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Post by blueser7 on Mar 29, 2022 9:44:14 GMT -7
I mostly play electric, but would like an acoustic that is more "playable" than my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe. It's a nice guitar but since I don't play it a lot it's not easy to play. The reviews on the Zager guitars are really good and one of the selling points is their playability. Anyone have any experience with these? Thanks
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Mar 29, 2022 10:51:57 GMT -7
You might want to be more specific about what you mean by "playable". If it is the body shape, an OM or 000 will give a you a smaller body. If you're talking about scale length, the 000 is a shorter scale. I don't know about Zager, but honestly I would be nervous about an acoustic that is selling how playable it is if they don't define what they mean by that. Sometimes that's code for "sounds like crap" but it plays okay.
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Mar 29, 2022 10:53:42 GMT -7
^^^yep. Ovations were called “very playable.”
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Post by John on Mar 29, 2022 12:10:37 GMT -7
^^^yep. Ovations were called “very playable.” Jeezzz....I hated those guitars.
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Post by pcns on Mar 29, 2022 12:18:47 GMT -7
^^^yep. Ovations were called “very playable.” Jeezzz....I hated those guitars. but I loved the way . . . . they played
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Mar 29, 2022 12:39:14 GMT -7
^^^yep. Ovations were called “very playable.” Jeezzz....I hated those guitars. Feel free to ignore this guy's posts.
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Post by blueser7 on Mar 29, 2022 13:15:08 GMT -7
You might want to be more specific about what you mean by "playable". If it is the body shape, an OM or 000 will give a you a smaller body. If you're talking about scale length, the 000 is a shorter scale. I don't know about Zager, but honestly I would be nervous about an acoustic that is selling how playable it is if they don't define what they mean by that. Sometimes that's code for "sounds like crap" but it plays okay. By playable I was referring to playing bar chords, moving around the neck, etc. If I don't play acoustic very often I don't have the hand strength to properly play my current acoustic. Zager guitars are supposed to play more like electrics as far as chording, moving around the neck - not requiring as much hand strength while still creating clean notes / chords.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Mar 29, 2022 14:29:04 GMT -7
well, there are definitely guitars that play easier than others. Taylors are known to play easier than Martins. The Gibson should be very comfortable to play. My Ovation is easy to bend but i wouldn't say it's easier to play than others in terms of finger strength required to fret the strings. If it were me in your position, i'd get the Gibson set up to play more comfortably for yourself (have action lowered if possible, lower guage strings) and if it can't be set up to be comfortable, I'd sell it and get something else. Iit sounds like you should also be playing more frequently and not buying new guitars. There's not really a shortcut for not having the finger strength. Even playing electric more will build finger strength.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
[EDITED]
I know nothing about Zager guitars. Wish i could help.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 29, 2022 14:39:02 GMT -7
I've got a short scale (20") Taylor GS Mini in Koa that's terrific. I put 11's on it and it plays more like an electric than any other acoustic I've ever played. Bending the G even works...It's my favorite acoustic.
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Post by headshrinker (Marc) on Mar 29, 2022 14:43:09 GMT -7
I've played three of them. Know a guy who has two and one was at a GC. What I found was that the action and playability were really good up until the 8thish fret and then the action went up quickly to where,for me,it was high at the 12th fret. Though a bluegrasser would likely find it fine. The one at the GC being the worse. I would say Taylors, and a really well set up Gibson are your best bet for good action and playability all the way up the neck. In a lower price range, I've played some really nice Seagulls with wonderful action and playability with a good setup. Don't rule out Ovations over snobishness. Many of them play like electrics when properly setup, though they don't sound as good as wood. You don't really notice that until you play them against a wood guitar. If you are amplifying them that's really not an issue for most people. Also they can be had for really cheap at the moment.
If you don't know, and are old enough to remember it, Zager is Zager of Zager and Evans with the tune, In The Year 2525, fame, or is it infamy.
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Post by texasjim on Mar 29, 2022 15:44:28 GMT -7
I remember reading that, "If God had intended us to play Ovations,he would have put Velcro on our stomachs!" I always wanted an Ovation, played a couple,but never bought one. The high dollar ones with the carbon fiber tops really resonated. TexasJim
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Post by RickJames on Mar 29, 2022 15:45:07 GMT -7
Ovation has its own sound and I consider it , its own instrument . Electric, acoustic or Ovation. And I consider the tone of an Ovation only when amplified as they were designed . My . 02
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Post by RickJames on Mar 29, 2022 17:22:25 GMT -7
Did that make any since?? Lol
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Mar 29, 2022 18:36:02 GMT -7
You might want to be more specific about what you mean by "playable". If it is the body shape, an OM or 000 will give a you a smaller body. If you're talking about scale length, the 000 is a shorter scale. I don't know about Zager, but honestly I would be nervous about an acoustic that is selling how playable it is if they don't define what they mean by that. Sometimes that's code for "sounds like crap" but it plays okay. By playable I was referring to playing bar chords, moving around the neck, etc. If I don't play acoustic very often I don't have the hand strength to properly play my current acoustic. Zager guitars are supposed to play more like electrics as far as chording, moving around the neck - not requiring as much hand strength while still creating clean notes / chords. I'm going to assume that you mean you don't play acoustic very much, but you would like one that is comfortable for you to play. I'll save you the details, but as much as I love and prefer electric guitar and all the gear that goes with it, I have always needed and practically speaking use an acoustic more. I think I've finally settled on what I will probably have forever at this point, but I played so many acoustic over the years to find what I was looking for. If you have the time and don't need one soon, take the time and go to shops and play stuff. Play lots of guitars, and see if there are things on Craigslist that guys won't mind if you try it out. If a certain fit and feel is what you think you want beware of reading reviews and buying online. You can cover up electric gear that isn't great with other things in the chain. But you can't hide an acoustic that sounds like crap. It's also hard to keep an acoustic that sounds amazing, but just doesn't play right for you (I had a Martin Custom Shop 000-28, sounded like heaven but the short scale and skinny nut made it uncomfortable to play). If you need to plug the acoustic in to amplify it make sure that you take the time to plug it in and make sure it sounds like an actual acoustic plugged in. I've learn all these lessons the hard way, but I also kinda enjoyed the ride to land on my current acoustic. Most of my big mistakes that weren't fun involved buying an acoustic online. Some stores have policies that can help save you with that. I bought a used Martin from GC and had it shipped to my local GC. I had it home and tuned up for a few hours and knew for sure that I didn't like it and it didn't sound like any of the reviews of that model. The buy used return policy saved me on that. I was only out the shipping costs.
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Post by blueser7 on Mar 30, 2022 7:17:52 GMT -7
By playable I was referring to playing bar chords, moving around the neck, etc. If I don't play acoustic very often I don't have the hand strength to properly play my current acoustic. Zager guitars are supposed to play more like electrics as far as chording, moving around the neck - not requiring as much hand strength while still creating clean notes / chords. I'm going to assume that you mean you don't play acoustic very much, but you would like one that is comfortable for you to play. I'll save you the details, but as much as I love and prefer electric guitar and all the gear that goes with it, I have always needed and practically speaking use an acoustic more. I think I've finally settled on what I will probably have forever at this point, but I played so many acoustic over the years to find what I was looking for. If you have the time and don't need one soon, take the time and go to shops and play stuff. Play lots of guitars, and see if there are things on Craigslist that guys won't mind if you try it out. If a certain fit and feel is what you think you want beware of reading reviews and buying online. You can cover up electric gear that isn't great with other things in the chain. But you can't hide an acoustic that sounds like crap. It's also hard to keep an acoustic that sounds amazing, but just doesn't play right for you (I had a Martin Custom Shop 000-28, sounded like heaven but the short scale and skinny nut made it uncomfortable to play). If you need to plug the acoustic in to amplify it make sure that you take the time to plug it in and make sure it sounds like an actual acoustic plugged in. I've learn all these lessons the hard way, but I also kinda enjoyed the ride to land on my current acoustic. Most of my big mistakes that weren't fun involved buying an acoustic online. Some stores have policies that can help save you with that. I bought a used Martin from GC and had it shipped to my local GC. I had it home and tuned up for a few hours and knew for sure that I didn't like it and it didn't sound like any of the reviews of that model. The buy used return policy saved me on that. I was only out the shipping costs. Thanks for responding, Yes I didn't do a very good job of explaining that I don't play acoustic much. I play my electrics probably 90+ percent of the time (got to get them Z's cranking) so when I do try to play my Gibson Songwriter I struggle. It's a really nice guitar and if I play it several days or so in a row it gets easier but it's still not comfortable hand wise to me. This got me thinking I needed to go try some Taylors as I remember from years ago they claimed and seemed a little easier to play but I had it in mind I wanted the Gibson at that time. I seen these adds for Zager always popping up so I started looking to see what they were about and initially every review I was reading just raved about them. Since posting this I have found some acoustic guitar forums that talk about a lot of sketchy stuff when it comes to Zager, even though a lot of people were still singing there praises. I've seen enough negative things at this point that I'll be going back to my original plany and see if I can find a Taylor (or other name brand) that fits my hands better. Thanks
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Post by headshrinker (Marc) on Mar 30, 2022 7:46:43 GMT -7
One other thing. You might want to try going to a lighter gauge string on your Gibson. Don't be afraid to go to 10s/extra lights, if you aren't already. If you want an acoustic to play more like an electric, they will get you closer. At the worst, you won't like them.
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Post by nick0 on Mar 30, 2022 7:49:25 GMT -7
I think Taylor's higher end models are the best sounding and playing acoustics... to me anyway. I have an 814CE DLX V Class and wow! It doesn't disappoint in any way. However, I play unplugged most of the time. If you are playing amped, I have heard some less expansive, small, and really easy to play guitars sound great through a PA. Good luck!
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Mar 30, 2022 8:12:57 GMT -7
Many have mentioned adjusting your Gibson. That guitar should be able to be setup to your liking. I played my buddy’s and found it very easy to play. As for your question regarding Zager guitars; do a little deeper investigation of the company, it’s history and marketing. I did. I didn’t buy one. If you decide to buy a new guitar, go around and play as many as you can. I think this is particularly important with acoustic guitars.
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Post by JonesKY on Apr 5, 2022 10:48:29 GMT -7
I mostly play electric, but would like an acoustic that is more "playable" than my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe. It's a nice guitar but since I don't play it a lot it's not easy to play. The reviews on the Zager guitars are really good and one of the selling points is their playability. Anyone have any experience with these? Thanks blueser7, my $.02... have the Gibson setup - if it's not playable for casual practicing, then you probably won't play it at all (which may be what's going on). further, there was something you liked about the guitar in the first place, so consider working with it instead of moving to a Zager (etc) that'll have its own list of short-comings. "the greener grass on the other side". consider the following (because a Gibson flattop CAN be setup to play well): 1) lower the string slots in the nut - many times the height is way too high here; fretting a barred F and a barred G should be equally easy and sustaining. 2) set the neck relief low and likewise ensure the bridge saddle is adjusted so the string action is medium-low at the 12th fret. 3) use lighter gauge strings: 10-47 Phosphor Bronze (Elixirs are easy to play, sound good, and last a long time). if you're playing around the house or live with a mic or plugging in, the effect of the lighter strings won't impact your tone enough to be a problem. if recording or playing acoustically with others, then heavier strings may give you more bass and volume; however, it still may not matter enough to change. hope it works out well for you. I'd work with the Gibson 10:1 over a Zager.
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Post by spencer096 on Apr 7, 2022 8:27:22 GMT -7
honestly, this sounds like something a new set of strings and a week of solid practice would fix more than anything else.
one of my fav things to do when im in a guitar plateau is to focus on bass (strung up with bridge cable labella flats) for a week. when i come back to guitar, my hands are so much stronger and in better shape it doesnt matter if im playing my strat w 10's, 335 with 11's or my guild with 13's, they all feel as slinky as billy gibbons' banjo strings.
cosigned with a few above...i wouldnt get rid of a gibson for a zager.
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Post by djcakadave on Apr 7, 2022 8:37:59 GMT -7
I've got a short scale (20") Taylor GS Mini in Koa that's terrific. I put 11's on it and it plays more like an electric than any other acoustic I've ever played. Bending the G even works...It's my favorite acoustic. I've got one as well and I love it, it sounds much bigger than it appears! I will have to try the 11's on her the next time I change strings!? Oh and very "Playable"
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Apr 7, 2022 9:31:49 GMT -7
I've got a short scale (20") Taylor GS Mini in Koa that's terrific. I put 11's on it and it plays more like an electric than any other acoustic I've ever played. Bending the G even works...It's my favorite acoustic. I've got one as well and I love it, it sounds much bigger than it appears! I will have to try the 11's on her the next time I change strings!? Oh and very "Playable" I just went to 10/47s and it still sounds great. Slinky, great on bends. I thought it would lose all it's tone but it's still really nice.
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