The “Big Three” Chords

The Kona guitar came with a beginner’s kit, so do not assume much. It promises learning for beginners, and it delivers that just beautifully. No more, no less. All I can say is, this is a great starter guitar.

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The Kona Tuner

A tuner is a very useful device for guitar novices. Basically, it detects the pitch of a certain string and displays how flat, or how sharp the un-tuned string is. For example, the topmost string should sound like an E. If you haven’t tuned your guitar, the tuner might say that it is too flat. Keep on turning the knobs, until the tuner says that the string is on pitch.

It is extremely useful for those who are not yet sensitive to different pitches. It’s a must have for beginners.

The Kona tuner is digital, and comes with batteries. It contains LED lights and a built-in microphone for easy pitch indications. It is very accurate, and one can say it does its job pretty efficiently.

Guitar Basics For Dummies

The ‘‘ series of books has been, and still is, a reputable self-help collection with over 1,800 titles. Looking back, the company started in 1991, with the ‘DOS for Dummies’ book. Now, it has expanded, and there is even a category dedicated to guitars alone.

The book itself was written by Mark Phillips and Jon Chappell. Phillips is the Director of Music at Cherry Lane Music. He also edited and arranged songs of various artists such as Guns N’ Roses and Metallica, just to name a few. On the other hand, Chappell is a former editor-in-chief of Guitar and Home Recording magazines. He has also gotten many awards for guitar and music arrangements.

‘‘ is really designed for people who want to learn how to play the guitar from scratch. It has topics varying from how to hold a guitar, how to tune it, to chord progressions. It is a 120-page book on everything you need to learn to kick-off your skills in guitar playing.

The beginner will appreciate the book’s approach to teaching guitar. The illustrations and diagrams in the book are very clear to grasp. The explanations are really easy to understand and follow. However, it is not for very young children. It should work best for individuals from 9 years up.

Guitar Basics For Dummies CD

Included as a bonus, this CD helps any user of the starter kit that needs more information than what is written in the book. It contains topics on strumming, chord progressions, etc. It is a video version of the book. It is for beginners, so no electric guitar riffs are present.

The Picks

The set also comes with a set of three Kona 0.7 mm thick picks, typically labelled as ‘medium’ in music stores. It helps when the guitarist doesn’t have long fingernails to strum with. Using the picks is comfortable and efficient.

The Gig Bag

The gig bag is really just an additional item. It is more of a dust cover. It is made with a thin fabric and no padding. Over all, it can be used when travelling to short places only. It also works when it comes to storing the guitar.

Pros

* This starter kit is great for those who want to learn the guitar with no prior knowledge

* The Kona guitar is easy and comfortable to use, and so is the tuner.

* The Guitar Basics for Dummies book and CD are very easy to understand and can be used for future references

* The other accessories are pretty decent

Cons

* If you are not a beginner, you are better off buying a separate guitar instead of getting this kit

* The gig bag is not that durable

* The book and CD do not have much depth

* It would be better if the tuner came with a manual

My Verdict and Your Turn to Decide

The Guitar For Dummies Acoustic Guitar Starter Pack is really just the best for someone who aspires to be a guitarist. It is meant to aid those with no experience or background in guitar playing. Anyone who seriously wants to learn to play the guitar will not be disappointed with the book and CD, too. The .

For a $79.97 price tag at Amazon, the kit provides a high return on investment for one’s money and time.