Aria Pro II Semi

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 2:25 pm

This is for sale locally. Ain't tried it yet but thought it looked pretty cool.

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 2:39 pm

Looks like a nice guitar but that finish is fucking honking.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 2:43 pm

Yeah not sure what's going on there.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:06 pm

These were everywhere when I started playing I the early 90s.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:20 pm

I always thought they looked kinda odd but I know these are quality.

Real hankering after a 335 type atm.

Wish I bought an old MIJ Epiphone Riviera when I had student loan

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 5:39 pm

I had one, TA-60 I think.

Nice guitar, fully hollow, great deep sound.

Don't like that finish but that goes without saying.

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 5:54 pm

I'd buy an Epiphone DOT instead, a couple decades from now when there are no rain forests, it'll be sought after too

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:29 pm

These will be great guitars at a price that's cheaper than they should be. With that finish, you should be getting an even better deal again.

Concretebadger · Post by **Concretebadger** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:37 pm

^Gotta agree with what's been said above. Give that thing a refin and it's a keeper.

+1 for the Slowdive connection. <3 those guys (the last time I saw them, Neil was using an Epi Casino which is fully hollow too iirc).

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:39 pm

I suppose I don't play out anymore, but I'm not even sure the finish would bother me. I think I'd rationalise it by knowing how good yet undesirable it was.

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:51 pm

Bacchus wrote:I suppose I don't play out anymore, but I'm not even sure the finish would bother me. I think I'd rationalise it by knowing how good yet undesirable it was.

+1 ugly guitars are cool

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 8:12 pm

McCormacks had one of these hanging on their wall right up till they shut

http://goo.gl/images/eUy5LW

George · Post by **George** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 8:13 pm

Up-close that finish will look like low-def printed arse.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:18 pm

What does it say on the headstock?

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:35 pm

dezb1 wrote:McCormacks had one of these hanging on their wall right up till they shut

http://goo.gl/images/eUy5LW

Is it the quaint little village of Blan-tyre, or the rough arsed hamlet of blanter?

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:42 pm

It says:

"Specially designed & approved by Aria Research & Development LAB. Original custom body Pat No. 555719"

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:44 pm

I love an excuse to go off down Matsumoku rabbit holes:

http://guitarz.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/a ... -semi.html

As far as I am concerned, one of the best kept secrets in the guitar world is the Aria Pro II Titan Artist series from the 1980s and 1990s. They are absolutely superb guitars, and are my own guitar of choice. I have two, a 1990s Korean-made TA-40 with Welsh Dragon graphic, and an earlier 1980s Japanese Matsumoko-made TA-30 which is actually my main electric guitar. The Korean-made examples are very good guitars, but the Japanese Matsumoku-made Titan Artists definitely have the edge over them; the differences are subtle, but I feel, important to the overall quality of the guitar. Anyway, this is the subject for a future blog post, one that I will return to later.

This particular Aria Pro II TA guitar (I'm not quite sure of the exact designation - the binding and gold hardware would imply that it isn't the basic bolt-on neck TA-40 model; it's possibly a TA-60) is finished in a very dated 1980s "crackleburst". I'd quite forgotten about finishes like this. Didn't Washburn produce a similar "magma" finish? Whatever, it really is quite awful and doesn't do the guitar any favours.

This guitar is currently listed on eBay UK with bidding currently at Ã‚Â£51. I'd expect a guitar like this to sell for up to Ã‚Â£200. I personally wouldn't want to spend more for a Korean-made TA, but a Japanese example would be worth forking out more for.

G L Wilson

EDIT: Sold for Ã‚Â£186.89 which seems fair enough but is in the region of the upper limits of what you'd want to spend on a Korean-made Aria TA.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:48 pm

I wouldn't pay what they're asking for it though, rob. It's probably a good guitar, and that amount of money could almost certainly buy much worse, but these should be bargains. Shop around and I'm sure you'll find one at Ã‚Â£200 if you're patient.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:52 pm

You can pick up Korean TA-50's for around Ã‚Â£190.

Might not look as cool as an Epiphone Dot but superior sound in my experience. The lack of a centre block really makes a difference imo.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 11:07 pm

gusman2x wrote:
dezb1 wrote:McCormacks had one of these hanging on their wall right up till they shut

http://goo.gl/images/eUy5LW
Is it the quaint little village of Blan-tyre, or the rough arsed hamlet of blanter?

Did you but it as the lusting is now gone?