The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Look at page 11 of the new 2007 AAria guitar catalog: http://www.ariaguitars.com/int/02_topic ... _main.html

They have a new set neck CS-450 and a bolt neck CS-350. Also the Urchin, V and Z guitars are available again.

Probably made in China. Wonder how they compare to the original Uncles Matt's?

I have a Japan brown CS400 that I'm very fond of.

Catalog also lists some very Martinesque D-41/45 dred and OM knockoffs. Problably made in China too.

Who sells new Aria guitars these days? Nowhere to be seen except overseas.

According to Aria there are four possibilities for electric guitars:

1. Made in their own small custom shop
2. Made in a Japanese factory
3. Korea
4. China

As far as I know, the Chinese models are sold under the name "Legend" and "Blitz" in Japan... so you can apply the other three to the manufacturing locations to the price ranges on the Aria Japan website and you'll get an idea.

Anyway, if you compare the list price of the "PE-Inspire" in Europe to the price in Japan... you will realise that it's half sold at half price in Europe. A Korean made "PE-Inspire" was tested in a British guitar magazine... while the ones sold in Japan are made in Japan.

Once you know the local differences, you will aproach online sales of the newer Arias a bit more careful.

I downloaded the catalog since the PDF plugin takes so long. I noticed the CS models, both of them, seem to have the necks set much deeper into the body than the originals did. I didn't count frets though, should have. 24 would make it seem this way. I should look again.

Just looked and the necks ARE set two frets deeper into the body on the new ones. Sad. That was one of the things that set the CS apart from other bolt necks.

You're right....I eidn't even notice

Wutz: I wonder how the Japanese feel about Chinese imports?

I just got a little Washburn Rover travel guitar...made in China. the build and finish is very, very impressive.

Thanks for the catalog link. Really nice to look at.

The CS-450 has the Wilk. trem but no locking nut. I don't know my trems too well, but it seems like a loss to me to not have a locking nut with a trem.

In the photos, it looks like both CS models have the neck join the body at the 16th fret, or is it half way between the 16th and 17th? I love my '81 CS400, so I'm glad to see them pay homage to that model.

The PE-Inspire lets me down a little, since the hollow chambers turn me on, but then single volume and tone controls turn me off. It looks like all the other PE models are dual vol and tone, so I wish they had done that on the Inspire too. But it did open up space for them to put the 3 way switch in a very safe place...

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Comparing the re-issue Aria Pro IIs to the Matsumoku versions is one thing.

Japanese perception of Aria Pro II imports, iffy.

Chinese Washburn Rover?

I would like to see this thread reamain here but the Rover might be hard to fit in anywhere.

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The Inspire is my favorite of the new PE series. I'm not missing the second volume knob at all, but I'm also hardly using both pickups at once. The neck is different from the other PEs and it took me a little time to adjust.

Aria has two separate brand names for Chinese electric guitars. Imho to avoid associations and get a better image for the expensive guitars they sell.
Anyway, guitars like Eastman or Landscape have the quality of similar guitars made anywhere else in the world. For now there will be foreigners in China setting up and supervising production of the high end guitars... but very soon there will be Chinese companies doing this without the help from outside.

If you recal the inteview of Mr. Arai in the British mag a couple of month ago, he said that Ibanez and Aria always had been the friendliest of competitiors... I think almost every Japanese company president will give a similar statement. I think it helps business a lot, if you don't see your competitor as enemy. That will also hold true for the business relation to China... but most Japanese companies will not produce in one country only... they prefer to spread production to several countries.

Took my CS400 out for yesterday's practice session, and noted that the neck joins the body at the 19th fret. Access to those upper frets is a big plus.

Per my desire for dual vol and tone controls, it's likely something of an oxymoron. I mean, I am a very simple setup player for practicing at home, which is mostly all I do. Guitar plugs straight into my practice amp, and I just go for the best sounding clean sound of the day to me. What that means practically is I will have both humbuckers on, and adjust the mix of each to what my ear wants to hear that day or that song. Some days or songs I'll want a bit more neck pup fullness and warmth, other days or songs a bit more bridge brightness, but I almost always prefer both HBs on. Single coil is a different story. There I prefer neck alone for some days or songs, or bridge+mid for other days or songs. Why I say it's an oxymoron is that I chuckle at myself having defined my "sound" this way, being that it is so simple, with my Roland amp always set at the mid points for all its tone controls, and my guitars at full tone on, and then just varying my Pups per guitar and mood. Not anything to brag about, but just the "sound" band I've developed for myself. I mean, I know a lot of you are familiar with using effects boxes and such when you play, and your tone variations would be much greater than what I'm doing. But I lke it, and I am getting quite familiar with determining my good playing days from my bad by how much tone colorations I can coax from the guitar through my fingers...

I want to mention, too, that my CS400 is straight neck, and playing her yesterday made me realize that her fit has its own magic, so that I can't really say I prefer the pitched neck (as I mentioned earlier) of the VE550 over the CS400. They both have their good qualities, and really nothing bad, on the fit and feel side of all things guitar to me.

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A good song takes you far...

My favorite setup is basically the same these days... guitar, cable and amp. Just for me, I come back to the same settings (not much change with the mood). The big plus about having one volume control is, that you can adjust the volume while playing without much trouble. Better is only to have the two seperate volumes plus a master volume (essentially the Gretsch way of doing circuits).