Japanese Aria Guitars

[direnzo]

Anyone got experience with Aria acoustics from pre-2000?

I haven't found any great recordings but I think it's the guitar for me.

The one I want is old-ish, very very well made, great action/tone, no name (as far as average people), larger body, fast neck, and has a cut-out.

I have an Aria Pro II, electric, from the 80s, and it's the best guitar I've ever played. Hoping their acoustics are comparable

If anyone has played an older Aria acoustic, let me know

 

[One Man And His Uke]

That looks gorgeous. I’ve no experience of Aria acoustics at all. I once had an Aria bass which was very nice . If you’ve played it and it feels right, just go for it

 

[KanePono]

Don Wilson of the Ventures apparently owned an Aria Acoustic just like the one in the photograph above. I bet that it is a very fine instrument. Indeed it is gorgeous. I suspect that Aria sponsored the Ventures or at least provided them with guitars for product placement. The Ventures were the quintessential electric guitar instrumental group, but it is not surprising that one of the founding members woulds also own this acoustic.

 

[ksiegel]

When I was in high school, I bought a small Aria acoustic guitar for about $40, used. Sounded great, had the original chipboard case (ALL of my instruments back then had chipboard cases, if they had cases at all)... Just a nice little instrument.

I didn't know what a parlor guitar was, back then.

When I quit playing guitar in college - because I knew I'd never be able to play as well as the people around me ( the people who had been taking guitar lessons for 10-12 years, could read music, and could play the lead part to "Aimee", by Pure Prairie League, for example), I sold it for $25.00. (This was 1977-ish).
When I started playing again about 6 months after that, I got a nice Ibanez dreadnought, but I sure do miss that Aria.


(I started playing again, because I was running sound at an open mic, and people were yelling that they wanted to hear "Tennessee Stud", and no one could play it... so I borrowed a guitar, got on stage, and played. I started laughing when someone said they could never play like I did, and wondered how many years I'd been taking lessons...)

 

[rustydusty]

I have an Aria "acoustic/electric" polycarbonate body guitar that I bought in the mid '90s to carry on my sailboat while cruising and "busking" the east coast. haven't used it much in the last coupla decades but it's still in excellent condition… the neck and the action are nice and the Fishman pre-amp worked well with my Fender Acoustisonic amp. I tried selling it on Craigslist for $250 and got no bites. (cost $700+)’

 

[Canada Jim]

I bought an Aria 12-string in the summer of 1970. I owned and played it for about a decade, but can't recall where it went. It was a nice guitar. . . not outstanding, but quite nice.

 

[rustydusty]

Ah, I remember the summer of ‘70, having a “1A” classification for the draft, peace, love and mind altering drugs, playing in a “jug band”, traveling around the country.
What happened?
Where did the time go?

 

[direnzo]

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful replies! Autobiographical and a bit philosophical too

I'm leaning toward buying a Furch dreadnought now. They're similar quality to older Martin guitars, but made in Europe.

They sound incredible and run about $1200 used for the mid-quality label, if you hunt around.