Brian Y.
I’m a 50 year old beginner and this is the first electric guitar I purchased. I researched a lot of beginner guitars and Donner had great reviews. I’m very pleased with my purchase. The build quality is great! They service super and shipping was fast . I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quality instrument.
Eric A.
I was happy to see the guitar arrive early and in great condition. The neck was straight as an arrow and it looks as advertised. The action need a slight adjustment for my taste but wasn’t too bad. The pickups are ok and have decent tones. I don’t like the tuners or the cheap strings. I am planning to replace them soon. All in all, worth the price, you can’t go wrong. Great product!
Rick J.
Real solid instrument and the sound is perfect.
Alexander W.
I own several Telecasters from Fender and Schecter. This Donner holds its own with all of them and I am shocked by how much guitar I got for the dollar.
Dean H.
I'm pleasantly surprised and extremely happy with this guitar. I have a Harley Benton SC450 vintage and a 2016 Fender player Stratocaster and wanted both in one guitar. I saw this and watched some good Youtube reviews and my wonderful girlfriend bought it for me. I didn't need to do anything but tune it up and play. The Youtube reviews all said to replace the strings right away and I have to disagree. I personally think the factory set of strings are exceptionally good strings and didn't leave my fingers dingy grey like the D'Addrio strings I use on my other guitars. They really stay in tune with a good hard workout like I gave them and the guitar all afternoon and late into the night. In fact I would like to get the same strings for my Stratocaster. This guitar feels like a mint condition 60s Fender that someone's letting me play but I don't have to give it back. I highly recommend it and would like to try more Donner instruments., especially the electric drums and acoustic drums as well.
Charlie T.
Guitar arrived with broken D string tuner. An email exchange with Donner and they offered me a fair refund to have to repairs done locally. I used the refund to buy all new tuners from Amazon and now the guitar plays amazing. Could use a pro setup and it also arrived with several scratches as if it had been played and returned. Overall I’m in less than $100 and have a dual humbucker thin line tele. The neck pickup is hot and lovely. The bridge leave some room for improvement. The neck is absolutely gorgeous. The body is the only place on this guitar you can see it’s a “budget” ax. I’ll buy another Donner for sure.
Jeremy S.
I’ve been wanting something semi hollow body for a while but just couldn’t justify the expense. Dinner changed all of that with this incredible deal. The pedals I ordered previously blew me away and so has this guitar. I couldn’t be more happy with the quality and sound of this beauty and will definitely continue to be a loyal customer in the future.
Brian M.
I have purchased my third Donner guitar and they are all excellent instruments. Keep up the good work with your products!
joseph m.
Was pleasantly surprised the value for the money . thank you
William A.
Great guitar especially for the price, compares to much higher priced guitars.
Robbie B.
Looks and plays good I had a Tele neck so I put it on it. Really like the way it looks. The original neck was good but I had one laying around so I changed it.
J.R. G.
The replacement guitar arrived undamaged. It is beautiful, the action is low, tuned easily and the intonation at the 12th fret is spot on. I love the weight of the guitar and the craftmanship. The finish on the maple neck is luxurious and make the guitar look like a million $$. This is my first Donner, but I already have my sights set on a DTC-100S.
Robert S.
Guitar arrived very quickly in perfect condition and played well right out of the box. Stays in tune very well. It was more than I expected from a guitar priced so low.
I enjoy playing it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Donner.
Michael T.
A great guitar for both pro & beginner. Very happy with the purchase.
Bradley S.
Very very decent guitar for the money. No sharp frets, finish looks very nice. Vintage style tuning pegs (non locking). Plays very nicely, set up well right out of the box. Quickish shipping (about a week). Excellent accessories. The gig bag is very very nice. So is the strap.
There was a weird smell from the sound hole though? Probably the finish? I'm also not a huge fan of a glossy fretboard. Sounds fine acoustic or plugged in.
Highly recommend throwing on some nice strings though. Factory strings are garbage. Got some D'addarios on it and it's a dream to play.
David E.
The workmanship on these guitars are 2nd
to none
Nathaniel S.
Beautiful clone of a Fender Thinking guitar... Action is about perfect, as is the dual coil pickups and sunburst finish... Overall, this guitar is way better than expected and I would personally recommend it to anyone looking for an electric guitar. It is an amazing guitar and plays like a dream.
David J.
This Thin Line Telecaster is really a nice guitar. The finish is flawless and the neck was straight with no fret sprout, The action was good and intonation was spot on. I am very happy with my purchase. I am 68 year old who decided to take up the guitar in retirement.
Thanks Donner for quality product at a reasonable price.
Jimmie H.
I ordered the guitar on Friday from the Donnerdeal.com website, and it arrived Monday afternoon on an Amazon truck. My first impression was positive. The guitar shipped in a typical trapezoid-shaped box, but was wrapped in a thin foam bag then placed inside the gigbag prior to being boxed up.
Upon inspection I could find no major flaws at first, so I tuned it up and started playing. Everything worked fine. I did some measurements, the neck was a little too straight, the action was a little high (3/32") and the pickups were a little tall. Intonation was spot on. The neck is very nice, Classic Vibe-like in appearance (glossy, but a little less amber), has a C or U profile, feels thick-ish, but the nut is only 41 mm wide. Comfortable despite the narrow nut. Absolutely Zero high frets or fret sprout. There is some paint overspray inside the F-hole. I didn't weigh it, but it doesn't feel particularly heavy or light. Probably 8 lbs. or so. There is no serial number that I could find, but the neck plate is very nice and appears to be laser-etched or something.
While playing, the strings turned my fingers black, but otherwise held tune. The tuners are some kind of Kluson knock-off, but have a low ratio, and aren't the nicest I've ever used. They are just ok. The electronics work and sound fine, but they include a green PCB switch and no-name dime-size pots, and generic covered ceramic humbuckers. No shielding. No surprise, really. The nut was really square and had sharp corners, and the Low E and B-string slots weren't quite deep enough.
I changed the strings to my favorite brand/gauge. In the process, 4 of 6 ferrules came off with the strings, the other two dropped onto the floor. I dabbed a little glue on them and secured them (at least they were in a straight line). I also cleaned up the nut a little, and all the other setup stuff (action, pickups, truss rod, etc.). While I was working, peeling off plastic, etc. I noticed some finish flaws (visual, non-tactile) on the fretboard and some dents (pointing up) in the bridge pickup cover, like something was trying to get out.
The accessories are not bad. I didn't even unwrap the cord or strap, I don't need them. The gig bag, while not top quality, is far better than any "free" bag I've ever seen with a budget guitar. Probably would cost $25 if you bought it separately. The cord does have metal ends, and appears to be of ok quality.
I would certainly recommend one of these if you like to tinker. It's a fun guitar that plays well and sounds ok. A decent -but not stellar- non-standard Tele.
S. R.
Good value. Needed tweaks to intonation and truss rod adjustment and a couple of high frets addressed.
Sounds great!
Casey L.
Honestly huge bang for the buck. Guitar holds tuning, plays pretty well, and sounds fantastic. Looks pretty nice too! After changing the strings and setting the action and intonation, it literally plays like a dream! Very happy with my purchase. Probably gonna snag another soon.
David J.
I was so impressed with the guitar I received the other day. The body finish was very nice but the neck was really nice. Everything on this guitar was well done. Out of the box the neck was straight, I thought I might have to lower the action but to my surprise it feels really good. Even the strings are not bad but I will change those in a couple weeks. Thanks Donner for making a quality guitar with a very affordable price tag.
Ronald P.
Saw this reviewed and recommended by Tyler Larson on YouTube channel Music is Win
So I bought one and thing it's terrific. Like Tyler I have many guitars including Fender, Gibson, Ibanez and PRS but this is a great guitar at a fraction of the big boys' cost.
Joseph L.
The guitar came in good condition
Was packaged well.The instrument sounds good for the price. It did need a bit of a set up
Jared W.
Guitar was great, love the humbucker sound. Only problem was rattling which is normal with new guitars so no complaints. I fixed for under ten bucks so not a problem. Thanks donner
Jose S.
Great Finish on the product, needs a bit of a set up but it’s expected, has held tune remarkably well
A u.
Just received it, good craftsmanship, no sharp fret edges, very nice play after changed the strings. Absolutely value for money. Placed the order with doubts, and now impressed.
Michael M.
Greatly surprised at the fit and finish. Much better than a Fender that I purchased the prior month. Fender was sent back and the Donner was kept. I will be upgrading the hardware and electronics only because i have them. The guitar is fine as it it’s shipped. Packed very well. Gig bag is much nicer than expected. A true bargain. It plays beautifully and I only did a string height adjustment. But, I unwrapped it and played it as it came with no problems. Definitely worth buying a Donner guitar.
Jennifer O.
Ordering was easy and seamless. Guitar was packed beautifully to prevent damage and arrived within 5 days.
Richard B.
This is a great playing guitar right out of the box, after changing strings to a heavier jazz set and intonation and action adjustment it plays the way I like it. This is a great value in a guitar for a beginner or pro for a backup guitar. I highly recommend this guitar and Donner products.
Donner Rocks!
Richard B.
I’ve got a Tel. In the same configuration as the Donner. Played them back to back for comparison. The Donner has a wider tone variation and less volume drop between bridge and neck pickups. This is surprising considering the difference in price is so great. Intonation and setup where spot on. Fret ends well dressed, no hum or static detected, sounds great, plays great, the only problem I detected was, it might have a ground problem, this is easily remedied. All in all, I’d say this is a great guitar for a beginner or anyone looking for a second guitar to give them a backup. It’s not just a beginners guitar, I wouldn’t have any problem gigging with it. I’d prefer that it was in white, if you offer it in other colors I’d be in the market for another. Sunset is my least favorite.
June
Wow. Previously purchased another similar guitar ( different brand and seller). I returned that because of poor quality. This Donner guitar knocked my socks off. Gorgeous workmanship and unmatched attention to detail. These guys really care about sending out a top quality product. Value is excellent. It may be called a beginner guitar but has the look and feel of a pro. I cannot say anything about the hardware or playability since I have not had the opportunity to plug in yet.
Devin M.
Fantastic guitar for the price. Better quality than any Squier guitar imo.
KELLY K.
I sure love my new Donner Designer Series "Thinline" Electric guitar! It took very little to set it up perfectly straight away. Amazing feel and playability and has a gorgeous finish that is well detailed. Amazing guitar!
bob b.
At 76 years old and having not played any musical instrument, I decided I would attempt to learn the guitar but did not want to spend a lot of money. My research guided me to the Donner guitars because of the many good reviews and positive YouTube videos. After receiving this guitar, I was very pleased with the quality of the build and finish this guitar has. The workmanship is outstanding and I look forward to spending a lot of time learning how to play it.
Roman Danilo B.
Great guitar at great value, the guitar didn't really need any adjustments at all out of the box, and first thing i did after playing it for bit was plug it into my recording system and i was able to get a good rich tone with ease.
Peter M.
Great guitar! I was looking to add a hollow body to my collection, and for the price, you can't go wrong. There was a problem with the guitar initially, but Donner's customer service made it right. This is a fun guitar to play, and I look forward to upgrading some of the hardware over time, but out of the box, it is a great guitar.
Brian B.
I actually bought this guitar because another one I had been waiting for in this style from another company had never showed. The Donner one was cheaper so I wasn't expecting much, but it was there in days in perfect shape ready to play, and it came with a gig bag and strap the more expensive one did not. I have been playing guitar for over 60 years and this was my most pleasant surprise to date.
Neil T.
This was a great purchase.... Where else are you going to get a thinline telecaster copy at this price and quality?! I am overall impressed ... so much so that I did a YouTube review... see it here: https://youtu.be/3dw49Kx8zbg
rigger7906
To start things off the 5 stars are based on the fact that this is a approximately $160 t-type electric guitar. It is an amazing value in my opinion, and so I'm reviewing it with the modest price in mind.
Out of the box, the guitar I received was certainly playable, but benefited from some string height adjustment. The truss rod seems pretty much dead on where I would have set it. The pickups sound pretty good, and great for this price range. Fit and finish on mine is excellent for a guitar in this price range. If you expect perfection for this price, you may be disappointed though, since mine had some very minor scratching in the finish(this makes no difference to me,) but the fret ends were smooth and burr free, which is great and make the guitar neck nice to play on. All the hardware works properly, tuners, saddles, switch and controls etc.
Now I really like my Donner DJC-1000S, but I actually bought it as a "throw in the car and don't worry about it" stand-in for my more expensive thinline t-type guitar, and the fact is, the more expensive guitar(at almost a $1000) is a nicer guitar, so don't expect this $160 usd guitar to be identical to or better than a $500+ usd guitar.
But if you keep in mind the price, I think you'll be happy, and if you're anything like me at all, you'll probably be amazed at what a nice guitar you can get for $160 usd.
Doug A.
The guitar seems to be ok. It plays alright. The pickups are pretty hot and microphonic, but that’s neither a plus nor a minus. The fret board is nice and straight. Overall finish is good. My only complaint is that the strings buzz like crazy. I’ve been trying to adjust the action since I got it a few weeks ago. I have to set it very high on the heavier strings.
Randal B.
I was really excited when I grabbed ahold of it and took it out of the padded gig bag. It was also inside a padded wrap bag inside the gig bag. I’m going to give it too you straight.This thing is beautiful! Also It is made as good as any fender I have. It has no flat frets. It comes ready too play except a quick tune. This guitar has a toasted almond neck that is finished and it feels incredible in your hand. The sound is at least as good as anything I own. I’m so impressed by the quality. I have literally purchased guitars for $750-$1,000 that don’t sound as good as this. Thank you to Donner for putting out such an incredible guitar at an affordable price. If you are a beginner or a professional you couldn’t go wrong here. Shred on!
Jon H.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mSz3-5mF30&ab_channel=PopsFereal
G B.
Like many reviewers, i’m impressed with the overall build quality-aside from the machine heads, etc. The guitar was just left on my front porch-the delivery person didn’t even ring my doorbell! Despite this, it arrived in good shape-due in part to the nice gigbag that, i’m sure, offered protection. The pickups are a bit noisy and it’s obvious the cavity was not sheilded-as these hot humbuckers HUM. Overall, it’s a good deal for the cheapest thinline Tele you’ll probably find on the market.
EMelgoza
Out of all the various guitars on sale, this one is definitely a hidden gem!
The quality for price you get on this guitar is great!
The fit and finish on the neck is perfect. No sharp edges or frets and they were all leveled correctly right out of the box. The neck was set straight as well so that's a plus! The finish is a sort of poly coating (glossy) that looks nice and aged (vintage). A problem that plagues most budget maple necks is that horrid white bleached looking color on the neck, that's not the case here thankfully.
The finish on the body is great too! no scratches or overspray, its nice and glossy.
The hardware is par for the price. The tuners are "vintage" style closed backed tuners, not my favorite but will get the job done, might want to consider upgrading eventually.
The bridge and saddles are great as well. No rattling or buzzing and intonation out of the box was pretty spot on too.
The knobs and pickup selector are nice and solid no wiggling or lose feeling.
The pickups! Its nice seeing a budget tele with double humbucking pickups and these are awesome!
They're very HOT and loud around 14k output (both combined) and they sound great both dirty and clean. From country to rock/metal to blues these puppies perform great. I love the versatility that a double humbucker setup can grant you and its nice to see it on a guitar this price.
The guitar came with a nice gig bag that's appreciated. For storing and going to small gigs its perfect. I wouldn't travel with it though.
Overall I'm very pleased with this guitar. At this price point the quality is on par with some high end squire products like their classic vibe or vintage modified line, at a fraction of the price.
If I had to choose between this Donner tele or a Squire, this guitar would definitely be my #1 pick hands down! Highly recommend!
Echo O.
My husband has been hinting to me for awhile now, that he wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I started doing research and tried to find one that I thought he would enjoy, but wasn't too expensive since this was a new "hobby" that may or may not stick. My next door neighbor's son plays the guitar and said he could hook this one up to his amp so I can see how it sounds. He had to do a little tuning to it, but I was able to capture a clip for anybody who was unsure of which one to choose, like I was. It's not heavy. I tried it out and had no issues with holding it. It comes in a nice case with the chord and a neck strap so you are ready to rock and roll when you get it. Ok, maybe not rock, but you can play it without an amp like a normal guitar if you're getting familiar with the chords, until you purchase an amp. The color combo is a nice touch. When I took it next door, everybody complimented it. The kids especially thought it was "cool." This is definitely a great starter guitar, especially if you're someone who wants to jump into an electric one.
Ralph H.
The positive: It is an attractive guitar, and for the price seems well built enough. While it's not high super high grade, you could truly do worse for $150. While there was a tiny blemish on the finish and a scratch on the pickguard, it was fine. The knobs and switch are not noisy. It gives a pretty good tone. The neck and fretboard are pretty good. A good guitar for the price that also comes with a semi-padded gig bag, cable, strap and truss rod tool.
The negative: I was thankful it arrived in good condition when I saw how the packaging would not have protected it very well from traveling a long distance, rough handling or accidents.
Ralph H.
The Positive: The guitar is certainly worth the price, especially with the gig bag and strap included. While it is not on the same grade as the brand and model it patterns itself after, it is well made and sounds good for the price. Feels good, good tone, not noisy. Knobs and switch work fine. Nice neck and decent fret work.
The Negative: I work as a manager of a shipping and receiving warehouse where we package and ship items. Improvements need to be made to help the instrument resist damage during shipping by improving the packaging. Thicker boxes, stiff foam and bubble wrap really should be used, and the exterior of the outer box should be labeled as fragile. I'm thankful the item arrived undamaged, however, as a manager I would have a serious talk with whoever packed and boxed it.
