Zager ZAD-80

Dreadnaught Acoustic Guitar. Cedar top, rosewood laminate back and sides, rosewood bridge and fingerboard, mahogany neck with truss rod. Grover tuners. These are made in Indonesia, at the same factory that produces the Sigma Martins. The guitar has a 14/20 scale. The ZAD 80 has abalone trim and is the higher end of their line. It is a full-featured acoustic, and comes with a free case (used) with a humidistat.

I am a finger-style player and find this guitar to be just about perfect. I played it against a Taylor DN3, and found it superior. As part of the set-up, Zager widens out the string spacing and lowers the action to a remarkable degree. The sound is rich, and the sustain is amazing. The sound is actually piano-like. Even without picks, the volume a fine...not too loud, but projects well.

Set-up was perfect, and is one of the main selling points of this brand. No visible defects. Top (cedar) has uniform and close grain spacing and is perfectly bookmatched. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge are fine, and the laminated rosewood back and sides are bookmatched as well. Purfling is very beautiful and done with precision.

I believe the guitar will wear well. The company has a no-strings-attached lifetime warrantee, so long as light-gauge strings are used. Too soon to tell, but I see no weak points. I'm not sure I would take it to the beach to play, but that is because of its new-and-perfect fit and finish, NOt because I doubt its durability.

No repairs necessary, but the company sent out an acoustic-electric by mistake and took care of the shipping and replacing quickly and at not cost to me. I was able to play the accoustic-electric till my accoustic arrived. They answer questions quickly and promptly. The are a family-owned company who seem to take pride in their product and es

Been playing for 40 years or so and sold my '67 Gibson B25 on eBay to finance this purchase. I'm pleased with the Zager. It's strongest point is its playability---I can play for hours with no finger pain and strain. I did find it equalled the Taylor DN3 in sound and was superior in set-up. I expect it to be my main guitar for the next 40 years (if I should live so long.)

The Zager ZAD-80 has all of the Zager "EZ-Play" design elements. The top is solid cedar top with a 3 piece rosewood back and sides. This guitar also incorporates the extensive use of abalone inlay around all edges of the face, sound hole, and fret board, in combination with gold plated "Grover" sealed tuning gears. There are 14 frets to the body and another 7 down to the sound hole for a total of 21 frets.The neck is Mahogany and the fret board is rosewood as is the bridge. There is a gloss finish over the natural wood. This particular guitar was made in January of 2007. No electronics on this model and it is not a cutaway. Absolutely stunning guitar. The main feature is the great tone and EZ play string science. The 3 piece rosewood back and sides are beautiful and he abalone inlay around teh entire body is a sight to behold.

On the recommendation of Dennis Zager Jr. I took this guitar to the music store and compare it with other guitars.
While doing the comparison in the store with my Zager I could literally tell the difference in the Zager with the sound. The Zager had more volume and bass than all of the Taylor, Breedlove, Seagull, and Takamine guitars. It didn???t matter which model of these guitars I looked at the Zager was deeper sounding. The Zager did sound like the very top end Martins ($2700) Martins. The kicker though was the beauty of the Zager was far better than anything in its price range and in my opinion was more beautiful than the $2-3K guitars (finish, fret board inlay, body inlay, and 3 piece back). I paid $695 for my discounted ZAD-80 and nothing under $2500 was even close. Frankly nothing over $2500 was close either. I also have a 30 year old Fender Acoustic with cedar top and rosewood back and sides and I give that guitar a 10 in sound, but since this is a new guitar I expect it get better and better. The reason for a nine rating was because of my Fender, but if I compared to the other new guitars I would give Martins a 10 in general and this Zager would be a 10 also. However, none of the new guitars sounded as good as my 30 year old Fender. This is to be expected.

When I received the guitar the top frets (1-3) were very easy to play but going down the neck to the sound hole the strings were higher than my 2 existing guitars. I e-mailed Dennis Jr. about this and he encouraged me to take my guitar to the music store and compare it with others. See above.

I e-mailed Dennis Jr. with my findings (other guitar string height comparisons) and he immediately (within 1 hour) he sent me a new shipping label and asked if I wanted my money back. No way did I want my money back but I just wanted the string height more uniform down the neck. I offered to pay for the return shipping since I was not returning for a refund just an adjustment. He didn???t take my money. Denny Zager Sr. adjusted the guitar (lowered the action) and shipped it back to me the day after they received it. I have been nothing short of amazed buy the responsiveness of the Zager team. In a world where customer service is nearly dead, Zager guitar sets the gold standard!

Playability is probably a 10 now, however I will rate it a 9 because I sent it back, and because I am still getting use to the string science. As the strings are spaced slightly wider and you can use a lot lighter touch. After years of playing the fender the light touch gets some getting use to.

I can't rate this after only having the guitar for a month or so. However, it does have a life time warranty and the finish is beautiful. Still I won't provide a numerical opinion here.

Customer support is great and prospect support is great. I decided I wanted a better guitar (Fender sounds great but hard to play and my fingers were sore after 15 minutes - yes it has been professionally setup) and began my guitar research in January of 2006.

By Spring 2006 Zager guitars were on my radar as were Taylor, Martin, Foggy Bottom, Breedlove, Seagull, and Takamine. I could go to my local music stores and touch and play all of these guitars except the Zager. These were very nice guitars ranging $600 - $2700.

That???s when I started harassing the good people at Zager guitars. Without exaggeration I probably sent between 80 - 100 e-mails to Dennis Zager Junior. Without telling me to get lost he answered my every e-mail (promptly), no matter how dumb the question. He replied with his personal answer to my questions and with links to testimonials, magazine reviews, and videos. By February of 2007 I knew I would buy a Zager guitar. However, I didn???t know which one to get, or if I would buy a used one off e-bay, or a discounted guitar from Zager Guitar directly.

Dennis Jr. recommended the ZAD-80 acoustic because of my preference for deeper and bassier sound. He told me that the ZAD-80 acoustic dreadnought model (no cutaway, 3 piece rosewood back, cedar solid top) would be the deepest, bassiest, boomiest sound Zager could provide. So I was decided on the ZAD-80. However, this is one of the pricier Zagers so I was on the look out for a discounted minor damaged Zager. I found one and the very day I was to place my order it sold. I e-mailed Dennis Jr. and asked him if he could scuff up a new one. He said that he had a ZAD-80 his dad had used in a video and offered that to me at a very reasonable price. I also asked if he had a damaged case and he said he had an ugly molded case that was broken and he would through it in for free.

Two days later I had my new ZAD-80 guitar. The case. This was the ugly case. The only reason I asked for the case was for extra shipping protection. I planned on throwing the case away once it arrived. What I found a shinny black molded case that looked like new inside and out. I looked all over for the damage that made this an ugly case. I finally found a 2-inch crack at the very top of the neck area. I have decided to keep this case that had a humidity gage inside. The case was damaged, but ugly it was not. I still keep my guitar in it when not in use.

Now take this services and add the lowering of the action while they picked up shipping both ways was amazing. As I said before Zager is the gold standard!

I have been playing for 30 years, and I own a Fender Acoustic, Dean Exotiglass acoustic, and a Dean ML electric. I asked every question imaginable before buying this guitar. If lost or stolen I would replace it.

I love the beauty, believe me you will not find this kind of beauty for under $3K and probably not with a 3 piece rosewood back.

What I don't like are the strings that come with it. I replace with Martin MSP4000. A big improvement. I also don't like that guitars have to be played in seasoned to get that really deep deep sound. I wait though. It is par for the course.

Last thought. When researching Zager a few posters said the guitar had laminate materials on the back and sides. Laminate is plywood with a veneer. Like countertops made of chipboard and a simulated wood laminate. This is not a laminate guitar so don???t be fooled by those insane comments. You can look in the sound hole and compare the wood grain from the inside to the outside. The top, back, and sides are all wood!!!! Not laminate!!

Full Size Dreadnought
Solid Cedar Top
Rosewood Back & Sides
Rosewood bridge
Rosewood fret-board
Gloss Finish
Scalloped X-bracing
Hand-Carved Custom Nut
Hand-Carved Custom Saddle
Hand filed frets
Sealed Grover Tuning Gears
Abalone Inlay on Binding
Abalone Inlay Rosette
Tortoise Shell Pickguard
Genuine "Martin" Strings

I play bluegrass music, so I was interested in trying out a few of the Zager guitars. The ZAD-80 is the third Zager guitar that I now own. The ZAD-80 loudness and mellow/rich tones from bass through treble is outstanding and it rivals my 18-year old Martin D16A.

I did not purchase this instrument for its looks, I purchased it for the cedar and rosewood sound characteristics. The sound from this guitar is awesome!

Zager EZ-Play Modified
The Denny Zager factory set-up creates low action that does not sacrifice sound projection. It is simple to fret, there is no string buzz, and my hands do not tire after playing long periods. Alternate picking techniques are a breeze with this set-up of extra-light gauge strings and the supplied thin gauge picks.

Finish is flawless, tuning pegs work well, the nut and saddle are set perfectly in position.

The guitar does not come with strap buttons installed; however, Dennis Zager, Jr., mailed free of charge, several sets of strap buttons, which I will have professionally installed on all my Zager guitars.

100% money back guarantee
Lifetime warranty
Dennis Zager, Jr. responds courteously to any question or comments; usually within hours.
I love the ZAD-80 so much, that I just placed an order for my fourth Zager guitar, the ZAD-80CE!

As a hobby, I am playing bluegrass guitar for more than 20 years. If one of my Zager guitars were stolen, I would immediately replace it with a duplicate Zager guitar model. I feel the playability and sound characteristics of the ZAD-80 guitar rivals my 1989 Martin D16A. If you are in the market for a top-quality instrument at reasonable price, then I believe you should try these Zager guitars.

Z80 Dreadnought, twin to what I once knew as a D35--gold plated
sealed Grovers--thin, comfortable neck--manufactured 2006 or '07--

suits my eclectic style perfectly--fine for my use as teacher and/or performer

set-up is/was superb! No flaws--action great (which is the reason that I purchased this fine instrument)--the fit and finish worthy of the finest custom Luthier or violin maker

The instrument appears functional, and we have no reason to believe that it would not "...withstand live playing...". Finish superb--
we would never play gig w/o backup instrument at hand!

Customer support and comprehensive guarantee unparalleled in industry!
Dennis Zager Jr. always responds promptly, is helpful, friendly,
courteous and patient.

Playing, performing, retailing, teaching, repairing for 30 plus years.
Would replace its loss with identical--own half-dozen or more high-end
guitars, along with pedal steels, autoharps, resonator guitars, basses, dulcimers, violins, organs, elec pianos, mandolins and more--
nothing to hate about it--

If you read from any of the high end guitars'(Martin, Taylor, Gibson) websites, the ZAD 80's list of features compare equally and, in some instances, better. For Example, 100% return guarantee with shipping included both ways. A list of the rest:
- Full size dreadnought box
- Solid Cedar Top
- Rosewood Back & Sides
- Rosewood Bridge
- Rosewood Fret-board
- Gloss Finish
- Scalloped X-Bracing
- Hand carved custom nut
- Hand carved custom saddle
- Hand filed frets
- Sealed Grover Tuning Gears
- Abalone Inlay on Binding
- Abalone Inlay Rosette
- Tortoise Shell Pickguard
- 100% money back guarantee
- Lifetime warranty

This guitar just booms out the sound @ lows, mids and highs. Crisp highs, Mellow, but powerful lows and the mids are just where they ought to be. I played a Martin HD28 for 25 years and this guitar sounds every bit as good.

This may be the Zagers' strongest area. The lowest action I've ever experienced in 49 years of playing and absolutely no rattling; even using extra light strings. The look is classic "high end" dread with rosewood fretboard and bridge, abalone inlays at the bindings and rosette and a beautiful, flawless gloss finish. The back is 3 piece rosewood ala the Martin D35. The easiest playing guitar I've ever played. The Zager "string science" isn't just a slogan, it's something you and see and feel.

Unfortunately I've only been playing this guitar a short time, so that making a making a pronouncement about it's durability and reliability would be inappropriate. Although I've only owned this guitar for less than a month, I've played it for hours each day since it arrived. I wouldn't hesitate to play this instrument in any setting.

Lifetime warranty. Before I bought I called many times to ask questions....They make a lot of claims that are hard to believe at first glance. A customer service person always answered the phone, no holding or waiting. They answered every question willingly or showed me how to get the answer. Sometimes you have to e-mail Denny Jr. with the more technical matters, but I never waited more than 1 hour before I got a return e-mail with a full, complete answer to the question(s). I bought a "flawed" and discounted guitar, but I have yet been able to find the flaw and I have looked really hard. I called and joked about not being able to find the flaw and Denny wrote back saying that sometimes they oversell some of the guitars and when that happens they just send a new undamaged one. I think that's what happen to mine.

This is the note I wrote to Zager Guitars after receiving the guitar and playing it for a while:

Let me just start by saying that I'm a skeptic by nature. My story goes something like this: two years ago I sold my 25 year old Martin HD28 that I had purchased new in 1980, but had been playing only about twice a week recently. I had started a new project and needed money to purchase photographic equipment. I convinced myself that I really didn't play that much anymore and I could replace the guitar with a less expensive model. BAD IDEA, but I made myself believe that it was okay; for two painful years. I found Zager Guitars while I was searching ebay for a replacement. I listened to the videos, which sounded really good. And the testimonials! It all sounded too good to be true for the price. I e-mailed several questions and never waited more than an hour for a complete and helpful reply from Denny Zager Jr. I called a several times and, again, was treated like family. What a pleasure to be able to talk to a live person and be treated so well by staff. I couldn't believe the prices and the stated quality of the guitars. Well, I know about shills and shell games and never fall for them, but their policy of free shipping both ways seemed to reduce the risk to just a few minutes of inconvenience. I now have my ZAD 80 and I'm going to sound just like everyone else who has written in to say what a fantastic guitar they create. I owned and played a Martin HD28 for 25 years and my ZAD 80 is as good in sound (both highs, mids and lows) as the Martin ever was. Now about playability....this is the most amazingly easy guitar I have ever played; everywhere on the neck. The day it arrived I began playing and didn't put it down for two hours. I was enthralled! As I said before, the sound was astounding, AND I had no pain and none the next morning when I began playing again. I've been enjoying the guitar for two weeks couldn't give it a higher recommendation.

Cory Weinberg

High gloss finish, book-matched solid cedar top, 3-piece rosewood back & sides, scalloped x-bracing, rosewood bridge, rosewood fretboard with inlaid abalone position markers, abalone sound hole rosette, abalone binding, tortoise shell pick guard, custom filed frets, custom nut and saddle, sealed gold-plated Grovers. No electronics.

The harmonic structure and tonal complexity of this guitar is amazing. There's very nice balance between the bell-like ringing of the strings and the warm resonance of the fine tone-woods that were used. Fat trebles and gratifying bass even with extra light strings. Plenty of volume whether flat-picking or playing fingerstyle. Good projection and uniform volume across all the registers of the fingerboard.

Top marks for setup. The action is very close (much like a quality electric guitar). Frets are silky smooth. No buzz anywhere on the fretboard. Very good intonation. Fit and finish are near perfect. The finish seems very durable and is extremely high gloss. The abalone inlay and body binding are precision-fit and beautiful. The only discernable flaw anywhere on the guitar is a nearly imperceptible variation in wood grain on one side of the bookmatched cedar top.

I am not a luthier, but I believe this guitar to be well-made. Bracing and ribbon lining inside the body are well-sanded and very neatly glued. Body and bridge routing are precise. Looks like plenty of attention to detail.

Denny offers a lifetime warranty on his instruments. I have had no problems with my guitar. In advance of my purchase, I communicated with the Zagers both by phone and by email. They were exceedingly friendly and helpful. They were also prompt to assist with a problem after the sale. I ordered my ZAD-80 with a Martin case, but they shipped it with a Zager case (which is very nice, incidentally).
I spoke with Dennis and he apologized profusely. He offered to immediately ship the Martin case to me and have the Zager case returned at his expense. I tried to tell him that I was fine with the Zager case and not to worry. Never-the-less, three days later I received a care package with strings, capo, picks, and an electronic tuner. That is customer service. That's integrity.

I've been playing guitar (mostly for my own enjoyment) for over 30 years. I still have an old Takamine 12 string guitar that I purchased in the 70's. I previously owned an Ovation Custom Elite deep bowl - (another sweet-playing guitar). I also have a Fender Sting-signature Precision bass and a Washburn 8-string bass. The Zager ZAD-80 is just such a great guitar. It has all the projection and resonance that my Ovation had - and it's easier to play. I was hoping to find a guitar with good intonation and great sound quality at a modest cost. The folks at Zager and their ZAD-80 have far surpassed all my expectations. I'd buy another Zager guitar in a heartbeat.

dreadnought; high gloss finish, solid cedar top with rosewood back and sides, rosewood bridge and neck; 3 piece back, abalone inlay around edges of the face, sound hole, and fret board; gold plated "Grover" sealed tuning gears, no pick-up in this model

Rich tone and great sustain. This guitar compares favorably to others costing thousands. I play fingerstyle, Travis pick, folk, bluegrass, pop, and contemporary Christian

The action is superb, there is no buzzing. Fit and finish are excellent. The cedar top has an absolutely gorgeous natural grain and a wonderful scent. No flaws that I can find.

This guitar is quite durable with a very solid feel. The finish is made to last a long time. There is no strap-peg for the neck. Will need to install one or use a neck strap.

I have not had any problems with this guitar, but I have contacted the company several times during the past 2 years for other reasons (mostly by email). They are always friendly and very responsive, usually getting back to me in less than an hour. I phoned once, and got an immediate pick-up from Dennis Zager (Denny Zager's son). It is really quite amazing. This is my second Zager, the first being a ZAD-50CE that I have played practically every day for 2 years with no problems. The warranty info from Zager's website: "We are the ONLY guitar company that offers a 100% money back guarantee. If you are not happy with your new guitar, we will pick it up and issue a full refund including ALL shipping and handling fees both ways. This is why we have been in business for 37 years."

I have been playing a couple of years. I also own a ZAD-50CE. The 50 is nice, but the ZAD80 completely outshines it, hence the greater expense. I wasn't sure when I bought the first one that I would "stick with it" so I was a little cautious. I have never regretted my purchase, and after 2 years I love playing more than ever. Now my abiliity is accelerating daily and it is exciting. I expect to get every bit as much joy out of the ZAD80.

I wanted a guitar with a richer tone and I shopped around for awhile. I looked at $1,500+ Martins, Takamini, Ovation and others. None compared favorably to the Zager. This may be hard to believe, but it is true. I finally found a used Tacoma Koa for about 2g's with a tone that stood up to the Zager. I almost bought it in fact, but after pondering for a time (I don't rush into things) I decided to try the cedar-topped ZAD-80. After all, it does have a 100% guarantee, shipping included. In retrospect, I think I made an excellent choice. The Zager sounds and looks every bit as good for considerably less money.

This is the Acoustic model dreadnought. It has solid rosewood sides and back with a cedar top. It has a full gloss finish that is remarkable.

This has deep sustained base with very bright treble. I play many styles on it. I love the low end sound. I mainly play contemporary Worship music, some country and folk. Sounds better than my Taylor.

This guitar was set up great. The action is extremely easy to play. There are no flaws that I have found.

Time will tell how long the life of this guitar will be, I can't see why It wouldn't last a lifetime.

I've been playing for 25 years. I own several guitars including a Guild Electric, Taylor 414CE Acoustic Electric. I just wanted something to take out camping that wasn't too expensive.. This guitar beats my Taylor in sound and playability. If it was stolen I'd definitly buy it again. It was a gift to me.

the fit and finish of my zager guitar is probably as good as I have played and owned.

Deep base sounds with lots of pitch

mine is not electric so some of these Q? do not apply.It however did not contain any flaws that were obvious to the naked eye.

I have owned the guitar for about one year and it still looks new. I only play it 3 or 4 hours each week.

The company is very receptive. They returned all my emails within 2 days. I would order again without hesitation.

After ordering and playing my guitar for about 6 months my son in law who owned a competitors guitar gave his away and ordered one similar to mine. He and I both love them. I highly recommend them.

Gloss, Dreadnought, Solid Cedar Top, Body is Rosewood with a solid Cedar top and a Mahogany neck .

Beautifully crafted Guitar with an amazing sound and attention to detail. The pricing is also very affordable. This Guitar competes sound wise with $2,000 plus guitars for a fraction of the cost.

The finish and quality are untouchable by even some of the most expensive guitars out there. The attention to detail backed by the extraordinary customer service and support are one of a kind and can't be beat.

Seems very solid. Comes with a lifetime warranty no questions asked.

Zager Guitar is a 100% customer oriented business. Denny and his son Danny Zager are completely dedicated to helping their customers. They will do whatever it takes to make you happy and stand behind their exceptional products 110%.

I am new to guitar playing however I had done a great deal of research before I bought my Zager. I wanted a Guitar that looked great and sounded even better. Zager delivered in both areas beyond my expectations. The attention to detail accompanied by their exceptional customer service, lifetime warranty, and 100% no questions asked return policy make buying a Zager a no brainer. I am truly a customer for life.