Aria 2 Point M300BG

[Chinn]

I've not posted in the 'café in quite some time, but recently acquired a new mandolin I thought some would be interested in. She's not a handmade beauty, or from the famous 'G', but she plays well and is enjoyable. Most important to me is how it came to me as a gift from a good friend.

At a recent multi-day car show, a friend of mine told me that I could not leave before I stopped by his car. When I did, he pulled out a slightly ragged mandolin case. Inside was this mandolin. It needed cleaning and to be restringed, but other than that, it looked quite good. My friend had remembered from a long past discussion in our car club forum that I played mandolin and he had decided to pass the instrument on to me. His actions were extremely generous, and I must have thanked him and shook his hand a hundred times before we left the event. I hope to put a youtube clip of a song played on it in our car club forum soon to give him a chance to see me enjoying it.

The instrument itself is an Aria 2 Point. Its an M300BG, made in Japan. By the research I was able to do here on the forum and on the web, it appears to have been made between '75 and '79 or so making it 35 or more years old. The real maker appears to have been Matsumoko based on a link to a dealer flyer posted by another Café forum member.

She's all solid maple back and sides (does not appear to be ply from my inspections) though the back does not show much figure. The top is fairly nice grained spruce. When I got it, I spent some time reworking the nut and the bridge to give it a nice action to match my other instruments. I strung it up with light strings because it appears to have a little stress at the neck joint (which appears to be very old but stable). Binding is tortoise. I cleaned it thoroughly when I got it and buffed it out completely to a like new shine. Only a couple minor nicks that give it character remain.

The case had some vinyl peeling, but I was able to glue all that down with auto upholstery glue and then clean the entire thing completely to look like new.

Here are a few photos shot in the yard.

[JEStanek]

Nice! I hope it gives you years of joy.

Jamie

[mandobassman]

Very nice. I've always wanted one of those. Not the cheapie two points from more recent years, but one just like that from the '70s. That's a beauty.

[Joey Anchors]

Chinn very cool mando! Someday I plan on owning a two point... Some day.

[Ron McMillan]

Lovely story, and a sweet mandolin. I have a no-name (probably Japanese) F5 from the same era, and it gives me endless pleasure. When a friend who has owned and played some of the best names in the mandolin world comes over, he gravitates towards the no-namer, despite there being instruments that cost ten times as much at hand. Your two-point is a keeper. Congratulations.