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Aria Pro II SB1000
- Thread starter coreiakin
- Start date
Hey all, just seeing this thread in my alerts for the first time in a while. As someone who went deep down the rabbit hole of Aria basses and still has a pretty extensive collection, including and especially JT's history with them, this is what I know and much of this if from a mosaic of older JT interviews and actual footage:
-Early days, his first Aria was an SB600. You can also find photos of him playing the SB700. But I am certain the first album was recorded with the SB600. You can hear it, especially when you listen to Rio in comparison.The SB600 is the punchiest of the lot due to its unique bolt on design. Even in 1981 which was the one year it was a set neck, it just sounds very different than the SB700 and certainly the SB1000.
-Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger were recorded with the SB1000. Listen to the nasally bass sound compared to the first album and you will hear this right away. The SB1000 can sound anemic compared to the passive models.
-Power Station was recorded with the SB1000 and you can see it in the "making of" DVD from which excerpts are readily available on YouTube if not the whole thing.
-AVTAK and Notorious were recorded on the Kubicki. From there is doesn't much matter to us, does it?!
One thing to keep in mind about the other instruments he has been seen with in those days such as the SB900. the Pearl colored SB-R60 and SB-R80, etc. is that he had a deep endorsement deal with Aria. In the music business, when a band is flying around to shoot videos or do drop in promo performances for a TV show or record store, or even record an album they don't usually bring their own gear if it is far from home. Rather, they rent gear. There are several companies in NYC, Nashville LA etc who specialize in this- SIR, Lon Cohen Studio Rental, Centerstaging, Third Encore, etc.
Endorsing bands either coordinate with these rental companies and/or with band management to make sure that their gear gets in the hands of endorsing artists for these types of public performances. So it is more likely than not that Aria showed up and provided these other models for the shoot.
This is not to say JT didn't also own some of these as I too have seen photos of him playing an SB900 as I have of him playing an SB700- after all he was an endorsing artist and they probably sent him all kinds of stuff. But while we all agree he can't keep what model he played straight, in myriad interviews over the years he has said he is the kind of player that finds one instrument he likes and sticks to it.
So with that knowledge, you then consider all the footage from 1982 and Hammersmith to the Sing Blue Silver doc, to the making of Power Station, he is only playing an SB1000 and usually that black one. So it is pretty safe to assume that was the primary bass for recording once he got it in 1981, save for a fretless here and there.
Hope this is helpful info. Happy hunting!
-Early days, his first Aria was an SB600. You can also find photos of him playing the SB700. But I am certain the first album was recorded with the SB600. You can hear it, especially when you listen to Rio in comparison.The SB600 is the punchiest of the lot due to its unique bolt on design. Even in 1981 which was the one year it was a set neck, it just sounds very different than the SB700 and certainly the SB1000.
-Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger were recorded with the SB1000. Listen to the nasally bass sound compared to the first album and you will hear this right away. The SB1000 can sound anemic compared to the passive models.
-Power Station was recorded with the SB1000 and you can see it in the "making of" DVD from which excerpts are readily available on YouTube if not the whole thing.
-AVTAK and Notorious were recorded on the Kubicki. From there is doesn't much matter to us, does it?!
One thing to keep in mind about the other instruments he has been seen with in those days such as the SB900. the Pearl colored SB-R60 and SB-R80, etc. is that he had a deep endorsement deal with Aria. In the music business, when a band is flying around to shoot videos or do drop in promo performances for a TV show or record store, or even record an album they don't usually bring their own gear if it is far from home. Rather, they rent gear. There are several companies in NYC, Nashville LA etc who specialize in this- SIR, Lon Cohen Studio Rental, Centerstaging, Third Encore, etc.
Endorsing bands either coordinate with these rental companies and/or with band management to make sure that their gear gets in the hands of endorsing artists for these types of public performances. So it is more likely than not that Aria showed up and provided these other models for the shoot.
This is not to say JT didn't also own some of these as I too have seen photos of him playing an SB900 as I have of him playing an SB700- after all he was an endorsing artist and they probably sent him all kinds of stuff. But while we all agree he can't keep what model he played straight, in myriad interviews over the years he has said he is the kind of player that finds one instrument he likes and sticks to it.
So with that knowledge, you then consider all the footage from 1982 and Hammersmith to the Sing Blue Silver doc, to the making of Power Station, he is only playing an SB1000 and usually that black one. So it is pretty safe to assume that was the primary bass for recording once he got it in 1981, save for a fretless here and there.
Hope this is helpful info. Happy hunting!
Last edited:
I have to make a point, and sorry for the resurrection
I've owned by far two Aria SB1000, one from 1979, one from 1980 (I still have this one, it's my favourite bass), and actually the woods aren't that heavy! picking up the 1980 bass, the overall wight is 4.7kg (10.36lbs), which is a bit heavy, but like my Music Man Stingray from 2004.
I dismounted the hardware and:
1) the brass plate on the back, covering the electronics, weights 200g (0.44lbs)
2) the enormous brass bridge (that goes deep in the wood) wights 300g (0.66lbs), more than a Badass II
3) the tuners weight 70g each (0.15lbs), for a total of 280g (0.61lbs)
in fact, the reissue model from 2020, with lighter tuners, lighter bridge and plastic covers on the back weights an average of 4.1kg (based on what I found online), some 4kg, some 4.2kg.
an average Fender American Standard weights 4kg/4.1kg with light tuners as stock from 2008 and 2013 (even lighter).
so, in fact, the weight of the Aria SB1000 is not in the woods, but mostly in the hardware, and only the back plate lessen the weight by 200g... which is insane
my '78 weighted 4.6kg, and I'm about to buy a 1985 (black wings) that weights also 4.6kg.
if I wanted to lighten it a bit, I could go to 4.4kg only switching to a plastic cover, or even 140g less with light tuners (which are around 35g each, so half the weight of the stock ones). so it would weight like an average bass.
I attached the pictures
the one with blue background is the '79, the green background (original case) is the '80, the black one is the '85
