“It all started with the classical guitar”, says Shiro Arai, Chairman and the founder of Aria Guitars. One day, a friend came to visit Shiro’s apartment with a guitar. Shiro was expecting to hear Koga-type Japanese popular music, but instead his friend started to play a piece by Bach. From this moment, he had been inspired by the sound of this instrument forever. The very next day, Shiro bought his first guitar, costing over two months salary and began to teach himself to play. Now playing day and night, his passion for the guitar brought him to a famous classical guitar master in Nagoya, and soon became one of his students. Shiro started work for a trading company in 1947, aged 17.
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In 1953, Shiro and two of his colleagues resigned their positions and founded their own trading firm. After the fledgling company failed after just one year Shiro found himself homeless with nothing but his guitar. In order to live and settle the outstanding debts from this first business he started to teach the guitar. In 1954 unable to buy guitars, music and strings in Japan’s music stores, Shiro started to import classical guitars, Augustine guitar strings, and musical scores for himself and his students. These were the first classical guitars imported into post-war Japan and included instruments from renowned makers Jose Ramirez and Hermann Hauser.
Recognising an increasing demand for guitars from friends and players throughout Japan, Shiro grasped the opportunity to start his own business. On August 2nd, 1956, ARAI & CO., INC was founded. At this time, although demand for classical guitars and accessories were increasing, it was still comparatively low and business was supplemented with other products including woollen material. The name, “ARIA”, which means expressive melody, was first used in 1958 when Arai exported Japanese built classical guitars fitted with steel strings to South East Asia in 1963. Also the letters of his name “ARAI” were just switched around to “ARIA as he recalled.
Shiro embarked on a tour of the US with two of the best Japanese KOHNO guitars. At that time Japanese guitars had a poor reputation for developing body cracks and warped necks after being exposed to drier conditions abroad. It was Shiro’s intention to prove how good Japanese guitars were by performing and showing to fellow guitarists, teachers and music shops. After two months these guitars also started to crack.
Even the best available Kohno guitars faced the same problem. Shiro took these cracked guitars back to Japan to show their makers just how vital it is to use properly seasoned tone woods. This trip gave Shiro the experience and knowledge to improve the quality of guitars and export Japanese guitars worldwide. It was as early as the late 50’s when Arai started to import Fender guitars and amplifiers from the US, although at that time the Japanese market was not quite ready for the electric guitar! With the advent of rock n’ roll demand for electric guitars took-off. Arai released its first ARIA brand electric guitars in 1963.
Exporting to the US followed with models including the 1532T and 1802T. To counter the decline of the solid body electric guitar boom, Arai released the Aria Diamond series hollow body semi-acoustic guitars. Aria Diamond was named after the imitation diamond inlayed into the headstock. This series lead to the release of the 1202 and 1302 models in 1966 and caused nothing short of a sensation in Japan. From 1967 Aria added a variety of models including the solid body 1962T, R-320, and violin shaped 12-string and bass guitars, and a full acoustic guitar, the 1262. In 1975, Aria Pro II was developed from Aria’s custom shop making high-end models for professional users. In 1976, Aria Pro II released its first original model, the PE-1500.
PE (Prototype Line) is a classic Aria design, also known as the legendary masterpiece, it featured an arched top, and all maple carved body with Aria’s original “heel-less neck and DiMarzio Super Distortion Humbucking Pickups. Primarily designed for tone and playability, the PE series has been modified to match today’s trends while keeping its original features and timeless design. In 1978, Aria Pro II released another long-selling model, the SB-1000.
The SB-1000 was highly regarded throughout the world and came to represent everything that was good about Aria and Japanese guitar building. Featuring a Canadian Ash body with neck through body and, to enhance playability, a heel-less neck. For its original tone, SB featured the Aria original BB circuit. Its exotic see-through finish and the eye position marks make the SB amongst the most distinctive basses ever made. Aria Pro II led the way with the 80’s shift to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Releasing many models such as XX, ZZ and U-1.
Whilst not abandoning their routes also re-established the semi-acoustic guitar models, FA and TA. The 80s, also saw the introduction of the famous IGB (SB INTEGRA) bass series. In the early 1990s, after the heavy metal rush, Aria Pro II released one of its favourite original models, the MA series to reinforce the PE and SB line-ups. MA series bodies are constructed with innovative crystal shaped carved top and back. Continuing its remarkable progress, Aria released the very unique concept of the SWB (electric upright bass) series to the world in 1992.
The SWB range offers compact modern design and features the Fishman custom bridge Piezo pickup and active tone circuit. Aria has been at the forefront of guitar and Japanese guitar building excellence for 60 years, which means a wealth of experience and acquired expertise.
The core value remains the same today, to constantly strive to achieve a higher level of excellence, quality and value for musicians.
The Aria Story As Aria notes on its, the story of the Aria guitar begins in Japan in 1940s in an apartment where a man named Shiro Arai lived. His friend brought home a classical guitar, and Shiro, not expecting such an instrument, was stunned by its sound. He bought his own the next day, which cost two months worth of pay, and he became a skilled self-taught classical guitarist. Related Articles. In 1953, Shiro started a trading firm, but when it failed a year later, he found himself homeless and burdened by many debts. However, he still had his guitar, which became his lifeline. Shiro began teaching classical guitar lessons to make ends meet, and as demand for classical guitar grew in Japan in a market that had very few classical guitar resources, Shiro saw an opportunity.
He began importing classical guitars, strings, and sheet music to meet demand, and he founded ARAI & CO., INC., the entity responsible for the first guitar imports into post-WWII Japan. In 1958, when he began exporting Japanese-built acoustic guitars to South East Asia, the name 'Aria' was used instead of his surname 'Arai.' The word 'Aria,' besides being a play on letters with the founder's name, means 'expressive melody.' In 1963, Aria began exporting electric guitars for the first time with its models 1532T and 1802T. Famous professional guitarists, such as Neil Schon and Cliff Burton, began to use Arias, and the brand soon became an established global brand and has expanded to dozens of new models while also launching new instruments such as gypsy guitars, ukeleles, mandolins, and bass.
In 1992, Aria made waves in the music industry again when it released its SWB electric upright bass series. Some Notable Vintage Aria Guitars Some of the Aria guitars that have really stood the test of time and are desired by guitarists today are listed below. Arias not only represent a fascinating chapter in history-the first guitar company of post-WWII Japan-they have a reputation for quality and offering something uniquely Japanese in its design and style. Aria Diamond 1202T The 1202, released in 1966 in Japan and to have caused 'a sensation' in its home country, has a quality in look, design and tone on par with the famous American guitar makers, and it was one of many Japanese guitars that gave Gibson stuff competition.
Its tone switch features an array of gorgeous tones, from sparkling clear treble to a full-bodied low end that sounds gorgeous whether you're strumming full chords or picking a melody line. Aria ES-335 Replica The 1970s and early 1980s-era Aria guitars were designed to compete with popular American made models that cost more.
In some respects, they were replicas of the originals. Now that a few decades have passed, many guitar aficionados believe that these Aria replicas are holding up better than the original American guitars after which they were modeled. This 1981-era ES-335 replica, a replica of a Gibson guitar, is a classic example. The tone is stunningly clear and mellow, as demonstrated by the gorgeous fingerpicked jazz performance featured in the video above. As the guitarist changes to distortion, the guitar also demonstrate a distinct tone quality that is expressive and fierce. It's not surprising so many guitarists have become so attached to the Aria replicas. 1970s Aria A586 Classical Guitar These classical beauties were produced throughout the 1970s and are highly sought after.
They featured a beautiful solid spruce top and a rosewood bridge, binding, sides and back, cedar neck, and traditional Spanish tuners that gave this guitar tremendous power, sustain and warm clarity for a non-amplified nylon guitar. Its tone switch offers a wide range of character, from bright Strat-like blues treble to a dampened but warm jazz-style tone on its low end. Where to Buy Listed below are some great websites to get you started on your Aria vintage guitar shopping spree. My Rare Guitars has a large selection and a straight-forward ordering system.
Pros: It features vintage and rare guitars, custom shop options, and demo guitars with a large selection in its primary categories. Cons: It doesn't have a straight-forward place to see exactly how many vintage Arias they have for sale at any given time. If you type in Aria in its search box, the search results also show articles about Aria, so it takes time to sort through the content. Although its website could use some more robust functionality, it has a wonderfully large library of guitars on sale. Guitar Museum is another great site because of its vast selection. It also has a great search function, which makes it easy to know how many Aria guitars it has at any given time. It has featured as many as 119 guitars at one time.
Pros: It has a large selection and an excellent search function. Cons: Not every guitar is for sale. Users are allowed to upload photos of their guitars if they wish. Although it really is a combination of a museum and a store, which means you can't buy everything you see, it is a wonderful site to explore. Ebay is a go-to location for selling items online, and it is certainly a decent place to find. Pros: Ebay is by far the most well-designed commerce facilitating website for people selling and buying personal items. Its buyer/seller practices and policies make its buying experience one of the safest, smoothest on the Internet.
Cons: Not every guitar is a 'Buy It Now' guitar. Many of them are auctions, which means that amazing Aria you've been looking for all these years might slip out of your hands at the last moment if someone outbids you. Ebay makes the buying experience easy to survive, but the ups and downs of auctions can be brutal if you're not able to find a 'Buy It Now' version of your desired guitar. Joe's Vintage Guitars is to the internet as an out-of-the-way mom and pop shop with amazing stuff is to professional pickers. The site is small, dated in its design, and does not have a large selection of Arias, but sometimes you can locate hard-to-find items or super rare guitars in places where not everyone thinks to look. Pros: A good place to look for rare or hard-to-find Aria guitars. Cons: Limited selection and dated site design.
A website doesn't have to be pretty or perfect to deliver the goods. It's all about finding hard-to-find items, and sometimes a place named Joe has treasures that no one else has.
Final Tips for Buying a Vintage Aria Since these are vintage instruments, they are more difficult to find than brand new models. You'll have to be patient and do your homework to find the perfect vintage Aria. Don't just do the online version of window shopping where you visit a site without interacting with the people who run the site. If you can't find what you're looking for, send the owner of the site a message letting them know what you want. They're usually happy to keep an eye out for you and email you if one comes in. Watch out for forgeries. Many vintage guitars are mixed bags, meaning some parts of the guitar are original, some are not.
Some people even make forgeries of alleged vintage guitars. Learn about all the original parts of a vintage guitar so that you can understand how much of a product you're buying is original and how much is restored with new parts. Read this book to educate yourself:. Well Worth the Effort Although it might take some hard work, even when you follow these helpful tips, the effort pays off when you find a superb Aria guitar that represents the fine history of the Aria company and its dedication to guitar craft.