Description
Review of the Donner 30 Inch Kids Electric Guitar Beginner Kit (DSJ-100, Red)
This is a 30 inch mini electric guitar on a shortened ST-style outline, sold as a complete kit with an amplifier that has both clean and distortion channels, a 600D gig bag, a tuner, picks, a cable, a strap, spare strings and access to online lessons. It is aimed at children, with a neck length and fingerboard width the manufacturer states were chosen for smaller hands.
The listing suggests ages five and up and dates the model to August 2021.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The amplifier has a distortion channel as well as a clean one. That matters more than it sounds. A child who wants to play rock and only gets a clean tone loses interest quickly, and a two-channel practice amp keeps the instrument interesting past the first fortnight.
- Neck dimensions are published, not just body length. A 35cm neck and a 4.3cm fingerboard width are the numbers that determine whether a small hand can form a chord. Most listings give only the overall size.
- A fixed hardtail saddle bridge. The strings anchor to a solid plate rather than a floating tremolo, so tuning survives heavy strumming and string changes are simple. On a child’s guitar that is the right choice.
- Matte lacquer finish with ergonomic edges. The listing specifically calls out reduced friction against the inner forearm. Gloss finishes stick to skin during long sessions and a matte surface does not.
Cons
- The size field says Full Size on a 30 inch children’s guitar. That is plainly wrong. Everything else in the listing describes a mini instrument scaled for children, so the Full Size entry is an import error rather than a description of what arrives.
- The model number is stated two ways. The specification table gives EC1376 while the manufacturer description and title give DSJ-100. Anyone searching for parts, strings or accessories by model number will need to try both.
- The weight is stated two ways. The table says 6.93 pounds and the description says 5.97 pounds. Nearly a pound of difference on a child’s instrument is not a rounding error.
- The scale length of 500mm is very short. That is roughly 19.7 inches, well under a typical three-quarter guitar. At standard pitch the strings will be slack, which causes buzzing and vague intonation. The listing acknowledges this and recommends tuning up, which is an unusual thing to have to do.
- The amplifier’s power supply is not stated. Nothing in the listing says whether it runs on mains power or a battery, or what size battery it takes if so.
Detailed Product Description
The body is poplar on a shortened ST-style outline with a cutaway, finished in red with a matte lacquer. Poplar is light, cheap and even-grained, which is why it dominates budget solid bodies; it takes finish well and adds little tonal character of its own. Light weight is the point on a children’s instrument, since a heavy guitar simply does not get picked up.
The neck is maple with a maple fingerboard, cut to a 35cm length with a 4.3cm fingerboard width. Maple is stiff enough to keep a short neck straight, and a maple board is usually sealed with a finish, so it needs no oiling.
The pickup is a single coil in the S-style tradition. Single coils are bright and clear, which suits the clean channel, and they pick up more mains hum than humbuckers, which is rarely noticeable at bedroom volume through a small amp.
Scale length is 500mm. That short a scale means very low string tension at concert pitch, which is why the manufacturer suggests tuning the whole instrument up one or two semitones to tighten the strings and improve pitch stability. The bridge is a fixed hardtail saddle type with nickel-plated steel strings.
What Comes with the Product
The kit contains the 30 inch electric guitar, an amplifier with distortion and clean channels, a 600D gig bag, a tuner, picks, a cable, a strap, a set of spare strings and access to free online lessons.
What is not included: no hard case, no stand, no capo, no cleaning cloth and no string winder. The listing does not state whether the amplifier ships with a power supply or a battery, so check that before the first session. Everything a beginner is likely to want beyond this is listed in the beginner accessories guide.
Who It Suits
This suits a child roughly between five and eleven who wants an electric guitar rather than an acoustic, and a household that would rather receive one box than assemble a kit from separate orders. The two-channel amp and included lessons make it a complete starting point.
It suits less well a teenager approaching adult height, who will find a 500mm scale cramped and awkward within months; a three-quarter or full-size instrument is the better purchase there. It also suits less well a player who wants to move on to pedals and a real amplifier, since the very short scale limits string tension and tone. Sizing by age and height is covered in what size guitar for a child.
How to Maintain
Tune before every practice, using the included tuner. A short-scale instrument at low tension drifts more than a full-size one, and a child practising on an out-of-tune guitar learns the wrong intervals by ear.
Wipe the strings after playing and change them when they look grey rather than waiting for a break. Short strings on a small guitar dull quickly.
Keep the guitar in the gig bag between sessions, away from radiators and windows. If the amplifier takes a battery, remove it when the kit will be unused for a few weeks, since leaking cells are the usual end of a small practice amp.
Tips and Recommendations
Take the manufacturer’s tuning advice seriously. Raising the whole instrument one or two semitones above standard tightens the strings, reduces buzzing and improves intonation on a 500mm scale. The trade-off is that the child is then playing in a different key from recordings, so use a capo or tune back down when playing along. How to tune a guitar covers the method.
Start on the clean channel. Distortion hides mistakes, which feels good and teaches nothing; the clean channel makes timing and muting errors audible.
Product FAQ
Is this a full-size guitar? No. It is 30 inches with a 500mm scale, sized for children. The Full Size entry in the specification table contradicts the rest of the listing and appears to be an error.
What is the model number? The listing gives two: EC1376 in the specification table and DSJ-100 in the description and title.
How much does it weigh? Either 6.93 pounds or 5.97 pounds, depending on which field is believed. The two do not agree.
Does the amplifier do distortion? Yes. The listing describes both distortion and clean channels.
More choices sit under kids and junior guitars and electric guitars. Comparable kits include the LUCKWBQ 30 inch kids kit, the LyxPro 30 inch starter pack and the Best Choice Products 30in kids electric guitar.
