Now here’s one you might not have heard of.
Daion were an old Japanese company operating from the famed Matsumoku factory for a short period in the early 1980s. The Daions were very high quality, and full of innovative features.
They had a range of electrics, basses and acoustics which were often very different to the usual guitars available from the bigger companies.
One of the better known (and I use that term loosely) Daion models was the semi-solid ES-335-alike 555 Headhunter, which featured an innovative third cutaway on the bottom of the body.
The central solid block was a sandwich of maple and spruce, with ten grooves cut into each end for increased resonance. It also included a coil split function for each pickup and through-body stringing, a first for semi-hollow guitars.
The company also made two lines of solid-body twin cutaway guitars. The Savage utilised a bolt-on neck and two humbuckers, or three in the case of the Barbarian from the same line.
There was also a bass, similar in looks to a Gibson Ripper. The other run was the through-neck Power series.
This had the SG-alike Power Mk.X and the Mk.XX, which looked similar to a Westone or Ibanez Musician. These also had two humbuckers.
Daion also made acoustic guitars, some, in the Caribou and Gazelle series, with a similar bottom cutaway to the 555 Headhunter. There were even 12 string models.
The Caribou and Gazelle were Daion’s response to the upcoming amplified acoustics market, while the Legacy and Year series were standard high quality acoustics.
Daion, for whatever reason, was a shortlived brand which never really took off.
Very few people have ever even heard of this underrated company, which is why, in the rare event of a Daion of any type coming up for sale, it never generates as much interest as it probably should.
Daions sell infrequently, so prices are unclear. I found a Daion Acoustic which sold for $850 a couple of years back, but Ebay searches didn’t bring up any guitars at all. I would guess the 555 semis would be worth between £500-1000 and if the trickle of enthusiastic players is to be believed they are worth every penny of whatever figure they sell for.
i own a daion 12 string. i am not sure of the year of manufacture. i bought it used. it is in very good condition and sounds great! could someone out there give me an idea of how much it is worth?………..no case, mark II , 12 string, cedar top, rosewood sides and back, rosewood fret board . i was told by a reliable source that it is worth a lot more than i paid for…….thank you and this is a great site!
I own a black savage daion. I have had it since I was 14. that was 28 years ago. This was the second one built. Still plays great.
I have a Power series Mark X fretless bass (natural finish) if anyone is interested?
Hoy Eric,
I had one of those fretless Daions..but swapped it for a synth
I’d be interested to buy…are you far from Sydney Australia?
My wife also has one of the Caribou acoustics
They’re great…and they get better with age
The trick with those is to replace the brass bridge saddle with
a bone or plastic one…otherwise they’re too pingy…
is that the bill forte who used to play at Goodies pub in Randolph,Ma
I OWN A DAION HERITAGE 71 OR78 SER. NO, 105719 CEDAR TOP ROSEWOOD BACK AND SIDES MAPLE BINDING ON BACK AND SIDES SOUND HOLE AND NECK. BRASS FRET DOTS BRASS NUT AND BRIDGE ,EBONY STRING PEGS .HAS GOLD TUNERS WITH DAION LOGO IN CENTER. PLAYS GREAT UNIQUE SOUND.ANY FEED BACK WOULD BE WELCOME. M.O.
i own a Daion 78 Heritage bought it in 1980. looks like the one O.D.G. has. I’ve never done anything to it , except keep it clean, oil the fret board, change strings & play it. It’s soft on the fingers Plays & Sounds Great. I love it.
PETE ORTEZ thanks for reply.I MADE MISTAKE SIDES & BACK ARE MAHOGANY MY BAD . QUESTION DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CURRENT PRICEING ON THESE GUITARS AT PRESENT ? MINE COST ABOUT 350.00 OR SO IN 2008 ? THANKS PETE M.O.
I have a Daion 78 Heritage (since new) and a Daion 80 both acoustics …. love them … truly they are underated and unknown. I had a Daion Savage 6 string electric until 2 weeks ago … was nice but let it go
I have a Daion 78 Heritage too, have owned it since February 82, it cost £130 plus £30 for the case then, and I wouldn`t sell it for the world. It isn`t the best sounding acoustic in the world, but put a new set of D`Addario Phospher Bronze 11`s on it, and it has a sound all of it`s own
I own a mint condition Daion 80 that I picked up at a garage sale for CDN $85 with case! The guy selling it said he hadn’t played it in 15 or 20 years. I had never heard of Daion but it looked like a quality guitar. I figured I could resell it and make a few bucks. As soon as I changed the strings and replaced the saddle with bone I fell in love. There is no way I could sell that guitar It plays awesome and sounds awesome!
G’day Daionites.i love my ‘78E, I bought it back in ‘84 for $200 aus it is an excelant recording guitar and is a joy to just pick up and play.When my muso mates come over for a jam i have it parked in the corner of my lounge room…it dose’nt take long before someone picks it up and plays…”This is great” is oft said. The person who said replace the brass saddle with bone has missed the very reason this guitar is so good !
i had a DIAON ‘THE 80′ ACOUSTIC back in the 80’s funny enough. but had to sell it for food for me belly. now am after one back. if anybody out there that’s got one for sale. let me know. mine had a nice ocean blue colour lining hardshell case with aluminium edges round the case. sold mine for £130 in 1993. o’dear. dont i just wanna wept and cry!.
I had Daion Electric Guitar, But i do not know the year this model was build. The Serial number of this savage guitar is 83244E. Please i will like to know if this model build here in U.S or any where else, and the year thanks. Regard.
I have two 6 string Daion Caribous “The 81″ model in natural finish (blonde)and the 12 string ‘81 Caribou in wine red. I bought one 6 string new in 1982 for about $600. I love these acoustic guitars and everyone that sees them loves them. I also just purchased the Power XX 6-string in natural…wow what a beautiful lady she is!! I’m looking for a nice 81 Gazelle.
I have a Daion MK zz B bass guitar if anyone is interested in purchasing drop me a line. Carlsmith1975@hotmail.com.
Carl, if you still have that Daion mark XX bass for sale, than let me know. I am looking for exactly that bass:)
Michael
PS I sent you a mail.
Hi Daion-fans,
if anyone owns a Daion Savage 4-string Bass (fretted) and would like to sell it please let me know… or if you know someone who…!
I have a Mark-XB that I’ve been playing live as my Bass No1 since the Eighties and would like to find a Savage as an ideal addition.
Karlos
I have a LEFT HANDED…DAION Caribou…for sale. ( Have to get my collection down to 10) Wine red, original case. Electrics work well. 2 minor sound board dings, No fret or fingerboard wear. No damage or marks to back or sides. Perfect neck and action. Anyone know its value? Anyone interested in buying? Make an offer! I also have a Daion L999 (not for sale)
Karlos, did you see the Savage bass on ebay 2 days ago? It was for sale in the USA.
Bob, I am not lefthanded, but I wonder if I could still play it. Lets start with the pictures first:) Mbechmann@gmail.com
Michael
Hello Michael,
Thank you for the hint…
But it’s a pity – no, I didn’t see it.
Do you know for how much it sold?
Karlos
Hello. I first discovered these guitars when I found one in a guitar shop in Tuscaloosa, Al in the late 80s. It was a six string Gazelle and I had to have it. I bought it for $325 with hard-shell case. The headstock was very unique, as was the rest of this ultra high quality guit, but I was sure I’d seen it somewhere before. 6 months later, I remembered where I’d seen the logo before when I went to see Widespread Panic in SC. JB was playing a blonde Mark X and primarily played this guitar until they hit it big. I’ve see pictures of him with playing a Headhunter 555 in the earliest days of WSP. I tracked down a cherry Mark xx and bought it for $275. When the internet really took off and I discovered e-bay, I became addicted. I’ve since added a HH-555 mint that I unfortunately pain 1750.00 for. Watch out for reserves when sniping on e-bay. I think a fair price for a good 555 is ~ 1250-1450 usd. Still, mine is mint and it plays better and sounds better than any vintage 335 I’ve ever played, so it is worth the money for sure. I also have picked up a mint version of the Mark xx in green and a near mint legacy 999. I highly recommend any daion you can get your hands on, but understand that, while the carribou and the gazells are incredible instruments that are as much of a work of art as an instrument, they are prone to cracking along the neck/soundboard interface. Anyhoo, if anyone is interested in a HH-555, there is a really beautiful honeyburst one for sale by Bruce Diamond at Diamondstrings.com. Bruce is a stand up guy from what I can tell. The guitar was on e-bay and had some issues, so I opted not to snag it. Bruce is a luthier, and has really turned this guitar into a beauty, but it is definately not a mint representative of this guitar. He has it for 1250, and he has had it for at least two years now, so if you want one and you are willing to haggle, you could probably get this for ~900-950. Good to see the word is getting out. Take care, Eric.
I had sell a defective Selmer style guitar, a Favino, in the early 80’s. The laminated necks on these tend to move, and it would not be stabilzed, sadly.
So, I bought a maroon Daion Caribou in 1982. Its neck came unglued within six months and the store sent it to an excellent lutier who reglued it. Ever since, it is my favorite acoustic guitar, even though I have an old Gibson, a Martin and an Eastman. The Caribou has been lying around the house for almost thirty years now for me to play whenever I feel like it, gypsy music, blues and jazz. I love it dearly and would buy another if I could find one.
I have for sale:
Daion “The ‘79″ Dreadnought
Gloss Black finish, Solid Mahogany sides & back, Solid Cedar top.
Rosewood fretboard & Bridge.
Brass nut, saddle, fret markers; “brassoid” binding, trim & sound hole.
Bone saddle & ebony bridge pins, but the original brass saddle will be included.
This guitar is in very good shape with the normal dings & scratches for a 30 year old working guitar.
Gator semi-hard case.
Neil
(512) 748-4903