Hi,
I'm selling my Aria Pro II SB-1000CB, that I ordered from the Aria Custom shop last June/July. This bass is a hotrodded reissue of an Aria Pro II SB-1000 bass, the famous 80's workhorse used by such as John Taylor of Duran Duran, Jack Bruce, and of course, the famed Metallica bassist, Cliff Burton. This bass is a tribute to the Aria basses used by Cliff.
It has a neck through body with a 5 piece maple and walnut neck with ash wings, an ebony fretboard, the signature oval inlays (Very Alembic-y with the body shape), high end light-weight Gotoh tuners, and a fantastic fast loading Gotoh bridge. The pickup is an active dual-coil MB-1E that was specifically designed for these basses, and has an active preamp with a preamp on/off switch. The EQ includes a 6-position rotary switch that goes from 6 distinct preset tones going from a reggae thump, a throaty funk/pop tone, to a super clear and punchy tone that works great for rock/metal, jazz, and especially soloing. It is amazingly versatile, going from a growling Rickenbacker-like snarl to a smooth p-bass thump and everything in-between. That being said, it has it's own distinct sound with punchy/tight sustained lows and ringing bell-like highs, that the SB's are renowned for. Think John Taylor.
This bass is very hard to come by, and I had to have it shipped from Japan and paying quite a bit in shipping/insurance and currency conversion. Needless to say, I've went through a lot to get this bass, and I'm regretfully selling it due to lack of funds. This bass has less than six months of use on it and is in great condition with only a few tiny little dings in the clearcoat that come from casual use and putting an instrument in a case or bag over the first year. I've only gigged it twice for a jazz ensemble and used it for recording and practices.
The action is great, as is the feel. I'm normally not a fan of painted necks or gloss finishes for that matter, as my hands tend to stick, but I did not find this to be the case with the SB-1000CB. It feels very sleek and fast with no sticking at all. The neck is a slim 1.56" wide at the nut and has a very jazz-like profile in width and being only a bit thicker front to back. The fretwork and detail is impeccable and there is great access to the upper register. The bass weighs in at 10.5lbs, but balances perfectly, and with a thick or wide strap, you can't feel a thing. Being only 5'7 and having small hands, this bass is the most comfortable I have played, other than my Brian Bromberg model.
It comes strung-up with fresh Circle K 37-94 balanced strings and I will include a somewhat worn in, but still very useable hardcase. The price is $1,550 shipped, but feel free to PM me anytime for questions and whatever.
And, here she is: (I'll post pics of the case later)
Those curves and angles really add that feel of elegance.
