70s aria am-700

[markd2522]

I'm a new player and found a used Aria that had a nice sound and seemed to play well. I don't see this model anymore. Can anyone give me any info on it.

[OregonMike]

I had a 70's Aria A for a while and this site helped me get closer to the date:

Aria "Archives" (http://www.ariausa.com/archives/ban.html)

I would search the strings for discussions about them. I would consider mine a decent early non-lam pacrim that had 30 years to open up. A little heavy on the finish.

[cooper4205]

from the pic you posted, it looks the same as the Alvarez A-700's that were made in the 1970's. they had solid spruce tops, but the back and sides were laminated maple. They seem to sell for $300-$400, although I have seen people ask alot more than that (though they didn't sell).

[brunello97]

I have a late '70s Aria F-style marked as an M-700 (No 'P' or 'A' preceding the M on the label. It looks quite a bit like the Aria posted in another thread recently. (Was that yours?)

I've had it for quite some time, though haven't played it much recently. I've never been able to find out much about them here on the MC. A few Aria threads have started and withered.

Mike, you suggest these are solid tops? I've never been able to tell for sure on mine as the heavy coat of finish appears almost as a laminate 'ply'. I would guess a pressed top and back?

Still, it's been a decent axe, with less volume than expected but a very playable neck. Some nice woods with some flame on the back, somewhat obscured by the auto-body-quality lacquer job. It has stayed in tune for years at a time.

I've seen fancier Aria Fs from this era with more bling and what look more like carved scrolls.

Hopefully, this thread scares up some more info on these interesting mandolins.

Mick

[Martin Jonas]

I briefly had a Korean-made Aria two-point, oval hole (AM-300), which I bought and sold on Ebay. I think it was made in 1994, as the serial number started with 1994xxxx. Nicely playable, very comfortable and decent-looking, but so-so tone, little volume and definitely plywood. I peeled away an inconspicuous piece of the soundhole binding to see the layers.

Martin

[OregonMike]

Mike, you suggest these are solid tops? I've never been able to tell for sure on mine as the heavy coat of finish appears almost as a laminate 'ply'. #I would guess a pressed top and back?
Mick - I wouldn't bet a paycheck on it but the top was spruce with bound F holes so I couldn't see the edges. The back had the same figure on the inside as the outside if I remember correctly so I assumed non-lam. (I couldn't imagine a solid back and a ply top). I always thought it sounded damp because of the heavy finish but it could be the laminate.

[brunello97]

Mike,

'Damp' is a good word for the sound of this one, too. Like you, I've had a hunch the top is solid, but the uncarved scroll has always given me pause. I've been loyal to it for a long time, mostly because it the neck is so easy to play and because I traded a short scale Gibson EBO bass for it. I was just a kid and HAD to have a PBass. So I've kept the Fender and the Aria as a pair for years.

Cooper's thoughts on the Alvarez-Aria connection are interesting. I wonder if there is further confirmation? There is an Alvarez 900 for sale in the classifieds now for any visual comparisons-not to this model Aria, it is much fancier.

I've always wondered about the solid/lam issue with this. Martin, the finish on this thing is impregnable, so there are no weak points to access edges. I've heard that the Japanese made ones were solid wood, but have no authoritative resource. If I ever could confirm that, I'd probably risk taking the finish off this one to see what I could find. Equally so, I'd happily pass it along to someone more interested in 'choppin' than I am these days.

Mick