Zachary Guitars Z-2

Purchased from: N/A
Zachary Guitars

171103

Features: 10
This is not a guitar. It's a Zachary.
Zachary is to guitars what Homo Sapiens was to Neanderthal. Evolved. More about this later.
Anyway, this Z was handmade in Canada 17/11/03 (hence serial number 171103), by the one and only Alex.

It has a beautiful one-piece solid Walnut body and an all-Maple neck, all oil and wax finished. No plastic. Sexy.

The body form is Alex's own invention. Visit his site to have a look, I will not attempt to describe it here. Suffice to say it's super ergonomic,and again, sexy.

The neck is a 25,5" scale, huge frets, very flat fingerboard radius (guess about 16"), and is the fattest I've ever played. It is also the widest. Extremely comfortable and fast with loads of space on the fingerboard. Warning : after playing this, there's no going back. Everything else just feels disgusting, and will give you incurable handcramps, tendinitis, and you'll have to eat prozac to deal with the frustration.

As far as controls go : one volume knob that also makes the tone more mellow when turned down, 1 miniswitch for single or hum, one 3 way miniswitch for the pickups. This gives 6 different sounds, and no annoying tonecontrol knobs cluttering up the body.

Pickups are handmade Kent Armstrong Zachattacks, made specially for Zachary Guitars. More about those later.
It has a floating tremolo bridge, Wilkinson, which stays in perfect tune, no matter what you do. The secret Zacharoid nut material and the locking tuners have a lot to with that.

Very light guitar, only 7.5lbs.

Great case that fits the Z perfectly. Made out of solid oak, and bound with Tungsten Carbide Steel. ;-) Did I mention it was solid?

Sound: 10
This is not a guitar. Guitars don't sound this good.

My Z will allow me to play just about anything I want. It has 6 totally different sounds, all of them good. Most guitars have 1, if that.

I play rock and blues , with a few winks to jazz and latin music. This baby is good at anything I can throw at her. As a matter of fact, it's the first time in years I haven't felt limited by my instrument. Makes it easier to grow.

The pickups are very quiet, no humming, buzzing, or other nasty noises. Loads of harmonics. Great both clean and distorted. Like nothing I've ever heard.

It has tons of tone, no noise, great definition, no mud, and loads and loads of character.

A little more on the bridge pickup : it's the first Zachattack Super Distortion PU used. It rocks. Screams. Wails. Blows your house down. And yet can also be good. Soft sexy whispers, mmmm. Loads of bottom end, no harshness.

I'm playing this baby through a Marshall JCM 800 Combo, a Musicman 65, and more recently a Fender Blues Junior. All of the above are valve amps and have their own distinct sound. My Z sounds great through all of them.

I called my Z "Simba", because of her specific roar through the Marshall, and the colours in her wood.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
This is not a guitar. Guitars don't play that well.

Everything was perfect out of the case. This thing arrived in tune. I mean : it crossed the Atlantic, in winter, got handled by the last neanderthals on the planet on its way here, and it was in tune whan I took it out of the case.

Action is superlow, just the way I like it, but no fretbuzz. Extremely comfortable.

All the controls work smoothly.

The setup of the tremolo is amazing. It will not go out of tune. I tried. Divebombed for 20 minutes. Checked the tuning : Perfect.

About the finish : oil and wax. You can really feel the wood, which is really great, and it makes the guitar sound better too. Plastic finishes sound like plastic.

It is the most comfortable, well setup, and sensual guitar I have ever played. My playing has improved a lot, because it plays so well.

Reliability/Durability: 10
This is not a guitar. Guitars are not that dependable.

Everything is rock solid.

I will use her live. A lot if it's up to me. If it were the only one I owned I would gig it without a backup, but I don't have to.

Customer Support: 10
This is not a guitar. Guitars aren't built by people who care.

Alex is Zachary guitars. He Cares. A real human being.

Alex is a very very busy man, and yet he's always quick to respond and friendly. I cannot imagine having any real problem with Simba, but if I did, I'm sure he'd fix it.

As a matter of fact, if he ever comes over to Belgium, he and his lovely wife are welcome to stay over.

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing for over 16 years and have owned several guitars. A USA-Strat, a Japanese Strat Copy, a non-descript eastern european monster, a Kramer with an alu neck, and the last one before my Z a Godin Solidac. The Godin's the best one, but way behind the Z. I got rid of most of them along the way, except for the Japastrat and the Godin.

My Zachary is so good that she redefines the term guitar. I'm not kidding : this is an evolved instrument, a new species. Proof? : she plays better, sounds better, is more versatile, and more ergonomic than anything else. There's no competition. I have been looking for years, tried guitars at double and triple the price, and none of them come close.

Zachary guitars are not for beginners. You don't necessarily have to be an insane shredder to play these, but a certain level of skill is needed to fully appreciate such a fine instrument.

If this guitar were stolen, I would chase the thief to the ends of the earth if necessary, cut off his ears, and burn down his house. That's a warning.

If it were lost, I would most certainly replace it.

I will be buying a second one, as soon as I think I've earned it. Need to play Simba some more before I'm ready.

Don't hesitate to e-mail me with questions. No mainstream guitar fundamentalists please. Check out Simba and all her beautiful sisters on www.zacharyguitars.com.

Submitted by David at 02/04/2004 08:02

Purchased from: N/A
Directly from Zachary Music, www.zacharyguitars.com

240800

Features: 10
This guitar was made August of 2000 by Alex of Zachary Guitars in Canada. It has a 1-piece 24 fret mahogany neck, 1-piece cherry body, 2 Dimarzio Virtual p90 pickups, hard tail bridge, and entirely hand made by Alex. Also includes hard case. Controls are simple, 3-way toggle switch and a coil tap, 1 volume. The design is elegant in its simplicity. no gimmics, no fancy top, no plastic finish, no fancy inlays, no leather seats, no cup holders or night vision goggles. Only what it needs to function, and it functions PERFECTLY.

Sound: 10
I play for a heavy metal band and dabble in just about everything else on the side. The guitar sounds amazing whether on clean or overdrive. The virtual p90 pickups are pretty versitle, the neck position is very smooth and jazzy. The bridge position is bright but not at all harsh. And with the coil tap on, you can get great sounds from strat, to telecaster, to rickenbacker. Distorted, the guitar has a very brown sound, great for all kinds of rock. All positions are well defined and very well balanced, you hear every note in a chord very clearly. Great for all types of music. The sound is very warm and has a life of its own. Most other guitars sound like a dead piece of glass by comparison.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Alex is very passionate about his work. He has insanely close attention to detail, he carefully sets up and ships out every guitar himself. The action was perfect right out of the box, the finish is clean and very natural where you can feel the texture of the wood. Alex carefully chooses each piece of wood, not for perfection and fancy figure, but for depth, originality, and character. Some woods he uses contain imperfections or flaws, this is part of his philosophy that a unique guitar is a better guitar. Since the guitar is a very different design concept, it does take some getting used to, it feels very different at first.

Reliability/Durability: 10
The finish on a Zachary guitar is made to age gracefully, it's not made to look brand new forever and I don't want it to. Even though the guitar is very lightweight, it doesn't feel fragile, it feels very solid. And the neck has a dual-action truss rod so it won't need to be adjusted. It's designed to be very low maintenance, and it will probably last longer than I will. It stays in tune like a dream.

Customer Support: 10
Alex is a very busy guy. Even so, he takes time to promptly answer emails, update his website, even took some time to talk on the phone with me on a few different occasions to answer some of my questions. Alex also has some very strong opinions about his guitars and guitars in general. Don't confuse this with arrogance, he's only very confident about his guitars and has very good reason for this, because he's right!! When corresponding, he's very friendly and professional (try calling Ed Roman on the phone, he's an arrogant dick who doesn't even act like he wants your business). Alex really cares about his guitars and making sure they all go to good homes. He's really a pleasure to do business with.

Overall Rating: 10
I'm a semi-pro guitarist, I've played well over 10 years. I won't bore you telling you all the gear I use, I'll just say I've played this guitar through several amps, pedals, and processors. I've owned about 25 guitars, played almost every kind of guitar you can name. Zachary guitars are by far the most unique, best sounding, best playing guitars you'll ever find. I'm not kidding, these guitars are beyond comparison to any other guitar I've played. They're priced so most serious guitar players can afford them, not just collectors. These guitars are meant to be played and enjoyed, not hung on a wall. Being pretty well educated in guitar building, I have a great appreciation for what Alex does. And for what he puts into these guitars, he's selling them dirt-cheap.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd be crushed. Since every guitar Alex makes is unique I could never replace it, and I'd never ask Alex to compromise this practice by duplicating it. But I would definately buy another Z2 in its place.

Submitted by Sam at 09/27/2003 00:57

Purchased from: N/A
alex, designer and only builder of all zachary guitars

220803

Features: 10
finished aug. 22, 2003. made by Alex Cisky in his one man shop in Canada, right across the border from MI. 24 super jumbo sized frets. 2 piece korina wood body which is shaped to blend right into the player, beautiful feeling mid thickness unvarnished walnut neck, smooth as silk 25" scale, extra wide (46mm at nut) ebony fret board. 2 custom designed (made just for his guitars, handbuilt by Kent Armstrong) passive, mid ouput "zack attack" humbuckers mounted like soapbars. controls: simple and perfect, volume w/ slight tone darkening taper as you pull it back, 3 way mini toggle for pickup selector, 2 way mini toggle to split the coils. all 3 controls are in perfect location on the body. oil finish, you can feel the sensuous texture of the 3 different woods. wilkinson string through body bridge. totally unique Z2 body style (small, light, perfectly balanced, shaped and contoured on back and front for ALL posible playing positions sitting or standing, perfect access to every fret). small, light, sealed tuners (gotoh i think) for a super light and balanced headstock. the "features" of this guitar come not in the form of bells and whistles ("10" top, binding, inlays and other gaudy things that do nothing positive for sound or playability) but in the form of sound, design and build quality. overall design totally unlike any other, too many innovations to mention here. comes w/ free high end hard shell case. see all the features at www.zacharyguitars.com

Sound: 10
all 6 pickup settings produce wonderfully rich, balanced and usable sounds. fantastic articulation but with ZERO pick noise or harshness. seems impossible but it's true. i'm a jazz guitar player but use all the sounds (not just the typical front humbucker. they all sould totally distint from one another from "brown sound" to the perfectly unharsh tele. but better. noise in single coil mode is about typical for non humbuckers, never obtrusive. you can use every sound w/o having to touch the amp controls. neck pickup is closer to bridge than is usual. that might account for the lack of muddiness. plenty of body, NO mud.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
the best set up i've ever encountered. i always though you could not get a satisfying tone out of a guitar w/ super low action. this ones got both. lowest action i've played, best sound. perfect pickup pole adjustment gives perfect volume/tone balance from string to string. the poles line up EXACTLY w/ the wider than usual string spacing. build quality is perfect, everything is smooth, far superior to any other guitar i've played. no joke. it stays in tune better than anything i've played even w/o locking tuners. this is due to design, super solid neck joint, and amazing frictionless nut.

Reliability/Durability: 10
construction is as sound as possible. looks and feels solid as a rock. haven't had the guitar long enough to test durability/reliabilty but all signs point to perfect. have now played 2 gigs w/ it w/o a backup (wish i could lug 2 guitars and an amp to gigs but it's just not doable.)

Customer Support: 10
all emails promtly answered, totally responsive to all questions. there is no nonsense, it's a one man operation. alex takes every single guitar he makes very very seriously and will fix whatever goes wrong unless you totally trash the guitar.

Overall Rating: 10
been playing in clubs for about 10-11 years on and off, all on for the last 6. years. amps currently used: Mesa Boogie blue angel, heavily modified old fender priceton, solid state polytone jazz amp when i need tons of clean volume and portability. i'm not a collector but have owned and/or seriously played many guitars (cheap PRS, expensive PRS, strat, les paul, 335, gibson jazz hollowbody, Zamatis, Santa Cruz acoustic (still have that one), jimmy foster jazz 7 string, Parker "jazz" model, Klein). this sounds like a typical fickle guitar owner overstatement but the Zachary Z2 is just a much better musical instrument than any other guitar i've played. playability and sound. my favorite feature is the whole thing. DESIGN, MATERIALS, AND EXECUTION. no dodads. every element of the guitar mixes with all the others to make a perfect guitar. a bargain for the professional musician even if it had cost $3000. for $1500 new (what he charges for these guitars), literally a steal. i'll soon be selling my 89 PRS custom 24 to get a Z2 with a whammy bar. feel free to email any question. alex deserves every order he gets. enough said

Submitted by eli friedmann at 09/07/2003 09:14

Purchased from: N/A
Direct from Zachary Guitars

010902

Features: 9
There are rubbish guitars, mediocre guitars, good guitars, great guitars - and Zachary guitars. Every Zachary is hand-built, every Zachary is different. They are not “custom” instruments insofar as they are not built to a customer’s specifications - they are Alex’s instruments. He makes them like this because he believes this is the right way to make guitars. These are stripped-down performance machines.
The best way to describe this one is to look at it on the web site - 010902 (the guitar Alex himself played for a while), with a 24-fret maple neck, extending deep into the body, a striking spalted maple top and a mahogany back. I chose a bolted neck design after much dithering between this baby and the similar set-neck 050602 as a tight wood-to-wood joint arguably transmits sound better than glue.
A tremendous amount of thought has gone into this guitar. It’s full of innovations, such as the straight “Samurai” headstock, low-friction nut, recessed lightweight tuners and unique Kent Armstrong-made “Zach Attack” humbuckers mounted soapbar-style. These pickups are powerful, voiced for clarity, richness and articulation, rather than ultra-high output. The bridge is a fully adjustable ABM Wilkinson type strings-thru-body design. Controls are dead simple: volume, 3-way selector switch and a coil-tap switch. The switches operate with satisfying precision. The control cavity cover is made of wood.
This Z2 has a huge, fat neck which doesn’t cramp up my hand the way slim-tapered necks can. I believe this is the widest and flattest Zachary neck made, which suits my big hands perfectly. It has an extended (26-inch) scale, jumbo frets, a silky-smooth Pau Ferro fingerboard and the trademark Zachary dot-position markers in contrasting wood. Neat, elegant and effective. The contoured body is small and light and the finish is oil and wax – so warm and sensuous to the touch.
So why a score of 9? Only because it has no tone control (I’m trying to be objective). I like to back off the treble for that overdriven “woman tone”. Although it’s wired so that the tone darkens when the volume is backed off, this is of no help overdrive. I guess the solution would be to replace the volume pot with a concentric tone and volume, so as not to spoil the purity of the design – but I’m reluctant to mess about with perfection.

Sound: 10
Unplugged, it’s like a semi-acoustic for volume and resonance – no need for headphones for quiet practice! Put through the clean channel, it has an airy voice with complex overtones and rich, sparkling harmonics. A wide range of sounds are available, from warm and intimate, through mellow, to Strat “quack”, with sharp attack and ringing sustain. Notes are clear, full and musical. Simply magic.
Overdrive on a tube amp brings a spectrum of blues, rock and metal sounds. From fat crunch chords to wailing or searing lead and screaming harmonics – it’s all there. Yet every note stays clear and articulate, even on maximum overdrive. The sustain is astonishing and this baby sings like no other. Parisian Walkways – no problem, even at low volume!
Obviously, it won’t do everything. It’s probably not bassy enough for nu-metal, nor plummy enough for some jazz guitarists. The bass is too tight and focussed for anyone looking for that thick Les Paul sound.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Alex’s obsession with detail and shines through. This guitar is made and finished to the highest standards with nanometric precision where it matters, using top-quality components. The neck is dead straight and set for minimal relief, the jumbo frets are nicely rounded at the edges and polished, the intonation is spot-on, and the action is ultra-fast and low. This is probably the fastest, slickest neck I’ve ever played. I’ve never had to adjust anything and I don’t expect I ever will.
The guitar came with a top-quality fitted hard case.

Reliability/Durability: 10
This is made to last. Absolutely rock-solid. No worries about neck-breaks with this baby. No worries about lacquer chips, either. It arrived in the UK from Canada in the middle of winter in almost perfectly tune, it’s been played every day for the past 4 months (it even went on holiday with me) and it still hardly ever needs tuning, no matter how outrageously the strings are bent.
It’s the perfect gigging guitar. Simple controls and no worries about anything breaking or it going out of tune. It’s very comfortable sitting and divine strapped on. It weighs 6lbs, but it doesn’t feel it, so good is the balance.
If were gigging for a living, I would have a backup (paranoia!) – which would have to be another Z2.

Customer Support: 10
Alex really cares about his guitars and provides very comprehensive instructions about setup and aftercare (not that it needs any). He’s friendly, helpful and responds promptly to emails. A far cry from the usual dealer and mass-production guitar factory. I can’t imagine ever having a problem with this guitar, but I’m sure that if I did, Alex would help sort it out.

Overall Rating: 10
I’ve been playing for more years than I care to count, with strong neoclassic leanings. I’ve owned many guitars over the years and tried many others, from Ibanez to various PRS models. Some I’ve liked and bought, a few I’ve kept.
I currently own 2 Gibson Explorers - a Gothic and an ’83 model with Gibson/Kahler trem upgraded to coil-tapped John Birch Magnums, a scalloped neck custom-order Fender Strat ’57 RI and a collection of Brit axes - a Gordon Smith GS2 (the “British Gibson”, but my least favourite), an unusual hand-made 1970’s Pack Leader walnut thru-neck with DiMarzio Super Distortions, a 1980’s Overwater with a mahogany thru-neck and Bill Lawrence L500s, a maple set-neck John Birch “fretless wonder” LP with Magnums and a 1992 Patrick Eggle Berlin Plus, which is every bit as good, if not better, than any PRS I’ve compared it to. I play through a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL all-tube amp. I occasionally use a Zoom 707II multi-FX for fun, usually into a PA rig to eliminate amplifier/speaker colouration.
My all-time all-round favourite? – the Zachary. No question. I really enjoy playing my other axes, but not after the Zachary. What sets the Z2 apart is its feel, subtlety and responsiveness. It’s so alive. This is the most expressive guitar I’ve ever played. If I could only have the one, this would be it.
One review on HC compares a Zachary unfavourably to a PRS. This is like comparing a limo to a sports car. The Zachary Z2 is the Porsche GT2 of the guitar world. No frills, no ornaments, no gimmicks – just rock-solid precision, superb build quality, utter reliability, awesome performance and ultimate responsiveness.
And, like a Porsche, it won’t suit everyone and it’s not for beginners. But, given the effort and commitment, it’s very, very rewarding. It’s the shredder’s dream. I can honestly say that no other guitar has helped advance my techniques and my musical horizons like the Z2.
If you want an ornament to hang on the wall – look elsewhere. If you are serious about playing guitar – you have to try a Zachary.
If it were stolen, I would be devastated. As soon as I’d finished cursing the thief to the far ends of the Universe, I’d contact Alex for another.

Submitted by Anonymous at 07/22/2003 18:37

Purchased from: N/A
Zachary Guitars via the Internet

200602

Features: 10
This Guitar is the Zachary Z2 w/ Trem, Bobby Simcox Signature Model. It's guitar #200602 on the Zachary Web Site's "Currently For Sale" page if You would like to see pics. Its features include a 3/4" Busywood(or Mosaic wood)top(THX Don fr GuitarWar.com) laminated to a 2pc 3/4" Mahogany back. The neck is a laminated 3 pc. design of Maple and Purple Heart construction utilizing the Zachary Uniplane Samuraii Headstock, and wider classical guitar string spacing. The neck features the Zachary Dynamic Contour,27 frets,Ebony fingerboard, small alluminum dot markers, Gotoh locking tuners, and a 26" scale. Frets 1-17 are Large, and 18-27 are Medium. This is done to facilitate ease of play on the upper frets. The Trem bridge is Wilkinson and the Nut is the standard Zachary "Mission Impossible" "Zachroid" type.The Pick-Ups are the 2 standard ZachAttacks w/ 3-way selector switch, a coil tap switch, and a single volume control wired to reduce high frequencies when turned down. The body also features an extra deep neck pocket w/ a 5-bolt connection. This neck ain't goin' anywhere!

Sound: 10
The sound of this guitar is somewhat warmer than My Solid Walnut Z2(Baby). I have a review of Her here also. This Axe tends to want to sing more than scream, but I can make Her Wail like a Banshee if I want. Because of the multiple density top, many overtones can be present in Her sound. You'd better be up on Yer muting technique if You wanna play one of these. Her tone is very full and rich and the coil tap affords single coil presensce and clarity if so desired. I would not hesitate to use this axe to play Any style of music be it Rock,Funk,Jazz,Latin,Reggae,Country,Fusion,Hip Hop,Motown, or anything else. Actually, I Do! The versitility of this guitar is Extraordinary!

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
This is Absolutely the Best guitar I have ever played!!! Because of this, I've relegated Baby to back-up status, but She doesn't mind. I find Myself playing things that I've Never attempted before, even in Live situations. The Whammy Bar stays remarkably in-tune, despite the abuse I put it through. This guitar is Everything I've ever wanted in a solid bodied six string.

Reliability/Durability: 10
So far this Axe has withstood 4 1/2 months of My torturous playing, and She's solid as the first day I got Her. I have the utmost confidence in Her performing abilities! About the only thing I've noticed wearing on Her is the plastic bushing that holds the trem arm in. It's loosened up somewhat since I first started playing Her, but that is inevitable w/ any such whammy design( ie. Floyd Rose Edge or Lo-Pro Edge fr Ibenez). I just spread about an inch of clear nail polish around the base of the trem arm, and walla, good as new. This is gonna be My main axe for Years to come, but then again, when I get Another Zachary, You never know!

Customer Support: 10
I've talked extensively via e-mail w/ Alex Cziky, the owner and soul builder of Zachary Guitars. We've become very good friends and He cares for and takes Much pride in His Creations and Valued Customers. Alex won't sell a guitar to just Anyone. He wants to make sure that His work will go to good homes, and will be played and cherished. As His site says, these are guitars for the Descerning Player! Some may view Alex as too pickey conscerning to whom He chooses to sell His Art. I'm just extremely glad and fortunate that He has chosen Me!!!

Overall Rating: 10
Considering this is the best guitar I've ever had the pleasure of playing... but seriously folks, this is a one of a kind handmade pc of functional artwork. Most handmade guitars start at around $2500.00- $3000.00, and that's being optimistic. The base price for a Zachary is $1500.00, and the $2000.00 I payed for this baby is More than reasonable. One person I showed Her to expected I'd paid $4000.00. I've been playing guitar for over 25 Yrs and My Zacharys are by Far the Best axes I've ever played, and are by Far the Best Value!!!

Submitted by Bobby Simcox at 11/16/2002 03:54

Purchased from: N/A
Zachary Guitars via the net

260501

Features: 10
This Beautiful Lady is a Zachary Z-2 Guitar! It has a walnut body, maple neck, and an ebony fretboard. It features 24 huge jumbo frets, High and wide just the way I like 'em. The neck has the Zachary Dynamic Action contour(a shape that promotes hand movement up and down the fretboard. It really does Folks!), and a 26" scale. The Pick-ups are Zackattack Humbuckers, made by Kent Armstrong to Zachary specs. These babies are HOT! The guitar also features Zachary's Uniplane Samuraii headstock, sealed tuners, oil resin finish, a 3-way p-u selector switch, a coil tap switch for single coil sounds in all 3 selector positions, a Zachroid Nut for tuning stability, a string through the body bridge tail pc, and a single volume control set up to take the high edge off your sound when slightly turned down. The guitar also came w/ a beautiful custom form fit hardshell case, free of charge. For more details on Zachary Guitars(building philosophy, and inovations), check out the Zachary site at: www.zacharyguitars.com. This Guitar is pictured in the "Currently For Sale" page under serial # 260501.

Sound: 10
I play many styles of music, and am currently in a Heavy Metal band (Battle Angel), a Latin Rock band (SAPO), a Latin, Funk, Fusion band (Rene Escovedo) and a working cover band (Joyride). This Guitar sounds very bright yet very full. I play through Line6 equipement(AX-2, Flextone, POD) and this Baby sounds Magnificent through all of it! The Zachattack humbuckers are passive yet immensly powerful. They can sustain for days yet articulate 64th notes on high overdrive better than any other p-u I've ever heard(picked overdriven 64th notes tend to muddy up and blur even when severely muted, but not on this baby!).Pick attack sounds on this guitar,either clean or highly distorted,are almost nonexistant!Almost ALL NOTE!! This guitar sings,cries,screams,whispers,and everything in between. The split coil sounds remind me of good telecaster. Full yet skanky. You can't beat that!

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
This Lady feels unlike any other guitar I've ever played(I've owned nearly 40 and played hundreds more than that). It has a feel all its own thx to the body shape, 26" scale, wider string spacing, and Dynamic Action neck. My hands fell in LOVE as soon as I played it. The set-up and action are superb! This Lady is built to DEVESTATE! The body contours fit my build to a T, standing or sitting. At first I was a bit aprehensive conserning the 26" scale,and string spacing because I have small hands but after playing Her, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best thing for Me. My playing is cleaner because the string spacing decreases the need to mute(though muting is an integral part of my playing style), and my fingers seem to naturally fall between the frets w/o tripping over each other. If ever a guitar had my name on it, this is the one!!

Reliability/Durability: 10
My Z-2 is a very sturdy solid pc of Art, Yet it only weighs 6lbs. I haven't had Her very long but judging from the workmanship and feel, this Baby warrants My trust. Since I'm a professional guitar player, I NEVER gig w/o a back-up, but if I had to choose only one guitar to bring to a gig, this would be the one. It's that GOOD!!!

Customer Support: 10
Since first seeing this guitar, I have coresponded extensively w/ Alex. He is the MASTER who creates all of the Zachary Guitars. He IS Zachary Guitars!! He's been very friendly, Informative, patient, encouraging, and VERY confident in his product. After playing this Baby, I know why! The Man is a Genius!!!

Overall Rating: 10
THIS GUITAR IS THE BEST I'VE EVER PLAYED, OWNED, HEARD, ETC... I've been playing for 24 yrs, and have played literally hundreds of guitars of all shapes, sizes, and makes. I have owned or own various Fenders,Gibsons,Kramer, Guild, Ovations, Deans, Charvel/Jackson/Schon,Able Axe,Ibanezes,Washburn, and Rickenbacher solid bodies. I've played numerous PRS, Gretch, custom shop,vintage, and Frankenstrats, and frankly, this Zachary takes the Cake! Heck, it takes the whole damn bakery!! For a working musician as Myself, the $1500.00 asking price for one of these may seem prohibitive, but these guitars are worth every single penny. Considering many custom guitar makers base price is somewhere between $2000.00 and $3500.00, These Axes are a Steal!!!In the future I would like to purchase a Z-2 W/ a whammy bar, and if this guitar ever got stolen or lost, I would mourne for life but would definitely replace it w/ another one. This guitar is definitly the top horse in my stable!!! If You're a SERIOUS guitar player, Seriously check out one of these. You won't regret it!!!!

Submitted by Bobby Simcox at 09/03/2001 06:01

Purchased from: N/A

151200

Features: N/A
The Zachary Z2 was the last guitar made in the year of 2000 and was completely handcrafted in Canada. The guitar has 24 super jumbo frets, a huge neck that has a 20 inch radius and a 26 inch scale length, and a string through the body bridge configuration. The neck is constructed of one piece walnut with a wenge fingerboard. The body is a beautiful korina with a natural stripe through the middle of the face. It has gotoh tuners and two double coil Dimarzio pickups (PAF neck, PAF90 bridge). There is one volume knob, a coil tap switch and a three way selector switch. This new radical design guitar comes with a form fitted hard shell case.

Sound: 10
I am a jazz fusion player and the Z2 provides a rich warm tone in the neck position enabling me to use an almost acoustic color to my sound. The bridge position provides me with a searing lead tone with an abundance of sustain. The 26 inch scale length adds to the richness of the overtones in both positions, somewhat like playing on a grand piano. This guitar produces the best tones I have ever heard from a solid body guitar.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
The guitar arrived via ground shipping perfectly intonated, the frets were flawlessly dressed, and the action was set low just the way I like it. All other components of the guitar reflected the attention to detail that a truly hand made instrument should have. The deep pocket glue in neck and the two piece body were meticulously aligned. I could play 64th notes at 90 on the metronome right out of the box with this guitar. The natural finish and feel of the woods made it feel like an old friend immediately.

Reliability/Durability: 10
I have had the guitar for six weeks and playing it as hard as I possibly can, it stays in wonderful tune (probably due to the secret nut material and the great set-up of the action). So far I do use it without a backup and expect it to be my primary guitar for a good long time. All hardware and accessories seem tight.

Customer Support: 10
Alex is Zachary Guitars. He was extremely helpful and approachable by telephone and email. I had specific requests about the dimensions
of the guitar and he gladly made these alterations completely to my specifications. I described the shape of the neck verbally and its thickness and he nailed it.

Overall Rating: 10
This guitar is my samurai sword (which is the name for the headstock shape)with which I will do battle in the realms of intense lead improvisation. In fact, I have nicknamed this guitar "the weapon."
As I have already stated this is the best solid body guitar I have played in my 18 years of serious musicianship. Alex and I have already discussed exotic woods for the building of the "weapon 2" Z2. You can see my guitar on the Zachary Guitar Website under serial #01512. I can be reached at Theschralper@webtv.net for answers to your questions about this great instrument.

Submitted by Dave Busch at 02/03/2001 21:44