[Journey 1978-1997]

I am acquainted with Zorro through what’s now televisions’ #1 1infomercial in America. And when I saw his very first infomercial, his classical guitar, I read various reviews and rumor has it that that the Guitar was very bad. But there is one thing about Estaban that I really like; he is promoting Guitar to people who have zero culture in their otherwise dreary lives. So I can commend that. And I recognize that people like Zorro have to make a living wage and have create some type of livelihood for themselves, even though from what I understand, the quality of his classical is so-so quality etc.


So nowadays I am seeing him on the HSN with his “American Heritage” acoustic/electric etc. They hand make it believe it or not, they say its made out of wood, and I am 100% positive that it is composed of thin plies of wood and not a solid top, but frankly I ‘ve been playing long enough to know that just because a top is solid, doesn’t guarantee good sound, nor does a laminated top necessarily guarantee a bad sound. But nonetheless, for 198 dollars, pound for pound, it looks like the man managed to recuperate from his classical blunder into something halfway decent. Frankly, I was impressed. I liked his little overdrive amp with his sleek guitar stand that had me thinking his stand was better then my two.


Anyone else have any thoughts on his “American Heritage”?

[dadfad]

I agree that there might be a positive benefit introducing the guitar to someone who otherwise may never have started, but at the same time you have to weigh in the possibility that someone might give up trying to play after struggling to learn with one of his Esteban guitars. I don't particularly care for his music ( think John Tesch on a guitar) and I believe he's totally capitalizing on the current popularity of the guitar. It's borderline deceptive advertising to induce people who are unfamiliar with guitars to think that he is selling a quality instrument at a very inexpensive price. I don't have one, but I've heard they are about as cheaply made as a guitar can be and still hold together during shipping, even the fret-wires themselves wearing out quickly. (Let's face it, what can the difference in price be between a set of cheap fret-wires and good ones? A nickel, or a penny maybe? It's sold in hundred foot rolls for God's sake.). All that being said, evil capitalist that I am, let the buyer beware and bear the ultimate responsibility. (I just hate the thought of poor old Grandma seeing that commercial and thinking how pleased young Jimmy (who's always wanted to play) will be when he recieves that in the mail for Christmas.)

Anyway, welcome to GTU.

[Journey 1978-1997]

Dadfad,

Do you think all that cheap workmanship found its way into this American Heritage Guitar? It seemed to me as if different people were making it, they have a video that shows them testing it by hand, putting varnish on it, cutting it, measuring the wires, and testing it with other electrical equipment. It did look really nice. My guess is HSN went and looked at a plant, set up a quick shop and started mimicking what they were doing.

Now I know its not a Taylor, but for some reason I liked it and I don't know why but especially his small overdrive amp. Do you know where I could get some really objective reviews of that guitar.


Personally I don't have anything against Zorro. For example, its like the song every rose has its thorn. Poison took two chords and made it into a moster record radio hit. A lot of people look down at that song because its so simple, but my attitude is, whatever you have to do to pay the bills. I think Zorro has to dress up like that to pay the bills. But, I saw his daughter play with him in his band, and she is beautiful. She fell from the otherside of the tree for sure.

[cichlid_dmb]

www.harmony-central.com probably has some reviews for it.

[Journey 1978-1997]

www.harmony-central.com probably has some reviews for it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey thanks a lot, this particular person actually confirmed my opinion.


http://www.harmony-c...-Bundle-01.html

[epearson]

Well, don't go entirely based on one post in harmony central, the best reviews always have numerous opinions, they give you the most info. While I agree with Esteban's cause, which I guess is speading the love of guitar, I disagree with his product a little bit, equally if not better built guitars are made by Seagull, Samick and Epiphone for around that price and they offer a warranty and better electronics for maybe a little more, which that little more I'm sure may suck, but it'll surely help that learner who doesn't have to play on a guitar that has sharp frets that cut his fingers (true story by a purchaser of an Esteban classical, he had to spend Christmas at the Hospital).

Currently guitar is somewhat popular, depending on your region, and that's do mainly to punk rock and youth who want to pound on a fifth chord through whatever Fender their hero in "insert punk or emo band here" is in. I predict in two years time this fad will die, and their will be a major backlash against bad guitar playing and suddenly the country will be flooded with Jazz guitar players. I think Esteban was trying to cash in on that a little bit by saying in his infomercial that his guitar was acoustic and electric, not acoustic-electric, it seemed to me he was trying to fool some kid into thinking he could get a strat sound out of that junker he was advertising because his amp had an overdrive button. Anyway, like I was saying, it seems okay, but there are better options and I still think he's a bit of a shyster.

[Journey 1978-1997]

Epearson,

I will tell you this; Esteban is to blame for me wanting to learn how to play the guitar. What happened was 6-8 months ago I saw his first infomercial on television, and I remember walking away after he played a song thinking, “man I wish I could that.” So to make a long story short, I bought 3 guitars, a Simon and Patrick 12 String, an Ibanez Electric and an Ibanez Artwood series 6 string for myself. Then I bought my father and brother nice guitars. Then I bought cases, slides, forks, the best electric tuners, a couple hundred in music, and have been taking 140-dollar lessons a month since. I play with my Father and brother once a week and its just so much fun. The reason I never bought Esteban’s classical guitar is because I wanted a western guitar and I read several poor reviews. I guess I am just pulling for him on his American Heritage guitar hoping that he has the recuperative powers to make up for that first disaster.

I am getting pretty good. I just learned how to finger style John Denver’s “I’am Sorry”. It’s a beautiful song. I grew up taking piano so I was in a three-month debate over which was the superior instrument. In a photo-finish with my siblings, with three different anchoring down arguments claiming one was the more supremely formulated instrument over the other in our family, we all agreed, and all my siblings are accomplished pianists, that the guitar just eked it out over the piano. We think we should make a piano have duel strings octaves a part like on my 12-string guitar. The problem I have is my thumb isn’t one but, none or thumbs in numbering, and one is my index finger. But the guitar is fabulous.


Guitar world slammed every rose has its thorn because it was two chords and to them had one of the worst guitar solo’s ever. My first lesson, I had my instructor teach me the strumming pattern to that song. That song is the coolest G C2 song you could ever play and I totally disagree with them on the solo, the solo was perfect!


But getting back, Esteban and his infomercial sparked an inferno in me. I think until him artists were just doing the CD thing, the Austin City Limits thing, the radio thing, the concert thing (I just went to see Dolly), the tour thing, the music video thing. Here, this guy comes out like Zorro and tries to get people excited about the guitar. I commend that. Imagine Bon Von Jovi advertising guitar lessons and how to play his big hits on a custom “Jovi”. That would spark some interest but that will never happen.


But my next guitar, when I can really stoke some money away is a Taylor.

[dadfad]

Now I can better understand your degree of...... kindly tolerence maybe?..... toward Esteban. In a way he did give to you "the gift of The Guitar." Hopefully his new "package" is everything he touts it to be. Another of the guitar's plusses is its portability. You don't have that with a piano (a real piano). You have one at home, if you're lucky maybe at a friend's house as well, and occassionally on a stage. Your guitar can go with you. (I'm a poor piano player myself, having had lessons when I was very young, and a little more recently taught myself a few basics so that I could at least maintain a simple rhythm and a few improv lines in less complex blues tunes, etc.). In any case, now you're a guitarist as well!

I never slam a tune because of its simplicity. The quality of a tune, whether simple or complex, is defined by what it creates inside the listener's mind. If it sparks a feeling, sadness or joy or exhultation..... whatever, it's a good tune. Simple as that.

I have a number of guitars (I've been playing for an awfully long time) including a Taylor. While not my guitar-of-preference because of the styles I'm generally into, it's an extremely well-made, very playable guitar with a very balanced tone (too balanced for me! ), but for contemporary fingerstyle and things of that nature it's an excellent guitar. Also, the on-board electronics (and I'm not generally a fan of on-board electronics) is the best I've heard. Should you get a Taylor I would think you'd be quite pleased with it.

[stuartmerenbloom]

RE Estaban's American Legacy Guitar: Caveat Emptor....let the buyer beware.
Let's see...........$198.00??? if 10 of us puts up $20.00 each..............is this right DADFAD ???????

[epearson]

I'm currently pretty disenchanted with Guitar World magazine, they act really cynical towards a song like "Every Rose..." because it has two chords, but then they have Good Charlotte in there teaching monthly a monthly column, and I'll tell you what, their songs aren't any better. And currently they have a good deal of swearing and crass cynicism that I think is probably pretty inappropriate for the 8 yr old jazz virtuoso that reads the magazine wanting to learn some cool stuff and instead has to read an interview with the guy from Slipknot who keeps dropping the f-bomb. Anyway, sory I got a little off topic there. I think it's great that Esteban got you interested in guitar Journey, and that's all that matters I think, good luck.

[dadfad]

RE Estaban's American Legacy Guitar: Caveat Emptor....let the buyer beware.
Let's see...........$198.00??? if 10 of us puts up $20.00 each..............is this right DADFAD ???????      

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(The math is right, Stu, but not MY twenty bucks! )

How's the recovery coming along, by the way?

[stuartmerenbloom]

I doin' fine now...............still a LOT of pain when I play but this too is getting better. On a lighter note DADFAD: what ever happened to the $$$$ for developing the GTU INC. DADFADIO line of guitars??????????????

[dadfad]

It's in a numbered Swiss Ban..... er.... I mean, it has been invested in high-quality tone-woods and finely-crafted hardware. Production should start soon.

[annoying_2001]

Is it wrong for me to have thought of taking Esteban to the Better Buisness Buerau? I mean, come on, he knows he's selling a sub-par instrument, even for a beginner (hell, i'd rather see a beginner end up w/ a fender acoustic). But I've thought of the "grandma" situation, as dadfad mentioned before, and frankly, it's not fair to either her or her "grandson jimmy."

[dadfad]

I don't think it's wrong at all (whether they could do anything about it or not is another matter). That's what they're there for. When a consumer believes he has been wronged or decieved, to try to resolve it, or at least keep record that dis-satisfaction so that it might make other consumers more wary.

[narad1986]

8 yr old jazz virtuoso that reads the magazine wanting to learn some cool stuff and instead has to read an interview with the guy from Slipknot who keeps dropping the f-bomb