Esteban Steel String Acoustic Bundle

I teach guitar and do minor repairs and maintenance at a local music store. I recently got a chance to get a close look inside an Esteban when a customer brought one in to our shop. With the preamp taken out, you could clearly see that the neck joint was held together with HOT GLUE. Yes, hot glue.

It's not surprising the action is awful and the guitar sounds terrible - and the preamp was bad. I was a little shocked that the customer was actually able to get a replacement preamp shipped to them for free within a week or so... but they still ended up having to pay us for diagnosis and repair.

If you unwound the strings, you might be able to use them on another guitar. That is about the only feature. Everything else on this guitar is FAKE.
Perhaps they should call this a "genuine simulated, faux guitar".
I didn't realize you could "chrome plate" plastic. (actually it's some sort of shiney foil)
It does have one other feature: odor. It smells like a chemical factory on steroids. Maybe they should offer an optional gas mask.

Hollow - muddy - no resonance - no sustain - strange buzz. The only thing that comes to mind is "giant wood kazoo".
(apologies to kazoo lovers)

Action: so high you could drive a truck under the strings. (that's how you hide fret buzz due to poor construction)
Fit: Hey, with half a gallon of wood filler, the fit seems fine. (of course the guitar is now heavier than an anvil)
Finish: Can you say "flaws"? Sure you can.
But here is the killer: the frets are mis-alligned and uneven, rendering this guitar virtually impossible to play.
Just for fun I checked the intonation and placement of the bridge. "Close" now counts for horse shoes, hand grenades AND Estebans.

I am of two opinions:
1. If you actually play this thing, it will probably fall apart piece by piece. (the bridge is starting to pull up and two of the tuners are so hard to twist, I'm sure they will fail)
2. If you become discouraged, put it in the closet and never play it again, it will probably have great durability.

Before you buy and Esteban, you need to ask yourself a question:
How much do you think it will cost to package, ship and insure a worthelss guitar?
But, there is good news: If it gets lost during transit, you might get some money back.

A young lady who believed the infomercials brought me her Esteban, hopeing I could resurrect it. I had to tell her the only "carpenter" with that much moxy lived 2,000 years ago. She is now one of the many who buy a piece of crap, become discouraged and never learn to play.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR - Buy a different guitar - ANY GUITAR. I'd be willing to bet than most $200 guitars on Ebay are of better quality. (at lease on Ebay you actually stand a chance of receiving a playable guitar)

Electronics buzz, no difference in equalizer regardless of settings. Exterior looks okay once you get past the chemical toxic smell after 2 weeks in the garage.

Sound does not sustain and dead.

Strings are 1/4" inch high and the thing is unplayable for beginners. Bleeding finger instrument even for us with callused fingers.

Who knows it's brsnd new.

They do not ever answer the phone. On hold forever then it hangs up.

This Esteban character should have a class action lawsuit, not for the guitar but for the chemicals he has you breathing when you open up this packaged piece of junk guitar. He should be beat over the head with the guitar.

Features: From a distance it looks just like a guitar.

Sound: If you have no experience with any other guitars, it will sound great. But if you play it in the same room with any other guitar, you will be dissapointed.

Action, Fit & Finish: For inexpensive guitars, below average. In comparison to any mid-range guitar, the action fit and finish are very poor. See Overall Rating (below)

Reliability/Durability: I'm not sure this catagory applies. If a product comes from the factory with all sorts of defects, the implication of reliability and durability is irrelevant.

Customer Support: Not sure. People bring Estebans to me that need work. I wonder why they want to pay me instead of seeking a remidy from the seller?

A "friend" of a "friend" believed the Infomericals and bought an Esteban package deal. I fix guitars so he brought it to me. His Esteban is only a few weeks old and he needs someone to do the following:
1. Set up the action.
2. Replace the strings.
3. Touch up blemishes in the finish.
4. Clamp it in a vise for a week to un-twist the neck.
5. Figure out which frets are buzzing.
6. Figure out where the other buzz is coming from. (I suspect nut slots that are too wide for the B and high E strings.
7. Replace the pots to get rid of the static.
8. Replace amp cable to eliminate the hum.

If I rebuild it, he might end up with a midiocre guitar! I told him to find someone else to waste time on his Esteban. I'm busy working on good guitars.

Finish:Black, Glossy
Body Style:Dreadnought
Tuners:not sure
Accessories:Nice case
Made in 2005
20 frets
Built in electonics
Body: Spruce top, rosewood fretboard, mother of pearl inlade.

The sound got alot better when I replace the stings with D'Addario light strings. The stings that came with it buzzed alot. It doesnt sound to bad for an inexpensive guitar.

The action is a little high. I intend to have if brought down a little next time I replace the strings. The finish is good the saddle seem solid. Nothing is loose

I belive this guitar will last with proper care. I seems to be very solid. It is not at all seem like the guitar I see described in alot of online reviews.

One year warranty. Never had to deal with the company

I had this guitar given to me by some who lost interest in playing. I have to say for the price it it not a bad guitar. I would recomend to any wanting to take up the guitar. I am happy with mine and is not at all like the guitars I read about on online. I have yet to experiencs the problems peaple are having them. The most common complaint I see is action, well that is an easy fix and it is a matter of preference. Some like high action and alot of guitar come from the factory with high action and most guitarist have their guitar set up the way the like.

Black, cutaway dreadnought. 20 frets. Includes an unknown pickup with a little equilizer. The only information about the composition of this guitar is that it is made out of wood (no kidding, no other info). You can assume the worst. Tuners are of unknown brand and one was defective. the neck was refered to as a "basebal bat" by the guitar tech who worked on it. The fret board wood is unknown but appears to be some sort of soft wood that has a stain that smudges off if your hands are sweating. It came with MANY accessories. Some of them were OK (case, little amp, tuner) some were totally broken. In fact the $49 value solid wood stand was so cheap that it self-destructed in shipping. Apparently "solid wood" can be used to describe really cheap pressed board.

From the factory the sound was quite poor. When using a pick it had a dull lifeless sound. when finger picking it had the sound of a cigar box guitar. I had an excellent tech work on it and with quite a bit of work (chaning the action, strings, etc.) the sound improved but it still sounded dull to me with little sustain. I would have to say that I was not impressed with the sound of this guitar. It was not nearly as good as a $50 closeout "First-Act" that I bought at a Walmart.

Gasp! Really horrible. The action was nosebleed high, my fingers were in severe pain after playing for a couple of minutes. The "D" tuning machine was totally defective and I had to replace it. On the surface the guitar looked OK but if you held it up to the light you could actually see light coming through at points where the side met the back of the guitar. In other words, there were places where only the binding was holding the thing together. It was clear that there was absolutely NO quality control.

If you look at my comments above the answer is evident. Despite Esteban's claims that you will pass the guitar down for generations it is likely that it will fall apart in a couple of years (if you are lucky). I'm not a professional player, but I can't imagine taking this guitar anywhere, even a campout.

not used

I have to admit that I was seduced by the Home Shopping Network...how could I have been so stupid! The seduction started with Esteban playing this thing (or at least a guitar that looked like it). It sounded pretty good. Then there was a plea from "the great Esteban" how he wanted to give the world the gift of music (BS). Then there were all those accessories, little amp, case, tuner, etc. Finally, the "testimonials" "best guitar ever" "I'm giving one to all of my children." Esteban tells you that this guitar is conservatively a $500 guitar and hints that it really is worth about $1000. Gasp, what a lie. It is bad enough if you buy one but have other guitars to compare it. If you are new to guitar playing this guitar could kill your aspirations on the spot. Honestly, it is a piece of junk, don't buy it. Take you $200 buck and go to a music store. If you are flat broke take your $100 and go to Walmart.

I liked the shiny black finish.I would have been a little more comfortable playing if the body style was not quite so big.I liked some of the accesories,such as the tuner and the extra strings,but the cord was very in expensive,you would be better off buying one at your local music store if you use the amplifier.I didn`t notice much of a difference when you used the 3 band equalizer

I started out playing guitar at age 13 with a Mel bay chord book.After playing many styles,I have come to the acoustic guitar in a search for simplicity,as well as tradition.I guess I would call my style mellow rock with a splash of country thrown in.I prefer the Esteban without the free amplifier...It just doesn`t need it...I was impressed with the clarity and brightness that this guitar produces.Major chords sound great,and single note leads are full and easy to hear.I can`t wait until I get my callousses back to really open up on this guitar.

I liked the way the strings were neatly trimmed at the tuning pegs,no sharp edges here.The strings were a little high towards the bottom of the neck,but a little work with the truss rod healed that.Again I don`t care for the feature of having an acoustic guitar with a pickup,or an equalizer...Call me a purist,I guess...So I am not one to judge the quality ,since I don`t use either.The guitar was well put together,it looks beautiful.For the money,you just can`t beat it...You may want to make sure the tuning machines are not loose,I tightened up the high E and have had no problem with tuning since...

I get together with a group of old timers every Thursday night,around 20 to 40 players,depending on the weather...Many have Estebans,and the majority are well pleased with their durability.If you want any guitar to last you must play it with responsibility and affection.Some younger, angst ridden youth who don`t have the knowledge or experience about the care of a guitar could easily trash any guitar.I have found this to be a very dependable guitar,and I would like another one in my collection...I would be willing to pay more IF it was made and crafted in the USA.

I have not needed to put this guitar in the shop at this time,I believe that it has a year warranty.I don`t like the idea of customer support through the telephone.I hope that there is a website available for customer support ?

I have been playing for over 30 years.My only other acoustic is an old , old Harmony archtop with an S hole on both sides.I have put that guitar in mothballs since I bought my Esteban.I love the great price and the value .What I treasure most is the 5 dvd`s that come with the package.I was self taught and always felt incomplete ,as far as my knowledge of chords and playing techniques.Estsban has given me the confidence to introduce a song to my guitar playing buddies,and I know I`m playing it right...If you search for knowledge ,use the DVD`s

We are a music store that repairs guitars. This guitar has to be the worst when it comes to repairing 1/2 of them the truss rod is broke. The other 1/2 we can only get to play somewhat decent.

They pay a whopping 8.00 to have them manufactured in China.

I give this a 0 on a scale of 1-10 This guitar doesn't deserve any thing better.

i think mine is made in 2005.20 fret doubfull if it is a solid top so laminate came with eq and pickup,body and neck wood dont know,finish was excellent,cutaway,stringthru body,plywood neck painted black
got the package amp,guitar strings chords tuner dvds,ect....

sound is alright plays well in the first position
no noticable fret buzz
alright for just playing around

set up average action a bit high,painted black unable to tell bookmatch,no noticable flaws

i would not play live with it,hardware should last,i take well care of my instuments though,finish looks good should last,strap buttons are solid,i can depend on it for playing for the family
i would not take it to a gig

never had to deal with it
did come with everything in infomercial

been playing 15 years,hamer diablo,peavey triumph 60 amp,jasmine accoustic,marshall mg15cdr,various pedals.
knew exactly what i was getting when ordered,I would replace it if stolen or lost,the looks are excellent,dont really hate anything.
all in all it is a decent package,for the price basiclly bought for memorablia,and to play on special occasions,sits in case most of the time and will stay like that.they must of stepped up the quality from the reviews i have read on this sight i would have been very diappionted if i would of got one of those.all in all happy with the package.

For novice's that we were it looked beautiful, but looks can be deceiving...we were awstruck and failed to see the problems...

It sounded great in the beginning but loses it's tune after awhile...the amp was cool!

The first night we got it the E string broke, not knowing anything about guitars I had to take it to the local music store. The guy was impressed with it, but I think he was being nice. He replaced the string and then told me that the neck was badly warped, he fixed it and we went on happily...until recently when we took it in they said it was UNFIXABLE! Can you say duped? I feel like an idiot because I bought into the commercial!! I told everyone to get one, too! Now I am upset and my poor daughter is left without her guitar!

Bought it and from day one it was warped! Now, 2 years later, it is UNFIXABLE!!!

You only get 30 days to return it, and 1 year for "workmanship"...It lasted us exactly a year! But that was with lots of tuning up and neck fixing!

Don't buy online! Go to a Music Store and ask lots of questions, it may be true that you get what you pay for! Will we buy another Esteban to replace the lemon we had? I am not sure...I don't want to pay alot but I also don't want to go through this ordeal any longer!!! I am a huge Esteban fan and I am sincerely crushed! Please don't buy one if you can help it!! Go to a store...

Well, after being told about the infomercial by a friend, my fiance decided he REALLY wanted one of these "Estaban American Legacy" steel string guitars. It seemed like a great price, so how could we say no? Well, now we know that a "great price" comes at a price. The day he got it, after paying extra for it to be rush shipped, he picked it up and noticed the sound of something rattling inside of it. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a brace board was broken. It would have warped and/or fallen apart in a matter of months. Niiicccceee. And so the saga of attempting to return it begins.

Despite the thing being broken upon delivery, he wanted to hear what it sounded like while we waited the week for them to send the return shipping label. He began to tune it up, and what happens? The E string snaps from here to oblivion. So THAT'S why they throw an extra set of strings into the deal! You're really gonna need them! On top of that, the 10 watt amp that ALSO comes along with this "fantastic" deal is made of rubber or something? Interesting.....

The guitar was broken! Broken Broken Broken! You don't pay to get something rushed shipped because you want to send it back as soon as it gets there!

Esteban can be seen in the DVDs playing a similar, but for some reason, DIFFERENT guitar from the one we purchased. Could it be because his is a real musical instrument and ours is a Wal-Mart Christmas rip-off?

Okay, this is where I attempt to right this load of crap. I call the number that the woman who took my order cheerfully told me was the "Customer Service" number. This process is worse than waiting for water to boil. It's like WATCHING HAIR GROW. I must have called at LEAST ten to twelve times. Sometimes I would wait for an hour and a half and then hang up. Sometimes I would wait for TWO hours, only to have the automated system finally say "Exiting the System" and hang up on ME. At some point after my phone battery needing replaced (seriously) I talked to someone and the bitch acted like it was my fault but said I could send it back and they would replace it. Now, over a month after originally getting the thing in the mail, we got the replacement with- awwww- Esteban's $30.00 signature on it for free. I feel like I've been paid off to keep my mouth shut.

Basically, go to a music store and buy a real guitar. It may cost some money, but I've learned that it is an investment to pay more to get something worthwhile.

The guitar was made in 2004 in China (cough, cough) You can check out the hsn website or whatever if you actually want to see it.
My 13 year old wanted to learn how to play guitar. My wife... kind of got hooked on the idea of buying the Estaban Legacy Guitar package. I wanted to go to my local music store and buy him a real guitar. Anyway
my wife ordered the guitar as a Christmas gift while I was out. My son
opened it up for Christmas, he was a happy camper, I didn't want to burst his bubble.. I knew the strings were far too high, for even an experienced guitarist. Well... the first day the 6th string broke. I looked at the neck and the neck appeared to be bent, this meant the strings were farr too high on the frets. So this is what broke the strings. If we were to replace the string his finger would more than likely be bleeding by now. Here'e a note of caution. It's Jan 21, 2004, I returned the guitar December 29th and we still have not been reimbursed. So what do I plan to do??? They ruined a 13 year olds Christmas, I'm going to get him an Applause guitar with an acoustic pickup because the neck is the same size as an electic... just in case he wants to go electric later.

Leson to everyone.. Do not buy anything you see on an infomercial.
The reason why the product isn't sold in a Music Store is because it's
poor quality. Estaban should be ahamed of himslef.

Hmmm Sound? How about the sound of strings snapping?

Strings were too high on the frets, chances are someone is going to cut thier fingers up pretty bad. The Neck is slanted back (bent) so the strings are high enough for even an experienced guitarist to snap a string pretty fast. The finish.. high gloss with scratches, dents, and creases.

Guitar is basically a low quality guitar...

Customer Support is poor. I made a call to ingenious Designs and an
automated system answers, and then you wait hours and hours if you get through, no one ever picks up, and after 2 hrs you get disconected.
BEWARE, Stay away! Find Estaban's email address and tell him
the guitar he decided to represent sucks.

The guitar was bought for my 13 year old son, he's going to have lessons
I hated to bent neck, the string riding a whole 1/4" over the frets! How's my kid going to learn on that?
I wishmy wife waited for me to bring her to the local music store where my son is signed up for lessons.

Don't buy guitars online or from an infomerical. Check out the action on the guitar first, make sure you are comfortable with it. Make sure the neck isn't bent and the strings ride correctly across the frets.

Made in 2004 in China. Esteban has finally improved the quality a bit on his HSN guitars. I bought one of his first guitars 2 years ago, the nylon classical guitar, and it was utter crap. It had horrible intonation above the 5 fret, the fretboard was some soft light wood with black paint on it, and the bridge was black plastic. It sounded OK but was really not good enough to play anywhere.
This guitar is a big improvement. I will get to that later, first the features; Rosewood fretboard, mother of pearl inlays and white binding. The good stuff- built in bridge pickup and battery powered preamp with 3 band EQ and volume, plus a 10W practice amp, plus a hardshell case. It also came with DVD instuction video's that were so cheap, they were on DVD-R disks without any lable.
The guitar looks quite nice but for some poor binding/paint along the fretboard.

This guitar sounds actually quite good. I was really surprised since I had the other earlier Burswood guitar that was Junk. Both guitars were gifts so I had no real say in the purchase. I had just told my wife I needed a steel string guitar with a pickup for some recordings I was finishing, but I did not want to spend alot of money. I was going to borrow my Dads old Gibson, but my wife got me this. I tell you it sounds very nice and plays pretty good. The intonation is spot on, which totally amazed me! I may have just been lucky. The action is low and playable, and the sound is warm, bright, rich, and loud. The built-in pickup and preamp are very nice as well. I can get good tones quite easy with the EQ. DI'd into my recorded It sounds very good, although I am using a condenser mic as well to bring out more of the warmth and chime.
OK, one of the big pluses of this deal was the little 10W amp. I figured I would just sell it on ebay and not use it. I tried it with the guitar and it was way underpowered and did not impress me. On a whim I hooked up my Tele and pushed the little OD button on the amp. Holy crap, this amp has a wonderful blues tone to it. Especially with my neck PU, it just sounds amazing. Very responsive to playing dynamics and just chock full of blues. I could not put down my guitar for over an hour because it sounded so good. On clean setting the amp sounds just like any other practice amp, but with the OD ingaged it is just sweet. If I end up selling the guitar I will keep the amp.

As I said above, the action is very good and the guitar is very playable. The Finish looks really good with the mother of pearl inlays and edge binding. If you look really close you can find flaws in the finish, but most people would not even notice. the Rosewood fretboard was a great improvement as was the rosewood bridge. The guitar is very playable all the way up the neck without any intonation problems.

I don't know yet. I just hope they let the wood age before they built it. The last few models had big warpage issues. I hope mine does not warp, I really like this guitar and I want it to last.

I have been playing for over 15 years, mostly on electrics and classical guitars. I really needed a bright steel string acoustic for a few things and this baby fit the bill.