Aria Cliff Burton Signature

[fretmeister]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358737718' post='1944333']
How??
[/quote]

Because if you ordered it from Japan you would then have to pay VAT and 4.4% import tax on it, to bring it into the UK.

[jaybass 70]

Do you think that this release from aria will bump up the value of the original Black'n'golds

[Dood]

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1358455356' post='1939649']
Rumour is Aria was set to commission FujiGen to build these reissues. Did you see anything mentioned in the product literature to confirm this? Or did it go back to Tokai?
[/quote]

I can't remember! I have to admit. I'll find a link to my reviews later too.

[dudewheresmybass]

They will be available here at £3999

[Dingus]

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1358766695' post='1944508']
They will be available here at £3999
[/quote]

That is a lot of money for an Aria SB1000 !

Lovely basses for sure , but not four grands worth in my book . Such a shame because I would love one of these . Not a Cliff or Metallica fan particulaly , but when I started playing in the 80s these basses were some of the best on the market , but unfortunately out of my price range at the time . This reissue has enabled them to be out of my price range once more ! Thanks Aria , I feel like I'm 13 all over again .

[BigRedX]

Unfortunately the days when "Made In Japan" meant a quality instrument at a very attractive price are long gone. The current poor ¥ - £ exchange rate doesn't help either.

[Dingus]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1358769340' post='1944563']
Unfortunately the days when "Made In Japan" meant a quality instrument at a very attractive price are long gone. The current poor ¥ - £ exchange rate doesn't help either.
[/quote]

Would you agree that Made In Japan still means quality, though ? Some of the best made instruments I have had in my hands in recent years have been made there , and I think that the Japanese don't just talk a good game when it come to making things properly ; more often than not they deliver something made as it should be . Made in Japan is a mark of quality nowadays , and has been for a long time . As you point out , that isn't going to come cheap anymore . But four grand ..?

Edited January 21, 2013 by Dingus

[Chris2112]

It looks cool and I am sure it will be very well made. Someone out there will buy them, no doubt. Remember those awful Dean 'John Entwistle' basses? They didn't have trouble selling those at high prices! I like the look of this, and given that Cliff's dad is onboard, I think it's quite a cool project. Good luck to them and whoever gets to enjoy these basses!

[Dood]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358769781' post='1944572']
Would you agree that Made In Japan still means quality, though ? Some of the best made instruments I have had in my hands in recent years have been made there , and I think that the Japanese don't just talk a good game when it come to making things properly ; more often than not they deliver something made as it should be . Made in Japan is a mark of quality nowadays , and has been for a long time . As you point out , that isn't going to come cheap anymore . But four grand ..?
[/quote]

I am very very pleased with my 'non-export' Precision. I did buy it when the price was low, but even now, it still stands up against current priced premium european models.

[noelk27]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358768878' post='1944558']That is a lot of money for an Aria SB1000 ![/quote]
It's not an SB1000, it's an SB-B&G I, which is derived from the SB700/SB-R60 model(s).
[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1358764224' post='1944469']Because if you ordered it from Japan you would then have to pay VAT and 4.4% import tax on it, to bring it into the UK.[/quote]
The priced quoted in Yen is the list in Japan, and the street price is likely to be lower. You'd also have to deduct the 5 per cent Japanese sales tax to make a true comparison.

Initial information I saw indicated that Aria was commissioning the FujiGen Custom Shop to build the B&G I Limited Edition. The FujiGen Custom Shop is easily the equal - if not the better - of the Fender Masterbuilt Workshop and many boutique makers. If you go back and look at the list price of the Ibanez Musician and Greco Anniversary, which had prices in the UK of circa £6,500 and £7,000 respectively, at circa £4,000 in the UK the "Aria" is quite cheap.

Edited January 21, 2013 by noelk27

[Dingus]

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1358778809' post='1944809']
It's not an SB1000, it's an SB-B&G I, which is derived from the SB700/SB-R60 model(s).

The priced quoted in Yen is the list in Japan, and the street price is likely to be lower. You'd also have to deduct the 5 per cent Japanese sales tax to make a true comparison.

Initial information I saw indicated that Aria was commissioning the FujiGen Custom Shop to build the B&G I Limited Edition. The FujiGen Custom Shop is easily the equal - if not the better - of the Fender Masterbuilt Workshop and many boutique makers. If you go back and look at the list price of the Ibanez Musician and Greco Anniversary, which had prices in the UK of circa £6,500 and £7,000 respectively, at circa £4,000 in the UK the "Aria" is quite cheap.
[/quote]

Black and gold finish aside ( how much extra cash is that worth ? ) , the two models you mention were arguably inferior to the SB1000 . These basses are still not worth £4000 when you look at what else you can get for the money , and what you would be getting for your money if you bought one of these , in my opinion .

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358769781' post='1944572']
Would you agree that Made In Japan still means quality, though ? Some of the best made instruments I have had in my hands in recent years have been made there , and I think that the Japanese don't just talk a good game when it come to making things properly ; more often than not they deliver something made as it should be . Made in Japan is a mark of quality nowadays , and has been for a long time . As you point out , that isn't going to come cheap anymore . But four grand ..?
[/quote]

Yes what I was implying was that Japanese instruments used to be very cheap for the quality of design and construction. These days they sell for what are far more realistic prices. On top of that the currently strong Yen doesn't help matters when the instruments reach the UK. 5-6 years ago they would have been almost half the price.

[Dingus]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1358780396' post='1944832']
Yes what I was implying was that Japanese instruments used to be very cheap for the quality of design and construction. These days they sell for what are far more realistic prices. On top of that the currently strong Yen doesn't help matters when the instruments reach the UK. 5-6 years ago they would have been almost half the price.
[/quote]

I had no idea that the yen was so strong against the pound . I know the Japanese economy had it's own crisis a few years before that in the West , but they seem to have dealt with it it far more effectively than we seem able to at the moment ..

[Dingus]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358780066' post='1944826']
Black and gold finish aside ( how much extra cash is that worth ? ) , the two models you mention were arguably inferior to the SB1000 . These basses are still not worth £4000 when you look at what else you can get for the money , and what you would be getting for your money if you bought one of these , in my opinion .
[/quote]

To put it another way , these look like they will be cracking basses , but you could spend £4000 far more wisely unless you were a Cliff Burton or Aria basses obsessive .

[dwh87]

Having the Metallica brand involved doesn't help. ESP had the JH20 listed at $20k and the Iron Cross not much less. Being friendly with a dealer and getting discount helps but it's still serious money.

[noelk27]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358783083' post='1944880']I had no idea that the yen was so strong against the pound . I know the Japanese economy had it's own crisis a few years before that in the West , but they seem to have dealt with it it far more effectively than we seem able to at the moment ..[/quote]
Well, unemployment in Japan is running at roughly double it's historical average. Since the start of the world financial crisis it has hit a record high, in 2009, and continues to remain high. Corporate insolvency has been at record levels, since the last spike in the 80s. Personal bankruptcy is also on the rise, since the end of the last boom, in the 90s. In the last couple of years it has been consistently trading at a deficit, and has dropped from second to third in the table of the world's economies. Japan has also been heavily criticised by the International Monetary Fund for its failure to deal with its long-term borrowing and its low tax revenue levels. Its economy is not in a good state. A lot of similar things could be said about the UK, but since the start of the financial crisis, when the pound was buying circa 250 Yen, in recent times the pound has been buying between 120 and 130 Yen. Your buying power against the Yen has halved since 2007. But, you're a little better off this week, as your pound would buy you circa 140 Yen.

Edited January 21, 2013 by noelk27

[Dingus]

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1358794433' post='1945183']
Well, unemployment in Japan is running at roughly double it's historical average. Since the start of the world financial crisis it has hit a record high, in 2009, and continues to remain high. Corporate insolvency has been at record levels, since the last spike in the 80s. Personal bankruptcy is also on the rise, since the end of the last boom, in the 90s. In the last couple of years it has been consistently trading at a deficit, and has dropped from second to third in the table of the world's economies. Japan has also been heavily criticised by the International Monetary Fund for its failure to deal with its long-term borrowing and its low tax revenue levels. Its economy is not in a good state. A lot of similar things could be said about the UK, but since the start of the financial crisis, when the pound was buying circa 250 Yen, in recent times the pound has been buying between 120 and 130 Yen. Your buying power against the Yen has halved since 2007. But, you're a little better off this week, as your pound would buy you circa 140 Yen.
[/quote]

Japans "lost decade " that followed its economic bubble is a well -documented trajectory , but there is a broad consensus that since bottoming out in 2009 the Japanese economy is at least facing up to the realities of their situation . The same cannot be said of sucessive British governments since 2007 . Japan are dealing with their economic crisis better than the U.K and several other Western economies because they are being painfully honest with themselves about the sheer scale of the task they face . They have to - they have had twenty long years of relative turmoil . The British government and others like them still cling to the idea that the current problems can be solved by shuffling things about a bit . As a result , I have every confidence that in this country we are heading for a period in the economic wilderness equal to or greater than that endured so far by Japan .

[magcom1977]

Interesting that the string gauge is quite light - Strings:[b] Rotosound RS66LB (35, 55, 70, 90)[/b]

I wonder if that points at a higher action, presumably how Cliff had it set up.

[Mark Dixon]

If I wanted this style of bass, I think I'd pass on £4kfor a reissue and get a 1980s SB1000 for £700ish off eBay..

[Gully35]

There's only 250 being made. Seems pretty dumb considering the amount of cliff Burton bass enthusiasts out there. They could have made it a price more in line with what it's actually worth and produced more of them.
How many of them will be bought be rich Metallica who can't even play bass?

[Lynottfan]

4K for an Arai SB, no chance, good bass, tried one back in the day as they say, but 4k I 'aint gonna pay!

[Clarky]

Guitar Guitar have one coming in for £3,999 http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=13012210272519

[matski]

I think I bought my SB B&G I for £250ish brand new in 1983, so 4 grand does seem a bit ridiculous....

[Musicman20]

What exactly is so good about it for £4k?!

[Dingus]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1367015805' post='2060423']
What exactly is so good about it for £4k?!
[/quote]

Short answer : nothing .

These Aria's were decent basses , but not worth four grand in any way , shape or form . I am sure they are made to high standards , but they are still not worth four thousand pounds Sterling as an instrument , especially when you look at what else you can get for that money . According to the recent review in Bass Player magazine the pickup is microphonic , too , which would render it useless to yours truly even if Aria gave me one for free ( unlikely ) .

Edited April 27, 2013 by Dingus