Aria Basses - fallen from grace??

[ubit]

I have never tried one. I remember years ago a guy in another band used to have an Aria Pro II and I thought they must be good but to be honest I was never a fan of their body shape. Thinking back, his bass sound wasn't all that great anyway but it fitted in the mix.

[Doctor J]

Be aware, I had an Armstrong to replace a dead pickup in an SB-R80. The Armstrong sounds nothing, absolutely nothing, like the original MB pickups. It's the same shape, nothing more. It was a woeful mismatch with the other original pickup.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Doctor J

[Cosmo Valdemar]

45 minutes ago, bartelby said:

 

Rautia aren't taking new orders at the moment.

Yeah, I saw that on their website. I hope they are ok.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

34 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Be aware, I had an Armstrong to replace a dead pickup in an SB-R80. The Armstrong sounds nothing, absolutely nothing, like the original MB pickups. It's the same shape, nothing more. It was a woeful mismatch with the other original pickup.

Oh dear! That's disappointing. 

[mcnach]

On 05/11/2018 at 23:46, 12stringbassist said:

I should use this more often....

 

whoa, that's a tiny bass!!!

 

 

[bartelby]

On 26/04/2022 at 08:49, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Oh dear! That's disappointing. 

 

 

I've just been comparing my Armstrong loaded SB Elite with my original SB Black & Gold.
The output from the Armstrong is so much lower than the original Aria pickup, despite that it's meant to be matched.

 

Plugging into Logic and using a meter, with everything set the same, the Armstrong is about 8dB down. 
Once Rautia start taking orders again I shall be getting a replacement.
I quite fancy trying one of his multi coil pickups and a Lusithand preamp

[Cosmo Valdemar]

53 minutes ago, bartelby said:

 

 

I've just been comparing my Armstrong loaded SB Elite with my original SB Black & Gold.
The output from the Armstrong is so much lower than the original Aria pickup, despite that it's meant to be matched.

 

Plugging into Logic and using a meter, with everything set the same, the Armstrong is about 8dB down. 
Once Rautia start taking orders again I shall be getting a replacement.
I quite fancy trying one of his multi coil pickups and a Lusithand preamp

After much experimenting yesterday I've decided I'll probably just stick with the stock pickup after all 😁

 

 

[bartelby]

5 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

After much experimenting yesterday I've decided I'll probably just stick with the stock pickup after all 😁

 

 

 

If it's still fully working then that's probably the best bet. I got the Armstrong because 1/2 the original pickup failed.

[Derek Lavington]

Apologies for being somewhat late to the party, but I played an SB1000 back in the day, not coz of Cliff Burton or even John Taylor but simply coz the thing was so much superior to anything else. Through loads of agency gigging and studio work, no one ever complained or questioned why I played an SB1000 rather than a Precision/Jazz. Fair to say the SB1000 was far more hard wearing, versatile, faster playing, better sounding, and a damn sight cheaper than the alternatives. 

 

So after some 30 years after my aspiring musical career inevitably foundered on the rock that is family, career, and responsibility, I found myself at a time of life where I had both the time and money to indulge in literally whatever bass I wanted. While my first thoughts were towards a second hand SB1000, i was intrigued by reports that Aria had rereleased the model. However, try as I might, no UK distributor had the model or was able to order it. Even US distributors indicated that they had no stock and no foreseeable hope of getting any. In the end, contacting Aria distributors across the world, even Japan, either resulted in disappointment or concerns over the provenance of what was being offered. Online searches pretty much suggest the rereleased SB1000's were a limited run and got snapped up literally as soon as they hit the ground. 

 

In the end, I ended up getting a Specter NS Dimension which, while being an incredible bass, is about as far from a an SB1000 as you can possibly get. Then Karma struck in the way she so often does in the form of a dealer in Denmark (nope, not Bass Buddha) with a (very) limited stock of SB1000's. Not believing a word of it, I asked the chap to confirm and he remained  entirely admanant he had the 'real thing' and not some second hand monstrosity or, worse still, a 1GB-50 (to be fair it's not a bad bass, but certainly not an SB1000).  

 

Bear in mind that this kind of unicorn doesn't come cheap, even more so when you live in a country that has stupidly and pointlessly left the European Union in such a way as to incur exorbitant import duties on said already expensive bass. However, buying a real brand new SB1000 isn't something to be undertaken on a limited budget or any kind of common sense. Anyhow, my Danish friend was as good as his word and is someone I would go out on a limb to recommend.

 

So how does a brand new SB1000 compare to current basses? Well the neck is still a thing to behold, being thinner and faster than younger peepz and Fender afficionados will be used to. The fretboard together with the neck-thru construction still impresses with its incredible sustain and, yes, it's still as ridiculously heavy and back breaking as ever it was. This isn't a bass for the feint hearted. Whereas today you might just get an oak top, the wings on an SB1000 are pure un-adulturated oak. While not a believer in tone wood, I would really love to think the extra density contributes to something more than aching shoulders and lower back problems. I guess the upside is that it looks impressive as it feels.

 

The same thing goes for the monolithic bridge, industrial strength tuners, and brass nut. Everything is geared to scare the s**t out of you in order to totally max the sustain. And there's no  delicacy in the design of the single massive pick up, or the controls that go with it, which were likely conceived in a first world war trench with a view to beating an unsuspecting enemy to a pulp. In every respect, the instrument looks and feels like it was built to last at least another 30 years while still reminding you of everything cool about John Taylor playing 'Rio' back in 1982.

 

Clearly it's a personal opinion, but this is one of those instruments worth selling your kids, wife and whole damn family for. It looks, feels, sounds, entirely different from a modern bass, but not in the same way as your grandfather's crappy precision, ridiculously overpriced Ricks, or weird shaped neck-diving Gibbos. To be fair, the SB1000 is best played sitting down (unless you want to make frequent and repeated visits to a chiropractor). However, it is still arguably the pinnacle of Japanese bass design in terms of its sheer playability and sound. Alas, the cost and difficulty of getting hold of one of these unicorns makes it very much a cult instrument which I suspect will appeal only to those who find impossible missions impossible to resist.  

Edited July 16, 2022 by Derek Lavington

[Rayman]

As others have already said….. the later budget models have lead people to believe that Aria aren’t exactly top end. I’ve had a couple of older Integra models, both Korean, 90s/00s, and both absolutely fabulous. My main two basses now consist of one of those basses partnering my Yamaha, and I love them both equally. While the Yamaha was considerably more expensive, the Aria was only 200 quid used, they’re both equal in terms of sound/playability and I love them both.

 

In short, find a decent one (same with ANY brand) and you can’t go wrong.

 

 

 

[Jonesy]

Has anyone got any info on the Aria Pro 2 Magna fretless? Any good or bad points about them? Ones come up for sale not too far away and is pretty tempting......

[KevP]

On 16/07/2022 at 23:58, Derek Lavington said:

Apologies for being somewhat late to the party, but I played an SB1000 back in the day, not coz of Cliff Burton or even John Taylor but simply coz the thing was so much superior to anything else. Through loads of agency gigging and studio work, no one ever complained or questioned why I played an SB1000 rather than a Precision/Jazz. Fair to say the SB1000 was far more hard wearing, versatile, faster playing, better sounding, and a damn sight cheaper than the alternatives. 

 

So after some 30 years after my aspiring musical career inevitably foundered on the rock that is family, career, and responsibility, I found myself at a time of life where I had both the time and money to indulge in literally whatever bass I wanted. While my first thoughts were towards a second hand SB1000, i was intrigued by reports that Aria had rereleased the model. However, try as I might, no UK distributor had the model or was able to order it. Even US distributors indicated that they had no stock and no foreseeable hope of getting any. In the end, contacting Aria distributors across the world, even Japan, either resulted in disappointment or concerns over the provenance of what was being offered. Online searches pretty much suggest the rereleased SB1000's were a limited run and got snapped up literally as soon as they hit the ground. 

 

In the end, I ended up getting a Specter NS Dimension which, while being an incredible bass, is about as far from a an SB1000 as you can possibly get. Then Karma struck in the way she so often does in the form of a dealer in Denmark (nope, not Bass Buddha) with a (very) limited stock of SB1000's. Not believing a word of it, I asked the chap to confirm and he remained  entirely admanant he had the 'real thing' and not some second hand monstrosity or, worse still, a 1GB-50 (to be fair it's not a bad bass, but certainly not an SB1000).  

 

Bear in mind that this kind of unicorn doesn't come cheap, even more so when you live in a country that has stupidly and pointlessly left the European Union in such a way as to incur exorbitant import duties on said already expensive bass. However, buying a real brand new SB1000 isn't something to be undertaken on a limited budget or any kind of common sense. Anyhow, my Danish friend was as good as his word and is someone I would go out on a limb to recommend.

 

So how does a brand new SB1000 compare to current basses? Well the neck is still a thing to behold, being thinner and faster than younger peepz and Fender afficionados will be used to. The fretboard together with the neck-thru construction still impresses with its incredible sustain and, yes, it's still as ridiculously heavy and back breaking as ever it was. This isn't a bass for the feint hearted. Whereas today you might just get an oak top, the wings on an SB1000 are pure un-adulturated oak. While not a believer in tone wood, I would really love to think the extra density contributes to something more than aching shoulders and lower back problems. I guess the upside is that it looks impressive as it feels.

 

The same thing goes for the monolithic bridge, industrial strength tuners, and brass nut. Everything is geared to scare the s**t out of you in order to totally max the sustain. And there's no  delicacy in the design of the single massive pick up, or the controls that go with it, which were likely conceived in a first world war trench with a view to beating an unsuspecting enemy to a pulp. In every respect, the instrument looks and feels like it was built to last at least another 30 years while still reminding you of everything cool about John Taylor playing 'Rio' back in 1982.

 

Clearly it's a personal opinion, but this is one of those instruments worth selling your kids, wife and whole damn family for. It looks, feels, sounds, entirely different from a modern bass, but not in the same way as your grandfather's crappy precision, ridiculously overpriced Ricks, or weird shaped neck-diving Gibbos. To be fair, the SB1000 is best played sitting down (unless you want to make frequent and repeated visits to a chiropractor). However, it is still arguably the pinnacle of Japanese bass design in terms of its sheer playability and sound. Alas, the cost and difficulty of getting hold of one of these unicorns makes it very much a cult instrument which I suspect will appeal only to those who find impossible missions impossible to resist.  

I managed to acquire a second-hand one of these (SB-1000) in the last few weeks. It's from 1982 and, although the case looks it, the bass itself is in quite ridiculously amazing condition. You'd be hard pressed to find a display model of anything currently available in any guitar shop in better condition than this 40-year-old beauty. 

 

One thing though, which I wouldn't mind any thoughts on. The red LED flashes continuously. I've read on TalkBass that this is normal, but videos I've watched clearly show a solid red light with no flashing. Can anyone throw any light(!) on this?

[Mykesbass]

On 17/07/2022 at 15:51, Jonesy said:

Has anyone got any info on the Aria Pro 2 Magna fretless? Any good or bad points about them? Ones come up for sale not too far away and is pretty tempting......

Nice, but the one I played had a very obvious edge to the fingerboard which I found a little uncomfortable.

[Adey]

On 06/11/2018 at 08:20, KingPrawn said:

I'm lucky enough to own a 1978 Pro ii, built out of Matsomoku factory. Its a dream to play. loads of mojo. Pups upgraded years ago to Dimazio pickups. Loads of punch and tone.  Not sure of its value? but a keeper none the less.

Mine pretty close behind yours, bit not Arua Pro II. Prob same instrument though.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Adey

[Norris]

On 16/07/2022 at 23:58, Derek Lavington said:

Then Karma struck in the way she so often does in the form of a dealer in Denmark (nope, not Bass Buddha) with a (very) limited stock of SB1000's.

I don't suppose you have any photos do you? 😀

 

Mine's a 1980 mark I btw

[NancyJohnson]

A mate of mine just acquired this IGB-50 off eBay.  £250 I think.  I'll admit I'm a tad envious.

 

[bartelby]

9 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

A mate of mine just acquired this IGB-50 off eBay.  £250 I think.  I'll admit I'm a tad envious.

 

 

Nice!!

During the first lockdown someone an hour's drive from me was selling an IGB-600 for £75, they were just advertising a "90s Aria Pro II bass".
I wrestled with my conscience for too long and missed it...

[NancyJohnson]

6 minutes ago, bartelby said:

 

Nice!!

During the first lockdown someone an hour's drive from me was selling an IGB-600 for £75, they were just advertising a "90s Aria Pro II bass".
I wrestled with my conscience for too long and missed it...

 

The guy is obsessed with cheap but usable kit.  To be honest he owns a lot of gear but for me a lot of it is so poorly set up it's unplayable.

 

I've suggested just bringing everything over here so I can set it up, but he's not interested!  He's got a really sweet Gibson Melody Maker that's in desperate need for a set up!

[bartelby]

8 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

The guy is obsessed with cheap but usable kit.  To be honest he owns a lot of gear but for me a lot of it is so poorly set up it's unplayable.

 

I've suggested just bringing everything over here so I can set it up, but he's not interested!  He's got a really sweet Gibson Melody Maker that's in desperate need for a set up!

 

That's so irritating.

I had a mate with a Hamer Diablo, the action across the strings differed by a couple of mil. Not in linear way, but randomly.

[NancyJohnson]

44 minutes ago, bartelby said:

 

That's so irritating.

I had a mate with a Hamer Diablo, the action across the strings differed by a couple of mil. Not in linear way, but randomly.

 

Most of his kit (there's loads) just suffers from the usual TLC issues, bowed necks, intonation, dead strings, high/low/indifferent action; I'm not saying it's all junk or anything, but he keeps everything in a drafty garage attached to his house and the temperature is generally a few degrees off of what's going on outside, so you can probably imagine what that's doing to the wood!

 

I did the intonation on one guitar and he said it wasn't in tune going up the neck.  Next time I saw him, the saddles were in a straight line across the bridge as opposed to (the regular) visual for EAD & GBE strings.  He explained he thought I'd forgotten to line them up straight - the way he preferred it - so he'd done it himself. 

 

D'oh!

[Jonesy]

On 26/07/2022 at 09:33, Mykesbass said:

Nice, but the one I played had a very obvious edge to the fingerboard which I found a little uncomfortable.

 

Ta for the extra info. I ended up thinking about it for a bit too long and it sold 😭

 

Serves me right for thinking about buying a new bass instead of just buying one!

[Almost Simon]

Posted this on another page as my NBD yesterday but no takers, any clue on what this model is? Google giving me nothing, its the musicman style pup that seems to make it unique, unless it was modified by a previous owner, i believe it was sold this way originally, perhaps not. Cost me £70, quite weighty (i dont have scales but similar to my old Harley Benton JB75 so around 5kg) Needs a bit of TLC but this could be a great backup bass, impressed with it so far........................might get a black pickguard if can find one that fits.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Almost Simon

[lemmywinks]

12 minutes ago, Almost Simon said:

Posted this on another page as my NBD yesterday but no takers, any clue on what this model is? Google giving me nothing, its the musicman style pup that seems to make it unique, unless it was modified by a previous owner, i believe it was sold this way originally, perhaps not. Cost me £70, quite weighty (i dont have scales but similar to my old Harley Benton JB75 so around 5kg) Needs a bit of TLC but this could be a great backup bass, impressed with it so far........................might get a black pickguard if can find one that fits.

 

Assume it's just part of the STB DX series like the STB - JB DX.

 

The pickup is stock but the scratchplate may be aftermarket, Google search turns up the odd one:

Edited August 5, 2022 by lemmywinks

[Almost Simon]

1 hour ago, lemmywinks said:

 

Assume it's just part of the STB DX series like the STB - JB DX.

 

The pickup is stock but the scratchplate may be aftermarket, Google search turns up the odd one:

 

Thank you so much, not sure why couldnt find, seems it is the original plate:

 

ARIA STB-PB-DX Active

 

http://www.music-filibe.com/webshop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p4835_ARIA-STB-PB-DX-Active-Bass-Guitar.html

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, Almost Simon said:

 

Thank you so much, not sure why couldnt find, seems it is the original plate:

 

ARIA STB-PB-DX Active

 

http://www.music-filibe.com/webshop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p4835_ARIA-STB-PB-DX-Active-Bass-Guitar.html

 

 

I always fancied one of the DX Jazz basses with the rear routed controls, I gigged a standard STB Jazz for a while and it sounded great. Only bought it so I had a knockabout backup bass (I paid £45 for it) that I didn't have to use a stand or case with, ended up using alongside a custom bass on function gigs.