player opinions
Daion Gazelle
Name: Peter Effen Stuart
Band: The Aspronauts
Model Year: 1981
Price Paid: $A500
Performance
An aesthetically appealing Korean guitar that caught my eye at the time. It had a cutaway and an unusually shaped sound box. However this was the cause of the guitar’s short-comings. I could never play over guitars that had larger sound boxes. Next steel string I get is going to be as mega-Jumbo as I can get, and without a cutaway.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the pickups are not too bad, and these days I play it as a six string, which gives me a roomy neck. Most guitars these days I find have necks that are too narrow, kind of tying to be electric wannabe’s.
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Sound Quality Rating: 6
Construction
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The finish and workmanship of this guitar would put many of today’s guitar to shame. Beautiful tuning keys and brass nut and bridge standard. Being a twelve string it is built like a tank which doesn’t help the resonance too much but I’ve had this guitar a long time and still like it on the whole.
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Construction Rating: 9
Name: Bucky
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Band: -----
Model Year: Late Seventies?
Price Paid: $8-900
Performance
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The Daion line of guitars was an effort by Yamaki to rise above the success of their entry level guitars and stake some turf in the up-market. Some Daion guitars were pleasant and competent while the best were remarkable. The Gazelle was Daion’s top of the line and the one that I owned was a prized and a spirited companion. I owned it for about ten years and finally succumbed to the whining of a friend to sell it to him. *note to self* get smarter!
When I first saw the Daion Gazelle I thought that it was some kind of desperate gimmick. It appeared well made but it has a most unusual design element. It looks like a lady’s bum. The heel of the guitar is recurved into the body so that there is something like a curved cutaway at the heel of the guitar. In one light it looks sensual and in your guitar mind you’re thinking that people don’t build guitars that look like that. I first thought that the people who did this were trying to use visual stuff to hide that they couldn’t build a guitar. Turns out they could.
I never showed that ax to anyone who didn’t do a double take. They’d squint and look it all over and they’d comment on how well it seemed built. And then they’d comment about the weird shape. What’s that about? About two chords later they’re looking like a pretty girl just sat in their lap. That guitar was a convincer with the voice of an avenging angel.
How does it play? When you try one maybe put on a “depends” first. Otherwise you’'ll be sitting in a puddle. It plays way nicer than you’d think looking at it. This was the guitar that taught me to play fast acoustic. The fingerboard is just that silly millimeter wider so that you have room to fret and finger with comfort.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
First comment has to be about another unusual design flip of the Gazelle. It has a brass nut and bridge. This setup gives this instrument a ring and a sustain that are unusual and very nice. If you want to clean up your picking patterns, this is the guitar for you. It enunciates like your English teacher; every syllable is included. I loved the brass in the voice. Electrically, the Gazelle also had a compelling voice. It is one of those guitars that have a little panel on top to adjust volume and tone. I think that the brass nut and bridge give the Gazelle an uncommon electric sound in a nice way. It responds well to stomp boxes and modelers and because its voice is unusual to start with, the addition of toys just takes you further into new sounds.
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Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
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This guitar was aimed at stealing some lunch from Gibson, Fender and all the old-time makers. It not only met the quality criteria to compete in that league, it offered innovation and new ideas into the bargain. The odd body design worked like sixty, the electrics were fine for their time and the brass setup was outstanding. I had owned some snazzy guitars including Gibson Hummingbird, Strats, Sada, Yairi and others. The Gazelle was every bit as prideful a job of work as the best. I liked it better than the Hummingbird.
As a footnote there seems to be a sad ending to the Daion story. They made fabulous axes and they went by the wayside. I think that the reason may be guitar snobbery; that sick brand consciousness that pervades guitar culture. For Eight hundred bucks in those days, you could buy a very nice Gibson or Guild or something. Once that thought occurred to many shoppers I think that Daion never had a chance.
I’m telling you here that the Gazelle was a better ax than you could buy for the same cash from the big guys. Beautiful build quality and design plus innovation... If you see one of these odd birds, you’ll recognize it. Pick it up and give it the trickiest riff that you know to play. I’m getting sick of trying to convince y’all!
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Construction Rating: 10
links
Average Ratings
- Performance: 10
- Sound Quality: 8
- Construction: 9.6
Ratings Key
- 10: Excellent
- 0: Useless
Company
- Daion