Happy Girl
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This is actually my fourth Donner ukulele. That’s right, I said fourth. I have had 7 ukuleles total in a fairly short amount of time because, once I got started on the uke, I became obsessed with knowing all about them and after watching countless review videos, I also knew that I needed certain things for how I would want to use them. I recently gave away my 2 Donner sopranos to some teenagers in need who will appreciate them very much, but I still have 5 ukuleles, and every uke in my household has a specific purpose. I share all of that to set the stage for WHY I purchased this particular Tenor ukulele from Donner.
As I mentioned before, I was particularly interested in getting a Tenor ukulele next. Prime day was coming up on Amazon, and I was looking at a few potential options. I have been happy with every single item that I have purchased from Donner thus far (ukuleles, stands, mini-amps, cables, portable pickup), so getting another Donner Uke was a no-brainer, except that I made it difficult for myself by saying, “Maybe I should get something else, just so that I know?”
But the thing is, I DO know… I have 3 ukes from 3 different companies that are far more well-known for ukuleles than Donner (and generally more expensive), and while I enjoy them each for a specific reason, my Donner ukuleles are just as impressive…so it finallly came down to, “go with the proven track record”.
What do I love about this uke?
Appearance- already mentioned. I usually don’t love a lighter wood, but the designs made it interesting, and after reading about what Spruce woods can sound like, and a comparison to Mariachi and Spanish guitars, I thought, let’s give it a try. I was slightly concerned that it would be too bright for my liking based on some info I read about tone woods, but the comparison to Spanish guitar was the nudge I needed…and I am so glad. This thing has a beautiful sound, which leads to…
Resonance—All of the Donner ukuleles I have had have AMAZING and surprising resonance. Truly, truly amazing. And Warmth as well. Even though this Tenor is a Spruce top and could have had a brighter tone than I personally prefer, it does not lack warmth (and sometimes when I have tried out other ukes in the store, that has been what put me off of them).
Low action—every Donner uke I have played has been aces for playability, and this is no exception. In fact, my very first ukulele ever was a Donner, and it spoiled me…when I went to music stores afterwards to try out other ukuleles, I realized how good I had had it with the action that Donner ukuleles provide. One of my other ukuleles from a more well-known company is known for its low action…but as I said, I guess I have been spoiled, because it does not hold a candle to the playability of the action on my Donner ukes (I was shocked and disappointed, actually)…and this Spruce Top Tenor is a perfect example of that low action loveliness!
Affordability and Value--- I mean, are you kidding me? Look at everything this comes with! All the usual great starter kit items (and even the ones that never make sense, like plastic pics, but that’s ok…give them to your guitar friends!). The only thing that might make the Donner kits better would be adding a capo or a kazoo, as I have seen in some other starter kits…
That said, I will expand a bit on these extras:
Gig bag--- outstanding. Nice padding, durable, awesome depth in the side pocket. Way better than so many out there. Again, my first uke came with a gig bag like this Tenor does, and I thought that was the standard…I soon learned that not all companies send out such amazing swag.
Tuner—the Donner tuners are great. I have an extra that I purchased by itself, because it is always good to have an extra.
The Cleaning cloth and extra strings are a pretty standard thing to come with a Ukulele kit, so I am glad these are included here as well. Nothing world changing, but definitely useful!
I won’t go over every single technical aspect of what the uke is made of, since you can read all about that in the description. Adding a video to this review which can also be found with more explanation on my yt channel…look for #yogiandauke!
My ultimate goal one day was to potentially get a fancy A/E Tenor Uke to use playing out and about, or with my church worship team, and maybe someday I will…but the funny thing is, I have a pickup (by Donner, actually), and I love this ukulele, so maybe I won’t need that later after all.
Now if Donner would just get to making a Banjolele, I’d be set!
Jamilla Naji