Daniel Carpentier D.
Beautifull guitar and easy to play. Everything is just right and it took a few minutes to set the action properly. Stays in tune. Sound is good. Maybe one day I will swap a pickup here and there but that's just me and it won't be right now, it's OK as it is for now.
Karl Andre B.
It is a HUGE UPGRADE from the donner guitar that I used(Donner dst 100). Just the feel of the guitar it is more lighter than what I used to use. The locking tuners are so good for that price point. The tremolo system doesn't detune much when doing dive bombs are using it generally. The pickups are a God send, they sound good and the split coil features let me play a various genre of songs. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE GUITAR FOR BEGINNERS AND PROFESSIONALS!!!
Gordon S.
Just as described. Great finishes and smooth fretboard.
jeff m.
Awesome unit, stays in tune extremely well, lots of different tones depending on the selector switch position. The humbucker is very hot . This guitar really allows you play any style. Very nice fretboard and the roasted neck is gorgeous. Locking tuners to boot. Highly recommend. The only negative with the experience was the delivery time, which was not was not ideal
MIchael C.
Right out of the box, ready to go! Just a quick tune needed. Such great workmanship.
Ghyslaine k.
Very smooth,love the maple wood neck,as a beginner this was a really good purchase I can’t lie!Ready to shred more❤️
Malinda C.
My daughter had her eyes on this one and we all pitched in to get it for her for her birthday. She was elated and plays it every day! She is very happy with the look feel, weight and sound.
Serge A.
J'adore ma nouvelle guitare Donner GST550... Elle est superbe et d'une excellente qualité. Le rapport qualité - prix est inégalé.
Michel G.
Very nice look and finish. It really sounds like a Stratocaster. After I changed the strings and adjusted the neck and bridge the intonation is almost perfect.But I had to push the saddles of the sixth and third string to the maximum position they could go which means the bridge should have been positioned a little farther from the neck.
Murray W.
Great guitar for the money!
Keith K.
Pretty decent quality for the price. The actual color is more in the yellow or vintage white range rather than the white color you see in your ads. The neck is also thicker than my preference. Otherwise a fun practice guitar.
Michael R.
Looks good, well built, sounds good. Compares very well to my higher priced guitars. The finish on the body is excellent. The only problem is there is fret sprouting, i am slowly filing the fret ends as they are not smooth. Other than that very good value for the money.
Martin L.
very nice quality and sound for the price ... love the shape
Brian L.
The guitar is finished perfectly and plays well and Intune right out of the shipping box. Great value, just need a decent amplifier.
Christian John L.
Enjoying it very much.
Stephen G.
Great guitar, priced fair.
Ronald L.
Unbelievable value. Like any inexpensive guitar, I had to spend a little time setting it up to my liking. But, it plays great. Action at fret 12 is under 2mm. $275????? Awesome.
Stephane V.
Expérience d’achat exemplaire et guitare remarquable pour le prix
Jeruel B.
I switched the pick guard! awesome looks for the white one, unique for the light blue one, awesome quality
Brad B.
Amazing price for a crazy quality Guitar! Changed out the 9s for 11s (strings) & I’ve raised all the saddles as well to match the neck radius better. Didn’t have to touch intonization! The boot switch is nice and the pick-ups sound surprisingly great! Thanks again. I’ll definitely be ordering more guitars from you! ✨
Mitchel R.
It actually played well out of the box. The only complain I have is the thin strings every brand puts on a new guitar. The build is good and if ya want better it's just simple upgrades. After my preferred strings and a tone cap mod I see nothing needing upgrading.
Paul d.
I love these Donner guitars as they play extremely well, hence l have two! The blue one was set up great intonation spot on and the neck had proper relief. The only thing l found was a hair line crack in the finish on the body at the neck pocket, probably happen when the neck was set a little to tight. Some of my friends a thinking on ordering Donner guitars now!
Trueman P.
Incredibly low action and no fret buzz.
I'm not a professional and I do like the pickup tones and the coil split feature. The locking tuners are a real bonus as the guitar stays in tune even while using the trem bar.
For me and my limited talent I do certainly recommend this guitar.
So comfortable to play.
James M.
Awesome instrument, very little set up required. Playable right out of the box.
Very good value in this price range, fit and finish very good. Excellent as a beginner player, even a seasoned player would appreciate the quality and playability.
Thanks
Patrick C.
Bought it for my son for Christmas, he loves it, such a beautiful piece of work!! He hasn’t set it down
Marc C.
First, the positives:
It is a very pretty guitar. The neck looks great and feels nice - it's a width, depth and carve that I am comfortable with... close to a Fender Modern C profile.
The switches and pots feel good to use and seem of good quality.
On to the negatives. The pickups do not sound good. It's difficult to describe but they are somehow both wooly and sharp-sounding. They will all need to be replaced in order for me to consider using this guitar at gigs. The action was very high and I am still trying to get it to a comfortable playing height without buzzing. The bridge is hopeless. Anyone who thinks that a 2-point trem MUST be better than a 6-screw will be proven wrong. In order to stay in tune, this trem must be decked and it must stay that way. The fretboard should be rolled a bit in order to be comfortable and the fret ends themselves were quite sharp, though thankfully there was little sprout.
In summary, this is a $250-300 guitar and you do, in fact, get what you pay for... and nothing more.
Paul d.
After adjusting the bridge to my liking, the DST 550 is a great guitar to learn on or play on stage. I really like the neck profile and the neck adjustment at the heel of the fretboard. Totally satisfied with the build quality and finish.
Duane R.
I’m 62 years old and have been a professional guitarist for over 40 years.
I have an extensive collection of guitars from the big guys to the little guys and I was amazed at the useable quality of this instrument. Out of the box the intonation was dead on and the attention to detail of the neck was spot on.
The pickups are useable and fine but a more experienced player may wish to change them to something a bit more expensive if the instrument would be used live. The controls are very good as they are but if used in a professional environment may need to be upgraded to last longer.
But all things considered, especially the price, this is an exceptional instrument.
I would
Love to try the more expensive guitars in the companies catalogue.
John C.
Well made guitar , very happy with it .
jack r.
Looks and feels amazing...
Robert Bob M.
For the Price, it's OK
Jeruel B.
Electric guitar quality is awesome!! Beyond 5stats! ❤️❤️❤️ Customer reps are awesome!
PATRICK P.
Very nice guitar. Almost perfect setup out of the box. Perfect neck. Flawless paint finish. Looks like a way more expensive guitar.
Rob S.
Well worth the price. BEEutiful feeling neck.
Amanda R.
Such a beautiful guitar .great sound .
Everyone that knows me knows I love beach’s and beach glass and when I showed everyone my guitar that said it was perfect and matched me perfectly
ANDRE P.
I'm amazed concerning this instrument. A few little tweaks and ajustements and for my use, it is simply fantastic. I use this guitar now as my main gear and I already have 2 other Donner model that meet my preferences. Would greatly recommend for beginners who do not want to spend a fortune on a first instrument. Might end up using it for a long time...
A very satisfied owner...
Tony P.
As a beginner, guitar seems to be holding tuning. There is a minor buzzing but that could be me. Guitar arrived in MINT condition, beautiful color. Looking forward to more practice!
David C.
I wanted a strat style guitar without the big price tag. Well, I got it and it plays just as well as guitars in the 1000 dollar mark. Thanks, Donner!!!
Dave R.
Nothing wrong with it other than intonation out on the two low strings, so I was relieved.
James H.
It plays beautifully, looks amazing, and feels good.
Bobby B.
This is the biggest sleeper Strat-style guitar on the market today. Period. Really smooth 18:1 locking tuners. Perfectly cut bone nut. A+ fretwork with zero fret sprout. The neck is easy & fast to play! The trem, block & saddles punch way above their weight class. The bridge pickup is absolutely perfect! Hot, clear, heavy! Love the coil-split option.
Mods:
Graph Tech string trees
Dimarzio Chopper in the neck
Mexican Strat single coil in middle
500k volume pot
Dunlop Straploks
This feels & plays like a $1200+ guitar.
Michael K.
This guitar looked so cool I had to have it. I have only played on a humbucker-style guitar, so the single-coil vibe is new and fresh to me and sounds great. If you are looking for a cool guitar that you can learn and grow on, you should absolutely consider this guitar. The white and gold one looks fire too.
Erwin S.
Guitar is excellent out of the box!
Bruno A.
Juste the paint job that is a bit off compare to the pictures. But overall im happy with the guitar.
Francois P.
Exceptionnel instrument for Price , qualité & finish as good if not better than much More expensive guitare.
Very satisfied
lorne e.
Nice guitar
Playable right out of the box
But with some tweeking made it so much better
Mike B.
A true value-for-$ guitar! It arrived the day after I ordered it.
It looks gorgeous, and after a quick set-up, it really rocks!
Stop thinking about it and just order one!
Joe T.
I've had this guitar for a few weeks now and all I can say is that I'm impressed. This guitar punches above its price point. The roasted maple neck not only looks great, but it feels great. Electronics are pretty good. All in all, even if you were to pay full price, you'd be getting a worthwhile axe.
Anthony D.
It arrived well packaged and was in tune. Beautiful guitar and the belly cut and the hand cutout for the top frets is very comfortable. I am looking forward to getting the 1000 in cherry finish and will use my discount and donner bucks to purchase it.
Donner you knocked it out of the part.
Connor S.
The package came in a couple days. The box it was in was barely taped together but the guitar was protected well and no damage. The frets needed to be sanded. After sanding and new strings, this versatile machine looks, feels, and sounds fantastic for the $
Fernand B.
Verry good guitar for the price. I like the neck, is smooth!
Troy W.
Enjoying this guitar. Only complaint I have is that there are some sharp fret ends. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase and have recommended it to friends who are looking into getting into playing electric guitar.
Majid M.
The guitar exhibits high-quality materials and construction, resulting in exceptional performance.
Christian C.
Overall nice guitar, needed a bit of fret work to make it confortable. I also added some shielding to the cavity. I was experiencing what seemed to be a grounding issue, all good now. Although I might actually end up swaping the pickups, ceramic is not really my thing.
Norman H.
This guitar does not come with a strap or picks or tuner. Their other guitars do so don't be surprised when this one arrives without those items..
Carl M.
This guitar feels great right out the box, plays well and honest just made me as happy as I wanted to be with this purchase. If I had any criticism at all it would be that the frets are a little scratchy and will need a little extra love when I restring it. 5 star awesome guitar!
Curtis D.
I love it but the tone control really doesn’t operated very well at all. Not sure if it’s a glitch in my guitar or if it’s an issue in all or most of them?
Otherwise I’m happy with my purchase.
Dave B.
Delivery was fast, quality good, ready to go right out of the box.
Marie W.
Love it great tones playablity great have nothing but good to say about this guitar I consider it a great purchase and excellent quality and value for the money hits well above it's value.
Pierre R.
Très agréable à jouer dès le déballage.
Agréable achat.
joel .
It's perfect now but was not when i received it. It had 010s or larger strings on. The guitar is made for 009s. I played it in rotation with my 4 other Fenders (Ernie Balls 009.5s) and the Donner was way stiffer with the back of the bridge lifted too high. I changed the strings with a set of Ernie ball 009s i had laying around and it fixed everything. The back of the bridge is now floating at the right height, the guitar was no longer stiff and was actually slinkier than my 4 Fenders after the string change. Maybe they restring the instruments with new strings before shipping, maybe they changed them because it was a floor demo, but this was definitly the wrong gauge for sure that was put on before shipping.
Anyways, the guitar works perfect now, stays suprisingly in tune very well, no paintflaw, worth every penny.
If not satisfied, simply change the stock strings before anything else.
Very nice guitar and i'm extremely happy with my purchase.
Frank Z.
It's been about 30 years since I owned an electric guitar. My first electric was a Strat. I dropped electric music in my 20's to pursue Acoustic instruments. Many years later, after immersing myself in Chinese music, I wanted a guitar that could imitate the bends that Chinese instruments make, and something with a Strat-like tremolo was the obvious choice. The Donner series had good reviews, and when the Christmas sales came up, I couldn't resist. I aimed for the DST-550 as it was a notch up from their entry-level strat copies. I like the locking tuners, and the action is great (see the picture of the 12th fret). I adjusted the tremolo to be floating, as i need ability to bend both ways. It works nicely. If it goes out of tune from bending, a tap on the bar brings it back. I may eventually get a Vega Trem Bridge, but for more than the cost of the guitar, it's going to wait a while! I bought a Zoom G1X Four effects pedal to go with this, as it has all the basic effects needed. Playing on the neck feels good, and smooth. I have no complaints. More depends on the skill of the player, than a few small details of the fit and finish. The pickups are fine, and I like the humbucker at the bridge end. My first Strat also had that (the fellow I bought it from customized it). Just all in all, very pleased with Donner's products and their service.
S E.
If only for the color I would honestly return it. Fret sprouts are crazy, frets are scratchy, and it needed a decent amount of fret dressing, crowning, and polishing.
Paul Z.
Looks gorgeous, sounds and plays great!
eric d.
bonne guitare pour le prix
je changerais rien dessus elle es bien comme elle es la tres content de mon achat
livraidon rapide aussi
Sean
Guitar is gorgeous but the fretworks are a nightmare. Couple of sprouts, scratchy and unpolished, and unlevel on 14th and up. Aside from that, guitar is still a beaut and worthy of the extra effort out of the box.
Kindle Customer
This guitar came well packaged. The outer box holding the guitar was partially coming apart, being held by only one piece of tape. But the guitar itself was inside its gig bag and a foam bag and was unharmed. The sparkle paint job is great. The guitar weighted 7.3 pounds.
1. Gig bag - cloth with some padding. Not a top quality bag, but good enough in a pinch.
2. The tuners are locking and work well.
3. String trees are cheap Squier quality - and this is my only negative comment on the guitar.
4. Bone nut - cut well enough that the first fretted notes are exactly on pitch. Width 42mm.
5. The neck is a comfortable C-carve and well finished. Appears to be roasted maple.
6. The fret work is as good as I've seen on any high end guitar. Frets are perfectly level and crowned and polished.
7. Spoke wheel truss rod at the heel. I like this mechanism better than at the headstock.
8. Comfort cuts on the body: arm carve, belly carve, well done heel access cut. I can easily reach all the frets when playing.
9. The pickups are ceramic. SSH configuration. Swimming pool rout.
10. The pots are unmarked. The work smoothly. Five way switch is solid with no side to side movement, but a clear thunk when in each position. Very well done. There is a coil split switch for the humbucker, giving you seven different positions to play in.
11. The bridge is solid with good saddles and a tremolo block that is chunky. Very good for the price point and higher.
12. The back cavity cover is three ply, just like the pick guard. And it has openings to feed the strings through and to adjust the claw, as you can see in photo three.
13. Push in tremolo with a hex key adjustment. Set it to the right tightness and it will stay exactly where you put it.
14. The ceramic pickups sound great. I played them clean and with dirt at high volume with no complaints. The coil split works well.
Overall, this guitar is a keeper. I played it for hours and came back the next day, and I simply could not knock it out of tune. I hit the tremolo pretty hard and still in tune. As far as comfort, sound and tuning stability, you will not find a better guitar at this 290 dollar price point. Highly recommended.
