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Just bought this used Aria Sinsonido steel string guitar on Reverb. It was for sale for 1 year and with the holiday discounts I bought it at a very good price. This appears to be an early version, but in excellent condition. On this model the controls are on the opposite side of the body from the current version. Much earlier versions had maple fretboards.
I was inspired by Jim Soloway's Wright Guitars Soloette Songbird Jazz guitar made in USA.
This is a licensed version of that design made in China.
Also, I was inspired by Little Jays, Jasper's modification to add a passive humbucker at the neck of the guitar.
Initially, I am going to attempt to install a Kent Armstrong floating/suspended Slimbucker just pass the truss adjustment hole. Jasper's installation was using a single coil size double stacked humbucker with good success. However, that required a routing of the guitar body to insert the pickup ( SD Little 59).
My intention is not because I travel. But "Less is more" or "Addition by subtraction". Also, I had ordered a DV Mark Little Jazz amp prior to buying this guitar.
BTW You might notice that the pictures show a guitar strung for the left hand.
Last edited by Wildcat; 11-28-2018 at 04:21 PM.
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11-28-2018 12:46 PM
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Very different! Congrats.
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That looks great.
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Jasper confirmed on his model that there is 1.4 cm or .55" of clearance from body to bottom of strings.
The KA Slimbucker has a height of .375" or 3/8".
My only concern is the mounting screw holes on the brackets for the pickup may not have sufficient length to extend beyond the truss rod depression/hole.
Last edited by Wildcat; 11-28-2018 at 04:19 PM.
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The bars that give it's guitar shape/outline makes it extremely comfortable sitting and hold the guitar neck vertically.
The lower bout distance is 14.5" which in my "sweet spot" of widths.
I am not sure what type of strings the seller put on, but the bridge pickup sounds really descent. A plausible steel acoustic sound. Now this was not through the headphones, but my Fender PRRI with 12" Weber speaker.
So I was going to install the KA suspended pickup and disconnect the active pickup. But now I am thinking, can I have both pickups by wiring a mini toggle switch on/on? So the switch would toggle between the active and passive pickups.
Any thoughts?
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I purchased a used one a few years ago just for traveling, and I was going to make the humbucker mod, but once I got a set of 12 gauge TI Jazz Flats on it, the piezeo sounded really good through my headphones and the amp. These are underrated guitars IMO, the biggest problem I can see is burning a battery by forgetting to unplug (I do it a lot). In any case, I don't see a problem with your idea. While you are messing about, add an LED reminding you that the jack is in and the battery is smoking away.
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Hey Wildcat!
I was wondering how your Sinsonido was doing! I completely missed this post somehow....
Personally, I found the original pickup to be so unusable that I never had the need to leave the option of still using it, but I guess it could be done. You would have to switch between a passive and an active pickup and if you want to be able to use the pots on both pickups it will be a fairly complex circuit - well, compared to just a passive circuit with tone and volume that is. Maybe there’s some schematics on the net? I know Parker guitars have a piezo option, so maybe use their circuit?
But the Sinsonido does not have a piezo, but two little condenser mics in a tube under the bridge, it’s a licensed Soloette system. (Or did they change that on recent models? Mine has the mics in a tube.) I just disconnected it and never missed them.....
Now there’s a forum member that installed a piezo in a nice wood bridge à la classical nylon guitar. That would maybe a nice option?
For me, the Sinsondo works great with the old bridge, new electronics and even the original cheap tuners. I take this guitar on every holiday and I am usually allowed to take it as cabin luggage on the plane. Only when I flew with Ryan Air I didn’t want to take a chance, so I took the neck off so the guitar fitted in a small trolley that even Ryan Air allows as carry-on luggage.
I use my regular TI .012 flatwounds on it, so it feels like my other guitars. The radius of the fretboard is a little flatter though.
The SD Little 59 humbucker in mine sounds great and really convinces when using an amp. I even played jam sessions abroad with it! But I mostly use it with my iPhone with headphones thru an iRig plug. I use the (then free) AmpliTube-app, Fender edition and also the iReal app, so I can still practice playing over standards when the family is sunbathing, enjoying the hotel pool or swimming in the sea :-). I got some curious looks on the ferry from England to the Netherlands (Harwich - Hoek van Holland) when I took it out, assembled the ‘body’ and hooked it up to the iphone. That was the best 8-hour practice session ever!
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Wildcat, just a thought:
Why don’t you just fit the floating humbucker up against the neck? It will then cover the truss rod access so it means that for truss rod adjustments you will have to detach it, but how often do you adjust the truss rod?
Unless you prefer the pickup to be in that specific position - I can imagine you want that since it’s more or less the ‘virtual 24th fret’, the same place the pick up sits with for example the ES-175. You could then glue little blocks aside the truss rod access to attach the legs of the pick up to. Or remove the legs all together and use double sided tape or even glue since it will probably be a permanent fix.
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Sinsonido with mini humbucker is a good idea.
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Jasper,
Yes the height of the Kent Armstrong Slimbucker works. But as you note to mount it securely with 2 mounting screws on each side it would cover a portion of the truss rod adjustment space. But as you note how often do the adjustment?
What I find great with it is the ergonomics with the bars that give a shape and resting place when sitting. To me that would make or break this design. So I am just playing as is for right now. I plan to take it to my luthier for his thoughts in the near future.
Today I am taking him the 1999 Epiphone Zephyr regent reissue I just picked up also. Changing out the pickup with a Gibson 57, change out pots, CTS, wiring, cap (orange drop .047), and output jack. Also no pickguard came with it. So I am having him make one. Then I will give him the Aria to look at.
Originally Posted by Little Jay
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Yes indeed, those body contour bars are what makes this guitar so comfortable to play in comparison to a Steinberger for example! Originally Posted by Wildcat
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Hey! Great guitar!
I followed Little Jay's idea and installed SD Little into it.
I have a hybrid model taht originally had nylons on it.
It was done in a differnt way though - the pickup was installed from the back of the guitar without any frame.
I also eventually changed the bridge to TOM Gotoh... that was quite a challenging task!
1) Aria has 72 mm shafts spacing, and modern TOM 74 mm, looks like nothign but it does not fit!
2) There is almost no wood to increase the holes, litterall 3mm to the edge
3) The string spacing on my model was different too! I did not notice that actually and only when I put it all on I saw that the string do not go over the magnets....
I just made new slots in the saddels.
4) You will have to adjust slots becasue as the tunes are on this side the strings come from different angles and they either jump off the bridge or can be cut if the slot is not polished well
I had a couple of nickel knob cups left from another guitar and substututed the plastic original ones... just for fun, it lloks batter with neckel TOM.
Change of bridge really improved sustain of basses and overall feeling of balance and setup of strings.
I want to change tuners now - which is quite a problem as on hybrid model they are classical and I still could not find good solution.
As a result this guitar became one of my favourite to play!
The frame is easy to hold in any style (even classical style without any straps or stools) and you can sit almost anywhere (even during the family evnet at my mother's-in-law place I was ok somwhere between frigo and oven in the kitchen))))
Great playbility.
I have to make demo
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Curious to see yours Jonah! Have some pics?
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Here are some pics. The tech made the PU's height adjustable with these scews inside under the cover.
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Well done! Great idea to mount the pickup from behind indeed!
Here are some details of mine:
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Great!
THese steel string models have regular tuners for steels - 6mm metal shafts?
Or like classical 10 mm plastic shafts?
To change tuners seems to be a real problem... when I used it only occasionally I did not care much.
But now I began to play it regularly and I feel like I want to fix it.
The thing is the holes are 10 mm, steel string tuners for slotheads are all for 6 mm, besides there are not so many options of them and they are either really cheap or very expensive and you have to buy additional bushings to fix it (or invent somehing, or make a new hole)
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Mine has 6mm shafts.
I’ve been contemplating of installing ordinary tuners, like they do on the Soloette Jazz:
Last edited by Little Jay; 12-18-2018 at 04:27 AM.
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I thought about it too. It is easier to find decent ones for a decent price.
And they are 10 mm diameter (which is good for me and my hybrid model, but not for you))))
I even took off one grover from my acoustic guitar.
But there are following problems
1) Regular vertical tuners are disigned for heads that are about 13 - 14 mm thik. In Aria slothead has 10 mm so you will have to put gasket to fix it as there is just not enough thread.
2) You should really forsee everything as these tuners usually are quite big and have different types of ears (sometimes they are made diagonally so you wont have space to fix it. In general the space on Aria could be a problem.
3) Regular ones are quite long shifts for the slothead and the string hole can be quite far
Actually I tried smaller uke vertical tuner I had ... they also need some 1-2 mm gasket to fix but otherwise they fit qiute well (if the fixing ear is not diagonally made)
But great to see that at least they were used on slothead.. tells me it is at least possible... I also doubted becasue of the differnt angle and application of force from the tuner.
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Actually, old school Klusons 3-on-a-plate like this:
... have a 5.9mm shaft and would fit perfectly if I don’t use the bushings. With the bushings (8.9mm) they would probably fit yours (I guess a piece of paper painter’s tape or a small piece of thin wood veneer would make a perfect fit).
Still contemplating..... it would change it into a serious gig-worthy instrument, good investment?
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Yes I know! I thought about them. Originally Posted by Little Jay
Actually, old school Klusons 3-on-a-plate like this:
... have a 5.9mm shaft and would fit perfectly if I don’t use the bushings. With the bushings (8.9mm) they would probably fit yours (I guess a piece of paper painter’s tape or a small piece of thin wood veneer would make a perfect fit).
Still contemplating..... it would change it into a serious gig-worthy instrument, good investment?
But they are not easily available in my area...
it is much easier to find good regular Gotoh or Grover used but in perfect condition for almost half a price of new...
(lots of metalheads take them off from good brand new guitars to put on locking tuners.)
Ans also... since I am already into 'nickel' TOM and knobs and black pu.. I am not sure I will like white plastic tuner heads.. not a big deal of course if it works and if I already had them.. but since I will have to buy I'd rather consider the looks too.
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As much as I hate to admit it.... I do care about looks too ;-)
But I have those on my ES-125 and really like them. Plus I think the plate might add some strength to the construction as well.... not too sure about the wood in that place, seems rather thin.
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But they perfectly fit ES-125 style!But I have those on my ES-125 and really like them.
I agree.. I believe there is a reason why they make slothead tuners with a shaft that goes through two holes...Plus I think the plate might add some strength to the construction as well.... not too sure about the wood in that place, seems rather thin.
But tbh I think the would will hold it... it is a massive construction with not breaks so it is impossible to bend it...
What I am not sure about if regular vertica tuner will hold it at such an angle, would not the sting bend it gradually? MAybe not visually but enough to make it work worse?
And by the way if you ever consider to put on TOM .. I forgot to mention obviously do not take one with big studs there is not place for them at all.. small studs fit perfectly the original holes but the spacing can be different (72 mm on Aria)
And also width of the slot for the bridge on Aria does not allow to put the bridge into the lowest possible position because the saddle srews do not make it a bit wider than the slot...
But I did not need to put it that low actually.
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Thanks for sharing your experiences, very helpful!
Hmm.... tuners are pretty solid. When you think of it, at a ‘normal’ guitar the strings pull the tuners at 90 degrees, which causes maximum torque. The angles at the Sinsonido actually would pull with less torque..... so I’m not afraid of deforming. And with a bit of luck the shafts are long enough to fit in the hole at the other side of the slot (would have to measure and check that). Originally Posted by Jonah
I considered putting a rosewood or ebony bridge (the top part) on the existing posts. I have that laying around, might try it just to see if it sounds different. But the existing bridge functions very well and I actually suspect the hollow tube even contributes to its unique (and good!) sound. Originally Posted by Jonah
But now the MOD-syndrome hits again..... ;-)
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Actually they are quite longHmm.... tuners are pretty solid. When you think of it, at a ‘normal’ guitar the strings pull the tuners at 90 degrees, which causes maximum torque. The angles at the Sinsonido actually would pull with less torque..... so I’m not afraid of deforming. And with a bit of luck the shafts are long enough to fit in the hole at the other side of the slot (would have to measure and check that).
Then the string hole will be almost unreachable...
I would probably do the opposit.. maybe putting a 2mm gasket under it on the outer side? That would make the shaft shorter and the string hole in the moddle of the slot. (maybe also the shorter shaft will be a bit more stable).
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Originally Posted by Jonah
I will do some measurements tonight to check ;-)
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