It's somewhat funny that I'm starting a blog about Daion branded guitars out and about in Australia, because before January this year I'd never heard of the brand! So I guess first things first, if you are coming here hoping to learn all about these guitars from an authority on the subject, you are probably in the wrong place!
However, if like me you have a Daion or are looking at buying one and don't know much about them, I'd really like this to be a blog where people can share information, and hopefully we'll all learn something together.
For those wondering how I ended up owning a Daion, it was purely by chance. I already owned a very nice Fender 50th Anniversary Stratocaster and a Fender '72 Deluxe Reissue Telecaster, both of which I love, and also a rather odd old Japanese Teisco/Kawai made, Audition branded electric guitar that I picked up at the local markets for $20, that was in need of a little attention but looked interesting none the less. But like a lot of us, I'm always thinking about the "next" guitar.
I've always loved Fender Stratocaster's, and although a lot of people groan and I'm sure think to themselves "gee how original", to me they just look and sound like an electric guitar should. I've always been particularly partial to the natural finish where the grain of the wood is there for all to see, so, I'd been scanning the usual online for sale and auction sites for a "natural finish" Strat style guitar.
It didn't necessarily have to be a Fender mind you, as there are some decent "copies" out there, and I wasn't looking to spend a fortune, as this would be something I'd be able to have a fiddle with if the mood took me, something I certainly wouldn't do to my 50th Anniversary Strat.
So one night browsing for Strat style guitars on gumtree.com.au I came across a Daion branded Strat style guitar for sale in a nice natural finish. From the few small pictures it certainly looked ok, but you never can tell bu pics alone. The thing that made me really take notice was that it was stated as having a set of Kinman pickups in it.
For those that don't know, Chris Kinman manufacture's what are arguably the best sounding noise cancelling pickups for Strat style guitars in the world. If you love your single coil Strat style pickups but hate the noise that being near electrical components can cause, have a look at the Kinman web site, http://www.kinman.com/index.php.
It seemed to me that most sane people (although we are talking about guitar owners here!) would not put a set of circa AU$400 pickups in an otherwise average or crappy guitar, so it definitely was worth investigating further.
I did a bit of a Google to see if the brand was anything known, or some fly by night brand that came and went without any real fanfare. I found a few forum sites where people seemed to comment favourably on them, so made an appointment to go and have a look and a play of it.
The first thing that impressed me was the fit and finish of the neck. It was smooth, slick, had a beautiful profile, the fret work was neat, the machine heads felt tight but smooth, and the finish had aged to a lovely yellowish golden shade you often see on genuine vintage Strats.
Plugged in it sounded great, the wonderful Kinman pickups certainly helping there, but the action was low with no string buzz, the volume and tone controls were smooth and responsive, and overall it was a joy to play. I couldn't hand over the $299 in cash quick enough! Oh it also came with a flight case, which typically go for around $80-$100 second hand, so I realistically paid circa $200 for the guitar, an absolute steal I thought, unknown brand or not!
Over the next few months I dragged this guitar out almost every night after work, I just couldn't put it down. I'd been playing lass and less, but this thing really sparked up my interest in playing, and learning more about this brand.
Over the coming weeks I hope to add more information on my second Daion purchase, as well as others I've seen in Australia.
Cheers
Darren
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