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Aria & Aria Pro II Club

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#841
Hello Brian D,

Could you please explain to me how you managed to get this information about the guitar ? I spent hours googling with no result except it was a PE series made in the 90's.

It's actually a really good looking AND sounding guitar. It's not that I didn't like the original SD Designed pickups but it now features a pair of EMG Zakk Wylde 81/85 and it gives it to me reaaaaally hard ! :D

Thanks a lot for the info.
Julien
 
#843
Respect ! :D By the way, here are some new pics of the blonde SB 900 cleaned and re-wired. Here are the mods:
- The 3 way switch was dying randomly so I enlarged the hole replaced it with an undestructible switchcraft LP style switch. And yes I am going to put a black tip soon because the cream one looks rubbish on that bass !
- Removed a volume to add an allmighty bass varitone ! Sweet as a nut ! :D
- Upgraded to a stereo jack cause I think they grip better.
- Taped the back plate and the pickups in copper foil tape and I must say the sound is cleaner.

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#844
The fretless is now done as well ! They have now the same controls, and they both rocks ! Woop Woop ! :hyper:

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Enough over-excitement, I'm heading to bed now :D
 
#845
NICE!!! :cool:

Y'know, one thing I really love about SB's is the bridge. It so solid & about double the thickness of a Badass II. Aria should re-use that design on the new models. Hell, if I had the tools I'd make some of the bridges for myself. It was hard enough for me to track one down for a restoration... but with some help from another forum member I got one.

Imagine a hybrid Jazz bass/ Aria with SB pickups and an SB bridge! :eek:
 
#848
Brian D said:
NICE!!! :cool:

Y'know, one thing I really love about SB's is the bridge. It so solid & about double the thickness of a Badass II. Aria should re-use that design on the new models. Hell, if I had the tools I'd make some of the bridges for myself. It was hard enough for me to track one down for a restoration... but with some help from another forum member I got one.

Imagine a hybrid Jazz bass/ Aria with SB pickups and an SB bridge! :eek:
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The problem with making such bridges is the price. I'm pretty sure that brass is at least 10 times more expensive nowadays than in the 80s. Well, once again, no excuse for 7ender who is using the same cheap stuff since the beginning :D.

Anyway, I love my two SBs the way they are now :D and I'm not gonna change them for anyting in the world... except maybe for another Leduc, ... maybe :hyper:
 
#850
BadB said:
Apparently the SB1000RI and SBCB are still available to the tune of $2500! Are they worth the price?
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GobBass said:
Get this..the SB1000CB with an 18v preamp to boot is being sold at my local shop for €899.Then again,my local shop happens to be the biggest shop in Ireland and the UK.:D
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Guys, the SB1000CB and SB-CB are two different basses with a hell of a difference in price and quality. The SB1000CB is like a black version of the SB1000JT or RI. These have more in common with the originals. Body shape is very accurate, pickup nails the tone and the preamp is very nice. The bridge is a Gotoh bridge (still nice!) rather than the original Aria bridge.

Now... the SB-CB is a cheaper version of the SB-1000CB and made in Korea. The body shape is different, pickup is different and so is the preamp and the hardware is generic stuff. It does a so-so impression of looking like an SB but doesn't feel or play like one. The price is about a third of price of the SB-1000CB/JT/RI models which are made in the "custom shop" in Japan.

I did a detailed review a few pages back of the SB-CB. It's worth checking that review out. But personally I think if you want an SB, don't spend £900/€900 on an SB-CB... buy an original SB.

Oh and GoBass, the bass you're talking about is in Xmusic. That's the one I tried out and reviewed. I was not a happy bunny. It's an SB-CB.

BBell said:
Is it possible to replace worn or damaged SB bridge saddles with some other saddles, or are they absolutely unique and non-replacable?
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They're unique. However... I do have some spares lying around. Shoot me a PM and I might be able to help you out. :)
 
#851
Brian D said:
Oh and GobBass, the bass you're talking about is in XMusic. That's the one I tried out and reviewed. I was not a happy bunny. It's an SB-CB.)
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That's a real shame.I tried it myself and it honestly didn't light my fire either.

The sunburst Cort Jazz style bass they had though..:eek:It's been there since the days of Musician's Inc. and I just couldn't understand why no one has snagged it.

Getting back to Aria-related stuff,I do hope one day that I'll get my hands on one of those AVB series that got released recently with the Kahler tremolo bridge for under a grand.Them two basses are my GAS targets at the moment.
 
#852
Yeah, it's not a very inspiring bass. But don't let that put you off SB's. The real thing is much much nicer! :D

Yup, I know that Cort Jazz Bass... I guess it's probably because of the price tag & name. Funny considering Cort make a lot of basses for other manufacturers.

The AVB's look very nice, I really want to try one. I was gonna go to MusikMesse in Frankfurt in April but just remembered I've got to go to a gig that weekend. Dang... thought I might be able to try out some nice Aria stuff. :p
 
#853
I'm looking at two Aria basses, neither of which I can play in person before buying.

An SB Elite II (white) and an SB R-80 Black 'n' Gold II.

A long time ago I played one of these basses and loved it, but I can't remember which one it was. AllI remember for sure is that it was black, and according to the following link, both of them came in black:
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Also according to the above link, the necks also have the same eliptical inlays so I assume that the necks of both models have the same dimensions?
Other than the 'rarity' factor of the black and gold, is there anything that would steer me towards one or the other? Sound? Playbility? Electronics? etc.

Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
#855
rjames said:
I'm looking at two Aria basses, neither of which I can play in person before buying.

An SB Elite II (white) and an SB R-80 Black 'n' Gold II.

A long time ago I played one of these basses and loved it, but I can't remember which one it was. AllI remember for sure is that it was black, and according to the following link, both of them came in black:
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Also according to the above link, the necks also have the same eliptical inlays so I assume that the necks of both models have the same dimensions?
Other than the 'rarity' factor of the black and gold, is there anything that would steer me towards one or the other? Sound? Playbility? Electronics? etc.

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

I have an Elite II and an R60 Black N' Gold I, the string spacing and neck inlays are the same. The main difference is the hardware, the black bridge base and gold saddles on the Black N' Gold.

I don't think the Elite came in all black, but I have one of them with trans black wings.
I'd say get whatever one is in better condition or that you prefer the look of. :)

Fitzy, all the SB's are heavy. It's a common trait they share. I don't mind it personally, I'm a big guy and I use a thick wide leather strap to spread the weight.
 
#856
Hey Brian, I have come across Elites (I and II) in solid black. The nut width was slightly more narrow on the Elites vs. R60, R80 and B n G models. Also the body was slightly smaller on Elites. I'm talking about Matsumoku era Elites here, I believe yours was post Matsumoku, right? But despite the size difference, the old Elites were just as heavy (if not heavier) than the R60/80 and BnGs I had!

Maybe when I get my white Elite back from the shop I can get an exact nut width measurement compared to the R60 I have.
 
#857
Aha! I just found an old picture of the bass that I am looking for and I think it's an SB Elite II. So if it has the recessed jack does that mean it's from the Matsumoku era production runs? And does it matter?

Wish I could find a black Elite II for sale. I'm looking to sell my Yamaha BB1600 bass, but it will have to wait until I find an Aria to buy as I don't want to be bassless. :eek:
 
#858
Alembic83 said:
Hey Brian, I have come across Elites (I and II) in solid black. The nut width was slightly more narrow on the Elites vs. R60, R80 and B n G models. Also the body was slightly smaller on Elites. I'm talking about Matsumoku era Elites here, I believe yours was post Matsumoku, right? But despite the size difference, the old Elites were just as heavy (if not heavier) than the R60/80 and BnGs I had!

Maybe when I get my white Elite back from the shop I can get an exact nut width measurement compared to the R60 I have.
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It wouldn't surprise me that there are solid black elites out there. I'd love to see some pictures. :)

Yeah, my Elite II is post-Matsumoku so it may be slightly different. Just looking at the bodies and comparing my various SB's I can't notice much if any difference between the Elite body size and the CB and Black N' Gold I. The Elite body may be slightly thinner, but I don't have a calipers to check. I'll see if I can find one at some stage.

In terms of the nut width, here are my findings...

'84 Black N' Gold I - 2.5625 inch (67.0875mm)
Late 80's Post-Matsumoku Elite II - 2.625 Inch (66.675mm)
'07 SB-1000CB - 2.59375 inch (65.88125mm)

12th fret on all three is the same at 3.06inch (77.8mm)

As you can see there's not much of a difference.

As I guessed, the CB shares features from the Black N' Gold & the SB1000. Body neck & inlays from the BnG and electronics from the SB1000. Basically a combination of features from the basses Cliff played.

I'd be interested in seeing the measurements from yours, along with the body measurement from the Elite I. I'll check the thickness of my Elite II in the mean time. :)
 
#859
rjames said:
Aha! I just found an old picture of the bass that I am looking for and I think it's an SB Elite II. So if it has the recessed jack does that mean it's from the Matsumoku era production runs? And does it matter?

Wish I could find a black Elite II for sale. I'm looking to sell my Yamaha BB1600 bass, but it will have to wait until I find an Aria to buy as I don't want to be bassless. :eek:
Click to expand...

Regarding the recessed jack, yes these are Matsumoku era with a few exceptions. The current Japanese reissue SB's (awesome) and the latest Korean one (awful!) have recessed jacks but were not made by Matsumoku. Along with this I believe the SB900 was made for a couple of years in the early 80's without a recessed jack.

Personally, I have a bass from each era (Matsumoku, Post-Matsumoku and the current RI's). I find them all to be very nice. My late 80's post-matsu Elite II is my main day-to-day player. :bassist:
 
#860
Regarding the recessed jack, yes these are Matsumoku era with a few exceptions. The current Japanese reissue SB's (awesome) and the latest Korean one (awful!) have recessed jacks but were not made by Matsumoku. Along with this I believe the SB900 was made for a couple of years in the early 80's without a recessed jack.
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The serial # on the Elite II starts with a 5, so that would make it a Matsumoku bass built in 1985, no?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I really appreciate the help. Trying to buy gear from others from miles away can be tricky. :hmm:

It wouldn't surprise me that there are solid black elites out there. I'd love to see some pictures.
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Scroll halfway down on the following page and you'll see a black Elite II :)
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