Seizing on the success of affordable import guitars in the '60s, Japanese manufacturer Yamaki produced as many guitars as they could for the '70s and '80s USA guitar market. Much more than worn-out copies of the same old American-made guitars, Yamaki's designs, features, and various brands introduced new ideas, and the workmanship sincerely rivaled their USA-made counterparts. In today's vintage market, these intriguing—albeit slightly whacky—axes are great-sounding guitars that provide a different, somewhat off-beat inspiration.
In 1978, Yamaki started exporting large quantities of Daion-branded electric guitars and basses. For the US market, "Daion" was chosen over "Yamaki" to avoid any potential confusion with Yamaha, which was already firmly established. The Daions were much higher quality instruments that show sincere workmanship and impressive materials, so the distinction was important. This Daion Power Mark XX bass is a great example—with its elaborate neck-though construction, how many different carefully-carved pieces of wood come together to make this bass? It's a beautiful instrument!
Built in approximately 1979 to 1981, this Daion Power Mark XX starts with a 34" scale length and a fretless fingerboard. The double cutaway is very carefully carved and contoured, all based around the 9-ply neck. The top and back wings each sport gorgeous figured hardwood—possibly Bubinga or some type of rosewood—glued to a lighter wood (perhaps Ash?) core. For electronics, the highly-versatile PJ pickup configuration lends a wide-range of sounds. The neck P pickup is located in the traditional spot, but the J pickup is closer to the bridge for more treble and cut, to make the bass thump and pop. Very nice for the vocal-like sounds of the fretless rig. With a three-way switch, you're able to alternate between the pickups quickly, or in the middle position, blend them with the volume controls. Independent tone controls give you more flexibility to dial in the right sound.
Considering the age, this Daion Power Mark XX is in really nice shape. There are some minor bumps and signs of use (the worst is a sign on the bass side of the top and some scuffs on the back side, and the bridge is fairly tarnished. The setup is excellent—very approachable for fretless! The neck profile is a soft C-shape profile, and the cool carve where the body meets the neck makes it easy to get all the way to the end of the fingerboard. It includes its original hardshell case, which has the Daion brand proudly-stenciled on the front.