Awesome 6 string Aria Pro II LS-700 Sunburst Electric Guitar. EXCELLENT CONDITION! Number of frets: 22. Neck Joint: Set Neck. Brand: Aria Model number: VM-02 40th Anniversary Serial number: 7110260 Body: Alder Neck: Maple Fingerboard: Rosewood Accessories: Hard case,. Official website of Aria Guitars Co. Leading in quality and excellence of electric, acoustic, bass, and classical guitars since 1965.
Hi I just picked up an old Aria Pro II Fullerton Strat style guitar for like $30. It looks as if the previous owner did some mods ie swapped out the tuners and put in Jackson tuners, Changed out the pups, Neck and middle are 'Phil' and Humbucker bridge is 'Shadow'. On first testing it seems that the Shadow is not working. How would I test the shadow pup to check it works, and are phil pups quality? I've taken her apart - It seems that it may have been repainted as well - Purple! I'm trying to decide what to do with it - I am not sure whether it is solid maple? If so I may sand her down to a natural finish.
The serial no is: 5014072 - which seems to indicate, according to, that it was made in 1985? Also the pickguard was changed to a more traditional strat pg, and possibly modified for the shadow humbucker. Any info on this Aria Pro II would be much appreciated! Atmarama 'Try to realize it's all within yourself, no one else can make you change.
And to see you're really only very small, and life goes on within you and without you.'
My first post here, so I thought I'd share my guitar. I'm a complete beginner, been at it since November, but really enjoying the journey The story is that it was bought for a cousin who never played it, sometime in the late 80's. Just sat in the case. It was handed down to me in the mid 90's, but I never got into it either. So 20 years later, it's dusted off and making noise again!
It looks almost new, the only mark on the thing is a bit of tape residue on the back. I'm sure it needs a going over inside, though.
Haven't opened it up, and wouldn't know where to start. Does anyone have any info or experience with these? From what I can tell after a cursory search, they're Japanese made (at least, I think this one is), and the serial number puts it at 1985(?). Hope you can shed some light on the guitar and what I can do to get it playing right, considering it's been on the shelf for 29.5 out of the last 30 years.
I haven't read up on them in many years, but I was thinking that that version of the Fullerton series guitars were from the mid '90s and those tuners and saddles tell me they weren't made in Japan. I'd have to guess the guitar wasn't made in Japan either. It won't be listed on the Matsumoku site because it isn't a Matsumoku guitar. Having said that, it could still be a very decent guitar. I dig the 'not quite a strat' looks: the shape of the body and the headstock, the pickguard, the output cup pointing the 'wrong' way.
The bad: the tuners may not be very good, it possibly has a soft plastic nut that might be a challenge to work with. The pickups are likely very unexceptional if the guitar is from the mid-90s. If it's mid-80s to the very early 90s, they may sound just fine.
Aria Pro Ii Fullerton Serial Numbers Lookup
I don't know that I'd pay $100 for a full pro super excellent setup. I know it has some sentimental value, but it's definitely not worth much. Not trying to be a negative nancy at all. If I saw it hanging at Guitar Center for $70 or $80 and it was in very nice condition, I'd have bought it and I have a bunch of nice guitars. I dig the Japanese stuff and the Japanese-like stuff. I just don't think that's a Matsumoku-built one. It's more of the equivalent of a 1994-1995 Squier Bullet which, again, isn't a bad guitar.
I have an Aria 714 series which I bought off ebay, very cheap, not so long ago. It is a newer model than the one in the pics above but shares a lot of the features if you look them up. Mine has the same shape pickguard, although HSS.
It also has the same shape headstock and inverted jack socket. I've made a few changes to it since; upgraded p'ups and different knobs. The only thing I find, which is a matter of opinion, is that the aria/aria pro 2 guitars often have quite thick necks for some reason.
That's exactly what I'd do. Having said that, if it hasn't had its setup tweaked in 20 years, a little tweaking might not be a bad thing. It will likely make it quite a bit easier to play and if your ears are sensitive to intonation issues, that can likely be improved quite a bit. Good luck and enjoy her!
I had a couple other Aria Pro IIs back in the day including a bass I played for two years in a very active jazz band. Three or four years ago I bought this one at a local shop. It was on the super discount rack but after a slightly tweak, it's a great-playing guitar.
Sounds pretty good on the single coils and the bridge pickup kicks ass! The bridge pickup can be split and it stays in tune just fine. Gave it to my daughter when she switched from bass to guitar.