Reviewed: Donner DJC-1000S
brandon anderson | 04.24.2022
We are back with another guitar review from our friends at Donner Music! This time around we get to check out their new Thinline Tele style jazz guitar the DJC-1000S.
There are an unbelievable amount of companies producing Telecaster-style guitars these days, but at the $175-$200 price point, we haven't found many that come close to the current offering from Donner. You can find a lot of solid-bodied Tele variants at this level but this semi-hollow design with f-holes really grabs our attention, as well as the amazing quality of the finish and out-of-the-box playability of the instrument.
Or first impressions opening the packaging were good. Donner included the standard fare most electric guitars are shipped in; cardboard box and bubble wrap. The guitar arrived undamaged in its included soft padded case and included setup tools, a beefy strap, and a ten-foot guitar/instrument cable. The hangtags also included a printed string height gauge (nothing special but a nice added touch)
We did a light setup on our guitar but it was not necessary (we just prefer low action). The guitar came ready to play and boasts a totally legit fret job on an even more impressive maple fretboard and neck that feature a beautiful vintage-inspired amber-orange glossy finish. Again, at $170 (currently on sale for $140) this guitar keeps surprising us with the level of fit and finish included. After our initial setup, we plugged into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp and were pretty happy with the tones that were hitting our ears. Donner actually includes a pretty decent set of humbuckers and controls on this guitar, providing a full-bodied warm sound that is hard to beat at this price point. (check out the video at the bottom of the page to hear it in action)
All of the included hardware has that classic Tele motif with vintage-style tuners, nickel plating, knurled knobs, and chrome-covered humbuckers all mounted to a classy three-ply pickguard that goes together perfectly with the classic sunburst finish. Donner has done a great job with these guitars and we have been giving this thing the business since it arrived two weeks ago. We are most impressed with the neck and finish of this guitar and would put it up against anything in the Fender Modern Player line of guitars currently produced in China (seriously, Donner is giving them a run for their money... for half the cost). If you are looking to get your first electric guitar or just need to satisfy an N+1 bug, then look no further!
Check out the Donner DJC-1000S Jazz guitar HERE
DJC-1000S Features
- Semi-hollow body construction w/ string through design
- Dual humbucker pickups with volume/tone/3-way switch
- Solid African Basswood body w/ chambered F-hole design
- AAA Canadian Maple neck and fretboard
- Classic sunburst finish
- Includes gig bag, strap, instrument cable, and truss rod/saddle wrenches