*Pending* late 80s Aria Pro Bass ii SB-ELT with OHSC - *SOLD* £625 Tenby

[mihangle]

I have a new bass arriving at the end of the week, so in accordance with my strict one in, one out policy I am - somwhat reluctantly - offering this late 80s Aria Pro Bass II SB-ELT up for sale.

 

The bass is really nice to play with a neck that feels very much like a Jazz bass. It was made in Korea and everything is original including the hardshell case.

 

It has plenty of tone options with what I think of as coil tap switches (not actually sure if that's what they are!).

 

It's in a well used condition but I would say 'well used' rather than 'abused'. Please bear in mind this bass must be around 35 years old so don't expect something new from the factory.

 

It was marketed in some countries as the SB-RSZ, the Rudy Sarzo signature model.

 

It's in an attractive Paduak colour. I thought it might be heavy with the solid brass-looking bridge and brass nut, but it comes in on my luggage scales as a pretty reasonable 9lb 3oz.

 

It has quite a few surface marks on the back which are visible in some light but not others. There is some corrosion to the washers on the front of the machine heads, but nothing that affects them working. There are a couple of small dings I have tried to capture and a small dink to the edge of the rosewood fretboard at the 16th fret. There is some fret wear on to lower frets on the E string but I would say they have plenty of life in them yet. There is also some finger staining to the rosewood fretboard. I've tried to picture everything I've mentioned above. Having listed all the issues I have probably made the bass sound worse than it actually is - it's a really nice guitar to play. 

 

Trial and collection from near Tenby in Pembrokeshire is preferred, but I could post in the UK for around £25.

 

 

Edited February 27 by mihangle
sold

[Skybone]

Stunning bass. GLWTS.

 

Think it's the Elite II, as there was a single pickup version as well, the Elite I. I'm sure @Bassassin could clarify.

 

The black Elite II was one of my dream basses back in the day.

[Bassassin]

37 minutes ago, Skybone said:

Stunning bass. GLWTS.

 

Think it's the Elite II, as there was a single pickup version as well, the Elite I. I'm sure @Bassassin could clarify.

 

The black Elite II was one of my dream basses back in the day.

 

It is an SB-ELT/RSZ, like @mihangle says. It is broadly similar to the SB-Elite II and the SB-R80, but the ELTs are post-Matsumoku basses & were around from about 1989 - 1992. I've done a fair bit of research, as I have one myself. They're incredibly good basses & easily up to the standard of the earlier instruments.

 

There's been debate in the online Aria/SB basses communities for years about where these were from, & it's good to finally see one with a country of manufacture sticker - most of them have no markings whatsoever, so with no region or serial they're quite hard to pin down. We know model numbers & rough dates from old catalogues but that's been all up until now.

 

Anyway, gorgeous bass (mine is black, so much more dull!) & GLWTS!

Edited February 27 by Bassassin