James H.
Speedy delivery but one of the pickups didnt work...a common issue on Donner guitars.
Will have to get it sorted but still a great guitar. Donner offered me a small refund for my trouble. Must admit their customer service is amazing.
J R.
Surprisingly well made for the price and has a nice tone.
Phillip Baerwalde
After watching and reading a variety of reviews on this particular model, I figured I would give it a shot. I am a bass player and have been for over 30 years. I have had guitars in the past and got rid of them, but had the desire to get one again to just have around to noodle on. 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. Most everything I read said that this guitar was a safe bet so I took a gamble on it. The frets are very clean and while they could use a good polish, there doesn't seem to be any need for them to be leveled or crowned. The fret ends are cleanly done and the rolled fretboard edge is very nice. My guitar had one weird dark spot in the finish on the back, but overall, the almost transparent finish is really nice. I did also have a strap peg that was really loose, but some wood glue and a toothpick solved that in short order. I do have some plans to change a few things on it to make it mine (tort pickguard, black pickup covers for the single coils, Graph Tech string trees and a Switchcraft output jack), but overall this thing is ready to go. I was really excited to find that it is NOT a plastic nut, but a bone or synth bone nut! Tone wise it is classic Strat for the most part, at least as far as my bass player ears can tell. The guitar is totally worth the price (I had a ￡40 off coupon that made it even sweeter!), even without the gig bag, strap or cable that comes with it. 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). Overall, this thing is SUPER impressive for what I paid for it. Shipping was quick and packaging was well done. 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. Way better than anything with the Affinity name attached to it, for a similar price point! Highly recommended! UPDATE: I wanted to add some new information. One, it isn't actually a synthetic bone nut. It is plastic. Bummer. However, it is NOT a cheap plastic nut, so still better than a lot of guitars in this price range. Two, the cable that came with this isn't actually bad at all. The problem I was having was with the output jack on the guitar being a little loose. I replaced that with a Switchcraft jack and everything is GREAT! I purchased a Musiclilly tortoise shell pickguard and tremolo cover. Was super pleased that ALL of the screw holes lined up! The Graph Tech string trees were a good improvement as well. At this point, I am pretty happy with this guitar and still have less than ￡225 in the whole thing. Doubt I will be replacing anything further as it totally gets the job done for what I'm using it for.
christopher dowsett
Been playing guitar for 50+ years. Have had just about every brand of high-end guitars. This one would be great for a beginner. For me, it just felt like a beginner guitar. The fret ends were sticking out. Not so much that they would cut you but they needed to be filed. It weighs 7.5 pounds, a tad heavy for a Strat. I wanted to have it be a project guitar, but I returned it because I would have to spend too much time and money to make it mine. Again, very close to keeping it but if you want it for a beginner, it is an excellent choice.
Robert Brook
Beginner, modeler, intermediate, you are simply not going to find a better guitar, period. Truly amazing value. Get it now before they raise the price. Playable out of the box, I spent 20 minutes setting up this guitar to play to my style. I will drop my favorite pickups in and polish the fret ends a bit more to make this play better than my stock ￡1600 guitar, (amateur luthier). I am simply in love with this guitar! Paint is green, dark green or blue depending on the lighting, pretty cool! Craftsmanship at this price is simply above reproach, period. I think they listened to the reviews and mine came with a bone, or at least a Tusq like nut. The bridge is at least as thick as my MIM. There is no tuning issues with the wammy once the strings break in. I was planning on changing the neck with an extra American tele neck I had, but rapidly changed my mind. The only thing I am going to change is the pickups for my Seymour Duncan’s. The ones that came with this guitar is going to my Classic Vintage build. They are that good. They market this as a vintage and it stacks up perfectly. I get excited every time I pull this guitar out of the bag. Seriously, get this guitar while its still ￡160. You will kick yourself if you don’t. The other manufacturers out there, this is the gold standard at this price point!!! I am not getting compensated for his review. I am just truly impressed. I wish I had a guitar like this 20 years ago when I started. Thank you Donner, please keep up the awesome work. Let’s get more people out there playing guitar!
Simon Gardner
Excellent DST-400 Strat, perfect setup right out of the box , just peel away clear plastic overlays on pick guard , plug in tremolo arm, tune to A440 pitch and go play gigs. This guitar has comparable setup as a 2018 Fender Pro Am Strat, and great tone and sustain- and great polished fret job. I prefer thicker necks, but this one is very playable, with quality Kluson vintage style tuners and rolled steel Bridge saddles - great guitar
James Cattermole
Great product when setup correctly. Hard to put down. Changed the neck and bridge to my preference.
Maria Hollyman
I have played guitar for over 40 years. I am just noting that for context to my opinion. That said, my opionion is just that. 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. PROS: This guitar had that Strat sound but not as clean. Pickups seemed muddy...but for the price, they were acceptable and there is versatility in sound with single/humbucker switching combination with the bridge pickup. Some commented on it staying in tune. I tried using a 10 gauge set (my preference- Dadarrio xl110-46) and for me It seemed to stay in tune...I wouldn't use this Whammy bar for Van Halen dives- its not a floyd rose-but it is ok for a little bending effects like vibrato etc...like country and western stuff... CONS: Neck is comfortable for smaller hands, my hands are too big...this neck very narrow...seemed harder to play for me so I returned it. Not the style neck I am used to or looking for. While it had a versatile sound, the Korean pickups were not that powerful and were noisy. But, again, considering the price point they were very good. The Electronic/switching seemed good... but sound was not to my liking. OVERALL OPINION: Solid workmanship, guitar looks great and feels well made. 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!.
NANCY NJONJO
I must have got lucky got have received one with a tiger stripe neck I was so happy, Mine needed a standard set up took less than 5 mins with the tools provided with the guitar. The pickups wont disappoint you, get it now while you can, I'm not gonna bash names but I'll say this, you're on top Donner.
Jenna Fan
I thought I was going to get this product and be totally satisfied with it with all the reviews saying how great it is but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this is the new d s t 400 this has tone control Push Pull single coil on the humbucker and Korean Wound pick up almost alnicov 5 quality sound the specs on this read like a fender players strat.the most quality stable start to your very own 700￡fender like guitar you don't have to build ??
Don Worden
I'm sure I would have given a better review but when received the whammy bar wasn't on . Was in package but unable to attach
Maricel Alojado
It's a good guitar with laurel fingerboard and alder body. Has the look and feel of the top major Stratocaster brands and in some cases, like the body and fret wood, pickups, electronics etc. much better! Donner has some good products lately in guitars and pedals too. The FST400 guitar pricing goes crazy sometimes - I saw it go from ￡199 to ￡269, then to ￡169 within a week! Choose your purchase timing wisely for the best deal.
Dave Vaughan
It's a very good guitar alder body nice neck frets need a bit of work on the one I got can play this guitar live doesn't need new pickups tremolo works good just have to set it up properly tuner are not bad might be the only thing you have to replace the guit nut is plastic but is cut very well I will be replacing it with graphtec nut
Grant Stone
It's ok nothing to brag about.
STEPHEN CORBETT
I've played guitar for many years. But also stopped playing altogether for a lot of years. The Donner DST 400 is the first guitar I've looked at to ease back into playing. The quality and playability right out of the box are both very impressive. I've looked at "budget" Strat-style guitars from 20 (plus) years ago and this guitar puts them all to shame. Very good hardware. Excellent craftsmanship on neck and body. I'm more than happy with my purchase. I would have spent much more on the same guitar and been satisfied. You can't go wrong with the DST-400. Beginners and intermediate players alike will love this guitar.
Chris Jordan
Never got the amplifier though
James Lloyd-Davies
Playing this guitar for the last 3 days and I really love it. Bought 2 other bargain priced guitars and this one is my favorite.The guitar plays great and feels easy and comfortable. Most of the tones I'm getting sound great! I have Fender MIM HSS Player special with a Floyd Rose trem system, Love my Strat! Being totally honest, after I gave this Donner the tune up detailed below, I think I like the feel of the Donner better than my ￡900 Strat! Not comparing tone , just ease of how it plays and feels in my hand. So why don't I think this guitar is good for beginners even though its a great value even after spending additional money to get it right. Out of the box this guitar felt pretty bad. The finish is just okay. Listed as transparent Black, it appears just a low luster black until you look real close. You can just make out the wood grain through the black. could have used a bit more time on the buffing wheel as well. I'd say its a 3 out of 5 in the looks fit and finish department. The neck shape and satin finish on the back of the neck are great. The fret board was dry but a decent piece of Rose wood.Just needed a little lemon oil. It comes with a set of .009 -.042 D'Addario strings.... that had been sitting long enough to begin to rust. With a new set of strings I attempted to tune the guitar but it soon became apparent that the tuners were junk. If you're a beginner and don't know how decent tuners should feel or work, you might think you were doing something wrong. One of the tuners was slipping so bad it was almost unusable. So I ordered a new set of locking tuners for about ￡40. about the minimum for a usable set. The nut was cut okay but would need a little TLC. 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. This kind of Fret work runs about ￡75 or more if you need to pay someone to do it for you. The stock tremolo system (whammy bar) is pretty much junk. 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. After an hour of tweaking and adjustment I only managed to make marginal improvements in the feel but zero improvements in tuning stability even with new locking tuners and nut cut properly. There are many tremolo systems available and prices range from ￡20 to over ￡200 not including installation. Another task a beginner wouldn't want to attempt. I'm Hoping to find a suitable replacement in the ￡50 price range probably a Wilkinson. Until then I just don't use the whammy bar.or it will immediately go out of tune. Lastly the electronics. I'm actually very happy with the sound of the two single coil pickups and the humbucker in the bridge sounds okay clean to light couch tones. A high gain pedal and the tone and clarity suffers considerably. Changing pickups is another job I don't recommend a beginner attempt but the good news is the stock pickups are fine for a beginner as well as the stock electronics. I'm changing the bridge Humbucker to an EVH WG. At ￡169 new that pickup costs about what this guitar does. I got lucky and found an open box one for sale for ￡79. I'll most likely upgrade the pots and switch as well but they're working fine for now. I honestly think this guitar is a great value. With a total out of pocket of less than ￡500 I'll have a fantastic playing and sounding Strat type guitar. I just can't recommend it as a good beginner guitar unless you have a friend who is a guitar tech.
Zarley Mcalpine
This guitar is not just for beginners . It will satisfy much more advanced guitarists. Company responsive
Thomas Cripps
This guitar sounds great right out of the box. The single coil pickups are hot and the poles are staggerd but not like Fender pickups giving this guitar a unique sound. Very impressive.
Kennedy Dan
This is an excellent entry level guitar. With C shape neck with 9.5 radius neck and vintage style tuner that hold tune, makes this an excellent guitar for beginners and intermediate players. Finish on guitar is comparable to other guitars in this price range.
Robert Gray
This is really a good instrument. Better than some similar products I have also bought. The workmanship, sound, and feel are as good as any guitar I have seen anywhere. The only thing that is not premium on this DST-400 are the bridge saddles, but these are easy to upgrade.
Fiona Dyer
Very beautiful guitar, for now is a collectors edition until I learn to play it.
Maryyam Masood
Very Nice No sharp edges. Neck and strings needs set up. Lost star for poor nut looked awful. I replaced it. Nut was overly glued and string notches were hacked up. pick ups work well.
Martin Baldwin
Well made no plastic fittings like you'll find on other manufacturers. Stayed tuned day after day.
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