When I was passing through the loan shops of the a bit ruff side of town, I actually saw a Zager. According to the paper glued to the back it was a 80 series.
So I faked serious interest and tried it out. Mind you, this is the first time I had the chance to test one for a bit longer.
First, it is not a bad guitar, this. Comparable to the better MiC guitars out there, I would say from materials and construction on par with the Thoman own brand Harley Benton that sells for $350ísh. So on par with Yamaha FG, I would say.
It was neat and tidy, so much is true.The neck was about straight with almost no relief at all and the action was about average. I thought, the action would have been lower - but not with this one.
What was lower was the height of the frets. It was easy to play, I give it that. The frets were so low, I could for the life of me not pull it sharp by pressing harder on the strings. Beginner friendly, I would say. Strings were light, light lighter. My guess would be 0.010, maybe even 0.009 and t 0.048, tops 0.050 for the low E. Those light strings need more room, they tend to vibrate more than fatter strings and that is possibly the reason for the higher action.
With taller frets and fatter strings, a bit more relief, it would have been a good guitar, comparable with a Yamaha FG-series.
But the catch is the price tag. Denny Zagers Magification adds so much to the price, it is no relation to what you get. If I would buy a really good Yamaha for what Zager calls up for, I would have a hugely better guitar. .