Its the middle pickup that always gives me trouble so I lowered it down out of the way of my pick. Very good hardware. Fortunately, I already had one so he was ready to go when this arrived. Seriously, get this guitar while its still $160. The app allows artists from around the world to learn and share music, while Donner's partnership with the professors from the prestigious Berklee College of Music aims to make music education open to everyone at donnermusic.com (opens in new tab). The strap is ok (but should probably be replaced at the first opportunity for something nicer), the cable is subpar (mine went in the trash can) and the gig bag is so-so (needs more padding to make me happy, but for the most part I'm a hard case kind of guy). What is the scale, 24.75" or 25.5"? The contents of this article are entirely independent and reflect the editorial opinion of GuitarWorld.com. The quality and playability right out of the box are both very impressive. Sound is great and has a great feel. I did also have a strap peg that was really loose, but some wood glue and a toothpick solved that in short order. The trem bar is a bit of an issue you might address at some point. You will kick yourself if you dont. At first inspection its looks good and has a large trem block even though it appears to be some kind of pot metal , not brass or steel as it should be. These are going to be my primary instruments when I play out and don't want to take out a vintage guitar. The nut is absolute garbage, even after graphite powder lube, which renders the tremolo useless. Overall, this thing is SUPER impressive for what I paid for it. The Donner DST 400 is the first guitar I've looked at to ease back into playing. I was planning on changing the neck with an extra American tele neck I had, but rapidly changed my mind. I'm no expert musician but have an entry level Yamaha electric that I play now and then. To me it plays like my 1965 Fender Stratocaster. This is an excellent entry level guitar. First off , I think Donner is headed up with this guitar . Copyright 2022. I'll most likely upgrade the pots and switch as well but they're working fine for now. Alder body, beautiful neck perfectly done, stunning finish, excellent hardware, very good pick ups. I was shocked when I picked up this guitar for the first time, the neck has my favorite neck profile, a slim "C". That said, my guitarist friend, who's experience spans well over 40 years, played my new guitar with his jaw on the floor! I have played guitar for over 40 years. Just have to take time and follow use instructions! PROS: This guitar had that Strat sound but not as clean. Really looks better than my other strat and sounds great too. OVERALL OPINION: Solid workmanship, guitar looks great and feels well made. I prefer the F.R.style trem system. I bought one just to see if was any good. I always feel apprehensive when I take out a vintage guitar to play. I ordered a green/blue DST400 from Donner. The frets were all smooth. While it had a versatile sound, the Korean pickups were not that powerful and were noisy. Great product when setup correctly. The 22-fret DST-400 is a guitar that balances classic styling with a contemporary versatility that enables it to stand out in its price range. Donnerdeal. Other features for this alder body guitar include a 9.5" radius laurel fingerboard, vintage-style tuners with precise 18:1 turn ratio, and a two-point bridge tremolo system for improved tuning stability. The single coil pickups are hot and the poles are staggerd but not like Fender pickups giving this guitar a unique sound. The setup is nice, no rough frets. I will do some updates on the trem system. I've looked at "budget" Strat-style guitars from 20 (plus) years ago and this guitar puts them all to shame. Hard to put down. In addition to the shipping box, the guitar was placed inside a decent gig bag--a nice touch for a budget guitar. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. Great deal! Most everything I read said that this guitar was a safe bet so I took a gamble on it. Truly amazing value. Doubt I will be replacing anything further as it totally gets the job done for what I'm using it for. Overall a really great guitar for the price with gig bag, strap, and cable included. Sound quality is not the best but for beginners its just fine, My daughter really liked her piano set up and enjoys playing it, I just opened the box up and it don't work Guitar World teams up with TrueFire to create the ultimate in guitar masterclasses, David Lee Roth's new single is a paean to Van Halen, Andy Wood recruits Tosin Abasi, Mark Lettieri, Greg Koch and more for 2022 Woodshed Guitar Experience, From psychedelic transatlantic collaborations to nostalgic acoustic ballads: here are this week's essential guitar tracks, Watch Billy Corgan perform new song Photograph a tribute to the victims of the Highland Park shooting, Zoltan Bathory: why James Hetfield is the perfect metal rhythm guitar player, Hear Led Zeppelin deliver a rare performance of Gallows Pole amid their chaotic 1971 Vancouver show, Unrivalled access to the artists and gear you love, Exclusive lessons that will make you a better player. At $169 new that pickup costs about what this guitar does. Many fret ends sharp. Will put hot rails type replacements in, problem solved. I am thinking of trying the Tele style Donner looks like a great guitar also. The unit is functional and sounds good. The sound from these pickups are excellent, and to have the ability to split the humbucker bridge pickup is fantastic. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. I think if you covered the name and asked someone to rate this guitar in terms of features and price it would fall well above the sub $200 price point it is currently at. Neck is really comfortable and there is no fret sprout. The green finish has a blueish hue to it. The only complaint I have is the plastic nut needs to be upgraded , its up to the end owner on the pickups , but for me , they are fine for now . Orders will be shipped directly from the local warehouse. I replaced that with a Switchcraft jack and everything is GREAT! Hasnt stopped playing it since he received it. This would be an AMAZING beginner guitar for someone and from what I have seen of the Squier Classic Vibe line at local stores, this thing is easily on par with them, if not slightly better. Refunds (if applicable) Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. The finish is just okay. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. Dont know what experience others had but the first thing I checked, all keys are fine! Excellent craftsmanship on neck and body. Shipping was fast and it was all easy to setup. Something affordable that I could mod. FedEx shipping information was not as good as I expected but the guitar arrived in good condition. If you are looking for an entry level guitar I highly recommend Donner. The tuners hold tune quite well. I'd say its a 3 out of 5 in the looks fit and finish department. I've played guitar for many years. I replaced the original nut with a bone nut bought from Amazon and put on a new set of strings. I am simply in love with this guitar! Have had just about every brand of high-end guitars. The YouTube sensation has teamed up with the innovative company to play his new single Ride the Dragon. Company responsive. You can just make out the wood grain through the black. I bought this to learn guitar for myself. Wholesale Exclusive: Get a Lower Price, up to 50% off. I am a 48 year player and I rarely see inexpensive instruments of such great quality. I replaced it. With a total out of pocket of less than $500 I'll have a fantastic playing and sounding Strat type guitar. This guitar has comparable setup as a 2018 Fender Pro Am Strat, and great tone and sustain- and great polished fret job. I especially like the neck, the fret work is way better than some name brand guitars costing two to three times as much. I plugged my new guitar into my Fender Mustang Amp, tuned it up and started to play it and get a feel for this new Donner Guitar. The push- pull tone control for bridge p/u coil - tapping is great . If youve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at service@donnerdeal.com. Out of the box this guitar felt pretty bad. Better than some similar products I have also bought. Listed as transparent Black, it appears just a low luster black until you look real close. One of the tuners was slipping so bad it was almost unusable. "The Donner DST-400 is the perfect guitar for beginner to intermediate players looking to jumpstart their musical careers, says Kfir. Mine needed a standard set up took less than 5 mins with the tools provided with the guitar. Bridge saddles are poorly lined up. Thank you Donner, please keep up the awesome work. Amazing value. I contacted the manufacturer for support, like it says to on this site, and they sent me back to here where there is no one I can find to help resolve this. Overall a 100. The turner pegs are very good and I don't see any need to replace them. I am just truly impressed. Since 1980, Guitar World has brought guitarists the best in-depth interviews with great players, along with exclusive lessons, informative gear reviews and insightful columns that help guitarists grow and excel on their instrument. Excellent Guitar at a very reasonable price! Thanks Donner! I just can't recommend it as a good beginner guitar unless you have a friend who is a guitar tech. As a 1st time Donner buyer I was steered to this purchase by watching Youtube video reviews of Donner guitars. Do yourself a favor and your wallet one too and buy a Donner. The tones of the DST-400 are comparable to many of the professional guitar models I own. But maybe my observations can be helpful in someone deciding I love playing music I grew up with from Beatles to Police, U2.So I have an Ibanez AS-73 and wanted to get a Strat style guitar with that sound. However, it is NOT a cheap plastic nut, so still better than a lot of guitars in this price range. Technically converting it into a HS. I'm Hoping to find a suitable replacement in the $50 price range probably a Wilkinson. For the price, it is hard to beat. The pickups sound good, responsive, bright, and full of low tones. I prefer thicker necks, but this one is very playable, with quality Kluson vintage style tuners and rolled steel Bridge saddles - great guitar, I'm sure I would have given a better review but when received the whammy bar wasn't on . UPDATE: I wanted to add some new information. The push/pull switch added to the second tone control lets you split the bridge humbucker into a single coil pickup for more tonal options. Lets get more people out there playing guitar! I wish I had Donner around when I was first learning how to play.. Very smooth neck finish, vintage style tuners, and stays in tune when using the tremolo. Some commented on it staying in tune. The guitar's H/S/S pickup configuration is further enhanced by a coil-split for the bridge humbucker, activated by a push-pull control on the bridge's tone knob to give players the choice of brighter single-coil clarity or the thick, punchy sound of the full humbucker experience. Please refresh the page and try again. It weighs 7.5 pounds, a tad heavy for a Strat. Besides that, I am very happy with this purchase. With fixes over $300.00 investment. Another task a beginner wouldn't want to attempt. Self-Pickup Tips: Available for specific products- More details, Your payment information is processed securely. Where can I find the manual or how to use the different features? I love my new DST-400. The adaptor broke after only a few months and we're currently looking for a new one. (Note: I also purchased the Positive Grid 40-Watts guitar Amplifier, which is loaded with options that allow for great sound as well.). Got the price I paid, I say this guitar surpasses that. For me the sound and the Neck style didn't work But had I just begun Playing guitar as a beginner.Yeah this guitar is nice to start with!. There is no hum or noise in the wiring and the controls work great. For me, it just felt like a beginner guitar. Playing this guitar for the last 3 days and I really love it. Not so much that they would cut you but they needed to be filed. He praised its ease of playability and the low string action on the neck. Returns accepted within 30 days of receipt. Not cool. Stays in tune and the push pull is a welcome feature for changing tones. Additional non-returnable items: Free Gift Downloadable software products. It also has a versatile switch system for seven pickup combinations, and the translucent paint job is really pretty. The DST-400 is the only HSS S-type guitar with a push-pull pot and alnico pickups in the $215 price point I found. The weight is right on, not too heavy, not too light. What is the radius of the neck? Lastly the electronics. I did find one problem: the nut was not properly cut and the low E string was at the very end of frets. Shipping costs are non-refundable. I highly recommend it! They are that good. I get excited every time I pull this guitar out of the bag. The quality of this guitar is very good, the sound is clear, and the price is great. This guitar sounds great right out of the box. The guitar sounds more than fine for the low cost and no beginner will know or care about the difference anyway while getting started. Most of the tones I'm getting sound great! The biggest issue I've noticed with this over the short time I've messed around with it is that the tune drifts more than I'm used to seeing with my other guitar. My guitar had one weird dark spot in the finish on the back, but overall, the almost transparent finish is really nice. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Very impressive. Bought 2 other bargain priced guitars and this one is my favorite.The guitar plays great and feels easy and comfortable. It's good, but the sound is not good quality as I expected. Not comparing tone , just ease of how it plays and feels in my hand. I got lucky and found an open box one for sale for $79. The fret work looked pretty good but there were about 4 frets that needed a bit of tapping down and even some leveling and minor re-crowning and a final polish Fret work is not difficult if you know how to do it and have the proper tools. That way it would have been a one stop purchase to get started. The problem I was having was with the output jack on the guitar being a little loose. Pickups seemed muddybut for the price, they were acceptable and there is versatility in sound with single/humbucker switching combination with the bridge pickup. Highly recommend. If every one of these is as nice as mine, you can't go wrong. The fret board was dry but a decent piece of Rose wood.Just needed a little lemon oil. It has easy to use tunes. I liked it so well that I bought a second one a different color and it is the equal of the first one I bought. Excellent fit and finish. I bought this guitar for my 12 year old son for his birthday. The stock tremolo system (whammy bar) is pretty much junk. Nut was overly glued and string notches were hacked up. Choose your purchase timing wisely for the best deal. The neck bow was just right and the intonation could not have been better. So I ordered a new set of locking tuners for about $40. Two, the cable that came with this isn't actually bad at all. I'm changing the bridge Humbucker to an EVH WG. What is the weight of the guitar? Exchanges (if applicable) We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. Changed the neck and bridge to my preference. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and was very specific about what I was wanting: a Strat style guitar with an HSS configuration with the ability to coil split the humbucker. The split coil is really great and the 2 point tremolo works very well. The tones of the DST-400 are comparable to many of the professional guitar models I own.