Aria AD-80

Just a followup to my previous review:
It's year later and sounds even better!

I take it back, it can't beat a vintage D-35, but it's darn close to my new D-28 in sound!

Thank goodness for the thick glossy finish. A framed painting fell off the wall, right into my Aria hanging on its stand, and put a curving scratch all over the bottom bout. Months later I got some Novus and polished it out. Now, don't try it if the seal to the wood is broken- it'll lift the finish off as it invades under the varnish layer. But this took the scratch right out.
So it looks pretty new. Again.

The necks need dressed. The craftsmen don't take the same care MArtin does, and a few spots have buzzes if you hit hard with a pick. I'll have a good luthier friend do that.

So far so good. I'm putting in a pickup soon and will gig with it, no backup.

I got this 2nd-hand from a music school teacher in Florida, so a warranty is not likely.It's a factory 2nd. You'd never guess it though. There was a pinhole ding in the finish. I polished it out! There's a little hanger wear on the edge of the headstock bottom. That's gonna go too, when I work on it next.

A fantastic value. I see there's a less fancy version that turns up online for sale, and commands a pretty low price. I recommend getting one. For the price of a plain-Jane guitar, you get one whose sound rivals a Martin D-28 with looks like a D-41. Lots of real abalone all over the place.
Plus, if it get;s smacked around at a gig, you don't lose such a huge investment. It just makes sense all around.

Cosmetically, this is a dead ringer for a Martin D-42. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides, sitka spruce top. It has a rosewood fingerboard, but it's dark, so at first glance it looks like the ebony found on the D-42. Abalone rosette, snowflake fretboard markers, and top purfling are faithful to the D-42 design. Indeed, at first glance the only giveaway is that the Aria script logo on the headstock, while deceptively similar to the standard Martin headstock, is not typical of the D-4x series, which utilizes vertical block lettering for the Martin logo.

The sound is amazing. Very rich, very deep, very bell-like. It may sound like I'm hyperventilating, but I own an Martin D-41, a Gallagher Doc Watson Signature model, a Taylor 414ce Ltd (rosewood back and sides rather than the usual ovangkol), among other high-end acoustics, so I have a decent basis for comparison. This guitar is amazing; it compares favorably to any other guitar I've owned or have owned. All that for $549 with a Geib-style HS case.

Very low action from the factory, slightly less than 6/64" at the 12th fret on the low E, with no buzzing. The neck is a bit thin for my tastes: it measures .77" at the first fret, which is way less than my Martin and even less than my Taylor (.83"), but it's still a very comfortable guitar to play. The nut width is a pretty standard 1 11/16" ; I wish it was 1.75" like my Gallagher, Taylor, Tacoma and a few others. Fretwork, and the nut and saddle setup are impeccable.

Well constructed. The bracing appears solid, but by no means heavy or overbuilt, very Martin-like.

The finish on the top is slightly thick, and no doubt urethane or acrylic. The neck has a satin finish. This guitar appears to be VERY well constructed. No glue drips, no binding miscue's, no inlay filler: a great job, at least on this particular example, YMMV.

No idea.

Been playing for 35 years, own over 20 guitars currently (including some pretty high-end instruments), and have owned over 100 since I started playing. This is an impressive instrument, without even considering it's low cost. If you're interested in a Martin but don't have the bucks, and don't mind a thin-ish neck, you owe it to yourself to check out one of these. They also make an AD-150, which is a virtual copy of a D-45.

See previous

It excels any other guitar in its price range. To my ear, it beats a Martin D-35! Rich, full & accurate.

Everything looks wonderful and sounds and feels awesome.

Like, bulletproof, man.

Haven't needed it yet. Hope I never shall.

Definitely in its own class. I like to own and play a variety of guitars; but if I had to choose on, this is it! It's afactory 2nd with but a pinprick in the finish. Such a deal!

This guitar has a solid engleman spruce top. The grain is so tight it looks like one solid piece.
Beautiful book matched solid East Indian rosewood sides and back.
Perfectly inlaid abalone around the edges on top and around the sound hole
Rosewood fingerboard and neck.
The top has a gloss finish as do the sides and back.
The neck has a satin finish.
X braces that are scalloped.
Gold finish grover style tuners. These hold the strings quite well with no slippage.
The construction of this guitar is FLAWLESS! And I am a fanatic about detail. I can???t find a thing wrong. The Japanese take exception to detail both in the appearance and the inside construction. A guitar can look beautiful but it has to be put together right to produce and project a warm clean un-flat sound. They certainly have succeeded.

I believe I have covered the sound above. A huge loud projection with clean neutral mid???s with just the right balance in treble. One of the best guitars I have ever played in my 25 years.

The action is low without any fret buzz. Even when played fairly hard. The fit and finish on this guitar is better then my Martin D-40. Which is a little disappointing. Not one flaw. The sound is unbelievable. I had heard that the Aria AD-80, although imported was a guitar worth owning. It is. It is also becoming impossible to find. If you can get one
Buy it. You won???t be sorry. Will be a great investment.

This guitar should last a lifetime.

I have spoken with the people at ARIA international and find them most helpful in terms of information. There are no problems with this guitar. If there were, I feel confident it would be handled well.

I???m not going to bore you with my background. This is one of 60 guitars I have played in my lifetime. Some of the best. I would have no problem saying this is one of them. Especially for a guitar under $3000.00.

Solid Engleman Spruce Top
Solid Rosewood Back and Sides
Rosewood Fingerboard and Bridge
Mahogany Neck with Rosewood on top of headstock
Gold Grover tuners
Abalone inlayed around Soundhole Rosette
Abalone inlayed around body top edge binding
Tortoise style teardrop pickguard
D-28 style checkered backstrip down the middle of the back
White plastic neck and body binding and endpin strip
White plastic binding around headstock
Diamond Volute on back of neck like Martins have

This sound on this guitar was unbelievable. Like others have said, it is VERY LOUD first of all. Probably the loudest guitar I have ever played, let alone owned. However, it is not just loud, but also rich and full with plenty of overtones thrown in. The bass is very deep and loud, but not overly boomy as to throw the rest of the tone off balance. In other words, it is very balanced across the entire tonal spectrum. The trebles are unbelievably clear and rich. They just cut through and ring out so true and clear like no other guitar I have played. Better than my Martin does, even. I've taken this to jam sessions with fiddles, banjos, and mandolins, and this guitar cuts through the mix like no other I have ever played. I finally have a guitar that I feel is on equal ground with the other instruments like those mentioned above. I don't have to drive it hard in order to be heard. I have played it with other guitars one on one, and I have to be careful that I don't overpower the other guitar as it is so loud. I'm not sure what the Engleman spruce has to do with all this, but it must be a factor in it somehow. For Bluegrass and Old Time, this guitar truly qualifies as a cannon in my opinion. It is very close in tone to a 40's series Martin. In fact, if recorded, one would be hard pressed to tell it wasn't a Martin.

The guitar was set-up well when I got it. The only thing that I didn't like with it, was the string spacing at the nut, which was narrower than all of my other guitars that have a 1 & 11/16" nut width. So I remedied this by installing a bone nut where I cut the string slots a little wider and this made it much better like my other guitars are. I also changed the saddle out to bone, which I do on all my guitars anyway. The outside finish is perfectly done, and the workmanship on the inside is well-done, although the kerfling slots were cut a little sloppy where the horizontal back strips meet them at the sides. Not a whole lot worse than some Martins I've seen though. Otherwise it was just as good as most mass-produced mid-priced to high-end guitars are these days. The quality of the top Engleman spruce is top-notch. Grainlines are tight and very even across the board. In fact, so tight that you can hardly see them. The back rosewood is book-matched beautifully, and the rosewood near the end-pin is book-matched pretty close as well. The neck on this guitar is very thin, even thinner than my Martin's low-profile neck. I'd say that it is as thin as some of the Taylors necks before they made some of them a little thicker more recently. The tuners work very evenly and smoothly, and their ratio is 14:1. They hold their tuning very well with no sloppiness or jumping. The frets are a little higher than my other guitars though. Possibly they are what are called "jumbo" frets? This can make the action seem higher, but it is still easy to play where I have the action adjusted to. The abalone inlay around the soundhole and body is cut perfectly and looks very elegant. This guitar has a lot of bling, as some use the term. The neck markers are neat and precise and look really nice. The inlayed "stars" on the bridge are a nice additional touch to this guitar. The frets are cut well with no sharp edges.

This guitar seems very solid and is built very well. I have no worry about durability issues here. It should hold up as good as any other quality-made guitars out there. I don't worry about taking it out to play, except that I don't want to scratch it up when taking it out because it is such a nice looking guitar.

Haven't had any reason to get it repaired yet, and since I bought it used off of Ebay, I won't be able to use the warranty ever. I haven't had to deal with the company yet, so I can't really give a valid opinion on this.

I own a Martin D-16RGT, a Larrivee D-03, a Taylor 110, and a Takamine FP-400S 12-string guitar. This Aria fits in nicely with the type of guitars I own, and is quite often the first guitar I reach for when wanting to play. I love the volume it produces and the tone just begs me to play it. I enjoy playing this guitar, and have gotten many positive comments about it's tone from other respected musicians. I feel fortunate to have gotten this for such a great price, and to have gotten one at all since this particular model is not being sold in the USA, but only in Europe. The rumors circulated by some that Martin has given them a "cease and desist" order is simply not true. And according to Aria, they are still being made for the European market. Why they aren't marketed here in USA is unknown to me. It certainly does look like a Martin, even down to the name across the headstock with "Est. 1956" just like Martins have their "Est. 1833" under the name on the headstock. From a distance, one would be hard-pressed to tell it wasn't a Martin, and by the sound it certainly seems like one. I will want to hang on to this guitar and I hope to never sell it as it is a "keeper" for sure! My advice to others reading this, is to get one while you can. You won't regret it, trust me!

all solid wood copy of a martin d-40 great tuners perfect finish compared in a music store to a d28 hd28 and d35 sounds every bit as good and louder than all 3 put together

rich and full perfect for bluegrass a real cannon great for fingerpicking cant say enough about it use cleartone strings better than elixer or all the strings out there

setup was perfect perfect bookmatch action was the best could not find any flaws perfect finish

take it to a blue grass festival and watch it blow all the rest away I did thanks for making one of the best guitars it blew my guil d-55 away and i sold the guild that was my secound d-55 i dont miss it a bit had excessive buzz witch i never liked

never had to deal with the company never had to repair it

playing for 25 years would by another in a minute like i said i compared it to a martin d28 hd28 d35 and aguil d55 play it you beleve the sound the sound for about 1500 dollars cheaper for an all solid wood guitar

This one is a 2006. I think it might be made in Japan although it doesn't matter because it is top quality. I do know the President of Aria is Japanese. This dreadnaught has beautiful solid rosewood back and sides with herringbone strip down the back. Top is a solid englemann spruce with abalone binding all the way around the body and sound hole. The spruce on my guitar is really neat because there is some burl in it from the way they cut the wood. The neck is made of solid mohogany and is really straight. The fretboard is made of rosewood and it has inlaid abalone snowflakes and crosses. The saddle also has abalone snowflakes on each side. I'm not sure what the tuning keys are but they are very smooth and accurate. I bought this guitar with a TKL case. Guitar comes with manual and truss rod wrench.

I play alot of Jerry Reed, Django Reinhardt, Kenny Sultan, Rosenburg Trio. I like musicians that have there own style and creativity. This guitar is very loud. The teacher that I bought it from says it's the loudest spruce dreadnaught he has ever heard. I would have to agree that it is very LOUD! This guitar has a very even tone but more bright than say a cedar top. I can't really say that I have any dislikes because the craftsmanship is superb! This guitar isn't boomy sounding but has more of an even tone. That may change in a few years when it starts to open up.

Action is PERFECT!!!! I would put this up against a Martin any day of the week when it comes to the action. The action was superb right out of the case(box). Frets were shining and smooth. The neck is super straight and stiff. The string height was perfect. It is flawless!

It's too soon to say, but I believe it will. Especially if the owner takes good care of it and keeps it in a climate controlled environment. The guitar's weight is heavier than my Alvarez but I like it heavy. It feels more stout. The finish is about perfect, so it should keep her looking nice and glossy. Mic'ed or not this guitar would definitely hold its own.

I don't really know much about the support but I have heard that they stand behind their product.

I have been playing for about 8 years. I play on an electric more than acoustically. I own a Les Paul, an Alvarez MD60 and this guitar. The Alvarez is definitely louder right now but that may change when the aging process begins with this beauty. As far as tone I really can't compare the two, because they are very different sounding guitars due to the fact of the tops being two completely different types of wood. Cedar is very soft so it will be alot warmer than spruce. Spruce with age becomes very loud and boomy. I'm am definitely glad I bought this guitar with a nice case because this is a very high quality instrument. The thing that blew me away about this guitar was the superb action job! Smooth frets , no buzzes, no pings, rattles of any kind. Even the strings that come with it are great. It feels like I'm playing on an electric but with the strings a little bit higher. If this guitar were lost or stolen I wouldn't think twice about buying another one. I want to thank Shiro Arai for creating such an affordable, beautiful, and superior instrument.

Mine is a new guitar made in 2003. Not sure where made; Japan or China? Beautiful grained, solid spruce top, solid rosewood sides and back. Abalone inlay in the top and sound hole, bridge and rosewood fingerboard.

I play jazz and soecialize in the great American standards. The sound suits what I do beautifully, but could handle any venue you choose. This instrument can only get better as it ages, and is a match for any higher line Guild or Gibson acoustic out there.

Received this instrument with a nice medium action. Fingerboard is straight as an arrow with no excessive buzz on any frets. The construction of this instrument is on the scale of the higher line American acoustic guitars. I find no imperfections whatsoever. And believe me, I looked! I am known as a real stickler.

Since I have just recently acquired the guitar, I can't comment on longevity. However,the guitar's construction seems to be more than sufficient to handle respectable playing.

Warranty is limited lifetime. I have heard nothing but positive input about the company. I feel secure in my purchase.

I've been playing for over 40 years. I've been teaching for 30.
I also own a handmade Campellone Deluxe Jazz Guitar, a D'Aquisto and a Fender Telacaster (American Made), along with a number of other guitars.
I would definitely purchase another one if it were lost or stolen.
I love the overall sound, action, construction and looks. As I said previously, you would have to spend anywhere from $1500 to $2000 to
duplicate this made in America.

this guitar is an all solid wood dreadnought guitar, no electronics, solid engelman spruce top, solid east indian rosewood back and sides, this guitar has scalloped braces, I checked this myself, real abalone inlay in the top, sound hole, bridge and rosewood fingerboard,gloss finish on body, satin on neck, nice gold grover style tuners, no case included, import , may be chinese, no place of manufacture on guitar I can find

I collect martin and martin copy guitars so I had to try one of these out, nice full sound, these will be good bluegrass guitars now and when they get some breaking in they should really sound, love the sound of this guitar right out of the box

this guitar was set up for me just a tad low from the factory, but I flat pick and drive a guitar fairly hard, so I just loosened the truss rod , plays good now, I don't know how the wood will be in all of these, but the wood on mine is very high quality, when I recieved the guitar I was suprised how good the finish and workmanship and set-up was, frets was smooth , no flaws I can find

If you purchase one of these guitars I would use nothing no heavier than light gauge 12 to 54, the top is scalloped braced which makes for more sound but may belly up with medium strings, this guitar seems to be built solid, with a little care it should hold up well

Ive dealt with aria before on another instrument, they took care of the problem with no hassle,the warranty is a limited lifetime

I own gibson and martin flatops, and several copies, I have been playing for thirty years, If you want as good a martin copy as I have ever found, try one of these, they ain't martins but they do sound and look good, if it were lost or stolen, I would buy another one in a minute, looks good , sounds good, good price