Home Page PRODUCTS AND PRICES Zachary Handcrafted Custom Guitars and Bass Contact
WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND FOR HOW MUCH
The First thing you should know: I do not build custom guitars. I let creativity dictate what I build. If I have an idea and it excites me I do it. Like a painter, I have my portfolio available and you simply choose which piece of work appeals to you. No piece can ever be exactly duplicated. Each guitar is one-of-a-kind.
Just pretend you go to an art gallery and view all the pieces. You can simply choose the guitar which appeals to you the most, pay for it and its yours.
You can choose any Zachary Guitar currently in stock. These instruments are listed and exhibited on the "Currently for Sale" page. Simply choose the guitar you want based on the specifications in the table.
CUSTOM GUITARS ?
Please understand: Even though a Zachary guitar is a completely handmade instrument, a Zachary guitar is NOT a "custom-made" instrument. These guitars are the result of many years of research and development in arriving at certain unique features, measurements and specifications. These characteristics are what I love in a guitar and in order to keep my guitars proprietary and consistent, all features, measurements and specifications must be standardized and stay constant. NO changes will be offered.
Zachary Guitars are built to my specifications and NOT YOURS. Zachary guitars are definitely not designed to generically satisfy the masses. Every guitar I make is built for ME ... NOT YOU. So you either love them or hate them, it does not matter to me. For this reason, I do realize that my guitars may not be for everyone. However ... if you happen to like what I like in a guitar and agree with my design concepts and philosophy, then my guitar is for you.
"Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better." - Andre Gide
It would be a fantastic experience knowing NOTHING about the instrument beforehand, other than who is making it and what kind of work to expect, and having it show up and being surprised. - John B
HOW TO ORDER A ZACHARY GUITAR
You must QUALIFY first. That's Right ... QUALIFY.
Anyone can buy a Zachary Guitar, however you need to follow the procedure to qualify. Its very simple actually. You need to send me a video of yourself playing the guitar. Just a simple video of you sitting in a chair playing. Sound quality is of no concern. I will then forward this video to the Z Committee - the inner circle - (a group of dedicated Z guitar owners), who will decide whether or not a Z guitar is right for you or if you even need a Zachary Guitar.
Your playing ability and technique is not the most important consideration and not the deciding factor. Its a combination of many factors. I do however want to be sure that you will be able to actually use a Zachary guitar. No reason for you to buy a Zachary guitar if you cannot use or appreciate one. That will not make either one of us happy.
If you have a problem with this or know in your heart that you don't qualify for a Zachary guitar, then just go to your local guitar boutique and they will be more than happy to take your credit card. All they want is your money. Just like any prostitute, they will get down on their knees, perform their service without any emotion towards you. A totally impersonal and shallow transaction based on mutual self interest. ... I will offer you a lot more and in exchange I am interested in knowing what's in your soul.
This is what I currently build:
Body Shape
Z1 my original body shape, first drawn by me in my basement around 1995 or 96
Z2 an original and the definitive Z shape, introduced August 24, 2000 and the body Zachary Guitars is most famous for. When people think Zachary they most likely think Z2
Z3 reminiscent of a Stratocaster but not the exact same shape and a smaller body in size
D1 based on that "cheesy" fifties Danelectro guitar some of us like so much
F1 based on the Telecaster, I reinvented this guitar and believe to have made it as it should have been in the first place, had Leo been a guitar player
F1-C This is is the exact same shape as the F1 but has my personal contouring. The Tele with an edge
G1 based on the Gibson Les Paul
G2 based on the Gibson SG
G3 based on the Gibson Firebird
G4 based on the Gibson Moderne
R480 inspired by the awful Rickenbacker 480 gutiar from the 70s, which had the very cool and iconic body of the famous Rick 4000 bassTone Hole Option (only available on the Z1 and only possible with certain woods)
Body Wood
I use whatever woods I currently have in stock at any one time or what I find in the dupster at Home Depot.
Almost anything goes, there are no rules.
- Regular un-figured wood - (no extra charge)
- Figured wood - (extra charge, depending on the wood)
Neck shape and design
All necks come with 24 frets, with 12"-20" radius. The design of the necks are all with "Dynamic Action" neck contour and most with the "Uniplane, No-Tilt, Samurai Headstock" (unless I can't fit the tuners on).
Neck wood
Mahogany, Maple, Walnut (and others if I have it), almost anything goes, there are no rules.Fingerboard Wood
Maple, Rosewood, Bois de Rose, Ebony, Pau Ferro, Cocobolo, Bocote, Wenge, etc.
Almost anything goes, there are no rules.Fingerboard scale
From 24.5" to 26", in 1/4" increments or whatever I have at the moment.- Neck joint
Either Glued or Screwed
Hardware
Only the best and what my guitars were designed around. Most of the hardware I use is modified to my specifications. The must be in order to work on my high performance designs. These guitars are made to perform at high levels like a high-powered exotic sports car. If this is not what you need then buy a relic Fender or a Historic Gibson or any of the CNC made boutique guitars. You can take those and hang them up like a picture on the wall and look at them but you better play a Zachary or it will course your life. It needs to be played.
- Hardware finish
Nickel, Chrome, Black or Gold, whatever a particular theme calls for .pickups
Currently only my own designed ZachAttack pickups but I do have some DiMarzio that I use from time to time and I will also be getting into some other unique pickups as well as designing new models of ZachAttacks.
Setup
All my guitar are set up with Zachary Optimum Gauges strings. (The only correct string sets on the market)
Most guitars will be set up with the ZOG 10 set.
See the ZOG Strings page if you are not familiar why these strings have revolutionized the world and why you are an idiot if you play anything else.Finish
Only Oil finish is available on a Zachary Guitar. The oil finish is what makes these guitars feel so organic and natural. I want everyone to be able to feel the wood and not a thick plastic sticky coating. No condom covered guitars here. For that you need to go to a guitar shop. Due to the great variability among different pieces of wood in terms of grain structure, absorption properties, natural pigmentation and other factors, it is impossible to know in advance the final appearance of any stain or dye.
Natural Finishes:
These are unstained guitars showing the natural color of the wood without any coloration. They have an oil finish only without a colored stain.
Colored - (Stained Finishes):
These can be any color eg. Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, etc.Prices All prices are in U$ Dollars
Base Price for all Guitars and Basses: $2500 US (effective June 1, 2006)
I raised prices with much contemplation because I hate to be thought of as another boutique guitar maker. I am not into that boutique stuff and the stores that sell their stuff. I want my guitars to be affordable player's guitars. However almost all of my customers tell me I charge way below what these are worth and they are right. My customers forced me to raise the price. There is just way too much work and artistry involved and building guitars by hand is no way to make any money. Its a good thing I don't do it for the money. I agree these prices are more fare.
Price = $2500 US - for any guitar or bass made of regular in-stock wood, which is un-figured with non-laminated body and neck - plus you add on the price of any option you want listed below.- * Prices will increase according to what options and woods are used.
- Listed below are the options available and the additional charges for these options.
Deposits
If I agree to build you a guitar with some of your preferences then I require a $500 nonrefundable deposit before I can start on the instrument and add you to the waiting list. The balance will be due upon completion of the instrument.
*If I spot a victim in all of this, it's anyone who spent that much money on one of his guitars.
GregP - anonymous guitar forum poster and budding luthier (Ottawa Canada)
Base Price: $2500 - plus any of the following features
Extra Features: add the following to the base price
Tremolo bridge - $300
Locking tuners - $50
1/21 tuners, with special buttons - $50
Extra humbucking pickup - $200
Tone Hole Option - $150
Plugs for neck screws - $100
Black or Gold Hardware - $50
Semi-Hollowbody - $300
Hollowbody - $500
Figured or exotic wood - $100 or more, depending on wood used
One piece solid body - $100 and up
Laminated solid body - $100
Multiple piece neck - $50
Paduak, Yellowheart, Bobinga, Rosewood or other exotic neck - $100
Ebony Fingerboard - $50
7-String - $300
8-String - $500
Custom form-fitted case - $120 (every guitar must be purchased with a case)Prices are listed for all in stock guitars on the "Currently for Sale" page.
Case: A quality hard-shell, form-fitted case is included with every guitar.
These cases are especially made to fit the various Zachary guitar body styles.Shipping charge
Domestic shipping, handling and insurance to Lower USA and Canada by UPS, is a flat charge of $80.
International worldwide shipping - customers pay actual shipping cost of US Postal Service. International shipping is around $150 (as of 2012)- I hope everything is clear as mud.
- Ask any questions you like, as long as they are not stupid questions because they irritate me.