For those of you not familiar with Denny Zager, he was part of the 60's group Zager and Evans and they were basically a one hit wonder with the song "In the Year 2525".
Zager Guitar
Okay this might get me run out of the forum, but I have to ask. Has anyone ever played a Zager guitar? I saw a couple of them on Ebay and read some reviews and I was wondering if the action is as good as they say it is. If nothing else they might become collectors items, since Denny is no longer making them.
For those of you not familiar with Denny Zager, he was part of the 60's group Zager and Evans and they were basically a one hit wonder with the song "In the Year 2525".
For those of you not familiar with Denny Zager, he was part of the 60's group Zager and Evans and they were basically a one hit wonder with the song "In the Year 2525".
Eagle670- don't be enthralled by a great action. This usually has nothing to do with the guitar and everything to do with the guy doing the setup. If the Zager has an adjustable truss rod you can make the action be anything you want it to be. You can straighten the neck, file or replace the nut or bridge, file frets, etc.
Do worry about the action, just go with how it sounds. And make sure it doesn't self destruct in the year 2525!
Happy Playin'
Do worry about the action, just go with how it sounds. And make sure it doesn't self destruct in the year 2525!
Happy Playin'
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musicdoc522
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I was intrigued by the Zager a few years ago. The best thing i found about them was the return policy. Twice about a year apart, I ordered one and returned it. They are nice looking guitars that sound ok and the price is good, but you are paying for a solid top guitar with laminated sides. I actually found the action to not be that good. It is very good for the first 4 or 5 frets and then i find it rather high. When I asked Denny Zager and son, they told me that the high action further along the neck is correct and based on string science. This answer was not satisfying to me. Interestingly Zager has a guitar instruction program and almost all the songs are finger style- which his guitar is more conducive for. In any case, I have owned several guitars since then that had better action.
What years were the guitars made in and where were they made?? I just bought a Tacoma EM9C4e from a wholesale distributor. It has never been played and they stopped making the Tacoma w/soundhole in normal placement in 2005-06 when Fender Co. bought them out. It's a nice guitar, solid wood/ cutaway and the 4e electronics. It comes with a beautiful brown leather looking case. Taking it to my Luthier tomorrow to get new strings and a basic set-up. This guitar must have been setting in a warehouse for the last several years, at least 2 or 3. Anyone familiar with them, I've heard they made quite a few while they were in production in Tacoma WA. Gary
musicdoc522 wrote:
Interesting factoid: You speak of the action being good to the 4 or 5 fret but then rising too high. Not rising is exactly how Tommy Emmanuel likes his action. i hear tell his action is the same at the 12th fret as it is in frets 1 to 4. Not much stirng rise at all. But they do addmit such action will lead to buzzes. I find it funny when I hear people wanting to set there guitar up to match Tommy's. For they should be setting it up to match them.
Interesting. I have heard the Zager guitar was all about the setup. I think just having attention to that detail before being sent out was better than some.I was intrigued by the Zager a few years ago. The best thing i found about them was the return policy. Twice about a year apart, I ordered one and returned it. They are nice looking guitars that sound ok and the price is good, but you are paying for a solid top guitar with laminated sides. I actually found the action to not be that good. It is very good for the first 4 or 5 frets and then i find it rather high. When I asked Denny Zager and son, they told me that the high action further along the neck is correct and based on string science. This answer was not satisfying to me. Interestingly Zager has a guitar instruction program and almost all the songs are finger style- which his guitar is more conducive for. In any case, I have owned several guitars since then that had better action.
Interesting factoid: You speak of the action being good to the 4 or 5 fret but then rising too high. Not rising is exactly how Tommy Emmanuel likes his action. i hear tell his action is the same at the 12th fret as it is in frets 1 to 4. Not much stirng rise at all. But they do addmit such action will lead to buzzes. I find it funny when I hear people wanting to set there guitar up to match Tommy's. For they should be setting it up to match them.
AndyT wrote:
If you like it...it's a winner. Nothing else matters. Me I dropped the action at the 12th fret by 33%. To drop it further which I was going to do for the high E would have required sanding the bridge itself. Not something I wanted to do.I like my guitar setup like Tommy's. I want the action to be the same at all the frets, or at least as close as possible.
Yea I did that in my first pass. It was not for the same purpose. I got thought it might make the guitar more forgiving for buzzing and stuff like that around frets 1 to 4. But alas it made the 1st fret torture. So I went lower at the nut and really loked that.