(SOLD) Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CS-350 TV Black 1982
Aria CS-350, black, made in Japan 1982. Aria Pro II was the house brand for the famous Matsomoku factory, which made famous guitars for Ibanez and Yamaha among many others. By the early 80s they were moving away from doing copies of American guitars and adding some spicy original offerings into the mix, like this one. The woodwork out of Matsumoku is generally of exceptional quality, and this is a good example: you get a lightweight ash body with some beautiful grain on show, paired with an arrow-straight three-piece maple neck capped with a slab of dark streaky rosewood. It's resonant and rich in the hands, the thing feels so alive. The switching is a laugh: a standard LP-style setup with a three way selector and a VVTT set of knobs, but... you get coil split and a series/parallel options via an additional pair of mini-toggles. All the options sound great, it's annoyingly good. The single coil tones are clear and full with plenty of output, while the HB options are rich and growly with awesome definition. This is a super versatile, slick playing monster of a guitar for a bargain dime. Vintage Aria FTW!
Model: Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CS-350
Made: Japan, Matsumoku plant, 1982 (serial 2050329)
Finish: black, TV style with grain showing, semi-gloss
Body: ash
Weight: 3.740kg
Neck: maple, rosewood board, 12" radius, 24.75" scale, slim profile
Mods: none
Pickups: Aria Promatic-V humbucker x2
Case: none
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some minor dimples on the end, bottom edge and back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back only. The back has widespread scuffs, surface scratches and dimples around the whole body, no major marks though. The sides have rub wear and dimples around the whole body. The front has some scratches on the back edge near the rear strap pin and in the elbow area, some dimples near the knobs and some standard play wear on the horns. Overall: very good condition (8/10)
Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. The frets have minor wear only, 8/10 for fret life left. No headstock breaks. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.