Couldn't help myself

[david moon]

Just bought this on ebay. 80's Japan (surprise !) l liked the walnut and the understated "sunburst". Extra toggle switches are probably coil taps. Has the oiriginal hard shell case. No points unless you count the double cutaway design.

Also the bridge, more of a Fender style, with the strings through the body, is something I've never seen before.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aria-pro-I...294865?hash=item364c987911:g:lh4AAOSwbedcyIEU

 

[PapaBear]

Nice!

 

[piebaldpython]

Sweet.

 

[TwoNotesSolo]

I like it, congrats!

 

[Elio]

I love the looks of that. Something tells me that is going to sound pretty good.

 

[aleclee]

Congrats!

I have an Aria from that period. FYI, they didn't do coil taps. The mini toggles are either series/parallel or phase. Given that there are two, I'd suspect they're both series/parallel. My TS has three toggles: one S/P for each pickup plus a phase switch.

 

[MikeR]

That's very nice David, even if it's not very pointy.

Congrats!

 

[MarkDyson]

Verra nahce-lookin' guit!

 

[david moon]

Congrats!

I have an Aria from that period. FYI, they didn't do coil taps. The mini toggles are either series/parallel or phase. Given that there are two, I'd suspect they're both series/parallel. My TS has three toggles: one S/P for each pickup plus a phase switch.

Thanks for the info. I will have to figure it out (the switches) when I get it. It looks like yours has a tremelo and locking nut. Is that neck through or just simulated with a bolt-on neck? Nothing derogatory intended, just curious. I have couple of LP lookalikes that are bolt-on.

 

[Dr. Ron]

Nice!

 

[aleclee]

Thanks for the info. I will have to figure it out (the switches) when I get it. It looks like yours has a tremelo and locking nut. Is that neck through or just simulated with a bolt-on neck? Nothing derogatory intended, just curious. I have couple of LP lookalikes that are bolt-on.

My guitar came with the same bridge as yours. I added the Kahler a few years after I got the guitar. My guitar (TS-400) has a set neck but the TS-600 was a genuine neck-thru model. I believe there was another model (TS-200 or 300?) that had a bolt-on neck. Didn't want a bolt-on but didn't have cash for the neck-thru so I got the set neck model.

Here's a pic of the back of my guitar

 

[dan5150]

Whoa. A kahler, that's totally 80's!

 

[aleclee]

Whoa. A kahler, that's totally 80's!

Still my favorite trem unit

 

[straightblues]

Nice. Can you describe the neck profile on these? Are they like a fat 50's style neck, medium 60's style neck or thin shredder?

 

[burlew]

She’s a beauty.

 

[Many Moons]

I Like.

 

[aleclee]

Nice. Can you describe the neck profile on these? Are they like a fat 50's style neck, medium 60's style neck or thin shredder?

Can’t speak for David but most of the 80s Arias I’ve tried had a relatively slim neck. Not Ibanez Wizard thin but definitely not thick.

 

[straightblues]

I had an Aria II and it was one of the best guitars I have ever owned. But I had to sell it because the neck was just too thin for me.

I really like the Electra/Westone guitars from the same era, and maybe from the same factory but they have fat necks.

 

[david moon]

The neck is on the slim side.

I measured with a dial caliper at the 12th fret and the measurement includes the fret and the string- 1.055 inches

Some others:

Samick Strat 1.115
Westone Corsair 1.015
Aria Explorer style 1.020

To put that in perspective, 040 is about 1 mm. The variation in this group is about +/- 1 mm. I'm not sure I could feel the difference.

I don't think I would describe any of the Japanese guitars that I have as having "fat" necks. Stevie- I'm not disputing your experience, just giving you mine.

This one has a C profile and the radius is pretty flat- looks like 12-13" without getting out the guages.