I have been playing for about 33yrs, the first two of which were on a junky import, the next ten of which were on a black Savage bass. After the Savage was stolen, I swapped to a Spector and a custom fender type fretless. When those were stolen in 2001, I had internet access and found my first Daion in another ten years on Ebay, the red Mk.XX bass.
A few years back, my dear friend Russell Miller and his wife Trisha, bought out from under me on Ebay, and then gifted to me, a black Mk.XX bass. I later bought a TAN fretless Mk.XX.
My current primary bass is the tan Mk.XX fretless. I play that one in all five bands I play with at present. In the more rocking bands, I swap out to the black Mk.XX on some songs, which is brighter and meaner sounding, thanks to the maple in the body. I also haul out a Hamer B12L 12 string when things need to get really big. Rigs are a 1974 Ampeg Portaflex for low volume gigs, and a 1969 Ampeg SVT with 1977 model Ampeg SVT 8×10 cabinet for large venues and outdoor festivals.
My current bands are Atomic Salami (original alt-country rock), The Sperm Wailers (60s- current covers), Unchain the Melody (artsy-blues rock/funk), Dragonfly (pop-rock originals and 70s-90s covers), and Happy Lemmy (Who-like hard rock power trio).
Ok! Well I have been playing since my sophomore year in college at Clemson Univerisity. Back then, I played in an acoustic trio called Acousticallusion, and we played mainly Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Hendrix, and some other 60-70 covers.
After college, a few buds and I put together a band originally named Thelma’s Wig that eventually was renamed Silent Seeds as a reference to an Eye’s of the World lyric. We are a dead cover band that now plays a regular schedule of one impromptu jam every two to three years in the lead guitarist’s basement! Well, as soon as the member’s children get grown up a bit and I get out of CRNA school, we hope to return to our early-days rigourous gigging schedule of two to three private, outdoor, in the middle of nowhere parties!
I play rhythm guitar and I primarily play my HH-555; I used to mainly use my cherry mark xx and look forward to playing my other mark xx green with the fellas next time we hook up.
I play a Daion Performer Tele copy in The Rocking Stones (Stones covers band). I use it for the open G tuned songs.
I bought the guitar new in 1983 and played it in “Rough Mix” which was an originals band that was based on the sounds of Stones, Beatles, Who and the Jam.
Then played in Distorted Tarts in the late 80′s, anothe originals band along the lines of The Stranglers. Also played in a Corporate party band (covers) over this period.
Then played in “Lono” in the early 90′s, an originals band based on the Manchester sound bands.
Took a few years off before joining a tribute band for “The Angels” (aussie rockers) in the mid 2000′s, and then The Rocking Stones in 2009.
We’ve done a few demo songs, but never really got anywhere.
I’m in Adelaide, Australia, and I have only once come across another guy playing a Daion – that was Greg in The Primitive Painters in 1983. He played a beautiful bass (can’t remember the model).
My Daion tele copy has been with me for over 25 years, and although its a copy it has followed me on my musical journey and I love it. If I ever see another Daion I will buy it, but I’m not gonna hunt eBay.
Hi Keith – if you see this message soon, I have a Daion Performer up for sale in Sydney. I have a friend who is going to Adelaide soon, so I could always send it with him (he also happens to be a beginner guitarist). You can reach me at shan564@gmail.com .
G’day Keith – I’m in Perth WA and have just bought a Daion ‘Performer’ Strat, previous owner had it for about 7 years, he bought it 2nd hand and thinks it’s about 20+ years old..it’s a Korean job, red with maple neck, no nicks, dents of scratches, very little wear, bit dusty and needs a restring, neck is straight..it came with a little Pignose Gorilla TC-35 practice amp.
i have a 1980 s xxx daion electric [6 string] and i’ve played it for about 20 years . i love it . i now have m.s. and cannot play like i used to,but what a guitar !!!
I drove a friend through a snowstorm to Des Moines to buy a Daion in ’81 or so. They were listed as a dealer but had none. My friend bought a Washburn Woodstock 6 string instead. When his marriage fell apart he gave me the Washburn so his wife wouldn’t get it. I still have it and believe it was made in the same factory as Daions, a nice guitar. Around 2005 I bought an L-999 on ebay, excellent condition with original case in XL condition. It is awesome. I then found a Blonde Caribou with original case on ebay and bought it. It and the case are like new except the bridge is pulling up and the electronics, which are encased in a lacquer substance, disintigrated. My last Daion purchase was a doozie. I was drinking a bit too much and at about 12:30 AM saw a Gold Top H-555 on ebay with a buy it now price of about $700. I had bookmarked the Daion category on ebay and this thing had just popped up, I was probably the only person to have seen it. Even in my drunken stupor I knew it would not last so I hit the Buy It Now option. The guitar looks great after a clean up and with some fret work it plays great. The case is very rough though, but original and functional. So, I’ve been watching Daions since the first adds in Guitar Player around 1980 and now I’ve got three of them and they are excellent guitars even by today’s standards.
I’ve had a Daion Savage bass for 20+ years and it has held up well under the rigors of a ska band working the midwest and Europe. I had active EMGs put in it initially and it’s been a great primary bass.
Hi, I have been trying to find out a little more about my 12 string lately – a Mugen/Daion THE ’78 12 string. Your site has helped me find out a bit more about it. It’s a Heritage – and it gets played on stage. I do mostly acoustic blues but more recently have been revisiting some John Fahey and Leo Kottke stuff and that has come back into some of my gigs. I live in New Zealand and travel to, and play in, the UK. Sadly I do not take this guitar with me, only my six string and leave a resonator in the UK. Baggage costs are not what they used to be. I have had the guitar since new and have always loved it – but it got dropped from my playing for some time, so glad to have kept it and have brought it back. It’s in good condition but I have had a recent set-up and a bone saddle put in instead of the brass one – nut is still brass. I am not completely sure why I had that done but there you are. Good to have found this site – cheers, Lil’ Ian
I had a daion savage black with mirror scratchplate which I played between 1980-87.now I play deep wine red power bass mkxxb which I love so much.if anyone wants to sell either of these basses…contact me phone 0408871599 Australia
March 26, 2010 at 12:44 am
OK, I’ll get us started…
I have been playing for about 33yrs, the first two of which were on a junky import, the next ten of which were on a black Savage bass. After the Savage was stolen, I swapped to a Spector and a custom fender type fretless. When those were stolen in 2001, I had internet access and found my first Daion in another ten years on Ebay, the red Mk.XX bass.
A few years back, my dear friend Russell Miller and his wife Trisha, bought out from under me on Ebay, and then gifted to me, a black Mk.XX bass. I later bought a TAN fretless Mk.XX.
My current primary bass is the tan Mk.XX fretless. I play that one in all five bands I play with at present. In the more rocking bands, I swap out to the black Mk.XX on some songs, which is brighter and meaner sounding, thanks to the maple in the body. I also haul out a Hamer B12L 12 string when things need to get really big. Rigs are a 1974 Ampeg Portaflex for low volume gigs, and a 1969 Ampeg SVT with 1977 model Ampeg SVT 8×10 cabinet for large venues and outdoor festivals.
My current bands are Atomic Salami (original alt-country rock), The Sperm Wailers (60s- current covers), Unchain the Melody (artsy-blues rock/funk), Dragonfly (pop-rock originals and 70s-90s covers), and Happy Lemmy (Who-like hard rock power trio).
May 4, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Ok! Well I have been playing since my sophomore year in college at Clemson Univerisity. Back then, I played in an acoustic trio called Acousticallusion, and we played mainly Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Hendrix, and some other 60-70 covers.
After college, a few buds and I put together a band originally named Thelma’s Wig that eventually was renamed Silent Seeds as a reference to an Eye’s of the World lyric. We are a dead cover band that now plays a regular schedule of one impromptu jam every two to three years in the lead guitarist’s basement! Well, as soon as the member’s children get grown up a bit and I get out of CRNA school, we hope to return to our early-days rigourous gigging schedule of two to three private, outdoor, in the middle of nowhere parties!
I play rhythm guitar and I primarily play my HH-555; I used to mainly use my cherry mark xx and look forward to playing my other mark xx green with the fellas next time we hook up.
June 3, 2010 at 4:31 pm
I play a Daion Performer Tele copy in The Rocking Stones (Stones covers band). I use it for the open G tuned songs.
I bought the guitar new in 1983 and played it in “Rough Mix” which was an originals band that was based on the sounds of Stones, Beatles, Who and the Jam.
Then played in Distorted Tarts in the late 80′s, anothe originals band along the lines of The Stranglers. Also played in a Corporate party band (covers) over this period.
Then played in “Lono” in the early 90′s, an originals band based on the Manchester sound bands.
Took a few years off before joining a tribute band for “The Angels” (aussie rockers) in the mid 2000′s, and then The Rocking Stones in 2009.
We’ve done a few demo songs, but never really got anywhere.
I’m in Adelaide, Australia, and I have only once come across another guy playing a Daion – that was Greg in The Primitive Painters in 1983. He played a beautiful bass (can’t remember the model).
My Daion tele copy has been with me for over 25 years, and although its a copy it has followed me on my musical journey and I love it. If I ever see another Daion I will buy it, but I’m not gonna hunt eBay.
September 11, 2010 at 11:53 am
Hi Keith – if you see this message soon, I have a Daion Performer up for sale in Sydney. I have a friend who is going to Adelaide soon, so I could always send it with him (he also happens to be a beginner guitarist). You can reach me at shan564@gmail.com .
March 3, 2011 at 9:38 pm
G’day Keith – I’m in Perth WA and have just bought a Daion ‘Performer’ Strat, previous owner had it for about 7 years, he bought it 2nd hand and thinks it’s about 20+ years old..it’s a Korean job, red with maple neck, no nicks, dents of scratches, very little wear, bit dusty and needs a restring, neck is straight..it came with a little Pignose Gorilla TC-35 practice amp.
I think this might be a keeper.
August 13, 2010 at 9:11 pm
i have a 1980 s xxx daion electric [6 string] and i’ve played it for about 20 years . i love it . i now have m.s. and cannot play like i used to,but what a guitar !!!
January 10, 2012 at 10:02 pm
hi. what is the difference btwn the power mark xx & xxx? i’m assuming that’s what your talking about. thanx.
January 10, 2012 at 10:56 pm
I think that’s probably a typo and he means Mk.XX. Wasn’t a Mark XXX that I know of.
November 24, 2010 at 9:37 pm
I drove a friend through a snowstorm to Des Moines to buy a Daion in ’81 or so. They were listed as a dealer but had none. My friend bought a Washburn Woodstock 6 string instead. When his marriage fell apart he gave me the Washburn so his wife wouldn’t get it. I still have it and believe it was made in the same factory as Daions, a nice guitar. Around 2005 I bought an L-999 on ebay, excellent condition with original case in XL condition. It is awesome. I then found a Blonde Caribou with original case on ebay and bought it. It and the case are like new except the bridge is pulling up and the electronics, which are encased in a lacquer substance, disintigrated. My last Daion purchase was a doozie. I was drinking a bit too much and at about 12:30 AM saw a Gold Top H-555 on ebay with a buy it now price of about $700. I had bookmarked the Daion category on ebay and this thing had just popped up, I was probably the only person to have seen it. Even in my drunken stupor I knew it would not last so I hit the Buy It Now option. The guitar looks great after a clean up and with some fret work it plays great. The case is very rough though, but original and functional. So, I’ve been watching Daions since the first adds in Guitar Player around 1980 and now I’ve got three of them and they are excellent guitars even by today’s standards.
November 25, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Hey JR, I want that Goldtop if you ever need to let her go. Please e-mail me pics or post them up. Thanks.
December 8, 2010 at 3:27 pm
I’ve had a Daion Savage bass for 20+ years and it has held up well under the rigors of a ska band working the midwest and Europe. I had active EMGs put in it initially and it’s been a great primary bass.
January 23, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Hi, I have been trying to find out a little more about my 12 string lately – a Mugen/Daion THE ’78 12 string. Your site has helped me find out a bit more about it. It’s a Heritage – and it gets played on stage. I do mostly acoustic blues but more recently have been revisiting some John Fahey and Leo Kottke stuff and that has come back into some of my gigs. I live in New Zealand and travel to, and play in, the UK. Sadly I do not take this guitar with me, only my six string and leave a resonator in the UK. Baggage costs are not what they used to be. I have had the guitar since new and have always loved it – but it got dropped from my playing for some time, so glad to have kept it and have brought it back. It’s in good condition but I have had a recent set-up and a bone saddle put in instead of the brass one – nut is still brass. I am not completely sure why I had that done but there you are. Good to have found this site – cheers, Lil’ Ian
July 26, 2011 at 9:37 am
I had a daion savage black with mirror scratchplate which I played between 1980-87.now I play deep wine red power bass mkxxb which I love so much.if anyone wants to sell either of these basses…contact me phone 0408871599 Australia