1977 Aria Pro II ST-500

H770992

A very rare spec - a natural ST-500 with a Rosewood neck needed a Custom Order form filling out at the Japanese music store - this could quite easily be mistaken for the ultra-rare ST-800 model, but the machine-head style and body construction place this as a guitar built on a 500 platform. This neck did find its way onto the 600B model a few years later. Arriving with us in what is technically known as "a right old state", we have given this old warrior a full refurbishment - keeping as much original as possible, as these ST-500 models were incredibly good; punching well above their weight even when new.

The neck has been completely refinished, and now has a set of Jescar 45100 medium jumbo frets. Whilst feeling and playing like a brand new neck, it looks convincingly old and matches the rest of the aesthetic. It's set up like our mate Rob's '63 Strat that he stripped the Fiesta red off in the mid 70s, (and wished he hadn't). The small headstock makes him think its his, as most Strats in this colour scheme are firmly CBS. Most importantly, it plays beautifully. The pick-ups are original to the guitar and have that characteristic brightness and power of the SP-II units. The controls are original to the guitar, refurbished and fully functional. We have refurbished the bridge unit and given it a new tremolo arm and output jack on its original boat. There is a substantial shim in the pocket made of layers of 1977 Japanese newspaper (really!), and loads of room both sides in the rod if you want to set it up in a more modern fashion, but give this a go before you do

The battered up body is limited to the finish - there are no big chunks of ash missing - it has just been biffed around all of its life, and doesn't seem to mind. Any cracks you see in the photographs are in the polyester finish. The 3.38kg (7lbs 7oz) feels light and balanced, the typical Matsumoku construction and the new frets make it "zing" and ring acoustically before you plug it in.