Members philthygeezer Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 What the heck was or is an Aria Pro or Aria Pro II? I've seen pics of a couple good looking basses and someone with their logo on the avatar. I have a USACG neck with Aria Pro II tuners on it. Are they any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 If they're branded Aria Pro II tuners then they're pretty good. Those are the late 70's, early 80's ones. If they're Gold finish and you want to get rid of them let me know. Back to the question at hand... Aria Pro II is a brand of Arai, a Japanese company that makes basses and guitars and other stuff. They shot to "fame" in the very late 70's and 80's when they had Matsumoku making their instruments. These were made in Japan and very high quality. Prior to this the "Aria" brand instruments were mostly rubbish. These Aria Pro II's were mostly designed by Nobuaki Hayashi otherwise known as H. Noble. He still carries on today with Atlansia Guitars. After Matsumoku went under in 1987, Aria made some instruments in Japan for a year or so then switched production to Korea mostly and then more recently China. Still some of the late 80's and 90's > instruments are pretty good. They still have some instruments made in Japan in their "custom shop" and as special models. The most famous of the Aria Pro II bass models are the SB series, which stood for Super Bass (and later Super Balanced.) I have three.... They can be heard on a lot of 80's recordings from Duran Duran to the Buggles to Metallica and lots more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members s4001 Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 One of my first basses was a Aria Pro II. Good bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philthygeezer Posted January 10, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Thanks for the detailed info! They're chrome Aria Pro II tuners. Skinny little buggers. I thought I'd ream out the holes to standard size and put some 3/8" (?) Hipshot ultralites on the neck. However, if the tuners are excellent tuners then maybe I should leave well-enough alone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 One of my first basses was a Aria Pro II. Good bass. Cool, what model did you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Thanks for the detailed info! They're chrome Aria Pro II tuners. Skinny little buggers. I thought I'd ream out the holes to standard size and put some 3/8" (?) Hipshot ultralites on the neck. However, if the tuners are excellent tuners then maybe I should leave well-enough alone? The latest SB I picked up has the "Aria Pro II" tuners. They just needed the washers replaced (from 25 years of use!), and now they rock. I was gonna change them out with Gotohs but there's no need now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members s4001 Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Actually, you can probably help me with that. It was a single pickup. Bolt on. Passive. Natural headstock with tuners on one side. Body shape was similar to the B2000 (?) style. It said 'Pro II' on the headstock. I've looked for pics on the web but haven't found any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philthygeezer Posted January 10, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 The latest SB I picked up has the "Aria Pro II" tuners. They just needed the washers replaced (from 25 years of use!), and now they rock. I was gonna change them out with Gotohs but there's no need now. I've got 3/8" Gotohs here but they don't fit the tuner holes. Would you have had to ream? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Actually, you can probably help me with that. It was a single pickup. Bolt on. Passive. Natural headstock with tuners on one side. Body shape was similar to the B2000 (?) style. It said 'Pro II' on the headstock. I've looked for pics on the web but haven't found any. Do you mean BB2000? If thats what you mean then it might have been a TSB. http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/bass/tsb/tsb.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members s4001 Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Found it over at TB. Big Aria thread. Mine was red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members has-sound Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Found it over at TB. Big Aria thread. Mine was red. I used to have one of those. Wasn't a half bad bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members coyote-1 Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 The first bass I ever owned was this: Aria ProII "Thor Sound". It was good for its time; there were no other basses in the price range that had a similar quality level. Unfortunately, mine was a victim of carelessness. A friend was playing it. He stood it against the amp without paying attention, and over it went. Never sounded the same after that moment. I traded it at SamAsh some years ago for a Robelli 490 cheapo that sounded very good (sold a year later in favor of much better instruments). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flâneur Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 My first bass was an Aria Pro II. Precision copy. Tobacco sunburst. Lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonjohn Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 woohoo Go the Aria.. love my two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonjohn Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 Found it over at TB. Big Aria thread. Mine was red. looks like an RSB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 Found it over at TB. Big Aria thread. Oh yeah, thats where I post mostly in TalkBass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cpt. Spliff Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 Here is my Matsumoko made RSB de Luxe: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevilRaysFan Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 Almost 1 page and no mention of 80s era John Taylor of Duran Duran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 Almost 1 page and no mention of 80s era John Taylor of Duran Duran I did up the top, second post. :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SB900LE Posted January 11, 2009 Members Share Posted January 11, 2009 Do you mean BB2000? If thats what you mean then it might have been a TSB. http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/bass/tsb/tsb.html I took a chance on a TSB Standard on ebaY last year; it's 32" scale bass. The P pickup is fairly hot and quite sweet to my ears. Seems to be the same neck profile as on my Avanti series Carol Kaye (yeah I'm an APII fan). A Rockin' little bass; Glad I picked it up. I was already thinking about taking it to a gig this evening as a backup, and to play My My Hey Hey and this crazy original we do. But my main bass tonight is a 35". ~IDK~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonjohn Posted January 12, 2009 Members Share Posted January 12, 2009 Here is my Matsumoko made RSB de Luxe: Very nice...If you ever want to sell it, hit me with a PM:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cpt. Spliff Posted January 12, 2009 Members Share Posted January 12, 2009 Will do... if. I have a hard time selling off my gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super Bass Posted January 12, 2009 Members Share Posted January 12, 2009 That's a nice bass cpt spliff! What's the bridge pickup like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cpt. Spliff Posted January 12, 2009 Members Share Posted January 12, 2009 Deep and somewhat compressed. Not quite as hot as the neck p/u. Why don't you come over and test it ? You, too, JJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonjohn Posted January 13, 2009 Members Share Posted January 13, 2009 I don't know where Scania is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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