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NOW FINISHED !!!! Aria Pro II ZZ - Collision with a bandsaw
http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4072		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  okaspar [ Sat 29 Dec 2007 04:17 AM ]
Post subject:  NOW FINISHED !!!! Aria Pro II ZZ - Collision with a bandsaw
Hi guys (and Polly of course),

I snagged this poor guitar from Evilbay :

Image Image Image

The seller says, that it was attached to a wall and that it was bought new and never used. So at least I have a unused neck and a pair of humbuckers but the rest ?!? I dont know, they ever sawed an edge off the tremolo !!! I wonder if I can put it to a use or if it´s just firewood. I thought perhaps I fill the holes in the back of the body (even the tremolo hole), than put in a fixed bridge and one humbucker only. This way I wouldn´t need a big electronic cavity and connect the humbucker directly to the output jack (which I still have no idea where to put it). Or I make a paddle out of it, like an Interceptor. Hmmm, when it gets here I will have to give it some serious thoughts. Any ideas from you ?

Oh, by the way, my almost cured collectors syndrome kicked in again, so I had to by this beauty, too :

Image Image Image

Nice color. I couldn´t find that particular Cat Series in any catalogue, as it has this slanted humbucker, known from the MegaMetal Stage I K-Pi. It´s a 1986, btw.

OK, have a good new year 2008, friends !


Oliver !
Author:  Crusty [ Sat 29 Dec 2007 09:27 AM ]
Post subject: 
You're a glutton for punishment. :D But, those near impossible projects have some sweet rewards when the task is finally complete. :up:

Maybe someone here could trace their ZZ on a sheet so you could replace the amputated section. Either that or fill the trem cavity with a block and make it a hardtail or put a Les-trem on it.

I ran into one of the guys that sold me my first Aria Pro II at a music shop and he had a Cat like that he bought back then while they were an Aria Pro II dealer.

Not much info yet on 1986.

You and yours have a safe and happy new year as well. :D
Author:  okaspar [ Sat 05 Jan 2008 09:32 AM ]
Post subject: 
Hehe "glutton for punishment" is a nice way to put it.....

OK, it arrived, and had some surprises inside.

I got the humbuckers out and when I removed the covers, I found 2 blade humbuckers in very nice condition (never seen the lights until now I would guess!). Nice !

Image

Then I started to sand down the painting on the headstock with very fine sanding paper and guess, which name appeared ? Aria Pro II RS Warrior. On a ZZ model. Is that strange ?!?

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I have no idea how this could be, but a 1985 ZZ should have another headstock I would say..... After putting a layer of clearcoat over it it looks nice again, may use it somewhere.....

I probably found out, why they did this massacre to the guitar - you can lean it to the wall now without the guitar falling over ;-)

Image Image Image

They even cut through the trem !

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I will now let the thing stand (yes, without neck it can stand on its own, name me a guitar that can do that, too ;-) ) around here and decide what to do. I already have a fixed bridge that would fit, so I probably fill the obsolete holes with polyresin. But first I have to get rid of that ridiculous paintjob !

Greets

Oliver !
Author:  RSBBass [ Mon 07 Jan 2008 09:46 AM ]
Post subject: 
If its a bolt on and your woodworking skills are up to it (and it sounds like they are), why not build a new body? You could either rebuild it as a ZZ or as anything you wanted.
Author:  Corsair [ Mon 07 Jan 2008 03:10 PM ]
Post subject: 
...good luck with this one, mate - looks sort of terminal, really! Why do people - and I use the term loosely! - feel the need to disfigure such items as this; are they mad, or just stupid?!

One of the mysteries of our time, I guess! I'm just surprised the previous owner didn't part it out to increase his return!! :-?
Author:  Jorg [ Mon 07 Jan 2008 07:14 PM ]
Post subject: 
Maybe he was playing very small clubs. . . :-?
Author:  Corsair [ Mon 07 Jan 2008 08:28 PM ]
Post subject: 
:D :D :D
Author:  okaspar [ Sun 13 Jan 2008 12:35 PM ]
Post subject: 
So guys, I was busy this weekend. I considered the idea of building a new body, but somehow I didn´t want to throw away to original body, 2/3 were still there ;-) So I started to get rid of the paintjob. And this was what came back to the light :

A black/white Explorer paintjob. Much better than the junk that was on top !
Image


So a friend of mine said that I might need a light guitar if I wanted to participate in a 24 hour Metal Marathon. I don´t know if I will, but if I do, I will use this guitar, because it is quite light due to the missing slab of wood. So I got my favourite material and gave this guitar some metal back :

Image Image [img]http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5553/ariazzrestauration6et1.th.jpg[/img] [img]http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1276/ariazzrestauration7fg3.th.jpg[/img]

To make things easier, I decided to make it a "Zero-Pot-Version" and attached the humbucker directly to the output jack ! I have a fixed bridge that will do the job, so I could route the cable via the ex-FR-cavity. To cut the metal and do the woodwork took me the better part of the day but is was fun. I will attach the bridge and give it some strings asap.

What do you think of it. I think it screams "METAL!!!"

;-)

Oliver !
Author:  Jorg [ Sun 13 Jan 2008 01:05 PM ]
Post subject: 
You saved it! Very useful for the occasional heckler as well. :D
Author:  Pollyanna [ Sun 13 Jan 2008 08:34 PM ]
Post subject: 
Hi Oliver,

Happy New Year to you and everyone else here. I haven't been around for a while so I have just noticed this now.
(I've been too busy chasing a newly bought puppy around and restoring guitars!) :hyper:

WOW! You truly are a guitar genius! :bow:
That is one amazing resurrection that you have completed there, congrats on that!
How many do you have in your collection now?

Pauline :)
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