This guitar is so awesome, no matter what happens in the years to come this guitar will always be my favorite because it is my first real instrument.   EF

Price Paid: US $1500     Purchased from: N/A Alex, designer and only builder of all Zachary guitars

Features: 10 - finished Aug. 22, 2003. Made by Alex in his one man shop in Canada, right across the border from Detroit, 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, hand-built by Kent Armstrong) passive, mid output "ZachAttack" 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 possible 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 sound totally distinct 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/reliability 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 promptly 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 Princeton, 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 doodads. 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    elifriedmann@hotmail.com    at 09/07/2003 09:14 (from Harmony Central)

Alex, I'm going to have to swear off your site until I get some money together. I was really disappointed when I saw that 220803 already had a home. When the times comes, I know you'll build me one just as good but DAMN It's hard waiting for something you want so bad, but I know it will be worth it. Tracy

Hey Alex, Stop using up my Korina stock! (hehe) save some for my Z2. Wow, you keep topping your self. I am really digging your latest creations. I guess your new shop makes things better for you. Have you found any stainless steel frets yet. Lou

Alex, Man!!! What a beautiful piece of work! Who ever gets to be the lucky owner of this guitar should count themselves as truly blessed. If my gear sells quick enough, maybe it will be me. Until then, keep inspiring us with your art. Thanks for keeping the dream alive, Tracy

Alex, You never fail to amaze me. That new Z2 is actually sexier than the delivery chick. Thanks for the pretty pictures on your website, they provide me with much enjoyment in an otherwise stressful work environment. David. (Belgium)

Incidentally, I tuned up a student's guitar yesterday and played a few chords. It felt like a little toy. I couldn't believe how wrong it felt. Gross, cramped and terrible. This is what people play all the time.   EF