I ordered this while I was on travel for business, just to have a beater instrument to play in the evenings. I've played guitar for several decades and have a nice stable of instruments at home. I have other Donner guitar-related products (pedals etc.) at home and have always been happy with their gear. It's decent quality gear at a good price. This "beginner kit" seemed like it would fit my needs - it has not only the guitar, but bag, strap, capo, picks, tuner, spare strings, allen wrench for adjusting neck relief, and polishing cloth.
The guitar is very very nice! Best I can tell, the top is not laminate, but is solid wood (specs say it's sitka spruce, and I could believe that). Sides and back may be laminate, but I don't think so. Fit and finish on the joinery and inner bracing look really good. Fret ends are nicely smooth and polished. The guitar was nicely packed and padded and was in great shape when I unboxed it. Strings were fairly slack (which is how a guitar is supposed to be shipped). I tuned it up and stretched the strings and the tuning has been rock-solid ever since, going on 36 hours of ownership, now. The neck relief needed a little bit of adjustment. The nut slots had the strings sitting a little high off the first fret, not terribly surprising given that it's a $150 mass produced guitar, but not at all a dealbreaker, either. The bridge is compensated and sits a little high, lending a slightly high action for the instrument. When I go to change the strings, it's easy enough to pull out the bridge and sand it down on the underside to lower the action by about half a millimeter...that's a 20 minute job.
And...it sounds and plays really really well. It sounds like a dreadnought! Plenty of low end, projecting midrange, easy fretting with no buzzing. This instrument is a steal for what I paid for it.
The extra bits are hit or miss, generally OK.
- gig bag is not very padded, but it covers the instrument and provides some protection.
- strap, picks, polishing cloth are nothing special - they get you up and running as soon as you unbox, but you'll probably want to get better picks and strap.
- I can't comment on the extra strings; I haven't used them yet. They're 11-gauge (light acoustic). I'm sure they're fine, I assume they're the same ones that came on the guitar, which are perfectly serviceable.
- the tuner was non-functional, but it wasn't a big deal...I have a tuner app on my phone...so no big loss
Overall, five stars for the guitar. The guitar, and the overall kit, is perfect for a beginner...or really any player. I consider myself an advanced player and I just wanted an inexpensive instrument to play while on business travel. I wasn't expecting boutique quality; but this is a very playable instrument that's a steal for what I paid for it.
If I had a suggestion, maybe it would be to leave out some of the extra bits (tuner, strings, strap) and upgrade the gig bag.
Donner Acoustic Guitar for Beginner Adult Full Size Dreadnought Acustica Guitarra Bundle Kit with Free Online Lesson Bag Stra
4.5 | 7,100 ratings
Price: 149.99
Last update: 02-23-2025
About this item
【Most Complete Steel String Guitar Set】: Donner acoustic guitar kit includes guitar, gig bag, strap, tuner, capo, pickguard, extra strings, picks, clean cloth, and Allen wrench; Comes with all necessary accessories for beginners; Ready to play right out of the box. Ideal for beginners, professionals, adults, teens, and children
【Well Made Craftsmanship】: Spruce top, mahogany back and sides with X bracing; Exquisite black spray paint. 20 brass frets with position marks at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets; A solid instrument built to last
【Rich Warm Clear Sound】: Spruce top and mahogany body deliver a rich, warm, and clear sound with balanced tone and full mid-range; Prolongs resonance for a more vibrant sound
【Stay in Tune】: Phosphor bronze strings with high carbon steel hex core and high hardness bridge saddle and plastic steel nut; Donner beginner guitar is easy to tune and holds tune after initial string stretch
【Playability】: Full-size 41-inch dreadnought body for a full and vibrant tone suitable for all music styles; Donner acoustic guitar offers excellent playability and tone for starters
【Well Made Craftsmanship】: Spruce top, mahogany back and sides with X bracing; Exquisite black spray paint. 20 brass frets with position marks at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets; A solid instrument built to last
【Rich Warm Clear Sound】: Spruce top and mahogany body deliver a rich, warm, and clear sound with balanced tone and full mid-range; Prolongs resonance for a more vibrant sound
【Stay in Tune】: Phosphor bronze strings with high carbon steel hex core and high hardness bridge saddle and plastic steel nut; Donner beginner guitar is easy to tune and holds tune after initial string stretch
【Playability】: Full-size 41-inch dreadnought body for a full and vibrant tone suitable for all music styles; Donner acoustic guitar offers excellent playability and tone for starters
Product information
| Item Weight | 9 pounds |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 43.7 x 21 x 8 inches |
| ASIN | B07CVG1J2T |
| Item model number | EC1019 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included) |
| Customer Reviews |
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars
7,058 ratings
4.5 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #977 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments) #4 in Steel-String Acoustic Guitars #8 in Acoustic Guitar Beginner Kits |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | May 4, 2018 |
| Back Material | mahogany |
| Body Material | Spruce, Mahogany Wood |
| Color Name | Sunburst |
| Fretboard Material | ebony |
| Guitar Pick Thickness | 0.46*2/0.71*2 |
| Guitar Pickup Configuration | No |
| String Gauge | Medium |
| String Material | Phosphor Bronze |
| Top Material | Spruce |
| Neck Material Type | Mahogany |
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Guitar Bridge System | ebony |
| Material Type | Mahogany Wood |
| Size | 41 inch dreadnought |
| Proficiency Level | All |
| Battery type | Lithium Manganese Dioxide |
Top reviews from the United States
BrianA very very nice guitar!
DragonslayerHeld up for a year now.
Dragonslayer
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2024
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Matt PGood Guitar Package for a Beginner
Matt P
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2020
1. Action / Neck: Most importantly, the action wasn't too bad at all. I put a picture of the string height in this review, so please check it out. I didn't tweek the truss rod at all, and the strings sat fairly low right out of the box. I was expecting a much more bowed neck for a guitar at this price point. I measured the neck straightness with a straight edge and it hardly had a bow.
2. Paint: There is a very flat paint on this, which I thought was unique, but I actually like it. The neck slides smoother than a highly lacquered neck. The paint job isn't perfect, but its a $100 beginner guitar.
3. Nut: As expected, it has a plastic nut, but no issues there.
4. Tuners: Tuners seemed fine. They're sturdy and I wound them with a string winder and they turned and held up perfectly fine.
5. Bridge: It looks like there are a few carpentry corrections on mine, but again, no issues with its functionality and what I would expect for a guitar at this price.
6. Accessories:
a. Case: The case is not padded, but will work for any beginner. It has a large pocket on the front which is great to have. Everything worked great on the case, it had no rips or tares.
b. Tuner: The tuner worked great right out of the bag. I like how small it was and easy to store in the gig bag.
c. Spare Strings: I left them in the box, but I'm assuming they're the same that's on the guitar. They appear to be a light string, but I didn't stress them out too much.
d. Strap: the strap looks great, no issues at all with it.
e. Pick Guard: My pictures do not have the pick guard on them. It comes in the accessories bag, and has adhesive on the back. You will have to put it on yourself, but its pretty simple.
All in all, if you're looking to get into playing, I think this is a great option for the price. They really throw in a lot to help you get started. A beginner will easily get a few years out of this guitar. I highly recommend it, and think this is a great value for what you get. I gave it 5 stars.
Images in this review
Elmer CortesGood Guitar, Bad String Quality
Elmer Cortes
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024
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Thien D.Good product. I liked the tuning device.
Thien D.
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
Images in this review
