Aria Pro II SB700 Original Version MIJ 1980 on hold - *SOLD* £725 Lancaster

[ash]

As it’s gone very quiet on the Rickenbacker sale here is another of my long scale basses for sale. This is a classic Aria Pro II SB700 made in Japan in around 1980. There is an original sales receipt dated December 1980 in the case. It’s an early one with the batwing headstock. It is in superb cosmetic and playing condition. All original electrics and great sounding pickup. This bass is passive but has a versatile range of sounds and can cut through the mix with a great midrange bite. Beautiful through neck construction and surprisingly light at around 4kgs. It comes with original case, tags, tools, receipt, lead (still in bag!) and the plastic overlay to explain the controls. The brass bridge is intact and the control plate bright and shiny and everything is in good order. I doubt this has ever been gigged. I bought it on a whim - I love these classic Arias and recognise what amazing instruments they were/are for the money. This one came up on Basschat and I couldn’t resist. Alas my hands are no longer equal to the task of playing this long scale bass so I’m putting it out there for what I paid. You won’t find a better example. It has one small ding on the body. Nothing else. No trades I’m afraid. These have recently been reissued as they have come back into favour again - I imagine that the MIJ models are very expensive as the craftsmanship of this one must be costly to replicate. 

UK only I can post at buyer’s cost but would prefer pickup if possible.

Thanks for looking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7 by ash
New pics

[Skybone]

That is fabulous. GLWTS.

[FunkyDude]

What's the string spacing @ bridge please? 

[Hellzero]

On those Japanese models with the golden brass bridge, it's a 15.5 mm strings spacing, it's very tight: my pal of the bass duet is using one as well as an RSB something and I'm doing the maintenance of his instruments too, so now these old Aria's quite well.

 

Excellent sounding basses for sure.

 

GLWYS.

[ash]

See my pics a bit wider than that according to my engineer’s ruler 

[ash]

1 hour ago, FunkyDude said:

What's the string spacing @ bridge please? 

See added pictures

[AndyTravis]

Beautiful that @ash

[Sean]

Wow! That's like a time capsule.

[BassTool]

What a beauty!! Looks in mint condition too 😮👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼

[Bilbo]

That was the first 'proper' bass I had (I had a Hondo II Precision first off the bat). My brother still has it. I swapped it for a guitar he had in about 1983. I spoke to him the other day and he still has the same strings on it! 🤣 

[dudewheresmybass]

Gorgeous. 
not often you see them with the case and candy. 
GLWTS

[FunkyDude]

On 01/02/2025 at 19:15, ash said:

See added pictures

Thanks for the info. 👍

[ossyrocks]

Blimey @ash, I'm sorely tempted to buy this just to put it on a stand in the living room and just look at it!

 

For info, @ash is ten minutes away from me, and therefore so is this bass !

 

Rob

[ash]

6 minutes ago, ossyrocks said:

Blimey @ash, I'm sorely tempted to buy this just to put it on a stand in the living room and just look at it!

 

For info, @ash is ten minutes away from me, and therefore so is this bass !

 

Rob

Buy it Rob - it’s a beauty and if I have a miraculous recovery of my hand I can buy it back very easily!