less finger pressure to form the chords. However, one of my dearest friends, who only plays an electric guitar, tried mine and told me that it was even easier than her Fender Strat to play. I tried a $3000 Martin the other day and although it had a great voice and action, it wasn't as easy to play as my Zager, and my Zager's voice was just as rich in comparison. I am totally satisfied with my guitar, and as far as I am concerned, no-one has better customer service, or a better product than Denny Zager.

My Zager has top quality features and materials that are found only on more expensive guitars. I am very well satisfied with it.
Grover enclosed tuning gears
Solid spruce top... Not Laminated
Onboard electric tuner
Mahogany back and sides
Hand carved Custom Nut & Saddle
Abalone Rosette
The finish is excellent and it has been modified by Mr. Zagers 'String Science' that truely does make it easier to play for long periods. I find Nothing Wrong with this guitar!

My ZAD 50CE has great sound, bright, full and rich. It sounds great without an amp. I think the sound is this guitars finest quality. It sounds almost as good as my dads pre-war Martin did when I was a kid.

As I have said, the finish is excellent, and I haven't seen any flaws. However, it isn't perfect like a $3000 guitar with real pearl
inlay and gold tuning gears......
But I wanted something I could play and carry around, not a museum piece that would require a armed guard or bank vault. Mr. Zagers 'String Science' is a great set-up. My guitar was almost in perfect tune when I recieved it after it traveling half way across the United States and being bumped around on a UPS truck. The string action is smooth and responsive.

My ZAD50 CE is a guitar that will last. It is of very good quality, and good materials. Every part of this guitar is solid. It's a lifetime guitar and friend.

I haven't had to have any warranty work done so I can't attest to how good it would be. It does have a lifetime warranty, and I can't think of any other guitar that offers this.
Also, if you try the guitar and don't like it, you can return it for your full purchase price back 'plus shiping'. So, I knew I couldn't loose by trying it..... and I'm very glad I did. Also, Denny Zager Jr. has been very helpfull and friendly with any questions or support that I have requested.

I played many years ago on my dads pre-war Martin when I was just a kid learning, then when I got on my own, I went through many cheap acoustics & electrics.... that were almost impossible to play or learn on. This Zager is like a friend, If something happened to it, I'd have to buy another one. The only reason I don't give it a 10 in any category is because.... Nothing Is Perfect! I'm 57 years old and have had an avid interest in music since I was 12 when as I said I would pick on my dads Pre-war Martin. I highly recommend the Zager guitar to anyone!

I was shopping for a Martin and tried out several before deciding to take a chance and order a ZAGAR. They have a money back guarntee, so what did I have to lose? Well that was several months ago and I still have the ZAGER. The sound? Sounds like a Martin. My wife who plays piano is also very impressed...she always comments about the beautiful sound.

The action is phenominal. I play lead and finger style up and down the neck and prefer the sound of an acustic guitar. The ZAD-50CE was made for me.

I do not play at gigs anymore, but I certainly would be playing this guitar if I were.

I had to send in my ZAGER because of a string buzz at about the 12th fret after playing it for a couple of months. I mailed it in on a Monday and received on Tuesday the following week. No more buzzing and a new set of strings included.

I have started playing guitar in high school about 40 years ago. Over the years I have played Fender electric and Gibson accustics. This is an electric accustic, but I have never plugged it in so I cannot comment on its performace through an amp. I was looking for an accustic with a cut away so I could play up the neck. The ZAD-50CE is the guitar I tried, continue to play, and would choose it again.

Made in 2005, solid Spruce top with on board electronic tuner and equalizer. This guitar is top notch. Every time I play this box it sounds better and better. The Zager guitar looks and plays like a $3,000 guitar - what a value! I have been playing for over 25 years and owned 5 guitars including a Martin this is the one I like the best.

The guitar has a rich sound that seems to work well with most styles of play like country, blues, folk and contemporary.

The action is fast and the strings were adjusted to play a bit easier.
It has fantastic quality for the $500 price and all of the pieces are 1st class no skimping in parts or construction.

Great guitar for gigs and seems to sound better the more you play it!
This is a very dependable guitar that will be around for a long time.
Solid construction. Everyone in my family really likes the feel and sound generated whether it is high or low on the fret it delivers!

People are very friendly and fully back up their product. A 100 % warranty if not happy with the guitar.

Been playing 25 years+- This is the only guitar I want to play these days.
Also Own a Takamine and a Martin.

Made in 2005 in Indonesia. Solid spruce top w/mahogany sides & back. High gloss finish with sunburst top. Abalone inlay rosette and tortoise shell pick guard. The fretboard and bridge are made of rosewood. Comes with the Zager EZ-Play modifications, extra set of Martin strings and a couple of picks. I bought a Zager custom hard case at the same time.

This guitar exceeded my expectations for features. No other guitar I was shopping for could match it for the price.

I'm a beginner, so I'm not going to BS you telling you it's the best sounding guitar I've ever played because it wouldn't matter. To my untrained ear it sounds richer and has more volume than my instructor's guitar. I asked him for his unvarnished opinion, I really wanted to know if this thing was as good as advertised - He thinks it's a great sounding/playing guitar.

So far I've used it to learn/play some Jimmy Buffett tunes and some Contemporary Christian songs. I'm extremely pleased with how it sounds.

The guitar came pretty well tuned - only needed some minor adjustments. This was a surprise to me because it was shipped from Nebraska to Alaska when we were in the middle of a severe cold snap - I figured it would have been way off.

One of my other hobbies is woodworking and I know how tough it can be to get a great finish. I was very concern, having purchased the guitar unseen, that it would have some horrendous blemish or shoddy construction, so I examined it very carefully when it arrived. I'm very pleased with how it was built. All the joints are tight, the finish is flawless and absolutely beautiful.

After playing 30-45 minutes each day on this guitar for over a month, I have to say that the guitar holds its tune very well. I adjust it about once a week, maybe more if I'm really playing a longer than usual.

I was expecting really sore fingers & cramps based on everything else I'd read about other guitars. Well my fingers did get sore after about an hour of playing initially, but now I play just about as long as I care without pain, or cramps. I've got fairly small hands and was very worried about being able to reach all the chords, but have found that it's possible to hit them all with this guitar.

I don't really have the experience with guitars to say a whole lot here. So far it's held up really well and appears very solid- no complaints.

I cannot say enough good things about how friendly and courteous these guys are. I live on an island off the coast of Alaska - and even though the official policy is not to sell to AK due to shipping logistics & support issues - these guys went out of their way to make it happen. Sure, I paid a little more to get it here than if I lived in the lower 48, but that's true for everything else up here as well. They answered all my questions and even got me a great discount on the case.

I've only been playing now for two months and don't have a lot of gear to talk about. I am very pleased with this purchase. I was incredibly worried about ordering something like this online - worried that it was one of those deals that were, "too good to be true." I'm glad I did it - I don't think I'd be a whole lot happier with a more expensive guitar. If I lost this in an earthquake/tsunami I'd definitely buy another.

My favorite feature is the EZ Play mods...they allow me to practice longer each day so I can get better quicker.