megallica Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Bought this from a seller on gumtree - been looking for an Aria with a more P bass type neck. Just finished setting it up as it's been unplayed now for ten years. Lovely low action and great tonal options from both pickups. I've always wanted to try an Aria bass after seeing Cliff Burton play an SB-1000 and SB-Elite black and gold. I then found out that those models have a more Jazz bass type skinny neck and I don't really get on with that neck profile. It's an 1985 model and thankfully all orginal. [IMG]http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww129/darkskies/STA40324.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocco Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 That's lush. I used to have an elite II in white. I think they're pretty much the same electronically. How are you finding the neck profile and narrow string spacing? I think I'd have kept mine had it been a natural finish. The white and gold was a bit glam for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megallica Posted December 18, 2012 Author Share Posted December 18, 2012 The neck is wide but quite slim i.e. not too chunky and the string spacing is very similar to my old Schecter bass which I really liked. My favourite colour is the red padouk finish they do but I'm liking this oak too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDrill Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Very nice. I had several Arias back in the '80s. My favs were an SB1000 (oak) which weighed the same as a small family car and a fabulous SB900 (walnut) fretless which I loved and the Philistines in the band hated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megallica Posted December 18, 2012 Author Share Posted December 18, 2012 [quote name='DrDrill' timestamp='1355840296' post='1903446'] Very nice. I had several Arias back in the '80s. My favs were an SB1000 (oak) which weighed the same as a small family car and a fabulous SB900 (walnut) fretless which I loved and the Philistines in the band hated... [/quote] What is it that makes the SB1000 so heavy, was it the difference in the weight of oak and walnut? And did the SB900 have the same neck profile as the SB1000? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355853999' post='1903733']What is it that makes the SB1000 so heavy, was it the difference in the weight of oak and walnut? And did the SB900 have the same neck profile as the SB1000?[/quote] The finish is called "Oak" or "Walnut", it's a stain. The wings are made with either Sen ash or Canadian ash (depending on year of manufacture). And, yes, the original 900 had the same through neck (materials and dimensions) as the 1000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355827352' post='1903144']It's an 1985 model ...[/quote] By the way, you sure about that year of manufacture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDrill Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Mine were Canadian Ash if I remember correctly and the necks were indeed the same, Jazzish rather than Pbass, I liked the 900 better it had a far wider tonal capability, if it had been fretted it would have been ideal. I also had a blue CSB380 and a red LEB something or other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybass 70 Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Sweet Man, that one slipped me by, if you don't mind me asking how much did you pay ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megallica Posted December 18, 2012 Author Share Posted December 18, 2012 [quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1355854402' post='1903742'] By the way, you sure about that year of manufacture? [/quote] The serial number ends in an 85 so I think it is from then. Although the site at [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_(guitar_company)#Aria_Pro_II_Guitars"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_(guitar_company)#Aria_Pro_II_Guitars[/url] says they were only made between 1979 and 1983. I did ask the seller and he bought it second hand in the late 80's, so he wasn't sure when it was made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Very nice, and when I was younger, a very desirable thing and still desirable now. Give us a review compared to some modern and trad (P/J) basses if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 (edited) [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355867897' post='1903939']The serial number ends in an 85 so I think it is from then.[/quote] No. Six digits is 70s. Seven digits is 80s. First digit is year. [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355867897' post='1903939'][T]he site at [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_(guitar_company)#Aria_Pro_II_Guitars"]http://en.wikipedia...._Pro_II_Guitars[/url] says they were only made between 1979 and 1983.[/quote] No. Those dates are often quoted but are wrong. First examples manufactured late '80. Edited December 18, 2012 by noelk27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355867897' post='1903939'] [b]The serial number ends in an 85[/b] so I think it is from then. Although the site at [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_(guitar_company)#Aria_Pro_II_Guitars"]http://en.wikipedia...._Pro_II_Guitars[/url] says they were only made between 1979 and 1983. I did ask the seller and he bought it second hand in the late 80's, so he wasn't sure when it was made. [/quote] Ah... Other end. If it's an '85 then the S/N ought to [i]start[/i] with a 5. As to the weight, a lot of it rests in the hardware; If you take off the pickups & that mahoosive die-cast bridge it knocks a significant amount off. Another factor is that gorgeous cut of Ash that makes up the body; my SB-900 has a boring grain but the growth rings are almost ruler straight and only a couple of mm apart - slow grown timber usually has a higher density - same goes for the maple in the neck. Quality with a capital Q. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megallica Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thanks guys, its a seven digit serial begining with a 3 so it will be 1983 then. Confusing as the serial number ends with 85... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355903761' post='1904117'][I]ts a seven digit serial begining with a 3 so it will be 1983 then.[/quote] Indeed it will. By the way, your R80 (almost identical to the Elite II) has a 40mm nut and 18mm bridge pitch, and the slimmer/shallower, more "C" shaped neck. The 900, of which the R80 is a revision, had a 45mm nut and 16mm bridge pitch, and the fatter/deeper, more "U" shaped neck. The 900 and the 1000 used identical timbers and dimensions (well, the second version of the 1000 as introduced late '78). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megallica Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 [quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1355927034' post='1904570'] Indeed it will. By the way, your R80 (almost identical to the Elite II) has a 40mm nut and 18mm bridge pitch, and the slimmer/shallower, more "C" shaped neck. The 900, of which the R80 is a revision, had a 45mm nut and 16mm bridge pitch, and the fatter/deeper, more "U" shaped neck. The 900 and the 1000 used identical timbers and dimensions (well, the second version of the 1000 as introduced late '78). [/quote] Thanks for the info - the nut on my R80 is 42mm, but what's 2mm between friends lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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