Up for sale, a 1980 Aria Pro II PE-600 in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and Aria-branded strap. An elegant take on the LP platform produced at the Matsumoku factory in Japan and rarely seen outside of its country of origin, the PE-600 features a carved, figured sycamore body with a three-piece maple neck and a dark rosewood fretboard.
Player-friendly, ergonomic features include heel-less neck construction, a belly cut, and recessed controls. This guitar has a rich and resonant natural acoustic quality, faithfully translated by the stock pair of Aria Protomatic IV humbuckers. The pickups both meter at 8.3k ohms, delivering big, full sounds with ample midrange warmth and treble cut. The neck pickup is throaty and round, and the bridge pickup has a sweet, sonorous quality. This Aria Pro II weighs 9lbs 2oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
The three-piece maple neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with well-rounded shoulder and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .810” deep at the 1st fret and .935” at the 12th. The dark rosewood fretboard has a 12” radius, pearloid dot inlay, and flawless stock medium jumbo fretwire. This guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The nut measures a full 1 11/16” in width, carved from bone for optimal sustain and note clarity. The headstock sports a bullet truss rod nut and chrome-plated Rotomatic-style tuners that turn smoothly and hold pitch well.
All of the electronics function as intended, with the Protomatic IV pickups wired to the stock harness and governed by a three-way selector switch and Master Volume and Tone controls. The original knobs are present, with rosewood tops and ridged grips for easy on-the-fly adjustments. The stock bridge is a unique design, discontinued in 1980, which is larger than most traditional LP bridges and combines the saddle and stopbar.
The gloss Cherry Sunburst finish is bold and vibrant, highlighting subtle figuring in the sycamore body. This is an exceedingly well-kept example, with cosmetic wear limited to just a scant few microscopic dings and faint finish scratches on the body as a whole. The smooth gloss finish on the neck profile is pristine.
The original Aria-branded hardshell case is included, along with an Aria Pro II strap.