Reviewed by Tom S. on 11/07/07
Overall Rating: 5/5Stars
Esteban Master Class Guitar Review:
I got my first senior discount before I first got started on guitar. I can't read music and have never played any other musical instrument but I did meet Steve Paul out in Arizona when he was playing the lobby at the Hyatt instead of appearing on TV as Esteban. In an insomniac moment, I bought one of the very first guitars he put out. As many others have noted, the original $99 pure acoustic had serious quality control issues and I figured it was just junk. It not only defied tuning, my particular lemon pulled out a couple of pegs. Irate, I called up and was immediately offered a full refund or replacement. Score points for customer service.
Since I'm not only impatient, I'm an old guy with plenty of plastic and not a kid who's gathered his only dollars to make a purchase, I went to a local music store to see if they could do something sooner rather than later. I had the good fortune to meet a guy who was not only a proficient musician in his own right, he's probably capable of building instruments from scratch if need be. We had a very informative (for me) chat about the pros and cons of different instruments and the bottom line was that told him I'd buy a Fender acoustic if he'd give me $75 in trade on the busted Esteban. He did so immediately which surprised me since that left me with the hard case and stuff including two VHS tapes of Esteban lessons which to me were worth far more than the $25 difference.
With Esteban as my de facto tutor, I actually began getting musical notes and chords out of the Fender. With practice and familiarity came a great deal of satisfaction but a simple acoustic has its limits. When Esteban came out with the Legacy model, I held my breath and bought it. I figured that if he was still in business, the quality of the product must have improved well beyond my lousy first experience but getting the new improved DVD lessons was my real aim. The pleasant surprise was that the total package was a pretty amazing deal for $199. My only regret is that the cutaway wasn't available at the time and only 3 DVDs came with the model I bought.
Along the way, some other interesting things happened. Back in 2006, I made a stupid mistake while trying to fix something and the result was surgery on my left hand followed by extensive outpatient sessions with an orthopedist to try to get mended and reconnected parts to work so that I could rejoin the species with opposable thumbs again. Again, I thought of Steve (Esteban) for a bit of inspiration. As you may know, after spending his childhood and youth working with the guitar, he went to Spain for the master's program conducted by the late, great Andres Segovia. Embarking on his personal career at last, some drunk driver nailed Steve so badly that it was ten years before his left arm and hand were up to playing his music again. In essence, he had to twice go through that phase in which the brain knows what the music is supposed to sound like but the fingers have to learn to behave to make it happen.
For me, the recovery period included putting heavy strings on the Esteban guitar and incorporating that practice into the physical therapy process. As of about a month ago, I finally had it restrung with some lighter Martin strings. The tendons and joints work again and nerve damage continues to abate with time and use.
As to the guitar itself, it looks good, sounds good and the technicians I've used for restringing and general upkeep have been duly impressed with what's included at the price. The lessons are clear and easy to follow for a rank beginner and yet the music selection incorporates a lot of intermediate and advanced techniques. In learning those pieces and making a habit of practice, I've got the confidence now to look at your more advanced courses that include things like reading music, scales, structure and theory. Since I literally could not play a note at the beginning and frankly didn't know if I'd have the will and discipline to make anything musical happen at all. Now I've got a Fender Stratocaster and a couple of teenaged grandsons who look at the old guy with the white beard a little differently.
The Esteban product is fairly unique. As guitars go, the instrument is well worth the price and better than most introductory models. As lessons go, there are certainly much more detailed and extensive products in that market as well for people who pay a reasonable amount and put in the work to get the result. As a total array, there's simply nothing comparable out there. If I had to recommend a starting point for anyone or a tool kit to maintain or improve skills, this is a comprehensive package that will have people playing and enjoying guitar. If they then want to go to better teaching tools or better instruments, they can do so from a base of familiarity and accomplishment.
Tom S
Click here to visit the Esteban Master Class Guitar Site
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