Aria Pro II FA-71

I think this guitar was made in Korea in 2002. Natural finish--you can see every aspect of the wood it's made of. 22 medium frets. The body is a single cutaway, 3&1/2 inches thick. According to AriaUSA it has a laminated Spruce top, not carved. Maple sides and back. Rosewood neck with alternating 3 and 2 triangular patterned inlays. Floating pickup at the end of the neck. Adjustable rosewood bridge. The controls (1-volume and 1-tone) are on the pick-guard, like other guitars of this type. I think these are placed off of the body of the guitar to improve the acoustics. My right hand hits the knobs if I'm not careful. Minor problem. Gotoh gold tuners with pearl-like knobs. Binding everywhere! Even the F-holes. The grain on the spruce top is tight and straight. Beautiful guitar.

The guitar sounds like a jumbo guitar unamplified--big bassy sound. I only have a Fender Champion 30 DSP to play it through. I can't get the woody, mellow, jazz tones through this amp. I played it through a large, used tube amp (sorry, I don't remember the brand--too expensive!)at the store where I purchased this guitar, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. So this guitar is capable of producing the sound I'm after, I just don't have the amp for it. I do have problems with feed back from the low E note. Whenever I play an E anywhere on the guitar with the low E unfretted, it vibrates. This causes problems on the subsequent chords. No big deal. I just dampen it. Also, I'm getting some slight vibration sound from somewhere on some notes. Haven't tracked it down yet. Also, the top 3 strings seem too bright. I think it's the amp rather than the guitar. I hate to say it, but this guitar is growing on me. It's by far the least expensive guitar I own--1964 Martin D-18 and both a 1979 and a 1984 Gibson ES347TD. I'm not saying this guitar's sound has the quality of those guitars, but somehow I like playing it more.

Some minor fret buzz, not amplified. Raised the bridge a tad to cure it. Still acceptably low action. The wires from the controls seem to touch the body of the guitar. I could re-tie those. The 6th string tuner is set at an angle to conform to the head. And it isn't symetrical with the other tuners. No big deal, but it looks weird. There seems to be a bit of wood hanging under the neck (?) before the pickup. I can see it when playing. I don't think it affects anything. The frets are perfectly finished--no snags on the edge of the neck. The intonation of the 2nd string is slightly off. Fixed bridge, don't know how to adjust this. Other than these things, the guitar is basically perfect. Fit and finish compares to Gibson and Martin.

This guitar could have feedback problems at higher volumes when in a live setting. Hardware, finish, strap buttons excellent. The guitar is a 2002 so it's seven years old. It looks new. I'd say those aspects of the guitar are solid and will last.

No experience. AriaUSA is the website. Shows the USA Distributor.

I've been playing for 45 years. I've been in a couple of low-key bands, nothing serious. I own a '64 Martin D18 and two Gibson ES347TD's--'79 and '84. I'd get another FA-71 if it were lost or stolen. Like I said, this guitar is growing on me. I wanted a big, fat, hollowbody Jazz guitar for the woody, mellow tone. I played the Samick/Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ4, and various other lower-priced Jazz Boxes, and was not impressed. I wanted to play the Epiphone Emperor Regent, the Ibanez Artcore AF105F-NT and the Stromberg Newport, but they weren't available. If I had more moolah I probably would've gone for a higher-end guitar. I wish the controls were under the pickguard, like the Stromberg, but I'll learn to live with this. I only paid $500 for this guitar, which, by the way, is in mint--unplayed--condition. And it came with a Guild Jumbo case. I priced the case on the internet, and it gets $199. So I guess I paid $300 for this guitar. An internet pricing service said this guitar gets $895 in mint condition, without a case. Can't complain too much.

price: used $450.00
year: ?, i didn't research it, but i'd hazard a guess - Koread 2002-2004, frets: 22, top:hollow body F-hole acoustic electric SPRUCE - there seems some debate as to laminate or solid - to it sounds like it sounds regardless - so i'm not that much of a stickler - look at the price. controls: 1 volume, 1 tone, pickgaurd mounted
pickups: floating, neck mounted gold plated humbucker style, ake ? model?
Neck: looks like mahogony with Rosewood fingerboard with inlays and a rosewood bridge.25.5" scale length...Body. Mahogony - deep bodied guitar, 17 " bottom bout.
Finish: Laquer spray
Body style: full archtop
Bridge: rosewood, adjustable
Tuners: Gotoh gold tuners and all gold hardware
Accessories: none

suit your music style: fingerstyle alamgamation of all i like which is primarily jazz/blues/classical/fingerstyle (this is constantly evolving and changes from moment to moment while I play). I usually play solo, so mood dictates direct translation to what happens. most of what I play is 90% improvisation.
maps: polytone mini-brute II
effects: boss gt-3
noisy: stock pick is a bit noisy and i am considering a replacement
it is better when the tone is rolled back to the bass end of the spectrum
Bright sound? not really , more full
variety: little, more the basic jazz archtop..but a lot of variety can be acheived with chord voicings, registers, dynamics of playing...etc.
like/dislikes: for the price it can't be beat. I played many guitar's in this price range and, for my taste, this won. If I had had more money I would have hands down bought an Andersen Streamline ($5000) or spent another 1 or 2 thousand and hade Steven Andersen custom build me a guitar. Guitars on that level respond to the subtle dynamics of fingerstyle and resonate the body and space of the player. At this price range, on a mass-production model I suffer no illusions of granduer. But, having said that...playability and intonation are the two biggest features to me on any guitar. sound is the third (unless i'm spending big, big bucks). So at this price range I can sacrifice sound a bit, particualrly acoutic sound. Electric sound can be altered with hardware and settings. Even so, this still sound pretty good when fingerstyling...it rather falls apart if you really get it on and start banging away.

factory setup: N/A, I bought it used
pickup adjusted: resellers did some, I did some mayself.
bookmatched top: looks beautiful
routed bridge: N/A floating, adjustable
flaws: none, however the fret tangs stick out a bit, I intend to take it to a local luthier fior a good fret dressing

withstand live playing: yes
hardware last: seems so to me
finish last: seems so to me
strap buttons solid: yes
depend on it: yes
gig without backup: yes

cust. support freindly: N/A used
warranty: ibid

years playing: since Dec. 25th 1966
stolen or lost, buy another: yes (if i couldn't afford a "really great" archtop)
what do i love/hate, fav features: price, playability, intonation, color, look and feel. hate: doesn't have a sound when you "get it on and bang away.
comapre to others: yes, samick, heritage, eastman, washburn,joe pass, artcore, 1984 fender d'aquisto (which I used to own and was a little bit better)
why did i choose this: it had an overall best craftsmanship and quality

2004 Full Bodied Jazzer with cutaway. One floating humbuckr. Tone, Volume on pickguard. Adjustable floating bridge, goto tuners. All you need for Jazz sounds

Sounds awesome. Full Jazz tone. I play it thhrough a Roland Cube 60 & it sounds good on the Jazz Chorus, Black panel & (strangely) the Acoustic settings. If you are looking for great tone at a budget price - this is it.

I bought this guitar very much as a backup - and was astonished at the sound when I got it home and plugged it in. I play it all the time now

Had 1 high fret (14th). The reason I bought the guitar was for the playability - unlike some archtops its easy to play & a low action is feasible if you like that. The woods are not high quality - but they do their job. Th etuners are excellent. The guitars intonation was correct & apart from the high fret problem, the guitar was in excellent condition when purchaed.

ONly had it 1 month

Never used it

2002 brand new natural blonde finish fa-71. made in korea. has laminated arched spruce top, maple sides & neck with rosewood fretboard and bridge. gold hardware inculding floating pickup in bridge position. 1 volume and 1 tone mounted in pickgaurd. faux pearl gotoh tuners. came with a hard shell case.

i absolutley love the sound of this guitar. I personally play all styles from classical to jazz, but this gem is definitley a jazz box. warm rich sound. sounds great plug in or not plugged in

the neck is soooo comfortable. needed some adjustment on the action. pretty good cut on the nut but couldv'r been better. very clean fit and finish for a korean guitar.

this guitar is solid. i haven't owned it long enough to rate the durability but it feels like great. all parts seem very solid.

i've never needed support.

i've been playiong the guitar for 25 years. I own a classical guitar and a 72 fender stratocaster. My amp is a fender pro 185. before buying this guitar i checked out other arched tops like the guild x-170 and epiphones but for $1000 cheaper than the guild and $500 cheaper than the epi's I couldn't resist the deal. no regrets whatsoever. I'd rather spend my savings on other gear or a digital camera so i can take pictures of my new toy.

A jazz hollow body F-hole acoustic electric. Year made was 2000 in Korea, but I am now over the Korean stigma. This guitar has a SOLID SPRUCE TOP, yes a SOLID SPRUCE TOP...carved or pressed it does not matter...i had not checked the sides or back, but I believe the back and sides are solid MAhogany too...and no wonder it plays tight and smart and the acoustic tone is great.
Rosewood fingerboard with inlays and a rosewood bridge.
Has a floating pickup, there is nothing on the top like a pickup or controls impeding it from reonating..volume and treble are mounted on the finger rest/pick guard.
I have played expensive Gibsons against this guitar..it holds its own no problem.
It is a deep bodied guitar I believe 17 inches on the bottom bout and 25.5" scale length-nut to bridge.
Neck back and sides are mahogany with Gotoh (good) tuners and all gold hardware

Acoustically..it will compete with a flat top guitar...great acoustic sound which translates to great plugged in sound from it's single mini gold humbucker. Plugged in it sounds wonderful for jazz.

For the price of the guitar the finish is great. Good looking guitar. I got the sunburst and wished I had the natural finish but that is just personal preference...the sunburst finish is great.
All the frets were perfect it has a floating bridge so string height there can be adjusted on the fly and the nut was cut perfect...I have used from 10's to 13's they all work great no problem.

Yes this guitar will withstand any type of live playing...it is a tank the electronics are solid...strap buttons solid..solid geetar.

Been playing for eons and all styles and all guitars...there are Taylors, Gibsons and Fenders I would not own, but this guitar is a keeper. Don't worry that it is Korean. It is a tight, solid spruce top, good acoustic properties, solid jazz guitar, and of course you could play any style of music on it...it looks right and it plays right..you wont be dissappointed.

This is a Koean-made fat-bodied jazz guitar with a floating pickup ( a mini humbucker). It has a laminated top with a tortoiseshell pickguard which carries the volume and tone controls. The bridge is of the wooden floating type and the tuners are by gotoh. The hardware is all gold and the body is finished in a high gloss sunburst. Not many features but this is a no-nonsense jazzer.

The unplugged sound was what attracted me to this guitar. Even with horrible light gauge strings (as supplied), it sounded full and deep. I had been trying out some other budget archtops (Epiphone and Dearmond) and it sounded a great deal better than both. When you couple this guitar with a simple solid state amp (I use a Park (by Marshall) bass amp that I stole from my daughter), the guitar produces that lovely rich jazz sound. You need to roll off the treble a bit and put on heavy tape-wound strings but it sounds like a guitar worth three times as much

The action was rather high but I replaced the strings and tweaked the truss-rod. Now it plays like a dream. The finish is a high-gloss sunburst hich looks pretty good for the price. There are a few flaws here and there but not where it matters. The tuners and the bridge are both excellent.

The guitar seems solid enough. I'e gigged it twice and everything sees fine. I've had problems before with gold plated hardware (on a Washburn) but this seems to be hard-wearing. It's a bit too early to tell, though.

I haven't needed any support, so I can't say.

I've been playing blues, jazz and folk semi-professionally for 30 years and in that time I've owned many premium guitars but this is my first big-bodied jazzer. I tried it through my usual live amp (a valve Ampeg) and it sounded horrible but through a solid state it just shone. If you are looking for a jazz guitar and can't afford any of the big names, then this is as good as it gets.