Donner Acoustic Guitar for Adult Beginners, Full Size 4/4 Cutaway Guitar Package 41'' Spruce Mahogany with Gig Bag Tuner Strap Strings Capo Picks (DAG-1C)

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The guitar arrived for the most part not set up. The action was high and the truss rod set without tension. One half turn of the truss rod and removing the two shim strips under the saddle solved the problem. It could use some work at the nut also. Intonation was acceptable. Also, players who want a basic acoustic guitar to play from time to time can prefer Donner DAG series. If you want an inexpensive guitar to play around with, you surely go with this model.

But most important of them all, although this is a good-quality instrument for its price. All of the compliments I am giving to the instrument are relative to its price. The guitar is excellent for beginners, but it most probably would not satisfy experienced players with its sound and playability. The sound is mostly bass. That may be improved by swapping out the cheap plastic nut and saddle for bone. While briefly swapping strings to try a lighter set (which did not change the setup, probably thanks to the carbon fiber), one of the bridge pins snapped off. I was using a Music Nomad bridge pin puller, not some makeshift tool. Fortunately, I had a few spare pins.The Donner DAG-1C has a laminated Spruce top with a special x-bracing design. This allows it to enhance the resonance offered by the Spruce top, so you can barely tell that the sound comes from a laminated tonewood. The intonation is also crucial for acoustic guitars since it is hard to readjust, especially for acoustic guitars. The DAG-1C thrives on this aspect, too. The intonation of the guitar is indeed spot on.

Gibson Maestro is one of the best beginner acoustic guitars on the market. It is a full-width 42” guitar made by one of the most admired and well-respected guitar producers. Its full dreadnought body features a vibrant tone and a high amount of volume. Other significant aspects of the model’s playability are the tuning stability and its intonation. Often beginner guitars tend to go out of tune easily and require tuning more than regularly to play in proper tune. But this model holds the tuning great, which makes the playing much more enjoyable. The truss rod cover is impossible to remove with the strings in place. Not a big deal as I often loosen the strings and spread the 3rd and 4th strings apart anyway if I need to tighten a truss rod, but it’s kind of a stupid design. The tuners are the worst I’ve ever seen. I mean they hold tuning fine, but they have enormous gear slop when you change directions, and sometimes feel gritty when turning.Serious beginners will appreciate the all-solid-wood construction of the Donner DAD-812 dreadnought acoustic. The solid spruce top produces excellent resonance and volume perfect for practicing or jam sessions. I can’t deny it…I just love cheap guitars that are actually good. When you have bought a guitar and find out that it offers outstanding value for the money, it’s a good feeling.You might have gotten even more than you paid for. But the overall versatility of this Donner really surprised me. It can handle music from soft country cleans to pretty meaty metal tones if the right amp is used (I recommend Fender Mustang LT25, Boss Katana 50 Mkii, or VOX Valvetronix 20). And this is why I think it’s a great choice, especially for beginners.

Although it is a guitar made for beginners, it is a full-size 41” guitar. This means it is not suitable for children. However, Donner has the DAG-1M which is a 3/4 size guitar that is perfect for children. Finally, another con, a bit rough fret edges below the 11th fret I already mentioned in the “Hardware”-section. Again, this didn’t bother me too much, but it’s still something that needs to be pointed out and takes a bit out of the playability score too.

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The string pins on the bridge can be out of various materials such as plastic, ivory, and bone. The standard low and medium-level guitars come with plastic pins which are easily broken or damaged. You may consider changing them with ivory or graph tech string pins for a better tone and tuning stability. Differences Between The Models Secondly, the body of the guitar doesn’t have shielding. This can cause especially single-coils to produce unwanted hum and buzz when there’s radio- or electromagnetic interference present. I had to admit that the crunch tones were the ones I least enjoyed with this Donner, but it doesn’t mean this axe sounds bad with crunch, it just was just not my favorite use for this guitar. But crunch tones of this axe are still really good for the price.