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daion bass??
- Thread starter joshpman85
- Start date
Last edited:
Daion was a high-quality project brand developed between MCI in the USA and Yamaki (not Yamaha) in Japan.
The history is complicated, but for a start you can read Michael Wright's account here:
Invalid Link Removed
ED: It seems the OP just slipped between the cracks at the time.
The history is complicated, but for a start you can read Michael Wright's account here:
Invalid Link Removed
ED: It seems the OP just slipped between the cracks at the time.
Last edited:
Here at TB, all questions answered within 5 years or your money back!
My antennae go up every time I see the word "Daion," as I own a Power Mark XX Bass. It's really a thing of beauty, but, as others have noted, there isn't much information to be found.
I had a buddy that bought a Daion bass when they first came out. I haven't seen him since the early 80s but when we were in high school (grad 77 and 78)he was probably the best bassist around-killed it on a butter/vintage white Mustang through a Silverface BASSMAN , his brother played drums and both should have gone pro.
One of our members, "Buster Brown",here on TB actually was sponsored by them (the Waco connection which is MCI) back in the day . Here is what he told me:
"Sure! I'd be glad to help. Here's a quick history lesson about Daion. I was called (I believe in 1979, but it MIGHT have been 1978, those days were a tad wild) but anyway, I digress...
A good friend of mine called me (he owned a music store) and asked me to come down. When I got there, I was introduced to two Doctors ( I apologize, I can only remember Chuck and David) . Both were HUGE jazz fans from Waco Texas and they were building a line of guitars and basses under the name "Daion" and their trademark was a tuning fork.
They asked me to take a couple of their basses (A natural finish Mark-XX and a burgundy Mark-XX) try them out and let them know what I thought of them. Additionally, they had a Fretless version of the Mark-XX, but I never had the pleasure of playing one.
As a result, I gladly played, and endorsed Daion until 1983, when I began playing Fender. Several guys endorsed Daion as well like a couple of guys from Black Oak Arkansas and Steelers Wheel. Both my basses were built in Waco Texas. The company went belly up (I think) in 1984 or thereabouts and was sold to a Japanese company and then, more or less, abandoned around that time, but there was also a period where the name "Daion" was put on some rather funky guitars and basses that were built in Australia, I believe.
Daion built 6 string electric guitars (same line as the Mark-XX) and they built a variety of acoustic guitars as well, although I BELEVE the acoustics were built in Japan by Matsomuko. However, I could be wrong about that. The dreadnought guitars are highly collectible these days.
That's about all the info that I have, other than they were great basses and guitars! Both the guitars and basses show up every now and again on EBay and fetch a pretty good price.
Not really sure why your guy would say that they never made guitars...he'll, I saw several of them over the years and, again, there is usually one or two of them (and usually several of the Acoustics) on EBay
Hope this helps you a little!!"
"Sure! I'd be glad to help. Here's a quick history lesson about Daion. I was called (I believe in 1979, but it MIGHT have been 1978, those days were a tad wild) but anyway, I digress...
A good friend of mine called me (he owned a music store) and asked me to come down. When I got there, I was introduced to two Doctors ( I apologize, I can only remember Chuck and David) . Both were HUGE jazz fans from Waco Texas and they were building a line of guitars and basses under the name "Daion" and their trademark was a tuning fork.
They asked me to take a couple of their basses (A natural finish Mark-XX and a burgundy Mark-XX) try them out and let them know what I thought of them. Additionally, they had a Fretless version of the Mark-XX, but I never had the pleasure of playing one.
As a result, I gladly played, and endorsed Daion until 1983, when I began playing Fender. Several guys endorsed Daion as well like a couple of guys from Black Oak Arkansas and Steelers Wheel. Both my basses were built in Waco Texas. The company went belly up (I think) in 1984 or thereabouts and was sold to a Japanese company and then, more or less, abandoned around that time, but there was also a period where the name "Daion" was put on some rather funky guitars and basses that were built in Australia, I believe.
Daion built 6 string electric guitars (same line as the Mark-XX) and they built a variety of acoustic guitars as well, although I BELEVE the acoustics were built in Japan by Matsomuko. However, I could be wrong about that. The dreadnought guitars are highly collectible these days.
That's about all the info that I have, other than they were great basses and guitars! Both the guitars and basses show up every now and again on EBay and fetch a pretty good price.
Not really sure why your guy would say that they never made guitars...he'll, I saw several of them over the years and, again, there is usually one or two of them (and usually several of the Acoustics) on EBay
Hope this helps you a little!!"
Sorry, but this info is NOT correct. Waco NEVER build any Daions. They were build by Yamaki in Japan, and they were made from 77-84 and yes the Yamaki in Japan went under.
However, MCI in Waco continued. It was Bob Murrell who was in charge of that. In 1985 they changed the name to MCI Intertek where they produced the MCI Intertek instruments but also Anea. But that was a short adventure. Exchange rates and new laws in US caused the prices to go way up. So they closed the music line down in 1987.
Here it is 8 years later & I was telling a bp
buddy about another bp buddy that had one when they first came out.
