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A lot of guitar tone is in the fingers, too! Shoot, you make this guitar sound better than my American Ultra Tele. You are criminally underrated brother.
I made my own guitar about 3 years ago after putting one together I will never pay high end prices for a guitar again there are so many great platforms to build a guitar with. I own Gibson's And fenders Some of the most fun guitars I play are my cheapies
Thanks for bringing attention to the beginner lower price guitars Rich. With such affordable choices and TH-cam/Internet instructors to watch and learn from it really opens up the door for aspiring players. With the lack of choices in this range that we had back in the day, with one inch action and necks that felt like 2X4’s, it’s amazing that anybody stuck with it. Great playing as always.
Rich - Cool video, and great playing, as always. I gotta say... I grabbed 2 of these Donners for $109 each. I got 2 of the Strats, and I LOVE them. I couldn't believe what I got for that price. I have the Tidepool type Blue color... and that thing is beautiful. Plays like a dream. Was set up great, and even intonated almost perfectly. I really like Donner's offerings. I'd like a Tele too.
I shopped around for a T style guitar for a while, Ario Pro ll, Tagima, Squire, Firefly, and Grote, but settled on Donner and I'm glad I did. I've had mine for a month, and it checks all the boxes for what I need. I got the black version, because white was unavailable and I already have a sunbursts, and the paint job, fit and finish is flawless...something I cant say about my 2 Fireflies.
Bro... I bought the Donner tele after seeing your video! Great playing! If you do any upgrades to the guitar....could you post videos please? Subscribed with the bell!
45 years wanted tele type guitar guitar center charges 300 400 for cheap feeling squiers I pd 129 for this axe I love it plays feels awesome get it before price goes up
WoW $120 bucks and it sounds great..... I would buy one for that price , problem is it would cost $150 to ship it to NZ lol. Lot of bang for your buck right there....... Hey rich if you don't want it I will pay shipping to NZ...... it's about the only way I will ever get one...... Good review.
Yeah I have a custom shop tele and the switch tip won't stay on that either. haha. had to wrap a little tape over the end of the switch to get it to stop flying off.
Just a side-note: Nothing wrong with "top-loader" Teles imo. Some people actually prefer them. Also: That bridge pup sounds better than a few I've heard on FAR more expensive Teles lately. Nothing wrong with the neck pup either.
sweet tele copy! i replace the tele switchtip with a strat one just to be different anyway...plus that should solve that issue with the switch not totally engaging.... had a tele build fail and im in the market for a replacement "platform" in which to transfer all the good pups/control plate assembly...looks like this one will be nice... wasnt the sunburst paintjobs popular in the mid 50s as well as today? as in the birth of the sunburst paintjob....
The one I bought for a project guitar had major problems. TH-cam won't let me refer you to my offsite "Luthier's Review", but I gave it one star. And returned it.
I have seen great reviews for the Donner Tele. Usually from reviewers who received a free copy. I wonder if the ones they send out have been carefully selected and given special attention.?
I wondered this too, but my curiosity got the best of me and I picked up a black copy during one of the many sales where the price dips to ~$100. My copy is great overall. The neck is extremely comfortable, and the frets needed no work at all beyond polishing (which I always do on new guitars). Everything works exactly as it should, it played fine out of the box, and it was even set up pretty well. Once I set it up to my specs and made a few minor upgrades, it became my favorite guitar to play and remains so several months later. The saddles one mine were poor and I couldn't get them to stop buzzing. I'm not a fan of the vintage style bent steel saddles anyway. I replaced them with < $20 modern style brass saddles with string grooves (Musiclily Ultra) and it completely eliminated the issue. I also thought the stock strings were buzzy, so I replaced them. The tuners worked fine, but I wanted a more premium look and feel so I got the $38 Jin Ho 19:1 locking tuners on Amazon. Total cost of everything came to $165 or so, and it plays nicer than any Squier Bullet or Affinity I've tried. It's roughly on par with a Squier Classic Vibe (~$400) in terms of playability. Pickups on the Squire CV probably sound nicer, but that's subjective.
@@joshhenly I'm impressed so far, too. I bought this as a guinea pig to hone my soldering skills and horrific amateur luthier skills. I am looking to swap out the tuners since I'm having loads of issues staying in tune anyway (even with new Ernie Ball strings). Did the Jin Ho's require any additional drilling (which I'm trying to avoid) or could you use the existing holes?
@@ldlegrandjr883 The Jin Ho's (10mm) are drop-in replacements. I've put these on all three Donner DTC-100's that I have -- black, sunburst, and white. No issues with fit or function, and I still highly recommend them after using them for many months. But replacing the saddles was an even bigger improvement FYI! If your new strings are already stretched out, then the nut is very likely the main culprit for tuning stability issues. I bet the string is binding in the slots, due to roughly cut slots, and/or not a wide enough path on the tuner side of the nut, and/or the string making contact with the nut across the width of the nut instead of only at the leading edge. A great opportunity to elevate your luthier skills! If you don't arleady have nut files, I recommend the Hosco set from Philadelphia Luthier (the set of ~10 or 11, not the double-sided ones). If you're not ready to file the nut, at least lube up all the string contact points: trees, nut, and saddles.
Rich - Now that you've played several Harley Benton and Donner guitars, what is your impression between the brands? Would you choose one over the other or are they fairly similar in quality? Thanks!
I have a couple of nice guitars but I travel alot so I'm wondering if I get one to throw around will it be enjoyable to play or will I be frustrated with the quality?
Bad luck! This has happened to me with Squier and others btw. I have all three colors of the DTC-100 and they were all great out of the box. But the Donner DLP-124 (LP clone) I got had ridiculously sharp frets and the neck pocket needed to be leveled and shimmed to be playable. So yeah...you do take a gamble when you buy a guitar online. Regardless of brand! I've actually had better luck with Donner than any other brand I've bought online in the last couple years.
I really like this guitar, I ordered one from AMAZON. It arrived pretty fast. it was within that gig bag within that same cardboard box that had a few pcs of packing tape to hold the box shut. The guitar flopped arnd inside the box because they dint have the sense to pack some scrappy paper in there to stabilize. The box was trashed in transit, the body had a long nasty crack adjacent to neck. I retape the box and senter right back for refund. I never even plugged it in. I still long for that guitar but what's the use. The odds of getting one in good condition are extreme poor. AMAZON is a slip shod outfit.
Thanks for watching! Please remember to like and subscribe, and stop by Spotify to listen to some music. open.spotify.com/artist/3GoaK66hG2Al2gf6ync58b?si=L7XJVS7aTCWMPUMLTpFD3Q&dl_branch=1
A lot of guitar tone is in the fingers, too! Shoot, you make this guitar sound better than my American Ultra Tele. You are criminally underrated brother.
Thanks Christian!
It does sound better (if you really like Teles).
And it's not just the playing style either.
Great playing again Rich!
When I think about it, it is amazing that a guitar can be built for that price these days.
I made my own guitar about 3 years ago after putting one together I will never pay high end prices for a guitar again there are so many great platforms to build a guitar with. I own Gibson's And fenders Some of the most fun guitars I play are my cheapies
The fretboard comes with paper protection to stop the strings from scratching the frets in transit
Makes sense I guess, although I have received a ton of guitars without the paper.
It shows they care.
Unlike some more well-known guitar manufacturers I could mention.
@@voiceofexperience mine too, also ready straight out of the box. Must have been manually checked.
Thanks for bringing attention to the beginner lower price guitars Rich. With such affordable choices and TH-cam/Internet instructors to watch and learn from it really opens up the door for aspiring players. With the lack of choices in this range that we had back in the day, with one inch action and necks that felt like 2X4’s, it’s amazing that anybody stuck with it. Great playing as always.
Thanks!
Rich - Cool video, and great playing, as always. I gotta say... I grabbed 2 of these Donners for $109 each. I got 2 of the Strats, and I LOVE them. I couldn't believe what I got for that price. I have the Tidepool type Blue color... and that thing is beautiful. Plays like a dream. Was set up great, and even intonated almost perfectly. I really like Donner's offerings. I'd like a Tele too.
Remarkable for the price!!
Just bought one of these for my wife!
Nice guitar, and great playing, Rich! Donner's knocked it out of the ball park again!
I shopped around for a T style guitar for a while, Ario Pro ll, Tagima, Squire, Firefly, and Grote, but settled on Donner and I'm glad I did. I've had mine for a month, and it checks all the boxes for what I need. I got the black version, because white was unavailable and I already have a sunbursts, and the paint job, fit and finish is flawless...something I cant say about my 2 Fireflies.
Great playing Rich 👌
Bro... I bought the Donner tele after seeing your video! Great playing! If you do any upgrades to the guitar....could you post videos please? Subscribed with the bell!
Thanks!
Received this guitar I've been playing guitar amateur and some gigs with buddies for 45 a
45 years wanted tele type guitar guitar center charges 300 400 for cheap feeling squiers I pd 129 for this axe I love it plays feels awesome get it before price goes up
The wood grain is a sticker under all that poly.
Amazing guitar playing and amazing cheap guitar.
WoW $120 bucks and it sounds great..... I would buy one for that price , problem is it would cost $150 to ship it to NZ lol. Lot of bang for your buck right there....... Hey rich if you don't want it I will pay shipping to NZ...... it's about the only way I will ever get one...... Good review.
Thanks, But I might use it for a giveaway at some point or give it to a student of mine.
Great jam as all ways rich ,
Yeah I have a custom shop tele and the switch tip won't stay on that either. haha. had to wrap a little tape over the end of the switch to get it to stop flying off.
Just a side-note:
Nothing wrong with "top-loader" Teles imo.
Some people actually prefer them.
Also: That bridge pup sounds better than a few I've heard on FAR more expensive Teles lately. Nothing wrong with the neck pup either.
sweet tele copy!
i replace the tele switchtip with a strat one just to be different anyway...plus that should solve that issue with the switch not totally engaging....
had a tele build fail and im in the market for a replacement "platform" in which to transfer all the good pups/control plate assembly...looks like this one will be nice...
wasnt the sunburst paintjobs popular in the mid 50s as well as today? as in the birth of the sunburst paintjob....
Nice guitar… Donner looper pedal called Circle is great value!👍
I always swap me Tele "tophat" switch tips for strat switch tips... Gives you more room to grab the switch
The one I bought for a project guitar had major problems. TH-cam won't let me refer you to my offsite "Luthier's Review", but I gave it one star. And returned it.
I have seen great reviews for the Donner Tele. Usually from reviewers who received a free copy. I wonder if the ones they send out have been carefully selected and given special attention.?
I wondered this too, but my curiosity got the best of me and I picked up a black copy during one of the many sales where the price dips to ~$100.
My copy is great overall. The neck is extremely comfortable, and the frets needed no work at all beyond polishing (which I always do on new guitars). Everything works exactly as it should, it played fine out of the box, and it was even set up pretty well. Once I set it up to my specs and made a few minor upgrades, it became my favorite guitar to play and remains so several months later.
The saddles one mine were poor and I couldn't get them to stop buzzing. I'm not a fan of the vintage style bent steel saddles anyway. I replaced them with < $20 modern style brass saddles with string grooves (Musiclily Ultra) and it completely eliminated the issue. I also thought the stock strings were buzzy, so I replaced them. The tuners worked fine, but I wanted a more premium look and feel so I got the $38 Jin Ho 19:1 locking tuners on Amazon. Total cost of everything came to $165 or so, and it plays nicer than any Squier Bullet or Affinity I've tried. It's roughly on par with a Squier Classic Vibe (~$400) in terms of playability. Pickups on the Squire CV probably sound nicer, but that's subjective.
@@joshhenly I'm impressed so far, too. I bought this as a guinea pig to hone my soldering skills and horrific amateur luthier skills. I am looking to swap out the tuners since I'm having loads of issues staying in tune anyway (even with new Ernie Ball strings). Did the Jin Ho's require any additional drilling (which I'm trying to avoid) or could you use the existing holes?
@@ldlegrandjr883 The Jin Ho's (10mm) are drop-in replacements. I've put these on all three Donner DTC-100's that I have -- black, sunburst, and white. No issues with fit or function, and I still highly recommend them after using them for many months. But replacing the saddles was an even bigger improvement FYI!
If your new strings are already stretched out, then the nut is very likely the main culprit for tuning stability issues. I bet the string is binding in the slots, due to roughly cut slots, and/or not a wide enough path on the tuner side of the nut, and/or the string making contact with the nut across the width of the nut instead of only at the leading edge. A great opportunity to elevate your luthier skills! If you don't arleady have nut files, I recommend the Hosco set from Philadelphia Luthier (the set of ~10 or 11, not the double-sided ones). If you're not ready to file the nut, at least lube up all the string contact points: trees, nut, and saddles.
@@joshhenly This is really great information and something I'm going to look at now. Thanks Josh!
Hey Jako, put some good pickups in it ,Then It would be as good as any guitar you got.
I didn't see an Amazon link for the guitar. Can you post one?
This one for some reason is not on Amazon, but I can post a link to the thinline version.
Ha, Amazon says they are currently unavailable. Sorry Paul.
@@RichBischoff No worries - thanks for posting the video!
I put a link to their official website in the video description.
£90 from official site, if you use a discount code, not hard to Google.
Rich - Now that you've played several Harley Benton and Donner guitars, what is your impression between the brands? Would you choose one over the other or are they fairly similar in quality? Thanks!
Harley Benton
@@RichBischoff is this guitar worth getting? there is a lefty on amz for prime days for like 129.99. I'm novice with a budget. please advise.
Sounds like a good deal.
I have a couple of nice guitars but I travel alot so I'm wondering if I get one to throw around will it be enjoyable to play or will I be frustrated with the quality?
No, they actually play well.
What mic do you use to record your guitars ? Do you mic up your amp for it ?
Shure sm57 and a ribbon mic.
@@RichBischoff sounds great man
Ben Affleck is reviewing budget guitars now?
Nope, my name is Rich Bischoff. Learn it! Love it! Subscribe!
@@RichBischoff Nice to meet you sir! Sure I will! Loved the channel! 😁
I bought a donner telecaster and it was a piece of junk, crooked neck, sharp frets, ive returned the thing and never buy there again.
Bad luck! This has happened to me with Squier and others btw.
I have all three colors of the DTC-100 and they were all great out of the box. But the Donner DLP-124 (LP clone) I got had ridiculously sharp frets and the neck pocket needed to be leveled and shimmed to be playable. So yeah...you do take a gamble when you buy a guitar online. Regardless of brand! I've actually had better luck with Donner than any other brand I've bought online in the last couple years.
I really like this guitar, I ordered one from AMAZON. It arrived pretty fast. it was within that gig bag within that same cardboard box that had a few pcs of packing tape to hold the box shut. The guitar flopped arnd inside the box because they dint have the sense to pack some scrappy paper in there to stabilize. The box was trashed in transit, the body had a long nasty crack adjacent to neck. I retape the box and senter right back for refund. I never even plugged it in. I still long for that guitar but what's the use. The odds of getting one in good condition are extreme poor. AMAZON is a slip shod outfit.