1980 Aria Pro II LS-600P

In July 2009, I obtained an Aria Pro II catalog and confirmed that this model appeared in the 1980 issue, listed under the model name LS-600P with a retail price of ¥60,000.

To be frank, Aria Pro II guitars were somewhat overshadowed during this period—not because of any lack in quality, but due to the brilliant marketing strategy of Kanda Shokai, the company behind the Greco brand. In truth, there was no significant difference in craftsmanship or performance between the two.

The three-piece hard maple top gives the guitar a solid, high-quality feel, and the dark rosewood fingerboard features fret-edge binding, a detail of craftsmanship that’s rare to find today, even on mid- to high-end instruments.

A cherry-finished Les Paul-style model equipped with P-90 pickups is something virtually unique to Aria Pro II—few, if any, other manufacturers offered such a configuration at the time.

Weight: 4.28 kg (including strings)
(Updated June 16, 2016)