Originally Posted by
travisty
Greentone,
While I agree that the PE-180 was a great top-of-the-line guitar for Aria back in the late 70s and early 80s, as far as I know, the PE-180 was a model originally built for export and not for the Japanese market. I don't recall ever seeing a Japanese language catalog with the PE-180. The Japan models were the L-1000 (either single or double top-mounted humbucker) and the L-1700C (an L5C usually in natural) and as far as i know back in the late 1970s, based on my collection of Japanese catalogs, the L-1700C was Aria's most expensive guitar in its entire range at JPY 170,000 and it was a fully carved top with five-ply neck.
A 300,000 yen guitar at the time would have been unheard of, from any brand.
At the time, Yamaha's top-priced guitar was the SG-2000 at 150,000 yen (and the SG-3000 Custom was only a bit more 10yrs later) and their top carved top hollowbody was the AE-18 at 120,000 yen, moving to 150,000 then replaced at the top at 200,000 yen by 1979 when they revamped the line to up prices. (AE-2000 replaced AE-18 at 200k, AE-1200 replaced the AE-11 at roughly 120k).
Epiphone Emperor Regent serial number registry
Today, 03:47 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos