Any experience with Dillion?

2ndhandband

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I have an opportunity to buy a lightly used Dillion Phoenix, which is essentially a Firebird copy, for peanuts. I'm kind of in the market for another FB anyway and this one has three pickups which appeals to me. Does anyone have experience with these? I get that it's probably going to have cheap-ass hardware and electronics that will need replaced, but then so do the Gibsons for a lot more $$$. Has anyone played these guitars or had any direct experience with them?
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

I have an opportunity to buy a lightly used Dillion Phoenix, which is essentially a Firebird copy, for peanuts. I'm kind of in the market for another FB anyway and this one has three pickups which appeals to me. Does anyone have experience with these? I get that it's probably going to have cheap-ass hardware and electronics that will need replaced, but then so do the Gibsons for a lot more $$$. Has anyone played these guitars or had any direct experience with them?
My girlfriend looks like Dillon Phoenix

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Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Take this with a grain of salt as opinions and tastes differ and buying sight unseen is a crap shoot ... I have a Dillion semi hollow. It's a well made import. The pots are standard, import stuff. The stock pickups aren't bad (G&B). The bridge is a Wilkinson wrap around. Big and ugly, but the quality is decent. Grover machines. Frets are level and very nicely crowned and polished ... better than average for sure. I haven't played it for a while but I think the nut is bone (edit, not bone). At any rate, it's well cut. It's a good guitar for the money. It doesn't get played much as I'm not fond of the neck. I've played a couple others and my impressions were mostly positive. I've read mostly positive as well but there have been some negatives. The Phoenix is a popular choice for a Firebird copy but I've never played one. I'm sure there are good, decent and bad examples as usually happens with imports. If I wanted one, and the price was good, I'd take chance and buy one, unseen, based on my experience with the brand, albeit fairly limited. But as with every guitar, I'd much rather have hands on, first.

One more thing, my personal opinion is that some of the Dillion guitars seem to be overpriced now.
 
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Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Take this with a grain of salt as opinions and tastes differ and buying sight unseen is a crap shoot ... I have a Dillion semi hollow. It's a well made import. The pots are standard, import stuff. The stock pickups aren't bad (G&B). The bridge is a Wilkinson wrap around. Big and ugly, but the quality is decent. Grover machines. Frets are level and very nicely crowned and polished ... better than average for sure. It's a good guitar for the money. It doesn't get played much as I'm not fond of the neck. I've played a couple others and my impressions were mostly positive. I've read mostly positive as well but there have been some negatives. The Phoenix is a popular choice for a Firebird copy but I've never played one. I'm sure there are good, decent and bad examples as usually happens with imports. If I wanted one, and the price was good, I'd take chance and buy one, unseen, based on my experience with the brand, albeit fairly limited. But as with every guitar, I'd much rather have hands on, first.

One more thing, my personal opinion is that Dillion guitars are overpriced now.

This one is $250. I think I'm going to snag it. Thanks!
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Take this with a grain of salt as opinions and tastes differ and buying sight unseen is a crap shoot ... I have a Dillion semi hollow. It's a well made import. The pots are standard, import stuff. The stock pickups aren't bad (G&B). The bridge is a Wilkinson wrap around. Big and ugly, but the quality is decent. Grover machines. Frets are level and very nicely crowned and polished ... better than average for sure. I haven't played it for a while but I think the nut is bone. At any rate, it's well cut. It's a good guitar for the money. It doesn't get played much as I'm not fond of the neck. I've played a couple others and my impressions were mostly positive. I've read mostly positive as well but there have been some negatives. The Phoenix is a popular choice for a Firebird copy but I've never played one. I'm sure there are good, decent and bad examples as usually happens with imports. If I wanted one, and the price was good, I'd take chance and buy one, unseen, based on my experience with the brand, albeit fairly limited. But as with every guitar, I'd much rather have hands on, first.

One more thing, my personal opinion is that Dillion guitars are overpriced now.

What don't you like about the neck?
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

What don't you like about the neck?

I prefer a chunky neck but I'm pretty much ok with any C shape or even a soft V or U. As long as it has some "round" to it. The Dillion is more of a very flat D. But I don't know if that's a typical profile for Dillion.
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Well, I pulled the trigger. Should see it in about a week. I almost ordered a vibrola but then I figured I'd better find out if I'm keeping or flipping before I invest in new parts!
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

For $250 it is a nice score and worth a shot.

I have had 2 real nice Dillions. A 56GT LP from their original series which was a proper LP body, solid all round and one of the better LP copies I've played. I also had a killer Korina V from them that I kick myself for selling everytime I think about it. Both were Korean and IIRC I figured out they were made at the same factory that makes Tokai's MIK stuff.

I also had an SG Std from them that was a total piece of crap and couldn't be intonated without relocating the bridge, looked great though.
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Well, I pulled the trigger. Should see it in about a week. I almost ordered a vibrola but then I figured I'd better find out if I'm keeping or flipping before I invest in new parts!

$250 is a killer deal if it's not a dud. I think chances are pretty good that it wont be.
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

IIRC there were 2 Dillion companies, one out of US and one Canada. Both made overseas.

Anyways, no experience with the one your talking about, but the only Dillion's I've played were Mosrite copies. They were heavy as hell, but great for Ramone's - style punk.
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

I did a custom kombi finish on a dillion for this guy. I am pretty proud of this thing i think it turned out to be truly majestic.










EDIT headstock says daion. OOOOps anyway i'm not taking it down now haha,
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Tracking says I get my guitar next Thurs. I can't wait... definitely interested to see how the stock pickups stack against the Antiquities in my FB. I HAVE to think they're better than the horse**** stock Gibson pickups. Those are the worst thing ever. I like that it comes stock with a roller bridge and a bone nut. If everything I've heard about Dillion is true I'm not too worried about the frets or fit and finish. If the guitar works out for me I'll mod it with a vibrola, and new pickups if necessary.
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Got a Dillion RG7 copy and it's great! Neck and fretboard feel way better than the LTD H-207 I traded for it
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Well... 18 months ago I bought a tobacco sunburst Dillion Phoenix with the three knob setup that are in line as opposed to the for now it was the last one that was available they listed for about $1,200 I put an offer in about 300 less than what his asking price was and got the guitar when it arrived I was totally blown away. my lead guitar player in my band has several Gibson Firebirds that is very expensive we compared the Dillion side-by-side the Gibson's and found the fit finish and build quality of the Dillion,was right up there with the Gibson. Jeff was totally impressed with the play ability of the guitar also. The guitar was slightly a little bit different in shape than Gibson, so it wouldn't fit in the Gibson style case, but we were able to find a bass guitar case at Guitar center that was a perfect fit. The guitar is extremely well-balanced the humbucking pickups are phenomenal in sound they also work extremely well in the blend modes, and cool tap modes, which with three separate pull-up taps gives intimate variations, for mixing all three of the pickups, I love having the master tone which works extremely well, there is no neck dive on the guitar it's just super balanced. if a person was blindfolded they wouldn't be able to know the difference between this guitar and a Gibson. The dillians are being harder to come by especially the Korean ones make sure that you're buying a Korean won and not the Canadian one. you're welcome the right pin anytime and ask any other questions and I can even send photos of mine. My brother is a senior design engineer at fender so I played this guitar through many different kinds of amplifiers mostly too and some 70s vintage solid state amps. it's got an excellent sound and playability hope you get yours!
I have an opportunity to buy a lightly used Dillion Phoenix, which is essentially a Firebird copy, for peanuts. I'm kind of in the market for another FB anyway and this one has three pickups which appeals to me. Does anyone have experience with these? I get that it's probably going to have cheap-ass hardware and electronics that will need replaced, but then so do the Gibsons for a lot more $$$. Has anyone played these guitars or had any direct experience with them?
 
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Re: Any experience with Dillion?

No but I like them. One Ebay they had a Mosrite style from Dillion with Wilkson parts and a Wisgby vibroto. 500 dollars. I wanted it.

mos84edb6a51c07cdec460e0deb3f6c455f.jpg
 
Re: Any experience with Dillion?

Well... 18 months ago I bought a tobacco sunburst Dillion Phoenix....... you're welcome the right pin anytime and ask any other questions and I can even send photos of mine. My brother is a senior design engineer at fender so I played this guitar through many different kinds of amplifiers mostly too and some 70s vintage solid state amps. it's got an excellent sound and playability hope you get yours!

This thread is from WAY before you even bought yours. You'd hope he'd have it by now, and also be way beyond needing any pre-purchasing advice.
 
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