Aria Pro II PE-SPL

Good for the price.

Spec and layout is well covered in other reviews. I'd go with the slightly brighter than a LP suggestions. I play a wide variety of stuff - country, blues, classic rock, modern alternative rock, even have a go at a bit of metal or jazz occasionally to challenge myself. Until very recently I played through a digitech twintube preamp, Marshall 9005 power amp and 412, have just changed to a MESA F100 combo. Stock neck pickup is great, no complaints. I found the bridge pickup to be a little weak and fitted a Seymour Duncan 'Pearly Gates' which although a good pickup when in isolation probably wasn't the right choice for the guitar as it doesn't blend so well with the existing neck pickup. This clearly isn't Aria's fault though hence the 7 - could have been given a bit more juice in the bridge to begin with.

I can't be sure how the guitar was originally set up as I bought it second hand from a friend. In terms of playability the only problems I've had are a couple of worn frets that needed a little grinding/polishing and I've always found the low E a little tricky to tune. In terms of appearance they are beauties, no doubt about it, There are very small gaps between the inlays in my neck and the gold hardware is starting to tarnish a bit. I think mine dates to about '94/'95 and has been played long and hard so no real complaints at the price.

I rarely gig with a backup, if you break a string who says you won't break another? That's the only thing I could ever see happening with this guitar, never given me any other problems. Because of the way the neck joint is contoured at the back I didn't even appreciate how it was attached until I read the other reviews. Certainly hasn't caused me any trouble. As mentioned above the gold's fading a little now but I like things a little tarnished.

NA. That said they did help me find out what model it was as I had no idea when I bought it.

Been playing 14 years, I have a dodgy LP copy (satelelite - my first guitar) which is very rarely used with the Aria around, and a silver series squire strat. The LP sound is my norm and regularly have a go on a Gibson to compare but without spending BIG big bucks I've so far been unimpressed. If it got stolen/broken I'd consider replacing it with an Epiphone LP, I reckon they're good value for money generally. Where the Aria would score higher is it's unique styling - a lovely shape.

All been said in previous reviews - it is a lovely guitar - mine is an early 90's model, made in Korea (I think)

I also play a Les Paul Standard - I would describe the Aria as having a bit brighter sound at the top end, but very similar at the bottom end. The Seymour Duncan designed pick-ups are pretty powerful - played though a Peavey Classic under most conditions you would be hard pressed to hear the difference - Les Paul has a bit more of a raw edge to it.

If you are really picky there are some minor blemishes - but I do mean minor - generally excellent. Action is fine - one thing to beware of - frets can come loose - took me a while to figure out what was cause the fret buzz - simple repair to fix though.

This guitar is over 10 years old - a quick polish up and you could put it back on the shelf in a guitar shop - rock solid and very well made

Not had to use it so can't comment

Been playing 15 years - I bought this guitar in the US to resell in the UK - now I am having trouble parting with it - considering it cost $300 and a Les Paul would set you back at least ~$1000 there is no way that this is 1/3 of the guitar - for anyone looking for an alternative to a Les Paul on a budget I would really recommend this guitar - you will not be disappointed

1996 Les Paul Copy, Lefty (bought in 1998, new). 2 Stock Humbuckers, tone and volume for each pickup, 3-way pickup switch, medium frets. Gotoh tuners, basically the same look as a LP. Transparent green finish. Nice looking guitar, but with some problems in sound. Rated so high because this is, frankly, the best sounding lefty guitar I have ever played.

Note: all right handed players first must understand that leftys get ripped off really bad in sound quality and reliability, so my ratings may be a bit different. That being said, I'm currently playing this through a Crate Blue Voodoo stack with Korg and Ibanez effects, and I must say this sounds better than some other guitars I have played (namely LPs and Strats). Sound is quite full, even for stock pickups. The main problems come with the pickup switch(horrible), pickups(so-so), and tuners(could be better). I'm soon to be installing a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a SD Jazz in the neck to see if I can get better sound (and less feedback). Once again rated so high due to the fact that left-handed players get shafted from the major manufacturers, but Aria seems to keep a high level of quality in their lefty products.

BEAUTIFUL finish, but finish isn't everything. The action is high. This is partly due to the fact that I switched from .010's to .009's 6 months ago, but even before the action was high. Plus, the original nut has come loose 3 times in the years I've owned it. But, the guitar is heavy and sustains like crazy, even with the slight buzz that it has.

I've only had to pull a backup out one at a gig, and thats because of a string breakage. a reliable guitar, just replace the pickup switch, cause it's embarrasing to be riffing, then touch the switch, only to have your guitar go mute.

Never dealt with the company, never used the warranty.

I've been playing guitar for 10 years now, but only been playing electric for 5. In my area, it's impossible to find a left-handed guitar, and when I bought this, I had to choose between a cheap Tele knock-off, or this. I compared, and thought this guitar was far superior. There are flaws, but after playing a 2000 LP, even with its flaws, this guitar is much better. If this guitar was stolen, I'd probably scream and kill someone, because this guitar is probably close to impossible to replace. Overall, the best sounding lefty i've ever played, and with guitar companies being what they are, probably the best lefty guitar that will ever be made.

Standard Les Paul type features. Pick-ups are humbuckers and has all the tone and volume controls as a Les Paul. It has a flame top,medium frets and three part inlays. Dark wood color finish. A nice looking guitar.

When I bought this guitar I played a lot of Seatle style music but know I play mostly blues. The neck pick-up is still stock, but i changed the bridge to a Dimarzio Super distortion. It sounds more bright than a Les Paul but maybe not as bright as my strat. I use a Fender Twin Amp with no effects except for reverb an distortion.

The nut was the first thing I noticed. It was cut very poorly and caused tuning slippage so I had to replace it. I did notice some flaws in th binding but you would have to look hard to find it. The inlay work looks good and the tuners stay in tune well. The set-up was good except fot the nut.

Haven't played this guitar live but I've had it for over six years and with no problems.

Playing since '95, I own a 1994 strat, A fender Jagstang. I used to own a PRs CE-22 but I find this guitar more playable for some reason. I don't like the pick-ups so I'm thinking of replacing them.

This is just an update - I was going to get a Laney VH100R and a Trace Elliot 2x12, but while at the store, I tried the Aria through the Marshall AVT2000 AVT50. These two were made for each other, paticularly if you love a full, warm, clean sound. Check it out!

Standard Gibson Style features, except this one has the three bolt neck. Everything I want in a humbucking guitar. Nice tuners, pickups are very clear, and the neck is strat-tacular.

Neck - Beautiful. Slimmer than a Les Paul. So is the body. Very nice clean tone through a good tube amp (Marshall JCM602) Great crunch and distortion. Not noisy at all. I'd disagree that it sounds exactley like a LP - I'd say it sits in nicely between a LP and an SG - What more could you want. Suits Jazz, Punk, Rock.

the neck joint isn't 100% tight, but I've also seen US Strats with bigger gaps. Everything else is gorgeous - The wine (AVC) colour is beautiful, and matches the gold. Had to do a little bit of work to stop a bit of very slight fret buzz and correct the intonation. I've noticed a drastic improvment from switching from ernie Ball .9-.42 to 10.-46.

Well, one year old and no trouble. The gold around the bidge is begining to wear, but who cares? There are three things a guitar should be - 1) great sounding, 2) great playing and 3) both of the above. This guitar does all these and one better by being one of the most beautiful looking guiatrs ever. The finish is of PRS proportions!! No problems with the three bolt neck, but if anything happens I'll let you know.

They reply to emails. Wow!!!!!

Been playing eight years - also worked in a guitar shop for a while, from which I learned a lot. Am soon to purchase a Laney VH100R head and a Trace Elliott 2x12 cab, Crybaby and a few boss Pedals (TU2, DD5, BF3) This is an amazing guitar. Would buy it again in a heartbeat. This Korean guitar is up there with the Gibsons, Fenders and anyother US company out there.

22 frets, maple carved top, mahogany body. duncan designed humbuckers.
Les paul style control layout. Gold hardware. This is a beautiful looking guitar.

I play mainly hard/alternative rock and this suits my style very well. I run straight into a hughes and kettner triamp and a H&K 4x12 cab. I can go from clean transparent tones to full on chunky distortion with this. Not noisy at all, but I would prefer a slightly hotter pickup.

Great action, incredible finish. Flawless. I can't believe this is a Korean made guitar

I would never gig without a backup, but this guitar is both solid and light. It will last

Never dealt with them, but the store I got this from (Guitar World in Winnipeg) has always had great service and always fixed any problems I've had with other gear.

I've been playing now for 15 years, I also own an Ibanez AX-120 and a few pedals. I plan to gig with this guitar in the very near future. I have also owned Gibson LPs and US Strats and this guitar is the best I've had so far. great value for the money. If it were stolen i would replace it with the sane model A.S.A.P.

Okay, my review is going to contrast the other two quite drastically.
sorry guys. Mine is a black Les Paul Knock off that I bought as my first guitar. Black, 22 frets, two humbuckers, gold hardware, yadda, yadda, yadda. Here's the clincher. It's a bolt kneck with only three bolts.

My Style is very latter era U2. I like to make noise but not metal. It's a very raunchy guitar that gives good feedback. Clean sounds like hell. It's like theres something wrong with the pick ups. Out of phase or something? Also it's pretty much only good for chords. Picking just doesn't sound very good at all.

Here's where this really hits the fan in my book. First off, it actually looks okay. It's a very good looking guitar. However, Since it's a three bolt neck, the neck comes loose all the time, I'd say that I was waiting for the screws to strip the wood any time soon but since I've stopped playing this guitar, it's probably not getting any worse. The next problem with the neck is that it developed quite a warp in it. This is normally not a problem except that when the technician went to put his key on the truss rod, it wouldn't fit in because the factory didn't allow enough clearance in the headstock to actually reach the truss rod. The repairman said that he couldn't chisel it out either because it's too close to the back of the headstock and would break through. Just tellin' it like it is folks.
And finally, the pickup selector switch works sometimes and is noisy when it does. I am afraid to touch this guitar for fear of it breaking.

Looks good. Nice finish. I would not gig with this guitar. Heck, I wouldn't even carry this in a gig BAG for fear of the neck bustin' off. The strap buttons are solid. Gold hardware is tarnishing but what can you expect.

SInce I'm not a big fan of the store that I bought it, (terrible customer support. I'll give you a hint It's in To. and it's not
L.and M.) I tried to e-mail the company about the truss rod dilema (I at least want good action, I can give it away then) but have not heard back. This could mean terrible support but I'l give them the benefit of the dought. I don't return all of my e-mail

I've been playing for about five years. I wish I'd known more about electrics before I bought this one. Unfortunatly I had to by a lemon before learning my lesson. After learning this lesson, I scraped enough together to by an Epi Les Paul Junior for $169 and it is three times the guitarthat this one was. I've heard that Epiphone is also pretty bad with faulty guitars so I played about five different ones before finding one that that fit, played, looked, and worked perfectly. That's the moral of this story folks. I'm sure it's a tale told may times

Mine is a 1996 bought new in 1997. Like a Les Paul, but better - believe it! The body is scooped in the back to eliminate the annoying rib grinding you can get from the Gibsons, and the way it lays in makes the neck just that much smoother to work. It's got the standard LP layout with four knobs, three way switch, tune-o-matic bridge, dual humbuckers, gold hardware, decent inlay on the neck and beautiful inlay on the headstock. Neck, headstock and beautifully flamed body are fully multiple bound.

Yeah! Dark and full - it lets you know why you spent the dough for that Marshall amp. This guitar does so many things so well, I even got away with using it through a Roland JC120 behind a torch singer before I bought my jazzbox. It responds to all the standard effects powerfully and predictably. The only place I would NEVER go with this guitar is into surf lead or country lead. Go buy a Tele. Other than that, the sound is bigger and broader than you would ever imagine at the price. Gibson has been really outdone here, sorry!

The fit and finish simply defy logic at this price (how did they DO that)? The carved flame top is spectacular and the overall attention to detail carries throughout the guitar, body, neck, front, back - everywhere you look you find another reason to love it. The headstock inlay is so smooth that people who don't recognize the name think it's an ultra high buck boutique piece. The action is equally impressive. With a neck truss that actually works and a tune-o-matic, you can set it however you like. The difference here is the FEEL. This is the guitar the dealer played in the store.

I've been pounding on this guitar for three years now and have adjusted the bridge ONCE. One strap button got a little funky and I re-installed it with a little wood glue on the screw - problem solved. The finish is still mint except the gold plating on the neck pick up lower screw (no pickguard). The frets have taken a lot of bending with no noticeable wear. The only reason to back up this guitar is string breakage.

Never needed it. I would like to see more models in stock at the dealers. I can't imagine buying a guitar without playing it first.

I currently have six six-strings and two bass guitars. This is by far the easiest and fastest player of the bunch. When my son's friends come over to jam (yes, I let them play at my house) they all want to touch it. The only thing I don't like about this guitar is the weight. It is heavy - but that's what you get with a rock-solid instrument of this type. If it were lost or stolen I would call out the National Guard. I originally had a so-so case for it and recently took it to the Gibson dealer to buy proper protection. I handed it to their tech to try out. He told me to get it out of his store before the other customers saw it. Heh, heh, heh, this one's a keeper!

Purchased new 1999 model (made in Korea). Has 22 frets, solid flamed maple arched top with mahogany body and set neck (not bolt on). All gold hardware with tune-o-matic bridge, gotoh tuners with pearl knobs, strap buttons and input jack. No pickup guard (arched top). Honey violin transparent finish edged with multiple binding. Two humbucking pickups with two volume and two tone controls with 3 way treble/rhythm switch. Les Paul body style (actually a clone) with the neck in block pearl inlays and the headstock with Aria Pro II name in pearl inlay with a small pearl inlay design. Retail list price $899.00

Having previously owned a Gibson Les Paul custom (c. 1967) which I still regret selling and just playing acoustic for years I was trying to find a reasonably priced guitar that would come close to my old Les Paul's sound. Well I finally found it!!! If I close my eyes I would swear this was my old Les Paul!!! I currently have a KB/A 100 Peavey keyboard/acoustic amp (75 watts/rms with 15" woofer and horn tweeter) using Danelectro's coolcat chorus and Daddy O overdrive pedals. This guitar rocks!!! I play all varieties of music including pop, rock and heavy metal and this guitar covers them all with ease.

I was actually looking for a Washburn dealer so I could review a WI64 which according to reviews was close to what I was looking for. I traveled out of state to find a dealer which stocked this guitar. After a test run on the Washburn it just didn't feel or sound right. When I asked what other models he carried in this $$$ range he showed me the Aria Pro II PE-SPL and my jaw dropped!!! This guitar is striking since it has a beautiful flamed maple top, gold hardware and pearl inlays on the neck and headstock. The action was factory setup with a card signed by a technician for setup and quality inspection! The action was low and smooth with excellent feel!!! I could not find any problems with the hardware or finish.

I have had only minimal playing time but in my estimation this guitar is going withstand many years playing. In fact it has a lifetime warrantee to the original owner for labor and parts!!!

No experience with this company.

I have been playing guitar both electric and acoustic ( also own a Guild D25 c. 1975 which I purchased new) on and off for over 30 years. Based on the quality hardware, sound and finish including gold hardware, pearl inlays and flamed maple wood I would say this is an outstanding value that has incredible sound, playablility and is one beautiful sight to behold!!! If you been looking to buy a Les Paul but the $$$$ is just too steep then buy this one and then you can go buy that new amp!