Zager Guitars

Zager pushes a lot of endorsements by a growing number of artists claiming their guitars are comparable if not superior to Martin, Taylor and others.

Do any of the Guitar Tricks instructors and players have an opinion about their guitars? Are they as good as claimed for the price? Are they “easier to play”?

Thank you for your opinion.

This is a great question. I've never even heard of Zager guitars! Maybe one of our instructors, or some other users knows about them?

I've not heard anything bad about them (don't own one) but you may get the same result by taking your current guitar to a good guitar shop and having them lower the action and put lighter strings on it. I believe that is the appeal of Zager guitars. However, if you're looking to buy a new guitar feel free to ignore my advice

I too have never heard of them. I went to their website and pretty much read it all word for word. Definitely got my attention. Especially when the site noted how it was built for smaller handed players. I have a small hand and have been frustrated trying to make some of the long reaching chords especially the ones that use the pinky finger. Barre chords are pretty much a no go. I would definitely be interested in trying one out or hearing from others who actually have one.

Guitars come in all shapes and sizes. The best thing you can do is go to a guitar store and try as many in your budget out. You'll notice immediately what feels right and what doesn't. I was looking into Zager guitars earlier and even entered their weekly contest to try and win one of their models. Probably have better luck winning the lottery. The problem with zager is there are no dealers. They sell direct to you which is why they have low prices but you need to try them out firsthand. Your only hope is to find one used. As a beginner I wouldn't recommend online ordering unless your sure of the guitar you want, have played it and you just want to get a better deal online. Ex: sweet water or reverb. [br]If you got smaller hands look into a concertina or parlor size guitars like the Taylor gs mini. [br]Just my thoughts. Good luck. [br][br]

Moe

I agree with Moe. Best to go to a guitar store and try a few out. Try and play a few chords (D, G, and C to test how much you have to press down and compare to another guitar). Don't worry about how you play-a good and reputable guitar store will support you as a beginner. We've all been there!

GS mini, parlor (Alvarez, guild m240, cort). The guitar that feels good in your hands. When I got my first guitar as an adult-I was set on either an Alvarez (had one in my youth) or a used Martin (made in Mexico). Tried the Martin, the Alvarez, and a few other brands and ended up with the Guild m240. The lesson I learned-keep an open mind re: trying out guitars in your price range.

Exactly Sasha and one caveat I should add though, after some further research, is zager does have a 100% return policy so if your willing to pursue it you can always return it if doesn't meet your expectations without any gruff back from them. Personally, though I think we all agree that buying gear is half the fun so I would rather immerse myself in a wall of guitars than just place an order online. Where's the fun in that? If you do get one though please by all means leave a review. I still have not met anyone who has one. [br][br][br]

moe

I've done a lot of research since my last post about Zager Guitars. I find very few bad reviews. 95% of what I've seen has been positive. Does this mean they scour the internet looking for bad reviews and scrub them clean ... as one review I read suggested. Personally, I don't know if that's even possible. Every email I've sent to the company has been answered in a timely manor. They claim to be 100% American made. One negative review said this wasn't true saying that a lot of the construction was done in a foreign country. I emailed the company late last night and asked about this. As of 9am this morning I've not heard back from them. I'll let everyone know what I find out.

Something about these guitars seems "off" to me. The website seems to keep stressing that these are supposedly easier to play than other guitars makes, but that just gives me the impression they're targetting new players.

Most acoustic guitars come from the manuafacturer fitted with a set of 12s. All you need to do is swap these out for a set of 11s and you instantly have a guitar that is easier to play (and the change in guage won't mean you have to have any adjustments made to the guitar, assuming it wasn't already in need of a setup before changing the strings).

The other thing I find odd is that these don't appear to be available to buy elsewhere. I have seen some sites that sell exclusively, such as Le Voi guitars (I've played two of these, and they're excellent (also feel easier to play than a Martin)) but this is a luthier selling his own guitars.

Personally, I'd steer clear of Zager. (Looking at Zager's site somehow reminded me of a post from a couple of months ago, where somebody had ordered a Slash custom LP for $99, although I imagine you actually get something for your money from Zager; whether is sounds any good or plays easier than a Martin, Taylor, etc....). The customer reviews also appear to have been written by the same few people, judging from the similarities, writing styles and choice of vocabulary.

Originally Posted by: DraconusJLM

Something about these guitars seems "off" to me.

No, these guys have been around a long time.The main selling feature is they stretch the string spacing out a bit more. That and lower action is the claim. In terms of quality they are probably like any other company... sometimes you get a flawed one. Ask me about my PRS experience... everyone is your friend when they want you money.

For those of you that are interested I've done a little more digging. Once again a great majority of the reviews are positive.

I contacted the Lincoln, Nebraska Better Business Bureau. Out of the 100's positive reports there only 3 negative.

I found where a luthier posted on a guitar forum that he's only had one come through his shop and the guitar "appeared" to be everything the Zagers say it is.

I also found a review from what I would consider to be a reliable source. Check it out if you'd like. https://jamplay.com/articles/7-reviews/199-review-of-the-zager-family-of-guitars

They have such a bold money back guarantee it makes me wonder are they really that good? Where does the confidence come from?

As crazy as the world is right now wouldn't it be nice to find out something is as good as it is claimed to be? Wouldn't it be awesome to not have to automatically doubt someone's word? How cool would it be to get a hand built guitar that plays, looks and sounds as good as a Martin or Taylor but at half the price?

I just reread that and it looks like I'm pitching their product. That's not the case at all. I was just thinking outloud. Honestly, I am considering buying one.

Not sure anyone cares but I mentioned in previous post in this threat that I'd let folks know what I found out about Zager. Not going to re-hash what I previously posted. I started following them on Instagram in hopes of learning more about Zager. One of their claims is that several famous (I'd question the word "Famous" on a few of the names) musicians use Zager guitars. One of the namesused is Sully Erna of the rock band Godsmack.

A couple days ago Zager made a post on their Instagram account saying something to the effect of "...customers are like our family....". Instagram accounts that are from actual stars has blue asterick with a check mark in it next to name. One of the comments to Zagers post was from GODSMACK (with the blue asterick). So, I thought maybe Zager is he real deal. Which caused me to do more researching. I found a picture of Godsmak guitarist Tony Rombola playing/warming up with a Zager. This picture was taken and posted on Instagram by Sully Erna (again blue asterick). Found another picture of Sully Erna palying a Zager which was posted by Zager. Again, in the comments there was a positive comment by Godsmack. I'll try to post these 3 pictures.

So what does this really mean? Probably not much other than at least what they said about Godsmack and Sully Erna being true???

Facebook Zager Guitar Owners & Fans is a great resource to meet others who own Zager guitars on the ground and without any sponsorship or involvement from Zager themselves.  Lots of great players, videos, stories and experiences from every day people and some more famous players as well.  Everyone's welcome!

As a longtime admirer of Denny Zager and the renowned band Zager & Evans, purchasing this guitar was an easy decision for me. They are incredible, which speaks much about Denny's treatment of everything he touches.

Like a great guitar should, the sound is incredibly clear and expressive and absolutely in tune. Additionally, it's quite lightweight, making it simple to take it anywhere. geometry dash lite

The sound is concentrated, has a wide dynamic range, and has round, rich highs that are easy to bend.   Please do think about using a Zager if you have weak fingers, arthritis, carpel tunnel syndrome, or other issues. 

Note that the two posts immediately above probably originated from Zager Guitars themselves.  Not the first time... should be taken with a large grain of salt.

HA! I didn't notice that. Good call.

My original advice stands; if you're looking for a guitar like Zager's just lower the action on you current guitar and put on lighter strings.