dthumb: first, it's "EstEban"--"Stephen" in Spanish.
second: "Quorum" doesn't mean unanimous-it's a Robert's Rule defining a required majority of a consituted body enabling them to move, second, discuss and vote on a motion validly-"quorum" in many cases is a simple majority, which could be 51% vs. 49%.
In this case, there is "quorum" on Esteban guitars. The motion that they stink passes by overwhelming majority. Now--you are a bit defensive, having inherited one. That is fine, and if you like it, find it playable and can use it for a boat or beach instrument, more power to you. No one is dissing YOU. Perhaps, like many high quality instruments that vary one to another, you "inherited" a decently made one. That is certainly not the majority opinion from those who have owned or played them, including a respected luthier on this site, or reviews of them on Harmony Central (which is far from an objective site, I know-but there are MANY reviews!).
I believe MY main axe to grind with him has to do with the portrayal of this instrument as rivaling a 5k+ Martin 40 series; combine that with many who have gotton materially defective guitars, tried to return them to QVC, or wherever and gotton stonewalled, had the black "stain" on the fretboard rub off on their fingers or clothing, or had their guitars simply "explode," and his incessant dropping of Andres Segovia's name, and you can sense the tip of the iceberg. And you don't have to stay up until 3:00 a.m. to catch his infomercial; it's on all sorts of times during the programming day. He also sells CD's of himself, and plays in hotel lounges. Without his "Zorro" outfit, you'd never recognize Stephen Paul as "Esteban."
On the plus side, many here have agreed he has some chops, and can play guitar. It's just doubtful he would ever play a real "gig" with the guitar he hawks. Kevin Gallagher's suggestion to take an interested guitar novice to a music shop just seems so much more rational, don't you think? Meanwhile, enjoy what you play, and play what you enjoy. Peace, bro.
