Kona KEL5TBS

This guitar was given to me. It cost 200$ with the case. The hardshell case that came with it is quite nice. Nothing flashy but it'll protect a guitar from a nice fall. Crappy cheap knock off tuners can't hold it in tune for more than 10 minutes. Tail piece on mine looks fine but is really jagged on the bottom edge and cuts my high-e string. The frets are nice, the nut on my was completely jacked up and I had to replace it. The electronics were pretty much put in by a 2 year old chinese boy...no offense to chinese people. The pickups buzz like no tomorrow. and the finish, I found, was cracking off the day I took it out of the case. The finish, while it lasts, is beautiful. The maker were rich enough to put a curved top on but not a flat back. The 3 of 4 tone/volume control knobs were cracked beyond usability, had to replace them as soon as I got it. The pickguard on mine came loose had to adjust it. Overall there is nothing good about this guitar. Aside from the way it looks...it sucks. I've played better ActOne guitars from Wal-mart. It has this annoying unset bridge, which I guess is ok if you want that. But if move when you strum it. Throwing every string out of tune.

I play everything from Nashville sound(Chet Atkins) to Metal, and everything in between. It didn't suit any of them. Not even Jazz. I used it with a Polytone Mini-Brute II that is an awesome sounding amplifier, and when I did use distortion it was through a Line6 Tonecore Dr.Distorto pedal.

It's extremely noisy on all settings, every pickup, even turned all the way down. It just buzz incessantly. I replaced the jack with an american made switch craft which helped a tiny bit.

It can make only bright, shrill ear-piercing sounds. Nothing desirable.

When it was given to me by my grandfather. I wanted to like this guitar. I really tried hard to fix it. But I just hate it. I tried plugging it in today and it quit working altogether. So I took out the electronics and saw them for the first time. It was just a jumble of electricians tape and cut wire soldered together. No structure or professionalism of any kind. So I stripped it clean took it all out and I'm taking it to a guitar repairman tomorrow.

The action was really super low. Every string buzzed on every fret. The string were really good though gotta give it that. The pickups were all the way as far in the guitar as you could get them. Bookmatched top... matched is hardly the word I'd use for it. The guitar is a flaw in itself. The whole thing is a stain upon the existence of guitars. Everything listed that could be wrong with a guitar WAS wrong with this guitar. Aside from it being split or broken in half.

It will not stand live playing I know this for a fact. Went out of tune completely after the first song and made my bands whole set suck. Hardware will not last. The finish was cracking off when I got it. The strap buttons seem pretty solid...but what can go wrong with those? I couldn't depend on it for even one song. I would even take it to a gig. Maybe it would be the guitar that I have someone hand to me to smash at the end of a metal concert.

The customer support pretty much voids the warranty if there is anything wrong with it. It has a limited 10 warranty that only covers the electronics for 1 year and any other problems have to "deemed" worthy of fixing. No specs on their website just a picture of one with the stated color and cost.

I've been playing for 5 years now I'm doing show frequently and I play a Epiphone Les Paul Custom(Never given me a problem) and Breedlove acoustic(God's gift to man) and a Giannini Classical guitar that after 5 years have never even gone out of tune, I bought it in Brazil for 100$ and it's the cheapest Giannini out there. I wished I had known that this guitar was crap otherwise I would never have accepted it and made up some dumb excuse like "I can't accept this from you!" I like nothing about this guitar aside from the color. I hate everything about it but its finish. It was given to me as a gift so I had no choice in the matter of this guitar. If I had played it I never would have even considered buying this piece of junk. I wish it worked! This guitar is a total waste of time, effort, and money. Don't buy it or you will be severely disappointed. Kona's line of acoustics are not too shabby though they play and sound good with no problems what soever. Just don't buy this guitar.

Tobaco Sunburst Single cut away Jazz Box Maple top . Tuners are a cross between Grover buttons /Gotoh machines knockoffs with a Gold type plating which I don't expect will last . It is a 25.5 inch scale with thin frets and came with a hardshell case . Chinese made with Gibson type electrics , dual humbuckers . The plating ( gold ) on the pickups and tail piece I expect will not last too long especially the harp type tail piece .

I was looking for an inexpensive Jazz Box to use at home . This guitar fits the bill ($265 with a hardshell case ). I expected to change the pickups and hardware , but pleasantly it sounds quite nice . Rich and full sounding on the neck pup and brite on ths bridge pup . It has a weird type adjustable locking bridge using allen bolts to lock the adjustments . The wiring I can see is of a very small gauge and the pots are basicly on-off switches . It needs retuning , slightly , after sitting overnight , a set of real Grovers are in it's future . The acoustic sound is thin .

Guitar was not set up , but was easy to do . Intonation is quite good .
The hardware is pretty poor quality and I guess being picky the interior of the f holes were finished poorly on the inside , so much so it bugged me until I cleaned the up . The xterior Tabaco and black sunburst looks quite nice . There was something rattling around inside it when I got it , turned out to be a small wood wedge ???

With a little work I think it would hold up . New tuners are a must and the tail piece plating is poor . The strap buttons strangly are large and quite good ... I actually like them . I imagine Stewmac will get a few more of my dollars , a new tail piece and some Grover Imperials . I've only had this guitar a little while , so I really don't know if the structural aspects will last . A backup would probably be wise .

They have a website , which is not very helpful

I've been playing over 40 years and have various guitars . A TexMex Strat , 72 re-issue Tele thin line , various Epiphones ( Dot ,56 re-issue LP , SG LP Custom ), Crafter and Blueridge acoustics . After I change a few things I probably could have picked up the Washburn I was origionally was looking at for the same cost , but my curiousity got the best of me . I'm not sorry I bought it , but I might think twice before replacing it .