DONNER DST Family Shootout! DST100 vs. DST152 vs. DST400
Вставка
- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- Join this channel to get access to perks, including video review requests and detailed tutorials:
/ @woodsnstrings
********
In a Strat-style Battle Royale, I decided to do a full setup of all three of the main DST model electric guitars from Donner and shoot them out.
Using the same specs (they're all 9.5" radius fretboards, by the way...people keep asking), I rigged them all out exactly the same and played basically the same riffs; just some stuff I made up on the spot, so forgive the inaccuracies in reproducing them. I wanted to see if there was any appreciable difference in tone, timbre, or playability between the beginner model DST-100, the intermediate DST-152, and -- what I consider to be -- the pro model DST-400.
What I learned was interesting. The 400 needed very little adjustment to be fully set up. Like, the tiniest tweak on intonation. The 152 was pretty good as well, but the finish details on the neck are a little less refined. The 100 needed the most help, including fixing a bow in the neck. It might also need some fret levelling as the notes around the 12th fret dull out, even with the action and the neck relief set correctly. However, the neck has held its relief nicely, so it's not an integrity issue.
At roughly the same price and the same contents in the bag between the 100 and 152, I think you get a better guitar overall with the 152; it might be down to style and colour options, really. The 400, by comparison, comes with less stuff (no amp or capo, or access to the learning app, for example). But it's more guitar as well.
The 100 and the 152 are both poplar bodies. The 400 is an alder body.
All three guitars are HSS Strat-style instruments, with the 152 and the 400 featuring a push/pull control to split the bridge humbucker for an additional single coil pickup in that position.
The 100 has modern tuners with a modern six-point tremolo bridge.
The 152 has vintage housed tuners with a modern six-point tremolo bridge.
The 400 has vintage-style slotted tuners with a two-point tremolo bridge outfitted with vintage-style rolled steel saddles.
To keep things even, I ran everything into Reaper using ML Sound Lab's new VX30 plugin. All three guitars were played into the same track with none of the settings changed, so any differences you might hear are 100% coming from the guitars themselves.
Enjoy the shootout, and let me know in the comments if you can hear any difference between them. There's a definite difference in feel and playability in the hand!
FEATURED AMP:
A HUGE thank you to ML Sound Lab for providing me with their VX30 plugin. This is a fantastic model of the Vox AC30, and here I used the 90s "Normal" setting with the "Normal Sound" preset.
ML Sound Lab provides some amazing VST plugins modeled on classic boutique and specialty tube amps. Definitely check them out if you're into digital recording, or if you're just looking to get that perfect studio sound without having to spend thousands of dollars on collectible amps.
Amped VX30: ml-sound-lab.com/pages/amped-...
SETUP:
Each guitar was given a full setup, including neck relief, string height adjustment (1.6mm at the 17th fret), intonation, and pickup adjustment (1.6mm). Tone and volume controls were all kept at 10, and all of the amp and DAW settings were kept the same for all three instruments.
All three guitars were strung the same day using Ernie Ball Super Slinky Cobalt strings (.009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042). These strings have a great harmonic response, exceptional clarity, and a brilliant dynamic range. I don't work for EB, but I've used some version of Super Slinkies for over 30 years and they never disappoint. I urge you to check these ones out!
SUPER SLINKY COBALT strings:
*Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3P0PjK7
*Amazon USA: amzn.to/3Q2K3aa
DST-100:
*Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3y945In
*Amazon USA: amzn.to/3nyYA0s
*Donner Canada: bit.ly/3yuu5iM
*Donner USA: shrsl.com/3lddv
DST-152:
*Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3PRi1ic
*Amazon USA: amzn.to/3M12hWS
*Donner Canada: bit.ly/3QsigAo
*Donner USA: shrsl.com/3juqq
DST-400:
*Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3u2uiGv
*Amazon USA: amzn.to/3Of2yqD
*Donner Canada: bit.ly/3Of2uHp
*Donner USA: shrsl.com/3ffey
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
0:57 Setup
2:16 Strings
2:43 Action
3:23 DST400 Specs
5:31 DST152 Specs
6:56 DST100 Specs
8:10 Bundle Comparison
9:42 Playthrough Intro
11:00 Video Sponsors
11:24 Shootouts!
15:50 Wrap Up (and don't forget to JOIN!)
********
#donner #review #guitarreview #gearreview #dst100 #dst152 #dst400 #review #donnermusic #dstfamily #donnerguitar #strat #sstyle #electricguitar #beginnerguitar #HSS
Background music, Copyright 2019, Steve Baric
Unauthorized use strictly prohibited.
I bought the DST400 a few years ago. I won't sell it. Amazing neck, 2 point trem stays in tune. I did the fret ends and added locking tuners. It's as good as ANY fender I have owned. I know that is said so often but it's just a fact!
Love my DST-152
Thank you for such a well done review, best I've seen so far on these Donners. Instant Subscribe!
This is great! Thank you for the shootout and looking forward to my first Donner guitar. It'll be interesting to hear the clean sounds, but love the look for sure. Thanks again for the videos, well done.
In the interest of time I skipped the clean tones, as I'd already done those on the individual playthroughs anyway and just wanted to tone test them all with the same setups.
The cleans on all three are immaculate. To me, there's a minor difference in feel between the 152 and the 400 that doesn't bug me in the least. It's down to styling, and a tiny bit more setup on the 152. If you're in the GTA and need a setup give me a shout :)
Gosh, I can't believe how many haters are on here. I'm brand new to this. I always wanted to learn to play a guitar, but since I have no skills and I'm not sure if I will enjoy it, or if I'm homest, be dedicated enough to learn to play, I didnt want to break the bank, but I wanted something I thought would be a decent beginner guitar. I've listened to a number of reviews now and I found yours to be very informative and helpful. I was just going to get the 100, but saw Amazon had a "like new" 152 for just $20 more. I love that blue color, so I'm going with that one. Thanks for the helpful and informative video.
Really informative video thanks
i really love it ! thankyouu
I just got the 152, black w/tortoise-shell pickguard. I like a chunkier neck and the finish isn't sticky. Good guitar. Surprising that the frets are so finished at this price point.
Clean sound
That’s alot of good info!!
hey great review just purchased the donner dst 400 I also have the donner 124b donner makes melow sounding guitars
Just bought a 152. Glad I chose a good brand.
Thanks this was really really helpful. Unfortunately they have no 400s in the European store or Amazon.
I stated on another of your vids that I purchased the 152 on sale price, pretty much was set up great out of the box. I notice that the 400 has the two point bridge but also has the vintage style saddles. If you use the vibrato a lot I think the 400 is the way to go and I noticed that they also run sales on all these. I noticed today the 400 was on sale 21% less. Somewhere I think I noticed the 400 has a slightly more substantial tremolo block giving a slightly better tone and sustain. I also noticed the standard base price is lower than just a few months ago. I don't know how they do that!!
That 152 seems killer!
It is! That and the 400 are choice guitars.
great shootout!
i have the dst400 myself and its really sweet! a small neck shim was needed on mine but other than that the only change i made was a "gilmour modswitch"....now it has 14 tones!
im looking to get a dst100 to transplant my "mod-loaded" pickguard from a cheap 1st act i tried to save...one of the frets was toast...i found a few like new dst100 for around a benji so i think i found a replacement for the 1st act one...which the body is a strat copy...so hopefully the guard will pop right on with little hole relocation...
They're great base models, but I agree because of the construction they're also great mod platforms.
I'd love to see a clip with that Gilmour mod!!
@@woodsnstrings hekk yaa!
im not sure if i made a vid on that but ill look...
my other channel is "chasintone316"....thinkin about renaming it again tho...
It’s good.
The 400 is quite tricky to find in the UK.
I have the 152. It's a great guitar.
The 152 seems to be best choice for me.
It's a great guitar. A bit thicker neck profile than the 400 so if you like a little more chunk to hold onto that's the one.
Steve. Thanks for the comparison and shoot out. I just bought the DST-200, set it up and love it. Fixing to try a few different gauge strings to see what I like the best. Could you do a review on the DST-200. Mine is the DST0400B Thanks
I'll see if they can send me one. My understanding is that the specs on the 200 are the same as the 152 but with more boutique color options.
Let's see what I can dig up.
@@woodsnstrings Thanks Steve. I think others would like to have your input on it. The wood on the fretboard is suppose to be purpleheart. There is a slight purpleish tent to it. I've turned may pens out of purpleheart. I have different brands and gauges of strings coming today and want to try them. The lights that came on it are ok, but I want to try some Ernie Ball, GHS, and Elixir. May have to adjust the setup just a bit, but that will me alright. Thanks for all your videos Steve. God bless and Merry Christmas to you and your family. Happy New Year.
Hey there, I'm trying to get into playing the guitar which do you recommend for a beginner like myself, DST100 or DST152?
Honestly either will do fine. I think the 152 is better built and more flexible, and comes set up a little better out of the box (you should take it to someone local and have them do a setup though -- that goes for any guitar). It will perform better and be worth keeping as you progress.
What about the all black DST-200 ?
They haven't sent me a 200 to test, but as I understand it the specs are the same as the 152 but with more "boutique" colour options.
hi bought a donnar 152s beutifull guitar butr while tuning guitar two of the pegs were just turning and not doing any thing . i am suprised that such a good playing guitar ruined by plastic pegs being super glued onto metal shafts how much is a set of sealed tuners
I've been running these guitars for about two years now with no issues, so this is the first I've heard of it. That said, depending on how long you've had them, you might be able to get some warranty help from Donner -- I'd contact their support team first. If you do want new tuners, you can usually get a good set of Gotoh or Graph Tech tuners for around $100 (sometimes less in the US).
These and the Artist brand/range are good value.
Did you get a artist one?
I have both the green and black 400s. I've been debating on getting a 152, just because of the better variety in colors, AND the little practice amp! Lol. I absolutely LOVE the tone of my 400s, and now I'm pretty sure I will pick up a 152, because I don't here any real difference in the sound! Thanks for the comparison!
I haven't looked at what other videos you have yet, but I have REALLY been enjoying the Leo Jaymz brand as well. I have a stainless steel fretted strat neck by Leo Jaymz that I'm thinking about putting on one of the 400s, but I can't decide which one. Lol.
The big difference I find between the 400 and the 152 is the neck profile; a bit more of a U on the 152...not so much as to be like night and day, but it definitely has a meaty grip to it with the fretboard radius being the same.
My guitar reviews so far have been mostly Donner...hoping to check out more Eart guitars as well. I'd be curious if the Jaymz neck will fit, as there are sometimes bit differences in specs with these offshore brands and I've never actually tried doing an aftermarket mod on a Donner. Keep me posted! (although I do love the neck on the 400 a lot!)
@@woodsnstrings If I didn't have 2 of them, I wouldn't do it. Lol. The Leo neck is also roasted maple. I'm too nervous to do it myself, so I'm going to have a reputable local guitar shop do it. I'm sure that I'll post a video afterwards 😁
@@eclipsetheraindanbutler2478 subbed. I'll keep an eye out for it ;) Feel free to post the link back in this thread too!
What’s the fretboard radius on the 152 and the 400 ?
All three models have a 12" radius.
@@woodsnstrings thank you
The 152 would be perfect with a 2 post bridge.
It's a little heavier body and a thicker neck though so they do play a little differently.
it must be youtube you know, cos im sat here listening on studio speakers, going through a behringer audio interface on a PC, and i can never tell the difference in the sound on any of the cheap V expensive guitars, and im looking for an additional guitar that sounds at least as good as my 35 years old Hohner pro L59, cos that is sweet now, that... but i want a strat, and i cant afford to go American vintage.
Yeah, so here's the thing a lot of guitar guys on UA-cam are shy about saying out loud because they don't want the comment section to blow up with "controversy": cheap guitars actually do sound very similar to expensive guitars. (*gasp*)
[I'm saying this as someone who makes a living selling and installing pickups for people...]
The thing is, when people say, "even a cheap guitar sounds great through an expensive amp," it's not just a saying. Pickups are just magnets wrapped in copper wire. All they can really do is pick up the string vibration; they don't act as EQ systems (the same is true for the wood in the body, by the way). What DOES impact the tone leaving the guitar will be things like the pots and any capacitors, as those will affect the amount of high and low-frequency filtering that leaves the guitar. The type and strength of the magnet change the OUTPUT SIGNAL STRENGTH of the pickups, which does change how much signal is pushing the front of your signal chain, which can impact things like overdrives and amp tones, but not from an EQ perspective. After the electronics, the most important tone factors will be the EQ settings on the amp and then the speaker itself.
What differentiates a cheaper guitar from a more expensive guitar is in the fit and finish. What's the quality of the construction like? How well is the neck constructed? What is the fretwork like? How does the body sit? How does the bridge respond to your playing? These are things that will directly affect how the instrument feels in your hands, and thus your experience of playing it, which in turn can reflect how it responds to or impacts your particular way of playing the instrument. If you play a lot, you can adapt your playing technique to the instrument.
If you're looking for an affordable S-type guitar that has good construction, a nice level of pickup output, feels "strat-y" in the hands, and has a decent fit and finish, I would recommend the DST-400. The 152 has a beefier neck profile but is also a great instrument to play, but the 400 has the closer feel and finish to a Strat. I play both of these guitars live and in the studio almost daily. They're good guitars.
To drive these points home, check out these two tone tests I did, comparing both body construction and humbucker "cost," and how those things translate through a good amp sim.:
ua-cam.com/video/Zn7TPeLda0I/v-deo.htmlsi=7K4DkMvOaKGgCDkM
ua-cam.com/video/TX0UuMPU2ZI/v-deo.htmlsi=YwrueswENy7UFS5y
Even the cheapest guitars SOUND fine. They have other elements, like the finish and fretwork, that don't translate directly to audio. How well and consistently they perform over time will be the variable that only time will really tell. As long as what you're playing serves the music you want to make, it's a good instrument.
Hi im very new to electric guitars. Ive played acoustic before and was trying to decide between a dst152 or a dmt100 just because it looks cooler imo. But which one would you suggest?
Whatever you get should serve the music you want to make.
I have the DST-152 Sunburst and its an excellent Guitar 🎸
How about reviewing the Donner Sl200, the Less Paul style. More more style.
I'm not sure what the DI200 is. The DLP-124 LP model has been on my radar forever, but I get what they send me. But I'll keep on them!
DST 152 is $20 more than DST 100 do you think its worth
The sales go up and down, but the 152 is definitely a higher class of instrument than the 100. IMO if it's only $20 you're getting a killer deal on the 152.
DST-152 is now $159 on Amazon (date May 15 2024)
Thanks. The prices go up and down all the time. People can just set a price drop alert.
400
Do the donner dst 200 vs them all
The 200 has the same specs as the 152 but comes in a more designer boutique colour palette.
@@woodsnstrings have you tried the Ibanez grg 121 series?
Tonally, they seem close
They are. The 100 needs more work and doesn't have the split bridge pickup or the same fit and finish. The 152 is slightly heavier and has a bit thicker neck profile. The 400 is the most refined, with the most vintage hardware features and the fastest, most Strat-like neck.
I wonder if your sponsors would consider removing the Donner name from the headstock. For those who - unlike me - wish to disguise the fact they're playing cheap guitars.
I think it's safe to say no, that's not really how guitar companies work. I guess if someone -- unlike you -- were concerned about that sort of thing they'd be shy about playing a Squier or Epiphone too. They -- not you -- could 1) save their allowance for a decade and buy a popular guitar brand (because the name on the headstock is ultimately what matters), or 2) sand the name off and buy a fake headstock logo from Etsy. Anything they need to make themselves sound better!
Well this is kind of disappointing.
I think you should just start in and say the DST 400 has ALNICO pickups with good tuners, and the guitars can be intonated. It would be nice to know how low the action is before it starts buzzing.
I mean we can see everything else.
Some people have found fret buzz and sharp fret ends and some people haven't, I'm not sure if you were very specific about this. It would be good to sort of add this to the distribution of these guitars to determine the quality control.
Sorry, no refunds for disappointment.
Check out the videos for each of the three guitars that came out first that covered most of these details. All three guitars got a full review straight out of the box. This is a comparison AFTER the setup to see how they compare off the bench.
99% of new players who are looking for a guitar for under $250 don't care if the pickups are alnico or ceramic. 80% of experienced players who've played dozens of instruments won't base their buying decision on the type of magnet either. If it sounds good, it is good.
@@woodsnstrings
Most guitars with ALNICO pickups are more expensive than the cheaper versions with ceramic pickups. Obviously it is a difference that could be pointed out, instead of all the insignificant differences that you pointed out, such as this is an HSS guitar, it's a maple fretboard, it's got tuning pegs!
Obviously.
I just don't know why UA-cam viewers show us all these irrelevant things that are right in front of our face and just ignore all the important things that we cannot know.
And this idea that you're going to play the guitar and show all these things is also kind of ridiculous. There's no way you're going to hear the subtleties in the differences of the pickups or whether some areas of the guitar have fret buzz or even whether it's intonated properly everywhere.
And this is the worst thing about these guitar videos is people buy them based on the skill of the person playing the guitar. It is really exploitation.
Philip McKnight said guitar companies should really hate you if you're doing your job right.
@@woodsnstrings
Your right! We don't care about the pickups. At all. I don't. If it even makes sounds at all I'll be impressed for the 150 I just spent on the DST152 package deal I got on Amazon. Also, if I can't get it to intonate properly, I'll send it back and Donner will never get my money again. All I expect is that this guitar works properly. That's it. If it doesn't, I'll spend my money on a Squier because I've had good luck with them. I'm taking a chance on Donner, we'll see. But I'm not worrying about the best tone, or even the best tuning stability. It's a hundred and fifty bucks. If it'll hold tune decently, I'll keep it. Also I don't use the tremolo so.. again I could care less. Better sustain, bla bla bla. All I heard was 150 and a refund if I'm not happy. There isn't a music store within a hundred miles from me, otherwise I'd play it first. That's the way to go if you can, but I'm not driving that far to buy a cheap guitar. As long as I can get it setup decently I'll be happy.
Absolute trash guitar. Thank god Amazon had free returns.
Sorry that was your experience. There are three guitars here, all at very different levels and price points. The 100 just needed a little more setup to be comparable, but I wouldn't call any of them "absolute trash."
I returned my 152b its pure hot garbage i cant believe you you would reccomend this to nyone every frat was mess up the neck was thick tuners are horrible like omg
Cat hair happens...