These guitars are nicely accented with gold hardware and a triple lined binding that hugs every curve.The Aria Archive pages imply that these are Korean. There's also a poor quality 1987 Catalogue Scan here.Beach City Pawn & Guitar Huntington Beach CA: ARIA PRO II BASS RSB DELUXE in Bass. Notes: BASS GUITAR: ARIA MODEL PRO II BASS, SERIAL NUMBER 4112267.Probably most prominent Aria Pro II promoter was John Taylor, bass player from Duran Duran, who used SB-basses since until today, but exclusively 1979-1986: at first, passive oak batwing SB-700, he used model SB-900 on 'Girls on Film' and later well-known black-oak SB-1000, quite visible all over 'As The Lights Goes Down' 1984 tour, also on Power Station recording sessions.As Jon rightly states, 1987 marks the end of the Matsumoku plant - although precisely when it actually closed seems to be rather elusive (it was ownedby Singer & they were having financial difficulties.) Exactly what got made where in this transitional year is open to debate.Some more recent Squiers, including the Vintage Modified series (serial numbers starting with SH), were introduced in 2007. Aria Pro II Bass Aria was formed.I used to own a Korean-built Magna Series 5 string & it shared several design features with your XRB - notably the "conventional" pickups, "bent tin" bridge & the small dot markers.The information I've always had was that Aria didn't start production in Korea until '88. I don't have definitive information that production continued in Japan before '88, but it seems a fair assumption to make in the circumstances.I have something that is near identical, but rather than XRB it has (had.) SLB2A Electronics (how and why can I still remember that?!) - switchgear is the same as yours. I bought mine new as a first bass when I was 15, so I guess we're looking at 88/89. Doesn't it fly?If your memory isn't playing tricks on you, and yours was the active model (SLB2A) as opposed to the passive model (SLB2), then you're looking at a date post '90, as that was the year the active model was introduced. The Aria Pro II PE-350CST is the perfect mix of playability, versatility, and affordability.
Aria Pro Ii Bass S Serial Numbers StartingEarly ones from 70s-mid80s were made in Japan at Masumoku (I always spell that wrong) factory and are considered high quality. AriaProII was used on their electrics from the 70s-90s. If a serial number is not present, the guitar was likely manufactured prior to the mid-1970s.The Arai company has used different logos on their instruments over the years. To identify the manufacture date of an Aria guitar, first locate the serial number, which is likely located on the back of the neck on an electric or in the body of an acoustic guitar. Mac cleaner reviews cnetGood stuff, but bc of the age, best to play one in person when deciding to buy one - unless you can set up guitars.They set up well in my experience. Was my #1 for over a decade.I've owned half a dozen AriaProII's over the years. I'm a fan - my 3rd guitar back in 1990 was an Urchin. Condition will be only as good as it was cared for over those 30 years. Now if you buy an 80's model, it could be 30 years old. Some real good finds out there as while many people know about them, they're still mostly not highly collected so you can grab them for a bargain.Back in the 80s you could steal these 70s guitars for $100 bc there was no want for them and no Internet to spread the word of the quality. ![]() The guitar had nice features (a coil splitter switch for the bridge HB), the finish looked good, and the neck carve was nice, but it was a very cheap guitar. The electronics crapped out after about two years, and the frets were showing serious wear after just over a year. My first guitar was an Aria Pro II Strat copy, made in the mid 90s. So it's best to do your homework and learn how to spot the differences between old and new and also low and high end. The old PE model came in price ranges all up and down the spectrum and the new ones seem to be similar. But that one is Korean made.They still make some of the very high end models in Japan but those run into the 2000 dollar range. ![]() The best deals in my opinion.are those mid range (which was pretty much the top of THEIR line) fender and gibson copies that weren't available in the US. Most of Aria's models were low to mid range overall. Yeah they had some mid/higher end PE models like Fretts' there, and a few other rare exceptions.But for the most part they occupied a lower rung than companies like Greco, Tokai, and Burny. They weren't the best Japan was making. Well that's the thing with Aria's. It looks lovely, plays well, and overall is just, well, ok really. It has one of the nicest maple necks I've ever felt.
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