Help Me ID this Mystery Aria Pro II?

[lawson-stone]

There came into my life last week a mysterious guitar. The headstock says "Aria Pro II" and it looks like a mash-up of the Heritage and Gibson headstocks! But I can find no sticker or mark, no serial number, not even a mysterious code or stamp, anywhere on the guitar. The main distinction seems to be that it has the "L5" type tailpiece, but without the white insert. Totally plain gold. My best guess is a guitar I saw on Dutchbopper's site, the Aria Pro II FA70, but I don't trust my own knowledge of this particular make of guitar to be sure. The one on DB's site has a tune-o-matic bridge, mine has a wooden bridge.

Any advice or assistance is appreciated!

Measurements:
Lower Bout: 16 7/8 inches
Upper Bout: 11 13/16 inches
Depth: 3 3/8 inches
Body length: 19 3/4 inches
Scale: 24.75 inches
22 Frets

Here are the pictures:

[goldenwave77]

The "moustache" shape of the headstock is a possible clue. The fellow with the shop in San Jose who had all the lawsuit L-5's might be a good source on this.

[wintermoon]

looks like a PE-175
maybe a pre Herb Ellis model.

[travisty]

lawson-stone,

My best guess (which is worth perhaps the paper you have printed this on (yep, that paper)) is that you have identified this correctly.

In the early-mid 80s, the only Aria Pro II shape like this (where the bass bout slopes slightly downward from the neck joint, the upper portion of the upper bout has a kind of small 'angled' feeling, and the switch is on the upper bout) was on the PE-175 Herb Ellis model. Note the PE-175 of that era had a different headstock upper border outline.

In the early 90s (I am not sure when it was introduced) there was the FA70 which had the same format as this guitar. The later FA71 did not have the same slope downward from the neck.

The FA-175 Herb Ellis Model did not have a marble-ized pickup guard like this one does - that did not come until the 90s, and was on the FA70 not the PE-175 (where the PG was black, or very, very dark brown, or very, very dark tortoiseshell). The other PE-180, PE-190, and followup offerings from those lines had the switch on the upper portion of the treble bout. The 80s PE-175 had a weird headstock top border line as well - very distinctive, with little "ears" on the corners.

The early 90s FA70 had the same headstock as yours, the same wings on the side of the headstock, lack of center inlay on the headstock (wth moustache top line), same tailpiece, same switch, split block fretboard inlays, and marble-ized PG (like the one you have). FWIW, some later FA70s had a little bird inlay, and a Byrdland tailpiece (the swirly loopy one), and darker PGs.

[goldenwave77]

How does it sound?

How does it stack up against the 165?

[pingu]

looks like an early version of a
pe175
(apparently there were some)

looks good ...
does it have a block under the bridge
inside the box ?

[Nils]

To me, the headstock suggests a later one - possibly MIK rather than MIJ (I'm not strong on the exact model numbers). But check this video out with Jim Mullen playing what looks to be a very similar model (making nice sounds on it!). Around the 4:00 min. mark you get a fairly good shot of it. As far as I can see, the only major difference is the tailpiece...

[rabbit]

Nice,in an off-beat way. Congrats!

[lawson-stone]

How does it sound?

How does it stack up against the 165?

I doubt any guitar could compete very well against this ES165 I have. It's as close to perfect as any guitar I've ever played.

It has a pretty "hot" chunky sound. The 165 (490R) pickup really purrs, even at higher volumes. This guitar has a little more edge and bite, which is probably saying something about the pickups more than the guitar. I haven't done much exploring of its tone yet--things have been busy at home and work, but I plan to explore a bit more.

[lawson-stone]

looks like an early version of a
pe175
(apparently there were some)

looks good ...
does it have a block under the bridge
inside the box ?

No block under the bridge.

[joe2758]

reminds me of my dog; don't know exactly what he is...but everyone loves him

[lawson-stone]

To me, the headstock suggests a later one - possibly MIK rather than MIJ (I'm not strong on the exact model numbers). But check this video out with Jim Mullen playing what looks to be a very similar model (making nice sounds on it!). Around the 4:00 min. mark you get a fairly good shot of it. As far as I can see, the only major difference is the tailpiece...

I think Mullen is playing the FA71. The Tailpiece is that curlicue looking design, there's inlay on the headstock and it's not the split parallelogram inlays. Clearly the same general line of instrument though, and wow, he's amazing. For playing with his thumb, he gets a really strong articulation that sounds like a pick.

[jazzbow]

I think Mullen is playing the FA71. The Tailpiece is that curlicue looking design, there's inlay on the headstock and it's not the split parallelogram inlays. Clearly the same general line of instrument though, and wow, he's amazing. For playing with his thumb, he gets a really strong articulation that sounds like a pick.

I used to see JM in a band called Morrisey Mullen. He was a Tele player then but still with the thumb

Check this out...

He explains his technique,

Back to the Aria. It looks like a Japanese made Aria headstock but my memory is somewhat dodgy.

[RonD]

To me, the headstock suggests a later one - possibly MIK rather than MIJ (I'm not strong on the exact model numbers). But check this video out with Jim Mullen playing what looks to be a very similar model (making nice sounds on it!). Around the 4:00 min. mark you get a fairly good shot of it. As far as I can see, the only major difference is the tailpiece...

Re: the guitar in the video.
Here's a picture of mine, flipped because it's a lefty.
It's an FA 70 MIK.
Great guitar for very little $.

[Fidelcaster]

It's certainly not a Herb Ellis, in the first place because it doesn't have HE's name on the fretboard and initials on the pickguard. HEes have a gold and white tailpiece. Also, AFAIK, early HEes have Gibson-style headstocks, and later ones (like the one I have) have a trapezoidal headstock, but without the binding.

[Archie]

Its a 90's Korean herb ellis copy. People always try to sell them as HE's but they are not.

$300?

An easy way to tell is the pick up switch. If it has a nice thick rubber grommet, then it's japanese. If it has the 2 piece adjustable pick guard mount, it's Japanese; If it has ebony instead of rosewood, its Japanese (model depending but this one originally did).

There are other tells, the crescent on the headstock, the lack of detail on the tail piece, just looks like one piece of pressed whatever? I would imagine it also has a spliced neck?

P/s I just checked your neck pic, it does!

[lawson-stone]

Re: the guitar in the video.
Here's a picture of mine, flipped because it's a lefty.
It's an FA 70 MIK.
Great guitar for very little $.

Is the tailpiece original? Mine has an L5-like tailpiece, except totally plain, no engraving or ornamentation at all. The headstock on mine also has no inlay, just the "Aria Pro II" logo.

[travisty]

I still think FA70. The 90s ( to early 2000s) FA70s had the same tailpiece, the same flimsy surround on the switch, same headstock without logo/design, and same marbleized tailpiece and . That said, I have no clue if MIJ or MIK...

Occasion Guitare Village Aria Pro II ocasion jazz guitar guitare jazz d'occasion among many, many others.

[Archie]

I have never seen a Japanese archtop with a Les Paul pick up surround. I am prepared to eat my words but you'll have to make me

I would imagine they started out with the plain pressed L5 tail piece you mention but then moved maybe later in production to the yamaha type. It is still the same korean made Aria, yours is 100% MIK.

[RonD]

Lawson, it's original. There seem to be a few variations.

[lawson-stone]

I have never seen a Japanese archtop with a Les Paul pick up surround. I am prepared to eat my words but you'll have to make me

I would imagine they started out with the plain pressed L5 tail piece you mention but then moved maybe later in production to the yamaha type. It is still the same korean made Aria, yours is 100% MIK.

I don't know who you're talking to on this post--I totally agree mine is a MIK guitar and am just trying now to increase my own knowledge of this kind of information.

[lawson-stone]

Lawson, it's original. There seem to be a few variations.

I wonder if maybe they gave up on the L5 type tailpiece, too expensive to make it look good, and went with the curlicue design because it's a readily available aftermarket part?

[RonD]

I wonder if maybe they gave up on the L5 type tailpiece, too expensive to make it look good, and went with the curlicue design because it's a readily available aftermarket part?

It would make sense.

[Archie]

I don't know who you're talking to on this post--I totally agree mine is a MIK guitar and am just trying now to increase my own knowledge of this kind of information.

Lawson sorry mate, I thought there was some debate on its origin.

Yes I would suspect they went for the yamaha type tail piece as the gibson one was a lot more metal and was over sized for the guitar anyway.

[lawson-stone]

Lawson sorry mate, I thought there was some debate on its origin.

Yes I would suspect they went for the yamaha type tail piece as the gibson one was a lot more metal and was over sized for the guitar anyway.

Some others might be still kicking that around, plus the other guitars mentioned, but I think mine's pretty evidently Korean. Still a nice guitar but I have my eye now on an Aria L1000c MIJ model... might end up selling the current Aria.