POWER SERIES - Mark X

POWER SERIES Overview

There are some quick visual cues that differentiate a Mark X from a Mark XX. The Mark X has a 3-piece through the body neck construction and the Mark XX has a 9-piece maple and rosewood neck through design. The bodies of the Mark X are more “slab sided” with input jacks on the bottom edge while the Mark XX has heavily contoured svelte bodies (curved top and back) and a recessed input jack that can only be seen when you view the instrument from the back. Mark X guitars and basses had cream colored pickups, Mark XX black pickups.

Mark X series instruments used chrome tuners, truss rod covers, bridge plates, screws, and strap pins while Mark XX used gold plated or brass colored tuners, truss rod covers, bridge plates, screws, and strap pins. That being said, the gold plating on Mark XXs can wear down to look more silver than brass.

In many respects the Mark X and Mark XX share a lot of DNA – same electronics, fretboards (rosewood with brass dot markers), brass saddles and nuts. Both have wood control cavities covers on the back. Mark X and Mark XX guitars have 22 frets, Mark X and Mark XX bases have two octave 24 frets. Mark X and Mark XX guitars have bridges with side screws to lock in the brass saddles for increased sustain (the same bridge is used on the HEADHUNTER). All POWER SERIES guitars and basses had ferrules on the back for through body stringing.

Mark X guitars and basses had black plastic knobs with numbers 0-10 and plastic switch tips. Mark XX guitars and basses had rosewood knobs and switch tips from ~1979 to 1980, aluminum or aluminum finished brass knobs from ~1981 to 1983 (these are unique to Daion and not found on any other guitar brand), then orange numbered plastic knobs and switch tips in 1984. Again, the dates on these production changes are approximate.

Mark XX Tan guitars and basses had an Ash body with a Rosewood lamination. All other colors were a Maple lamination. Mark X basses and guitars had Ash bodies. Mark X and Mark XX shared the same color palette, except that the Mark XX had one additional color - Dark Green (GR) - which is the rarest color.

Since the dimensions were very close, the Mark X and Mark XX shared the same case. The cases came in a burgundy / brown and green color, and both case colors were available for guitars and basses.