OK, here it is, the first Zachary other than an F1 to have a tone control. Now you can cut the high end all you want and make the guitar sound like a smoky archtop. Good for playing mellow Jazz.

People who sell and design guitar parts are not always guitar players. This is why they do things I don't like. For example they sell double pots with very heavy brass knobs which weigh a tone. There is no way I would put those on this guitar. There is a better way to make knobs but of course they don't care or even notice the problem. I just could not put those heavy brass knobs on this guitar, so I had to take a few hours making two wooden concentric knobs out of wood. Its a very difficult job doing it freehand but it had to be done to make it right.

This guitar has all the tones anyone would want. It has a mild and warm neck pickup with an Alnico 3 magnet and it has a powerful Ceramic pickup in the bridge position to scare even an 80s shredder with leather, chains and studs. Zakk Wilde would run away whimpering. He wouldn't be man enough to handle this girl. His screams would be in agony and defeat. Zakk if you have a problem with what I just said, feel free to call me any time. I'll take you on any day. I already handled Steven Segal and he has huge hands but plays narrow neck Strats.

This guitar on   Beauty of the Time mp3    240405_01

Alex, It was here when I reached home, First I sat and stared at it for a half hour, it came out beautiful, [AND I MEAN Beautiful] THANK YOU ALEX BABY' you have changed my life! I Plugged it in the Tech~21 , It is now My main guitar for sure!!!! The clean guitar tone is to die for. I played her for 2 hours strait, switching~back from clean to high gain, Both are amazingly clean and very responsive. I recorded the rhythm guitars on my new instrumental with the carvin, now I'm gonna redo all the parts this Friday with the Z~2~ Meaning Clean~ overdrive and of course solo's!! Give me some time to finish the tune then I'll send it over to you. The Spalted top ~ once again total eye candy!!!! It looks great with the oil finish, and the walnut wood matches really nicely. The case is really cool as well, thank you. I'm really gonna spend time with the guitar before I start recording, but I can tell you this, that it will be total progress with the whole performance! Once again' Thank you Alex, It really came out killer!! Well gotta go play now, so I'll be in jam land with my new Z~2!!!!!!    the Tuz

Alex, The guitar is great! I spent hours with it. Getting ready to print clean guitar tonight. My friend stopped by last night and loved it, he played it more than me, I said gimmie that back that's my baby!!! Simply a wonderful guitar! The spalted maple is even more beautiful than I expected. Balls to the wall tone from the bridge pickup, low notes are thick and bite at the same time' love it baby! The intonation is smack dead on, I never had such a true guitar to get my parts in right, until now. The clean guitar tones are truly amazing, you'll here that in my instrumental. Thank You Alex' Don't know about you but I'll be jammin' all night long!!!    the Tuz

Nice one!! Wooden concentric tone control. Cool new feature. Adds jazz tones without having to turn down the volume or add clutter to the top of the guitar. Looks very organic and classy w/ the body wood combo and multi colored/multi wood fret board dots. When you do things for looks it always kicks ass and is a natural extension of the instrument but when other people do cosmetic frills it just looks like a gaudy distraction from the fact that those are actually a mass produced totally unremarkable guitars that sound and play like all the rest.

I noticed your little piece on the what's new page about making special hardware for Zachs and noting how others feel about the wide necks and special dimensions etc.. it really DOES make all the difference and we DO notice and appreciate the benefits that come from this specially designed hardware. The trem DOES move more, the feel is more natural and responsive. The headstock IS lighter and more balanced. The notes ARE more even in chords because of the construction and the fact that the poles on the pickups are larger AND actually line up with the strings. I hear it every day when I play.

Do NOT stop what you are doing and how you are going about it. It is all worthwhile even if only a few people actually care or notice. Screw the mainstream. Get what you need from them to bring us these special instruments. Any compromise with the real world will compromise their integrity. Keep on. Every time I slap on some new strings I always realize I will never need another solid body electric. The tone is SO happening.    -Eli

The new Z2 is really a work of art. The self-made concentric knobs were a great way to introduce the tone control feature, and the multi-colored fretboard markers make a powerful visual statement. That bridge pickup is going to hurt someone!!! Your 31st Z2 shows how these instruments are a true labor of love as opposed to a cynical effort to make "eye candy" like most of the boutique guys out there nowadays. No two of these guitars are alike, and every time I pull mine out of the case it blows my mind that I'm about to play the hell out of a one of a kind piece of genius. The hollow bodies should be amazing...
Robert S. Frankel

I better not let Gaia see the latest arrival as she might get jealous !! Only you would make your own wooden knobs for the stacked vol/tone, and only you would make them out of matching/contsrating woods. It's the subtle touches like this that help make your guitars the outstanding works of art they really are. And those coloured dot position markers are a very neat touch. I love the idea of a hot ceramic bridge p/up.

Sigh .... I'm really begining to to suffer cat withdrawal symptoms. We are just going to HAVE to get a moggy or two. As the famous diarist Dr Johnson wrote "a cat is necessary". But you might need to teach her a bit about technique, though - she should be using her RIGHT paw to pluck the strings....    Ludwik

Zach, Just checkin in to let you know how fine the new Z2 is looking. Love that walnut and the spalted maple is beautiful as well.. Every one you build just ruins my day 'cause I want one like it! Indeed that is one lucky cat to have such a fine instrument laying around to strum! No wonder my cats don't play-all my guitars are kinda boring! (although my calico cat Monday will occasionally wail some way-out jazz or modernist classical sounds on the piano when she wants some attention)    BT

Hi Alex, I've finally managed to get a good long look at 250405. It's a stunning piece of work man. Looks really radical with that spalted maple, like some great and cool cartoon hero's secret weapon ("Doorman" to the rescue ;-) ). Love the fingerboard. The ebony's got some figuring in it which is sweet and the multicolour dots set off the black board perfectly. Love the walnut. I always love the walnut ;-) Love the cat too. Sweet little Rock&Roll feline.

The wooden knob is perfect. Simple and elegant. Who else would come up with an idea like that? I mean, any other builder would've drilled an extra hole for a second pot and screwed heavy brass knobs on.

I know you go to great lengths to get every last detail right for our (the players) benefit. It shows. I pity all of the poor bastards having to play heavy unwieldy clunky pieces of flamed tonewood when they could have something like this guitar.

Just noticed you'll soon have new one up with top wood "unknown". Uh Oh. ;-)     Later, David.

I'm on my way, very xcited and bringing the Z~2. It should be a supernatural experience, I hope! I bet he falls in love with your guitar once he plays it. I will tell him about your guitars, I'm sure he may follow up, if he knows quality is just an E~mail away. Write me back if you can, I know your probably swamped with work, so I'll be home on Monday. So please get me if you can, I need to talk to you about the trip. I hope to follow up on another Z~2 in the future, the way I'm playing lately I'm afraid of wearing down the frets, so I would like to check with you on another one, when your all caught up. I hope you find it in schedule to build me another Z~2. My OTHER GUITARS, [meaning THE CARVINS ] MAY END UP ON EBAY. I WILL NEVER PART WITH MY Z2 , IT JUST HAS TO MUCH VALUE TO ME! bobby TUZ..

Alex, Unbelievable, the most amazing player I've ever seen! He loved your guitar! as soon as I took it out of the case he said, WOW that's really sweet, were did you get that? I had asked him if he had ever seen it before, he said no. then I told him how I got it, he loved it bro!!! He really played it well too! He noticed all the fine work that went in to the guitar,~ via~ the spalted top, and the fret inlays, everything! Alex, how I wish you were there to see his expression when I took it out, It was a big impact on the moment. Thank you , THE TUZ...

He really checked it out Alex. He asked about the pickups and the wood. He liked the feel of the neck, I remember that well. When we were taking pictures he asked me, how much does a guitar like that go for, I told him the price I paid, but more importantly I told him the super characteristics it has. I told him its the best for all applications meaning~the super strat~teli~ quack sound when played in the clean mode~ right to a well balanced fat tone from the bridge pickup! He took a good look at the pickups and asked me about them. I told him they were your soap bar pickups that are standard with the Zachary guitars. He really liked the shape as well, Its assume he said! The Inlays were a big hit! When I was taking my lesson He said to my friend, 'Check out the inlays' that's really cool! I told him that they were different choice woods that took the place of the usual ~mother of pearl inlays. Once again he took a sharp look! He really loved it Alex, Your guitar was a huge impact for this entire trip! Thank You, I hope I covered everything, you'll have to forgive me today, I'm still on cloud~999' 000.00! He was a supernatural experience!   Yours Truly,   Bobby Tuz...

Alex, the guitar is killer, everybody that sees it wants it. Be prepared to here from some people that have seen my guitar , they want to know were I got it. Thank you Again Alex, your the man !!!!! Bobby T...

I agree with Eli, these guitars are for heavyweight guitar players and anyone that just falls in love with the design and really don't know how to play well, should follow up on a production model guitar. I've been playing guitar for years and recording as well, and the Z2 is my top dog guitar.. So people make quality friend's with your guitar playing and learn all your 7 modes, then get your Zachary!! The Tuz!!

I've seen what that person said about you on your site, and people like that are way out of touch! My z2 is the best guitar I've ever owned, it records with a palet of tones, and I love my Z, so you don't ever listen to people like that, because I.m a pro when it comes to tone, and the Z is the Holy grail of Guitars! The Tuz!!!!