Burswood Steel String

Basic features for an acoustic guitar, nothing extra.

I couldn't for the life of me get a good tuning out of this instrument. It reminded me of when you go into a discount retail store that carries off-brands and you pick one up, give it a strum and it sounds like crap even after you tune it. The actual sound of the wood was not bad, though - actually a little more projecting than my Takamine GS-330S. If I could have gotten a good tuning out of it, my opinion would have been more positive.

Action seemed okay, easy to fret, but I got some string buzz by not being used to the string spacing on this guitar or fret width.

Don't know - will be sending it back to HSN right away.

n/a

My other acoustic is a Takamine GS-330S. The way the guitar Esteban was playing sounded on HSN, which was supposedly the same model as this one, misled me to believe this would be a nice little companion acoustic. Evidently, he's playing the $3500 model "from which this one is modeled" or at least a souped-up version of this and b.s.ing the audience about it. I think Esteban is a fine guitarist but shame on him for calling this a guitar. As others have stated, DO NOT BUY THIS GUITAR, not even for a beginner.

Features?!? It's a Chinese made guitar...what kind of features could I expect? I already play the guitar, so I haven't opened the video. It came with an unpadded bag which is okay with me since I have no love for this "thing". And it came with an extra set of crappy strings...joy!

It sounds very bright...I used to like bright, but this kind of hurts my ears, but that could be the intonation. I can coax some good sounds out of it but not on a consistent basis. The only hope for this thing is it does have a decent looking spruce top on it for a $100 guitar. Then again, I should probably get a mirror and see if it looks like spruce on the inside too!!

Craftsmanship [crapsmanship!!!]--This thing is riddled with problems:

The action is tooo high- I don't dare play out of the first position. I'd like to take it in for a set up, but I am embarrased to go into a repair shop with it...besides the materials may not be worth paying a professional to spend a bunch of time with.

The strings are not parallel with the neck. The string spacing is F'd up because the way the slots were cut in the tail piece. The first string is way inside the edge of the neck at the 14th fret, and at the first fret it is too close to the 2nd string. It needs a new nut.

I don't know what the fretboard is, but it was painted black on the edge. Many of the dot markers are not even close to flush with the fingerboard. The back and sides are made of a mystery wood (not rosewood or mahogany) that was painted a mahogany color.

Will this guitar withstand live playing???

That's a good question...my first response is, "I hope not...that would give me an excuse to replace it!"

But I think there is a more important question: "Will the audience withstand listening to this "guitar"?!?

It's HSN- I don't think I wanna find out.

I'm suffering from buyer's remorse. Before this, my only 6-string acoustic was a classical, so I wanted a steel string guitar. I also wanted a beater that my kids could play with and that I could take camping. For a hundred bucks I didn't think I could go wrong...I wish I knew about this forum before I impulsively listened to Esteban. I think with a little patience I would have done much better on eBay...The bottom line is just because it is imported doesn't mean it must be total crap. Then again maybe you simply get what you pay for.

Price Paid: US $89.00
Purchased from: HSN

Features: 8
This is a 20 fret acoustic with a solid spruce top and mahogany neck it came with a video, gig bag, picks, extra strings. This guitar cost $89.00

Sound: 9
This guitars sounds great to me, rich and bright. I have played it for friends and they can't believe the sound. I am a beginner and this is fantastic. I realize that there are many guitar snobs out there but for me this is great.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
I have a few flaws on my pick guard, overall this is a pretty guitar. I find the action a little difficult on the first fret.

Reliability/Durability: 8
I've only had it for three weeks.

Customer Support: 9
HSN is good with CS.

Overall Rating: 10
I don't care what the guitar snobs with lots of money say. For what I want it for, it is great. Esteban's deal is that he wants to introduce music in the guitar form to as many people as possible. I am playing the guitar now. I could not have afforded any other guitar.

This guitar is a complete rip off. My brother bought it without my consultation (I have been playing for 12 years) and having played it, it is the model for mass produced crap.

It sounds like a guitar made from plywood. It has horrible resonance and sustain. In addition, the action makes for difficult playing, especially for a beginner. It sounds like something you could by at a membership warehouse for thirty dollars.

Looks like it sounds, horrible. You can definitly tell this is a mass produced guitar made with little care. It comes with an allen wrench for ajustments to the neck but I found proper agustments to be impossible and I am a licensed guild serviceman.

One of the worst built guitars I have ever seen. The bindings seem weak and the case provided is unpadded.

HSN----Watch out

I have been playing for twelve years and have owned many acousic guitars in my day including Takamini G-series, Guild, Martin D-16, and a Yamaha APX-9-C. I play electric as well and own a Hamer,
Fender Strat American, and my pride an joy, a Gibson Les Paul Custom. DO NOT BUY THIS HOME SHOPPING NETWORK ESTABAN GUITAR.

I bought the package as advertised by Esteban on TV and for $100.00 couldn't be happier. My guitar is very, very nice except for a bit of a wow in the neck on one side where it joins the guitar body but it plays fine. I'm a new guitar player but have done a lot of musical theater including singing semi-professionally in Las Vegas. The finish is perfect so far and again, for $100.00 I feel blessed. Later, in a few weeks when I'm ready to play Carnegie Hall, I'll probably need a more professional one but I'm learning very rapidly.

I want to learn some folk songs and maybe play in some coffee houses. It has a bright, full sound and stays in tune (two weeks so far) I know I have a lot to learn but this has made things very easy for me. The video is just great as Esteban is likeable and makes things clear.

The action, fit and finish is first-rate except for that little wow along one side of the lower neck. I may try some more expensive strings just for fun.

I've only had it two weeks but have learned a lot. I've has no problems so far with tuning, pegs and if the action isn't perfect it would be because I don't know any better. I will ask my musician friends about it later on when I'm ready to play a few songs. Right now woodshedding with it is a very positive thing in my life.

Haven't had to deal with customer support as mine came in very good condition with no nicks or cover-ups. The tuning works fine. No problema. For crying out loud, the video is worth the lousy $100.00. I don't know why anybody else is complaining but you know how people are. Some people will never be happy no matter what they get.

If it were stolen or lost I might shop around for a more expensive guitar but for me it all gets so confusing dealing with salesmen it takes the fun out of it. I would probably just order another. I might get one for my new little chick if she keeps on being nice to me and then buy her a better one if she really takes to it.

.Burswood???
.For $100 you get a basic CHEAP guitar Made in China with very cheap
strings.
.Wood (unknown)
Features
.A thin non-padded gig bag.
.A video (hard to follow if you are a beginner)teaches you some of
the basics and four incomplete songs.
.A cheap nylon strap, three soft picks, extra set of cheap strings
and a allen wrench.

.Sound is OK for a $100 guitar
.Spend the money and get better strings! You will find the sound
will be richer.
.I gave this a (3) since I put on new strings

.Action way to high. Hurts the fingers to play after a short time.
.Took it to a local music shop to see if the action could be
lowered. Come to find out there is a small hump between the
fourteenth and fifthteenth fret on the sixth string that prevented
this.
.Has a lot of blemishes that were covered up by a black magic marker
or black paint. Looks like some thing that came out of a garage
sale!
.Basicly this guitar is unplayable.

.Won't give it a year under normal playing conditions
.VERY CHEAPLY MADE!!! I can't believe Esteban will put his name on
such junk. You mind well say you paid a $100 for his autograph.
.Spend some extra money and get yourself a better guitar if you are
a beginner there are plenty out there.

This guitar was purchase from HSN as a Birthday gift back in Feburary. HSN will not take returns later than 30 days even if the product is defected!

.DO NOT BUY THIS!!!! You can get better at your local department
store.
.Like I said before spend some extra money and get yourself a real
guitar
.Giving this to my kids so they can smash it on stage in there local
talent show (will rate durability again)

This Chinese made guitar features a solid one-piece spruce top with mahogany neck back and sides. It has a very well applied transparent finish for the price ($100). The tuners are enclosed. It includes an excellent instructional video for the beginning player, a gig bag,an additional set of cheap but useable strings, and a tool for the adjustment of the truss bar. There is an awful lot here for the money--especially for the beginner, which is the intent of the whole package

The sound is remarkable for the price--even compared to $300 or higher dreadnought guitars (at discount prices). Very bright and full on the top and bottom ends for such a cheap guitar.

The action was playable but NOT for a beginner---just too difficult for someone like me with undeveloped calluses on his fingertips. An experienced player could make it sound great and did. I had the action lowered and replaced the average strings with with ultra-light Elixir 10-47 strings and it is great and easy for me to play on--no buzzing, etc. The fretting seems very accurate. The lowering of the action did make the lower end sound of the guitar less powerful but it still sound very good for a $100 guitar.

I think this guitar will hold up very well. The gloss finish seems bullet proof--having knocked it a couple times already.

Unbelievable long wait on phone (my original was damaged by UPS in shipment) but customer service couldn't have been friendlier.

For what it was intended (a beginner's guitar), this guitar is truly unbelievable. A beginner can get a lot from the video as well. It really gets you into playing fast. It's an amazing value for the money. In a year or so, I can imagine buying a better instrument but by then I'll know an awful lot more about what I want from having owned and used this.

this is a 20 fret acoustic with a solid spruce top and mahogany neck it came with a video,gig bag,picks,extra strings, and a tool.this guitar cost $100.00

this was the surprise. i am not any expert but this guitars sounds very nice to me,rich and bright.my paster plays and he says it sounds and plays very nice for the money.about 12 years ago i had a acoustic magnum costing around $160.00. i dont remember it as ear pleasing as this guitar.

the guitar could have had a bit more style on the neck and head stock but that would cost more.there are some tiny flaws in the finish but nothing to worry about.the guitar also has a steel reinforced neck.this is a pretty guitar.the action is good however i did lower it a bit myself to make it better.

i most likely wont be playing live so i not to worried.durability should be decent.the hardware isn,t top quality,plastic bridge.

most likely hard to get a hold of.Bought online

this is a great guitar package for the money.i think most of cost went into the body of the seeing it sounds so nice.great for a beginner and intermediate.you cant go down to the music store a get this kind of deal

OK, This Guitar Set is really not bad for 100 dollars.Great for a beginner and ok for someone average but you need to know the tricks and I'm here to tell you it in each section. It comes with a video, 3 picks, a set of strings(not including the ones already on)a Black carrying Bag(Which has the picks and strings inside. If you order it don't freak out thinking they forgot your stuff and call them) Also, some offers to buy Esteban music. Nice Design both front and back of guitar. It may have some dings but nothing harmful. The Guitar smells like Marker at first(Probably cause it's signed in the sound hole label (Esteban) Be Cautious! It is an Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)! Not Acoustic/Electric (I say this because if you look at the commercial ad to purchase by phone/online and/or Instruction video closely, you see a cord behind the guitar. They say it is and sounds exactly like yours but I like theirs better. They use your guitar...But not as hooked up! Again, Great Price for a family that doesn't want to spend much and wants to learn guitar. I give it an 8 for 100 dollars plus tax/Shipping. Please read on before you buy!(Especially Customer Support Section) I can save you money and fustration. You Must Read This Review for some helpful tips.

When I play this Guitar All I can think of is 100 Dollars. It's not a bad thing though. I like the sound of this Guitar for the price. That may be one of the best features of this guitar. It is loud but not noisy. I recommend new strings for an even better sound. I will give it a 9 in rating because for $108-$116 bucks and all that stuff shipped to your home. Great for a kid or beginner wanting to learn guitar and I think that's what Esteban also had in mind. Remember.. You are not getting the guitar you see in the commercial ad. Theirs are hooked up and have a pickup. The man who played next to Esteban did too. That's why he had some high awesome sounding notes and it looked like he was playing electric guitar when he played at times. It is for the viewer to hear it better but it would of been more realistic if they played to a microphone, mentioned it or something but I understand. You have to look for these trick when shopping.

I have 1 tuning Peg that is a Pain so far!!! The G-String! but is not a huge problem yet. Watch out for these tuning pegs in the future...take care of them.(the Guitar) Everything was ok for me so far. It did have some stains in the finish and the pick guard had really small scratch. (nothing serious) I heard from other reviews that there were marker marks. In my guitar it did look like that but barely noticable. Playing the guitar will hurt your fingers at first because it is steel string. It had a laquer finish and it's spruce top. Dreadnaught body, Sweet for 100 dollars I think. I saw in other reviews they should of worked on it more, sure, but for 100 Dollars they can't work too long. I mean It's not a Gibson but it not a cheap no finish guitar eitherI've seen. The ads and website seem to be ok in describing in most areas but they are a little sneaky. (Remember it's still a buisness) It is not like the 3500 dollar guitar they compared to in the commercial or else they'ed sell you that one. I give it a 6 if I include their advertising techniques but I'll give it a 7 in quality,finish,action,bridge for a beginner, and the price. Also note if I compared it to other guitars that are more expensive, it would be a 2-6 but the price range for it makes it a 7

It will last if you take care of it and wipe it down often. It really seems like it is a fragile guitar for some reason. I think if you take care of the guitar it will last but if you don't it can become a junker in a couple of months. Let's put it like this...You see the kids who try out the Drums in the Music store? You might hear them in another section of the store? They Bang it up like crazy! If you do that to this guitar, I think your in trouble. If you use it often and take care of it, you shouldn't have a huge problem right away. I mean again for a little over 100 dollars shipped, If your worried about this or any one area, you should get a more expensive professional guitar. This is a student guitar great for performances in church or gigs. This is a great starter! If you ding it up you just say woops and keep playing. I would play it live but not for something they pay me for. I would give it a 8-10 if it had a pickup for live playing but I'll give it a 7 over all

Ughhh I did this review just for this section! I think support was one of the worst I ever expirienced and I order online a lot!
Tip: $10.00 off $40.00 or more purchase at HSN.com with this code: coupon#300103 It is good through July 31,2003 look for these deals first!
WARNING! If you buy this good deal student guitar, buy it from www.hsn.com not www.giftofguitar.com which uses ingenious design www.idea-direct.com for service. First off to start, you are paying almost 9 dollars more for nothing at giftofguitar if you buy today. HSN.com has the guitar for 99.99 +8.95 Shipping and you can check your order status online or call. I'm sure returns are easier too(Just guessing) Giftofguitar charges 15.95 shipping! (They Tax The Heck out of you I guess?)
Unfortunately I ordered though Ingenious Designs and I called like soooo many times(1800)248-3002) to get through to the rercording. At times it just kept ringing and then it ended. I had to call again!
Finally when on, I Pressed 1 to talk to support, I asked for my status and they said They don't know. they get orders in a few days. A few days later I called again(Reminder:Trouble getting to phone number) They Told me They didn't know, They gave me the same order number I recieved in automatic order E-mail with a few more digits for order tracking. I ask them what good is that and they actually said they didn't know themselves! They put me on hold off and on for like 15-20 minutes. I was polite so I was not going to be rude. They are nice people but it was horrible to track! They told me a shipped date,put me on hold, then came back to tell me they didn't know if it was or not. They had me on Hold so long that they said they'd call me back and they never did. It was just aweful! Again, Nice People, but aweful service. I hope they change this and include online order Tracking! Sheesh put a 50 cent usps delivery confirmation or something! I am willing to pay for it! At the least..E-mail me when you shipped it sice I ordered online. Sheesh! As you see from other review, Service is bad. This was the #1 Flaw. I like Esteban's music but I am not getting it from his guitar site! Shipping and Service is not good. The only positive thing I can say is I got the Guitar in 13-14 days and it had 1 kick mark in the box that didn't do any harm because they pack it well. I notice I put ingeniousdesigns.com in my browser and it took me to Hsn.com(I hope HSN service is not through them! If it is... Expect a shaky service but you will get your guitar (Hopefully) I just can't stand the fact they charge you on your card but can't tell you if it's shipped or not! They need to fix this.

Ok, My Rewiew was Totally Honest For this Guitar and service, I am a beginner but I Play Drums with Guitar Players and hear a lot so I know a little :) I am a studio player too. I used this site for other reviews so the least I could do is if offer my own opinion to help others.
I am giving a 6 because service has a lot to do with the care of your customer and it was just not there at all with me. I mean I rather have ok service than something that did not help me at all. If the service is not good people have the right to think the product will be no good either. Really you can get better deals for the Esteban Guitar from other online stores. You can take a risk to get it dirt cheap at Ebay. I know people bug like crazy at times but some just want honest basic service. Nobody likes to wait 20 minutes on the phone for 1 question and not have it answered. I think the guitar is great price for students of all ages. If you are looking for features this guitar may or may not be for you. If I rated too high in some sections, it is because I included everything...Especially Price.

Made 2003 in China, 20 Frets
Bought from Giftofguitar.com Esteban's web site

I think the sound is fine. Sounds as well as ant lower end Guitar.
For $100 I got a fine student guitar, a one and half instruction video, gig bag and guitar bag. Tell me of a better way to get started in learning the guitar for $100? Esteban is doing a great thing for guitar playing by creating a starter Kit package for $100. Maybe the informercial gets alittle carried away by comparing it to a $3,500 Guitar but this kit has got me started in playing the guitar for a 1/3 of the cost I expected. Plus the video is great.

Fine for the cost.

So far so good...but hey its 2 days old. A little trouble keeping it tuned how ever, but hey it s good practice for a beginner.

Terrible. IT took longer to get here than I expected and was never able to get an answer on th phone to find out why. 10 business days turned into 16.

Playing for 2 days now....a jorneyman
If it were lost or stolen I would probly get a better guitar because what makes this whole kit worth it is the video...and since I already have that...I have my eye on a Yamaha