Members twosticks Posted November 12, 2010 Members Share Posted November 12, 2010 Hello, I have a question for the guitar players. Are the Esteban Guitars you've seen on the infomercials and HSN really good or is it just hype?? http://esteban-guitars.com/ My mildly mental handicap son had a First Act acoustic and about a year ago and got a entry level Yamaha electric guitar with a practice amp and such. Esteban guitars claim to have all the lessons where anyone can learn, and have a nice amp that came make an acoustic guitar go to electric by a button on the amp. A guy at our church has shown him 3 chords, (C, D and G?) and told him that's all he needs to get started. My stepson doesn't really practice so he seem to learn a little bit but doesn't go passed that. Also I've been wondering since I don't hear of any Esteban's concerts or shows until just as his commercials come on. Thanks for any help! Truly, Sticks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cearleywine Posted November 12, 2010 Members Share Posted November 12, 2010 My brother in law has one. I tuned it up, checked it out and played a bit. Definitely better than a First Act, of course being an infomercial it's really hyped up but it seems right for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WhiplashBand Posted November 12, 2010 Members Share Posted November 12, 2010 For giggles one night I Googled around to see what people thought of the Esteban guitars... I some pro and some con... mostly con. An example from Guitar Reviews Online JUNK, July 01, 2010Reviewer: Larry Hansen from Washington i am a guitar tech for a music store in Washington. I have seen a couple of hundred Esteban guitars and not one of them was good enough for anybody to play or learn on. A beginner would be doomed to fail with this guitar. People bring them in and expect to get them fixed for 20-30 dollars but it is never that cheap and I just tell them to throw it away and go to a good music store in there area. Buy the cheapest one there and it will play 10 times better then these. However, there's also reviews like this one: Reviewer: Joshua Walker from California, USA I was amazed at the price of this guitar... $215 including shipping. I NEVER buy anything off TV, but since I have heard Esteban's music in my parents house, I thought...."let me give this a try." Let me tell you. I was blown away by the craftsmanship for $200. I have a Martin d-45, and a Vintage Taylor, and although the natural sound quality was not as good, it was almost as good as the D-45. I agree that the guitar cable was pretty poor in quality, but since it came with strings, picks, a strap, a case, an amp, the guitar cord and DVD's...plus the guitar! It seems like I should have paid at least $800 for this guitar.... I am very satisfied with my purchase.....I don't quite understand what those bad reviews are.....maybe from people who really don't know much about guitars...anyway, I'm happy.... As I said, the VAST mojority of reviews I've seen are negative, so buy with caution I'd say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted November 12, 2010 Members Share Posted November 12, 2010 4, 5 years ago friend of mine calls me up out the blue to tune this guitar he bought for his kid. IIRC it was that QVC Esteban thing. I went over tuned it by ear, jangled on it went through the House of the Rising Sun lesson - it was alright. Plenty good for learning. Course the sourcing is bound to change over the years but that one passed admirably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members moronmountain Posted November 12, 2010 Members Share Posted November 12, 2010 Yamaha makes the best acoustic guitars for the money IMO. Anytime I know someone who wants to learn, I find them a deal on a decent Yamaha and tell them to get some Mel Bay's guitar books. I know several people who have taught themselves this way. He should stay away from electrics until he's a solid acoustic player. His hands will get strong much faster, and he'll learn all the open chords first. I learned on electric and it set me back 2-3 years. In my experience, if you cheap out too much on a guitar you want want to play it. It will have bad intonation, won't stay in tune, and have crappy action making it sound and play like doo doo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vinniewannabe Posted November 12, 2010 Members Share Posted November 12, 2010 A friend of mine bought one off of QVC and he brought it in to work. That particular guitar was a piece of {censored}. I could not keep in tune whatsoever. I would litterally play three chords and it got out of tune. I really couldn't even believe it. It was one of the worst guitars I ever tried to keep in tune. Now, for the price, I think it's still was worth it because not only do you get the guitar, but you get 7 or 8 DVD's of songs to play and instruction, plus a little amp, and picks, case and other associated trinkettes. So, it's not a total loss. The thing is, the guitar, or at least that one I played, was unplayable. You ALWAYS get what you pay for. I dunno, I think the people who buy these guitars and give a positive review really don't know much about guitars. I mean, my buddy barely knew the thing was out of tune...lol he couldn't hear it because he was inexperienced, that's all. Not that people are stupid, they just don't know better because they just want something cheap to start. Estaban gives you all that stuff for a very good price..so it's attractive to beginners. If you are a pro, you will NOT be buying this thing. The guitars that Estaban plays on the QVS shows are not the same as what they sell. His guitar sounds great!! I am not sure how he sleeps at night but he is a genius business man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members satman Posted November 13, 2010 Members Share Posted November 13, 2010 PIECE OF {censored} !save your money sticks,REALLY.let me check my stash man I might have those lessons, if so ,your kid can have them. what about the amp is it that you like ?does his acoustic have a pickup ?a sweet little marshall practice amp is about 99 bucks . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cearleywine Posted November 13, 2010 Members Share Posted November 13, 2010 Yamaha makes the best acoustic guitars for the money IMO. agreed. Their intermediate stuff is solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted November 13, 2010 Members Share Posted November 13, 2010 Get him a used seagull. Canadian made, and you can get used ones around $250. That, and a good book should last for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twosticks Posted November 13, 2010 Author Members Share Posted November 13, 2010 Thanks very much for all the advice!! My stepson pawned the First Act acoustic and doesn't really practice with the Yamaha electric, he will mostly just play in the background the same stuff over and over. His mom and I were wanting to know since Esteban said his acoustic had an amp, cord and stuff. IF we do ever get him an acoustic or I want to learn, It will be something like a decent Yamaha or Seagull like you guys have listed. That way it will stay in tune for him and make it easier to work with. I couldn't tune it anyway. Also the main with my stepson is that he is always starting something and then quits doing it later on. Early this year, he wanted to take Karate lessons, so he signed up and was going regularly, his instructor works where my wife works and was hoping "John was feeling better so he could come back and practice". Seems the past couple weeks he has been missing some lessons and hanging out with friends. No big deal except that we have still been paying for the lessons like regular. I think is like my Yamaha Stage Custom drums, is just so much better sounding, stays in tune and much better hardware than my cheap Pearl copy first set. Makes it more fun to practice. Yamaha makes a lot of great stuff, Drums, Guitars, Motorcycles, PAs, Stereos, etc. Wish they made a car or computer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members satman Posted November 13, 2010 Members Share Posted November 13, 2010 hey sticks i found those dvdsif you want them pm me your address.they are still in the wrap, never opened, 10 all in all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted November 13, 2010 Members Share Posted November 13, 2010 No.. If you get one for $50 bucks it's better than nothing but no.. Wouldn't pay good money for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twosticks Posted November 14, 2010 Author Members Share Posted November 14, 2010 hey sticks i found those dvdsif you want them pm me your address.they are still in the wrap, never opened, 10 all in all Are these the lessons? That would be cool, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members satman Posted November 14, 2010 Members Share Posted November 14, 2010 Are these the lessons? That would be cool, thanks! yepperpm me your address Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 6topher Posted November 15, 2010 Members Share Posted November 15, 2010 absolutely not, no. but I do sometimes get hypnotized by the infomercial, maybe it's the hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lossforgain Posted November 18, 2010 Members Share Posted November 18, 2010 Complete and utter crap I wouldn't wish on anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chuck E. Mong Posted December 20, 2013 Members Share Posted December 20, 2013 Opinion, opinions. Better late than never. I bought one from QVC but returned it after it arrived and found that one of the braces was cracked inside. I later fell for the Duende package. It's not a bad guitar though it's a bit heavy for an acoustic. The trouble I had was the "stone" inlays in the fingerboard were plastic and what I thought he said was inlaid decorations are nothing more than decals. I think his methods of instruction are a good way for a beginning to start playing although like he says, you have to use the rewind and keep playing until you get a part down before going on. For a kid the fingerboard might be kind of big. For all that you get I don't think it's a bad price. I'm sure the Randy Jackson models they are now offering are probably made by the same Chinese factory. A few years back I found an Esteban Midnight Legacy electric guitar package at a New England store that sells close out items. There were 3 left and 2 of them were broken. The one I got for $75. had almost the whole package with amp, DVD and strings etc. I probably wouldn't buy another one from QVC but thanks to the opinions of music store owner-types that want to sell you some of their stuff you should be able to find them at a reasonable price. When my Dad was shopping for a Christmas electric for me the owner of the store where I took lessons talked him into an Aria Les Paul instead of the Gibson L6 that I wanted and would still have if I had gotten that. Oh well, at least he talked him into a real Gibson strap. One more thing: I don't think that a guitar is a good gift to buy for someone else unless they are there to try it out or you know that's the exact one that they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members race81 Posted December 20, 2013 Members Share Posted December 20, 2013 haha...thread revival......never seen this post before, but one of our local music stores had one on hand, and not for sale. it was bought for the soul purpose of camparing crap to a lower end acoustic. Those guitars are truly junk.....at least the one they had was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GodFog Posted February 10, 2020 Members Share Posted February 10, 2020 I've read all of the comments posted here & while I appreciate the info., I'm a bit taken back by them. I've been playing for 40+ yrs. & have had some really GOOD guitars...& some really BAD guitars. I'd been looking for an inexpensive "Classical/Nylon string" guitar just for playing around the house with. I didn't want & or needed to spend a lot of money for one as it was just for myself. I went to a "Reputable Music Store" website in their "Used Guitars" for sale & came across the: "Esteban Duende" black Classical/Nylon string guitar for sale for $50.00! It had the "Inlays/Decals" on the front & back, with "Active Electronics" in it, with a hardshell case for it. I bought it! I didn't have ANY "pre-conceived" ideas about it & or "bias-ed pre-judgements" ahead of getting it in hand. I'd heard of this "Brand-name" in the past before, somewhere, but I didn't recall it's origin. I'd learned that buying a guitar is up to the individuals personal preference & likes/dislikes & to "keep an open mind" when choosing a guitar. Certain "Basic principal's" should apply when choosing a guitar to buy. Those that have some yrs. under their belts with playing guitar, know "WHICH" guitars are known to be "BETTER" makes/models & brands than others. Of course, the "BETTER" the manufacturer "NAME/BRAND" is, the MORE the cost of the guitar & usually, the quality & guitar playability/sound also! Upon receiving the "Esteban" guitar, I sat down & started to play it. For me, I was very surprised & delighted to find, that the "action, intonation, neck, fret width, tuning, SOUND & BUILD, were ALL BETTER than I had expected & anticipated! In ALL, I was very pleasantly surprised by this guitar! Now then, is it EQUAL TO: "Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Guild, Goya, Fender, Yamaha" brand guitars? ABSO- LUTELY NOT!...BUT...was...I...happy with my purchase & guitar? VERY! It "Filled" my "NEED(s)/WANT(s)" for a "Nylon string/Classical style" guitar. I'm NOT using & or playing it out every night in a "Professional" setting & or trying to "Impress" anyone with "HOW MUCH I SPENT" on it either! I had checked this guitar over carefully to make sure it was "solid" in it's build, neck reinforcement, structural build & playability & sound quality..for...ME & MY..."NEED(s) & WANT(s)"...& I am VERY pleased with my guitar!...&...THAT... is the important thing! I didn't expect or anticipate it playing/sounding/ looking/ BEING...a $500.00 & up "Type or Brand" of guitar! I paid for a "Used" guitar! I put a set of "Grover" tuner's on it ONLY because I had an extra set at home & I personally prefer them to ALL other tuner's! This guitars "Active Electronics" on it worked just fine for WHAT I NEEDED & WANTED from it!...My "POINT" in ALL of "THIS" is that a guitar is a "personal" thing. IF a person buys a guitar that THEY are HAPPY with...THAT'S...the MOST IMPORTANT "FACTOR" of ALL! IF it does'nt "MEET" your needs & or wants... Do NOT...buy it! You won't be disappoint- ed then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted February 10, 2020 Moderators Share Posted February 10, 2020 hard to be disappointed when you pay $50 for a guitar...I'm jus'sayin'... so enjoy your guitar! Most of the negativity about the Esteban thing was more about the hype/BS, and the really terrible marketing program. I'm sure the guitar is as good as most Chinese made classicals... And please, ease up on the capital letters, we see that as yelling, not emphasis..emphasis is done with BOLD or italics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mbengs1 Posted February 11, 2020 Members Share Posted February 11, 2020 Esteban guitars suck, man. just get taylor or martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted February 11, 2020 Moderators Share Posted February 11, 2020 5 hours ago, mbengs1 said: Esteban guitars suck, man. just get taylor or martin well, sorry, not everyone can afford to drop over a thousand dollars on a guitar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted February 12, 2020 Members Share Posted February 12, 2020 Maybe they're like a couple tausen peso ober dere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted February 12, 2020 Moderators Share Posted February 12, 2020 current conversion rate is like 50.5 to 0ne...so a $1000 ax would cost 50, 500 pesos there...if you can get one. In teh old days when there were US bases all over the PI, you could find some USA made guitars/amps at the PXs and some servicemen were selling their US made gear; now, not so much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted February 12, 2020 Members Share Posted February 12, 2020 Kidding about the China syndrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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