I just got one for Christmas and I like it a lot. No, it's not hard to see the light on the thinner strings. It's a lot more accurate than the old Korg I've been using. My buddy has been using one of these for a few years and loves it. Only real downside is that because of its size, it's easy to lose. Also, I don't think it can be used to set intonation. It only works for tuning an open (unfretted) string.