Burswood Esteban Classical

I got the same guitar here as everyone else on this post...it was really something i wanted..but i was dissapointed to see nylon strings...i wsas pretty exited and began to tune the strings along with the video//i can tune it myself but the video said to go along with him...as i touched the tighting knobs they felt cheap..not a slid turn...they were a bit wobbly...i began to get a bit discouraged ...my wife got it for me because i saw it on hsn and thought for the price thats pretty good..i felt terrible as i played it...you can see its more of a student guitar and wont hold up to any solid playing...HERE'S WHERE IT GETS BAD.I HEARD A CRACKING NOISE AS I BEGAN TO TUNE THE LAST STRING...I FIGURED'WELL ITS NEW AND IT PROBABLY JUST THE WOOD STRETCHING...THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN...I HEARD POP..I FIGURED I BUSTED THE STRING..NOT SO...THE BRIDGE THAT RAISES THE STRINGS OFF THE FRETBOARD..AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GUITAR CSHATTERED AND HIT ME RIGHT IN THE FACE....MY FEELING WERE HURT MORE THAN MY FACE...I WAS DISSAPOINTED MORE BECAUSE MY WIFE FELT BAD TOO...THE GUITAR IS BACK IN THE BOX AND ON ITS WAY TO ESTEBAN....I ON THE OTHERHAND AM GOING TO SAM ASH AND GETTING A NICE GIBSON ACOUSTIC FOR MYSELF...IT IS WORTH 159..NO DOUBT...ITS NO RIPPOFF...BUT ITS NO GIBSON EITHER...YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR KIDDIES.YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.....

SEE MY COMMENT ABOVE

This is a follow up to an ealier review. I have has this guitar for year and half, it is holding up extremely well. The varnish or paint on the fret board is wearing in some of the common positions and actually lends to a good aged look. I have banged this guitar around and it has quite a few dings, but is otherwise is good shape. We have used it on several recordings and it always sounds good. It you are a beginner and you don't want to kill your fingertips try this one out, for $100 you can't go wrong.

Came with a good deal of goodies. Case, Learning Videos, tuner, extra stings, pics.

I havent played much acustics before, but the sound outta this just seems awsome to me.I love it. I got this for my birthday, and maybe its a budget guitar, but man it mean alot to me.

It looks like an acustic, really the look for an acustic should be plain, unlke one from an electric. No dents nickd or scratches( maybe the company has gotten better?)

Seems to be very solid, I did have a few strigs that had this weird vivraty tone to it but i fixed that, and it just seems like something i can play everyday all day long.

I really dont know, havent need to contace them.

I would reconmend this guitar for beginners, and like I said before, I really havent played any acustic before. This is actully my second. And I love it. Seems to me like ill be keeping this for a while. It was signed by Esteban, and i am going to be watching those tapes.

there is nothing that really sets this guitar apart from the rest of the pack. good basic guitar.

i play mostly country. i have a slight problem with my fingers fitting in the frets but the sound is very rich when you really get going!

the guitar was in good condition when i got it. it reaked of glue, which ment that it was pretty fresh from the factory. the finish is nice but a little dark on the backside for my liking.

i think that this guitar is a decent one. pat green or willy nelson are not going to play on this guitar every night for one of their conserts granted, but it is meant for the student, not the touring pro.

there isnt much on the company "burswood" from what i can find. my guitar didnt even come with a serial number. all you can really do is play it hard for the 3 months until the HSN warrenty is up and then decide what you want to do.

this is just your basic student guitar. i have played for about 6 months and it is just right for my skill and my budget. my brother and my dad have been playing for a while, and i have messed with some awesome guitars, but this is not one of them! a good one to learn on.

I bought the Esteban Burswood steelstring guitar from the HSN. I didn't like it at all. The sound was muffeles and the strings were too high off of the frets. I sent it back. I got on line with the Esteban home page(estebanmusic.com). They were offering the same guitard from their own website. So i ordered the Classical Guitar from Esteban's own people and i love it. Sutr it is a cheap guitar. But it projects the sound quite well and is a beautiful piece. The machine is cheap and gaudy and i will change it out and put better strings on it and im sure i will have a fine beginners guitar for te a while to come. I will always keep it becaust i am an Esteba fan, but as i get more adapt to the guitar i will purchase more expensive guitars. but as an artist,,(gomezart.com) i feel that this guitar will do me well as i learn. I appreciate the true sound it gives. But i do not feel that it is a $300.00 guitar as theadvertizers proclaim. Don

My Style is Spanish classical music. I chose that style because my Mother and farhte"s grand parents were from Spain.

Everything on the guitar was beautiful except the hardware. It is a cheap gold color with some loose turning pegs.

I feel it is a sturdy piece, a great finish, dont need strap buttons, with better strings and machine it will lasta long time.

what company? cant find it. :)

1 year playing. i own a steelstring Jasmin by Takamini. Good guitar that i will always keep. if i lost the esteban guitar that i bought from Esteban's web site i would get another one. I just wish the strings and machine on it were of better quality.

Made in China , 20 fret guitar with solid laminated top , with no model number, Mahogany neck , with case , strap , tuner , and instructional video

This is at most a 70 $ guitar with average sound.

The neck if this guitar is very comfortable for beginers to play , the action is low , and my 5th and 4rth strings buzz

This is a beginers instrument , YOu are jokin if you think this will last you live playin or even for a couple of years

Im sending this back , and getting my money back , dont waste your money on this piece of junk , and u will loose 10 bucks on shippin it back to them

This is not a instrument , this is a Chinese piece of furniture. I would recomend going around to a few stores and spending maybe a few extra dollars but getting a good instrument. For esteban to compair his 10 000 dollar guitar to this was a joke. and if u look closely on the informercial , he is playin his own guitar and not the guitar that u r getting. look around for sales in music stores and u can get a good 300 dollar guitar for around 150 bucks. Esteban , you should stop rippin people off.

Made in China. Solid wood, don't know what kind. No grain visible on sides and neck. Finish was horrible, scratches and dings everywhere.Edges of fretboard were painted with a marker. Tuners were cheap and gaudy. Came with a two dollar gig bag with a stuck zipper, no name set of extra strings and a STRAP...for a classical guitar! Also included three picks.

Three words...sounded like crap! I am a classical player and took a chance thinking I could have some fun with this guitar. I am an Esteban fan, and thought a signed guitar would be cool to have. Esteban, stop ripping people off! This is a twenty dollar piece at most!

Fret buzz GALORE!!!! This instrument cannot be compared to actual guitars or taken seriously.

This guitar would not withstand being played by a corpse. Again a laughable strap button! I can depend on it for firewood. I would be embarassed to show this guitar in public.

The company actually showed this guitar next to Estebans $10,000 classic and said it was something that could be passed on to your next generation. It is junk even for a beginner. Stay away from this guitar. Beginners : buy a Yamaha C-40, or an Epiphone C-10. For about thirty dollars more you will get a quality, name brand instrument and will not be disappointed.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PIECE OF JUNK!!!

The neck has 20 frets. Guitar is made in china in 2002. It has a solid spruce top ( yes the grain is visable). It has a mahogany bridge the same as Martin. The rest of this all wood guitar, I have no idea what type of wood used. I know that it shows no grain. It looks like the neck was touched up with a magic marker in a couple of places. The strap peg on the bottom of the guitar is crooked. It has a wonderful high gloss finish, very well applied. The bridge needs to be worked on to bring the strings lower to the neck. The chrome tuners are manageable. Has a Herringbone stpipe down the middle on back. The rosesette is pleasing to the eye. Features Esteban's signature on the manufactures label. No model number anywhere on the label. Has standard black plastic pickguard. The strings are average quality. The neck does have a truss rod installed. Comes with gig bag, set of standard strings, picks,wrenches,strap. The neck is true all the eay to the top. It also comes with instruction video.

You will be heard. This guitar is loud. It would sound better with a better set of strings. Even with the stock strings it,s not a bad sounding guitar. Somewhat of a bright sound.

Action on the neck is true, all the way up.

I don't thike it would hold up on the road. Would need a backup on the road. Finish is adequate for home use. Since it has a truss rod, it should be dependable for home use.

No warranty.

For anyone who is doubtful, this guitar came 100 percent AS ADVERTISED. This is advertised as a student guitar. Detected no deception in their advertisement. The advertisement stated a couple of times that this is a beginners instrument. I use it just for plucking around the house and find it to be a great value for this purpose.

It's a standard sized classical (about 39 1/2"). Made with a spruce top (even most cheap guitars are now) and the rest is identified as "all wood". However, no one at HSN would identify the other wood. They were even going to put me on the air to speak to Esteban as a "call in viewer" (a.k.a. purchaser) until they knew I was going to ask construction questions then I was told my question "wasn't suitable for the program, I should contact the company". However, no one at HSN could give me a phone number or even an e-mail/web address for the company and wouldn't get it from Esteban who was sitting right there. So I got "bumped off air". I've been playing classical guitar as an advanced amature/semi-professional for almost 20 years and wanted a "bang around" guitar. I'm disabled so it's a pain (literally) to get out so I decided to just pick this one up. It did come with 2 sets of cheap strings. It also came with a strap peg. (unusual for any classical guitar, pegs are usually only found on steel string guitars). Appearance wise, it has a natural finish to the spruce top instead of the classic sunburst (orange) of a standard spanish guitar. One reason I asked HSN about the "other wood" it was made of is that the only visible grain is on the spruce top and that's it. There is a company on e-Bay that sells another "no-name" brand called Lyndale that are twice the quality with a better sound for the same $100 price range. You only get one set of strings and a gig bag (soft bag) but the construction and sound quality are much better. Also included in the Esteban is a supposed instruction video they claim is worth $30 by itself. Esteban is actually a good/very good concert guitarist but a terrible teacher. An hour tape and he promises you will learn 2 songs. He spends 10 minutes of the hour telling you about himself and the history of the guitar instead of teaching a song. When he does start teaching, the first song is the Malage?a but he basically teaches you 3 chords and the first few measures of the song then moves on to the next song and only teaches part of that. Trust me when I say that Malage?a is several minutes (multiple measures) long. And the version he plays on HSN is a concert version of the song, not the one he teaches.

After the guitar arrived it was somewhat obvious what the "other wood" was. From the sound it is probably no more than a laminated pressed board. For a hobbiest or a throw around guitar, it really is okay though. Unlike others, I've had no problem keeping it in tune. In reading other reviews the people who had the biggest problems seemed, by majority, to have come from steel string guitars. I can't fault nylon strings of any price going out of tune for the first week or so, it's what they do. The more you play them the sooner that stops though. Nylon strings are very sensitive to hunidity and temp. changes at first. At playing for 15 minutes a day on average you can expect it to take even a couple weeks for the strings to finish stretching.

The overall sound of the guitar is pretty bright. Most classical guitars have a more mellow sound but that has to do again with the woods it is made of and construction (and eventually the mellowness will develop further with age). The range is still pretty clear (lows to highs). The harmonics get really weak around the 5th fret though.

As another reviewer said, the strings were not wound tight but in defence of the guitar maker I will say that it really is how you ARE supposed to ship any guitar. It keeps tension off the neck during shipping and for long periods of storage (so I had no problem with that). As another reviewer pointed out though, the strings that ship with the guitar are pretty cheap quality. I would rather have had one good set of nylon strings than 2 sets of cheap stings to make the deal sound better. Get yourself a set of Martin classical nylon strings and the guitar will sound noticably different.

While the guitar didn't have any digs, there are noticeable dull spots in the finish. I don't expect the finish on this guitar to stand up for a long time. It really could use a few more finishing coats.

I wouldn't consider using this guitar in concert. I'm in the process of considering whether to keep it or not. I have a concert instrument and the other no-name I mentioned (the Lyndale from e-Bay...which I'm beginning to think will probably become the throw around guitar). My niece is showing interest so I may give it to her as a first guitar.

I also mentioned that it has a strap button/peg. In 20 years of buying and playing I've never seen a Spanish classical with a peg. Maybe they just use the same body for their classical that they do for their steel string and change the head and tuning gear? I'll never know if the button is solid because you just don't use it in playing classical guitar.

As I mentioned, I was actually "bumped off the air list" to talk to Esteban on HSN because I wanted to ask questions about things they never addressed. So I can only guess what service would be like if it needed it.

I have been playing since the very early 80s. If it were lost or stolen I definitely wouldn't buy another. I have had other inexpensive guitars as well as a hand made Spanish concert piece. So far the best inexpensive one has been the Lyndale. Compared to the other inexpensive guitars I've had over the years, it has lasted the longest, already has a mellow sound out-of-the-box and the finsih has held up very well.

I did compare a number of guitars in the $100 price range and because I have purchased other merchandise from HSN and it has ALWAYS come as advertised, I trusted them on this one. My mistake though, after purchasing it I watched Esteban hawking this guitar again and noticed for the first time that he never ONCE played the classical guitar he was selling, he always uses a $3500 concert guitar. I didn't even notice it until after the fact; if the guitar he is selling is so good, why isn't he actually demonstrating it? You live and learn...and watch a little closer in the future.

It's a classical, not too many knobs, pickups, or designs, it's very rudimentary.

I haven't played too many nylon strings(this was a gift), but I'd be happy to know that they do get any better than this for the price that was paid

It came detuned, so I had to tune it before I could watch the instructional video. However, it does have this problem where about 4 of the strings go flat, slightly, were only talking about 1/2 of a semitone. Still it's enough to get annoyed about~

Never heard of this brand so I can't compare it or have I heard about it's other guitars, but judging by its feel I HOPE it will last as long as I have it and treat it right.

LIke I said it was a gift.

Like I said it seems to be worth the value, except for the staying in tune problem. I'll give it a...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

i got it at the HSN when i open the box it didnt look to bad but when i picked up i could have screamed it looked used the fret board had niks in on it it looked like someone tryed to cover them up with a black marker plus there was a a small ink line on the face and the strap nob was bent looked like junk

sound make me laugh the only sound it made was fret buzz i couldnt even play it every string was buzzing no matter what fret.and the video had no sound and poor pic junk also my kids have a 20.00 guitar that sounds better

How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? like junk

Will this guitar withstand live playing? no
Does the hardware seem like it will last? no didnt even make it out of the box
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off. I guess that depends on if they used permanent marker on it or not.
Can you depend on it? not for playing
Are the strap buttons solid? nope its crooked.
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? i cant use it now.

it was junk


it was junk

How long is the warranty said had a 30 day warranty when we took it back they said no refunds only exchanges if they had any to exchange
and they didnt junk to

i have been playing off an on for 17 yrs i know junk when i see it
and it was junk
i cant belive that some one would make some thing like that junk guitar and try to make money off people they should be put in jail for being a ripoff

Bought it directly from HSN. I am extremely pleased with this guitar. Reading the other reviews here, it is apparent that this guitar's tremendous sound is no anomaly. A rare case of keeping costs down, while maintaining quality. Very attractive and traditional look; well-balanced feel; wide, flat neck; clean lines.

The sound is fantastic. Specifically, it projects well in every position, high e string through low e string. Tremendous bass response, with very pure, rich upper register tones. Sounds like a professional instrument.

The action was OK, but slightly higher than I prefer....about 6/32" off the 12th fret, E (6) string. However, I took a fine metal file and worked the bridge saddle bar (don't try this at home, unless you're REAL SURE of what you're doing!) down about 1/32", and it brought the action down sufficiently. Finish is beautiful...not overdone, and the headstock, sides, and neck have a very rich appearance. The fretboard is pretty amorphous looking, without any grain, and there were some ding-type-dents at the first position, in the wood. BUT...it did not affect playability, and I got way more for the $100 than I have for more expensive guitar purchases.

I rate it as a 10 on durability/reliability, but that's relative to other classical guitars and guitars in general with plastic nuts, of course. I have great confidence that this guitar will be with me for years, and I plan to buy another.

Burswood who?

I have played bass and guitar for almost 25 years, and this is one of those rare finds that just feels great. I can play it, get a great sound, and not worry about twisting necks, buzzes, or lousy tone. It is a fine guitar.

I was impressed with the gig-bag, video and extra strings.
Nice product for the price.
I was very skeptical. At the price, $60 after video and accessories
are deducted, you can't go wrong.

After a simple tune effort, the first notes I hit seemed to explode
from somewhere. Like one other comment, the tone quality is great
in all ranges.

The set up was very comfortable. The tuning pegs are not the highest
quality but they exceded my expectation. As for finish, this was what
I expected in a low priced guitar. Still, it looks very good. No
scratches and very clean.

After it comes down the chimny with Santa...we'll know better.
It's a Christmas gift for my Daughter! shhhh.

I received everything as promised. Looking at the structure, I don't
see any manufacturing defects.

I have two other acoustic guitars. Grandma's Martin and Dad's
old Harmony. This guitar has more sound than either of the others.
I would buy another. I would like to have seen the finish worked more
but this level allows the price to remain low.
I'm giving it as a gift. I really want if for myself. I know with
the sound and comfort of this instrument, my daughter will only have
her effort as an excuse if she doesn't learn.

I've been playing acoustic and electric guitar for 13 years, but this was my first experience with a classical style guitar. For $100 I was very skeptical, but when I got it I was pleaseantly suprised. It comes with a gig bag, video, strap, and extra strings. The look is much better than any I've seen at this price. It is a great practice guitar.

The sound far exceeded my expectations. Even with the strings that come with it (buy better strings) it sounded great. The harmonics are even good, which are hard to get on a guitar at this price.

The finish is very good. No glue to be seen around the body/neck or around the bridge. I don't know what they coated the fretboard with but they should have laid off a bit so you could see the grain. The action isn't great, but it's not bad and for the price you can't beat it.

Reliability is good, in fact it stays in tune better than most guitars I've used. The G string needs occasional tweaking but like I said, better than most. Time will tell with durability. It seems much lighter than any all wood acoustic I've used, but it seems solid.

HSN was great. My first one came with a crack on the body. You could tell by the box it came in that the post office knocked the hell out of it. HSN shipped a replacement the next day, insured it, and had no problems.

I've played many different guitars over the years and for the money you can't beat it. For a beginner or for a practice guitar I would recommend it if you want to learn classical style.

I just received this guitar today. Have been playing all afternoon--I think the sound overall is terrific. I have played guitar since 1965--folk guitarist for the most part. I have had in the past a Goya, an Alvarez Yaire (was disappointed in that one) and a Gianini (sp). Loaned my Gianini to my grandson who won't part with it. The Burswood guitar is fine for what I want it for now. The only real complaint I have is that the strings are a bit too high off the frets. Hurts fingers. And I will change the strings to some better ones. If I have any other comments will print them later. Think it is a keeper, at least for some 30 days.

I thought it was sh*t but when they said it was all wood I
figured they did not lie and it mus have had nice sound, so
for $100 I gave it a try. For this price, they included accessories are pretty good (gig bag, two extra set of strings (although it's not too good quality), strap, even two picks :) ).

I think with quality strings it sounds great, powerful sound when you need it, deep lows and nice highs. I say again / with quality strings,
not that ones that they give you.

The guitar was well set up when it arrived, nice string arrangement (no 2 ft extra length on every string), and the signature of Esteban was really there :)

The finish was perfect and shiny when it arrived, and I think with appropriate care it can last long, although for a practice guitar it's pretty good that it stands well all kinds of weather and temperature. I might have to change the tuning heads later because they seem weak and not well aligned (cheap metal tuners).

They shipped it in time. I don't think they would give any support for this low priced guitar, the shipping would cost more than the guitar itself ;), but i don't think anybody who buys it for a practice guitar would mess around much with the warranty.

I give it a 10 because of the price/quality rating. It's an unbeatable value for $100.

For 100$ this is a good guitar, This was my first classical guitar(I just bought a Hohnor HC09E) and it does the job. I realy was kind of dissapointed at the quality, not because it is bad, but the way Home Shopping Network advertized it made it sound alot better than it actualy is. This is a good practice guitar, since it is only 100$ you dont have to freak out if it geta a little dinged up.

The sound is not amazeing, it sounds good enough. But when i compaired it to an Hohnor HC09E(Which only cost me 180$) I found that this guitars sound wasnt all that it was cracked up to be.

This guitar is all wood(which is a good thing) it is hard to find a well priced beginers guitar that is all wood(One time I played a beginners guitar that had a plastic fretboard and when I held down the second fret on the third string to start playing a tune the fretboard almost broke!!). The only problem is that although this guitar is all wood the only place you can actualy see the grain is on the the front(not even on the fret board)

As far as classical guitars go this one is pretty sturdy, as far as classical guitars for 100$&under this guitar is built like a tank in comparison. I think Reliability and Durability is where this guitar realy shines. This is my practice guitar, I love it because I can ding it up a little without freaking out. The cosmetics may not last long, but this guitar sure wont break easily.

I wish HSN was more honest. Some times they do realy have good deals, but nothing they sale is ever as good as they say it is. Just as all shopping networks they are like the used car salesmen of the retail industry.

I'v been playing for a few months, I would recomend this guitar to any beginer. I give this guitar a rateing of 10 becuase of the vaulue you get for the money(Although I just checked and the price went up to 108$) you pay. Its a great bigginer/practice guitar.

First, let me say I got this guitar off HSN and expected absolutely nothing. I though for sure this would be a piece of crap, but....
This thing is made in Japan. It is frikin pretty. It has a laminated top with a cheesy rosette design. I mean velveta cheesy. It has clear finish. The frets are smooth. Of course the nut and bridge are plastic. The neck is nice, fat and smooth. I got a gig bag, extra strings, and a strap.

This thing sounds bueatiful. No lie. We recorded a sound track for that Enrique Igalss*&&(whatever his name is) "Hero", the solo in our soundtrack sounded exactly like the song. It has smooth bass and wonderful tone. I know I got it off HSN, but I am more than surprise at the tonal quality.

Of course with a guitar that cost $100, you don't expect much. The finish is nice but far from flawless. The setup is nice. Everything is holding up well to regular playing.

Let me tell you a nightmare show we played outside to demostrat this guitars reliability. It was an overcast and 90 degrees when we set up and 1 hour later when we began, it was raining and 70 degrees. My Ovation Acoustic of course lost tuning after 1 song (no slam on Ovation, weather can't be helped), so I though why not and picked up the Esteban and it was perfectly in tune and had been setting on the stage the whole time. The tuning was unaffected by the 20 degree temp change and drop in humidity. The finish seem to be holding well. The strap button is plastic but still holds well.

Yea Right, I can't Burswood anywhere on the internet or in music stores.

I know what some of you are thinking, if it didn't cost $4000 bucks it don't sound right. For me, I form no judgement until I have played it. This guitar was a diamond in the rough and a rare find. I would buy this guitar agian. HSN, who would have figured.

PS I have been playing guitar for 5 years and have played many fine axes, just for those who might think this is a amatuer opinion.