Zager Guitars

[placoustic11]

Does anyone own or have you played a Zager acoustic.
The maker is Denny Zager of Zager and Evans fame,their song was "In the year 2525".They have come up with a technology where they claim to have developed a guitar which is easier on the fingers than most and also very fairly priced because they have eliminated the middle man.
Sounds real good to me.

[AZLiberty]

It's a scam.  They basically take a guitar and shave the frets down untill they are unplayable.

[brandon]

Gosh. Glad I read about this here. So many scammers out there nowadays

[rockstar_not]

Something to look out for that does actually work - guitars that use a variable set neck.  I just bought a used Michael Kelly Visionary V5 that uses this technology - for $60 on Craigslist - and set the action really low with the system (doesn't change neck bow, just relative neck to string height) and it works as advertised.  Granted, there's more string buzz when doing this, but it's a quick 30 second change, rather than the involved truss rod adjust, saddle shave, etc. to do a 'proper' setup.  And it's a quick 30 second change to set it so there's a little more room between fretboard and strings.

Michael Kelly no longer sells guitars with the technology.  I think it might have been a little too complicated for the average strummer, and Michael Kelly probably wasn't meeting their margins by including it.  It had to be pretty expensive.  The neck joint is particularly odd in this case.  When you loosen all strings, it actually gets floppy!  But the thing rings out just fine.  Maybe I'll make a recording today with it and post it here.

The only other builder that I know of using it as a feature is Babicz guitars - those guitars with the wild long strings that anchor out at the binding location around the lower bout.  Babicz was the guy who licensed this to Michael Kelly.  Probably had dreams of getting rich on licensing.

[vacapicker]

There is also an Italian company that has this system on their acoustics.  It is a system that Gibson used in years gone by that didn't take off with the public.  I can't remember the company name, but I remember they are distributed out of New York.  J.D.

[rockstar_not]

There is also an Italian company that has this system on their acoustics.  It is a system that Gibson used in years gone by that didn't take off with the public.  I can't remember the company name, but I remember they are distributed out of New York.  J.D.

If you are referring to the Variable Set Neck, Martin also used it on one model around 2008 time frame.

[placoustic11]

So,am I to assume that some of you can tell me ,matter of factly,that Zager,s technology is a scam,that you know this to be true or are you just assuming based on some other luthiers guits?

[dcarey]

It's a scam. A "Zagerized" guitar is merely a cheap guitar with a very low setup and no prospects for a long life.
Read the hype on his website and try to keep a straight face    He & Esteban should get together!

Here's a thread from the AGF: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128098

[rockstar_not]

So,am I to assume that some of you can tell me ,matter of factly,that Zager,s technology is a scam,that you know this to be true or are you just assuming based on some other luthiers guits?

Can't address the Zager-ized guitar - never tried one, and the vague descriptions can't convince me there is something real there.

I can vouch for the variable set neck technology in the Michael Kelly I purchased about a month ago.  Martin even used it on one guitar.  http://www.acguitar.com/article/default.aspx?articleid=21991

I think the reason why this particular technology has not become more popular is down to perhaps the non-traditional aspect of it.  It works quite well in the little bit of experience I have with it, as it pertains to lowering action quickly and easily, or vice versa.

One thing is certain - this variable set neck technology is real - there's no smoke and mirrors here or simply subjective claims.  You turn the hex key one direction and the neck moves relative to the body.  There's about 1/2" or perhaps even more, of movement available.  Of course, you move the neck too far away from the body and you fret-out the strings.  But for a new player, you can dial the neck to string height very close for low action all the way up the fretboard.  With this Michael Kelly, there are a couple frets at about 15 or 16 that are too high, and I may one day work on those.

Why not simply buy the Zager guitar and report back?

[DJ in FL]

Is there a TROLL in this stack????

                     




I used to think I was indecisive...but now I'm not so sure!

[rockstar_not]

It's a scam.  They basically take a guitar and shave the frets down untill they are unplayable.

OK, oddly enough, I worked my sometimes weekend gig as a sound tech this weekend and the worship leader had a Zager Dreadnaught.

Whether this guy is a scam artist or not, one thing I can say, is that the frets were not shaved down.  In fact, they were closer to jumbo sized frets than on my Larry L-03.  I took photos on my phone and would be willing to share them here.  Just checked the photos and they are clear enough to show that it's not a shaved-down fret guitar - at least this particular specimen, which has an EZ-Play label inside of it signed by Zager, for whatever that is worth.

To be honest, I didn't see anything particularly different about this guitar than a standard steel string from China like what you would get from Rondo Music or the like.

I don't know what his prices are, but I didn't see anything to get excited about or hear anything to get excited about.

-Scott

[unclrob]

Just had a ZAD800 come thru the shop for an action adjustment.Pulled a bunch of shims from under the pickup and the guitar is now playable.Nothin special about the guitar just anothe made in China electric/acoustic.

[rockstar_not]

Just had a ZAD800 come thru the shop for an action adjustment.Pulled a bunch of shims from under the pickup and the guitar is now playable.Nothin special about the guitar just anothe made in China electric/acoustic.

That was my impression as well.

[placoustic11]

As of recent there is a Zager dealer in my neck of the woods I e-mailed him with my/your concerns and I never heard back from him.
No Zager for me thank you very much.

[raytheprinter]

Concerning these Zager guitars.On Ebay he is selling, EZ-Play Modified Larrivees ,This is just scary,what is he doing to these perfectly good Larrivees?                           :donuthttp://www.ebay.com/itm/EZ-PLAY-MODIFIED-LARRIVEE-L03-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-PLAYABILITY-IS-AWESOME-/350797631507?pt=Guitar&hash=http:

[rockstar_not]

So many weird things about this guy:

On the listing, it claims that the song that Zager co-wrote "This guitar was modified by Recording Legend Denny Zager who wrote the biggest hit in recording history: "In the Year 2525" which sold over 20 million records world wide."

The biggest hit in recording history - according to what criteria?

I would like to see before and after results of these claims on the listing:

Zager Guitars are designed by Master guitar builder Denny Zager to play easier than any other guitar made.
What makes a Zager so easy to play?

Lower string heights: So you barely have to press to form chords
Custom string spacing: So you're not accidentally bumping other strings
Lower string pressure: Increases speed & accuracy, reduces buzz
Custom neck design: Feels natural in your hand, increases comfort
Special fret design: Reduces string bite and overall finger fatigue
Special bracing system: Produces a richer, more powerful sound
Perfect quality control: work performed personally by Mr. Zager


Each one of these are questionable in proof.  Particularly - "Perfect Quality Control".

Special Bracing System?  He opens it up and rebuilds the bracing - what does this mean?

Custom string spacing - what are the specs before/after?

Custom Neck Design - what mods are being done here?

I do know that he puts a label inside the guitar - I have photographic evidence of that.

[unclrob]

I wonder if Mr.Zager is now living and building guitars in China?