Aria / Aria Pro II

Aria is one of the great Japanese guitar stories. Shiro Arai founded the company in 1953, guitars followed in the 1960s, and the Aria Pro II name arrived in 1975 for electric instruments. The Matsumoku years produced many of the models collectors still chase today. “Aria” and “Aria Pro II” are related names, but era and model family are the real map.

MODEL SEARCH

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OVERVIEW

What to know quickly

FOUNDED Arai & Co. dates to 1953; Aria guitar production began in the early 1960s.

ARIA PRO II The Aria Pro II name was launched in 1975 to distinguish electric guitars from Aria acoustic/classical lines.

MATSUMOKU Matsumoku became Aria’s major manufacturing partner and built many celebrated 1970s/1980s instruments.

The model family matters more than “Made in Japan” by itself. A PE, SB bass, Cardinal and Thor Sound can all be excellent but belong to different construction and value groups.

IDENTIFY YOUR GUITAR

Which Aria / Aria Pro II do you have?

Start with the full model designation and headstock branding, then place the guitar into its manufacturing era. Matsumoku-built examples are especially well documented through surviving catalogs.

Find the model prefix. PE, CS, TS, RS, SB and later series names are strong starting points.
Read the headstock exactly. Aria, Aria Diamond and Aria Pro II can point toward different periods.
Check neck construction. Bolt-on, set-neck and neck-through designs all appear.
Record serial and country markings. Useful, but confirm with catalog specifications when possible.
On basses, identify the exact SB variant. SB-700, SB-1000 and modern reissues/signatures can be very different markets.

SERIES & CURRENT RETAIL GUIDE

Vintage originals and modern Aria Pro II both remain relevant

PE Series PE-1500, PE-800, PE-600 and modern PE models Used + current dealer market Carved / set-neck electric family

Cardinal / Thor Sound / Rev-Sound CS, TS, RS models Vintage used market Classic Matsumoku-era originals

SB Series SB-700, SB-1000, modern SB-ONE, signature basses Used + current Neck-through bass legacy

Current Detroit / Nashville / Fullerton 313, 615, 714 families Current dealer-dependent Modern Aria Pro II range

Aria remains active worldwide; current prices vary by distributor and country, so exact model/dealer comparison is more useful than a single list range.

USED VALUE GUIDE

Matsumoku-era Aria Pro II deserves model-specific research

Guitar Center’s current used examples include PE, Thor Sound and other Aria Pro II instruments from roughly the mid-hundreds upward. Rare, clean and neck-through models can command more.

COMMON USED IMPORT Often roughly $250–$500.

MATSUMOKU / BETTER MODELS Commonly around $450–$900+.

RARE / HIGH-SPEC / SB Can exceed $1,000 depending on model and condition.

Use catalog evidence. Aria’s old model families are documented well enough to avoid guesswork.
Check neck-through repairs carefully. A structural issue on a neck-through instrument changes the equation.
Confirm pickups/electronics. Many owners modified 1980s performance guitars.
Separate current reissues from vintage originals. Similar names do not imply identical construction.
Watch counterfeit / dubious products. Aria itself currently warns buyers about dubious Aria products.

CURRENT USED MARKET

See what the market is doing now

Search “Aria Pro II” plus the complete model code. A generic Aria search mixes acoustics, modern imports and collectible Matsumoku-era electrics.

Search Aria Pro II on Reverb Vintage and current Aria Pro II examples ↗ Used Aria Pro II at Guitar Center Current U.S. used inventory ↗

COMPARE

What else lives in this neighborhood?

Vintage Aria Pro II sits naturally beside other Matsumoku-built and high-quality Japanese guitars; current Aria spans a broader value market.

COMPARE WITH Westone / Vantage · Matsumoku-era companions

COMPARE WITH Ibanez / Yamaha · Japanese design and performance context

COMPARE WITH Electra · overlapping late-1970s / 1980s Japanese import history

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Before you buy—or price—one

Brand-name evolution. Aria and Aria Pro II are not interchangeable date stamps.
Factory assumptions. Not every Aria ever made came from Matsumoku.
Modified electronics. Vintage performance guitars were common upgrade platforms.
Serial shortcuts. Catalog and physical specifications should support dating.
Bass premiums. Certain SB models have a much stronger market than generic Aria instruments.

HISTORY & COMMENTARY

Arai, Matsumoku and the rise of original Japanese design

Shiro Arai founded the business in 1953. Aria began producing guitars in the 1960s and increasingly worked with Matsumoku; in 1975 the Aria Pro II name was introduced for electric instruments.

The story becomes especially interesting when Aria moved beyond copies into original Japanese designs—PE, Rev-Sound, Cardinal, Thor Sound and the SB bass family. Those instruments are a major reason Matsumoku-era guitars now have their own collector language.

WHAT PLAYERS LIKE

Why a Aria / Aria Pro II can be worth picking up

Original Japanese designs. The strongest Aria Pro II models developed identities beyond copy-guitar origins.
Neck-through construction. Many premium models showcase Matsumoku’s laminated-neck work.
Strong bass legacy. SB instruments remain among the most recognizable Aria designs.
Current continuity. Aria Pro II is still active with modern PE, SB and other families.
Catalog research. Surviving official and enthusiast archives make identification rewarding.

CURRENT RETAIL & REFERENCE

Aria · About Official company and Aria Pro II history ↗ Aria Pro II · Current Models Current electric and bass families ↗ Aria · Current Acoustic / Classical Current Aria-branded instruments ↗ Matsumoku Archives Historical catalogs and factory context ↗

Aria’s current catalog was active in 2026; vintage values should be anchored to the exact model and manufacturing era.