Brian H.
Really impressed with the quality of this instrument for less than £150, which lets be honest is entry level. I'm used to the vagaries of inexpensive acoustic guitars so I was very pleasantly surprised by my first foray into electric guitars at that price point. The guitar played well after just a quick tuning. Yes, it could probably do with better strings and a bit of work adjusting the intonation, but the action was comfortable and I immediately had fun playing it. The neck and fret board are good, I haven't detected any sprout or neck roughness. It's all solidly put together, all the knobs and switches work correctly and have a decent feel and the paint job and general finish on mine is flawless as far as I can tell. Most importantly the instrument sounds good and is easy to play.
David Mclaren
As with most budget friendly guitars the tuners are generic and of low quality and the pickups are mediocre at best. It was playable out of the box. The frets were fine. Overall the guitar is solid and has a good feel to it. I would recommend it to anyone who's only looking to spend 150 bucks. I knew I had nothing to lose since I could return it if I didn't like it.
Ian Scott
Feels great and plays great. I lowered the action a little for mine. Definitely Chang the strings and oil the fretboard at minimum. Pickups sound a little weaker than I would like. I will probably replace them at some point. Personally, I am more of a Stratocaster guy and was Telecaster curious. Enjoy this good value guitar!
Georgina Evans
Great beginner guitar! Wish they made beginner guitars like this when I started playing.
Michael Lanigan
Great finish great look
DAVID DAVIDSON
Great guitar especially for a beginner like myself. Can't beat the combined price and quality.
Ray Conroy
Great guitar would recommend for beginners like myself. It also includes a complete accessory kit and a mini amp! I like the neat craftsmanship & it holds a nice weight to it. The amp is small and easy to move around, has master volume, gain knobs, and tone which was amazing for the price. I would definitely recommend this guitar for anyone who is just starting to learn to play the guitar
Lam Kevin
Great guitar perfect set up nothing to do Love thr weight,nice and beefy nice thick neck on mine,prob a c shape Great gig bag Very impressed with this guitar Get one I like it more then my cs tele
Ben Richards
Great little guitar. It checks all the T style boxes , it's better than a Squire and rounds off my collection.
Charlotte Freeman
I bought this as a platform to modify but I like it so much as is I'm not changing a thing.
Heather Prentice
I didn’t even want another guitar but at just over one hundred dollars after the sale price discount I could not not buy one. I had some very realistic expectations of this ultra budget friendly instrument, but the guitar I received was far better than it should have been. The neck looks and feels very nice, although the neck did have an issue, which was the only negative I encountered. The ninth fret, directly under the high e string was high so when you fretted high e at the 8th & plucked you just heard a solid thunk. Took me about 10 minutes to knock a bit off that spot, re-crown and then sand the fret. After that it was smooth sailing and happy playing, lol. The pickups sounds reasonably good and the fret ends are impeccable. I’m pretty sure the grain pattern you see under the finish is some kind of image overlay but I could absolutely care less. The guitar body looks very nice, the neck is great, it sounds good and the playability is somewhere between a Squier and a MIM Tele, which is to say, very good. One other nice feature is that the body is made from poplar and not basswood and is a full 1.75" thick as opposed to the slimmed down 1.5" Squier tele bodies. A person could buy this guitar and enjoy it as is for quite a while. I think I’d recommend this to any player up through the intermediate level. If you’re beyond the intermediate level you already know what you want and it probably isn’t a Donner T-style guitar.
Philip Downing
I got the new Donner DTC 100S “T” style guitar. It was shipped in just the wedge box. It survived the trip well. Opened the case and the guitar looked good. Came with a strap, a cable, and hex keys for the adjustments. The fit and finish is great. The body paint is wonderful. Right out of the box, the set up wasn’t too bad. I tuned it up, stretched the strings, and it played well. I played for about an hour, and was very happy with how it sounded and played. The action is a bit high, but not a problem. I will adjust that, put on new strings, set the intonation and do some fret work and it will be fine. The frets need a good polishing. Kind of rough on the string bends. The fret ends are very smooth. The pickups sound good. They are most likely ceramic. I think I’ll keep them. They have a nice “twang” to them. All in all a nice guitar. Thanks Donner for another fine product. I would highly recommend.
Geoff Deaville
I have wanted a T style guitar for a long time. Donner just started offering this model. Price was under £150! The guitar was in a “foam bag” inside a basic gigbag. The gigbag was fit into a guitar box and then a rectangle box. The finish is perfect, fit of all parts seems great. Frets are level with no sharp ends. The only con out of the box was that the saddle are a little wonky. Tuned up easily & all controls work as they should. I’ll give it a full set up before doing video. So far it looks like a winner. Comes with gig bag, strap, cord & pick
Manpreet Singh
I needed a tele body to replace a ash body that was too heavy and worn out. You can't purchase a body for the price of this guitar. I was surprised how detailed the neck was finished and the finish on the body. It was a great deal. Thank you Donner
Ruth Bullingham
I was nervous about getting this one because of how cheap it was but honestly it's amazing right out of the box!!
Fatima Bukhari
I’ve been a beginning acoustic player. I decided to learn electric this summer, and this guitar was one of the best decisions I’ve made this summer. The creamy white color of the body, the sweet strums of the strings — all of it just exudes quality build. There’s only one thing I was a bit surprised by. I found the location of the output jack to be a bit awkward, since it’s on the side of the guitar near the bottom instead of on the larger surface of the body. It makes it a bit difficult to plug in when the guitar is in your lap, but this one aspect is minor in comparison to how well the guitar plays. My son has also been interested in picking up guitar since I got this, and he’s not usually an instrument guy. For a beginner, or even a hobby guitarist, I highly recommend this guitar. It feels so smooth in your hands, it’s nice on the eyes, but most importantly, it’s great to play. For the price, you cannot beat this guitar! Excellent condition!
Tom Woods
Inexpensive but sounds pretty good to me.
Verity Wade
I've bought several "cheap" guitars in the past...Some swings were a miss, but this one is a homerun. Everything about it exceeded my expectations. Compared to the FireFly (which I adore) I picked up a few years back, this is a whole different league of inexpensive guitar. I've seen Donner all over the place on YT and guitar sites...figured it was time I got one for myself. Very glad I did. This is almost identical in looks to my first guitar, a mid-70's Japanese No-Name I picked up in the early 90's. The finish is absolutely flawless. Metal is shiny and the pick guard is layered perfection. Neck and fret board are perfect right out of the packaging, too. I didn't have to go over the edges of the frets with my sanding board, or anything. That's something I DID have to do with my FireFly. Didn't have to adjust the truss either. Aside from tuning I literally didn't have to do anything. I love the WEIGHT to this guitar. This is solid basswood body. That's just how it is with inexpensive guitars, so I am not surprised. However the neck appears to be real maple. Very smooth. Fret board is also a solid wood, but it is stained darker. Along the edges there is some slight stain imperfections, but nothing distracting. Playability-wise, this has very low action. There isn't any noticeable buzzing on the strings. Super easy and smooth for someone with smaller hands. The pickups and electronics seem to do exactly what you would expect. Volume knob works, tone knob works. No issues. The pickup switch has three settings (the description says 5??), neck pickup, body pickup, or both pickups. Sound isn't overly unique but I prefer just the pickup under the pickguard. Sounds like the 60's to me. Haha Things I wish were better: Case. This comes with a cheap nylon gig bag. I wish it had a soft shell case instead. I'd gladly pay a bit more for something better. Strap is also pretty meh. It's just a thin brown nylon strap. I have a nice padded leather strap already on my dreadnought so I'll just swap them out. Not a big deal. In this kit, you're really just paying for the guitar. The accessories that come with it are mediocre at best. Luckily the guitar is completely worth the ticket price. Beats out any Fender or Gibson I've tried in the same price range, for sure. Overall quality really reminds me of an Ibanez I used for several years. This just feels right in my hands. Old-school cool, old-school sound. Paired with my Fender Champion 20 amp....Excellent all around. Very pleased!
Christopher Bradshaw
I've owned and given as gifts a number of Donner (or sister company) instruments over the years--ukuleles, guitar, keyboard, violin, , harmonicas, amps, and many accessories. They have always been great beginner or intermediate instruments at tremendous value. The is Donner DTC-100S Telecaster-style electric guitar is no exception and I highly recommend. I'd been looking to replace my electric guitar for quite a while, and really wanted a telecaster inspired style. Donner just put this one out and I jumped at the chance. The guitar arrived well packaged and with a soft gig bag, 1/4" cable, neck wrench, and strap. The strap I received was brown (not black as pictured), looks good on the guitar, and is fairly soft/comfortable. You my want to replace it for something more intricate (Highly recommend Walker & Williams vintage series if so), but you can definitely use what was included. The sunburst guitar finish is *gorgeous* in person and looks great against the chrome and bright white pick guard. Build quality is very solid. Frets were smooth and the action didn't need adjusting. Other than tuning, this was completely playable out of the box. So other than being a pretty home accessory, it sounds great too. It has the twang that you'd expect from a telecaster for blues/rock/country. With the right pedals or pedal emulator, you'll be able to mimic other styles too. The telecaster-style is still popular for a reason. Highly recommend!
Peter Fellows
Last month I started practicing guitar, I am a complete beginner. I have an acoustic guitar that was giving to me many years ago. I never played till last month, I was using the yousician app. I decided that I wanted an electric guitar so I can learn to play using the Rocksmith remastered game. I have been enjoying the guitar and the game. My only complaint is the strap is to small for someone my size.
Anthony Tapsell
Like it, learning
Marcin Jalowiecki
My guitar came and i was quite surprised in the quality of it to be so inexpensive. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an inexpensive guitar from beginner to advanced, cant go wrong. i watched a ton of videos on this brand before deciding to try one.
Will Porter
My son has been playing a string guitar for a couple Of years. W decided e wanted to try something different so we bought an electric guitar. He is picking it Up very quickly. The guitar is simple to tune and setup. The design and colors are beautiful. The sound is really fantastic. The guitar comes with a carrying case that is nice and heavy duty. Overall I am very happy with the quality, durability, ease of use, sound and the design. This is a really cool electric guitar
Alexander Ferguson
Nice guitar at an affordable price !
Sergio Roccio
Nice guitar! The tones are pretty good honestly for a telecaster style guitar of this price point. I would recommend it, though as is to be expected, some of the hardware isn’t the best. The tuners are not great, but would be a cheap upgrade. The pickups can certainly be improved as well, but I thought they were totally serviceable. The gig bag is really nice, as is the guitar strap, a couple of nice bonuses. Great beginner, backup or mod guitar - pick it up!
Christine Venner
The media could not be loaded. This is an excellent guitar and it came with a pretty good gig bag. The video speaks for itself. This is very much like a vintage telecaster from the pickups to the vintage style frets. I very much enjoyed reviewing it. It's a pleasure to play.
Sally Frecklington
The reason that I chose to give this item 5 stars was not a direct result of the instrument itself, but rather, the sheer value you are receiving for the price range. This is a guitar that presents itself as something it is much more than; a £150 guitar. Although some of the materials used are are not quite on the level of a brand-name guitar, I found it to be just as playable as my Epiphone Les Paul. On top of that, it sounds absolutely incredible. However, you are definitely going to want to pay to have this guitar set up after purchase; something that is very common even for guitars that are a few times as expensive as this one. After that, it should be the perfect instrument for a beginner guitarist, or even just a trusty low-end guitar for an experienced player. Oh, and be warned that this is on the heavier side of guitars. That seems to come with the price-range. That's also definitely somewhat of a preference thing, so if you like heaver guitars this is worth thinking about picking up. The strap that the guitar comes with is a brown, faux-leather Donner strap. You're probably going to want to replace this with a strap of your choosing at some point, but the one it comes with is perfect for the initial use of the instrument. The cable it comes with is top-notch in my opinion. I've always been very pleased with the quality of Donner's cables, and this one is no exception. It is a very nice 10ft cable so that you can plug your guitar into your amp or pedal board, and it works perfectly. Don't even get me started on how nice the bag is. It has a full backpack setup for easy transportation, and is leagues more protective than the Epiphone bag which accompanied my Les Paul upon purchase. It's very well padded and lightweight, and it makes both storing and transporting the guitar very convenient. One of the best soft cases I've ever encountered that came with a guitar from factory. As long as you have some of the basic items already like an amp and pedal chain, this is a great guitar to add to your collection if you've been looking for that telecaster setup and tone. Obviously you're not getting something that's exactly the same, but you really can't beat how good it is for the price. Definitely a steal for the musician on a smaller budget.
Michael Booth
This guitar is, so far, my favorite of 5 or so I've owned. It's well made, and the sound seems to be pretty good based on use threw the amp I have. I didn't do any setup on it, and it plays well right out of the box. It was well packaged and thoughtfully so. One gripe I have is that it is too heavy, as other reviewers have mentioned. After playing it a few days, I usually have to take breaks every 30-45 minutes due to it's weight. This isn't a dealbreaker for me, as I'm 240 pounds, and can handle a fairly heavy instrument such as this. However, if you're looking for a guitar for someone small, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. Another gripe is the strap. The strap is way, way too small, like not even close to as big as needed. I had a strap from another guitar I'm currently using but seriously, given the price point, Donner might want to include a better, more thought out, strap. I don't know what to do with the strap included: It's basically useless. I may sound negative, but actually this is one of the better guitars I've ever used, probably the best in fact. It's way easier to play than other guitars; strumming upwards is always hard for me for some reason, and this guitar, right out of the box, is better in that regard, though I still find I strum downwards way too much (that's just me though).
Josiane LUBREZ
This is a fun tele. The electronics are impeccable and the construction is good. My five-stars are for the combination of affordability and playability. Nice job Donner. I’ll add here that I’ve bought several very nice footswitches from Donner all are durable and clean. This company really does a great job making it easy for musicians to get gear, experiment and get better.
George Leadbitter
This is a great guitar for beginners such as myself and an incredible value for the price. I highly recommend this guitar if you are interested in a nice telecaster.
niccolo buson
Very classy and beautiful Guitar. I played with 20 AMP Amplifier and sounds like a party.!!
Sarah Heneghan
Very easy to play but is heavier than expected.
Cormac Rogers
Very nice product not just for beginners. I like it
Fungyee Ng
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. First impression- Upon opening the box I noticed the Sunburst pattern appeared to be very artificial looking. The "wood grain" was not convincing and looked like a sticker (which it is.) Besides the fake wood grain I like the look of the guitar. The headstock is a decent shape but it could use a stain of some kind to make it look better. Build Quality- For what it is I think they did a great job at the price point. The fretwork and tuners leave much to be desired but that is expected. The dot inlays and the binding are uneven and go off the rails halfway down the neck. -The knobs and switches feel good enough Sound- I really enjoy the sound. It is absolutely good enough to enjoy playing. The biggest issue I have is the pick up selector switch doesn't change the tone much at all between the neck middle and bridge positions. I can switch while playing and it sounds pretty much the same no matter what you have selected. The neck position is where it's at though. Final thoughts- For a budget guitar you could do much worse. I have no issue playing this guitar for fun and plan on experimenting with it by doing a more extensive set up and possibly some mods. I wasn't expecting much but it definitely delivered with a good tone and feel.
andrew Robertson
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. I am very impressed with this guitar for the price. I have used Donner tuners and pedals in the past, but I've never tried their guitars. I am a fan now. Ive bought 3 other cheap guitars recently, low end, just to mod and customize, but this one is the best I've gotten under £150. This looks good, plays great and sounds good too. I honestly can't fault it. Out of the box its playable. Low action, setup really well. Plays easy. There were no flaws on it either. Neck is a slim satin profile, very comfortable in the hand, chords very nicely. Frets are smooth, no rough or sharp ends, nicely dressed. The body is hefty. It has some weight to it, so its definitely made of real wood. The pickups aren't noisy as I was expecting them to be. Overall for the price, I love it. I had intended to mod it and swap the neck and pickups and such, but I dont think I will now. I'm going to leave it as is. For the money its a very fine guitar. Comes with a pretty nice gig bag, woven strap, and a decent 90° cable too. Donner really did good with this one, waaaaay better than many guitars in this price range.
Brenda Bridge
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Overall this guitar is a phenomenal value. Notwithstanding its price, the build quality is equal to other guitars from different brands being sold in the the £500 range. Although the materials and construction quality are superb, the pickups are the weakest point. For those who aren't aware, the pickups are the "microphone" of the guitar. They are supposed to translate the audio signal to an electronic signal which can be reproduced by the amplifiers. They should have the ability to distinguish not only different notes, but different volumes. In other words, if I play softly the amplified music should sound like it's being played softly. If I pound on the guitar it should sound like I'm really playing it heavily. These pickups are very binary in their ability to detect sound volume and it’s easy to play too soft to where a note isn’t heard or too hard to where it is too loud and stands out. However, it's not difficult to upgrade the pickups on a guitar and the quality of the build makes it worth upgrading these and getting a proper setup. There was one issue with shipping in that they didn’t loosen the strings before packing it up. A guitar should never be shipped tuned or the neck can warp. Luckily that did not happen in this instance, but I would advise anyone ordering it to specify that they should send it with the strings loose and to check the neck when they get it.
Gillian Doherty
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. This Donner electric guitar includes everything you need to have a great time. It is easy to play, so it is perfect for beginners. It fits perfectly in my hands and it sounds great. It comes with a carrying bag, a cable and strap. The bag is great quality and is also waterproof, so you do not have to worry about damaging your guitar. The cable is a conductor made of copper. It is 10 feet long and the perfect length to allow you to play comfortably. The soft and easily adjustable strap rest softly against your shoulder. I am still amazed by how rich and balanced the sound is. I can not believe how easy it is tune. I was playing music with the right key in no time at all. It is covered in a gorgeous mahogany color, that is breathtaking. I am really happy that it even comes with a Donner stamped medal plate. It’s super sleek, on the back near the neck. The neck of the guitar is made of a Basswood that looks amazing against the mahogany. The guitar fits perfectly with any aesthetic you may have. The quality is exceptional. I highly recommend this guitar for anyone trying to learn and enjoy life with the pleasure of music. Weight: 11.31 pounds
Fernando Llordén Brota
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. This is a great product! It’s a 7/8 size guitar but plays really well. I was impressed that, out of the box, the neck felt smooth and fast and the frets weren’t woo high and rough to maneuver. The action doesn’t need a lot of work either. Set up like a telecaster with a volume knob and a tone knob and a three way pickup toggle switch. This guitar has a great Nashville twang to it and can still smooth out to fit almost anything. Comes with a nice soft case, strap and 1/4” instrument cable. Came unharmed to my door and the video posted is right out of the box played through a loop station and the Donner Dumbal Drive. A great way to get they Telecaster sound for a really great price!
Vasileios Bezevegkis
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. With the time I now have with working at home, I decided to take up guitar lessons. We have a neighbor who plays professionally who has been teaching me. When this finally came in, I called him over and had his test it out. After he tuned it up for me, he hooked it up to his speaker and played it. When asked who makes it and how much I paid for it, he said that I not only got a great deal but this plays better than some of his big name brand guitars that he owns. For me, as a beginner, it has been really easy for me to learn on. I did buy some fret stickers for me so I can remember notes which has helped when it comes to playing this guitar. It does have some weight to it, but nothing too bad and was told it was about average weight. The sound quality that comes out of this guitar is amazing. The strings on it do not break easily even when I thought they were tight and might break or pop off, they don't. This is my first time playing an electric guitar and I found that the size, weight and shape is really comfortable for me to hold. The strap that comes with this guitar really does help with that too. As you can see from the picture and video I uploaded, the color that is on the listing is exactly what you get and is the main reason why I purchased this. While I can play a few little songs here and there, I just love how easy it has been for me to play on this. I have a small speaker that I had that works with this guitar but does not do this guitar justice when it comes to sound. I have really found that this is really easy to play compared to my neighbor's more expensive one. The case that comes with this guitar holds the guitar and the strap and cord in the pocket that is in front. This does keep my guitar nice and safe and comes with a handle and a backpack straps. I have carried this case with the backpack strap and the straps are fairly thick and excellently padded. Really makes it comfortable to hold and carry around. This guitar is very well made and makes it playing sound great.
Shiona MacDougall
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Wow, this guitar impressed me. I have purchased "beginner" guitars when starting out and have advanced to higher level guitars as my skills progressed. My expectations were not set real high but, it looked cool and thought I could have something to hang on the wall if it didn't work out. The more I play this one, the more I want to play this one. The tone on this is great. I have a Les Paul and Strat already and this is a completely different sounding guitar. This allows you to bend notes well and gets that twang you would want from a Tele style guitar. The guitar has some heft to it and isn't a lightweight beginner's model. It has nice frets and the hardware is definitely beefy. The pickups really make this one sound great. Their are no tell-tale signs of mass production, everything fits nicely and is squared up. A real quality instrument. PROS - Great tone, great sounds, beautiful finish,great neck shape, frets are smooth CONS - I have been accustomed to locking tuners and wish this had it...but for the price wouldn't expect it. Now I have to find a "Cheapy" to hang on the wall. This is too cool of a guitar to not have at the ready. Overall - You won't be disappointed in this for a beginner or intermediate guitar. The extras are nice, including the soft sided gig bag with backpack straps. This comes with a strap, chord, and allen wrench. All you need to provide is the amp and the inspiration. Get one!
ethan wallace
I am usually a singer but I have been wanting to get into the electric guitar. I had an old one in the garage from years back but it was very tired and the action was off. It didn’t feel worth investing in, so I decided to treat myself to this on a whim. I’m so glad I did! It’s the ideal first - or second guitar - the build quality is great and it came ready to play out the box. It also came with a strap, a gig bag and an amp cable too so I think great value. The finish is really stylish and nothing about it feels cheap. It’s a telecaster and it has that twangy sound you would expect - I’ve tried to show that in my little demo. As I say I’m more a singer than a player but I can’t wait to keep practicing. I really recommend it if you want a great value guitar.
Campbell R.
Hi, I received my Donner telecaster 2 weeks ago and I was astounded when I unboxed it, it had a beautiful finish, just like the more expensive models and when I tuned up I was delighted see that it stayed in tune after I gave it 5 minutes of steady chord playing, now that's a real measure of endurance for a brand new guitar, I have since ordered the black Les Paul model and I'm really looking forward to delivery!!!
Fabian S.
Bought this guitar for my son and he absolutely loves it. Looks great and the finish is of a very high quality. Sounds fantastic and feels great. Came with a nice padded bag and cord. Also arrived well packaged and before time. It is an excellent guitar for beginners and the excellent customer service from Donner is second to none. Highly recommended.
Peter C.
A superb finish and feel of the neck and fingerboard. Everything worked well out of the box except for some tweaks to the intonation. The cable supplied, works well also. The bag seems a little bit snug but with perseverance protects and allows the reasonable protection required. For such an amazingly low price it has far exceeded my expectations.
allan m.
Arrived safe and sound after changing strings and setting up I like the tone and action on the neck.just need a few pedals next.then possibly another model.
kevin o.
Ordered direct, very fast delivery time.
Bought because i always wanted a tele, this was so cheap i wasn't expecting much. Seems great quality, neck looks straight, tuners will need upgrading in the long run, but liveable for a while. Needed a set up, but most guitars do when bought of the Internet. Hardware seems ok & pickups sound authentic with that tele twang overall a great guitar for £105. A good base for moding
maureen H.
Very pleased with this guitar watch all reviews on you tube
Chris C.
Timely delivered, a joy to play and sounds great. Neck feels better even than my F3nd3r with its satin back and properly-finished frets (no sharps or sprouts and nicely rounded), no gritty feel, but smooth and polished. Finish shows no defects and every part works as expected. Can't put it down! Can't ask for more of a guitar, and at this price...
Anthony B.
This guitar is absolute value for money. Playable straight out of the box the finish is perfect. I am very pleased with my Donna guitar.
Angela Bell
Terrific Telecaster! Was easy to setup perfectly with just new strings and tweaking the intonation and pickup's proximity to the strings. I absolutely love playing this guitar and the looks are stunning! Terrific Telecaster sounds!
Tim Brown
Excellent guitar when it is setup. I've always wanted a snow white T style guitar and Donner doesn't disappoint. I've played many Telecaster guitars over the last 45 years. Some great and some not so great that should have for the money. The guitars from Donner are highly regarded on YouTube and the price performance ratio for what you get is as good as or better than a Squire at twice the price. Donner has a good reputation and stands behind their products which is something else I like.
Darren Bell
I bought the Donner Telecaster in white and I'm really impressed with it. The white color body that I ordered is difficult to find in a reasonably priced guitar so I was really pleased that Donner had this color available. When I unboxed the guitar the finish and build really were very good for a budget guitar. There were no flaws and the guitar itself has a nice neck and body weight. The fret edges were really well dressed with no fret sprout which is common in a lot of other budget guitars but not with this Donner model. I changed the strings and polished the frets and oiled the fretboard and then it was ready to play. The string action is really excellent and I did not have to change the bridge saddles to compensate for the height of the strings nor did I have to adjust the truss rod. This guitar is really ready to play right out of the box! The pickups sound good with a good tonal range between the neck and the bridge. The tuners are better than average. If I would compare this guitar to a Glarry or a Squier Bullet I would say that the Donner is a better guitar in fit, finish, general quality and playability. Overall, I am very impressed with this guitar and may buy the Stratocaster version. Thank you Donner!
Brige Carlin
It arrived early and it is a gem! It has a beautiful look, and the finish is not amateurish at all. The tuners hold up great, and it stays in tune between practice sessions. The satin neck is perfect for moving up and down, and the tone is just what I was hoping for. I have already recommend this incredibly affordable guitar to friends.
Hywel James
I have plenty of guitars but always curious about what is out there. Saw the Donner DTC-100S and thought it would be at least something to test modifications plus a white tele could be nice to have. When received it was well packed and looked very elegant - instead of pure white it is sort of a light cream - very nice. tuned it up, made a minor intonation adjustment and really liked how it played. The neck is comfortable and the pickups while not exactly hot have their own clear voice and are keepers. Now if I want to mod I need to get another one. Even my wife likes it.
jamie Leeson
Very Impressive ! Kudos to Donner for being able to create a beautiful quality guitar and selling it at such a great price. The fit and finish is top notch and absolutely beautiful. The hardware is thick and appears very sturdy for longevity. The fingerboard is smooth with no sharp edges on the frets. The tuners are holding tune very well. The pickups sound strong with good tonal qualities. Nice padded bag and cord included. The action was not bad as it came shipped but the intonation was off. I took it into the shop for a setup. They adjusted the intonation and the action to be faster and put new strings of my choice on. Wow, plays super nice with fast action and in tune throughout the fingerboard. Very happy with this purchase !
Deborah Toft
Got it in the mail took it out and tuned it. Then played it and it sounded great. I may change the strings but it sounds great and feels great. Wish you made an electric acoustic guitar. Probably gonna get a mandolin next
Jo Jones
I absolutely love this guitar and I’m looking forward to purchasing my next guitar from donner
John Byrne
This blows my mind fast neck stays in tune beautiful finish would buy again! The black one looks pretty cool also!
Frank Witt
I have recently discovered that there are some awesome low-cost guitars out there. After being very pleased with purchases from IYV and Indio, I decided to pull the trigger on a Donner Tele style that kept popping up in my social media pages. Upon receiving the guitar a week later, my first disappointment was that the guitar was black, and not the burst style depicted in the ad. This was probably my fault for not checking my purchase options carefully. Out of the box, this guitar was not nearly as well set up as my other recent low cost purchases. The guitar is currently at my favorite music shop to see if their setup expertise can solve the intonation problems I am having. I'm hoping for good results. On a positive note, I like the looks of the fret board. It is somewhat darker than it appears in my pic. I doubt is it really rosewood or ebony, but it looks like it. I wish Donner would say what it is. It's a bit dry, but I'll fix that when I get the guitar back from the shop.
Sheila Sholanke
It plays great. I love it.
joy stewart
I must say, this Telecaster blew me away for its affordability and quality. After a quick basic setup right out of the box, I was able to get some nice tones and laying some some hard blues and country riffs. Also, you can get a solid metal sound from that bridge pickup. I'm excited to keep working with this bad boy for years to come.
John Senior
The guitar arrived well-packed and after unpacking and after making a few adjustments to suit my playing style it was ready to go. The neck is smooth and very comfortable in my hand. The sound of the guitar is classic “T” style. The bridge is very hot with a lot of “twang” while the neck gives a bassy, jazzy feel. The middle position gives a nice mix of the 2 that is good for rhythm with a little bite.
Gavin Maciver
I'm going to be honest with you this is a perfect guitar for a beginner everything on the guitar was set up to play, but I bought it for a special reason I am a retired woodworker guitar enthusiast and amateur guitar Luther which means I work on guitars.
Isaac Lindley
This guitar is the most bang for your buck guitar! Gladly welcoming it to my collection!
Jon Clements
Donner never fails to provide high-quality instruments and accessories. This tele Is awesome! I also have the Donner Alpha-Cruncher pedal, and the delay is great! I've also bought the Moukey Audio Interface, (just perfect for what I need!), Donner monitor speakers, a Donner drum throne and the Moukey tongue drum. I'm recording them all!
Michael Cooper
I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised at the fit, finish, and sound of the Donner DTC-100S. I had a coupon from a reviewer on YouTube and for $126 shipped with accessories like a decent gig bag, strap, and cable it’s hard to beat the quality for the price. Granted I’m an adult beginner but after a week of practice I really do think I made the best choice of a great guitar on which to learn. Thanks for the great deal on my first guitar Donner!
David Costa
I waited approximately three months for the guitar to come back into stock it was totally worth the wait A beautiful guitar well made and sounds awesome.
Aaron R.
I never doubted buying from Donner top quality guitar, well packaged, delivery times about five days, i am a avid collecter twenty odd guitars, these feel like top end guitars tuned easily straight out of the box, play right away. Gig bag is of really good quality carry it from lessons, and well keep it safe.. So all i can enjoy your purchase you won't be disappointed i have three donner guitars in my Collection and love each and every one of them, you will to when you purchase from them,
peter s.
I like the subtle playability of it. As I have Floyd Rose guitar which is not subtle, the metal guitar is a washburn x40 which x3 more expensive. I think this tele stands shoulder to shoulder with it.
MICHAEL S.
These are amazing guitars and great value for money.
I've slightly modified my DTC-100S to suit my style of playing and fitted my preferred Rotosound strings to all three.
The Bass is awesome with a great sound, the pickups produce a real punch and the setup was pretty much ready to go. The DLP is by far my favourite, it was the first guitar I'd purchased from Donner and I've fell in love with it.
For just over £100 it's a whole lot of guitar for such a low price.
The finish on all three guitars is high quality, the pots and switches are all smooth and the metalwork is good quality and more importantly, adjustable.
Paul T.
I watched a video of a guitar technician who stripped the guitar apart and praise how well it was manufactured especially for the cost. I haven't had much chance to put it through its paces yet as I am just coming back to playing after a long time off from not playing the other guitars that I own. On the whole I am impressed on the overall finish and after tuning up and trying it through my practice amp everything seemed to work as it should.
Bee C.
Guitar arrived in good time and condition. All ok apart from the string action was too high. Will need attention.
Lévis A.
Very satisfied, very well finished instrument.
I can recommend it without reservation.
Sergio R.
Delivery was quick, well wrapped in its box. To be fair for the price it's a pretty good piece of kit.
Brendan B.
I collect guitars, so bought this Dt100 to see what it was like, it's a great guitar playable out of the box, I did change the tuners,pickups and bridge saddles,I now have a 500 euro guitar. If you are thinking of buying this guitar do it.
Martin F.
Great little package. Looks and sounds fantastic . Great price too.
francois p.
Very fast delivery
John F.
My first ever Telecaster and what a beauty. Great action from the box and hardly ever needs re-tuning. Really pleased with the sounds and amazed that they sell at such a bargain price. Highly recommended.
Ami
this is such a beautiful electric guitar. I love the pearl white color and the brassy neck. great quality sound for a beginner or even more advanced player. at such a low price I didn't think I'd get this quality.
Chesterrr
Such a nice electronic guitar for beginners. Warm sound, clean, no buzzing. The design is like a fender telecaster, easy looking. The package comes exactly as described. Guitar strap, travel bag... the fret is easy to press, doesn’t hurt my fingers.
Richard Shifflett
So impressed with this guitar! I have many high-end guitars and bought this out of curiosity and wow it’s nice. It needed some setup but all guitars do when they are new. The fretboard needed some fretboard conditioning as wood was dry but again all new guitars do. I did change the strings and added a little glue to the string ferrules on the backside of the guitar because they didn’t sit tight in the body. Take a little time to set it up and Make this guitar your own or take it to a guitar shop for setting up and you will not be disappointed!
Nina F.
My husband loved it. It is a guitar that he has wanted for a long time
Stephen D.
I’m learning the guitar and did not want to spend lots of money on a guitar which might not get used much. I saw this guitar reviewed on YouTube and all the reviews I watched were positive. I went on to the Donner website and saw they were having a Donner day sale with the guitar reduced by 40%. This brought the price down from £105 to £63. I ordered the guitar at 12-01 a.m. when the sale opened in case they sold out quickly. The guitar arrived after 4 or 5 days. In the box was the T style guitar, a padded bag, a strap, a cable and some bits and pieces to go with the guitar.
The guitar finish looks great, no faults or blemishes on the surface. The set up of the guitar, in the opinion of a novice, needed no adjustments. The neck has a smooth finish and the frets feel quality with none sticking out to catch your hands. I tuned the guitar easily, the tuners work great. All the electrics, pick ups, switch, knobs all work and feel quality. At the price of £105 it is a bargain, but it’s a steal if you can get it in a sale.
The padded guitar bag also feels high quality.
Great beginners guitar.
Nick Barnett
So, this review is centered around Donner's consistency in manufacturing and quality. Lower priced guitars can be hit or miss when it comes to quality, and construction, so I wanted to do a review to outline the consistency I see in their products, having now owned 2 guitars and a number of pedals.
First, as I said, this review is after my second donner DTC-100 purchase. I seriously liked the first so much, I wanted to have a second as a base that I could mod. While it's a great guitar out of the box, for the price, I think it's also a great low cost base to mod a guitar to be uniquely yours.
Positives for both guitars:
The setup of each was playable right out of the box. Action was nice at 1.5mm at the high E and closer to 2mm at the low E.
Fret ends were in good shape compared to many other guitars I've played out of the box. These ones didn't snag your fingers as you played. You didn't feel sharpness up and down the neck.
Intonation was good out of the box and didn't need any adjustment with the stock strings and action.
Finish was perfect on each one. I have a a sunburst and a black finish one and they're both gorgeous.
Both guitars came with a surprisingly decent gig bag (better looking than the cheaper version that I've seen on some reviews of other donner guitars), a nice woven strap with the Donner logo impressed on the ends, decent right angle cable, and allen wrenches to adjust the neck and saddles.
Differences/negatives between each guitar:
The nut on the first guitar had excess nut material hanging off from when the nut was cut. Not a huge deal to clean up, but the 2nd guitar came with a perfectly cut and dressed nut.
Both guitars had a few loose saddle screws upon arrival. Not a hard fix if you know what you look for, but might be a concern for a new player that hears buzzing but doesn't know where to track it down.
I noticed a tiny bit of play in the tuners on both guitars, but they seem to hold tune ok. The 2nd guitar has one stiff tuner, but that's the guitar I'll end up modding in time, so I'm not too worried about it.
Both guitars had noticeably gritty frets and dry fret boards. Plan to do a quick polish on the frets and oil the fretboard and you're good to go.
The first guitar had unbranded tuners and neck plate, while the second guitar had what looks like screenprinted donner labeling on the tuners and neck plate. It's a nice upgrade over the blank elements of the first, even if they may naturally wear off in time.
Overall, I continue to be impressed with Donner's gear, whether it's these great guitars for the money, or their affordable guitar pedals. Donner is solid on my go-to list of quality, low cost products guitar gear.
Westley A. Donahoe
I bought this guitar initially as a project guitar to customize, but after playing it for a few weeks I decided to leave it the way it is. Here's why:
#1. The finish quality is pristine, from the paint to fretboard....absolutely gorgeous
#2. The guitar needed no setup, it was ready to play right out of the box without having to adjust string/saddle height
#3. This is the part that really surprised me....the sound quality of the pickups is fantastic. The bridge is crunchy and bright with just the right twang and the neck is smooth, warm and crisp. With both pickups active, the sound does not get muddy but remains clear.
For a beginner this guitar is a knock-out.
For a more experienced player this guitar is a pleasant surprise.
Steve
First off, let me say that my expectations for this guitar were low; especially given its very low price. I’m pleased to say that I was very happily surprised with my purchase.
I bought this guitar for my daughter to learn on. I have several (and have owned many more) somewhat expensive electric guitars myself and have been an avid player for over 30 years. For my daughter, however, I wasn’t looking to make a huge investment… so I took a chance on this Donner.
Right out of the box, I was impressed. The finish and build quality appeared to be on par with name-brand instruments at twice the price, if not more. I was especially blown away by the feel of the neck; usually the first place a player can detect a “cheap” guitar. The rough fret ends I was expecting (and fair enough at the price point) were totally absent; not a single one scraped my left hand. Given the fact that I’ve encountered sharp frets on guitars literally ten times the price of this Donner, this was indeed a shocker.
Justin Hamel
The Donner DTC-100B Black Tele-style guitar is pretty great. Telecaster style guitars are my favorite. If my guitar collection were sinking on the Titanic, and if I could only save 1, I would save a telecaster. They're bullet-proof, simple, and provide tones that any rock, country, or blues guitarist would find satisfying and useful.
This Donner tele has good bones. The maple neck is smooth, the fretwork is stellar (perfect fret ends, no buzz, and no fret sprout), the nut is perfect, the tuners seem to stay in tune (almost perfectly from the factory), they installed great hardware, and the finish is flawless. This guitar will serve as a great modding platform, if you're into that.
I appreciate that Donner includes a gig bag. That should be standard these days, but not every company does that. They also provide a strap and a cable. I played mine through a Fender Blues Deluxe tube amp, and it sounded killer. I like the neck pickup a lot. The bridge pickup provides that classic telecaster twang that made this style of guitar so popular.
I'm still in awe of how good inexpensive guitars are these days. This is a good one, and anyone from pre-teens to our honored elders would enjoy jamming out on one of these. For around one-hundred and twenty bucks, you really can't go wrong. I wish these were available when I was a kid. Well done, Donner. Well done.
RYNO
I've bought several "cheap" guitars in the past...Some swings were a miss, but this one is a homerun. Everything about it exceeded my expectations. Compared to the FireFly (which I adore) I picked up a few years back, this is a whole different league of inexpensive guitar. I've seen Donner all over the place on YT and guitar sites...figured it was time I got one for myself. Very glad I did.
This is almost identical in looks to my first guitar, a mid-70's Japanese No-Name I picked up in the early 90's. The finish is absolutely flawless. Metal is shiny and the pick guard is layered perfection. Neck and fret board are perfect right out of the packaging, too. I didn't have to go over the edges of the frets with my sanding board, or anything. That's something I DID have to do with my FireFly. Didn't have to adjust the truss either. Aside from tuning I literally didn't have to do anything.
I love the WEIGHT to this guitar. This is solid basswood body. That's just how it is with inexpensive guitars, so I am not surprised. However the neck appears to be real maple. Very smooth. Fret board is also a solid wood, but it is stained darker. Along the edges there is some slight stain imperfections, but nothing distracting.
Shiv Meaker
I think great value
materion iechyd meddwl
Bought this for our 10 year old daughter who is desperate to learn the guitar!! She found it easy to set up and use. The sound quality is great and through an amp the sound is very clean! Recommended for beginners or someone getting back into playing after a few years off ;)
KK
Terrific Telecaster! Was easy to setup perfectly with just new strings and tweaking the intonation and pickup's proximity to the strings. I absolutely love playing this guitar and the looks are stunning! Terrific Telecaster sounds!
TC
I needed a guitar I wasn't afraid to use at jamming sessions when we get a little over excited and careless high on the music. I'm quite precious about my main instrument and I save that for civilised interactions. Bought this guitar thinking I might do some upgrades and with a bit of luck I'll get at least functional instrument. I did the right thing.
Features:
- Comes well packed in its box with foam and then in its own case. Little chance of damage
- Looks insane, the finish, the wood grain, better than I've seen on all Squires I owned
- String through body which is just amazing at this price point
- Great satin neck no fret sprouting, far better quality for its class
- Plays beautifully and sounds nice and bright like a single coil Tele should do
Would have liked:
- A red one but I'm just being picky. the sunburn finish is extraordinary as you can hopefully see in my pics
All in all a great instrument for the money. Definitely not just a beginner's guitar so consider yourself lucky if this is your first instrument. Get one now before they all go!
MH
The sound quality is great
Paula
The guitar was in a “foam bag” inside a basic gigbag. The gigbag was fit into a guitar box and then a rectangle box.
The finish is perfect, fit of all parts seems great. Frets are level with no sharp ends. Tuned up easily & all controls work as they should. I’ll give it a full set up before doing video.
So far it looks like a winner. Comes with gig bag, strap, cord & pick
Steve
Wow. Honestly, I don't know where to start. Except, this what I was looking for the whole time and I never realized it. I feel others will or are in the same boat.I have been more than happy with this purchase and the company. They have been easy to work with and helped with any questions I had.
mh
Bought this for our 10 year old daughter who is desperate to learn the guitar!! She found it easy to set up and use. The sound quality is great and through an amp the sound is very clean! Recommended for beginners or someone getting back into playing after a few years off ;)