The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Hi there, my first acoustic was a 70s Aria Martin copy, now long gone, but still have a LP copy that I'm fixing up.

And now, I appear to have bought this - I can't find the model number anywhere, seemingly a rare and earlyish Pro II. Has anyone got any more info?

Hmm. Its closest relative would be the PB1500: http://matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/catalogs/78_pb1500_slick/78_pb1500_slick.jpg.html

However, it's not actually a PB1500 but a slightly lesser version - there are several differences:
- Slab (i.e. not arched), unbound body
- Flat, plain (i.e. not wooden) cover plate for the electronics
- Non-recessed jack socket
- Weird pup surround

If the model numbers followed the PE guitars then it could be a PB800 but I'm guessing here. If there's a serial number it might well fit in with Trevor's dating scheme.

Thanks very much - possibly there will be more info when it arrives and I have a good look at it.

OK, ruling out some other PB numbers - these being straight Precision copies

http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-an ... en_10.html

Maybe the PB1500 and this lower end version had "PB" because they also used the Precision split pickup. The PBs seem to have been Precision copies and the RBs Rickenbacker copies.

The Gibson Les Paul Bass pickups of the 1970's were the oddball Low Impedance types specified by Les himself and probably not of mass appeal/worth the trouble of cloning.

In discussion on TalkBass Pro II section, the following came up

Both the ebay bass and the PB1500 in the dealer "slick" (presumably announcing a new model) have the pickup positioned further back towards the bridge than later production models. A later full catalog picture shows the revised pickup position and the later aria-branded tuners

1978 "dealer slick" - http://matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/c ... k.jpg.html

1979 catalog - http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariapro ... e.jpg.html


A 1978 PB1500 on Photobucket - lots of good pics. Has the same weird knobs, so they are stock. Wooden truss rod cover, some extra small script on headstock (the "slick" and ebay bass have none, the catalog one I think does). Pickup shifted forward.

http://s142.photobucket.com/user/MrLuck ... sort=3&o=3


A 1978 PB1500 on YouTube has chrome knobs (replaced?), but still wooden truss rod cover. Glossier finish than "slick" bass? Pickup shifted forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNs2XN3PMNk


So I am thinking that the ebay bass is something contemporaneous with the very first 77-78 version of the PB1500, maybe not a model in its own right - more a test example, proto, whatever.

There is a very heavily worn shop sticker on the back of the headstock where the serial number would be, but I'm betting it doesn't have one - we will see!

Prototypes are extremely rare. Most never make it out of the factory as prototypes are usually of lesser quality than the production models. I've seen a number of prototypes including Electra and Westone. Both of which Tom Presley brought to a gathering of Matsumoku enthusiasts in Indiana. He had the original Westone Spectrum prototype/concept with him. Also one of the Outlaw prototypes. It was obvious they had both been modified a number of times. Celebrity prototype models would probably be the exception. I got to play the original Jeff Beck Strat prototype and it was absolutely the sweetest guitar in the store at that moment. I hated handing it back to the Fender Rep.

I could very well be part of a shorter run which is not uncommon.

Also keep in mind that there were occasionally variances between models meant for different markets such as Japan (domestic), the US, and Europe. For example there was an Aria Pro II Leopard super-strat series intended solely for the European market that never made it to the US.

In any case you snagged a gem! No doubt about that! I suspect you will be hanging on to this one for a very long time.

Yes, most likely you are right. Perhaps they went with two models to start with and at an early stage it became clear the dealers were happy with just the higher-end PB1500, which really does look very nice in that dealer leaflet.

I guess the 1500 "PB", because although its an LP, it has the Precision Bass pickup and there was not going to be a whole separate range like the R(ickenbacker) basses.

I now have to track down an Aria strat copy like I had at school. I bought it second hand around 78-79, sunburst, maple neck - will check out the catalogs...

I suspect the PB stands for Pro Bass as PE stands for Pro Electric.

Please post pics and your thoughts in the Member's Treasures forum when you get her! Cant wait to get a good look.