so-called “Guitar legend” Esteban was stripped of his legendary status this week when it was discovered that he is an entirely fictional character created specifically to sell pressboard guitars in infomercials.
Allan Holdsworth, guitar legend and president of “Real Guitar Legends For Truth” released a statement on Monday calling for the immediate cessation of all applications of the appellation “Guitar legend” to the television character known as “Esteban”. According to the statement, “Esteban is a fictional character created by L.A. session guitarist Dan Fernaueu for the express purpose of marketing a cheap, poorly constructed guitar-like instrument on the Home Shopping Channel.”
The scandal intensified when the Recording Academy revealed that claims that “Esteban” had won “several Grammys” were false.
These charges come on the heels of last month’s statement from the Musical Instrument Manufacturers Association that the “Esteban” guitar could not, in fact, be classified as an actual guitar due to the fact that it is constructed out of reclaimed materials such as discarded telephone directories and medical waste. The MIMA demanded that the instrument be classified as a toy
Allan Holdsworth, guitar legend and president of “Real Guitar Legends For Truth” released a statement on Monday calling for the immediate cessation of all applications of the appellation “Guitar legend” to the television character known as “Esteban”. According to the statement, “Esteban is a fictional character created by L.A. session guitarist Dan Fernaueu for the express purpose of marketing a cheap, poorly constructed guitar-like instrument on the Home Shopping Channel.”
The scandal intensified when the Recording Academy revealed that claims that “Esteban” had won “several Grammys” were false.
These charges come on the heels of last month’s statement from the Musical Instrument Manufacturers Association that the “Esteban” guitar could not, in fact, be classified as an actual guitar due to the fact that it is constructed out of reclaimed materials such as discarded telephone directories and medical waste. The MIMA demanded that the instrument be classified as a toy
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, December 5, 2005 - 5:27 PMLMAO!
revealing and hilarious
somehow, I think we all knew this was garbage from the git-go
medical waste? LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, December 5, 2005 - 7:45 PMYIKES!! To think I actually held one those "guitars" in my bare hands!!! UNCLEAN!!! -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sun, December 11, 2005 - 2:09 PMI saw what looks like a new Estaban infomercial today. It looked like he was playing a concert at Red Rocks ampitheatre in Colorado. He was hawking a new black version of "The Best Guitar I've ever played". In a quick closeup you could see the cheap finish on the thing. I also noticed that during the "concert" that he played nothing but chords with the band, no soloing at all. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sun, December 11, 2005 - 4:34 PMI wonder why he keeps his other $5000 guitar then? -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sat, December 17, 2005 - 10:42 PMyou mean the one he compares it to? because it's the same as the other one. it's an identical copy of the new and improved medical-waste-with strings-machine. lol watch the commercial closely. he doesn't keep them. he pawns them off on innocent children on the receiving end of HSN or QVC or whatever, and slaps together 2 more for each new shoot. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sat, December 17, 2005 - 10:43 PMthat came out wrong. watch to see that they're both just the crap ones. the second half of that was supposed to be separate. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sun, December 18, 2005 - 4:11 PMwe have a fake president and fake guitars we therefore must have fake guitar gods to worship wiht our fake hearts and(whoops)real money! -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, December 19, 2005 - 7:17 AMOh I don't know. Of all history this is my all time favorite President and Vice Presedent. The crap people smear around about him is nothing but made up shit that liars keep repeating till the intellectually slothful and stupid simply believe it.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, December 19, 2005 - 2:52 PMAll hail Estaban...
You know, Red Rocks is a great place, a natural acoustic ampitheater where, among others, the Beatles played.
I wouldn't be tarnishing it with Estaban's name... -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, December 19, 2005 - 3:21 PMWatch this show closely -- that audience is NOT watching what they're filming. Most likely they were brought in earlier for a different show and then sent home.
The show is mixed so poorly that you can tell nobody's in the audience when the host and Esteban are speaking. Also, I'm not TOTALLY sure about this but ALL of the music may have been pre-recorded.
(I used to write and produce infomercials so I know all the tricks!)
TT -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, December 20, 2005 - 10:38 AMDo I actually GOTTA watch that moron?? Please Please tell me I can have a pass on that.
Sveet baby jeebus just the thought of hearing that moron pluck out three notes of a fake flaminco uhhhh.
Anyway what's the deal with the MEDICAL WASTE thingie?
That'd be scrap needles and plastics too. Referring to his fab tune machine as recycled material might be a better way to say it. Even Martin couldn't get sound from their recucled materials efforts and you just know Martin worked hard to keep the glue to a minimum.
Anyway here is my take.
Anyone who will actually purchase that thing probably deserves it. After all, it'd take 'em about 10 minutes of searching to land on Epiphone Yamaha even Harmony as pretty fair introductory instruments realizing in the process that QVC isn't the "go to" place for high art.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, December 20, 2005 - 10:52 AM"Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers."
I've seen people buying guitars at Wal-Mart. People with NO clue. I've come to the conclusion that people will buy ANYTHING!
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, December 20, 2005 - 2:47 PMThe medical waste probably replaces some resin used with the pressed fiberboard...totally 3rd world stuff.
I'm not saying estaban is a good or bad guitar player because I've only seen him playing as I flipped thru the channels.
But this is a typical American theme...the setup, the pitch, and the catch.
I would guesstimate the whole package including amp is worth about $49...and that's being generous. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, December 20, 2005 - 2:58 PMJust think of all the lonely guitars hanging in pawn shops across the land that are far more playable and built better that are in the in the same price range. Hidden gems.
Of course, you don't get the amp, but if you're looking at guitars in this price range to learn on, do the world a favor, don't by an amp for a while. A long while. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, December 20, 2005 - 6:09 PMthey usually buy the fog machine first... -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, December 20, 2005 - 6:23 PMLeather pants! And don't forget the hair.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Wed, December 21, 2005 - 7:06 AM>>>But this is a typical American theme...the setup, the pitch, and the catch.
<<<
Stop stop stop. Typical American?? You ever heard a sales pitch in Russia, or any of the slavic nations, or China or Japan or England or Germany or - well - any damn place where some folks have some money to spend and others want to get it?
It's not "American" it's universal. Please stop hating America, please, it's so pointless, you might as well hate everyone and that's no use either.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Wed, December 21, 2005 - 9:01 AMI second that. I deal with sales reps from Europe a lot and those guys are evil! The damn Chinese will steal it from you and sell it back at half the price.
The sales pitch goes back before biblical times, we didn't invent it and we're really quite tame and probably more honest than most countries. You can't fart in this country without offending some one. There's a lawer behind every tree.
We probably have the most regulated advertisements in the free world. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Wed, December 21, 2005 - 10:51 AMI don't hate America. I love it...It's just so typical to create a guy to sell widgets...especially LA based.
I also seriously doubt if the USA has the most regulated advertizing....Most is false.
Back in the 1950's, if you even hinted at misrepresentation, you were run out of biz.
Today, it's the norm. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Wed, December 21, 2005 - 11:13 AMIn the 1950s Mickey Mantle advertised Chesterfield Ciggarettes, claiming they gave him the extra strength he needed to hit home runs.
Estaban is no different than those idiots selling "Make Money Doing Nothing" scams. He's just going after a different crowd. Anybody dumb enough to fall for that stuff gets what they deserve.
What I find strange is, that there are that many people buying guitars.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Wed, December 21, 2005 - 2:48 PMYAh OK I get it. I'm sort of sensitive to people letting their politics spill all over the place then being mean angry and quarrelsome about it.
There's tribes dedicated to that.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Fri, December 23, 2005 - 10:07 AMI suggest you go there then. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, December 26, 2005 - 8:29 AMI don't prefer the milieu of angry pointless politics. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sat, December 31, 2005 - 12:14 PMI saw where Estaban is branching out with car insurance, too.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 8:26 AMHey cliff I dont know what you mean about Epi being and intro instrument . It is made by the same company that makes Gibson . So i think your clueless and dont know what your talking about . He has been playing longer than you have been alive . Lol . I have a matin and did a test for Estaban guitar . I played one and recorded it and the played the other and recorded it . I mixed up the tapes and you could not figure wich one was wich . So these goes to show you are stupid also . From Dr. Dave
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 8:28 AMYe right Tom and Im the president of the USA . You need to put money in your mouth and chew. Estaban did hold a concert out in Red Rocks . I have a ticket stub . Look at my other forum replys and you fall into a category I have stated before. From Dr. Dave -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 10:01 PMI used to see him at the Hyatt in scottsdale and that is very true he is an amazing guitarist an would blow any of these JOKERS away it wouldn't even be a challenge trust me this this dude fuckin RIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Thu, February 21, 2008 - 6:17 PM> Of all history this is my all time favorite President and Vice Presedent.
But... "made up shit that liars keep repeating till the intellectually slothful and stupid simply believe it" is EXACTLY what these two ass clowns do best !
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 8:31 AMAdmiral green , Wow please read my forum reply farther down . You really fall into this stupid category . LMAO . LOL . !!!! From Dr. Dave -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 9:01 AMDave must work for the estaban scammers -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 2:23 PMNo rik your wrong so how long have you played guitar hum maybe a few years . You dont know anything about guitars . Just admit it. Come on you can do it . Dr. Dave
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 9:01 AMbottomline, you get what you pay for -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 9:58 PMYOUR A FRICKIN IDIOT. AND DONT KNOW YOUR ASS FROM A HOLE IN THE GROUND...............................
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Sun, January 14, 2007 - 11:04 PMand to think i was actually going to buy that stuff for my kids god im glad i came here first.
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, January 10, 2006 - 10:02 AMEstaban is actually a fabulous spanish guitar playing. He has played for years in Phoenix/Scottsdale and other places. He has excellent music recorded. I personally think that people that have time to criticize others need to find something better to do with thier life. Any businesses or TV shows that are interested in promoting anyone or any product do major research to check the authenticity of the product or person. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, January 10, 2006 - 10:46 AMSo your the girl in the infomercial. Just kidding. Somewhere down in this post some one says the same thing. Buy, hey when you do something so blatantly fraught with every sleazy underhanded marketing technique known to mankind, people are going to see right through it. Those infomercials are downright comical and totally unbelievalbe. What I don't get, is how anybody would actually fall for it. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, January 10, 2006 - 3:42 PMi just want to know where i can get a black leather zoro hat so i can look as cool as estaban!!!! then you wont even notice what a shitty guitar player i am -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, January 10, 2006 - 3:56 PMI'll get you one for only six easy payments of 26.95 per month. And I'll throw in these lovely guitar picks for absolutly FREE! AND, if you act now, you can get these stylish sunglasses for only 9.95. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, January 10, 2006 - 8:54 PMWell shit, thanks Ana for setting us straight.
Obviously no one here knows enough about guitar playing to be able to tell if the Mighty Esteban is Segovia reincarnated or just some hack they dredged up to sell shitty guitars to people who know even less than we do.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING?
Oh wait, just noticed you have no picture, friends, or other Tribes.
ARE YOU ESTEBAN? -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Tue, January 10, 2006 - 9:00 PMOh yeah one more thing..
OF COURSE all businesses and TV shows check people out to be sure they're on the up and up. One NEVER hears about phonies or scammers in business or on TV.
Nice try Esteban
Good spelling too. -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Wed, January 11, 2006 - 5:09 AM
Some thoughts:
I don’t trust anyone without a surname ( sting, Madonna, esteban)
I don’t trust anyone who wears shades indoors, except the blind.
I don’t trust booze-soaked waspy guys with latin names…like ‘esteban’
I thoroughly despise the entire concept of ‘HSN’ and all other mass-marketing.
All that notwithstanding…
A spendy instrument does not necessarily make a good musician.
Hendrix learned on a souvenir shop ukulele , Bo Diddley played his first gig
( a barbecue) with a contraption made from a cigar box and most of the old
Mississippi delta bluesman played cheap guitars, largely the ‘harmony’ line from sears and roebuck.
So…esteban and his backers are indeed scumbags,
But…I think that any of the greats mentioned could have gotten away with playing his shitty guitars.
-FK -
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Re: ESTABAN "WHAT A SCAM"
Thu, December 7, 2006 - 9:10 PMWow, and to think me and J. Beck first played on El Producto cigar boxes and rubberbands. It's a year later and Zorro is still peddeling guitars and his clones are still selling Martins and Gibsons for thousands to purchase these pieces of shiit for 2 Franklins. I will give him the fact, that his hands on close view, appear to have been troubled. However, don't exploit your disability to make your jack. Why not do a concert with someone from the Musicians Institute ( otherwise as GIT) down in LA or with me to break those shinny acrylic nails.
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