193 - 190718
Body Style: ZS
Body Wood: Sapele (African Mahogany)
Neck Wood: Rosewood
Fingerboard Wood: Ebony
Scale: 624 mm (vintage Gibson)
Tuners: Gotoh sealed
Frets: 24 .110 & .09
Pickups: N- DM 170N Blue Velvet 6.15K; M - DM 176 True Velvet 6.5K with plate; B - DiMarzio Air Zone 17.5K
Controls: master Volume and Tone/coil cut, 3 On/Of switches
Neck Joint: Spiked
Strings: Zachary Optimum Tensions, 10++ RW set
Weight: 6.9 lb. with arm
Price: $2500 USD + extras, + case
Inspiration
Here you are seeing the very first Zachary ZS model. This is to be distinguished from the Z-Strat model in that the Z-Strat has the exact Stratocaster body shape, while the ZS starts out as an exact vintage Strat shape but has the additional body cuts; specifically the cut-down lower horn and the body cut behind the bridge. This achieves something very important. The high fret access of the Stratocaster is not actually good if a 24-fret neck is used. While this smaller horn on the ZS makes high fret access exceptional. Additionally, the removed wood in the lower horn and behind the bridge also makes the body lighter, thus making the guitar lighter. Also, the ZS model is a thinner body at 42 mm, as opposed to the 44.5 mm of the vintage Stratocaster body. The thinner body also cuts down on the weight of the guitar.
This particular guitar also has the shorter vintage Gibson scale length. So, as you can imagine, what you have here is a very unique instrument and of course one of a kind, along with the "mission impossible" tremolo setup, which requires almost no tuning even with the most aggressive use.
Although, in recent years, Asian cookie-cutter, mass-produced, guitar-like objects have changed your perception of the cost and perceived value of a guitar. You will find, after many years and many guitar purchases, that you cannot "go cheap" when buying an instrument. You may actually be smart enough to come to this conclusion at some point. You can spend $300 on such an appliance but it is worthless if it feels alien to you and you do not lust to play it. It may look shiny but it will not deliver mechanically or tonally. Most importantly, it will NOT feel good. Like having to wear shoes or a shirt that do not fit your body and feel uncomfortable. You will not achieve anything by buying such an instrument for cheap. If you are not a serious player, of course none of this will matter to you. However, if you are a serious player, playing a machine-made, plastic covered appliance will leave you frustrated, uninspired and disinterested in playing. Sadly, some of you will never know why and will keep making the same mistake over and over again.
What you are looking at here and feeling it when playing it, is both, a high performance design and an organic creation, which is an extension of the player.
Most will never experience it. I hope you do.
