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N(BY)BD - JV and sexy! Aria Pro '76 Precision - Ash & Maple


Dood
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Recently I spotted an old Fender P bass I used to own back for sale on eBay. I loved that bass having stupidly sold it some 25 years ago. I decided that I would try to buy it back but sadly all failed and I missed out on it.

I probably spent too much time thinking about it and well, a big birthday is round the corner. I thought about investing in a 'Birth Year' bass and really, it could only be one particular instrument. However, the price tag for such an instrument I just couldn't stomach despite knowing exactly what it was I was after.

I think around the same time I started checking out other precision type basses. I'm a big fan of Japanese Fenders having owned a few. I thought that maybe I should just buy an RI and be done with it. But what I really wanted was an old battered and bruised P bass, naturally aged and zingy with woody tone. Well, thanks to some posts on BassChat as well as video reviews on Youtube I discovered a range of Japanese basses that had me at low E. Yes, the late 70's 'Law Suit' basses, especially those from the Matsumoku factory. I wondered if the reviews I were reading about the basses were realistic or just enthusiastic owners, but I kept going back to one particular model over and over!

Yes, out of all the law-suiters, I found the Aria Pro PB models especially enticing as they had Ash bodies and Maple necks and a faithful reproduction of 'that look' we all know and love. (Mainly as it would make upgrades very easy!)

So I tracked down this beauty! I appreciate it's in the eye of the beholder; genuinely after tuning this bass up I have done very little to the actual set up of the instrument. it is AMAZING! For the money, it makes a complete laughing stock of 'the real thing'. This all original bass is nearly 40 years old and it is an absolute joy to play, really.

I've played it every day since it arrived a couple of weeks ago... I might just get another!


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You are absolutely right! I've wanted that aged Maple/Ash combination for a long long while! It's a super little machine!

Well, I've been 21 many many times now, so I'm having to accept that although it looks and I feel like I'm 70 at times HA I am getting dangerously close to the afore mentioned figure :)

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  • 1 month later...

After a few upgrades she now looks like this:





I still need to do a bit of.. well, cleaning I suppose but I have to say that genuinely Ash body and single slap Maple neck make this an absolute beast of a bass. I love playing it and need not look any further for my P bass needs!

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It's a real keeper! Every bit 'P' and more. I'm truly surprised as I intended on having a project bass that needed work. It has dings from nearly 40 years of work, but there is nothing that needs to be done to make it 'playable', I've just chose to upgrade a few bits!

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