Bass guitar found in warehouse

[louloomis]

Which parts do you think they modified? How can you tell?

Hi. Those pickups are not stock. Don't know if the electronics themselves have been modified, too (besides the pickups).....

LL

 

[mr15x3]

Which parts do you think they modified? How can you tell?

Looks like they changed just about everything. They even left an empty hole where a switch used to be. We can't say what's been done on the inside for certain, though.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

It's worth maybe $100 US IMO. OTOH, with a bit of clean up and adjustment looks like it could be made into a serviceable axe for a pi$$ed-off 19-year-old..

 

[Fondsdale]

This looks more like it was an SB1000, it has (had) the active preamp control with the marks around it, like in Aria Pro II SB-1000 BB circuit install (picture content)

Looks like you're right. I didn't really take much notice of the holes and just assumed they were another modification.

 

[lz4005]

Which parts do you think they modified? How can you tell?

It originally had only one square pickup where that big square piece of plastic is.
And different electronics.
Look at the pics in heliotropic's link.

 

[Raw N Low]

Just make sure it's not the same warehouse as the one in the Indiana Jones movies! Could be some trouble!

Great pickup!

 

[Liam Wald]

I am guessing that it was made by Matsumoku Japan in 1982. Not stock, but still a cool bass.

 

[1954bassman]

i have to agree with some of the others, I would sell it as is, and use the cash to buy something e;se. It does not look like a lefty conversion candidate to me.

 

[devnulljp]

80s Aria Pro II. Looks like an SB1000 that's been gutted and had the pickup replaced with a PBass pu. (Why would anyone do that????)

They're great MIJ basses. Shame about the electronics, but you have a great piece of wood there.

 

[devnulljp]

Which parts do you think they modified? How can you tell?

The pickup's obviously non-original, and it's missing a pot so the active preamp is likely missing.
it should look more like this

Aria Basses

 

[Engle]

I have a similar bass: SB-600 (single PU passive)
They are very nice and built like a tank. The string spacing is quite narrow and the neck doesn't taper much, so they don't appeal to everyone, but that's a great find.

 

[tpaul]

If you flip it not only the cord will be in your way but all the knobs will be in the wrong place. Plus the nut will need to be replaced. Plus it may neck dive as the lower horn is shorter than the upper one.

I'd sell it on Ebay or Reverb (or here it the Classifieds for that matter). Pretty sure you'll get more than $100 for it.

 

[40Hz]

Looks to be a modded Aria Pro II. They dug out the original humbucker and replaced it with a P/J set of pickups, and I'm guessing they installed a Stellartone or similar varitone where the tone pot used to be based on those six dots - which would be pointless unless there was a rotary switch underneath it. Two of the tuners are originals. The other two look like cheap Asian generics.

Totally destroyed for an Aria fancier or a collector. And resale value is probably nil due to those mods. But it could be a very nice player bass. The neck and body should both be good since Arias were well made basses. I'd put it back into shape and play it. Definitely going to spike interest as a conversation piece (if nothing else) wherever bass players gather.

Congrats! Rock it for all it's worth.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I agree that it looks like a poor choice for a conversion.
Arias are very well made basses.
It WAS worth some bux.
probably still worth something, maybe more than a little,
if the current pickups are good.

I'd get it working right, set up well and see what it's like,
then sell it to get bux for a real lefty.

 

[Bugeyed Earl]

I agree that it looks like a poor choice for a conversion.
Arias are very well made basses.
It WAS worth some bux.
probably still worth something, maybe more than a little,
if the current pickups are good.

I'd get it working right, set up well and see what it's like,
then sell it to get bux for a real lefty.

Agreed, even with the unfortunate modifications it will appeal to someone. Maybe Jamotron can try to facilitate a trade for a lefty bass...

 

[AndyPanda]

Those old EMG pickups can sound really good. I have a neck thru bass with EMG P-J config like your bass has and it sounds really good like that. There's no telling what other electronic mods without looking in the control cavity. If it's been lost in the warehouse for ages the battery is probably dead and those pickups won't make a sound without a battery.

Yes - it lost collector value because of the pickup changes - but it probably sounds better and could be a better player. There is an Aria club here in the forum that can give you lots of info.
My take on that is that the neck through body (assuming the neck is straight and truss rod works) is a really good platform and those EMG pickups (if you like that sort of thing) are very good. I'm not too keen on switching a righty to a lefty (neck dive from the too short upper horn etc.) though. I'd think it's worth a fair bit more than what people have been telling you to sell to a righty and use the money to buy a lefty.

 

[Smakutus]

It's a bloody good axe!

 

[zontar]

I want to hear about how it was found

but cool find
Whether you fix it up & convert it to lefty or trade it or sell it for something else--enjoy!

 

[Spectrum]

If that's a Matsumoku bass then the woodwork is solid, but that neck pickup looks like a butcher job, yuk. Other than that it's a nice-looking instrument.

The good news is that the non-stock nature of it means zero guilt when it comes to modding the bass.

 

[hypercarrots]

Two of the tuners are originals. The other two look like cheap Asian generics.

all 4 tuners look same. lighting obscures the aria markings on the lower 2.