Why do you guys not like Esteban??

[Treenewt]

Originally Posted by HHP

You have to admit, he dresses cool. I wish I still had the hat from my Zorro costume when I was 7 years old.

Now that was funny!

[robj144]

I don't like him because, to me, he seems like a bit of a poser. His real name is Stephen Paul and he's from Pittsburgh. So the whole Spanish looking getup seems disingenuous to me. He claims he studied under Segovia, but I doubt he did. He also seems full of himself when he plays on the HSN. Of course, to top it all off, he pedals those god awful guitars.

[psychojohn]

I was stupid enough to buy one of his POS guitar//stand/amp/case/lesson packages before I knew any better. Yes !!!!! I'll admit it !!!! I bought one!!!! I am a sucker !!!!

I got his heavily pearloid front and back inlaid, black, classical acoustic electric guitar as a present for my daughter and she hardly touched it. How could you go wrong for $300.00 ? Actually, one of the prettiest guitars I own, but with out a doubt the biggest piece of crap I own and am too honest to try to sell it to some other unsuspecting soul.

No exaggeration, it would not stay tuned playing through one short song/tune and got badly (not just a little) out of tune, at that. It took about 3 strums to lose tuning. Since getting serious about playing, I took it to the Luthier I use for a tune up. Scale length was some ridiculous length that lent itself to atonality, multiple frets needed to be leveled, nut and bridge needed to be recut. Bad tuners stayed on it. I put another $125 into it and now it will hold a tune, but without amplification sounds like one of those plastic toy unkeleales you get at the five and dime store. My Lutheir refuses to do any more work on it, telling me it's just a waste of my money. He'd have to do some major work to change the scale length and do other work to make it sound just "OK."

The amp is so weak it distorts on about 95% of the settings when a decent guitar is played through it. The stand it came with was flimsy and won't stay tight to support the guitar. But hey, the semi soft vs semi hard case/bag is nice and the few lessons I watched were reasonable.

I'm getting ready to mount it on my wall as a decorative piece as that is all it's good for.

Funny story re Zegar guitars. I ordered a scratch a dent from him and after the order, discovered they were made by Sammick guitars in Indonesia. I tried to get this confirmed and it's implications clarified through his son who was very nice and personable until I pressed him on the implicatons of a Sammick built guitar. He took offense and called back my order the day before it was scheduled to be delivered to me. I purchased a Martin DCPA1 on a 24 month same as cash deal through Sweetwater and haven't regretted not getting the Zegar.

Oh by the way, if you go to the Zegar site, you'll notice Steven Seagal endorses those guitars. No lie !

John

[veryzer]

Originally Posted by Raven and the Dove

As someone who's studies martial arts my entire life...this isn't a fair comparison...unless of course you're talking cheesiness. Haha...as for a martial artist, Seagal is legit. I read many years ago he had problems filming movies because stunt guys refused to work with him. He had a hard time in the early years controlling his moves, thus why some of those moves where he breaks arms and legs look so real - they were.

Esteban seems like a goof to me...commercializing on young and impressionable guitarists. I see his guitars and program on Craigslist all the time. He found a vulnerable market (or his manager did) and he went for it. Who knows though, I'm sure there's something to be learned from him, as is with everyone.

Yeah, Raven, cheesiness is what I mean. As I said about Esteban, the guy certainly has skills; it's how they both deliberately go about trying to clothe themselves in the robes of legend that alternately nauseates me and makes me laugh.

[kscobie8]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Yes, Estaban is a good player. That's it. So what?

+1 His skill as a player vs. the skills of those who are critical of him is nothing but an ad hominem argument. I don't need to be a chef to know if a dish is good or not.


Bel isi,
-kyle

[SMan]

There's thousands of products out there pitched on shopping channels that are junk. Yeah buyer beware. Nothing personal against the guy.

I wonder if Urban guitars come from the same factory? Is he destined for ridicule on guitar forums everywhere?

[s2y]

I'd have nothing but respect for him if he sold a decent guitar. I'd never put my name on such a POS guitar.

[rgregg48]

Who has heard of Estaban before he did the guitar infomercials??

I never did ,,, one of the reason he was picked to hawk those el cheapo

import guitars is because of his tacky persona...

He probably owns guitars that would make the people on the AGF

custom page green with envy... All paid for by the infomercials,

I dont hate Estaban,, he is a marketing character,,,, and it worked,

Rick

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by HHP

You have to admit, he dresses cool. I wish I still had the hat from my Zorro costume when I was 7 years old.

Yeppers !! What's not to like? His skill or quality of guitar build are irrelevant, It's the pretentious Halloween every day, that is so endearing

[scottishrogue]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

...I suspect a great deal of it has to do with the fact that Esteban doesn't need our approval. He's doing just fine doing what he's doing, and doesn't need any of us on these guitar forums to be fans in order to continue enjoying the prominence, name recognition and success that he's achieved.

I'm not saying that the criticisms of Esteban that we've read in this thread are inaccurate or inspired by jealousy; on the contrary, I think they're quite accurate. What I am saying is that they do not matter....

The late, great Chicago newspaperman Mike Royko used to say that the motto of the city of Chicago should be "I Got Mine," and I think it's likely that Esteban has a similar outlook on life.

Whatever valid criticisms of his music, persona and marketing approach any of us may have, he's managed to lift himself out of anonymity and become a household name, something very few guitarists manage to do. So however crass, kitschy and eye-roll-worthy his approach may be, he's clearly doing something right.

I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank....Wade Hampton Miller

I totally agree with Wade on this. As I have mentioned (on several occasions), my guitar buying decisions are based on how a guitar looks, and not how is sounds. Even if I was looking for a "wall-hanger" I would not buy an Esteban guitar. While they are nice looking IMO, based on what I've read, his instruments are cheap, low-quality guitars. And, I have never see his guitars demo'd by those, whose opinions I respect. While his talent as a guitarist is evident, his guitars should be a reflection of his talent, and they are not. He's a charlatan...or con man.

If you want to find out first-hand, there are plenty of his guitars available on eBay, and quite affordable. Even though, my first consideration when purchasing any guitar is the look, I must also consider the quality of the build...always. Based on my own research, Esteban guitars just don't measure up.

Glen

[Paultergeist]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

...He [Estaban] pawns cheap garbage to an unsuspecting public claiming it's the best value for the money which it never was in the first place. Buyer beware, but it's pitchmen like him that keep that phrase alive and well.

He also pitches a ridiculous learning method which like his guitars promise the world but are absolutely worthless.

.....the only way he's 'lifted his way out of anonymity and become a household name, something very few guitarists manage to do' is to become a very smart con man.

Toby, I could not have said it much better.

I really don't care if the guy wants to reinvent himself by dressing like it is Halloween and changing his American name to something more exotic-sounding. If that's what he likes -- so be it. I also don't really need to critique his playing. People have their opinions; those of us who have studied classical guitar at the college level will probably recognize basic compentence, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are impressed.

My problem is with that which he sells. He is certainly enough of a player to recognize a cheap and largely-unplayable guitar when he holds one in his hands -- but that didn't stop him from hawking that very thing for years on late-night infomercials. He made a choice to take the money and sell junk under an aura of mystique and authority -- THAT shows a a big break with integrity in my opinion.

[flagstaffcharli]

I also agree 100% with Toby Walker.

If you're going to take money from people, you owe them something of real value in return. I suppose not everyone shares that basic value. Some folks are impressed when the medicine show is a success. Some of us are not.


Maybe the late, great Steve Goodman would have added an Esteban to his pile: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HnqtGjH...%3DHnqtGjHJjs8

I don't really have an opinion on Esteban, but I do find it mildy amusing how some of you get so emotionally heated and vitriolic about him. Last time I checked, no one forced anyone to buy something from him. Doesn't HSN or other outlets where his packages are sold have return policies if you're not satisfied? I'm sure there must be some recourse.

[joshsimpson79]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

1. I like to listen to him play guitar.

2. My brother-in-law bought one of the Esteban guitar packages, and the quality of the instrument was very poor.

Those are the only two things I know about him first hand, so it's hard to make conclusions. But my assumption is that he is a reasonably strong guitar player that has found a way to make money by selling cheap guitars. So I don't dislike the guy, but I'm not ready to stand up and defend him either . . .

My mom did this for my brother. He tried years ago to learn and she thought maybe he would want to try again (without asking him). It would've been frustrating to learn on that thing.

Plus, I guess I'm snobbish enough that I don't really care for guitars sold on home shopping networks. He plays fine, though.

[Larry Pattis]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Yes, Estaban is a good player. That's it. So what?

In spite of that I have zero respect for him. He pawns cheap garbage to an unsuspecting public claiming it's the best value for the money which it never was in the first place. Buyer beware, but it's pitchmen like him that keep that phrase alive and well.

He also pitches a ridiculous learning method which like his guitars promise the world but are absolutely worthless.

I've seen many students and beginning players with holding those Fischer Price toys in their hands (actually, Fischer Price builds better products) with looks of disappointment because their guitars were falling apart. Should they have known better? Probably but it's the ignorant consumer that Estaban and his company preys on which is no different then most of those that are presented on late night T.V.

Wade said that he's probably crying all the way to the bank and I can assure you he is as he lives in a very wealthy suburb on Long Island. However Wade, the only thing that this guy has done right, the only way he's 'lifted his way out of anonymity and become a household name, something very few guitarists manage to do' is to become a very smart con man.

Zamfir on the other hand pitches his music. If you like it you buy it. There's nothing hidden or devious about it and it's not made to look better by commercial lighting.

Estaban? Zero respect for that guy. Absolute zero. Besides, has anyone ever seen Estaban and Zorro in the same room?

Ok.. I'm done.

Come to think of it, Toby, I've never seen Esteban and *you* in the same room!



(good post, BTW, with which I agree 100%)

Originally Posted by scottishrogue

<<snip>>

As I have mentioned (on several occasions), my guitar buying decisions are based on how a guitar looks, and not how is sounds.

<<snip>>

Uhm, really...or is this a mis-typed comment...?