T
TheGuardian
New member
I know that Aria is not a company that people respect or talk about in guitars, but what do you know about their models that go under the name "Aria Pro"?
Regards,
Andrew
Regards,
Andrew
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
anything that has pro on it should be regarded as potentially crap... ESPECIALLY when it's from low budget companies...
Guhlenn
Guhlenn
T
TheGuardian
New member
Yeah, I realize that. But are you familiar with this particular company and product line?
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
played an aria once.... less then epiphone in my book... don't know about the pro... but i refer to my above statement...
Guhlenn
Guhlenn
T
TheGuardian
New member
Thanks! I agree about the plain old Arias. Anyone else?
Lopp
New member
My second guitar was an Aria Pro II back around '87 (the first was a Memphis). From what I remember, it was pretty cheap. Probably about the level of a Squier.
T
TheGuardian
New member
OK, I'll cut to the chase. A few years back I bought a mint used Ario Pro PE-R80, appears to be made in 1982.
I only ask about it because this guitar is SWEET and a bit unique. It is made of maple and mahagony and has an ebony fret board. I would call it a modified Les Paul and plays as sweet as any Les Paul I've ever played. The hardware is gold plated, the humbuckers have single coil cut off switches. The neck is a "built in maple with heel-less cutaway" design.
I actually managed to dig up this page on it today:
http://www.therathole.org/guitars/models/aria_ariaproii/ariaproii/pe/prototype/r80-60/pe_r80-60.html
I was just wondering whether anyone here had heard of this particular guitar? I already know that Arias are reputed to be cheap and that I LOVE this guitar, it is one of my favorites even with its obscure history and poorly regarded brand name.
Wanted to share this with you fellow enthusiasts.
Regards,
Andrew
I only ask about it because this guitar is SWEET and a bit unique. It is made of maple and mahagony and has an ebony fret board. I would call it a modified Les Paul and plays as sweet as any Les Paul I've ever played. The hardware is gold plated, the humbuckers have single coil cut off switches. The neck is a "built in maple with heel-less cutaway" design.
I actually managed to dig up this page on it today:
http://www.therathole.org/guitars/models/aria_ariaproii/ariaproii/pe/prototype/r80-60/pe_r80-60.html
I was just wondering whether anyone here had heard of this particular guitar? I already know that Arias are reputed to be cheap and that I LOVE this guitar, it is one of my favorites even with its obscure history and poorly regarded brand name.
Wanted to share this with you fellow enthusiasts.
Regards,
Andrew
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
that looks sweet!
but then again, i still wouldn't dare... and that weird neck construction kida not does it for me...
Guhlenn
but then again, i still wouldn't dare... and that weird neck construction kida not does it for me...
Guhlenn
T
TheGuardian
New member
I can see what you mean about the neck, but it just looks and plays like a straight though-neck, a la vintage BC Rich Mockingbird Supreme (which I also own and love). You can still adjust it, although I haven't need to. There are no dead spots or buzzes anywhere. And it really is very comfortable to play those higher notes.
The wood is just beautiful and I love the real wood covers over the elctronics on the back. It doesn't look or feel cheap at all.
I got it for $300, if you could see and play it in person, you would see why I just could not turn it down.
The wood is just beautiful and I love the real wood covers over the elctronics on the back. It doesn't look or feel cheap at all.
I got it for $300, if you could see and play it in person, you would see why I just could not turn it down.
P
Preben
New member
I've gotta laugh of you guys 
Aria's are cheaper than yank-axes, yes, but the quality level are quite equal!
I've played quite crappy Gibbo's, Fenders, Ibanez', Grech's and so on, you find them in EVERY guitar brand!
In fact: in the early 70ies, around the time they canged name from Aria to Aria Pro II, they got slapped by lawsuits from Fender, Gibbo and some others, as I recall! The reason was, their instruments were too similar and of too good quality, so the big companies were afraid that they would loose costomers to this japanese company.
Aria was (and still are?) made at the Matsumoku factory where, in fact, other more known brands has been made there! Some are made in Corea now, but still are very good instruments!
Now, I've got two Aria's for the moment, one SG that kills every Gibbo SG I've tried, and an Aria jazz-box that's great! They're way more value for the $ than Fender/Gibbo/Ibanez etc.etc.!
What it comes down to is how the axe are set up, and the maintenance it has seen through the years!
If I haven't convinced you to try a few Arias out and see the potential in them, too bad for you! Better for me, more Arias for me
Aria's are cheaper than yank-axes, yes, but the quality level are quite equal!
I've played quite crappy Gibbo's, Fenders, Ibanez', Grech's and so on, you find them in EVERY guitar brand!
In fact: in the early 70ies, around the time they canged name from Aria to Aria Pro II, they got slapped by lawsuits from Fender, Gibbo and some others, as I recall! The reason was, their instruments were too similar and of too good quality, so the big companies were afraid that they would loose costomers to this japanese company.
Aria was (and still are?) made at the Matsumoku factory where, in fact, other more known brands has been made there! Some are made in Corea now, but still are very good instruments!
Now, I've got two Aria's for the moment, one SG that kills every Gibbo SG I've tried, and an Aria jazz-box that's great! They're way more value for the $ than Fender/Gibbo/Ibanez etc.etc.!
What it comes down to is how the axe are set up, and the maintenance it has seen through the years!
If I haven't convinced you to try a few Arias out and see the potential in them, too bad for you! Better for me, more Arias for me
A
AriaProII
New member
Hey Andrew (TheGuardian),
I wouldn't necessarily take to heart what is being said here. That PE-R80 would easily fetch more than an American Strat. The last two PE-R80s on eBuy went for close to $600.
I have two, and would not part with either. I am sure some of these guys have come across Arias made before Matsumoku's involvement, and I would agree they were entry level. At that time the grandiose US labels were pre-occupied with high end models, and their few midrange and low end models were about as klunky as the economy Japanese imports they were competing with. This left the entry level market wide open and both Japanese manufacturers and American businesses took advantage of it.
However, towards the mid '70s the emphasis shifted from economy to quality, and companies such as Hoshino (Ibanez), Fuji-gen Gakki, and Matsumoku began to produce high quality, affordable instruments that easily compared to their American counterparts. Features such as coil cut, phase, and onboard preamps became stock on many models which were either unavailable or custom order at best on American flavors.
The neck on the PE-R80 is "set in" which is a combination of set and neck-thru. The tang of the neck extends into the body beyond the neck pickup but stops before the bridge. This overcomes the lack of body resonation commonly associated with neck-thru guitars and at the same time improves neck joint stability. Many skilled luthiers in the US now use this same technique on custom guitars.
As far as "Pro" in the name is concerned, it stands for "Professional". Nevermind my claims. Artists/Groups such as Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, The Outlaws, Neal Schon (who also played a PE), Ike Isaacs, Herb Ellis, and many others endorsed AND played guitars built by Matsumoku.
All in all you got a steal at $300! It would appear that your appreciation for the PE-R80 is indicative of a slightly higher level of conciousness and evolution than the average specimen for the bi-pedal species homo sapien!
Besides, if the general consensus is that these guitars are "cheap" it means less competition, interest, and ultimately more for us!
I wouldn't necessarily take to heart what is being said here. That PE-R80 would easily fetch more than an American Strat. The last two PE-R80s on eBuy went for close to $600.
I have two, and would not part with either. I am sure some of these guys have come across Arias made before Matsumoku's involvement, and I would agree they were entry level. At that time the grandiose US labels were pre-occupied with high end models, and their few midrange and low end models were about as klunky as the economy Japanese imports they were competing with. This left the entry level market wide open and both Japanese manufacturers and American businesses took advantage of it.
However, towards the mid '70s the emphasis shifted from economy to quality, and companies such as Hoshino (Ibanez), Fuji-gen Gakki, and Matsumoku began to produce high quality, affordable instruments that easily compared to their American counterparts. Features such as coil cut, phase, and onboard preamps became stock on many models which were either unavailable or custom order at best on American flavors.
The neck on the PE-R80 is "set in" which is a combination of set and neck-thru. The tang of the neck extends into the body beyond the neck pickup but stops before the bridge. This overcomes the lack of body resonation commonly associated with neck-thru guitars and at the same time improves neck joint stability. Many skilled luthiers in the US now use this same technique on custom guitars.
As far as "Pro" in the name is concerned, it stands for "Professional". Nevermind my claims. Artists/Groups such as Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, The Outlaws, Neal Schon (who also played a PE), Ike Isaacs, Herb Ellis, and many others endorsed AND played guitars built by Matsumoku.
All in all you got a steal at $300! It would appear that your appreciation for the PE-R80 is indicative of a slightly higher level of conciousness and evolution than the average specimen for the bi-pedal species homo sapien!
Besides, if the general consensus is that these guitars are "cheap" it means less competition, interest, and ultimately more for us!
Lopp
New member
Preben said:
The only valid reason for a lawsuit from Fender and Gibson would be trademark or trade dress infringement. It would have nothing to do with quality. In fact, the fear is usually quite the opposite. The fear is that Aria produces poor copycat instruments which would reflect poorly on the true manufacturers.
For example, Fender would be afraid Aria produced a poor quality instrument that looked like a Strat which would result in some guitarists being misled into thinking think all Strats were bad based on playing the Aria copy.
That may be true. However, Aria Pro II's generally don't get a high price on eBay:
http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=aria+guitar
Which is not to say that Aria Pro II doesn't make good guitars. However, the only one I owned wasn't stellar. Yet, if you like yours, that's all that matters.
A
AriaProII
New member
Well, actually the "lawsuit" never went to court, was not over the quality, or the copying of body styles, etc.
Norlin, Gibson's parent company filed suit against Hoshino(Ibanez) over the use of the open book headstock shape. This was settled out of court and Hoshino refrained from distributing guitars in US markets with the open book headstock. Many other Japanese manufacturers also turned away from this as a result.
Aria guitars up until about the mid 1970s were at best entry level. Plywood bodies, poor neck/body union design, horrid fretwork, weak microphonic single coil pickups, faked binding, and low grade wood were the norm. These guitars were aimed at the biginner, not the true musician. It was not until Matsumoku's involvement with Shiro Arai Co. did quality take priority over economy. The Matsumoku guitars are the cream of the crop. Had it not been for Matsumoku, Shiro Aria Co. might not exist today. After mid 1987 production was moved to Korea (although some models are still made in Japan but not available abroad). Once again quality took a dive, and we don't want to get me started on Korean production here. I want to hurl every time I see an STG, and the plethera of shoddy super-strats turns my stomach.
The current PEs can't hold a candle to those produced by Matsumoku.
Here's a little history on the label/company and also a note on the "lawsuit".
http://www.therathole.org/guitars/arai_matsumoku.html
The value of an Aria Pro II depends largely on the model, as it does with any other label. For example, an RS Stray Cat (lower end model) would be lucky to bring $150, where just a few days ago a PE-BnG (Black-n-Gold) ended at $401.
The Aria Pro II is not as of yet subject to the "vintage" craze that often generates outrageously inflated prices for what otherwise would be seen as a beat up old axe or moldy antique. The Japanese Ibanez guitars are now beginning to suffer this fate, and I would imagine in time the Matusmoku made guitars will succumb as well. I just hope I have managed to acquire the ones I want before then!
To say any label is either all good or all bad would not be accurate. Every label has had good and bad years and models.
Norlin, Gibson's parent company filed suit against Hoshino(Ibanez) over the use of the open book headstock shape. This was settled out of court and Hoshino refrained from distributing guitars in US markets with the open book headstock. Many other Japanese manufacturers also turned away from this as a result.
Aria guitars up until about the mid 1970s were at best entry level. Plywood bodies, poor neck/body union design, horrid fretwork, weak microphonic single coil pickups, faked binding, and low grade wood were the norm. These guitars were aimed at the biginner, not the true musician. It was not until Matsumoku's involvement with Shiro Arai Co. did quality take priority over economy. The Matsumoku guitars are the cream of the crop. Had it not been for Matsumoku, Shiro Aria Co. might not exist today. After mid 1987 production was moved to Korea (although some models are still made in Japan but not available abroad). Once again quality took a dive, and we don't want to get me started on Korean production here.
I want to hurl every time I see an STG, and the plethera of shoddy super-strats turns my stomach.The current PEs can't hold a candle to those produced by Matsumoku.
Here's a little history on the label/company and also a note on the "lawsuit".
http://www.therathole.org/guitars/arai_matsumoku.html
The value of an Aria Pro II depends largely on the model, as it does with any other label. For example, an RS Stray Cat (lower end model) would be lucky to bring $150, where just a few days ago a PE-BnG (Black-n-Gold) ended at $401.
The Aria Pro II is not as of yet subject to the "vintage" craze that often generates outrageously inflated prices for what otherwise would be seen as a beat up old axe or moldy antique. The Japanese Ibanez guitars are now beginning to suffer this fate, and I would imagine in time the Matusmoku made guitars will succumb as well. I just hope I have managed to acquire the ones I want before then!
To say any label is either all good or all bad would not be accurate. Every label has had good and bad years and models.
P
Preben
New member
Ok, I have to admit, I'll have to check out the facts thoroughly before I go rambling on by memory only! You're right, it didn't have anything to do with the exactness of the copys, but trademarks, like the "open book" on the headstock! For those who are interested: http://www.therathole.org/guitars/arai_matsumoku.html
The bottom line is, these are much music for $, and there are bad and good among these as well! If you've tried one that's bad, try
another, you might like them
Don't be put down by the low prices, isn't that just an advantage?
The bottom line is, these are much music for $, and there are bad and good among these as well! If you've tried one that's bad, try
another, you might like them
Don't be put down by the low prices, isn't that just an advantage?
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
The "if there 's a pro in the name, don't trust it argument was ofcourse only a "it's mostly true" comment...
didn't meanb to upset you guys... however, i do not agree oin the aria is as great as a gibson comment... samick makes nice guitars now as a lot of asian guitar builders do now that techniques have improved...
I played an aria a while ago, nice guitar but not more then that... and the name just repulses (sp?) me... why the f*ck would anyone change their name into **pro II ??? but hey, what's in a name?
Sounds like a toy!
Guhlenn
didn't meanb to upset you guys... however, i do not agree oin the aria is as great as a gibson comment... samick makes nice guitars now as a lot of asian guitar builders do now that techniques have improved...
I played an aria a while ago, nice guitar but not more then that... and the name just repulses (sp?) me... why the f*ck would anyone change their name into **pro II ??? but hey, what's in a name?
Sounds like a toy!
Guhlenn
A
AriaProII
New member
guhlenn said:The "if there 's a pro in the name, don't trust it argument was ofcourse only a "it's mostly true" comment...
didn't meanb to upset you guys... however, i do not agree oin the aria is as great as a gibson comment... samick makes nice guitars now as a lot of asian guitar builders do now that techniques have improved...
I played an aria a while ago, nice guitar but not more then that... and the name just repulses (sp?) me... why the f*ck would anyone change their name into **pro II ??? but hey, what's in a name?
Sounds like a toy!
Guhlenn
To be honest, it wasn't the derogatory remarks regarding the name that I found disconcerting at all. I could care less. If I were concerned with that then I guess I would still be influenced purely by the logo on the headstock of a Gibson guitar, wouldn't I? It was the fact that inexperience may have unfairly tainted others' opinions of ALL Aria Pro II guitars by one or two individuals playing one or two examples. No mention at all was made of what model or year, or country of origin for that matter.
Personally, I feel the PE-R80 is right up there with the LP, but that opinion is not based on one single experience. I have owned 16 LPs, 3 SGs, a V, a 335, an L6S, a Mark III, a Victory, and a BluesHawk. This by no means makes me an expert, but it does allow me to make an intelligent personal analysis and an opinion based on a bit more than just first impression or a single point of reference.
I have never seen an LP with coil cut and phase as stock options. I have never seen one with easy access to the upper registers. I have never seen one with a bridge and saddles that could accomodate perfect intonation for string gauges from .008 to .013 without flipping saddles or replacing the bridge with a nashville.
I look at the whole picture. Construction techniques, engineering, quality of hardware and electronics, and most important, the wood. Korean guitars, (and the early Japanese for that matter) use(d) inexpensive new growth wood. Today it's no longer a matter of tone, but economics. This underlying principle applies to ALL mass produced guitars.
There's more to wood than the "perty flames an' finish" that meets the eye. Most important are the ageing process, and the age of the tree the raw stock came from. Old growth wood that has been aged naturally is far superior to new growth that has been artificially aged. Cellulose content, cell density, cell structure, and cell alignment all play a part in wood quality as well. New growth wood is far less expensive. Can you guess which of the two the Korean manufacturers prefer?
I agree on one point though. Manufacturing techniques, in particular finishing processes, have improved to allow for some rather beautiful and striking guitars easily within the reach of the average player. On the converse, few seldom look "under the hood" to reveal the horrible electronics and sub-standard hardware. The only guitars in general that I have had to service that fall below this are the bottom line Walmart grade axes made in Taiwan and Mainland China. But then again, those aren't really instruments, are they?
I take all of this into account when I pay my hard earned $ for a guitar and this is reflected in the guitars I now own.
Well, I guess I am done wasting bandwidth and SQL cpu time here, and I will waste no more.
Andrew, GOOD FOR YOU! Rock on!
King Elvis
New member
OK I am gonna put in my 2 cents here. If its your guitar and you think it is a sweet guitar and it sounds and plays good for your style and does everything you want it too....THEN WHO GIVES A FUCK WHAT ANYBODY ELSE THINKS ABOUT IT!!!!
B.SABBATH
New member
I have an Aria Pro II bass, and an ap2 guitar... and I love them both.. (especially the bass)
cheap? yes.. worth it? you bet your ass...
imhop..
cheap? yes.. worth it? you bet your ass...
imhop..
Guernica
Active member
....I remember when the PE r80's came out in the early eighties.
I was very impressed w/ the appearance of the guitar then, and have since had the opportunity to play w/ one..... and the performance of that guitar outshined the impressive looks. IMO, the current "rep" of Aria doesnt do that particular guitar any justice at all. ....I would shell out some hard earned dough for one now....... .....a GREAT guitar..... .....IMHO.
I was very impressed w/ the appearance of the guitar then, and have since had the opportunity to play w/ one..... and the performance of that guitar outshined the impressive looks. IMO, the current "rep" of Aria doesnt do that particular guitar any justice at all. ....I would shell out some hard earned dough for one now....... .....a GREAT guitar..... .....IMHO.
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
I will NEVER AGAIN speak badly of Aria Pro II...
Guhlenn
*runs to the store to update his old fashioned view upon the aria's*
Guhlenn
*runs to the store to update his old fashioned view upon the aria's*