Jeremy B.
I'm very impressed by this little guitar. so much so that I used it live on the day it arrived. My band colleagues were curious to say the least. After the gig, one eventually asked, "How much?". When I told them, the answer was, "Whaaat! If you'd have said £1000 I would not have been surprised!"
I bought this principally as a light back-up guitar for small gigs, and as a travel guitar. Generally I use an American Strat, Tele or Les Paul, or for travel, an old original Pignose (modded).
The Donner has the benefit of looking cool (IMO - I particularly love the 'Picasso' look of the braces) and feeling very comfortable to play - gorgeous neck, and full Strat/Tele scale length. Fretboard open, honest and clean. The tone and pickup selection is a benefit over the Pignose, plus the full-size scale length. The Donner lacks a neck pickup - it really just has a bridge and mid - but the in-between setting kind of matches a Strat on bridge-mid and sounds great.
I've not considered any mods or pickup changes. They'd always be possible, but for now, it ain't broke so I'm not fixing it.
FWIW closest contender would have been a regular Steinberger. The Donner is more a Strat to the Steinberger's Gibson. I chose the Donner over the Steinberger due to the look and comfortable practicality of the braces, and because it has a funky, shoot-from-the-hip kind of light weight feel. A really fun, reach-for little guitar!
Improvements? The neck does droop a bit when hanging from the strap, but to the level rather than due south. A neck pick-up would have been nice. But these are minor points and included here in the interest of review-balance. If the guitar was heavier or longer to fix these, it would be less of a travel guitar.
The quality of the carry case and included peripherals is excellent. Donner could easily have skimped here, but they did not.
Thank you, Donner. I'm going to check out some of your other kit now, with renewed interest.
Paul H.
I had researched travel guitars that I could actually fly long haul distances with, having already owned several by Cordoba, Martin, Taylor, and custom made Fenders by myself, and although they were all really good at being small, light, well made, and stow able in cars and RVs, they didn’t really meet my needs for multiple long haul flights without adding a serious responsibility to my luggage. The Donner Hush X, however, meets all of the above and is truly tiny enough for flight stowage. It also plays and sounds fantastic, indeed I’m loving it as a daily player. Great guitar, great stow ability, great playability, great quality! I would highly recommend this guitar if you just want something discrete in the living room, or if you are a serious airline traveler.
Arthur B.
Excellent little guitar, very well made and sounds great through headphones or amp. Frets are beautifully finished, no sharp edges and the body extensions make it really comfortable to play. Personally, as a classical position player, I put the lower body extension on reversed. It just feels that little bit more comfortable and shows the instruments versatility. Easy to tune with good intonation straight out of the box. I've been so impressed with this guitar that, apart from the body extensions and tuner I haven't had time to check out any of the other accessories included. Overall very impressed and well worth 5 stars!
Richard Q.
I give it 4.5 stars. Genuinely impressed with the guitar. Bought a Hush-X electric travelling guitar to take on holiday. After a lack of updated tracking information and reading trustpilot reviews (very many are negative regarding Donner) I thought I might’ve made a mistake. Finally the tracking info was updated and the package arrived basically as advertised (3-5 days). I was hugely impressed with the detail of the packaging (all pristine and carefully, individually wrapped) and the quality and feel of the guitar itself. Obviously the same money spent on a traditional electric will get you a better guitar but considering all the extra expense in generating all the individual parts supplied with the Hush-X I’d say it’s a very good buy. The sound is a bit “thin” as you might expect from something so small but it’s clear and melodic. The active/passive button only makes an imperceptible difference that it either needs to be improved or removed since it’s an unnecessary extra expense. The frets are a bit scratchy (they’ll wear smooth pretty quickly) and the strings are set a little high but basically it was perfectly OK to play straight out of the box.
For what it is and for the particular purpose it serves (very small, light, portable) they’ve taken a lot of care and done an excellent job. I really like it. Only reason for 4.5 stars rather than 5 is that it took 3 days for the tracking information to update which caused a bit of a concern. Unfounded, as it turned out.
Carl K.
Exceeded my expectations. Feels solid & well manufactured & crafted. Very impressed with all the accessories that are included. I am a guitar beginner & this is perfect for being small enough to take anywhere in order I can keep up practice. It’s a joy to use. I looked at you tube & video reviews before I bought & saw those players far more experienced were very positive about it.
Idrees A.
Excellent guitar, with premium material, great sound and functionality.
Dave G.
Quite a surprise. an impulse buy really for a family holiday in Europe where a nephew decided to take his Strat. I didn't fancy dragging a guitar case around an airport, or the possible risk.
This thing is really good and small enough to go in an overhead locker in the plane.
On opening the thing it was clear the frets would benefit from a polish, but to be honest, my nephews Squire Strat was no better and they cost a lot more. The fret ends however, are finished beautifully. as is the rest of the instrument.
Having played it a while now, I will look at the intonation but these are the things I've had to do on many much more expensive guitars in the past.
Over all, Donner have smashed it.
Cheers guys.
borneo B.
I read and watched quite a few reviews before ordering, all very positive. When trying other silent, compact guitars I always found the balance to be off, as they were very neck heavy. None of the Hush X reviews mentioned this so I took a chance and I am happy to say the balance is fine, whether sitting or standing using the strap. The solid body helps this I am sure. Everything is great and for a very reasonable price so I am very pleased.
David I.
I just love this guitar! ♥️
I originally only bought it for motorcycle tours as it packs down small enough, BUT since buying it, I can't put it down!
It is a quality, well built guitar, but had a back bow on the neck out of the box, quick truss rod adjustment and all was well
Since i bought this guitar, it is now my favourite (i own more expensive guitars), sounds fantastic, light in the hands and very easy to play due to that beautiful neck.
WELL RECOMMENDED!!
Stephen A.
Really happy with the guitar. Tones range from really mellow to very crisp. I wanted something very light because I have a problem with my shoulder and it's certainly that. The top part of the frame adds quite a bit weight so I leave that off and just have the bottom part in place. Takes a bit of getting used to but it's worth it. Intonation was spot on but I had some fret buzz on the low E string and had to adjust the string height.
David J.
An incredibly well designed travel guitar, gig bag, and accessories. Everything about the HUSH-X has been meticulously thought out and designed by the fantastic people at Donner. It represents fantastic value for money at the RRP, but there are usually offers about so you don't need to pay full price. The cherry on top of the cake is that it also looks pretty cool.
R P.
Previously took a guitarlele away to practise but always struggled with making chords across the fretboard. The ‘I’ was my choice and it sounds very impressive with an amp and quite audible without, in fact if you press the base against the back of a leather sofa while lounging in it, it resonates the bass notes. Uncanny!
Only issue was with them high E string catching under the second fret. Easily resolved with a small toffee hammer (no need to file frets not bedded in properly)
Great travelling companion nevertheless!
John M.
This is a great little guitar I actually love it didn’t think I would like it but much better than expected.if your on the fence … buy it you’ll love it .
Serge G.
Qualitative product with very smooth play and easily dis-mountable and transportable. Very good!
Mark R.
Delivery direct from Donner UK was quick and problem free. Would have ordered the burst colour if available but only the natural option was in stock, however, this has really grown on me. Not that looks are the main driver here but this is a cool looking piece of kit. Lovely wood with a nice finish. There are a few issues but as a travel and practice instrument, it performs. The neck is a little chunkier than my preference which would be thinner and narrower but it's easy to adapt to. The fret ends are well finished but the frets could be more polished. The built in pickups are great for clean sounds when used with some light modulation effects and a proper amp but the sound through the headphones and built-in amp is quite lifeless and there is no 'grit' to be had. I will be investing in a Amp Plug headphone amp to give a broader pallet of sounds. It's quite hard to get a nice crunch sound with these pickups through effects and amp. It could be that the pickup height is not ideal but the action on the guitar was very high when shipped and it's just not possible to reduce it to a 'low action' because there is no real adjustment for pickup height and the therefore the strings are impeded if dropped too much. That said, the guitar sounds and plays lovely as an electrified acoustic and is acceptable for a rockier practice machine. You could use it as a "clean sound" busking guitar used with a small amp. It won't replace a "real guitar" for gigs or serious use but it's lots of fun and size wise perfect for travel. The case and accessories are great. I am disappointed in the bottom rest which is a bit wobbly even though it's locked in place. It would have been nice if it was rock solid - I'm sure it's meant to be. The top one is fine but has two points of contact which must help.
So in summary, despite a few negatives, this is a good looking, fun, practical and easy to play guitar for it's intended use.
Stephen H.
A lovely little instrument with a big sound. I use it a lot in my flat at the moment great purchase I. Very pleased with it.
Nick H.
Bought my Hush X just before flying off, it survived baggage handling in its padded case well although I would have preferred a hard shell case. It is a better travel solution than my Hofner Shorty and has a better tonal range but the active/passive button doesn't seem to work; I tested it without a battery through an amp and there is a marked difference, so something to fix at some stage.
The neck is comfortable for me and the guitar itself sits well enough on my knee and playing is fine. The earphones are good although a bit tricky to fit in my ears. Initially I had to raise the action a fair bit and this still needs a bit of work. Oh, and the strings it came with are too light-weight for me but, as with any guitar strings are never quite right for a new player.
All this might sound negative but all-in-all a good travel companion for keeping ones hand in.
William M.
The low e string keeps breaking, i have put a thicker string on the guitar, same result...why is this?
Derek M.
I love the Hush-X. It's ideal for practice and will be great for my upcoming trips.
It does exactly what it says on the tin!
David S.
Bought this for a longer than usual trip to España this year and didn’t want to lug a full size guitar through airports and on and off planes. It’s fabulous wee instrument that feels perfect in my hands, and plays really well.
It is well constructed and does feel like a quality product. Here’s hoping it survives the trip from cool and damp Scotland to warm and humid España!
James Michael M.
Excellent guitar for little money. Well designed and plays well. Once set up and fitted with new strings it was ready to go and sounds superb
John C.
Disappointed overall, not happy at all with the quality of the instrument. Switches are really flimsy, and the body attachments are really wobbly and I feel like it's only a matter of time before it breaks. I requested a replacement but after reading the return policy I feel like it will be difficult to return it now as I have slightly marked the instruments finish by trying to attach the body attachments. I'm prepared to take the loss, but I feel like the instrument is over priced considering how low quality the switches and body attachments are. I'm going to keep the instrument, but I won't be purchasing any instruments from Donner again.
vimokshaja v.
Arrived in good time and well packed with all the necessaries in the kit. A great instrument to play. Thanks
ANTHONY D.
A nice looking guitar straight out of the bag, mine needed setting up, the action was too high and the neck relief was way out, it then played reasonably well. There was friction however on the E and A string, so took the strings off and polished with 1500 through 7000, and re strung with DAddario’s . To get the action low enough there is now no neck relief but it sounds fine, and for the money is a good, thought out product.
Rik J.
Hi
I have two hush guitars, the hush 1 & the hush X.
I really love both guitars, but I like the upgrades on the X,
Particularly how the wings now attach really easy now ,(the hush I, are a bit fiddley .)
Love the necks on both,
The pickups on the X ,are lush thru an amp or the phones.
The only down side is,it's abit of a headache changing strings,
Bit easier on the hush 1,as they anchor at the nut end of the neck!.
But overall 8/10
Cheers Rik jones
Ben H.
First I’d like to say that I reached out to Donner with a query and they got back to me right away, which really inspires confidence.
The amount of kit you get for the money is crazy, and everything is off a decent quality.
The guitar itself feels nicely made, and the new mechanism for attaching the frames is great. No screws, no messing about, really quick to do and super solid when connected with no wobbling.
I did find myself adjusting the truss rod a little and lowering the bridge, but they’ve made this very easy to do so it’s not an issue, just a personal preference.
I love the new tuning mechanism, it’s easy to turn with your fingers and tuning seems stable. However one slight issue, for me at least, is that I find my arm sometimes ends up taking low E out of tune by accidentally turning the tuning head.
I use this as a practice guitar, so I just have it hanging on a peg next to my desk and I grab it when I get a chance. The compact form and relatively low weight (compared to my Les Paul) makes it very easy to reach out and pick up on a whim.
The sound is pretty much what you’d expect, decent enough for an oar with strings on it. Honestly given what you’re paying for this plus the compromises imposed by the form factor, it plays surprisingly well!
The frame elements make this much more playable than some of the alternatives; you really do feel the benefit of raising it up of your lap and having somewhere to rest your arm.
I think I’ll make some kind of guard to prevent accidental de-tuning, but sort from that it’s a solid instrument, especially for the money. If you’re looking for something to have handy for practice, sling in your car or take on a plane, I’d recommend it. Glad I bought it, no regrets!
James M.
It's great, and there are plenty of accessories included. It's totally sufficient for beginners. I plan to practice with headphones first, and later on, I'm thinking about getting a Donner speaker.
Joseph L.
"#MIYAVI
I love this guitar. The sound quality is amazing and I am looking forward to taking it on an International trip in January. It's great to play while at home and to practice late at night without disturbing others. Everything you need comes with the package. A beautiful are and battery and comfortable earbud headphones. Perfect for travel. At home I use it with a small practice amp or a et of studio quality headphones which really show off the tone of the guitar. It is beautiful designed with some noice improvements over the Hush-1 which I also play..
#MIYAVI"
Yamile B.
Amazing guitar! The action was a little high for my liking but nothing a quick setup couldn't fix. Such a neat concept and super portable. The pickups sound great, the finish is beautiful, the frets are perfect and rounded, the tuners are super accurate and easy to use, and the headphone option is handy for late night jams. Coolest guitar I've ever purchased and it's ruined all other guitars for me. Please make a dual humbucker version!!!
Joseph J.
After receiving the guitar, I took it straight to a performance, and it worked flawlessly! It's really cool.
Mark M.
I discovered this electric guitar after watching a review on YouTube. It's my first time encountering this brand, and I genuinely think it's great. The packaging is excellent, and the guitar case is quite sturdy. Now, I take this guitar with me to work, and during breaks, I enjoy playing and singing along with my colleagues.
Robert R.
It's the sunset color that I love!
David D.
This guitar exceeded my expectations. Due to frequent business trips, I couldn't bring a guitar with me all the time. However, this guitar meets my needs perfectly. I can take it with me on business trips effortlessly, especially when paired with my small speaker – it's truly perfect. Speaking of the sound, it's great, and the playing experience is flawless. This is the perfect travel guitar.
Naty N.
This is my first electric guitar, and it's awesome! The packaging is really secure, and the attention to detail is excellent. The sunset-color is indeed stunning!
Brian S.
After using it for a while, I wanted to share my thoughts. The guitar is really innovatively designed, looks super cool, and it's so portable – exactly what I was looking for. Just grab the small bag, and I'm good to go. The sound quality is also impressive, and I can practice with headphones without bothering anyone.
David
Absolutely love this guitar set. I’ve been playing Acoustic guitar for a while and finally took the dip into electric and it is very forgiving to play. Love it! The kit has everything you’d need to get started and the guitar sounds great. Would definitely recommend this product. Fast delivery, good value for money, great product!
@haydngardiner
thanks to @haydngardiner
John
Absolutely fine for a beginner. Great sound.
Very easy to carry.
Anny
My son wanted to learn electric guitar and chose this kit. I worried since it is too cheap as a whole kit. But it is really a good quality. The fact ,This is an extremely good kit. Fantastic cost performance!! My son is happy, and so am I!
James J.
I already have a sunset-colored HUSH-I, and when I saw that Donner released the HUSH-X, I didn't hesitate to buy it. All my entry-level instruments are from Donner, and I really love their products. The quality and appearance are both excellent!