So you just made up your mind to buy a new Donner ukulele but don’t know which donner ukulele should you buy? well, don’t worry I am here to help you out in selecting the best Donner ukulele for you. In this article, I am going to share donner ukulele review.
There are lots of best ukulele brands available that sell high-quality ukuleles, and one such brand is Donner. I have tried lots of Donner ukuleles and I really love how well they are built and how well they sound.
This donner ukulele review is based on donner’s most successful series which is the DU-1 series.
This article will cover everything I like and dislike about Donner ukuleles. I will be also talking about the build quality, sound production, design, finish, etc.
PS: I have personally used the Donner ukuleles and I will try to share things as per my experience. This donner ukulele review is not influenced by anyone, whatever I have shared is based on my experiences.
Donner Ukulele Review
| Donner DUS-1 Soprano Ukulele |  |
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| Donner DUC-1 Concert Ukulele | |
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| Donner DUT-1 Tenor Ukulele | |
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So, generally speaking, I have never bought any Donner ukulele for myself, but I do have my fellow musicians friends that are using Donner ukuleles. And that’s how I got to know about the performance and other aspects of Donner ukuleles.
I have used most of their ukuleles, and I know every bit about them. Also, this brand gives direct competition to the Kala brand which is yet another budget-friendly ukulele brand.
Well, in this donner ukulele review, I will be sharing everything I like and dislike about Donner ukuleles.
If you are in the need of a budget ukulele then read this review article completely and then make up your mind whether you would want to go with Donner ukuleles or not.
Now before we jump over to the actual review part, let’s first discuss the history of Donner brand.
Donner Brand History
Donner is a very old and reputed ukulele brand, it is mostly known for its budget-friendly ukuleles. This company was founded in 1997 by a Ukulele teacher known as Jack Donner.
The main motive of Jack Donner for starting this company was to create a high-quality and affordable ukulele. At that time Ukuleles used to be very expensive, and only a few brands were there that were actually selling ukuleles at cheap prices but the quality of those ukuleles was not good.
So, Jack Donner decided to create a ukulele budget ukulele segment for those who have a tight budget, Donner’s main aim is to sell and produce budget-oriented ukes without compromising the quality.
The very first ukulele by Donner was the D-1 and it proved to be a huge success. D-1 became the best-selling ukulele in the different marketplace. After seeing the popularity of D-1, the company released D-2 and D-3 models as well.
It’s been now more than 20 years since Donner brand came into the business and they have maintained their legacy ever since. Also, Donner is now among the most respected ukulele brands worldwide.
What are the most popular Donner Ukuleles model?
Donner has a wide range of ukuleles available, and most of them lie in the budget segment. However, the most popular donner ukuleles series on Amazon is the DU-1 series and that’s the same series that I have tried personally.
So, you can say that my donner ukulele review is based on my usage of the DU-1 series. I have tried 3 sizes of Donner ukuleles from their DU-1 series, Soprano, Concert, and Tenor.
If you also look at Amazon best selling ukuleles, then you will see Donner’s DU-1 series among them. If you have a budget of below $100 then you can try out these three ukuleles by Donner. All these three ukuleles are amazon’s best-selling and have very positive reviews.
Now let’s talk about the build quality of Donner Ukuleles.
What You will get in the box
When you order the Donner ukulele DU-1 series from Amazon. You will get the following items.
- A ukulele itself.
- Padded gigbag.
- Sets of extra strings.
- Staps.
- Clip-on tuners
- Cleaning cloth
Body and Build Quality of Donner Ukuleles
I have already said it but let me again mention, Donner brand is known for the finest build quality and craftsmanship, especially when we are talking about budget-oriented ukes.
I have seen ukuleles that are way more expensive than Donner’s ukuleles but have very poor build quality. Now, most ukes in this price range lack attention to detail but that’s not the case with Donner ukuleles.
One of many reasons why Donner ukuleles are so special is because of the attention to detail that goes into each one. The craftsmanship is really worth appreciating, everything has been done in a very neat and clean way, from the type of wood used to the way the strings are attached.
One more thing is the weight of the Donner ukuleles, especially the DU-1 series is very light, I have seen ukes that are way heavier than this one but this one is decently lightweight.
What I have seen in most of the Donner ukuleles is that the wood they used is typically koa, mahogany, or maple. The DU-1 series of ukulele use mahogany wood which is a classic choice for ukuleles, it helps in producing a rich and full sound.
I have used Donner concert ukulele by DU-1 series and what I have noticed is their concert ukulele is slightly larger than other brands’ concert ukuleles.
You will also notice that the Donner logo is painted on the headstock. Straps button is also included which is another good thing.
Sound Production
Sound and tone are very important for any ukulele, most ukuleles in this price segment fail to provide a good sound, however, that’s not the case with Donner brand, Donner ukulele’s sound is very pleasing to the ears.
I have tried DUS-1, DUC-1, and DUT-1 and I would say all these three ukuleles produce very rich sounds. Obviously, as you go to the larger size you will notice more volume and bass in sound whereas small ukuleles like DUS-1 (Soprano) produce treble-oriented sound.
And since Donner uses high-quality material, it automatically adds up to the excellent sound production. Overall, I would say the sound is very decent considering the price at which Donner ukuleles are available, you can’t really complain.
If you are using the DU-1 series by Donner and if you want to make the sound even louder then you can upgrade the strings to Aquila Super Nylgut.
Strings
Donner ukuleles come with great quality strings, out of the box they come with Aquila strings which are according to me the best strings for budget-level ukuleles.
These strings are made of nylon and believe me these strings have mellow and bright tones. What I have noticed is that these strings are very strong and durable, they can easily withstand the most strenuous playing.
However, there are some of my friends who are using the DUT-1 by Donner and they said, that the stock strings don’t produce a very loud sound, so if you also think the same I would suggest you replace the strings with Aquila Super Nylgut.
Whatsoever, I really like the stock strings of Donner ukuleles and if you are a beginner, the donner ukulele strings will not disappoint you.
What are the accessories included?
Donner brand is kind enough to provide some basic accessories with their ukuleles, however, the quality might not be the best but it gets the job done.
The very first thing that you will get is obviously the gig bag, it is very important for every ukulele player, a gig bag really helps in keep your ukulele protected and safe. And if you are a traveler who likes to take the ukulele with you then the provided gig bag is really nice, it will keep your uke safe and secure.
However, the quality of the gig bag is not top-notch, it is a basic gig bag made up of decent material.
You also get a few extra strings which is really a good thing, the new strings do take some time to settle in but that’s okay its completely natural.
The next thing that is included is the tuner, it is really nice and personally, I find it an even better tuner than some other clip-on tuners that you get with expensive brands.
You will also get free online classes, it is a very sweet gesture by Donner. If you are a beginner I highly recommend the classes that are included, you will get to learn a lot of things about how to do some basic stuff with your uke.
Some more good Donner ukulele reviews other than DU-1 Series
So, above I shared my review of Donner DU-1 series that includes, Donner DUS-1, DUC-1, and DUT-1. Now, I am sharing some more good value-for-money ukuleles by donner that you can buy from Amazon.
Donner Carbon Fiber Ukulele Rising-U 23 Inch Travel Ukelele
Donner Rising- U23 has a carbon fiber material panel that is very good for those who are looking for a strong and stable ukulele.
Since this uke has a carbon fiber top and neck, it results in providing outstanding sound quality, and needless to say, the stability ensures that your ukulele will last you many years.
One of my friends has his ukulele and when I first hold it, it was feeling like a very solid plastic but I really have to appreciate the job they have done with the finish.
The tuners are very solid and easy to tune. And one main thing, people often have the assumption that plastic ukes don’t sound great but let me correct you here this uke sound so good, I have played it and I was really impressed by the sound production. It sounds so pleasing and way better than some plastic cheap ukuleles that are available.
Talking about the accessories, you will get an average-quality gig bag (strong enough to protect your ukulele), straps, strings, and tuners.
Overall, I really like this ukulele. You can check the current price of this ukulele on Amazon by clicking the button below.
Donner DUC-230P Concert Ukulele
If you don’t want a wood body ukulele then have a look at Donner DUC-230P concert ukulele. This is another amazing ukulele by Donner. It has a Canadian maple body and an Okoume neck.
The fingerboard is made up of ebony and it is very solid and durable. It has four advanced carbon nylon strings that produce a very rich and warm sound.
One feature that makes it stand out from the crowd is its unique electric guitar headstock design. Overall, I really like this ukulele and the best part is it is available in different colors. You can check more about the price and color options by clicking on the below button.
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Wrapping Up
This was our Donner ukulele review based on their best-selling ukuleles, DUS-1, DUC-1, and DUT-1. I also recommended two more ukuleles by donner other DU-1 series. I tried my best to explain everything about donner ukuleles.
If you have suggestions or if you want me to review your favorite ukulele brand then do let me know by dropping the comment below.