Zager ZAD-50CE

The ZAD-50CE is loaded with features that are usually associated with much more expensive guitars from the solid spruce top to the mahogany sides and back. It is a full size dreadnought with a cutaway. It has an onboard tuner and equalizer but this guitar rarely gets out of tune. It has a rosewood bridge and fret board as well as sealed Grover tuning gears. The finish was outstanding and it is a beautiful instrument.

I have compared the sound of this guitar with Taylor's that cost into the thousands of dollars and can truthfully say that the Zager sounds just as good or better. My brother-in-law who owns a high end Martin is considering the purchase of a Zager because of it's superior crisp sound. I had my wife listen to the Zager and my other guitar and she said that the difference in sound was quite noticeable.

When I received the guitar, it was in tune. I could not detect any flaws in the finish or anything else of the guitar. The gloss finish is just beautiful.

The Zager appears to be very solid and I would not hesitate to use this at a gig without a backup. It appears to be extremely durable but I have not had it long enough to be sure but I have played it for two or three hours almost daily and have yet to see any wear. I believe it will last as long as me. I do wish that Zager would have put the top strap button on where they recommend rather than me having to take it to someone to do this. I gave this a 9 only because of the strap button issue.

This guitar has a lifetime warranty and Zager even pays the shipping both ways. They will give you your money back or replace/repair your guitar with no questions asked. They have answered all of my emails within hours and been extremely courteous. You cannot get a better warranty than what they give.

I have been playing for a couple of years but have owned the Zager since April and this is now the only guitar that I use. If I lost this guitar , I would not hesitate to buy another one. I have compared it with Taylors and Martins and truly believe that it sounds as good, if not better.

Quality features at an affordable price. The ZAD-50CE is a solid spruce top venetian cutaway with built in transducer, equalizer and electronic tuner. Simply stated an awsome guitar with contsruction qualities and finish consistent with features that are are all top notch.

Great tone and arich full bodied clarity for a guitar in this price range. I am impressed and so are all my guitar playing friends.

Really nice low setup and widened string stance that I personnaly find a pleasure to play. Fit and finish are fantasitic. I've looked this guitar over and over and have yet to find any flaws.

I certainly expect this guitar to pass the test of time. Hardware and finish all appear to be excellent quality. I'd feel confident about using this guitar anywhere or anytime.

All aspects of my purchase and delivery have been first class. The folks at Zager are clearly into customer service and it shows. Were talking 100% money back guarantee and lifetime warranty!

I've only been playing for about 1 1/2 years and decided it was time to upgrade from the entry level Hohner I was playing. In any event buying a Zager has proved to be a great decision. I now playing nearly every every chance I get and my skills have greatly improved no doubt in part to the great action on my new Zager.

I tried serveral guitars before I ordered my Zager (Guild, Martin, Fender etc) and yes the scary part was ordering without a chance to play it but...I'm glad I did. My Zager is on par with much more expensive guitars.

If ever lost or stolen (god help em) I buy another Zager in a flash.

I purchased the acoustic electric in sunburst finish. The list of features below is copy-pasted directly from the Zager website and is correct.

- EZ-Play Modified
- Full size Dreadnought
- Venetian Cutaway Design
- Solid Spruce Top
- Mahogany Back & Sides
- Rosewood Bridge
- Rosewood Fret-Board
- Gloss Finish
- Built in Transducer
- Onboard Equalizer
- Onboard Electronic Tuner
- Scalloped X-bracing
- Hand carved custom nut
- Hand carved custom saddle
- Hand filed frets
- Sealed Grover Tuning Gears
- Abalone inlay rosette
- Tortoise shell pick guard
- Genuine "Martin" Strings
- 100% money back guarantee
- Lifetime warranty

The only thing that it is lacking is a second strap button, but personally I don't really mind that and I'm not sure if I'll ever get one installed. If you do want to install one, there is a free video on the website specifying exactly where the button should be installed.

The guitar sounds great in my opinion, but I honestly don't have much experience with guitars. I've never heard a high-priced guitar for comparison, but my friend who's been playing guitar for probably 20 years was blown away by the sound, saying that it had great sustain, nice volume, and was surprisingly "open" already for being a brand new guitar.

I looked all over the guitar for flaws when it arrived and couldn't find any. It's a beautifully crafted instrument and my friend tells me that it IS very easy to play.

I've had this guitar for less than a week, so I'm basing this on a holistic opinion of the guitar. It looks great, sounds great, and does exactly what it is advertised to do--it's obviously made very carefully. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't last, but like I said that is just speculation.

The customer service is unparalleled; I almost always received an email response within an hour or two, and they were willing to work with my personal requests, which I really appreciated. The warranty is for life, and if you don't like the guitar you can return it for a FULL refund (including shipping both ways). I doubt I'll ever be using that.

I have minimal guitar experience (I'm actually taking my first class this semester), but my very experienced friend played my guitar for almost half an hour at my request as a sort of demo, and he was blown away. He told me that my ZAD-50CE is definitely better than the Taylor which he bought for $1,400, and although he is a graduate student with very little extra money, he really wants to get a Zager guitar of his own now.

This guitar was made in 2008 in the US. It has 21 frets and is a solid spruce top. It's an acoustic electric and has a 3 way equalizer as well as volume and a gain-like control. It also has a built-in digital tuner. The body and neck are mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. It has a natural gloss finish. It is full sized dreadnought with a venetian cutaway. It features grover sealed tuners. The neck is fairly thin. This guitar came with a package that includes several momentos such as the luthier setting up the guitar before it ships out and a t-shirt. Also includes one free online guitar lesson as well as an online help section. The guitar came with a set of pics and extra strings(very nice ones I might add). Also included is an allan key. I purchased a case, which was seperate, and it included a temp/humidity guage.

I like all kinds of music, but I prefer to perform country and some bluegrass and fingerpicking on acoustic. It fits my style very very well. I practice on a Fender G-DEC amp, and perform through various sound system setups. This is one of the finest sounding a/c's I have ever heard plugged in. It does buzz a little at times on my home amp, but never has through any other setup. Very vibrant rich sound. You make it do just about anything you would expect out of an A/C. This is the best guitar I have ever played. It fingerpicks like any other guitar I've played, but really shines through strumming.

Best set up I've ever seen on a guitar, and I also have several friends who play that agree. Everything on this guitar was set perfectly out of the box. I should note it is a custom set up, with hand filed nuts, frets, and a few other set up goodies. Guitar looks amazing, feels great.

I have only played one gig with it front of an audience and it performed beautifully. Everything seems sturdy and high quality. The finish looks and feels great. Strap button is very stylish and seems to be very secure. It seems to be dependable. I haven't had any problems out of it so far. I would never use any guitar for a serious gig without a backup.

I have only dealt with the company while ordering, and to praise them for making a fine instrument. They have been very friendly. I haven't had tp have any repairs done, but it does have a lifetime warranty.

I have been playing for about 4 years. I have 5 guitars, ranging from Alvarez to Martin. I have a Fender Fat Strat, a Martin Acoustic, an Alvarez acoustic, and an Esteban Acoustic Electric, as well as this guitar. I also used to own a Fender deluxe Strat. I would buy another one, I am actually considering selling a couple of my other guitars and buying another guitar from this company. I don't ate anything about it. I love the way it looks and plays. It sounds as good or better than and plays better than any more expensive guitar I have ever played. I compared it to a Takimine of the same style and a Martin as well. This guitar was the only one with a custom setup and lifetime warranty as well as a no questions asked money back guarantee. It was also quite a bit cheaper than the Martin. All in all the best guitar I own by far and the best I have ever played. Looks fantastic too.

Made in 2008. I don't need to give all the details about this guitar. It is one solid, beautiful guitar. You can purchase a special case that has its own humidifier control in it. How many companies offer that? Look on the Zagerguitar.com website and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed. Denny Zager plays each guitar on a video to let you hear the different sounds. Very effective......

I have zero complaints. It is just a solid, crisp and full sound. I could not believe the price when you hear the product. I would highly recommend to professional or beginner.

Took it out of the case and started playing. Only had the to re-tune the high E. Beautiful finish and I have had people come up and ask me what model it was. My friend was at one function and he thought I was playing my 28 Martin guitar. Quite a compliment!! Pickups were perfect.

I would not hesitate to use this guitar at any function that I play for. In fact, I have left my Martin at home my last two performances and used the Zager. I would use it without backup and the finish is flawless.

Customer support is excellent. Lifetime guarantee on the guitar. Excellent communication and fast shipping. Well packed in guitar shipping case.

I have been playing for over 20 years and this is my first Zager. I would highly recommend purchasing any of their guitars. I have the ZAD-50CE Acoustic-Electric and it sounds every bit as good as my Martin HD28. It is incredibly easy to play and the sound is crisp and solid. A friend had recommended this model to me and I certainly made the right choice in buying this guitar. I have learned over the years that you don't purchase because it is a Gibson or Martin. I go by the what I hear and play. Give it a try, you will not regret the prices nor the quality of the Zager.

John Wood

La Zager ZAD50CE es una guitarra muy c??moda de tocar, con un m??stil por donde los dedos corren con rapidez. La verdad es que es una guitarra a un precio muy competitivo que no tiene nada que envidiar a guitarras de precio muy superior.
Hace 34 a??os que toco la guitarra, y he tocado guitarras ac??sticas de buenas marcas: Alhambra, Martin, Taylor, Kiso Suzuki, etc., y para mi es la m??s c??moda de tocar, con un sonido equilibrado y potente. La verdad es que es una guitarra que enamora.

Sonido equilibrado, dulce y potente, con unos bajos que sorprenden, sobre todo cuando est?? conectada al amplificador.
Muy buen sonido.

Buenos acabados, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que es una guitarra a un precio muy competitivo. Es una guitarra de bonito dise??o.

A primera vista, la guitarra es perfecta, hecha con buenos materiales y preparada para durar toda la vida.

Increible la relaci??n que tiene la empresa Zager con el cliente.
Con ninguna empresa de guitarras, tienda especializada, etc. hab??a tenido la relaci??n empresa/cliente que he tenido con Zager.
Cualquier duda, informaci??n, etc., ser?? amablemente respondida por el propio Zager o su competente hijo.
El mejor soporte al cliente que se puede encontrar.

La Zager50CE es, sin ninguna duda, la mejor guitarra calidad/precio del mercado, pudiendo competir y, en muchos casos, superar a guitarras de precios seis veces superior.

This is a new made in May of 2008 Zager Acoustic Electric Guitar. This is the entry level Acoustic Electric for Zager. Features wise it includes a built in tuner and equalizer with volume control. The tuner works very well and makes it easy to tune without any additional wires but it is extremely sensitive meaning if you have fat fingers like me you have to take it easy when you strum during tuning or you will wait awhile for it to go back to zero. The strings are setup on all models to make it easier to play and I found that feature coupled with the wider distance between the strings made it easier for me to play chords. The finish on this guitar is amazing, with a high gloss that almost makes you want to not touch it for fear of leaving finger prints. However, once you pick it up you will notice that it is extremely light and easy to play.

This is an Acoustic/Electric so you can amp it but so far I have just played it unamped. The sound is good to me, but I am not a professional so I would hesitate to compare it with other guitars as far as sound goes.

Ok I am a complete newby so I will do my best in this section. The setup as I understand it is the ease of play and the diminished amount of effort required to actually use the guitar. I can say that after struggling to do chords on my sons Ibanez electric guitar I was very frustrated. The combination of my fingers being short and fat was causing me to make contact with strings that I didn't want to and was generally frustrating. After two weeks of using this electric becasue the forums I checked and locals I talked to assured me thery were easier to learn on I thought I can't be the only person having trouble. i did a Google search fro eazier playing guitars and bam I hit the Zager web site. I ordered the guitar and when it came in I was first impressed by the finish and detail for a guitar that cost less than $600. Once I started playing on it I immediately noticed I could hit the chords I struggled with before and even my fat fingers were not casuing me issues. Again I can't speak in technical terms about what was doen to this guitar that made it unique, but I can tell you I am sold.

since this is a new guitar and I will not soon be playing any gigs I can only comment that this was the onyl manufacturer I found that offered a 100% satisfaction guarantee including shipping so I am not at all concerned with reliability or durability.

If this guitar were just average (which it isn't) it would still be worth the price paid on the sole merit of the level of customer support. I spent several weeks going to local shops and looking for guitars that would fit my hand. I spent a couple of weeks searching the Internet and visiting the local music stores and at first I thought that the Zager was the only way to go, but then I read a few negative reviews that made me hesitant. So I contacted Dennis Zager (yes not some flunky in customer service but the son of the guy whose name is on the guitar) I explained what I was looking for and what I had read (including the bad reviews) and he simply explained "Mark try our guitar, if you don't love it call us and we will return it no questions asked including shipping". I ordered it that day, received it in two days and couldn't be happier. If that isn't the definition of great customer support I don't know what is. And by the way the negative reviews I read where a load of B.S. I could not be more impressed with my Zager that cost me less than a third of the next closest guitar I was looking at.

I know there are a lot of people out there that are hesitant to purchase an instrument like this without being able to try it first and there are probably an equal number that think all of the information on the Zager web site is just propoganda but I am a firm beleiver in this company now. I spent weeks debating ordering this guitar based on two poor evaluations compared to the hundreds of positive reviews and now I am wondering what I was thinking. If you are a complete beginner like me spend the $600 and get this guitar. It is easier to play and if you end up not liking it, return it. I think the biggest testimony to this guitar is try and find a used one for sale. I tried and I couldn't, people just don't get rid of them because they are the best guitar for the money in my opinion, and the Zager's are good people. Not only would I replace this guitar if lost or stolen, I am considering buying another one for my wife and son to share so they leave mine alone.

Beautiful Dreadnought, Solid spruce top, Mahogany back and sides, Rosewood fretboard and bridge. Sealed Grover tuning gears. Awesome gloss finish. Great onboard tuner and equalizer.

Very bright and round sounding instrument. Plug it in and it even gets better with the built in equilizer.

Stays in tune. Open string perfectly in tune with its 12th fret octive. I tried playing many guitars and this one is much easier to play without my left hand fingers interfering with other strings.I could not find a single flaw and I looked using every light souce available. Saddle and nut were hand carved by Denny. My fathers CNC couldn't have done a smoother job.

It seems to be built as solid as the $1,000 Martin that I test drove. The finish on this 50 CE is nicer though. I will write another review afer I have played it for a few years and let you know how reliable it is.

100% lifetime guarantee/waranty and they absolutely uphold it. First guitar got slightly banged up during shipping. They immediately sent me a new one and told me to hold onto and keep playing the first one untill the replacement arrived. Not many companys would trust their customers like that.

Hopefully when my daughter is old enough to play a full sized guitar she will want mine and I will be forced to upgrade to the Zager 80 CE although I cant imagine it sounding any better than the 50 CE. Who am I kidding, she will end up with the 80 CE but at least I will be able to borrow it.

The ZAD-50CE is a cutaway style guitar, high gloss finish. It comes in three colors: natural, black, and sunburst. I selected the sunburst for its unique classic look. The soundboard is solid spruce and the sides and back are mahogany. The soundboard cross braces are expertly shaved to allow more sound using light and extra light strings. As a result, heavier strings are not recommended on this guitar and can void the warranty. On-board electronics are provided via Fishman Clearwave 10. It contains and equalizer and on-board tuner that's very accurate. The guitar features a thin neck and rosewood fingerboard with hand-filed frets. The nut and saddle are custom made for each guitar to allow the strings to be set slightly wider than most steel string guitars and extremely close to the frets. Grover sealed chrome tuners. Delivered with the guitar are Zager's picks, and extra set of strings, certificate of authenticity, a Zager t-shirt, and (the best part!) a picture of the master luthier Denny Zager playing the guitar (pretty cool!). I believe the unfinished guitar is built by Martin; it certainly has Martin visual characteristics. It is custom finished by master luthier Denny Zager, the writer of 1969's "In the Year 2525." Although many remember that song, top guitarists know Denny as one of the best luthiers in the industry. I recommend visiting his website at www.zagerguitar.com for for more detail.

After 30 years of playing, I'm still a strummer, but a good strummer! The sound is incredibly clear. With the strings set so close, I was expecting at least a little buzz with my playing, but no buzz occurred. The highs are vivid as are the mids. Unplugged, the low strings (5 & 6) could have a little lower end, but I'm sure it's due to the extra light strings installed. For my next strings, I will probably try lights; for me they should be just right. I strummed the harmonics, and they rang, and rang, and rang, and...beautiful.

We plugged the guitar directly into a Behringer KA-120 keyboard/PA amp - not the highest quality amp. My Seagull guitar does OK with this amp. However, this Zager was full, rich, and clear. The presence was definite. I've heard several AE guitars sound "electric" when plugged in. This guitar sounded like an acoustic with a high quality mic in front of it. Absolutely clean.

I gave this area a 9 because I prefer light strings instead of extra lights to be installed.

Zager guitars are known for their setup: close and fast. They're true to their word with this guitar. I had several guitarist play this guitar (it did a tour around Dallas the day after I received it!), and each person first mentioned its fast action. They next mentioned the quality of the sound, and then they noticed the finish of the guitar. All were greatly impressed.

There were a couple of small flaws with the guitar. Both were so small, it took quite a while to notice them. First, on the top of neck, on the white trim with the fret dots, 2nd fret, there was a slight chip of the finish. If I don't point it out to others, they don't notice. Second, the Grover tuner for the B string had a sharp barb on it. It was fully chromed, so it was a Grover error, not Denny's. I easily fixed this with a fine sapphire file.

Overall, absolutely beautiful finish, a highly polished gloss. The black part of the sunburst finish makes a great mirror.

Everything about this guitar is solid. Using my knuckles to knock on several locations did not produce any vibrations. The finish is solid and I don't expect any issues (I build furniture - I know about finish quality), including premature wear or cracking. But, with any high quality instrument, I'll be using a humidifier to keep it in good shape. The hardware is Grover - 'nough said. This is a very dependable instrument, and I would have no problem gigging with this guitar without a backup. However, with it's beautiful finish and light weight, I find myself wanting to be more careful with this guitar. I guess I should go ahead and knick it somewhere so I stop worrying about it.

To summarize, I expect this guitar to last for as long as I own it, and I don't plan on ever letting it go.

Zager guitars have a lifetime warranty. I haven't had it long enough to damage it, but after talking with Denny's son, Dennis Jr. (via email), I know Denny stands behind every guitar he sells.

Speaking of Dennis Jr., companies could learn a lot from Zager Guitar. Every email - EVERY - is answered quickly. A few nights ago, I sent Dennis Jr. a couple of questions at 11:30 at night. Expecting an answer the next day, I was surprised that he responded 20 minutes after I sent it. I'm sure that's not the norm. He could have waited until the next day, but instead he was checking his email and replied that night. And not with a prepared answer, but with obvious thoughtfulness. I'm very satisfied and impressed with their service.

I've been playing for 30+ years. I own five other guitars: two Seagulls (6 & 12), Fender Power Tele, custom Ibanez hollow body, and Fender Jazz 5-string bass. I'm a drummer by trade and play drums for a group of professionals that travel north Texas. The lead guitarist has already asked if he could use my Zager for our next concert, and the rest of the guys are waiting to see it at next rehearsal. The Zager website (www.zagerguitar.com) and Harmony-Central answered all my questions before I purchased the guitar. I don't want to think of it getting stolen, but if it did, I would find a way to purchase another one ASAP. This is one sweet guitar. I've had several people try this guitar. These diehard Martin/Taylor players were surprised with the guitar and were shocked by the extremely low price. I don't want to encourage Denny Zager, but if he doubled the price of this guitar, it wouldn't have stopped me from buying one. The finish is flawless, the sound is incredible. The only change I would do is change the strings from extra light to light - just to get a little more low end when unplugged, but that's just my preference. I did very little comparison shopping. The user reviews and 100% money back guarantee satisfied my common sense side. But this guitar is more. Martins and Taylors are wonderful guitars. But this guitar has a story - a wonderful guitarist becoming one of the best luthiers building guitars because of his love of the art. This is one fine instrument from one of the nicest families. I'm very satisfied, my friends are jealous, life is good!

Stop wafflin'. Get one!

new guitar
solid top
volume,equalizer,3way
mahogany body
gloss finish
full size cutawa
rosewood bridge
clear wave tuner
thin rosewwod neck
molded por case humidifier sensor
to many fetures to note

clear crisp full sound
pevy amp full veriety head to much to list off the top of my head
plenty of volume with a pick alone

pricise set up arrived well adjusted in beautiful tune.
could not find flaws

has been playing live
holds good tone
seams to have tough finish
do to accidents that happen alway take a back up

customer service was the most responsive freindly and honest people I have delt with. And warranty unbeatable, LIFETIME.

25YRS, owned martin, fender, gibson, epiphone, yamaha, accoustic and electric.
I asked every thing I could think of with out worries since there is a money back guaranty.
stolen or not, I'd like another Zager
I love that I can now play for endless hours
first favorite feature is how it shines at me as if demanding attention
Compared to numoruos guitars for months. I choose this one because I wanted something I could play with my small fingers with out having to quit in a short amount of time due to being sore. The string science is what is keeping going for multiple hours almost every day.