Daion 12-String Dreadnought

just an update for this guitar.it is a daion 80 12,made in the year series,the highest quality acoustics they made.all the binding is actually maple,not spruce as i thought before.the top is sold spruce,with a .03 ovancol mahogany facing.all mahogany neck back and sides...when it was made it had high quality tuners,but i bought it after the tuners had been replaced with some crappy dime store tuners,,recently i have taken it to the luthier for a full restoration.nothing was included when i bought it,but they originally came with a hardshell case...its no wonder this company went under quick,as they went all out on their guitars,and sold them for a comparatively low price...check out daions online for more info on daion guitars.

it still sounds great.even though it has substantial damage,the sustain is amazing,no exaggeration...i cant wait to hear it after the restoration back to 12 strings...a very good slide guitar,by the way,with tons of bass and mids..i have been using a schaller soundhole magnetic sprung pickup with a little preamp to the d i box on stage...problems with feedback with inexperienced soundguys unnaccustomed to acoustics with non piezo style pickups...feedsback pretty easy due to all the sustain in the low registers...

cant say much here i am afraid,as i bought it used...but i dont think it was modified other than the change in the machine heads...action was great,as i used it as a slide guitar and for chording,so the action was a good in between feel,for a versatile instrument.properly bookmatched top and back,not sure if the brige was put on before or after the finish,but i suspect after,if my luthier was correct..the top looks preganant a little like the older martins i have seen,but not serious..no bracing problems other than natural wear and tear you would find on a working instrument,no finish flaws,or any other cosmetic errors.all in all very clean,no excess glue,etc..

as i said before this dreadnought lives up to the title.has been in every situation i can think of.the beach,bars,open stages,jams,etc..hundreds of people have probably played it in the ten years i have owned it.but it has had a hard life,so finally it needed some tlc.i sold newer guitars before i would ever part with my 80 12

no info,as they are defunct

i have been playing for fifteen years now,i have owned vintage kay hollw bobies,art and luthiers,simon and patricks,yamahas,etc..i have played old martins, guild, and gibsons,and i would stack it up along side the big name guitars any day.if it were stolen or lost,(god forbid!)i would spend alot of time trying to track down the culprit with a fair amount oh red in my eyes ia m sure..its not the kind of guitar that is easily found or replaced..this is ---my guitar,the one i identify with

a 12 string in mahogany ply,with oval sound hole and a really neat sort of herringbone sunburst top.brass nut,saddle,and harmonic markers.all wood binding(spruce)nice daion symbol inlayed into heel of neck.very wide neck,plays great fo fingerstyle bluegrass type stuff.right now i have it strung as a six string,as it has had a hard life.sounds gorgeous.huge sustain and tone.i think the brass makes a big difference to the sound.laminated top,back and sides,14 frets to the neck,no inlays on fret board.daion symbol carved into headstock,20 frets.split back with inlay in spruce running up the center.very clean bracing and purfling.serial#ayo8ot 100825.i have to use a schaller sprung sound hole pickup as i hate transducer under the saddle jobbies...the hardware has been replaced as the tuners were open style and pretty cheap.rosewood finger board and iot looks like the neck is also mahogany,though i am not sure.any ideas?i would like to know more about this guitar,as i rarely see daions,but the ones i have seen are gorgeous.

this guitar has served me well as a 12 and 6 string.it has been used as a gig guitar,beach guitar and busking guitar.it has travelled with me across canada and back and is just a great workhorse guitar.be it contry,blues,slide,whatever,it has a great playability even with such a wide neck.very rich bass tones,and nice bright highs.it just sounds great!

the action was about mid range as it was set up with all 12 strings on it when i bought it.i have lowered the action a little,but play alot of bottle neck,so i like the action a little higher.properly bookmatched top,properly routed bridge.i have never seen another like it.no flaws,just a good solid dreadnought.

as i have already mentioned,this guitar has been gigging with me since 95.the finish is still in good shape despite its age and share of abuse this guitar has seen.i have never had to tighten the strap buttons.very dependable guitar,that i have played many shows with no backup.4 nights a week in a biker run blues bar in quebec city,with all sorts of rough characters,4 hours a night...need i say more?

never had any dealings with the company,sorry...

i have been playing gigs on a regular or at least semi regular basis since 93.i have been playing overall for about 12 years.i bought this guitar because a friend had a beautiful solid body through neck electric which i fell in love with.i bought straight off the rack,no questions asked.many people have played this guitar and love the volume and tone.i must confess,i am a sucker for oval sound holes.i use a schaller sprung style soundhole pickup,with adustable hieght controls for each individual magnetic pole,for all six strings.into a little preamp,then into a 50's trend canadian made tube amp.sounds great,whether amped,or through the pa,or both!these are really great guitars,and the few people i have met who own them swear by them.i have never heard a complaint about a daion.