The Luthier Community

So I got a repair from a very nice family. They have very little money, and they were directed by someone to spend $300 dollars on an ESTIBAN guitar!!!!!!! 300!! 3 freaking hundred!!!!!!! This poor kid has fingers that are bleeding because of the razor blade fret ends on this POS. The action is about an inch high....everywhere! The fretboard seems to be made of rubber ish plastic ish carbon ish stuff. The tuners are silver paint plated depleated uranium I think. They want it set up so it will play......I just gave away my last spare instrument a 200 series taylor to another equally deserving kid. I don't have the time to build this kid a guitar right now as I have three to deliver very shortly. IT breaks my heart to see this......forgive me for saying, but anyone who would sell these claiming what they claim they sound and play like have a special hot coal waiting for them to sit on when they make peace with their maker!!!

Brian

One of the areas I attempt to consistently nail down in my business (not luthiery) is making sure the customer's expectation are reasonable....and that the results that I can provide can meet those expectations. If these two gears don't go together well...we don't have a deal...period. Occasionally I'll get a customer that somehow manages to slip out from under that sheet.

I realize that this family just simply wants to have a playable guitar for their kid but.....in some cases, speaking in generic terms although we are speaking of guitars here, even the smallest expectations can be made harder to meet when the starting point is below what normal public expectations hover around.

I'd call them...maybe go over...maybe invite them over....and gently explain their expectations BACK to them. My guess is that if you are going to have to do a setup and fret dress you should be over 150 dollars. I'm not assuming your pricing for you here, only stating my thoughts. For that same 150 they can find, with a little hunting on their part, a better guitar that is likely set up better for the kid to play...one that will last him longer...one that will sound better...one that's easier to learn on....etc. You get the drift. Craigslist?...Pawn Shops? If they still want you to set that guitar up...then set it up.

Now...on to the giving of one's self issue. As Yoda would say, "I sense in you...a great disturbance...look further...you must. Dude this is simple...if you have of yourself to give, and this assumes you are all squared away at home cuz that's where giving starts....then give freely and willingly. If you don't...then do not...and do not feel around about it. We are all placed into our lives by our choices...not placed into our lives by a pecking order. Seeing kids attempt hard things can play on your inside strings.

In short....square it up....find a way....talk to them more...talk to other people. Just make sure you are good at home before you are good elsewhere.

Is there no way that they can return this guitar? Even POS guitars have craftsmanship and materials warrenty...How bout they start Blog about Estaban's guitars, somebody should...I think Chris's advise is good...This time of year most music stores have really good deals on adequate intruments...I'm a big fan of Yamaha...they're made well with good materials and sell for really low prices...I've picked up a couple of Yamahas on ebay for under $100 bucks each...they were in great condtion, required very little set up, sound outstanding and it felt good to gift them to friends without spending a lot of dough...

Best,
Glenn

Brian you are a good man!

As I read your post my own thought processes mirrored yours exactly. I too would be inclined to give them a better guitar as you were/are.

It's a shame that junk like this guitar is even sold. I agree with Glenn that there are some pretty decent guitars on the market for very little money and Yamaha is one that I like too. Many of the cheapo guitars available today are far superior to what was available 40+ years ago at the same price point taking into account inflation of course.

I have this Yamaha it is a 710 or 310 not shure at the moment, but it is a sweet sounding guitar and the action has never been touched it is a great guitar to learn on.
I recomend to people this guitar if they only have less then 300 dollars to spend on an instrument. I believe a first guitar should be one that can be played easily and at the least stays in tune for the most part, this will leed them done the road wanting to play and learn as to trying to make sound out of a broomstick!

Thxs
Hugh

I'd fix it gratis if it can be fixed, and if not, (And I hope and trust you have a similar arrangement), I'd call my local shop buddy and ask him if they could take the craphound on trade and get him something decent for half of what they expected to spend...

E

Brian,
I found myself in a similar situation a while back, only it was a single mom who was a hard worker and was trying to provide an instrument for their child on a budget. I posted a question over on the AGF about this and THIS GUITAR was highly recommended by many people for its sound and quality. Some of them did mention that a final setup may be required, but for the most part these come out of the box set up pretty well. For $79, it is hard to beat. The company is reputable too, so they have a good return policy if you dont like what you got.

Hope this helps!
Ken

Thanks for the thoughts all. I located a nice Guild through a friend who said I could have it. It needs a neck adjustment and setup and will be more than great for him. I have made a hobby out of grabbing guitars here and there, fixing them up and gifting to my students and churches and such. This one was bugging me because it happend at a rare time where I didn't have an extras lying around looking for a home. The kid is a brilliant lad with a ton of musical potential. Their mother has MS, and the father was killed last year in an auto accident, so it just blows your mind to see how strong they are. He was so excited when he got this guitar, and I am giving him free lessons. It killed me explaining to him that a guitar should not cut your hands like that while playing. It is always surprising what people will try to cope with when they don't know how the instrument should feel and play. Anyhow, I will shop a pic of him when I give the guitar to him so you can all see him smiling.

~B