Kona Signature A/E Acoustic-Electric

Great gig/travel utility guitar. Looks great, sounds great.

This mini-jumbo acoustic-electric is built better than you usually find in its class: SOLID spruce top over figured rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck (and rosewood fingerboard, of course).

25-1/2" scale and 1-11/16" nut width. Neck is on the slim end of the average range for acoustics - not exceptionally slim, but far from clubby. Compensated saddle. Clean internal work; no rough edges or sloppy cuts. With a 16" x 4" body (measured at the edges), this build gives a strong voice with great balance of punchy lows and highs.

It sounds like more than it costs too. Not boomy like a jumbo, not twinkly and delicate like a Taylor: it sounds very much like my old Yairi herringbone Martin-ish dreadnaught.

Elegant cosmetics. Graceful profile with Venetian cutaway, oval soundhole, distinctive swash-shape rosewood bridge plate, amber tuners, graceful headstock shape and logo inlaid in pearloid, bound on front and back, neck, headstock, and heel plate. Abalone trim in the binding, soundhole trim, and bridge pins, with matching V-inserts in the pearloid fret markers.

I've gigged this guitar a good bit and played it more. But I'm not gigging as much now, my hands are tired, and I've migrated to smaller-body acoustics which are a better fit for me physically.

Action at the 12th fret is 5/32" - a little higher than most luthiers set up guitars by default, though great for big strong hands and hard low-neck strummers.

Don't buy this guitar for upper-fretboard pyrotechnics. Buy it for a punchy, full tone for strummin', pickin', and either doing that singer-songwriter thing or fronting a band with your driving acoustic rhythm.

Flaws. Besides what you can see, there are numerous small dings, scuffs, scratches - nothing through the finish, and I'm sure scuffs and scratches could be rubbed out. To the builder's credit, the top has a thin finish - and you can see where I've worn through it. 

There is one functional issue: the EQ controls on the built-in preamp don't work. The pickup picks up, and you can control volume from the guitar, but the other sliders do nothing. (I always used an external preamp.) I've only ever seen another Kona like this - and the EQ didn't work on it either.

Comes with the plush, logo-emblazoned hardshell case shown. See pics for typical gig-guitar case condition. One latch is off; it's included in the case.