Aria Pro II Les Paul Copy

1997 Matsumoku-built "Lawsuit-era" Les Paul copy. Open book headstock, dual humbuckers, tobacco sunburst. Looks like a Les Paul. Nearest I can figure (from looking at the brochures on (http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/copies/ls/ls.html) this is a model LS-450. I bought this on eBay for $300. I put another $275 in upgrades.

I play mostly blue, some classic rock. The stock pickups were nice, but microphonic in when over-driven. THe electronics were abysmal, though. I put Seymour-Duncan 59's in the neck & bridge. I replaced the pots with real Gibsons, the caps with Sprague orange-drops (tweek!), the jack and pickup switch with Switchcraft. The result? Outstanding! I love this guitar! I believe the sound to be brighter than a Gibson, probably due to the 5-piece maple neck. I have played this next to the real deal (LP Standard) and my son's SG. I prefer this one to both of them.

Beautiful! The wood is top-notch. Nice non-figured maple cap, 2-layer mahogony body, 5-piece maple neck, rosewood fret board. Medium frets (with fret binding). The fretwork is on par with Gibson's. The binding is great abd has aged nicely. The body is chambered, so it's lighter than the Gibson (this one weighs a tad over 8 lbs.) I didn't care for the tuners, so I upgrade to genuine Kluson Deluxe (vintage style, with snot-green keys) The pickguard was missing, so I put a vintage Gibson LP guard on (pickup spacing was a little different, so I had to dremel a little...not too much). This guitar is a keeper. The action is incredible. No buzz.

You could beat a man to death with this guitar and gig right after. This is a well built guitar. I would never say as good or better than a Gibson, but this thing makes it really hard to justify the price difference. It's way better than any Epiphone I have played. Definitely as good as any Lawsuit-era guitar out there.

C'mon...it's 30 years old.

If you get a chance to grab one of these Lawsuit-era guitars, go for it. Do your homework, though. There is a lot of crap claims on ebay about Lawsuits. If it doesn't have a Gibson style headstock, it's not a "Lawsuit." The lawsuit was not about Japanese guitar makers making better copies of originals..it was about Norlon (Gibson's parent company of the time) warning Ibanez to stop making export guitars with the open-book style headstock. (They did not sue, them.) Ibanez stopped, other Japanese manufacturers of this era followed suit, to avoid being sued. They are not all great. Some were bolt-on necks. The Aria Pro II, Greco, Burney, Ibanez & Tokai's of this era are worth a look. You will be amazed of the quality.

Tobacco sunburst finish 1997 or 1978 model Aria Pro II Les Paul. $350 ebay. Binding on front and back of body, neck and headstock. Set neck. Carved-top Les Paul body. Tune-o-matic bridge, Grover style tuners, 60's slim taper style neck, standard frets. Made in Japan. Well-constructed. Mahogany body, 2-piece bookmatched maple top. Neck looks like maple (finished in Tobacco burst to match the body - but grain resembles my Telecaster more so than fine straight-grained mahogany). 2 volume and 2 tone controls - standard LP setup. Two humbuckers. Pickup switch labeled "Epiphone"...and appears to be original. I'm scoring it high for nice wood and perfectly set neck.

Suits my styles nicely - I'm all over the road (blues, alt, ambient noise, power pop....). I own a couple Teles (Fender Thinline and Schecter PT HH)and a Yamaha AEX 502 (semi hollow w/P-90s). Playing through a Fender Cyber Twin, an old Fender Concert, an old early 60's Traynor...etc. I've looked around for a nice warm snazzy Les Paul and figured I'd eventually settle for an Epiphone because the Gibsons are just out of range and the lawsuit guitars were up there...then I found this one. Sweet. Anticipated changing pickups for Duncans, but these really sound pretty good for now. Bridge pickup is really warm but has a nice high end detail as well. Bridge pickup has cool gronky midrange and excellent harmonics when cranked and it sounds really good for picking on pop tunes turned down 1/2. Much brighter than the Epiphones I tried - better string definition. [That's why I anticipated I'd need replacement pups - base on trying Epiphones and comments from lots of LP copy users....wait and see]. The maple(?) neck might influence that tone as well.

It's hard to get much twang or screech out of it, but that's not what I bought it for...so if this is going to be your only guitar...then eventually you might want want split coils (or a second twangier guitar). The output probably isn't high enough for real headbangers. Then again - if you are a real headbanger, you probable aren't looking for a creamy smooth sounding tobacco sunburst LP anyway, are you? I love the action. It is quite easy and forgiving compared to the telecasters. And it growls.

I can't say much about the set up - that was almost 30 years ago. The construction is very good. The bindings, teh bridge, everything is top notch. The fret markers and the markings on the headstock are quite plain compared to the early 1980s Aria Les Paul Custom copies (which are gorgeous). The guitar is essentially copying a Les Paul Custom, but these earliest copies don't have the fancy diamond shaped fret marker and headstock decorations (copying the Gibsons). The fret markers on this one are simple rectangles. No complaints - they are quite elegant.

There is a little oxidation on the hardware and the finish (looks like a very thin lacquer to me, rather than poly) has aged with some hairline cracking and yellowing. So it looks pretty classic.

This guitar is sturdy. It feels solid, and it weighs over 9 lbs. (I've taken to calling it "the pig" which is a high compliment). Everything is solid and dependable (I did rewire the pickup switch). I would never play any gig without a backup, but if I did, I guess I'd trust this one as much as any of my others. I'll definitely gig plenty with this guitar.

I'm impressed that you can still lookup information on these things on their website. It would be pretty funny to call customer service about now, 30 years later, wouldn't it? Maybe I'll try it and see.

Based on the wiring and the hardware setup, it is easy for me to service.

I've been playing guitar for about 25 years, "sort of seriously" for about 5. (Been a drummer for about 35 years.) I've got 4 other electrics and a couple acoustics, a 12 string...most of my guitars are medium to low price point but high quality instruments. I'd love to go out and buy a new Gibson Les Paul, but there's just no way I could afford it. I can't in good conscience say it is just as good as a Gibson...because I really don't know. New Gibsons are so expensive it scares me to hold them in the shop. And they play and sound awesome.

This is a really nice reasonable alternative that plays nice, sounds good, looks sharp, and costs $350. And it has aged into its own unique character, which doesn't have a proce but adds value in my book. It has a really nice tobacco sunburst - I love the aging finish.

If something happens to it, I'll try to find another one.

Also - thanks so much to all of the others who posted on these Aria Les Pauls. Your reviews influenced my decision to take a leap and buy this guitar sight-unseen. It was excellent advice and it was a good decision.

This is an outstanding guitar for the price.

Aria Pro II is not to be confused with aria cr!p, its a 70/80's spin off of aria that dealt with some pretty high end stuff from what this guitar shows. Think it went out of business :(

I picked this guitar up for $140AUD on ebay (117USD), And its f*#%ing awesome! Ok to start off with the condition i got it in> dead strings, distasteful sticker down the fret board about cats and cars that has been cut into pieces so it was stuck in between frets, somehow they had got a transfer of a topless lady on a rose(think fake tattoo stuck on guitar) to stick to the guitar, and two of the knobs had been GLUED, and not even glued well (idiots!) with a big drip coming down onto the beautiful finish and being stuck there. I destickered it, removed the tattoo, re strung it, and cracked the glue on the knobs so they would turn. Only thing i dont like about it is the head stock shape, (aria's own, not traditional les pauls which honestly i dont like that much, but at least its original?)



* Finish: Traditional red/yellow sunburst over beautiful flamed maple top.
* Body style: LP style
* Bridge style: Tune-O-Matic
* Tuners: Gotoh
* Neck/Scale: Fairly thin 22 fret neck, I would say just right MOP block inlays, medium frets
* Which controls are given: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 3 way switch
* Pickup configuration? H-H
* Make and model of pickups? Stock neck, some form of original seymour duncan bridge (never taken it out to check model name sorry)

Awesome! It doesnt squeal like a metal guitar, not suited for that, good blues clean sound depending on pickup combination being used, crank up the distortion for rock n roll! Greeat tone! Good sustain, will equal any real LP :) 9/10, as 10 is for that magical guitar that probably doesnt exist.

Great neck, thinner than real lespaul, probably comparable to your thin strat neck, but not as thin as ibanez/jackson etc. I set it all up myself, set the action low, no fret buzz. Guitar is on the HEAVY side- solid mahogany/maple does that. Guitar seems to have been well made out of the factory, AWESOME FINISH and 3 ply binding makes it that little bit extra special! Again if only for the headstock shape it would be better than a les paul.

Unbreakable. Gold finish on bridge/tuners a little thin, probably should have used brass polish on it :P
Never gig without a backup.

N/A Dont think they exist anymore.

Im 18, been playin since i was 10, have a variety of guitars/amps/fx. Daion bass, magnum strat copy, jackson 22fret, ibanez grx10, prs copy, takamine g series electric acoustic, schecter blackjack PT. Big Korg pedal, lots of crap SS amps, college student with no money so saving for a tube head

I would buy again, and pay more!

A true japanese Les Paul Custom copy. The usual Les Paul controls: two humkbuckers, 2 tones, 2 volumes, stop tail and tune-o-matic bridge and a 3-way toggle switch; 22 frets, large MOP (Mother-Of Pearl) block inlays. The top should be maple and the body is definitely mahogany. It's quite heavy.I fell in love the moment I saw it at an old record shop. It has a tobacco finish, arched top body front, multy ply binding all over the body, the fretboard and headstock. It reads 'Aria Pro II' with MOP inlaid as well as a figure inlay work (two matched triangles). It came with the original tune-o-matic bridge, but it was in so bad shape that I replaced it for a Gottoh. The tuners were sealed metal keystone ones and they work perfect! The stock humbuckers were Gibson 'T' humbuckers, probably rewound and definitely not the originals. I replaced the bridge pickup for a SeymourDuncan JB 'coz the stock one broke down (and sounded thin to my taste).The set neck is a 3-piece mahogany. So smooth... way better than the 2002 Gibson SG special I played that year in Wisconsin. I bought it without a case and I carried it out in a cloth. The serial number is 088005 so I think it was built around 1977-1980. When I bought it, it had black pickup mounting rings as well as a black pickguard, black jack plate and a black toggle washer (the legend 'treble7rhythm' was gone due to use). I replaced them with all cream parts andit improved the looks of it. The main problem was that the fretboard was separated from the neck. You could pass a knife trough it which didn't altered the sound at all. The frest were so worn out that I replaced it. I had it professionally repaired by a luthier for about $200 USD and it is now in perfect shape. I give it a 9 because of the original conditions it was when I bought it.

I LOVE the sound of this guitar! It perfectly suits my music style which is Blues/Hard Rock/heavy metal. Killer sharp sound in the bridge position, and it improved with the Duncan installed. It's a very warm, rich sound, plenty of bassy tones and a lifetime sustain in the neck position that I can't get with my other guitars which sound thin and childish compared with the Aria Pro II. With both pickups selected it delivers plenty of 'twangy' sounds that are perfect for rhythm runs. It is really quiet. I run it trough a Dunlop Wah, a Boss MT2 (Metal Zone), a Boss ME-6 multieffects. Everything goes to a Marshall Lead 12.

This is the sad part...As I said before, when I bought 3 years ago (9/05/03) the neck was in very bad condition (you could run a knife between the neck and the fretboard). The frets, although well finished, were all worn out. However, the finish was great although there were some chips and craks hereand there. I had to reset the pickups at taste. The nut was ok...until it felldown when I put fresh strings. But the guitar was not noisy at all!

Absolutely reliable! I've used it for live gigs and for recording and it has never let me down! The hardware is solid as a rock! After a cleaning the finish just shown as new and I think it will last other 30 years! I replaced the strap buttons for a Dunlop locking set 'coz the stock ones were ugly. I think they were not originals. Totrally dependable. I've been playing gigs without any backup so far and it has never let me down!

I bought it used, so It had neither of them.

I've been playing electric guitar for 6 years and this is the bestsounding guitar I own. I have other 2 guitars: an inexpensive strat copy which sounds all strat and an Ibanez RG which is too noisy compared with the Aria. Neither of them can duplicate the enormous sustain the Aria Pro II can deliver.I wish I had found it before! If it were stolen or lost I would change my mind and start playing other instrument. I wouldn't bear it! What I love the most of it is the warm, balanced sound it has. No guitar I 've played sounds like this one. If Ihad toget rid of my gear, with the chance of keeping one piece of equipment this would be my choice. It is pretty heavy, after rehershal or gigs my back aches, but I don't mind.It is worth the effort!

Normal LP features with black transparant arch-top and cream-white edging, neck is slightly narrower than Gibson (which is fine: i have small hands), headstock has two minor damages on the edges, frets are slightly worn, for the rest it's flawless. Don't know brand of pick-ups, maybe DiMarzio, probably stock. Glued neck, fake MOP inlays in neck, real MOP diamond and brandname on headstock. black pick-guard. black aria tone- and volume-knobs (they dont look as cool as the Gibson custom-knobs)

It's my first electric. I wanted an LP-style guitar, but not too expensive. The store-owner let me play this one next to epiphones and PaulReedSmiths, and this one sounded the best by far. It already sounds rich and full like any decent Gibson or other classic humbucker-equipped guitar. It sounds even better when played through a graphic equalizer. And I've only just begun; if I would change the pick-ups and purchase a better amp (current model: Hiwatt Maxwatt 40) this could become a master-rig.

The action is nice anywhere on the neck. The frets are slightly worn flat though, they might need some work.

If the H-bomb drops tommorow, I would hide behind this thing and probably survive.

Wouldn't know where to find them if I needed them, which I dont.

Concerning my LesPauls, this will be it; no other guitars needed. Maybe I'll get a strat-style someday for some of the more clean and crisp sounds, but that will be years ahead. In the meantime this guitar is all I could desire. The only thing I might change are the pickups and the tone- and volumeknobs. For the rest, awesome guitar.

Absolutely standard LP setup.
Mahogany I think
BUilt in neck (which in 1978 was fairly revolutionary.

This was my first really decent guitar bought with hard earned money from a summer job.
I sold it a few years ago (why!??!!?)
I'm not really a LP player - more of a strat-man but all I will say is that in my opinion it was better than new Gibson LPs.

Really good player.
I owned this man and boy for 20 years and action never altered a bit. Excellent finish. Action really low.

Was still going strong when I sold it.
Pots getting a bit noisy, but 20 years old so forgivable.

Never needed it.

Playing for 30 years. I have had several Strats (1 US - good, 1 US average, 1 Mex - rubbish), A Godin LGX (excellent), Yamaha Pacifica 812 (surprisingly good).
Should never have sold it. As I said earlier, when I had the money, I went to look at new Gibsons, and my old Aria was better.
Probably wouldn't advise anyone to buy a new Aria, but on internet auctions, 70's Arias are worth buying. It's like a land rover, not as sophisticated as the new 4x4,s but gets the job done without any song and dance.

1980 Les Paul standard copy. All the usual features, with a 3 piece tobacco sunburst top (actually looks REALLY cool and unusual compared to the usual flame tops). Dimarzio cream open humbucker style pickups, which I am beginning to suspect were stock. It's a Les Paul copy that would keep any Gibson rep awake at night. I've checked out what LP standards from that year looked like and this is such a clone in every respect, even the ridge near the neck at the back, dimensions are perfect, the colouring and types of wood used are identical too.

Sounds like a Gibson Les Paul, no joke - no one would tell you it wasn't. Bright, ballsy, and rich when playing chords, a real tonal vaierty between pickup settings, no noise at all, again this sounds like a 'real' Les Paul should. Even though I'm not a fan of Dimarzio pickups, I have no reason to change them as they're superb,

The most well built copy I've seen, and I own 6 other LP copies as well as plenty of other guitars. Finished so beautifully, you almost wonder why they bothered making it so well when they weren;t selling it at Gibson prices!!!

I can depend on it and you'd have to pry it from my cold dead fingers to have a go ;-) it's one of the most solid guitars I#ve held.

No idea. But its unfair to expect customer support 26 years after it was produced.

OK I took a chance on eBay and am delighted. This is by and far the best Les Paul I have ever played. Don't believe me? Try one yourself. Unless the previous owner used it as a baseball bat, it should be a great instrument that you'll never want to sell. I would always try and test out gear first but I got this for a total of #200 (inc shipping from Japan) and would buy any other that came on sale for this price. I might not pay over #300 for one, but thats just because I'm poor and it would still be a bargain at that price. This gets 10 across the board as these are such a well kept secret they deserve all the praise for making such well observed, lovingly crafted instruments. I guess this is why they don't come up for sale very often, the price you will get for it isn't worth it for the quality of the axe.

1978 Aria Pro 2 non-export Les Paul Custom Copy, 22 frets, Japanese made. Beautiful handcarved curly maple 1/2" top over 2 piece pancaked mahogany body. Deep set neck, 3 piece maple with center piece reversed for extra strength. Old-style early seventies cherry burst finish (nitro-lacquer) that looks killer. Standard les paul features 2 vol-2 tone, 3 way toggle, tune-o-matic bridge with stop piece. Grover scalloped tuners all hardware chrome. Dimarzio super distortion pickups standard. Medium to large frets, beautiful real MOP block inlays, multi ply binding on front, back, neck and headstock. MOP logo and split diamond with Custom logo on truss rod cover. Also ebony fretboard with frets under binding. I believe this is an LC-1000 model. A beautiful guitar all around

Great tone and sustain, as good as any Gibson, harmonics come easy on the neck. Played through a Peavey XXX sounds killer. Maple neck is punchy and fat, sounds sweet on the neck position pickup. Can crunch with best in the bridge position, very nice ring that sustains on the high notes.

A couple of posts on a PE Aria Pro mentioned the necks on Arias are actually bolted in the pickup cavity not legitimately set in. That's rubbish, the neck is set and glued all the way through the body joint. It doesn't make a bit of sense for Aria to go through the trouble of shaping a long set-style neck tenon and body/neck joint to only slap one screw and a little bit of glue in the neck joint and call it good, it kind of defeats the cost-man hour/profit ratio don't you think. What's that do, save .50 cents a guitar on glue costs, the neck is already deep set into the body? They made bolt-on/bolt-ons and yes real set necks. The screw these experts talk about at the end of the neck tenon is a case of above and beyond/over-building. My 1978 non export LPCC is probably one of the best built guitars I've ever seen, todays hand-made boutique snob-guitars can even barely beat them on a good day; what big artist ever played a billion dollar PRS on their first big song/album. Artists played what they could get their hands-on for a reasonable price, ie an Aria Pro. Even the inlays are so precisely routed that their is no evidence of even the slightest bit of filler, this on a mass-produced guitar. The wood used by Aria was top-notch mahogany, maple kept in the log till cutting/carving on all their guitars that were Japanese built; these Gibson & Fender copies are damn good guitars. Aria kiln dried their guitar wood themselves; all this for a superior product that costs chicken feed compared to Gibson or Fender. I'm not buying into the big names because of their titles, Gibson and Fender are way overrated and ridiculously priced guitars; sure the 50's & 60's series Gibson's are the ultimate and the Fenders but not the stuff they sell today. The quality of tone wood is way down, there's hardly any old growth lumber anywhere from all the overharvesting. Dollar for dollar this guitar would cost $1800-$2000 if it had a Gibson name on it.

She's pushing 30 years old and still solid and tight as a drum, the lacquer is aged to perfection, strap buttons still hold tight. Dependable all day and night. Would gig without a back-up but a second only makes sense; i don't fish without a back-up rod so wouldn't want to gig without a second guitar know what I mean.

Never dealt with them before. I'd bet they would have the deer in the head-lights look if you asked them about one of these old 70's jobs though.

Been playing off and on for 20 years, in addition to this 1978 Aria Pro II Les Paul CC I have a 1989 Charvel 750XL, 1980 Pearl Les Paul CC, 1985 Hondo Formula 1 H784KT set-neck explorer copy with Dimarzios, and a 2001 Mexican fat strat with dimarzio evolution and cruiser in the neck. Peavey XXX, morley wah, miscellaneous effects pedals.

best i can tell it's a late 70's model. "ARIA PRO II" is in cursive pearl inlay across the headstock. it has (i think) a mahogany body with a woody cherry/mahogany woodgrain finish. the binding and pickguard are cream colored. pearloid trapezoid inlays grace the neck. it is BEAUTIFUL!!!! two exposed humbuckers (probably not original...they don't match) with the usual L.P. layout.

in a word.....REMARKABLE. snarly, clean, twangy, ballsy, mellow...it is quite a chameleon. perhaps it is the pickups. i think it is the WOOD.

i've played Les Pauls before and never cared for them. i prefer the necks and playability of "old" Fenders. THIS guitar has a neck that a "vintage strat" player could love. it is thin and feels VERY comfortable. the guitar has some weight. never has a guitar felt "so balanced" when hanging from a strap around my neck (AGAIN...keep in mind i am a vintage Strat fanatic).

hell,...it's 25+ years old!!!....and STILL solid!! you betcha!!

????????????? are they still alive??

what a great guitar!! the wood is pure..the construction is solid..the craftsmanship is obvious. go ahead and spend your life savings on a 30 year old Gibson...see if i care. there are folks "in the know" that appreciate the work of the Japanese craftsmen of the 70's-80's era. i own a guitar that is as solid and as well made as ANY "thousand(s)-dollarish" guitar of that era.......and i paid ALOT less for it. to each his/her own...but i am delightfully suprised. i HIGHLY recommend the "OLD" (late 70's/early 80's) Aria Pro II "LP" assimilations. good luck.

Mine's approx 1975 vintage - bought second-hand in 1980 (best #200 I've ever spent).
Features are all well set out elsewhere.

Pickups are now sounding a bit muddy (but still produce some awesome tones when pushed and the amp is adjusted).
SEE BELOW PLEASE!!!!!

Tobacco sunburst - stood up well over the years, a few blemishes now but that just adds to the charm.
Nice low action possible, with no buzz. Lovely neck to play on.
Controls are now knackered - they work but need replacing. Not too bad for a 30 year old, though.

It's never let me down seriously, but I always carry a back-up (Gordon Smith Graduate).

Never had any contact

Superb guitar - a Les Paul in everything but headstock adornment.

QUESTION - CAN ANYONE ADVISE ON PICKUP REPLACEMENT? I INTEND TO PUT DUNCAN JB's ON - ANY OTHER IDEAS????

THANKS, FOLKS.

Early 80's or late 70's version. Tobacco sunburst, large headstock with block "Pro II" script, creme binding (nicely aged now), two humbuckers (oddly made by Epiphone - bridge replaced by a Rio Grand BBQ pu), the standard LP controls and switch. Rosewood finger board with large block mother of pearl inlays. Very heavy mahogany / maple body and mahogany neck.

Excellent sound, especially after replacing the whimpy, microphonic Epiphone bridge pu. Very Les Paul sounding. I couldn't be happier. I spent $175 at a small dealer without case. This guy has some great vintage stuff in his shop.

The only thing wrong is that it needs new tuning keys. It goes out of tune fairly quickly. I can't fault it, its over 20 years old!!

Its lasted this long!

Who knows.

This is a great guitar if your looking for a vintage vibe Les Paul without forking over tons of money for a Gibson. This plays and sounds better than any new Gibson. Gibson has really suffered in quality over the last few years. Typical Corporate greed ruins all. For $175 I couldn't be happier.

I bought this guitar second hand for 200 Euro and it came with a case, a boss chorus pedal and a boss noise supressor (which I need!)
I dont know what year it is made but its a typical LP copy; 2 humbuckers (dont know which ones, came in stock I think), 3-way switch, 2 volume and 2 tone knobs.
When I bought it it had a kahler tremelo bridge which I hate; I had it replaced by a rather cheap stop tailpiece. result is a big hole in the body where the tremelo bridge was but the guitar has a black finish (with a nice white binding) so you practically dont notice.Hardwear is gold plated except for the parts I bought.The frankestein-esque style this gives makes me feel its really MY guitar.

before I bought this one I owned a 900 euro gibson RD custom. A very versatile, nice sounding and very cool looking guitar. I played mostly punk/grunge that days. When it was stolen I couldnt touch another one ( and had no money to buy one either) so it meant the end of my carreer. until one year ago I started playing in a new band, mostly classic rock and stooges like garage rock. I re-started with an Epiphone SG, which is a nice looking and nice sounding guitar. I tought.... untill I heard the Aria. In comparrison the Aria has a lot more output signal which makes the sound a lot more distinct when playing clean. It also sounds less harsh when in overdrive. I play it through a Marshall valvestate 80W, conected to my crate 212GLX. I use a boss turbo overdrive and metal zone in the FX loop and a noise supressor and a tuner directly between guitar and amp. I play it through the neck humbucker most of the time and sometimes through both. i cant compare with real Gibsons (expensive!!!) but I like the sound this guitar gives. When Im buying new stuff it will be a new amp, altough this guitar is the cheapest thing in my equipment at the moment It really works for me.

action not as good as the epi SG

I think it will need a refretting in the present future. The 3 way switch wont stay in bridge position which I dont use anyway.
I am not to carefull with my guitar on stage but it holds.

i have been playing for 5 years, then an interval of 6 yars and back in action for one year. I got this guitar really really cheap and its sounds lots better than the epi SG I own which was twice as expensive. Mayby when i have some money I will look for another gibson LP, SG or even an RD. But this is absolutely no priority. (First I want to purchase a real tube amp)
i give it a 9 for price/quality, an 8 for just the guitar

i have no clue what year it was made it was made in japan
22 frets
laminated top
volume and tone controls
2 humbucking pickups (black)
no clue what make the pickups are
a very thin neck

it sounds great a nice rounchy style sound with bluesy bits here and there
im using it with a 50 watt crate amp with a flang effect
a full sound very bright and loud
it can make a nice variety of sounds though frets are kinda low and worn out
i love this guitar cause it is my first

i dont know how it was originally set up
i adjusted the pickups myself
everything was in order though i bought a new bride
one of the tuning pegs was loose but it was easy to fix
the saddle doesnt stay on when stringless
other than a few flaws its a great guitar easy to play

ive been playing it for 1 1/2 after letting it sit for 5 years
it was used when i bought it
everthing seems to last a long time
the buttons for the straps work well
i depend on it
i would use it without a back up cause i have

ive been playing for 2 years
i own a fender telecaster and a fender acoustic
the aria is my fav.
i wouldnt be able to replase this guitar id probly have to buy a diff. one its the only one of its kind ive ever seen
i like it better than fenders and most gibsons
its my first guitar and will hopefully be my last also
if you have any clue to what year it is or how much its worth email me
one more thing the headstock is exactly like a les paul gibson and has marble enlays and aria is written in cursive ive never seen it like that

This is a aria II pro les paul custom copy made in japan during the late 70's. has 22 medium sized frets with block inlays (no clue on what inlays are made of)a dark rosewood fretboard and maple neck. fastend with 4 bolts to a 2 piece mahogany body. control fetures include 2 volume, 2 tone, a 3 way selector switch, and 2 humbuckers (i put seymour duncans in mine)the guitar has a gloss black finish that is in rough condition (that is expected for an old guitar) it has 7 layer binding on the top of the body 5 layer on the back, and binding on the neck and headstock. when i bought it, it had rusty gold hardware with a tune-o-matic bridge with posts that went directly into the body.

this guitar suits my every music style which is heavy rock, and more heavy rock! i plug this into my crate stealth head with a tc electronics bld pedal(set on boost) in the fx loop, into a celestion loaded 4x12. i get a nice thick, strong tone from this guitar. perhaps what they call "the les paul sound" i cant justify this, since i never owned a gibson les paul.

this guitar plays very nicely at low action. with little or no buzzing. the neck is alot less chunky than the gibson les paul very nice feel to it.

you care for a guitar im pretty confident that you can make music with it for very long time!;D. i wouldnt hesitate using this live, its a very solid guitar never been unblolted or messed with (other than the hardware and electronics)

bought this used. no warranty or dealing with the company.

i been playing for 4 years, i have a sx/essex sg copy and a esp eclypse (the body is at least, been put together with spare neck and parts). well, i could have asked for wealth, fame, and unlimited knowledge, streinth and life, and all the other bullshit but im afraid that particular person i bought this from might not be able to help me out with that. if it were stolen, i would be very pissed off cos thats the most expensive guitar i own, and i will have some trouble finding another lp copy like this. i love everything about this axe, especially that i didnt have to pay a price for a gibson..i wish it had a built in foot massage...that would be cool.

I just bought this guitar, and as a guitarbuilder I can say this is a truly work of craftmanship! This is one of the best Les Paul copies I have seen. Except for the headstock it looks the same as a 70's les paul custom. The construction is the same, and even better! This Aria (serial 078020) is probably made in Japan the same time Tokai, Greco, Fernandes, Burny, Orville and other great copies were made.

The body is solid sandwich mahogany (two pieces glued together), and the top is made of two pieces very nice solid carved maple. The front of the body has 7 layer bindings, and the back has 5 layer bindings.

The neck is made from three maple pieces glued together, and the headstock has a volute at the back. The neck is glued into the body with a long neck tenon. It goes thru just right under the neck pickup. For some strange reason I can see a screw under the finish in the tenon. Maybe it was used for constructional reasons during gluing of the neck.
The contours of the headstock is identical to a 70's les paul, but without the "open book" at the top. It could be easily cut out.
The neck has a real ebony fretboard with real mother of pearl blok inlay. The bindings are glued to the frets just like Gibson! The neck is a bit narrower than a real LP custom, I think about 2 mm. The neck has a thinkness of a 1960 slim taper neck.

The guitar has all the Les Paul features like two volume knobs and two tone knobs. The bridge has two srews that go directly into the body, unlike other japanese models which often uses studs.

I got the guitar with a stock neck pickup (which sounds awfully great)! and a Dimarzio X2N at the bridge. I replaced the pickups with real Gibson Pafs for more authentic sound.
The finish is very beautiful tobacco sunburst, front and back. Even the neck and sides has sunburst at some places. The finish is very solid, and still looks like new after all those years.

The previous owner replaced the tuners with new Grovers, just like the original ones. No holes had to be drilled.

It suits my musical style perfectly. I do play different musicstyles, but it fits every one of them. I can get nice clean tones for jazz, blues, country, funk etc. but also a very crunchy or heavily distorted sound for rock and metal.
I plug the guitar into my Digitech 2120 VGS preamp, thru a Mesa Boogie 50/50 poweramp and a Marshall 1978 4x12" speakercabinet with greenbacks.
Because of the maple neck the sounds doesn't get as muddy as a Les Paul with a mahogany neck. There are lots of highs, and the thick mahogany body gives more than enough lows. Perfect combination!

I bought it used, but the previous owner had set it up perfectly.
It came with ernie ball 011's, so that fitted perfectly into my style, which is tuned down to a D.
The top is perfectly bookmatched, better than my real Les Paul goldtop! (I once stripped the goldtop before refinnishing, so I saw the topwood).
There are no flaws or whatever... just Perfect!

This guitar will withstand a 3rd worldwar... It is very solid, and even though I build my own guitars which are very good, I will use this guitar as my lead guitar at every gig in the future!
I wouldn't have to use any backup.. but I always bring some with me at gigs, because of different tuning, and because I don't trust the other bandmember's guitar :-)

Never dealt with them, and I think I would never have to!

I've been playing for 10 years, and this is the first guitar that I am stunned at! The first feel and sound were incredible! No more real Gibsons for me... I will always play Japanese guitars (and my own custom built ones of course :-)
If it were stolen, I would search eBay for another one.. at this moment there are two for sale. The same ones, for about the same price I guess!
I wish it had a Gibson open book headstock and diamond inlay, but that's already fixed with a nice Gibson headstock veneer!

Body has major dings. Black finish looks as if it was nice in it's day. Big chips around volume and tone knobs indicate some sort of laminated body. Neck is beautiful however. Rosewood fingerboard with vine inlay all the way down with nice fat frets. I have no idea what year it was made. I bought this guitar at a yard sale for 50 cents. It had no tuners, nut, bridge, tailpiece, pickups (2), switch, jack. I bought most of these components from Carvin and installed them myself and set the guitar up. Two M-22 pickups. Sperzel tuner. Graphite nut. 3-way switch. I used a Gibson bridge and tailpiece that I had.

I like all sounds. I play through a Carvin X100 and a Fender Vibro-Champ with a Boss Bluesdriver and CE-3 Chorus. Sounds nice through both. Nice fat sound.

I set it up with a fairly low action. I am going to change to .012 strings and will have to set it up again. Neck finish is very smooth even with all of the intricate inlay. Easy to bend strings. Finish previously noted.

All of this is fairly recent. We will see.

Never even tried.

So far, so good. I've been playing about 23 years and this seems like a nice guitar. I also have a G&L ASAT Deluxe that is the best guitar ever made on planet Earth. Very different guitars, so I don't want to compare. I really enjoyed piecing it together and will look for other prospective projects.

This guitar was made -76 or -77 by Matsumoku who made the best japan built guitars. 22 fret rosewood board. Laminated Walnut top, I don't know what the body is made of ,it also have walnut neck.
2 volume, 2 tune just as a gibson LP. 2 humbuckers (none active) I think original and they are quite OK.
Finish is transparent with white bindings so you can se the beatiful walnut. Original turners non-locking whith an "A" on the backside and a tune-0-matic bridge.
Very nice neck, fitts my small hands perfekt.
(excuase me for my english, im from sweden)
I dont know what to say really its evrything a guitar needs....

I remember first time i played her i was suprised beacuase when i hit the thick E string I felt it very physicaly right in to my chest.
She suits my style perfekt,I play rock/blues and my former nr one guiter is a Gibson RD standard an it's a little to bassy.
The sustain goes on forever, she has a bright,full and clear tone and really wants to please me and make the sound im telling her to.
I can almost use her as an acoustic....

I bought this used as I do with all my guitars and the former owner had fixed it really good so after waiting a week I just picked her up and started playing.
The finish is as good as it can be, she looks as good as new.
Ok one thing, there are some small marks on the sides of the head cuase she has been hanging on the wall.
I was told that I'm the third owner and by looking at the guitar I belive so.

I'd put my life in her hands.....
My fender feels like a rubber band compare to this one ;-)

To old, and its har to find any info

I've been playing guitar for 3-4 years and it has become my nr one thing. i also have a gibson RD -78, Gibson The paul Firebrand -80, Fender strat japan -84 and some ones i have sold and if i should choose any of them it would be this one.
I have never owned a gibson LP but all my friends who have are having it hard to accept that they payed 3-4 times as much as I did.
I had been looking for a LP copy for some time before i found this
cuase i couldent afford a gibson and here in sweden they are much more expensive than in U.S.
And im my mind was also Epiphone or an older Ibanez but i think now i bought the best one cuase i've tried some other copys but so far none stand a chans in an overall rating.
I've really tried to find something that's not so good but i gues i'm just a les paul kind of guy.
The only ones that I can compare so far is the gibsons, but they are not better, they are just the same.....

I originally bought my black Aria ProII six-string electric new from my favorite music store about 1980. It was made in Japan and intended to be a Les Paul copy. I have always preferred the solid bridge because it stays in tune better as I have perfect pitch and a very picky ear! I had originally gone in to purchase a Les Paul and walked out of the store with the Aria having paid hundreds of dollars less and form-fitting case was included! I liked how the instrument played and how the neck fit in my hand because it wasn't as "chunky" as the LP. Also, the pickups had more selections. Finish was excellent and even though I just sold it to my brother, the finish always looked new - and still does. I never had any trouble with any of the tuning, pickups or anything. However, the only comment that I will make is I could never get the OPEN chords to be in exact tune. I took it in for adjustment constantly and was never able to get it as exact as the barred chords further up the neck.

I am interested in the fuller "jazz" sound and use an old Fender Bandmaster tube amp. I almost always used all four pickups at once although a "strat" type sound could be achieved if you switched the right combination of pickups and set the tone. I sometimes would use a chorus box since there was none included on the Bandmaster, but otherwise used the straight sound from the guitar. There was never any noise or any complaints.

I've already stated the problem with the open string intonation, but that was my only complaint (if you can call it that). I suspect that the average person would not have heard the difference as it is so slight.

Everything has been solid and no complaints at all.

I don't remember how long the warranty was though it did come with one. I never used it.

I've been playing for well over 40 years and have recently sold the Aria II. I will probably not go back to any electric as I have shifted my interests solely to the classical guitar -- which I owned prior to purchase of the Aria. Although I still own the Bandmaster, I use it now with microphone for voice along with electric pickups built in to the classical guitar.

Don't know what year this was made, however it has a "Made in USA" tag inside the control compartment and a Custom label on the truss rod cover. Aria's Web-site does not list anything that helps identify it. If any of you know anything about it please feel free to E-Mail me. I got it used in the early 80's. It is not a true Les-Paul copy and I don't believe it was marketed as such. I have seen many ads for Aria Pro II's with this body shape. It has 22 frets on a very nice neck. Two gold covered humbuckers with a series/parallel switch. Two volume and two tone controls and a standard Les-Paul type pickup selector. The neck is set. The body is not laminated but it is made up from several pieces of wood. The wiring is all shielded which suprised me, this guitar is very noise free. The bridge and stop piece are gold plated and the nut is brass. The only reason I am rating this as an 8 is because of the tuning machines, they were not very good and totally wore out a few years ago. I replaced them this past year with gold Grovers that look axactly like the originals but are far superior in functionality. Aside from that, this is an excellent guitar.

With the tapping switch, many different sounds can be achieved with this guitar. Although the original humbuckers did a fine job, I replaced them with DiMarzio "Al-DiMeola's" several years ago. So with the original pickups, I would rate the sound as a 9, but with the Al-Dimeola's I rate it as an 11 so the average would be a 10. Sustain is great.

The fit and finish was outstanding, since the guitar was used, the shop set it up to suit me and they did a wonderfull job. Off the rack is was very playable, after the shop taylored it for me it was unbelievable. All my friends that have tried this guitar have loved it and felt it was much better than a Les Paul.

Again, I have to rate this catagory as an 8 due to the tuning machines. I have also had to replace the input jack and the pickup selector switch, but considering the age of this guitar I regaurd this as just basic maintenance.

The only contact I have had with Aria from there support folks is to try to identify this guitar. They could not help me very much, but they did not blow me off either, so I give them a five.

I've been playing for around 28 or 29 years. I am not a permanent member of any band but I do sit in from time to time for other bands. I also use a home-made strat copy, an Ibanez RoadStar II and an Ovation Celebrity electric and an Ovation Celebrity Deluxe Acoustic/electric. My main amp is a Roland JC-120, I use a Crate CR-112 as a practice amp usually with headphones so I don't disturb folks around me. The only effects I use are a home-made distortion pedal and a Morely wah. This guitar was everything I hoped it would be and more with the sole exception of the tuning machines.

I own two Aria's right now and both are great guitars. The first one came with a mint condition tobacco sunburst finish with chrome hardware and original electronics. The other one is a black finish "like a standard", original electronics, with replaced bridge.

The tobacco burst Aria sounded great when I got it and didnt change it till 2yr's after owning it. The pickup for the bridge was great, really good output, it was white with black surroundings, and had square magnets for the pickup. The standard Aria is a different story due to the pickups have very little output so it isn't that great for heavy stuff I play. They are a gold cover finish.

The action on both of them was kinda scary I still have to get the standard set up maybe shimmed. The Tobacco one is Kickin ass as we speak. The finish on the standard is harsh with dents and scratches. The tobacco one came mint. Both have great inlay, mounts look great, electronics dying from old age.

I beat the shit out of my tobacco one jamming with my band, and playing at the school, and club's. The black one still needs some work to get it to the level I need it at. I would play both these guitars in the condition I want them at now live. I could care less bout the finish. Ill depend on these guitars till they die!!!

These guitars are to old for anyone to help them but the owner!!!

If your a beginning guitar player or a serious player these guitars blow gibson away. I dig copy les pauls because they are actually meeting the specs gibson used to meet. Now all we get are $3000 peices of shit when I can play $150 and get a guitar that will always hold up for me said and done!!!! ARIA LES PAULS F-ING RULE!!!

it's a foreign guitar...22frets, Black with gold plated hardware. it's probably a cheap laminate top, 2 humbuckers, three way toggle, bolt on neck. Tune-o-matic bridge, suck ass tuning gears. 4 pots, two volume, two tone, one for each pickup whi is cool.

from the factory it's pretty much standard issue foreign quality pickups. nothing fancy. They work but they lack in the quality dept.

the action is fine the pick-ups will need to be adjusted. poorly filed fretwire made this guitar into another crappy foreign import

They are ruggedly built.I use a a custom ibanez s-540 that they don't make anymore and even that guitar has a few flaws that need to be worked on.

who cares...it's nothing more than korean business investors making a quick buck off the hardworking american family

if you buy this, be prepared to do some major overhauls....
I bought it because it was a fixed bridge guitar. No stupid floyd whamo junk bridge...i do like the overall design.it's a foreign guitar...22frets, Black with gold plated hardware. it's probably a cheap laminate top, 2 humbuckers, three way toggle, bolt on neck. Tune-o-matic bridge, suck ass tuning gears. The frets were done absolutely HORRIBLE....the friggin high e string has a tendency to get caught on the edge of one of the upper registers....not just my copy but a freind of mine has the same guitar as well with same symptoms; Bad fret job, suck ass tuners, a toggle switch that i had to take apart and adjust because the contacts weren't making a solid connection, hence alot of breaking up and to the point that it would not even activate the bridge humbucker.
Other than that it really is a decent guitar, i paid 400 for mine, but than again i knew the flaws involved. This model needs work after it is bought ie... fret job, replace tuners with locking ones as well as a better gear ratio, better quality jumbuckers and a better three-way toggle switch. The only thing i won't touch is the tune-o-matic bridge... that's the only thing i really like about the guitar.

you kno the specs its a les paul but a bolted on one.......i love this guitar,,its my first electric and i have 14 electric guitar all les pauls no 'strats or sucky tele which should be used for a telephone'
i love this axe but ima be sellin it for an epi standard,,,,,wonder if its worth it,,,,first person to read this,,,,,please reply....^_^
nine for a bolt on neck,,,geeeez just like frankenstein

its the greatest sounding guitar ive played so far,,,THE best

the BEST nuff said