James Stone reviews the ZAD80 Indian Rosewood Acoustic Electric

James Stone <****ny96@sbcglobal.net>
Model: zad80ce

How did you hear about this brand?
Saw one on ebay

How does this guitar compare with your old guitar, other guitars, or guitars you've tried in stores?
This is the only accoustic I have ever played that did not kill my fingers after a few minutes. It came in around 1PM today and I played it for 3 hours. Then I called one of my buddies over tonight and we played it for another 2 hours and my fingers are still good for more.. I normally play a Gretsch Country Classic that frets like a dream so my fingers are not real tough, and after several hours on the Zager my fingers are still good. Great Guitar and the other folks In the Band will get a chance to try it out in 2 days. Get ready for more orders from some of them. I picked on a new Taylor one of the girls bought 2 weeks ago for about 10 mins. and my fingers started barking so this girl id in for a surprise when she plays my Zager.

What's your favorite part about this guitar?
How easy it is on my fingers and the great sound. Plus it is beautiful and crafted to perfection

If you didn't know the price of this guitar what would you estimate the price to be?
I played a $3500 Taylor 2 weeks ago and I would not even think of trading my Zager for the Taylor. If I didn't know the price and just went by the sound, craftsmanship and ease of play I would Guess over $3000

How would you rate customer support?
Customer support is Great, Response to calls and service is almost immediate

Would you recommend this guitar to others…if so why?
I alredy have and will continue to . I love this Guitar and especially its ease on my fingers and still with that great sound and finish. The folks in my Band will be ordering Zagers after they get a chance to play it.

Additional comments:
I love my Gretsch 6122a Country Classic but...My Zager completes the whole package. Now I have the best of both sounds with these two and won't be buying another guitar

Zager ZAD-50CE Reviews

Features:

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.

Action, Fit, & Finish:

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.

Sound Quality:

I have compared the sound of Zager 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.

Reliability/Durability:

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.

Customer Support:

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.

Overall Rating:

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.

In The Year 2525

Futuristic Nostalgia

In the year 2525, if man is still alive.
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 3535 ain't gonna need
To tell the truth, tell no lies.
Everything you think, do and say,
Is in the pill you took today. . .

As the song goes on, machines are doing all of man's work for him by 5555, artificial insemination is common-place by 6565, and a thousand years later God is thinking maybe its time for Judgement Day.

This futuristic ballad sounds as though it were composed by a computer at the Rand Corp, but In the Year 2525 is the product of two country-pickin' guitarists from Lincoln, Neb., Denny Zager and Rick Evans, who a year ago were thinking about the future mostly in terms of the source of their next meal. Only last November, Zager, 25 and Evans, 26, were working as a duo, trying their best to please the regular customers in a Lincoln motel lounge. With a borrowed $500 they recorded 2525, which has a simple and schmaltzy tune and a chugging, nostalgic instrumental backup right out of the early 1950's. They released the record on their own label (Truth), gave a copy to some friendly disk jockeys in Lincoln, then watched it take off as a regional hit (11,000 copies sold).

Buoyed by their success, the boys sent copies to all the major record companies in New York and found a quick buyer in RCA. The company quickly put its considerable promotional weight behind 2525 and accomplished a feat that would have made even the Beatles jealous; last week less than two months after its national release, the single had sold more than a million copies and had zoomed to first place on the Billboard hot 100 chart. At the same time, RCA issued an LP combining 2525 with nine of Rick's other songs (no protest stuff, just reminiscences about love and other "Now subjects"). Everybody connected with the album was confident that it would do just as well as 2525. Especially Rick. "Nearly every song is profound," he said unflinchingly.