Aria Pro II Super Bass 600 Series

24 fret, 1970's - 1980's production, made in Korea. Ash body, multi laminate, with through neck and stipes through body and behind neck.
Controls: Volume, tone, coil split. Pickup: one split coil, in harmonic sweet spot, passive.
Thought to have Gotoh machine heads, brass nut and bridge (possible gotoh)?
Body style, similar to Westone Thunder (which is a copy of this bass effectively)
Came with factory fitted hard case, embossed with model details etc.

Sound is mainly rich and warm when both coils on, turning down treble adds to punch of sound. Split coil good for slapping - sound is versatile, and easy to spot in recordings once familiar (listen to early Duran Duran)!
I used this as my first bass for a few years, and played it through various amps. I found it sounded good with 12" speakers and a Peavey Head. Extremes of EQ should be avoided as this is a very idiosyncratic sound. Most sounds OK with flat EQ.
The actual tone is very rich and deep without coil tap, but with coil tap on, the depth is diminished in the mid bass - thus creating a good slap tone. I found that I could recreate most sounds on this bass, even without a range of EQ options. Probably as plyable as a P bass, with the extra cut of the split coils. However, the tone control was not an on/off affair, and I found this good for subtle tone changes!
The bass sounds best with a good pre-amp when DI'd, and incredible through a mic'd cab - which is my preferred option in most cases. I think it is better as a live bass.

I got this bass second hand, so I can't commend on its new condition. However, it was very well set up and required little or no adjustment - only for different string types. I played 0.45's and it was quite happy. Very good for fingerstyle and slap, and the neck is also good for tapping - as you can get a good even action, with the superb fingerboard. Fretwork was top notch and hard! Finish was hardwearing, but laminate could easily be chipped.

This bass had done a lot of miles when I got it, and it was 100% reliable. I clocked up the miles too, and it never let me down - simple, but effective!
It is put together well, and would definitely pass as a high quality/price instrument - despite its actual low retail value! Probably one of the best cheap basses at the time, which didn't sound, look or feel cheap!

Aria do have a good customer support, but I never had to use them whilst owning the instrument. Guitar shop networks also seem to be well clued up on this maker, so spares and repairs are quite feasible locally!

I have been playing since 1988, and apart from owning JD basses, this was my first bass! As a starter instrument, it was definitely a good choice, and would definitely be good for a beginner and professional alike!
It could probably do with more tonal variation, but then that would put it in a different league. To be honest, if you like one of these instruments - you'd buy it because it was built like a brick house, was no nonsense, and did the job well with no hassle. For a bargain bass, with brillian performance - I find this difficult to match! - And it is definitely better than most basses I've seen today in this price bracket!