NBD and ARIA help

[Consul]

So, just picked up this nice ARIA JB for $350 AUD (Australian pesos) - I took the pickguard off to check the truss rod worked when I was buying it, but unfortunately the allen keys the owner had were not short enough to fit in, so I bought it on a gentleman's agreement that he would let me return it if broken. Just got home and as my other bass is an Pedulla MVP which uses a reverse key (a piano tuner), I don't have an allen key to check yet. The action is a mile high (but so is the bridge and the flatwound E on the A doesn't help either). Neck was nice and straight with a slight scoop where it should be at around 9-10th fret, so I'm hoping it will be OK.

Does anyone know what these are currently worth? Don't seem to be many for sale anywhere.

Also - anyone ever seen those weird volume knobs before? Am guessing they are after-market, but thought I'd check before I remove them and replace with normal Jazz Bass controls.

Lastly- can anyone conclusively tell me the actual year based on the serial number - 1051080 (I've checked the Matsumoku and Aria sites and can only come up with either a 71 or 81, although I thought by 1981 they had changed their name to Aria Pro II and no longer used the Matsumoku factory. Grateful for anyone that knows.

 

[ajkula66]

Does anyone know what these are currently worth? Don't seem to be many for sale anywhere.

You have to be a Supporting Member in order to inquire about the value of an instrument that you currently own.

Also - anyone ever seen those weird volume knobs before? Am guessing they are after-market, but thought I'd check before I remove them and replace with normal Jazz Bass controls.

Aftermarket, 10001%.

Lastly- can anyone conclusively tell me the actual year based on the serial number - 1051080 (I've checked the Matsumoku and Aria sites and can only come up with either a 71 or 81, although I thought by 1981 they had changed their name to Aria Pro II and no longer used the Matsumoku factory. Grateful for anyone that knows.

Aria instruments are tough to date, but I'll say this much: it's most likely not an '81. My best guess based solely on the logo used and some experience from my younger years would be mid-70s

 

[Consul]

You have to be a Supporting Member in order to inquire about the value of an instrument that you currently own.



Aftermarket, 10001%.



Aria instruments are tough to date, but I'll say this much: it's most likely not an '81. My best guess based solely on the logo used and some experience from my younger years would be mid-70s

Does the fact I asked about value mean my post is hidden from everyone? If so, I'll re-post without that question. thanks in advance

 

[Gluvhand]

So, just picked up this nice ARIA JB for $350 AUD (Australian pesos) - I took the pickguard off to check the truss rod worked when I was buying it, but unfortunately the allen keys the owner had were not short enough to fit in, so I bought it on a gentleman's agreement that he would let me return it if broken. Just got home and as my other bass is an Pedulla MVP which uses a reverse key (a piano tuner), I don't have an allen key to check yet. The action is a mile high (but so is the bridge and the flatwound E on the A doesn't help either). Neck was nice and straight with a slight scoop where it should be at around 9-10th fret, so I'm hoping it will be OK.

Does anyone know what these are currently worth? Don't seem to be many for sale anywhere.

Also - anyone ever seen those weird volume knobs before? Am guessing they are after-market, but thought I'd check before I remove them and replace with normal Jazz Bass controls.

Lastly- can anyone conclusively tell me the actual year based on the serial number - 1051080 (I've checked the Matsumoku and Aria sites and can only come up with either a 71 or 81, although I thought by 1981 they had changed their name to Aria Pro II and no longer used the Matsumoku factory. Grateful for anyone that knows.

They were made in Japan by Matsumoku until late ‘86/early ‘87 so it could be an ‘81 based on that but the logo design is curious.

 

[Consul]

Not really - the logo design is identical to all the other 70s sunburst rosewood Aria Jazz bass photos I have seen on the internet. If they were made by that factory until 86, then according to the serial number info I was able to obtain, in which the first number indicates the year - then it could be 71 or 81. Its certainly old enough looking to be a 71, but would be great to know for sure.

 

[Consul]

And now I have adjusted and oiled the neck, it is simply beautiful feeling, and lovely to play. Yet to plug it in (my amp is elsewhere), but as there are no other pick-up options without routing it (check out the weird ass jazz bass pickups they use - screws in the end of each PU) I'll have to pray it sounds as awesome as it feels acoustically and in the you tube clip of one I heard being reviewed (by Japan Bass Shop maybe? - anyway, he's a tasty player, unlike the other 2 clips reviewing these I have watched). Will update once I have it restrung with flats, then rounds, and checked it through my rig.